Brother Li shook his head, the man glanced, picked up the cigarette, and turned to leave. Watching this scene unfold, I had a general assessment in my mind: high-end cigarettes and famous liquors usually don't come with low-grade options. Brother Li came out from behind the counter, then walked out the door, and I knew he had something to say to me.
I followed Brother Li out the door and saw the man driving an Audi A8 disappearing into the distance. Brother Li offered me a cigarette and then asked, "What do you think of this situation?"
I organized my thoughts briefly before replying, "Since they are high-end cigarettes and liquors, we have to accept this situation. There's no other way."
Brother Li looked puzzled and said, "So, our current business model is acceptable to you?"
"I've never doubted your model, Brother Li. I'm just curious why that man bought two types of cigarettes with such a big price difference?"
"You tell me."
"Back in high school in my hometown, when I went to the supermarket to buy snacks, I encountered a similar situation. The man bought two packs of Soft Zhonghua and a carton of cigarettes that cost 60 yuan."
Brother Li looked at me, signaling me to continue.
"Later, I asked the owner why someone wealthy would buy two different types of cigarettes at the same time. The owner replied that he knew the buyer; he was a construction supervisor from nearby. The Soft Zhonghua was for the clients from the real estate company, and the cheaper cigarettes were for the workers. Giving one pack to a few foremen would save face and cover all bases."
After I finished, Brother Li's furrowed brows relaxed, and he said to me, "So, are you suggesting we stock the lower-priced cigarettes as well, to attract more traffic? Is that it?"
"There shouldn't be a distinction between high and low-grade cigarettes and liquors. Some people buy good cigarettes and liquor for appearances, but they wouldn't smoke or drink them themselves because they're reluctant to spend the money. After all, you understand the principle of achieving great results with little effort better than I do, Brother Li."
"I understand. Don't worry, I'll definitely include them in this order."
Thus, after further discussion with Brother Li, and after we exchanged WeChat contacts, I left.
…
The sky was gradually darkening. I checked my phone; it was almost eight o'clock. There wasn't enough time to visit another store. So, I found a food street nearby, ate something casually, and before the last subway train departed, I arrived at the station closest to my rental, then took a bus back.
The day passed just like that. I sat on the sofa, summarizing my day on the computer. The first branch store was located near a medium-sized residential area with average foot traffic and spending levels. To increase revenue, we had to attract the surrounding foot traffic. Fortunately, I had added Lili on WeChat, so we could communicate anytime. I planned to hand over the price reduction and flyer distribution to her. We could refer to my marketing plan from last year. Considering the National Day crowds, it shouldn't be a problem.
I also told Brother Li to include the lower-tier cigarettes and liquors and to set up the prize display box on the one-square-meter area, using it for prizes. By leveraging the psychology and behavior of the high-spending customers in the vicinity, the revenue on National Day should increase.
Next were the other branch stores. Over the next half month, I rushed to the branch stores in Hangzhou every day and got a general understanding of the situation.
Out of eleven stores, nine were located near different residential areas, but two were exceptions. One was on a commercial street in the southern part of the city, but it hadn't been fully developed yet, so the foot traffic was not very high, even scarce, with only a few shops operating on the street. This branch was one of them.
The other was located near a nursing home. The foot traffic was indeed decent, but the revenue was stagnant and had been low. I asked Chen Jia on WeChat, and she said both stores were the result of a strategic decision by the company. The executives believed the commercial street would definitely see significant development in the future, so they signed a ten-year lease and secured a storefront early on.
With less than ten days left until National Day, I started to feel troubled by the situation of these two branches. Just then, Lan Rui sent me a WeChat message; she was preparing to go home.
I didn't think much of it. Lan Rui had been looking for a job for over half a month, but due to various circumstances, she hadn't found a suitable one. She had been staying with me, so before leaving, she wanted me to cook her my braised pork.
Helplessly, I bought meat and some vegetables at a nearby market on my way home. As I reached the entrance of my apartment complex, my shoulder was slapped heavily. I turned around, but saw no one. I only heard a voice say, "I'm here." When I turned back, I saw it was Li Tianran and Wang Yue. Li Tianran had a hand on my shoulder and said with a smile, "Yo, fancy meeting you here today."
I was surprised. "What are you two doing here? I thought your rented place wasn't around here."
"My brother missed you so much he couldn't sleep," he said with a smug grin and leaned against me. Wang Yue rolled her eyes at him and then explained, "Don't mind him, he's spouting nonsense. We're here to see you today. I bought some groceries, and we'll cook at your place later."
I looked at the large bag Li Tianran was carrying in his other hand and felt a surge of warmth. In this city, perhaps only they still cared about me.
I nodded. A few steps after we started walking, I suddenly remembered Lan Rui was at home. If Li Tianran and Wang Yue saw her, I didn't know what they would say. I made an excuse about still having something to do at the convenience store and prepared to leave. Li Tianran grabbed me, saying, "What's the matter? You still need to go back to the convenience store? I saw what you're carrying. Hurry up, don't dally."
"I really have something to do, I'm not joking. I have to go back."
"Fine, you can go back. Give us the key, and we'll go up and cook. We'll eat together when you get back."
My face changed instantly. Li Tianran noticed my expression and then laughed, "Kid, you're not hiding a girl at home, are you?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Yue rolled her eyes again and said, "Stop messing around. Is Gu Ke the type of person to do that?"
Feeling guilty, I said, "No one's home, I live alone. I really have something to do." I tried to dispel their suspicions.
"It's not certain. The way he's acting so guilty, maybe he is."
Their back-and-forth chatter made my head spin, so I had no choice but to go upstairs with them. All I could do now was pray that Lan Rui wasn't home, or at least that she wouldn't say anything revealing. Knowing her, she might blurt out something outrageous. The memory of the last time I was tricked was still vivid.
With a knot of anxiety in my stomach, I opened the door. Li Tianran entered before me and exclaimed, "Ah!" My heart sank halfway. Sigh, trouble was probably brewing again.