Chapter 130: Journey to the Treasure Island (3)

Breakfast was provided by the hotel. When Fang Yu and Xia Churan arrived at the lobby, Shen Molan was already dressed and sipping a cup of black coffee with an air of nonchalance.

"Molan, I'll leave Churan and Li Jing to you today. Cheng Chen and I have some business to attend to," he said, making a formal request to the young heiress.

Shen Molan, who was far more mature than her peers, gave an indifferent wave of her hand. "I know, you're going to talk business, right? Just let the senior follow me."

Once the three girls had chattered their way out of the hotel, Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the three brothers behind him. "No time for games today. We need to find the supplier for Xianlin Milk Tea. Let's go, we’re heading out now."

"Damn, how are we supposed to get there? By 'Number 11 bus'?" Cheng Chen asked, looking down at his slippers.

"What choice do we have? Our driver's licenses aren't valid here!"

The other three had no choice but to follow him, looking rather reluctant. Fortunately, the information obtained from Zhang Yan indicated that the supplier for Xianlin Milk Tea was located near Taoyuan. Being a port area, the logistics were quite convenient. Xianlin Milk Tea had a substantial operation, with shipping crates scattered everywhere, which allowed Zhang Yan to provide Lu Zhen with accurate details.

"Hmm, where was that Lidu Chicken Cutlet Company again?" Fang Yu flipped through the map provided by the hotel; there was no GPS navigation at the time.

"Here, 1180 Taoyuan Avenue," Lu Zhen said, handing over his phone.

"Let's move!" Fang Yu flagged down a taxi waiting outside the hotel.

Half an hour later, the taxi pulled up along an empty road by the sea. This was the industrial zone, and there were few pedestrians.

"Cheng Chen, you come with me for the meeting. Zhao Bin, you and Lu Zhen search nearby to see if there are any other chicken cutlet manufacturers."

"OK, I'm on it."

Fifteen minutes later, Fang Yu and Cheng Chen were seated in the investment department office of the Lidu Company. A short manager greeted them with a beaming smile and served them two cups of high-mountain tea. "Welcome! My name is Li Fu. My ancestral home is also in Haizhou, so we are all compatriots. May I ask what you are looking to buy, Mr. Fang?"

Fang Yu exchanged a glance with Cheng Chen, cleared his throat, and began, "I heard that Xianlin Milk Tea sources their goods from your factory, is that right?"

Li Fu looked quite proud. "Of course. Xianlin Milk Tea’s business in the mainland is truly excellent; they place quite a few orders every month."

"That’s great. I’d like to source from you as well. What is the unit price?"

Li Fu’s eyes rolled, and with a friendly smile, he held up three fingers. "Three yuan."

Fang Yu was so amused he nearly laughed out loud. Three yuan? If the wholesale price were that high, considering shipping, utilities, and labor costs, it would be impossible for Xianlin Milk Tea to sell their products for six yuan.

"Manager Li, aren't you joking a bit too much? Three yuan? Is that what Xianlin Milk Tea pays as well?"

Li Fu was not annoyed; he just chuckled and blew the foam off his teacup. "Mr. Fang, you flatter me. Xianlin Milk Tea is a local enterprise, so naturally, they get some discounts. Your company is from the mainland, so our shipping and tax costs will be a bit higher."

"Damn, do you really think we don't know? This kind of chicken cutlet costs at most one yuan to make," Cheng Chen grumbled, glaring as he started to stand up.

Fang Yu quickly pulled him back. Smiling, he took an envelope from his briefcase and slid it across the table. "Manager Li, here is the situation. I am the General Manager of Qinglu Beverages in the mainland. Your factory can look us up online—our business is certainly no worse than Xianlin Milk Tea’s. We have a long road of cooperation ahead of us. Please accept this small token of appreciation, and I hope you will take care of us."

Li Fu immediately dropped his dismissive attitude. The young man before him did not seem like a novice; he radiated a shrewd, seasoned air. He weighed the envelope in his hand, a sly smile appearing on his face. "Oh, Mr. Fang, what are you doing? I’m not the only one who makes decisions in the investment department; there are two other deputy managers. I really should consult with them."

"Where are the deputy managers?" Cheng Chen couldn't help but look around.

Fang Yu waved for him to be quiet and pulled another envelope from his briefcase. "There’s no need to trouble others. This one is for them. Please pass it along, Manager Li."

Li Fu’s smile grew even wider, his face creasing with folds. "Mr. Fang, you are a straightforward man. I’ll be perfectly honest with you then: the price for Xianlin Milk Tea is seven jiao per piece. If you need it, I can give you the same rate."

"Good. On behalf of Qinglu Beverages, I agree to that price. Send the goods on a fixed monthly schedule, and I will arrange for our own transport at the port," Fang Yu said, nodding in satisfaction.

Li Fu quickly called his assistant, and within moments, a supply contract was placed before them. The factory and Xianlin Milk Tea were merely in a buyer-seller relationship; there was no obligation for confidentiality. Whoever paid was the boss.

After signing the agreement, Fang Yu used the fax machine in Li Fu's office to send the documents back to the headquarters in Xianjiang, instructing the staff to arrange for the receipt of goods as soon as possible.

With everything settled, the two accepted Li Fu's cheerful invitation to tour the chicken cutlet factory. It was clear that Xianlin Milk Tea’s partnership with them was well-founded; the facility was clean and spacious enough to handle the high volume of sales.

As they walked out of the factory gate, Cheng Chen scratched his head. "Fang Yu, why did you give that Li Fu both envelopes just now?"

"Didn't you see that one envelope wasn't enough to bring him down?" He lit a cigarette with an air of indifference.

"I figured that much, but didn't he say there were two deputy managers? What if he pockets all the money? What if they sabotage us later because they didn't get their cut?"

"One task, one person. Better to break one finger than to hurt all ten, understand?"

"Damn, you're the one with the education and the high level. I can't even understand what you're saying. By the way, how much did you give him?" Cheng Chen rolled his eyes, looking completely bewildered.

"There was 100,000 in each envelope, 200,000 total, which comes out to about 40,000 yuan," Fang Yu muttered, feeling a slight pang of regret.

"Damn, 40,000? That's more than our dividends." Cheng Chen began to grumble again.

Money spent is like water spilled. Fang Yu waved off further discussion, called Zhao Bin and Lu Zhen back, and the four of them caught a taxi back to the hotel in the city center.

That evening in the hotel lobby, Shen Molan returned in a flurry of activity with Xia Churan and Li Jing, carrying bags of all shapes and sizes.

"I'm exhausted!"

"Goodness, what did you all buy?" he asked, curious.

"Hehe, I bought you a shirt," Xia Churan said, pulling out a shopping bag as if expecting praise.

"You bought it for me?" Fang Yu was genuinely surprised. Since his rebirth, no girl had ever bought him clothing, and judging by the packaging, it wasn't a cheap brand—at least a thousand back in the mainland.

"Mm-hmm, it matches the color of my outfit. Does it look good?" The girl winked playfully.

So it was a couple's outfit. It was truly touching that she had put so much thought into it. He smiled and took the bag. "Perfect. Let’s relax tomorrow and I’ll wear it. Let’s go eat; I’m starving."