PFC Chapter 632 A Win-Win Situation for All Four Parties
Chapter 632 A Win-Win Situation for All Four Parties
That afternoon, Tian Guoqiang indeed arrived in the county town with the manager of the South China branch.
Li Xiangyang received them in the factory office. The middle-aged man next to Tian Guoqiang was named Chen Zhihua. He looked shrewd and capable and spoke fluent Cantonese-accented Mandarin.
"Mr. Li, this is Manager Chen from our South China branch," Tian Guoqiang introduced. "He knows the South China market best."
Chen Zhihua extended his hand proactively: "Mr. Li, I've long admired your name. We've come here today to discuss a potential collaboration with you."
After shaking hands with the two men, Li Xiangyang gestured for them to sit down: "You two have come from afar, thank you for your hard work. But I must be frank, yesterday Manager Lin from Hualian Supermarket contacted me, wanting to cooperate directly."
Tian Guoqiang's expression changed instantly, but he quickly returned to normal: "Manager Lin contacted you?"
“Yes.” Li Xiangyang observed their reactions. “She said it was you who recommended us.”
Chen Zhihua shook his head with a wry smile: "President Tian, I've said it before, Lin Yajing prefers to bypass agents and cooperate directly."
“You can’t blame her for that,” Tian Guoqiang sighed. “From the buyer’s perspective, direct cooperation can indeed reduce costs.”
Li Xiangyang was somewhat surprised. He had thought that Tian Guoqiang would be very angry upon hearing the news, but to his surprise, the other party seemed quite understanding.
“Mr. Li, we won’t hide anything from you,” Tian Guoqiang said, looking directly into Li Xiangyang’s eyes. “Tianrun Trading has indeed encountered some difficulties recently. Several major suppliers have run into problems one after another, putting us in a very passive position.”
"Mr. Tian, your candor is quite unexpected," Li Xiangyang said, picking up his teacup. "Logically speaking, you should have concealed this unfavorable information."
"In business, you have to have a basic level of integrity," Tian Guoqiang said with a wry smile. "Besides, you can't hide it from them anyway; you can find out with a little inquiry."
Chen Zhihua continued, "Mr. Li, although we are facing difficulties right now, our distribution channels in the South China market are still very strong. Besides Hualian Supermarket, we have more than a dozen other major clients."
"Could you elaborate?" Li Xiangyang asked.
Chen Zhihua took a document out of his briefcase: "This is our list of major clients in South China, along with last year's sales data."
Li Xiangyang took the materials and looked at them carefully. Indeed, there were many well-known supermarkets and chain stores.
“Mr. Li, I know you’re considering whether to cooperate directly with Hualian Supermarket or go through us as the general agent,” Tian Guoqiang said. “My suggestion is that you can cooperate directly with Hualian Supermarket first, and then consider whether to expand the scope of cooperation after you are familiar with the South China market.”
This suggestion surprised Li Xiangyang even more. Normally, Tian Guoqiang should have been striving for the exclusive distribution rights; why was he suggesting a direct partnership first?
"Mr. Tian, what benefits do you get from this?" Li Xiangyang asked directly.
"To be honest, there aren't many benefits in the short term," Tian Guoqiang said frankly. "But I believe that as long as your product quality is excellent, you'll eventually consider expanding your market share in South China. At that time, you'll still need a reliable partner."
Chen Zhihua added, "Furthermore, Mr. Li, although Hualian Supermarket is a major client, their requirements are very stringent. For example, they have strict regulations regarding delivery time, quality standards, and after-sales service. If you can meet their requirements on your first collaboration, then other clients will be a piece of cake."
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment; Tian Guoqiang's suggestion was indeed very reasonable. Rather than rashly signing a general agency agreement, it would be better to start with one client and explore the patterns of the South China market.
"If I were to partner with Hualian Supermarket first, what would you hope to gain from it?" Li Xiangyang asked.
“It’s very simple,” Tian Guoqiang smiled. “If you plan to expand your market in South China in the future, we hope you will give us priority consideration. Of course, that’s on the condition that we can offer better terms.”
“That’s a promise,” Li Xiangyang nodded. “However, I have another question. You mentioned earlier that Tianrun Trading is facing difficulties. What exactly are these difficulties?”
Tian Guoqiang and Chen Zhihua exchanged a glance, then Tian Guoqiang spoke up: "The main problem is cash flow. Because several suppliers ran into trouble, we advanced a lot of money, and now it's difficult to recover it."
"Is there a large funding gap?" Li Xiangyang continued to ask.
"Around two million," Chen Zhihua said. "We're trying to find a solution, but there's definitely pressure in the short term."
Li Xiangyang's heart stirred. Two million was not a small sum for him, but it wasn't an insurmountable problem either. If he could help Tian Guoqiang overcome his difficulties, he might gain a long-term business partner in return.
"Mr. Tian, what do you think if I'm willing to provide some financial support?" Li Xiangyang asked tentatively.
Tian Guoqiang was taken aback: "Mr. Li, what do you mean?"
“I can consider investing in Tianrun Commerce, or providing low-interest loans,” Li Xiangyang said. “Of course, I need to see their specific financial situation and future plans.”
Chen Zhihua said excitedly, "Mr. Li, if you are really willing to invest, it would be a godsend for us."
"Don't be so happy yet," Li Xiangyang waved his hand. "I need time to consider it, and I also need to conduct due diligence."
“That’s only right.” Tian Guoqiang nodded repeatedly. “If you are truly interested in investing, we are willing to cooperate with any form of investigation.”
Just then, Li Xiangyang's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was Lin Yajing from Hualian Supermarket.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call." Li Xiangyang walked to the side and answered the phone.
"Mr. Li, I'll be arriving at your place by plane tomorrow morning. Can I visit the factory this afternoon?" Lin Yajing's voice sounded very capable.
"Of course, I'll arrange for someone to pick you up from the airport."
"No need, I'll take a taxi myself. Just send me the address."
After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang returned to his seat: "It was Manager Lin from Hualian Supermarket. She's coming to inspect the place tomorrow afternoon."
Tian Guoqiang smiled and said, "Manager Lin has always been decisive and efficient, which is a good thing."
“Mr. Tian, how about this, you and Manager Chen can stay tomorrow as well, and you can meet with Manager Lin,” Li Xiangyang suggested. “Perhaps we can explore a win-win cooperation model for all three parties.”
"A win-win situation for all three parties?" Chen Zhihua asked, somewhat puzzled.
Li Xiangyang explained, "For example, I supply goods directly to Hualian Supermarket, but promotion and after-sales service can be handled through Tianrun Trading. This reduces procurement costs while making full use of channel resources."
Tian Guoqiang's eyes lit up: "This idea is very creative. If this model can be established, it will indeed benefit all three parties."
"The specifics of how to proceed still need to be discussed in detail," Li Xiangyang said, "but the direction is correct."