Chapter 646: Rebuilding the Factory
Chapter 646: Rebuilding the Factory
The person in charge of the Lu Jiaxin Cosmetics Company was Ye Zhen, whom Lu Jiaxin had poached from another cosmetics company with a generous offer. Initially, Ye Zhen had refused, feeling that Lu Jiaxin's cosmetics company was too small and lacked a unique product line. It was only after Lu Jiaxin presented him with several new products, the quality of which he could vouch for, that he agreed to come on board. With ample funding, a bold leader, and improved ancient formulas, the company was destined for greatness.
After seeing Lu Hongjun and the others off at the airport, Lu Jiaxin headed to the cosmetics company to discuss the future development of Yongjia Cosmetics Company with Ye Zhen. Previously known as Xiyue Cosmetics Company, it had been renamed Yongjia after its acquisition.
Lu Jiaxin shared her plans, "I intend to import the most advanced equipment, but the current factory of Yongjia Cosmetics is too small. It would be more cost-effective to purchase land in the mainland and build a new factory there. Should we schedule a trip to survey the area this week?"
Establishing a factory in the mainland had become a popular trend, as land prices and production costs were significantly lower, making it a financially prudent decision. Ye Zhen asked, "Boss, how large an area are you planning to purchase?"
Lu Jiaxin, naturally, wanted as much land as possible. "My goal is to make Yongjia Cosmetics the largest cosmetics company in Hong Kong and the mainland. Therefore, the bigger the land, the better. That way, when we expand, we won't need to worry about purchasing additional land."
Having personally tested the products himself, Ye Zhen nodded in agreement. "I'll head to Hong Kong for the survey the day after tomorrow."
Deciding to build a factory in the mainland was not a decision to be taken lightly. It required on-site surveys, finding suitable land, and communicating with the local government.
The two discussed various matters for half a day, and it was only when it was time for lunch that Lu Jiaxin took her leave. As for Ye Zhen, he opted to have his working lunch at the company. Having once been a corporate slave with irregular meals and a constant reliance on takeout, Lu Jiaxin made sure to provide her employees with free lunches after becoming the boss. This benefit was greatly appreciated by the staff.
For this lunch, Lu Jiaxin had arranged to meet Zong Shimeng at Fuyun Restaurant. This time, their gathering wasn't for shopping but to discuss supply matters.
Zong Shimeng's beauty salon was newly renovated and was set to open next month. "I had some people try the sample products you gave me, and the results were excellent. Especially the herbal bath—not only did it make my skin smooth and delicate, but it also improved my sleep."
The herbal bath was something she had prepared herself, with the help of a female doctor she had engaged. This Chinese medicine doctor was recommended by Lu Jiaxin, and she had spent a considerable sum to bring her over from the mainland.
"These skincare products made from Chinese medicine are excellent, except for the high cost and short shelf life," Lu Jiaxin said. "But Sister Shimeng, it's best not to take that herbal bath too frequently. Once or twice a month should suffice."
Zong Shimeng smiled and said, "I'd love to take that bath every day, but it costs two to three hundred thousand yuan each time. Three to four times a month is enough; any more, and I won't be able to afford it."
Lu Jiaxin laughed and said, "Sister Shimeng, I'm planning to start cultivating Chinese medicinal herbs in the mainland. Would you like to join me?"
Zong Shimeng looked puzzled. "Why go through the trouble of cultivating them ourselves? Can't we just purchase them directly?"
Lu Jiaxin explained, "We'll take a two-pronged approach. We'll cultivate the land ourselves while also purchasing from local farmers. If we rely solely on purchasing, we might find ourselves at the mercy of suppliers."
Zong Shimeng didn't think cultivating Chinese medicinal herbs would be profitable, but she didn't refuse Lu Jiaxin's invitation. "Sure, you can decide on the percentage of shares."
Lu Jiaxin chuckled. "How about 20%? If the cultivation goes smoothly, you won't have to worry about sourcing the herbs for your beauty salon in the future."
Some herbs took two to three years or even longer to mature, implying that her beauty salon could operate for several years.
With a smile on her face, Zong Shimeng said, "Thanks for your well-wishes. I hope my beauty salon will thrive and expand."
"Definitely," Lu Jiaxin assured her.
When the waiter brought the second dish, Yu Meitung finally arrived. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she looked at the dishes on the table and smiled, "Thankfully, I'm not too late."
"We're in no rush, so don't rush next time," Lu Jiaxin said with a smile.
Yu Meitung had originally planned to leave an hour earlier, but her design director had called a meeting with the team. Naturally, work took precedence, so she attended the meeting first.
After a busy morning, and hurrying to make it to the lunch, Yu Meitung was famished. Everyone was already so familiar with each other, so she didn't stand on ceremony. "Sister Shimeng, Jiaxin, let's eat and chat."
With some food in her stomach, Yu Meitung finally shared her news with Lu Jiaxin. "I broke up with Jiang Yuanjiu. It happened on the day of your engagement banquet."
Lu Jiaxin was taken aback, mainly because Yu Meitung had seemed perfectly fine that day, showing no signs of a breakup. "What happened? Did he mistreat you?"
Yu Meitung laughed bitterly, "He wouldn't dare mistreat me even if he had ten times the courage. I felt that our values didn't align, so I initiated the breakup."
This was clearly an excuse, and Lu Jiaxin saw through it. "The last time we went shopping, you mentioned meeting his parents and even talked about getting married before me. Now, less than two weeks later, you've broken up. There must be something wrong on his side. Sister Meitung, if you don't tell me, I'll have someone investigate."
If Jiang Yuanjiu had mistreated Yu Meitung, she wouldn't hesitate to intervene, regardless of the fact that she had introduced them or their years of friendship.
Seeing Lu Jiaxin's serious expression, Yu Meitung smiled and said, "Nothing like that happened. I'm not a pushover, so how could he dare mistreat me? It's just that his ex-girlfriend came back, and not only did they meet in secret, but he also accompanied her to the hospital for a check-up..."
At this point, she sighed, "The day before your engagement banquet, her test results came back. She has early-stage breast cancer. She also had a breakdown and wanted to commit suicide, so he stayed with her, and then his phone ran out of battery, and he overslept the next day."
"I was upset, so I sent him a text message breaking up with him. He came to find me in the afternoon, and I initially thought I had been too impulsive. But when I learned that she had this illness, I firmly broke up with him."
Upon hearing this, Lu Jiaxin understood the situation. "You suspect that she already knew about her illness and deliberately returned to find Jiang Yuanjiu, using this disease as a way to get back together with him."
Li Wei's family was in Hong Kong, yet she didn't ask her family members to accompany her to the hospital. Instead, she called upon her ex-boyfriend. Conveniently, she found out about her illness the day before Lu Jiaxin's engagement banquet, and then she pretended to want to commit suicide so that Jiang Yuanjiu would stay with her. What a schemer!
Zong Shimeng made a disbelieving sound, "Surely not?"
Lu Jiaxin explained her thoughts, "So, she wanted to break up Jiang Yuanjiu and Sister Meitung first, and then the two of them could get back together. That way, she could get the care and support of Jiang Yuanjiu and the Jiang family."
Zong Shimeng disagreed with this interpretation, "A normal man, even if he didn't have a girlfriend he was about to marry, wouldn't get back together with an ex-girlfriend who had cancer."
Although early-stage breast cancer could be cured, the treatment was costly and required dedicated care. Unless he truly loved her, why would he make such a sacrifice?
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
