NFBE Chapter 222: Discussing Countermeasures
Chapter 222: Discussing Countermeasures
After a night of wind and snow, the morning sunlight streamed into the room through the cracks in the window.
Fang Xiaoxiao woke up from her sleep. Her conversation with Zhu Wen last night had kept her brain in a state of high-speed operation, so much so that the dark circles under her eyes were particularly noticeable.
She quickly washed up, put on a thick cotton-padded coat, and prepared to go downstairs.
Before I even reached the top of the stairs, I could hear the chatter of the workers downstairs.
"How are we going to survive? We can't sell our products, and we're almost unable to pay our workers."
A young man sighed, his face full of anxiety.
"That's right, I heard that many shops are going to close down. I don't know when this extreme cold will end."
Another older man chimed in, his brow furrowed.
Fang Xiaoxiao walked quickly down the stairs and said loudly.
"Don't panic, everyone. Let's think of a solution together. We'll get through this together."
When the men heard her voice, they all turned around, their eyes filled with both expectation and worry.
Just then, Pei Yan walked in from the backyard. He was wearing a black brocade robe with a fox fur cloak over it, and his handsome face had a somewhat solemn expression.
"What happened?" Pei Yan asked.
Fang Xiaoxiao briefly told him about what she had discussed with Zhu Wen the night before. After listening, Pei Yan pondered for a moment and then spoke.
"This is indeed an opportunity, but we must proceed with caution. The current situation is complex, and people's hearts are unpredictable."
Fang Xiaoxiao nodded.
"I understand, but this is the only option we have. If we don't try, we'll just be waiting to die."
Just then, a servant rushed in, panting, and said...
"Manager, Manager Zhu sent someone to say that he wants to meet you at a teahouse in the city to discuss important matters."
Fang Xiaoxiao didn't dare to delay and said to Pei Yan.
"I'll go check on it. Please keep an eye on things at the shop."
Pei Yan nodded slightly and said, "Be careful."
Fang Xiaoxiao wrapped her cloak tighter, took her servant out, got into a carriage, and headed towards the teahouse.
The teahouse was located in a bustling area in the city center, but there were few customers at this time.
Fang Xiaoxiao went up to the private room on the second floor, where Zhu Wen had been waiting for a long time.
"Madam Fang, please have a seat."
Zhu Wen rose to greet him, his face full of worry.
Fang Xiaoxiao sat down and asked.
"Manager Zhu, how is the situation?"
Zhu Wen sighed and said, "After returning yesterday, I contacted several merchants, and they all had some concerns."
Fang Xiaoxiao frowned and asked, "What are they all worried about?"
Zhu Wen took a sip of tea and spoke slowly.
"They are worried that they will lose all their money after investing, after all, the extreme cold weather will last for too long, and no one knows what the market will become in the future."
Moreover, they were not entirely trusting of this joint venture, fearing there might be something fishy going on.
Fang Xiaoxiao lowered her head and pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Manager Zhu, why don't we come up with a concrete plan first, explaining in detail the distribution of profits and the sharing of risks, so that they have a clear understanding?"
Zhu Wen's eyes lit up: "That's a good idea, but how should we formulate this plan?"
Fang Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and then said.
"First, we need to clarify the goals and scope of this cooperation, such as what products we mainly deal in and which customer groups we target."
Then, based on our projected costs and benefits, we will develop a detailed plan for the investment ratio and profit distribution.
Finally, we must explain our response measures and responsibilities in the event of risks.
Zhu Wen nodded repeatedly as he listened.
"Madam Fang is indeed intelligent, but the details still need to be carefully considered."
The two then engaged in an in-depth discussion about the details of the plan.
From the types and prices of goods to transportation, sales channels, and personnel arrangements and management, no link is overlooked.
Before we knew it, noon had passed.
Fang Xiaoxiao felt a little hungry and realized how quickly time had passed.
"Manager Zhu, let's stop here for today. I'll go back and think about it some more, and we can continue tomorrow," Fang Xiaoxiao said.
Zhu Wen said, "Alright, thank you for your hard work, Madam Fang."
Fang Xiaoxiao left the teahouse and took a carriage back to the shop.
Throughout the journey, the content of the discussion kept replaying in her mind, and she pondered what areas still needed improvement.
Back at the shop, Pei Yan greeted him: "How was it?"
After Fang Xiaoxiao told him about the discussion, Pei Yan said.
"If this plan can be well-formulated, it will indeed increase its persuasiveness, but we cannot be complacent."
Fang Xiaoxiao nodded.
"I know, but it's the only way right now."
For the next few days, Fang Xiaoxiao hardly left the house, locking herself in her room all day to focus on developing a plan.
She scribbled and drew on the paper, sometimes frowning in deep thought, sometimes showing a relieved smile.
Pei Yan also often came over to discuss things with her and offer his suggestions.
After several days and nights of hard work, a detailed plan was finally completed.
That day, Fang Xiaoxiao and Zhu Wen once again gathered the merchants together.
The merchants sat in a spacious room, the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.
Fang Xiaoxiao stood in front of everyone, cleared her throat, and spoke.
"Everyone, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come."
The reason I've gathered you all here today is to introduce the plan we've jointly developed to address this natural disaster.
As she spoke, she instructed someone to distribute the plan to each merchant.
"First of all, the goal of our cooperation is to jointly procure supplies and adjust our business strategies in order to cope with the market changes brought about by the extreme cold weather."
"Our main products include warm clothing, charcoal for heating, and daily necessities such as grain," Fang Xiaoxiao said, pointing to the plan.
"The estimated costs for these products are as follows."
The cost price of each piece of warm clothing is 3 qian, the cost price of each ton of charcoal is 50 qian, and the cost price of each shi of grain is 30 qian.
The transportation costs, labor costs, and other expenses were all listed in detail.
"In terms of sales, we will formulate different pricing strategies based on the market demand in different regions."
For example, in the north, the price of warm clothing can be appropriately increased; in the south, the price of grain should remain relatively stable.
"Next is the investment ratio and profit distribution. We have set different investment ratios according to the strength and wishes of each merchant."
Profits will be distributed according to investment ratios. Additionally, merchants who make outstanding contributions during the cooperation process will receive extra rewards.
"Finally, there's the issue of risk-sharing. If losses occur during the cooperation process, we will share the losses according to our respective investment proportions."
But please rest assured, we will do our utmost to minimize risks and ensure everyone's interests.
The merchants held the proposal, looked at it carefully, and whispered among themselves, discussing it animatedly.