Wen Yaozu reached out, took the apple, and broke it forcefully into two halves. Leaning back on the sofa with his eyes slightly lowered, he said, “Since you brought me the apple, I’ll reward you with half.”
The apple had been brought back by Yu Qing, washed, and placed on the table.
Xiaochuan, being a guest, felt too shy to take one, but Wen Yaozu noticed this. After all, his sister’s house was like his own home—if he wanted to eat, he would just help himself without any hesitation.
“Thank you, Boss!”
Xu Jinghe lowered his eyelids slightly. There was no need for him to involve himself in the nicknames kids used among themselves. He asked calmly, “How did Jingyuan get injured?”
“On a mission.”
“Was it serious?” Xu Jinghe pressed further.
The Xu family was not what it used to be. After the older generation passed away, many of their connections in the military district had faded. Now that he had become a businessman, it was even harder for him to inquire about matters concerning regimental-level officers from higher-ups.
“He’ll be discharged from the hospital in a few days.”
Hearing this, Xu Jinghe felt a sense of relief.
Among his childhood friends who had joined the military, only Huo Jingyuan was still serving. The others had mostly transferred to civilian jobs after getting married or being injured.
“How long will he be recuperating in the capital?”
Wen Ci answered truthfully, “The doctor recommends six months.”
“Come down south for a visit after he is discharged. The south has been developing rapidly in recent years, and quite a few popular celebrities have emerged in Hong Kong too.”
Wen Ci smiled, her eyes curving.
The 1980s were the peak of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry.
While they were chatting, the brick phone in Xu Jinghe’s hand rang. Without any hesitation, he hung up the call and said with a smile, “I’ll make the arrangements when the time comes.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the brick phone rang again.
Wen Ci quickly said, “Go ahead and take the call if you have something to attend to.”
Xu Jinghe then answered the phone, holding the brick phone to his ear. His relaxed brow gradually furrowed. “They’ve already put it on the market ahead of time? They’re not leaving us any room to breathe. Hurry up and sell off the clothes from the factory—don’t let too much stock pile up.”
After listening to Xu Jinghe discuss business matters, Wen Ci asked curiously, “Do you run a clothing factory in the south?”
Xu Jinghe nodded. “I’m involved in quite a few ventures in the south, but the hottest one right now is selling clothes. However, with Hong Kong celebrities becoming so popular, mainland manufacturers have started copying their styles and selling similar clothes. The clothes I produced earlier have ended up piling up in inventory and aren’t selling well.”
Wen Ci blinked.
News traveled slower in the north compared to the south. Some clothing styles that were already outdated in the south were still the latest trends in the north.
Even though Xu Jinghe’s clothes were considered outdated in the south, they could still easily sell in the north.
Wen Ci suggested, “Have you considered selling the clothes from your factory in the north? Just because a style is outdated in the south doesn’t mean it’s outdated in the north.”
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinghe pondered for a moment.
This method was feasible, but it would only barely cover the cost price. The distance from the south to the north was vast, and shipping costs were extremely high. Still, it could solve the urgent problem.
Xu Jinghe answered honestly, “It’s feasible, but the styles popular in the north now are ones that were in fashion in the south a long, long time ago. If we ship the clothes here and people can’t accept them right away…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was that the losses would be even greater.
Wen Ci smiled faintly. “Marketing!”
In later years, no matter what was being sold, marketing was unavoidable.
As long as the marketing direction was right, it didn’t matter if people couldn’t accept it at first—humans tend to follow the crowd. As long as a small number of people started wearing the clothes on the streets, sales wouldn’t be a problem. In fact, they could even make some profit.
“What is marketing?” Xu Jinghe asked, not understanding.
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