N-A-A Chapter 6 The Counterfeit Storm Arrives, The Weeds' Choice
Chapter 6 The Counterfeit Storm Arrives, The Weeds' Choice
Zhong Liang held the data sheet printed out by Ye Chen in his hand, which contained data from Dadi Digital's counter, and a few pages of Dadi Digital's sales scripts were scattered on the table.
The noise of the shopping mall outside seemed distant through the glass doors. At this moment, Ye Chen sat at the coffee table in his office, leisurely rinsing the teaware. In the quiet office, the teacups clinked together, producing a crisp sound.
Ye Chen plucked a small pinch of tea leaves from the tea canister and gently placed them into the teacup. He then raised the electric kettle high, pouring boiling water from the spout into the teacup, causing the tea leaves to slowly unfurl. Steam rose from the teacup; he skimmed off the foam with the lid, covered the bowl, and poured away the first infusion. He then added more boiling water, lowered the bowl, and poured three cups of bright red tea evenly, filling the air with a refreshing aroma.
Ye let out a heavy sigh, his voice neither too loud nor too soft: "Manager, tea please."
Being able to quietly brew a round of Kung Fu tea is a way for him to relax and unwind at this moment.
Ye Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip of the tea, and found it bitter at first, but then sweet and pleasant.
"Brother Chen, what do you think?" Zhong Liang asked, putting down the data sheet in his hand, his eyes showing a hint of scrutiny.
"The price is wrong. We can't do it at their transaction price," Ye Chen said softly, putting down his teacup.
"Why?" Zhong Liang nodded and asked again.
Ye Chen stroked the teacup on the tea table, not in a hurry to answer. He thought of the price list of the models Aya had given him that morning, organized his thoughts, and then said, "Although the transaction price of each of their models is higher than the cost price, the profit is too low."
"Go on." Zhong Liang sat up straight, staring intently at Ye Chen, and nodded to signal him to continue.
"We can't simply use the purchase price of the phones as the cost; we also have to factor in rent, utilities, management fees, and employee salaries and commissions. I estimate that the profit margin on each phone needs to be over 10% to break even." Ye Chen poured two more cups of tea and continued, "DaDi's current profit margin is less than 10%."
Zhong Liang asked, "Why is Da Di selling at a loss? Have you thought about it?"
Ye Chen lowered his head, dipped his hand in some tea, and scribbled on the table as if he were calculating something, his fingers moving slower and slower.
Zhong Liang didn't urge him, and after a while asked, "Have you figured it out yet?"
"Unless they have a lower channel price..." Ye Chen frowned.
Zhong Liang wasn't in a hurry. He took the teacup from Ye Chen and brewed tea while waiting for Ye Chen to think.
After a long while, Ye Chen spoke, and Zhong Liang spoke at the same time.
"Refurbished!"
"Even among branded phones of the same model in the industry, the quality varies greatly," Zhong Liang nodded and said. "Currently, they are generally divided into three categories: official versions, grey market phones, and refurbished grey market phones. Official versions are the most expensive, while refurbished phones are the cheapest, with a difference of about 30%. Refurbished phones are even cheaper than grey market phones by 10% to 20%."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Official mainland China versions can be checked on the official website and have nationwide warranty. Grey market products generally refer to Hong Kong or overseas versions, and warranty information cannot be found on the official website. Refurbished grey market products are second-hand phones that have been refurbished, and their cost is far lower than that of grey market products."
"How risky is it to sell refurbished phones?" Ye Chen asked.
"The risk is quite high." After saying that, Zhong Liang fell silent again.
"Have we smuggled any refurbished phones into our store?" Ye Chen asked. "Or rather, did the supplier slip some refurbished phones in that we can't tell?"
"In the industry, big stores don't deal in refurbished machines, and suppliers generally don't ship random items," Zhong Liang explained. "Besides, Lao Liao isn't a novice; those people in Shenzhen wouldn't dare to do something like that."
"The digital market in Dadian is in chaos!" Zhong Liang sighed.
After that, the two of them talked about the ins and outs of refurbishing machines, asking and answering questions.
The noise in the store completely disappeared, the clock slowly pointed to eleven o'clock, and Aya came to tell them that it was time to close. The two walked outside side by side.
The lights in the store went out, and Zhong Liang and Ye Chen stood in front of the market, watching the lights on the store signs in the commercial city go out one by one.
Zhong Liang took a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lit it with a "click." Ye Chen had his hands in his pockets, his gaze already drifting into the distance.
Under the distant streetlights, countless dust particles danced silently in the beams of light, then quietly settled.
"Brother Chen, with your intelligence, continuing your studies will definitely lead to a good future. Won't you regret going out to work?" Zhong Liang asked.
"I need a lot of money to find an answer," Ye Chen suddenly said, his voice low and filled with a strange sense of loss.
Zhong Liang was somewhat surprised and turned to look at him.
Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.
Suddenly, a blinding light shone, and a "click" broke the solemn atmosphere.
"You two idiots, what are you pretending to be so profound for?" Lin Feng said with a disdainful smile, holding up his phone.
Since I can't be profound, I'll just be a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur). Ye Chen laughed and said, "Ha, when I'm rolling in money, I'll go back in glory. What's so great about studying? In a few years, college graduates will be a dime a dozen."
After a while, his gaze deepened, and he continued, "A scholar is utterly useless. There's a saying among Chaozhou merchants: 'A scholar who is good at nothing can catch a Moqi.' It refers to the old days when there was a fish called Moqi in the Han River. Its flesh was sweet and delicious, and it was said to have medicinal properties, making it extremely valuable. Local fishermen made a living by catching Moqi. Later, the government designated Moqi as a tribute item and erected a stone tablet on the riverbank to prohibit the private catching of Moqi. One fishing family had a scholar who turned and walked away upon seeing the stone tablet, while the illiterate fishermen paid no heed. In the end, the scholar became impoverished, while the fishermen became well-fed and clothed."
Zhong Liang glanced sideways at Ye Chen. Lin Feng remained silent for a long while before slowly asking, "Brother Chen... do you mean you can only make money by taking shortcuts?"
Ye Chen glanced at Lin Feng, his eyes clearly showing disdain, but he still patiently explained, "The stone tablet was erected by the government, and fishermen are obligated to fish. Illiteracy is a kind of compromise; fishermen are trying to find a way out through the cracks."
He then recalled the weeds on the Baiyunzai ramp and added, "Just like weeds, on a concrete road, you need a crack to break through the soil."
After saying that, Ye Chen looked up at the Huayu Digital store sign. Lin Feng followed Ye Chen's gaze to the strange character "域" (Yu), and suddenly understood.
Zhong Liang stood to the side, smoking one cigarette after another, his eyes deep, trying to appear profound again.
He suddenly sighed and said, "It would be even better if gold could grow in the cracks."
......
A slightly cool breeze blew by; spring is almost over.
There was a moment of silence, then Zhong Liang's eyes lit up again, and he said, "I know what we're having for supper tonight!"
That night, they rode the Zhujiang motorcycle to a Chaozhou-style congee restaurant. Ye Chen recalled the bravado from the Chaozhou underworld before a fight: "I've eaten congee before." Now that he had seen the world for the first time, he smiled slightly.