Chapter 194
“What kind of business?” Xiang Tianyi’s gaze swept over Song Nianchu’s face.
Song Nianchu sat up straight.
“Manager Xiang, you mentioned before that you wanted to partner with our village to open a factory. Do you still have that idea now?”
“Didn’t you already turn me down?” Xiang Tianyi narrowed his dark eyes.
“That wasn’t the right time back then. But now, our Qingheyuan canned goods have built up a bit of a reputation, and with orders growing day by day, our village really can’t keep up with the volume.” Song Nianchu tried her best to look as sincere as possible.
“Is that so? How exactly do you plan to cooperate?” Whether Xiang Tianyi believed her or not, he at least seemed interested.
Song Nianchu grew even more enthusiastic.
“Manager Xiang could fund an expansion of our village’s current cannery, and I can give you a twenty percent share.”
“Twenty percent? You think I’m running a charity?” Xiang Tianyi shot her a sidelong glance.
“Then how much does Manager Xiang want?” Song Nianchu didn’t take offense.
“Sixty percent.” Xiang Tianyi drove a hard bargain.
“Manager Xiang, I came here with every ounce of sincerity to talk business. If this is how you’re going to play it, then we have nothing more to discuss.” Song Nianchu feigned regret.
“You’re the one who started joking around first.” Xiang Tianyi snorted.
“Alright, I apologize. What number are you looking for?” Song Nianchu let out a long, resigned sigh.
“Fifty percent.”
“No, that’s way too much. We’re the ones covering all the initial development, and that’s the most profitable part of the technology. The absolute most I can offer is twenty-five percent.”
“Forty.”
“Twenty-six.”
“Forty-five!”
“Twenty-seven!”
“Song Nianchu!” Xiang Tianyi stared at how she was inching up by single points and was genuinely infuriated.
“Fine, fine. Thirty percent, and that’s the final offer. I’ll even take a little less money from you.” Song Nianchu raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.
Xiang Tianyi squinted at her for a long moment, then leaned back lazily into his chair.
“Comrade Song, why did you suddenly decide to cooperate with me?”
“I already told you, the timing is right now.” Song Nianchu’s expression didn’t change.
“What timing are you referring to?” A faint, hidden glint flickered deep in Xiang Tianyi’s eyes.
“I’m referring to the fact that the villagers in our village now have experience, and every part of the process works smoothly together. That way, scaling up production won’t cause any mistakes.” Song Nianchu said seriously.
“Is that all?” Xiang Tianyi stared at her without blinking.
“What else does Manager Xiang think it could be?” Song Nianchu looked confused.
Xiang Tianyi studied her for a while longer and, finding no trace of anything beneath her gaze, finally eased up.
“Let me think it over. Once I’ve decided, I’ll have Director Sun get in touch with you.” Xiang Tianyi said in a calm voice.
“Alright, I’ll be waiting for Manager Xiang’s good news.” With that, Song Nianchu placed the new product she had carefully prepared beside Xiang Tianyi.
“This is the new product I developed.”
“Why does it look different from the one Director Sun brought?” Xiang Tianyi glanced at it.
“This is the upgraded version.” Song Nianchu slowly opened the lid as she spoke.
Inside the exquisite bamboo box sat eight crystal-clear fish balls.
“The quantity and the shape seem a bit different too.” Xiang Tianyi stared at what was inside the box, his gaze shifting slightly.
“Like I said, this is the upgraded version. It’s called Eight Treasure Balls, made from eight different kinds of fish. Each fish ball has its own name and meaning, and the taste is different for each one. The one I gave Director Sun earlier was the original version, nowhere near as refined as this one.” Song Nianchu explained.
“You made this especially for me?” Xiang Tianyi lazily withdrew his gaze.
“That’s right, this is the special edition.” Song Nianchu smiled.
“Hmph. You think such a small gift is enough to squeeze such a big advantage out of me?” Xiang Tianyi sniffed coldly.
“That’s not what I’m trying to do at all. I just wanted to bring it over for you to taste, and also to prove to you that investing in me won’t be a mistake. I can guarantee that we’ll release at least one new product every month.” Song Nianchu spoke with firm resolve.
Only then did Xiang Tianyi shift his gaze back to Song Nianchu’s face.
Her expression was so genuinely earnest, nothing like the people who had come before, blowing smoke just to get something out of him.
“Alright, it’s getting late. I’ll take you home first.” Xiang Tianyi stood up straight away.
“You’re taking me home?” Song Nianchu looked surprised at this.
“What? You think I’m not good enough?” Xiang Tianyi raised an eyebrow.
“Of course not. I just didn’t want to put you out.” Song Nianchu quickly denied it.
“Consider it a favor for the gift you brought. This time is fine, but don’t stand outside the door waiting like that again. Director Sun has my contact information. Next time you come, have him give me a heads-up. I’m not always going to have time to drive you back.” Xiang Tianyi snorted.
“Got it! Next time I come, I’ll let you know in advance.” Song Nianchu beamed with joy.
Now that Xiang Tianyi had said that, there was a very good chance their cooperation would go through.
“...”
Song Nianchu had walked over two hours to get here, but driving back only took half an hour.
The road into the village wasn’t in great shape, so Xiang Tianyi parked the car at the entrance of the village.
“Manager Xiang, thank you so much today. Next time, I’ll bring you a few extra special editions.” Song Nianchu smiled at Xiang Tianyi beside her.
“Mm.” Xiang Tianyi gave a dull reply.
Song Nianchu had just stepped out of the car when she spotted a faint light in the distance.
Taking advantage of the headlights from Xiang Tianyi’s car, Song Nianchu recognized the figure and called out to him happily.
“Shi’an.”
Mu Shi’an had already recognized Song Nianchu, and hearing her voice, his footsteps quickened even more.
Xiang Tianyi, who had been in a decent mood just moments ago, saw Mu Shi’an walking toward them and couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth turn down.
“Why did you come out?” Song Nianchu looked joyfully at Mu Shi’an.
He was holding a flashlight in his hand.
“You didn’t come back this late, so I wanted to come meet you.” Mu Shi’an explained, though his gaze instinctively drifted toward Xiang Tianyi, who was still sitting in the car.
“Looks like my little wife, whom I snatched up myself, sure knows how to take care of me.” Song Nianchu stared at Mu Shi’an with a burning gaze, lowering her voice.
The look in her eyes was too intense for Mu Shi’an, who felt a little embarrassed and instinctively looked away.
Beep!
Just then, a sharp honk suddenly cut through the air.
Song Nianchu flinched and turned around, only to see Xiang Tianyi sitting in the car, his face dark as he glared at them.