novelsite Chapter 260, First Challenge
Chapter 260, First Challenge
Beside the side door, an old rattan recliner sat askew, and a man in his fifties was half-reclining on it.
He was wearing a blue jumpsuit and black cloth shoes. His complexion was ruddy, and his nose was particularly shiny.
At this moment, he was closing his eyes, looking as if he were peacefully asleep.
But upon closer inspection, his fingers were gently tapping on his knees, indicating that he was clearly not asleep.
Beside him was a small radio, about the size of a palm, from which came out bursts of traditional opera.
Xu Xiaoyan paused for a moment. The old man leisurely listening to opera at the warehouse entrance was probably the first hurdle in this "way".
His attitude will likely determine whether the car she gets is a help or a burden.
A perfectly timed smile graced her face as she walked over with light, natural steps.
She stopped two or three steps away from the recliner, not wanting to disturb the other person's "refined enjoyment".
His gaze swept quickly over the old man's face and posture, and then he reached into an inconspicuous hidden pocket on the right side of his backpack.
She pulled out two small, transparent, self-sealing plastic bags, each containing a cigarette.
"Uncle," she said softly, with an apology for disturbing you, and a sincere smile on her face, "I'm sorry to bother you while you're listening to the opera. The singing is really authentic. You have a wonderful taste."
After she finished praising it, she handed over the two small plastic bags containing cigarettes.
"These two cigarettes are some good stuff that I managed to get through some connections. The brand is alright. Would you like to try them? See if they suit your taste."
The old man stopped tapping his fingers on his knees.
He opened his eyes a crack, and his gaze was not cloudy, but rather carried a shrewdness and indifference that came from years of seeing through the ways of the world.
His gaze first fell on Xu Xiaoyan's face, which was covered by a hat, and lingered for a moment on the brim of her hat, which she had deliberately lowered, and the small part of her face that was exposed.
He looked her up and down, seemingly assessing where the strange girl came from.
Then, his gaze fell on the two small transparent bags, and his eyes flickered slightly when he saw the style and color of the cigarettes inside.
His face didn't show any particular expression; he just mumbled a "hmm" in response.
Then, he reached out his large, calloused hand and naturally took it, casually putting it into the large breast pocket of his work jacket.
"You're on the right track," he squeezed out a short comment from his throat, his voice a little hoarse, revealing no particular emotion.
But these two words themselves already indicate approval of Xu Xiaoyan's "sensible" and straightforward opening statement.
This reassured Xu Xiaoyan more than any insincere pleasantries.
He slowly sat up straight from the recliner, then reached out and turned off the noisy radio next to him, abruptly stopping the wailing singing.
A profound silence instantly descended upon the warehouse entrance, broken only by the faint sound of airflow coming from some unknown ventilation duct in the distance.
"Where's the approval slip? Let me see it," the old man cut straight to the point, without any unnecessary pleasantries, and looked calmly at Xu Xiaoyan.
Xu Xiaoyan felt a slight sense of relief, knowing that she had passed the first hurdle.
She quickly took the approval slip out of her pocket, handed it over with both hands, and behaved respectfully.
The old man took it, then turned slightly to the side, squinted his eyes in the dim light coming from the doorway, and examined it carefully.
His gaze swept quickly over the title and number of the approval document.
Finally, just like the female clerk before, I lingered for an unusually long time on the tiny print that read "City C, Service Points No. 3, 7, and 11".
His lips moved silently, as if he were reciting the numbers to himself.
After a moment, he raised his head, his face still expressionless, and handed the approval slip back to Xu Xiaoyan.
He spoke in a calm tone, but uttered a sentence that made Xu Xiaoyan's heart sink and feel a chill run down her spine:
"These three fixed points of yours..." He clicked his tongue, then slowly shook his head and uttered four words, "The locations are so-so."
Is the location just average?
Xu Xiaoyan's smile froze instantly. What did this mean?
Low customer traffic?
Is the competition exceptionally fierce?
Is the complex surrounding environment unfavorable for business operations?
Or are there some hidden drawbacks or unspoken rules that she is completely unaware of?
Are these three spots notorious "pitfalls" specifically assigned to newcomers like her who have no connections?
But she quickly realized that now was definitely not the time to be discouraged, and she couldn't show too much negative emotion in front of this old man who might have room to maneuver.
Now that the other party has pointed out the problem, perhaps... there is still a glimmer of hope?
As the female clerk said, there's a trick to choosing any car.
So, while the issue of "location" seems like a foregone conclusion, could it also be part of some kind of "trick" that can be "manipulated" or "compensated"?
