novelones Chapter 141 Designer
Chapter 141 Designer
After spending over ten days of painstaking effort, Lu Yuan finally finished the design drawings for eight outfits, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.
He poured a great deal of effort into these eight plans, from the colorful renderings and millimeter-precise pattern drawings to the detailed design specifications.
With Xia Anqi's previous guidance, Lu Yuan followed the clues and roughly figured out the clothing merchant's background.
The other party is an overseas Chinese businessman who frequently travels between Asia and Europe, focusing on the mid-to-high-end European apparel market. He came all the way to Jiangcheng this time, partly because he valued the local policy support resources, and partly because of the low production costs in China.
For this overseas Chinese businessman, finding a design that suits his taste would certainly be the best;
If they can't find one, they can accept doing contract manufacturing in a factory in Jiangcheng as a second choice.
However, he has a huge number of orders, and even if it's just OEM manufacturing, his first choice will definitely be the top garment factories in Jiangcheng. He would never easily look at a small workshop like the Lu family's.
Therefore, the only way to snatch this client from the jaws of defeat is to impress them with amazing design creativity.
Lu Yuan laid out all the avant-garde designs that were still fresh in his mind.
These styles are all best-selling items that have withstood the brutal test of the future market. As long as the other party has a keen eye, they will surely be able to see their commercial value.
Just before the clothing merchant came to inspect the factory, Lu Yuan arrived at the garment factory with the completed design drafts.
As soon as I arrived at the office building entrance, I could hear a bustling and lively atmosphere inside.
Judging from the way this is going on, it seems that Dad is entertaining some important guests.
Just then, his mother was standing in the hallway, so Lu Yuan leaned over and whispered, "Mom, who's inside?"
"Your dad went through a lot of trouble to find this designer, asking several friends for help!" Mom couldn't hide her smile, her excitement as if she had grasped a lifeline. "I heard she came back from a big city and is extremely experienced. Your dad is currently negotiating a collaboration with her."
At this point, Mom's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but imagine a bright future: "If our factory could really have such a talented designer in charge, would we still be afraid of not winning over that big client who came from afar?"
"So that's how it is..."
Lu Yuan was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected his father to actually be able to find a designer.
I just don't know how skilled this person really is.
Logically speaking, my dad's circle of friends is fairly reliable, so he wouldn't invite some mediocre people to cause trouble.
If this designer is truly skilled, Lu Yuan would be happy to take a break, since professional tasks should be left to professionals.
So he stood quietly by the door, intending to observe the situation first.
Inside the office, Dad was sitting with a few old friends, "interviewing" the new designer.
These old friends are all shareholders who have provided manpower or financial support to Lu's garment factory, so they are naturally qualified to participate in the oversight.
Sitting opposite the head of the table was a man in his thirties. He had slightly messy long hair and dressed in a rather artistic style.
Just by looking at him, it's easy to assume he's an artist and develop a "master" aura around him.
"Why don't you give a brief self-introduction?" Dad said politely.
"Boss Lu, didn't you inquire about my reputation beforehand?"
The man didn't rush to introduce himself. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and asked a question with a confident expression.
Upon hearing this, Dad and several old friends were stunned, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.
They certainly didn't know this person; he wasn't some internationally renowned figure. But since they needed his help, no one dared to break the ice, fearing they might displease him.
My father, being a seasoned businessman, reacted quickly and smoothed things over: "In a small place like ours, we really don't have many opportunities to meet important people. People like us who run small businesses have limited vision and don't know many influential figures, so please don't take offense."
"I knew you guys were so ignorant." The man curled his lip in disdain before slowly saying, "My name is Tony, you can just call me Teacher Tony."
"Tony?"
Lu Yuan, who was standing outside the door, was stunned for a moment. Wasn't this the barber's exclusive code name?
"Tony... okay, Mr. Tony."
Dad ran it through his mind and confirmed he'd never heard of this person before. But the name "Tony" did sound quite sophisticated, making him seem like a powerful figure with overseas connections.
Lu Yuan didn't see any real strength in Tony; instead, he found Tony's arrogant demeanor somewhat pretentious.
