Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Mrs. Liu from the Customer Service Department walked in. She spoke to Xiao Luo respectfully, “Mr. Xiao, Mr. Jiang from Yingtong Plastic Factory, is requesting to meet you.”
Before the office door had shut, an anxious squeal came from the direction of open office area outside, “Mr. Xiao, Mr. Xiao, it is Jiang Yongchun here! I’m here to talk about the job order for the Mid-Autumn Festival!”
“Jiang Yongchun?”
Zhang Donghai was beyond words. As a veteran in Luo’s Workshop, he was aware of who Jiang Yongchun was. He was Taste Buds’ most loyal customer. He had even once declared that, as long as his plastic factory still stood, he would order from Taste Buds. That included all the pastries for their staff for every festival of the year. But what was going on here? Why did Jiang Yongchun suddenly come to their doors himself to talk about a job order?
Nothing about what he had just witnessed made any sense at all!
Jiang Yongchun caused a considerable commotion as he made his ay to Xiao Luo’s office. Everyone turned to look at him, including Xu Guansong, Lin Chongdong, and Li Zimeng. When they saw Jiang Yongchun, they all wore a look of disbelief on their faces because he wasn’t someone that would ever show up at their company.
“Mr. Jiang, may I ask if you’re here for?”
Xu Guansong approached him. He couldn’t believe that Taste Buds’ most loyal customer was here at Luo’s Workshop to discuss a job order. He was concerned that Jiang Yongchun was here to make trouble.
“Where’s Mr. Xiao? Mr. Xu, hurry up and tell me where’s Mr. Xiao.” Jiang Yongchun was anxiously hopping about, desperate for directions.
“Calm down, first things first, tell me why you want to meet Mr. Xiao?” Xu Guansong said, trying to calm him down.
Jiang Yongchun shook his head, “I can’t talk to you about this, only to Mr. Xiao. Hurry up and take me to Mr. Xiao.”
“Jiang Yongchun!”
Xiao Luo leaned half his body from behind his room door and shouted over to Jiang.
“Mr. Xiao, l-little brother, I-I’ve finally found you.”
As soon as he saw Xiao Luo, Jiang Yongchun was so relieved that he almost burst into tears. With a black briefcase between his armpit, he squeezed past Xu Guansong and sprinted right towards Xiao Luo’s office.
Zhang Donghai and Mrs. Liu from the Customer Service Department were just leaving the office. Jiang Yongchun brushed past them as if they weren’t there and only had Xiao Luo in his eyes. With his body bowed humbly, he entered the office room with a nervous smile on his face.
“Close the door!” said Xiao Luo.
“Alright…”
With a forced smile, Jiang Yongchun gently closed the office door.
W-what in the world is going on?
All of Luo’s Workshop’s office workers were stunned. One must know that Jiang Yongchun had only recently shown his hostility towards Luo’s Workshop. He had never been on friendly terms with them. So what was going on now? He had his body bent and was being as respectful as a lapdog. Had the sun begun to rise in the west, or had he taken the wrong medication?
1“What’s going on with Jiang Yongchun? Why does he look like he’s here to appease Mr. Xiao?” Xu Guansong mumbled to himself, his brows furrowed.
Li Zimeng didn’t say anything. Her delicate face was a picture of surprise.
Many of the people present were bewildered. Gradually their curiosity got the better of them, and they gathered outside Xiao Luo’s office. They pressed their ears against the office door, hoping to hear what was going on.
“Ahem. A-he-hem…”
Xu Guansong coughed loudly several times.
They thought he was asking them to get back to work, but when they were about to disperse, they heard him say in a serious tone, “Eavesdropping is fine, but don’t get caught by Mr. Xiao.”
Everyone looked at each other, finding it hard to accept Xu Guansong’s sudden change in office etiquette. They wondered, “According to the norms, shouldn’t Mr. Xu be reprimanding us?”
Inside the office…
“Mr. Xiao, you have to save me. All those top tier hospitals are garbage. They have no idea about what’s wrong with me. I can only place my hopes on you now. Mr. Xiao, you mustn’t leave me to die,” Jiang Yongchun said, almost weeping.
Last night, he had passed out again in the washroom for no reason and was awaken by the foul odor from the toilet. What’s more, he could even feel his energy-sapping. What made him panic had been that it happened precisely on the fourth day after he met Xiao Luo. He was now even more convinced that Xiao Luo’s diagnosis was accurate. He was close to his death.
And that was why he rushed over so early in the morning!
Facing such complications, he didn’t care anymore about Taste Buds or money. Whoever that could save him would have his eternal debt and unbending gratitude.
“You are sure that I wasn’t lying to you now, huh?” Xiao Luo said mockingly, looking up at him.
Deeply regretful, Jiang Yongchun nodded in affirmation and said, “Yes, Mr. Xiao. I failed to recognize your talents. A person of great moral stature will not remember the offenses committed by one of low moral stature. I apologize for my rudeness back then. I’m truly sorry!”
He stood up and gave Xiao Luo a deep bow.
He then took out the contract that was scattered on the floor at their last meeting and carefully placed it on Xiao Luo’s desk, “This is the contract from that day. I’ve wiped each of the papers myself. There is absolutely no dirt on it.”
Xiao Luo glanced at the spotless contract. He leaned by his chair and said with a smile while shaking his head, “This is the contract I prepared for you the last time. It isn’t valid anymore. But since you’re so sincere, Mr. Jiang, I’ll draw up another contract for you. The order quantity will remain intact, but the cost, however, has to be altered.”
“Do as you wish, Mr. Xiao. It’s all up to you,” Jiang Yongchun said respectfully.
“500 thousand on top the original base price,” Xiao Luo said faintly.
An additional five hundred thousand dollars?
Although he was already psychologically prepared, an expression of shock still washed over Jiang Yongchun’s face. Five hundred thousand dollars was by no means a small number.
The office staff who heard the words outside the door were equally shocked. They began discussing quietly.
“How much does Jiang Yongchun want to order originally?”
“Just half a million, I guess.”
“Adding five hundred thousand dollars on the original basics, won’t that be directly doubling the price of every mooncake? Mr. Xiao is too ruthless, isn’t he?”
Xu Guansong and Li Zimeng, who learned the situation inside the office from these people, took a deep breath and thought secretly, “Half a million to a million dollars. It’s outrageous. Would Jiang Yongchun even agree to that?”
“The terms have changed, Mr. Xiao is demanding an additional one million dollars.”
…
“Goodness gracious, Mr. Xiao said two million because Jiang Yongchun didn’t agree to him immediately.”
…
“Oh my Heavens, it went up, it went up yet again! The price is at four million dollars now!”
Voices that were getting more and more agitated, coming from a line of eavesdroppers pressed against Xiao Luo’s office door.
Even a money printing machine couldn’t produce that much money in such a short time!
“Preposterous, Mr. Xiao is doing monkey business right now. Forcefully raising a five hundred thousand dollar order to four million, Jiang Yongchun would be insane to agree,” Xu Guansong expressed his opinion doubtfully after recovering from the shock.
“I feel the same way. It isn’t like our mooncakes are made of gold. Jiang Yongchun is dumb if he agrees,” Zhang Donghai couldn’t help but add.
Li Zimeng shook his head in disagreement, saying, “Mr. Xiao must have some hold over Jiang Yongchun. Otherwise, he would never be so respectful towards Mr. Xiao.”
“That makes sense!”
Lin Chongdong nodded and echoed, “I’m afraid that Jiang Yongchun has to agree even if he doesn’t wish to.”