She felt that the gatekeeper's thoughtfulness in pointing this out meant it was definitely not just a casual comment!
She quickly forced herself to cheer up, raised her head again, and looked at the old man.
The urgency and pleading in his eyes were no longer concealed, and his voice became more humble, carrying the sincerity of a junior seeking guidance from an elder:
"Uncle, you're a senior figure here. You've seen a lot in this warehouse, so your judgment is the best."
You see... for this situation, from my position, is there any... any solution?
Or, is there any way... to slightly salvage or improve the situation?
She didn't dare ask directly if she could change locations, as that would clearly be beyond the authority of the gatekeeper and a pipe dream.
When the old man heard Xu Xiaoyan's pleading words about "making amends," his face still showed no obvious reaction.
His gaze lingered on Xu Xiaoyan's bulging backpack, which clearly contained a lot of "belongings," scanning it back and forth several times, as if assessing her "sincerity" and "strength."
He didn't answer immediately, but instead slowly picked up an enamel mug from the floor next to the recliner.
He unscrewed the lid, brought it to his lips, and calmly took a sip of the tea.
His Adam's apple bobbed, making a soft "gulp" sound, before he put the enamel mug back on the ground with a muffled thud.
"As for a solution..." He then drew out the word and spoke again, as if the sip of tea had given him the strength to think and speak.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on his other knee, as if keeping time or carefully choosing his words, "It's not entirely without."
Xu Xiaoyan stared intently at the old man's lips, holding her breath, afraid of missing a single word.
"This approval slip of yours," the old man pointed with his chin at the paper in Xu Xiaoyan's hand, "is written in black and white, stamped with a big red seal, the location is fixed, it can't be changed, not even if the King of Heaven himself came."
He first shattered any unrealistic fantasies Xu Xiaoyan might have, but then immediately changed the subject:
"However, cars are not all the same. Even if they are parked in the same spot, the difference in the 'class' they look can be huge."
He gestured with his chin, indicating the large, tightly closed roller shutter door behind him:
"In our warehouse, all the so-called 'convenience service vehicles' of the same model that came down from the same batch look the same on the outside, but inside... hey."
He let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle. "Style details, condition, battery capacity, how smoothly the motor runs, how noisy it is..."
Even the presence of a folding table, the functionality of the simple storage compartment locks... all these things make a difference!
He counted on his fingers, as if reciting a familiar story:
"Some cars are neatly clean inside and out, with shiny paint, new batteries of full capacity, run smoothly without any noise, and come with complete and sturdy canopies and tables."
"Just park there, no need to shout, customers will feel safe and secure just by looking at it from afar, and they'll be willing to come over. Some cars..." He curled his lip, revealing a hint of disdain:
"That's just the 'inventory' cleared out from the corner of the warehouse. Just make do with what it takes to run and move. We'll be grateful if it doesn't break down halfway. As for anything else, don't count on it."
Imagine two cars like these, one good and one bad, parked in the same "average" spot.
Passing customers, if they're not blind, which bus will they head for first? The success of a business at the start doesn't entirely depend on the location.
As the old man narrated, Xu Xiaoyan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She immediately understood! The location couldn't be changed, that was an ironclad rule, but she could try to get a "good car"!
A car that looks more presentable, more reliable, and better equipped.
It can not only attract more initial customers, but also reduce troubles and costs in subsequent operations. This is the "trick" that the female clerk hinted at in the distribution process!
And the old man in front of us is one of the people who holds the key to this "way"!
"Uncle, you're absolutely right! Thank you so much!" She nodded vigorously, her voice filled with gratitude after finally understanding.
"You're a real expert, you saw the key point right away! Well... you see, in my case, the approval document has already set this 'general' point."
"How can I... have a chance to get one of those nice cars that you described, ones that look 'sharp' and 'ready to go'?" she asked cautiously.
The old man didn't directly answer her question of "how," but instead leaned forward slightly, his gaze falling again on her backpack.
"Besides those two 'door-opening' items, what other 'goodies' are you carrying in your bag?"
His gaze seemed to casually sweep over the bulge in the main compartment of Xu Xiaoyan's backpack, with a meaningful undertone.
"This 'method' to 'make up' for the lack of locations also depends on the specific circumstances, doesn't it?"
Xu Xiaoyan understood immediately. She bent down quickly and deftly unzipped the metal zipper of the main compartment.
She unzipped the zipper wide enough to reach inside and feel around, finding the bottle of high-end liquor, tied with a red ribbon and perfectly packaged.