GBP Chapter 593 will reach a new level.
Chapter 593 will reach a new level.
The next morning, as soon as Li Xiangyang arrived at the factory, he saw a group of people gathered at the entrance. This time, they weren't there to cause trouble, but rather several unfamiliar faces in suits negotiating with the security guards.
"Director Li, these people say they're from Jinghua Chain Stores, and they arrived a day earlier than scheduled," security guard Xiao Zhang reported as he ran over.
Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat. An early visit in business negotiations usually indicates two possibilities: either the other party highly values the cooperation, or they want to launch a surprise visit to assess the company's true situation.
"Please ask them to come to the conference room; I'll be there right away."
Inside the conference room, three people were already seated. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and with a serious expression. The other two appeared to be technicians, each holding a thick checklist.
"Director Li, I'm Zhang Jianhua, Purchasing Director for North China Region of Jinghua Chain." The middle-aged man extended his hand proactively. "I saw your press conference yesterday; you were very decisive. That's why we decided to come early."
Li Xiangyang shook hands with him, secretly on guard. Although Zhang Jianhua spoke politely, the shrewdness in his eyes was not to be underestimated.
"Director Zhang, welcome. Since you're here, let's begin the tour."
“Okay, we prefer direct partners.” Zhang Jianhua stood up. “However, Director Li, I must clarify one thing beforehand: Jinghua has very strict standards. There was once a well-known company from Southeast China whose products sold very well in the market, but when they came to inspect our facilities, they failed even on the production environment test.”
These words clearly carried a threatening tone. Li Xiangyang nodded calmly: "That's even better. We need such high-standard clients to test our capabilities."
The tour began at the raw material warehouse. Zhang Jianhua's two technicians, carrying a checklist, carefully examined every detail. From the storage temperature and humidity control of the raw materials, to rodent and insect control measures, and batch management of the raw materials, they checked each item one by one.
"When was this temperature control system installed?" one of the technicians asked, pointing to the temperature control device on the wall.
“Three months ago,” Feng Mingyuan replied, “we discovered that the original system lacked precision, affecting the quality of raw material preservation, so we specifically purchased this equipment from the provincial capital.”
The technicians were making notes on a list, their expressions serious.
Upon arriving at the production workshop, Zhang Jianhua frowned slightly. Not because there was anything wrong with the workshop itself, but because its cleanliness exceeded his expectations. Every piece of equipment was spotless, and the workers, dressed in uniform, operated the equipment in a standardized and orderly manner.
"Could you demonstrate this anti-counterfeiting and traceability system?" Zhang Jianhua asked, pointing to the equipment on the packaging line.
“Of course.” Li Xiangyang walked to a machine. “Every box of product is automatically labeled with this tag during packaging. The QR code on the tag contains information such as the raw material batch, production date, operator, and quality inspector. Consumers can scan it with their mobile phones to see the complete production process of the product.”
He casually picked up a box of freshly packaged dried blueberries and scanned the label with his phone. Detailed information immediately appeared on the screen: origin of the raw materials, purchase date, inspection report, production process, responsible personnel, and so on.
"This system must be quite expensive, right?" Zhang Jianhua asked.
“It’s definitely not cheap,” Li Xiangyang admitted frankly, “but we believe it’s a necessary investment. Consumers have the right to know, and we have a responsibility to ensure they can buy with confidence.”
Zhang Jianhua was making notes on the list when he looked up and said, "Director Li, frankly speaking, many companies advertise their traceability systems, but very few can truly achieve this level of accuracy."
“That’s because they treat traceability as a marketing tactic, while we treat it as a responsibility,” Li Xiangyang replied calmly.
The subsequent inspections were even more rigorous. Zhang Jianhua's technicians even demanded to inspect the sewage treatment facilities, the hygiene of the employee rest area, and the raw material procurement records in the financial accounts. The entire process lasted nearly four hours.
"The final step is to randomly select products for on-site testing," Zhang Jianhua said. "This is our standard procedure."
Li Xiangyang nodded without hesitation: "No problem."
Technicians randomly selected six boxes of product from different batches and unpacked them on the spot for inspection. Every aspect, from appearance and color to smell and taste, was carefully evaluated.
"The moisture content meets the standards, the color is uniform, and there is no off-odor." The technicians recorded the results while testing. "The taste is rich and layered, with a balanced sweet and sour flavor."
Zhang Jianhua personally tasted a few dried blueberries, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "The quality is indeed excellent. Director Li, could you tell me your secret?"
"There's no secret, it's just about dedication," Li Xiangyang smiled. "Every single blueberry we use is hand-picked; we absolutely cannot allow any bad fruit to be mixed in. The drying temperature and time were also determined through hundreds of experiments."
"Hand-selected?" Zhang Jianhua was somewhat surprised. "Wouldn't that be very costly?"
“Yes, but it’s necessary,” Li Xiangyang said firmly. “Machines can improve efficiency, but they can’t replace human judgment. Especially in the food industry, no detail can be overlooked.”
After the inspection, the three discussed specific cooperation matters in the conference room.
"Director Li, overall, your performance has exceeded my expectations," Zhang Jianhua said bluntly. "We are willing to cooperate with you, but there are a few conditions that need to be clarified."
Li Xiangyang straightened his posture: "Please speak."
"First, the supply volume. Initially, we need a stable supply of 100,000 boxes per month, which may reach 150,000 boxes during peak season. Can you guarantee that?"
This number gave Li Xiangyang a thought. With current production capacity, they could barely meet demand, but there was almost no surplus to meet other customers' needs.
“I can guarantee that.” Li Xiangyang didn’t hesitate for long. “If needed, we’ll increase the number of production shifts.”
"Secondly, price. Our procurement prices are usually 15%-20% lower than market prices, which is industry practice."
Li Xiangyang quickly did the calculations. Even with a 20% price reduction, the profit would still be considerable thanks to their economies of scale. More importantly, partnering with Jinghua Chain would significantly enhance the company's industry standing.
"Acceptable."
"Finally, quality standards. If any quality issues arise, we reserve the right to immediately terminate the cooperation and demand appropriate compensation."
“No problem,” Li Xiangyang agreed without hesitation. “We are confident in the quality of our product.”
Zhang Jianhua nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, we'll prepare the contract as soon as we get back. We expect to sign the formal agreement next week."
After seeing off the delegation from Jinghua Chain, Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief. If this cooperation is successful, the company's development will reach a new level.