All groups engaged in the trade of second-hand goods would ultimately face a very awkward situation: a lack of sufficient supply and difficulty in guaranteeing the quality of goods.
In fact, the most important factor contributing to the success of the second-hand goods auction organized by Lynch in Sabin City so far was actually the partnership he established with Mr. Fox.
Because Mr. Fox would not accept items of little value, the large quantity of second-hand goods transferred from his hands to Lynch's were all of good quality.
However, as Lynch expanded his business throughout the entire state, he would soon face a major problem: where could he obtain a sufficient supply of second-hand goods that would satisfy people?
High quality, along with relatively rigid demand, was the foundation upon which the second-hand goods auction could continue to be held and remain profitable.
This problem appeared challenging to solve, yet in reality, Lynch had long envisioned a solution: replacing second-hand goods with brand new products and selling them directly as such!
This seemed like a somewhat contradictory business model. Selling brand new items as second-hand goods—Would it incur losses or generate profits?
However, because they were brand new products, they would possess greater appeal to participants. People would be more willing to spend a little more money on these brand-new second-hand goods than they were now.
In fact, from the outset, Lynch had never considered making profits through selling goods. He had long set his sights on the seats that salespeople must hold.
There were over a dozen cities in the state, each capable of hosting auctions with seating capacities ranging from two to five thousand. Assuming an average of three thousand seats per city, this would accumulate to approximately forty to fifty thousand seats across all cities. With nearly a million in monthly revenue, even if halved in the future, he could effortlessly earn five hundred thousand per month without any additional effort. So, why would he want to pursue higher profits?
In order to have people firmly standing by his side and defending his interests, he needed to share the money with those around him. If he only focused on making money for himself, soon people like Richard would gradually drift away from him.
So where would those brand new cheap goods come from?
Undoubtedly, they would come from factories. Therefore, controlling costs became Lynch's current medium to long-term goal. As the wave of bankruptcies approached the first-tier cities, more and more large factories began to close down.
The inventories of these large factories would become the main source of goods for Lynch's auctions in the short term. However, to make something last longer, one must have been prepared for the long term.
Lynch had given a positive response to the idea of whether Lunetto, the owner of the light industry factory, could cooperate. This had immediately excited Lunetto, and he had begun habitually introducing his products to Lynch.
"Mainly various seasonal clothes in standard sizes. We have our own designers and raw materials, and we also accept processing finished products with finalized designs..."
Some factories would not design and produce their own branded clothing; instead, they would engage in original equipment manufacturer production for other brands. To avoid disputes and complications related to materials and other issues, the ordering companies would often provide their own design sketches and fabrics and sign agreements on acceptable quality standards to safeguard their interests.
Any clothing factory could quickly change its production content, which was also a characteristic of light industry factories. Of course, this was also the reason why light industry was the first to be impacted and succumbed at the forefront of the wave, as they lacked uniqueness.
The commonality and general applicability of light industry made most of its sectors, which did not have high technological barriers, susceptible to being the first victims in waves of closures. Except for a few factories with technological barriers and patents that could barely maintain production, the rest were essentially doomed.
Lunetto's two factories were also like this. They were unable to receive any commissioned orders at the moment. What they could do, others could also do; however, what others could do, they may not necessarily be able to do.
Moreover, their warehouses had already been piled up with a large number of clothes and blankets. If no one could save them soon, they would soon end up like others, facing closure.
Actually, Lynch wasn't aware that the sparse attendance at the reception wasn't due to others not showing up, but because many had already been eliminated by the chaotic society. They had gone bankrupt, closed down, lost their societal value, and naturally weren't among the invited.
This society was cruel and realistic like that. Businesspeople without value didn't even have the qualification to attend such gatherings because they couldn't contribute to the vibrant atmosphere. Instead, they would only cast a sense of desolation and decline, which was not what the mayor desired, nor was it fitting for an upscale social setting.
Lynch pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it over. "We can discuss cooperation later. What do you think?"
Only until this moment did Lunetto realise that his actions were somewhat rash. "I apologize for my rude behavior, Mr. Lynch. When are you available?" After glancing around, he quickly apologised.