At the same time, he also deeply understood the difficulties his father faced in the business world.
When faced with such a rude business partner, my dad still had to bow and scrape to please them. As a grown man, he must have felt incredibly frustrated.
But he couldn't show his dissatisfaction. After all, if Tony quit, the Lu family's garment factory would be truly in trouble.
This person was brought in from a big city through a friend's friend. Regardless of what happens in the future, for now we can only place our hopes on him and expect him to help us resolve our current predicament.
Dad took a deep breath and continued with a smile, "Teacher Tony, I've already told you the specific requirements. Could you please help me produce a few clothing design sketches in the next few days? As long as they meet the requirements of that client who has come all this way."
"That's definitely not a problem."
Tony patted his chest confidently, "I've dealt with a lot of foreigners, I understand their aesthetics all too well. Getting them to do business with you, Boss Lu, will be a piece of cake."
Upon hearing this, Dad and his old friends exchanged glances, all seeing joy in each other's eyes, a sense of relief that came after hardship.
His mother, watching from outside the door, was so excited that she clasped her hands together, her smile impossible to hide. But Lu Yuan frowned slightly and didn't join in the joy.
"Great! We've finally found someone who can get things done!"
"Yes, it's been so difficult."
Several people couldn't help but sigh in hushed tones.
Just then, Tony suddenly stopped smiling and said seriously, "Boss Lu, let me make this clear from the start: my design fees are very expensive."
"Hey, since it's a top international designer, we completely understand if it's a bit pricey." Dad was already prepared to spend a lot of money.
Even if it costs hundreds of thousands, as long as he can secure a major overseas client, he can earn it back tenfold or even a hundredfold. So he wasn't worried about Tony's asking price at all.
Tony held up two fingers, making an outrageous demand: "I'll pay 20 for each design. Payment upon completion. Considering the tight deadline, I can only produce a maximum of six, so I'll set the price at 120 million. Understand?"
"120?!"
The smiles on Dad's and his friends' faces froze instantly, their expressions turning as if they were completely incredulous. Wasn't this price a bit too outrageous?
Tony, however, seemed oblivious to their shock and added, "Furthermore, if this batch of clothing goes into production, I'll take 5% of the profits as a share."
"5%?!"
Everyone gasped in shock. This client was incredibly generous, with orders often in the tens of millions. A 5% cut of the profits meant they'd be losing hundreds of thousands for nothing.
"What's wrong, Boss Lu? Judging from your expressions, you think it's too expensive?" Tony stood up, looking completely at ease. "Knowledge is priceless! I racked my brains to produce these drawings for you, and this is already a very generous payment. You wouldn't be so stingy as to not even be willing to pay this much, would you?"
Dad forced a smile and carefully apologized, "Hehe, Tony, don't worry. Of course we understand that knowledge is priceless and design takes a lot of effort. But... 20 per drawing, plus additional commission, is indeed a bit... beyond our budget."
This price was far beyond his bottom line, and of course, his father was unwilling to be taken advantage of.
But he was afraid of causing an unpleasant situation and driving away the "great Buddha" he had finally managed to invite, so he even spoke very tactfully when bargaining.
Tony, however, was unconvinced, his face instantly darkening: "What, Boss Lu, are you saying I'm not worth the price?"
"this……"
Dad was speechless for a moment, and the other old friends looked at each other, remaining silent. They were clearly trying to use this silent treatment to put pressure on the other party to lower the price.
"Fine, fine, what are you doing here if you have no money?" Tony sneered, clearly displeased, and turned to leave. "I don't even want to stay in this tiny place."
"No, no, no! Tony, please don't go!"
Seeing this, Dad was so frightened that he quickly got up and grabbed his arm.
Tony's lips curled into a fleeting, sly smile, which was quickly replaced by a cold expression: "Boss Lu, this price isn't high in a big city. If you're not willing to pay, I really can't do the work. That's settled then."
"No, no, no, I didn't say I wouldn't pay."
Now that things have come to this, there's no time to find a new designer. Dad can only grit his teeth and swallow his anger, trying to negotiate, even if it's just to cut a little bit.
He was willing to spend a million or two hundred thousand to secure this major client.