Chapter 45: Building the Right Connections
Chapter 45: Building the Right Connections
Wei Yuan was still quite confident. After all, he had already compared the blueberries on the market, and those cultivated in Youcheng were definitely tastier.
"Boss, the sales counter has been cleaned. Should we put these blueberries on display now?" Zhao Lin walked over and asked.
This question caught Wei Yuan and Lin Mengxi's attention. They turned to see baskets of blueberries nearby.
"Mr. Zhang, you’re selling blueberries here too?" Wei Yuan suddenly felt a bit nervous. This would mean competing with their newly promoted blueberry variety.
However, he was confident that their new blueberries tasted better, so he asked Zhang Lin, "Mr. Zhang, can I try your blueberries?"
"Sure!" Zhang Lin smiled and nodded.
He had a pretty good idea of what Wei Yuan was thinking.
With Zhang Lin's permission, Wei Yuan quickly grabbed a few blueberries and, without washing them, popped them into his mouth. His face instantly froze, and his confidence evaporated.
The taste and texture of these blueberries were simply on another level compared to their new variety.
Lin Mengxi noticed her boss's sudden silence and asked, puzzled, "Director, what’s wrong?"
"Try Mr. Zhang’s blueberries." Wei Yuan suddenly seemed a bit dejected.
Before this, he had felt that he was the best, but now he realized he had been overly confident.
Hearing her boss's words, Lin Mengxi picked up a blueberry and tasted it. Her face showed surprise as she looked at her boss with a critical eye.
The director had said their new variety was personally guided by professors from the Ming City Agricultural Laboratory and was definitely better than what was available on the market. Now, compared to this farm's blueberries, the difference was stark.
What was that sweet aftertaste? It was truly amazing.
She was now in a bind. Her entire strategy and the pitch she had prepared to convince Mr. Zhang were based on the assumption that their new blueberries were indeed better than the market products.
There was no way to start now.
Wei Yuan, who had seen his share of challenges, quickly regained his composure and asked cautiously, "Mr. Zhang, where did you get these blueberries? They taste so good."
He really wanted to know where these blueberries came from, as it seemed to render their efforts futile.
They had put in a lot of effort at the Agricultural Bureau to convince the fruit farmers to adopt the new variety.
Now, it seemed like all that effort might be for nothing, and he didn’t know how to explain it to the farmers.
Zhang Lin had already prepared his response: "Director Wei, these blueberries are a new variety developed in collaboration with an agricultural laboratory. They are still in the experimental stage, and we can only produce about 500 pounds a day."
"As for the other details, they are under a strict confidentiality agreement, so I can't disclose them. However, we are selling these blueberries for 60 yuan per pound, which doesn’t conflict with your blueberries."
Wei Yuan didn’t press further after hearing Zhang Lin’s explanation. After all, the other party had mentioned a confidentiality agreement, and it would be impolite and damaging to their relationship to continue prying.
Moreover, he had grasped the crucial point: at 60 yuan per pound, their new blueberries wouldn’t be affected.
Recently, blueberry prices had plummeted, and they were targeting a more affordable market, planning to sell at 25 yuan per pound.
Additionally, Mr. Zhang had mentioned that these blueberries were still in the experimental stage and not yet widely cultivated. So, they would likely be promoted for wider cultivation in the future.
Thinking of this, Wei Yuan couldn't help but say, "Mr. Zhang, when do you plan to promote your blueberries? If you do, could you consider collaborating with You City? Our Agriculture Bureau can provide all sorts of policy support."
He knew very well that the laboratory collaborating with Li Yuan Farm could research and develop blueberries of this quality, and they had the resources to back it up. If not, they wouldn't have had to invite a professor from Ming City to guide the project when promoting new blueberry varieties.
So, he was trying to build a relationship and seek support.
The reason they were trying to promote the new blueberry variety was that it was truly unique. If other regions knew about this, everyone would want to grow it, leading to more collaboration opportunities.
In terms of policy, as long as it was within regulations, everyone could manage it. Ultimately, it all came down to personal connections.
Now, building a good relationship with Mr. Zhang would give them a head start.
Zhang Lin smiled at Wei Yuan's far-reaching thoughts and said, "Mr. Wei, I can't guarantee anything, but I'll certainly consider it. After all, I'm from You City too!"
The game "Agricultural Mega Player" could build agricultural laboratories, and he had indeed built one. It was essential for researching and developing these blueberries.
"Mr. Zhang, when the time comes, please do give us a good word!" Wei Yuan's face was full of sincerity, and he had already given some of the blueberries to a few female tourists who had noticed them and gathered around.
"Are these blueberries for sale?"
"How much per pound?"
Zhao Lin didn't know the price and looked at his boss.
Zhang Lin smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Ladies, these are a new variety of blueberries not available elsewhere. The taste and flavor are superior to those on the market. Even at a higher price, they will still cost 60 yuan per pound. However, we respect voluntary transactions. You can try them first, and if you like them, you can buy them."
While his boss was introducing the blueberries, Zhao Lin had already picked some and washed them, then passed them to the female tourists.
Hearing the price of 60 yuan per pound, the female tourists didn't react too strongly, as blueberries were already quite expensive.
They tasted the blueberries Zhao Lin had washed and immediately reached for a second one.
They couldn't help it; they were just too good.
"These blueberries are amazing, give me some!"
"I want some too, they taste so good!"
"No wonder they're a new variety. I've tried many blueberries, but none can compare to these."
"..."
The female tourists happily picked blueberries into bags, finding the 60 yuan per pound price absolutely worth it.
Seeing this, Wei Yuan was even more determined to build a strong relationship with Zhang Lin. He had already heard Lin Meng's suggestion to contact Li Yuan Farm, and he was ready to act on it.
(End of Chapter)
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