Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
All the decorative items for the shop front were ready. The GMP license that Wen Xinya had applied for had also finally been issued to her from the Drug Administration authority. Hence, Wen Xinya invited Qiu Yiyan, Yan Shaoqing, Ouyang Feng and the rest for dinner at Ninth-Heaven.
“Thank you!” said Wen Xinya, who was also surprised to have been issued the GMP license, especially since there was no news of it for more than a month.
Leaning against the couch with a glass of red wine in hand, Li Mengjie said sluggishly, “The renovations for the shop front are almost completed. The contractor said that he’ll be wrapping up in a week’s time. All the decorative items have also been arranged. When will we open for business?”
Swirling the glass of red wine in her hand, Wen Xinya asked, “How’s the situation at the factory?”
Yan Shaoqing smiled and said, “The renovations for the factory have been completed two weeks ago. We’re currently in the midst of handling the logistics and testing the manufacturing devices and equipment. Although the amount of starting material is not much, it’s good enough. We should be able to begin properly after three trial runs.”
“How about the packaging?” asked Wen Xinya, who was pleased with the quick progress. In fact, it was much faster than she had imagined. She had always found Yan Shaoqing to be very reliable and trusted his competency. Besides, the key personnel of their business were the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners since they would be producing Traditional Chinese Medicinal beauty products. The production process was not at all complicated and could be run smoothly with precision and minimum human errors.
Yan Shaoqing answered, “I’ve already found an eco-friendly wood compression factory that focuses on keeping the environment healthy. I’ve also tested the product and packaging compatibility, and the results are alright but still below our expectations. I’m still communicating with the factory and reckon there’ll be updates in the next few days. I’ll send you a copy of the relevant data once I receive them.”
“Alright, it’s been hard on you lately!” said Wen Xinya, who knew that Yan Shaoqing had been as busy as a bee of late because he wanted the factory to begin operations as soon as possible. He used to give her a progress report once every three days. However, it had been a long time since he submitted a report to her in recent weeks.
Shaking his head, Yan Shaoqing answered, “Lanxin Cosmetics has already started recruiting employees. I’m not as busy as I used to be.”
Wen Xinya asked, “By the way, how’s the recruitment going at the factory?”
She felt safe about leaving the recruitment of employees to Yan Shaoqing to handle. Due to his hideous looks, he had seen all the ugly sides of humanity. However, he still had hope in life and was motivated to strive for success. Most importantly, he had not been consumed by the darkness of the world. He was gentle, well-tempered, patient, and tolerant towards others. He also knew the unspoken rules of society and hence, was not blindly kind to all. He would think twice and consider before acting. He was far more sensitive than the average person when it came to making friends and deducing others’ personalities.
Yan Shaoqing explained, “All we’re lacking now is a factory supervisor who can manage and oversee all the production lines. I’ll take on this role for the time being, but…”
Wen Xinya asked, “Do you have a suitable candidate in mind?”
After a moment of hesitation, Yan Shaoqing answered, “Yes, he used to be friends with my father. After my father passed away, he took very good care of me. He used to be a factory supervisor, too. However, he lost mobility in his legs after a car accident that took place a few years ago. That’s why he got retrenched. He hasn’t found a job ever since then and has been making ends meet by being a street cobbler.”
Wen Xinya understood what his concerns were. Knowing that he felt a little embarrassed for recommending someone whom he knew, Wen Xinya smiled and said, “You should know what his personality is like. Arrange a time for me to meet him.”
Yan Shaoqing heaved a sigh of relief. His palms had already gotten sweaty from all the nervousness. “Sure!”
Wen Xinya smiled and said, “Seems like we’ve already gotten everything ready, we’re just lacking the last crucial element. In that case, what do you guys say we officially open for business on the 22nd of January?”
Li Mengjie immediately whipped her mobile phone out and said, “They always say that we have to pick an auspicious date for the opening of our business. How could we just set a date so casually? Let me check the online lunar calendar and see if that day is suitable for the opening of our store.”
Qiu Yifan beat her to it. He handed her a physical lunar calendar and said, “It’s a very auspicious day for store openings, weddings, prayers, drawing lots, traveling, and celebrations! It’s a very rare auspicious date that only happens once in a blue moon.”
Ouyang Feng jested. “Seems like Xinya came prepared!”
Wen Xinya chuckled and handed a proposal to Li Mengjie. “Here are some ideas that I have regarding the management of the store. Take a look at it and give me your feedback.”
Li Mengjie flipped through the pages of the proposal quietly.
Wen Xinya continued, “The Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments and recipes for nourishing one’s health are inextricably linked to those for maintaining beauty and a youthful appearance. I’ve collated dozens of recipes for nourishing soups that have different efficacies. When combined with the use of relevant products, the results would be excellent. We’ll only sell five portions of nourishing soup in the store every day, on a first-come-first-serve basis. No reservations or takeout orders are allowed.”
Wen Xinya had set her sights on making the most profit out of Traditional Chinese Medicine supplements. The launch of the nourishing soups would be a gateway for her to delve into the market of supplements.
Yan Shaoqing’s eyelid twitched. He could see a future after reading the types of nourishing soups and tonics listed on the proposal.
Meanwhile, Qiu Yifan began to view Wen Xinya in a different light after realizing that her ambitions were far beyond just running a luxurious cosmetic store. She clearly had greater plans in mind.
Wen Xinya smiled and said, “Sis Li, you must keep track of the vital statistics of the customers who purchase the nourishing soups and compare the before-and-after results. We mustn’t be careless or slipshod with it because Lanxin Cosmetics is only our first step to success.”
“Alright! I’ll take note!” Li Mengjie exclaimed, well aware of what Wen Xinya’s intentions were. She suddenly recalled that Wen Xinya had included supplements under the business scope declaration when she was registering for a business license.
Everyone looked at Wen Xinya, each having opinions of their own.
Although the health supplements industry was a very lucrative one, it would be impossible to secure a footing in the market without sufficient preparation or recognition. Hence, Wen Xinya was planning to build a reputation for Traditional Chinese Medicine skincare products by launching a series of luxurious beauty products. Once the fresh concept had been widely accepted by the masses and established a stable target consumer group, Lanxin Cosmetics would become a household name, and the health supplements that they launched in the future would definitely have a place in the market.
Who else could have such great ambitions and foresight?
