Chapter 197
The moment Xiang Tianyi said this, a flicker of surprise crossed Song Nianchu’s eyes.
As expected of Xiang Tianyi—he never let himself take a loss.
Although he held only thirty percent of the factory’s shares, he intended to make up for it elsewhere.
After all, if a large factory’s cafeteria was managed properly, the profits could be considerable.
But she urgently needed to produce some results. Relying on herself alone would simply take too long. Besides, judging from Xiang Tianyi’s words and manner just now, his connections seemed to be even more powerful than she had imagined.
Working with him would save her the trouble of handling everything that came afterward. Giving him a little more profit was no great loss.
“All right, I agree. As long as you can secure the contract to run the factory cafeteria, I’ll let you take sole responsibility for it,” Song Nianchu said after weighing the pros and cons.
“Comrade Song, you’re surprisingly straightforward today.” Xiang Tianyi gave her a leisurely once-over.
Normally, she never conceded an inch in negotiations. It was rare for her to give him so much ground today.
“I just want the people in the village to enjoy better lives as soon as possible.” Song Nianchu smiled.
That wasn’t a lie, but more importantly, she needed to show the higher-ups some concrete achievements.
“With such admirable aspirations, Comrade Song, I feel that you shouldn’t be handling business matters here. You ought to enter politics instead.” Xiang Tianyi’s voice rose slightly at the end.
“I have no interest in becoming an official. I simply like doing business.”
“That’s something we have in common.”
“Manager Xiang, since we’ve already settled everything, why don’t we go sign the contract?” Song Nianchu wanted to finalize the matter as soon as possible. Otherwise, after all their negotiations, this man might change his mind the moment he turned around.
“All right.” Xiang Tianyi did not refuse.
Song Nianchu took Xiang Tianyi to find Wu Zhenggui and explained the details of their cooperation to him.
Xiang Tianyi was also representing the city’s state-run restaurant in his partnership with the village. In other words, two collectives would be joining forces to establish the factory.
This kind of arrangement was not unusual in those days. Many factories were jointly operated by several collectives.
Wu Zhenggui was completely bewildered by all the talk of shares and dividends. He only understood that Xiang Tianyi intended to build a large factory in their village—one that might even rival the city’s factories.
That alone was enough for him to sign and stamp the contract without hesitation.
Xiang Tianyi had clearly made preparations in advance. He had brought all the necessary documents, and both sides signed and stamped them.
The contract was officially concluded.
“Manager Xiang, here’s to a successful partnership.” Song Nianchu looked at the contract in her hands and extended her hand toward him.
Xiang Tianyi glanced at her slender fingers and lightly clasped her fingertips.
“Once I get back, I’ll submit the application and register everything. As soon as it’s approved, I’ll arrange for people to come and expand the factory,” Xiang Tianyi said, releasing her hand after only a brief touch.
“All right,” Song Nianchu replied.
“But if we’re expanding the factory, shouldn’t that shed beside the workshop be torn down?” Xiang Tianyi asked, pretending to sound casual.
“The shed? You mean the one where the carpenters work?” Song Nianchu asked.
“Yes. Since our factory will be producing canned goods, the sawdust from the carpentry work could create sanitation issues and make it difficult to pass inspections. Find them another place.”
“That works. I’ll have them move when the time comes.” Song Nianchu nodded.
The carpentry workshop was nothing more than a makeshift shed, so moving it would be simple enough.
“All right.” Seeing how readily Song Nianchu agreed, the corners of Xiang Tianyi’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Well then, now that the contract is signed, I’ll be heading back.”
“I’ll see you out,” Song Nianchu said gently.
Xiang Tianyi neither agreed nor refused. He merely glanced at her before getting to his feet and walking toward the door.
Song Nianchu had spent many years navigating the business world in her previous life, so she still possessed a good deal of tact. She rose and followed him.
She accompanied Xiang Tianyi all the way to the entrance of the village.
“Take care, Manager Xiang.”
“Don’t forget what you promised me.” Xiang Tianyi cast her a glance.
“Which promise?” Song Nianchu asked, momentarily confused.
“One new product every month,” Xiang Tianyi said in a low voice.
“You can rest assured about that. I guarantee I’ll do it!” Song Nianchu was very confident in this regard.
“Good.” Xiang Tianyi turned and got into the car. Then he lowered the window and looked at Song Nianchu. “Go back. There’s no need to see me off any farther.”
“All right.” Song Nianchu nodded, but she did not leave.
When dealing with an investor, one had to show the proper attitude. Otherwise, how could she persuade them to part with their money willingly?
Xiang Tianyi said nothing more. He simply instructed the driver to leave.
Only after Xiang Tianyi’s car had disappeared into the distance did Song Nianchu finally turn her gaze away and walk back, excitement evident in her steps.
Just then, Wu Zhenggui happened to be heading toward her as well.
“Chu!” Wu Zhenggui looked even more excited than Song Nianchu.
“Uncle Zhengui, what brings you here too?” Song Nianchu asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Chu, the more I think about it, the more unbelievable it seems. It almost feels like I’m dreaming. Is that Manager Xiang really going to build a factory in our village?” Wu Zhenggui looked at Song Nianchu nervously.
At that, Song Nianchu couldn’t help laughing.
“Uncle Zhengui, you were the one who signed the contract. Why are you still doubting it?”
“I… It just doesn’t feel real. How could a factory possibly be built in a little mountain village like ours?” Wu Zhenggui looked around, still feeling as though he were caught in a dream.
“Why not? Our village has excellent geographical advantages. We’re so close to the sea that transportation will be very convenient. Maybe before long, our little mountain village will transform into a major city,” Song Nianchu said, half seriously and half jokingly.
“A… a major city? You mean somewhere like the capital?” Wu Zhenggui asked in shock.
“Yes.” Song Nianchu nodded.
“Chu, even if we’re dreaming, the dream should at least be realistic. That’s far too exaggerated.” Wu Zhenggui shook his head with a sigh, clearly not believing her at all.
Song Nianchu did not argue with him. After all, they knew nothing about the future, nor did they know that a certain great leader would one day be able to alter the layout of an entire city with nothing more than a simple circle drawn on a map.
“If you’re going to dream, why worry about being realistic? You might as well dream big.” Song Nianchu smiled.
“True enough.” Wu Zhenggui smiled and nodded.
“By the way, Village Chief, the canning workshop needs to be expanded. Shi’an’s carpentry workshop may have to find a new location. Where do you think would be suitable?” Song Nianchu remembered the matter that still needed to be resolved.
Xiang Tianyi had just said that once the application was approved, he would send people over to expand the factory. They had to settle this issue before then.
“That really is a bit difficult. Why not just build a carpentry workshop at the foot of the woods? There’s plenty of space there, and they’d have easy access to timber.” Wu Zhenggui truly couldn’t think of any other vacant land in the village that could accommodate a carpentry workshop, so he suggested it offhand.