Chapter 1137 — I Won't Let You Come Out on the Losing End

"Then what should we do?" Wei Zhao asked. He did not understand much about business. Sending him off to run a competitor into the ground was all well and good, but sales was far beyond him.

"First, expand production capacity as fast as possible and find a way to get a loan to build new factory buildings," Fatty Lai said. "Second, expand the sales channels by setting up branch offices in the major cities of each province. But that will require not only a great deal of capital, management will also become a problem! Setting up several branch offices all at once, with the management system unable to keep pace, will lead to chaos - each office going its own way, with the head office too far away to exercise any control!"

"Oh? Can't we just ship directly from the head office without setting up branch offices?" Wei Zhao asked.

"We could, but the consequences might be even worse. Without a local branch office to coordinate, control, and supervise, vicious market behavior could emerge - arbitrary price hikes, frantic price cuts, hoarding, speculation, cross-territory dumping, and the like. That would do great damage to our company's reputation!" Fatty Lai understood these consequences all too well, and so he was deeply worried.

"I say, Fatty Lai, you know perfectly well I'm no good at business, and yet you come asking me? If you've got a good suggestion, just say it!" Wei Zhao was caught between laughter and tears. Aren't you just trying to scare me?

"My suggestion is to find a company with a well-established sales network to work with. But that company has to be reliable, with a solid reputation. Otherwise, if the lifeline of our channels ends up in their hands, we could find the guest turning into the host - and that is not what we want to see," Fatty Lai said.

"All right, do as you say," Wei Zhao said with a nod.

"But... Boss, I still haven't figured out the question of which company to work with. The marketplace is a battlefield - where are there friends forever?" Fatty Lai said with a bitter smile. "Offhand, I can't think of anyone suitable, which is why I called to talk it over with you..."

"Mm, let me have a look and see," Wei Zhao said with a bitter smile. The entrepreneurs Wei Zhao knew were limited too. Apart from Gu Pengzhan, there was no particularly friendly company in Songshan City either.

"That works. I'll start looking into the loan and financing question on my end..." Fatty Lai had only been asking, really. If Wei Zhao truly had no solution, then the only option was to control the sales company through contracts! But that sort of cooperation, built on mutual suspicion, was no long-term plan, and could never achieve the greatest possible win-win.

Not long after Wei Zhao hung up, the phone rang again.

Wei Zhao assumed it was Fatty Lai calling back, or perhaps Kang Xiaofeng, so he picked up without a second thought: "Hello?"

"Is this Divine Doctor Lin? This is Liu Tianyi!" On the other end came Liu Tianyi's deep, resonant voice.

"Oh? Mr. Liu? Hello..." Wei Zhao found it a little odd that Liu Tianyi would call him at this hour. His impression of Liu Tianyi was fairly good - especially since the man had lent him money without the slightest hesitation, which had made Wei Zhao think all the better of him, and so he had come to accept him as a friend.

"Divine Doctor Lin, I heard your company officially released a new product today. Congratulations, congratulations!" Liu Tianyi said with a laugh. "I've already sent over a small token of my regards - I couriered a red envelope with a check to your company!"

"Oh? That's very kind of you!" Wei Zhao had not expected Liu Tianyi to send a congratulatory gift, and was rather surprised! But since Liu Tianyi was extending an olive branch, there was no need for Wei Zhao to slap a smiling face, so he accepted it with good grace: "You're too thoughtful!"

"I originally wanted to come congratulate you in person, but considering it's a new product launch rather than an opening ceremony, it wouldn't quite be appropriate for me to attend, so I didn't come," Liu Tianyi said cautiously.

As for whether the Liu family should send someone to attend the new product launch, Liu Tianyi, Liu Tianli, and the old master had deliberated for a long time. In the end, it was Liu Jinghan who suggested not attending but sending a red envelope instead, and the old master had approved.

After all, the Liu family wanted to curry favor with Wei Zhao and build a long-term friendship with him, intending to let the Liu family's business channels be used by Wei Zhao free of charge. If they showed up at the launch, it would look a little too eager, as though they had some scheme in mind, and that would be bad! After all, Wei Zhao had not yet agreed to take the Liu family's business channels.

From the looks of it now, Wei Zhao was still quite happy about the red envelope the Liu family had sent, and Liu Tianyi breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's the thought that counts," Wei Zhao said with a smile. "By the way, Mr. Liu, I'd like to consult you about something."

"Please go ahead, Divine Doctor Lin. Consult - what's there to consult about? Whatever Divine Doctor Lin wishes to know, this Liu will tell all he knows and say all he can!" Liu Tianyi said hurriedly.

"It's like this. My pharmaceutical company wants to set up some branch offices and sales channels all over the country, but at present our main energy is going into expanding the factory and raising production capacity. We don't have the time to go building sales channels as well, so I'd like to find a reliable partner to take charge of the sales side!" Wei Zhao happened to lay out the matter Fatty Lai had raised for Liu Tianyi. After all, Liu Tianyi certainly knew more people than Wei Zhao did.

"Oh? You want to find a partner to handle the sales channels?" Liu Tianyi was taken aback, and then both shocked and delighted! The Liu family had already had this very intention but had not known how to broach it to Wei Zhao - and now Wei Zhao had raised the request himself! How could Liu Tianyi not be pleased? After his delight, Liu Tianyi said hurriedly, "Divine Doctor Lin, our Liu family is a business dynasty. If you don't disdain us, our Liu family's business channels can be placed at your disposal free of charge! And as for management, it can be entirely under your side's control! We won't take part in decisions, only in operations. As for profits, our Liu family won't take a single cent - though the normal personnel expenses will need to be covered by your side, heh heh..."

"Mr. Liu, are you serious?" Liu Tianyi's words took Wei Zhao completely by surprise! He had not expected Liu Tianyi to recommend himself, and to offer such generous terms - dispelling Fatty Lai's concerns in one stroke, and with the Liu family taking not a single cent of profit besides!

Of course, Wei Zhao roughly understood what was on Wei Zhao's mind as well - the Liu family had likely seen his potential and wanted to use this opportunity to forge ties with him!

"Of course I'm serious!" Liu Tianyi laughed. "Divine Doctor Lin, when have I ever joked around? I truly want to do something for you! Even if in Divine Doctor Lin's eyes I, Liu Tianyi, am just a nobody, I genuinely regard Divine Doctor Lin as a friend and a benefactor!"

"Heh... good! In that case, I won't decline, but neither will I let you come out the loser." Wei Zhao said mildly, "The sales profits are gone, but each year I will give you some elixirs in return, among them the Life-Extending Detox Pill and a deluxe edition of the Trauma Medicine."