Lynch briefly recalled his schedule for the next week and responded. "How about Tuesday afternoon?"
"Tuesday afternoon it is!" Lunetto breathed a sigh of relief; at least Lynch's demeanor and attitude had made him feel somewhat relaxed. He thanked Lynch for the opportunity, took a sip of his drink, then left to seek new opportunities. He wasn't entirely convinced that Lynch could truly help him, or perhaps he had already resigned himself to the possibility of not being able to collaborate with Lynch.
As soon as Lunetto left, another person approached. This was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties. His demeanor seemed much better than Lunetto's, exuding a calm aura that suggested his company and finances were not experiencing significant issues.
He reached out his hand voluntarily, and it felt pleasantly warm. Unlike Lunetto's slightly clammy handshake, this person's handshake conveyed a sense of his current situation almost immediately. It was a rather remarkable sensation.
"Duncan..." He introduced himself with simplicity, then went on, "I know you, Mr. Lynch."
Lynch raised an eyebrow, and they both timely let go of each other's hands. There were a few more people who had intended to approach Lynch, but now they paused. They would wait for Duncan and Lynch's conversation to end before attempting to engage with Lynch; that was the custom.
"Oh? But I'm not very familiar with you," Lynch replied calmly. In a way, Duncan's words weren't very polite, and of course, Lynch's response wasn't either.
However, until both parties had shown clear affection or animosity, the uncertainty of the context did not allow this lack of politeness to affect either side.
"I currently work at Loop Real Estate, as the general manager," he said, his face showing a hint of pride. Of course, his job indeed qualified him to have such thoughts.
Loop Real Estate was a newly established company under the Loop Industrial Group, which itself had been in existence for less than ten years. Loop Industrial on the other hand held considerable significance and influence within the state, being a large research-oriented industrial group.
Their primary focus was on developing machinery that catered to market demands, such as the various machinery used in Lunetto's clothing factory and blanket factory, all sourced from Loop Industrial.
And Loop Real Estate, essentially, was to improve their financial reports to boost their stock price.
Duncan's intentions were very obvious; he had his eye on the piece of land in Lynch's hands.
When the club was first established, the city wasn't as large as it was now. What was once considered far from the city center was now right next to it, and its value had increased countless times over.
In the past, people had considered accepting the club, but the problem was that big conglomerates like Loop Industrial believed that a professional rugby club was a money-burning and fruitless venture. So, until Lynch took over, perhaps some people had their eyes on that piece of land, but no one had made a move.
Now that Lynch had expressed his intention to sell, it would naturally attract the interest of some people.
The two of them talked briefly and roughly, not delving into details. This was a reception, not an office; no one would finalize any deals here. At most, they would leave an intention.
After agreeing on a time for further discussion, Duncan left satisfied. Soon after, the third person appeared in front of Lynch.
Standing on the other side, Ferrall watched Lynch's natural handling of the situation with a somewhat unreal feeling. It was because he had seen many people make a fool of themselves at such gatherings for the first time, leaving behind some jokes for various reasons.
Including himself; the first time he attended a more sophisticated social gathering with his elders, he had caused some laughter due to being overly restrained and cautious.
But looking at Lynch, he always felt that he... he didn't know how to describe it. He both hoped that Lynch would embarrass himself, yet also hoped that he would perform more perfectly.
People were inherently contradictory. They were willing to believe in the existence of perfection in the world, as it reflected their kind and optimistic nature. However, they were reluctant for this belief to be true, as it would highlight their own imperfections.
Gradually, some people started to gather around Lynch. This phenomenon was rare. It was rare for a newcomer to become the center of attention at such an occasion.
If Lynch had elders, they would probably have told him before attending the gathering to manage his mouth and not say anything irrelevant, but rather, listen to others' thoughts and maintain his attitude.
Upon seeing this, Ferrall couldn't help but feel curious. He wondered what Lynch was saying to attract such attention and cause others to gather around him.Please vote for this novel at /series/blackstone-code/There are advance chapters available nowAccess will be granted 24 hours after the donationTier 1: 7 Advance chapters Link
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