HCB Chapter 146 Unbelievable
Chapter 146 Unbelievable
Today, Dad specially changed into a sharp suit, and his hair was combed neatly and shiny.
The factory manager, who usually looked somewhat weathered, now exuded a calm and composed aura befitting a boss, and he seemed quite professional.
However, this carefully prepared facade was shattered the moment the other party stepped into the garment factory.
As soon as Thomas and his daughter entered the factory area, their brows furrowed in unison.
The blonde, blue-eyed white girl, Lisa, made no attempt to hide her complaints to her father in English.
Perhaps most people present couldn't understand what she was saying, but Lu Yuan heard it clearly. She was obviously complaining about the dilapidated environment, the rudimentary facilities, and the small size of the place.
Although Dad couldn't understand English, he could guess what was going on from the girl's disgusted look and slightly furrowed brows, and a hint of embarrassment and awkwardness flashed across his face.
Fortunately, the overseas Chinese businessman in charge, Mike Zhang, was a very shrewd and worldly person.
He greeted him with a smile and introduced himself in broken Chinese: "Mr. Lu, I am Mr. Thomas's assistant, Mike Zhang. I used to meet with clothing merchants from all over the country on my own, but today Mr. Thomas's beloved daughter, Lisa, wanted to come along to broaden her horizons, so we came together."
"I see, welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!" Dad nodded with a smile and ushered them into the factory area.
"Mr. Lu, your factory seems a bit small. How many workers do you usually have? What's your production capacity?" Mike Zhang asked casually as he walked around, trying to get a sense of the factory's size.
My dad answered fluently, and although he exaggerated the data slightly, it was generally harmless.
After hearing this, Mike Zhang turned around and translated the situation for Thomas and his daughter.
Thomas's face remained expressionless, but in this kind of business negotiation, the lack of surprise was tantamount to disappointment.
His purpose for this trip was very clear: either the other party had a huge production capacity and could reduce production costs through economies of scale.
Either the other party is extremely creative and imaginative, and can provide eye-catching new designs.
Clearly, Lu's garment factory cannot even meet the first requirement at present.
After touring the production workshop, Thomas clearly lost interest and began whispering frequently to Mike Zhang, as if he intended to end the tour early.
Mike Zhang had accepted red envelopes from his father and a few old friends, and patted his chest to promise that he would let Thomas finish his tour before leaving. Now, he could only bite the bullet and approach Thomas, whispering that there were still new things to see.
He appeared cheerful on the surface, but inside he was panicking. If the Lu family couldn't come up with something new, Thomas would definitely come after him and demand an explanation.
Dad knew that the new equipment wouldn't impress the well-informed Thomas, and now their only hope lay in the clothes designed by Lu Yuan.
He took a deep breath and, feigning composure, said, "Actually, our factory has recently designed some new clothing styles and produced new sample garments and design drawings. Mr. Thomas, why don't you come with me to take a look?"
Mike Zhang quickly translated it.
Thomas wasn't interested; he didn't believe that such a small, run-down factory could have any groundbreaking designs.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 20 ...
Lisa, who was standing to the side, had already lost her patience and kept urging her father to leave.
But Thomas eventually nodded and decided to go and see. This shows that he was indeed a very patient businessman who understood the principle of "keeping good relations even if a deal falls through."
Soon, Dad led them to the newly opened showroom.
Lu Yuan and the others held their breath and followed them inside.
At this moment, Lu Yuan was so nervous that his palms were sweating.
All my hard work over the past two weeks will be put to the test today.
Although these designs have been tested by the future market, he cannot guarantee that Thomas will have the discerning eye to recognize and approve of his designs.
At that moment, his heart was pounding so hard that he almost forgot to breathe.
His father was even more nervous than him. If even these designs couldn't impress Thomas, the Lu family's garment factory might have no chance of recovery.
However, something unexpected happened.
As soon as Thomas stepped into the showroom, his eyes were drawn to the two sample garments on the mannequins as if by a magnet.
He disregarded all decorum, strode forward, circled the model, and then reached out to repeatedly caress the texture of the fabric, carefully examining the cut and stitching of each layer.
"Unbelievable!"
Thomas couldn't help but let out a soft gasp. Without a doubt, he was completely captivated by the two sample garments.
He excitedly spoke at length to Mike Zhang, who quickly translated for his father: "Mr. Thomas asked, 'Were these two sample garments designed by your factory? Have they been put into production?'"
Dad nodded excitedly, then quickly waved his hand, "It's our own design! It was originally intended for Mr. Thomas to see, and we haven't even started production yet!"
As he spoke, Dad led them to the table and showed them the design drawings.
Thomas was completely mesmerized by the design drawings spread across the table.
He immediately took out his glasses from his pocket, put them on, bent down deeply, and carefully examined each one, afraid of missing any detail.
As he watched, he muttered to himself in English. Although no one could hear the exact words, they could all sense the undisguised amazement in his tone.
After a long while, he suddenly sat up straight, looked directly at his father, and spoke a long passage in English.
Before this, he would relay his thoughts through Mike Zhang, because he instinctively ignored his father and felt that there was no way this small factory could bring any unexpected surprises.
But now, his first reaction is to ask his father directly. This subconscious change proves that he is eager to get answers from his father, and it also proves that these designs have completely ignited his interest.
Of course, Dad couldn't understand, so he could only look to Mike Zhang for help.
Mike Zhang quickly translated: "Mr. Thomas is asking you, were these designs really made in your factory? How were they designed? Are you planning to sell the copyright, or will you put them into production yourself?"
"Uh... this... we..." A barrage of professional questions came crashing down on him, leaving Dad speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer.
Thomas is indeed an extremely professional clothing businessman; he gets straight to the point and doesn't mince words.
He knew all too well the value of these designs; once they were put into production under his company's name and sold in the European and American markets, they would definitely be a bestseller.
But he also had doubts: how could such a small factory design a product of this caliber?
He would never cooperate if these drawings were purchased or plagiarized, because the risk was too great.
He could have bypassed the Lu family and gone directly to the real creator.
"Let me say it!"
Just as his father was sweating profusely and at a loss for what to do, Lu Yuan stepped forward and went to the front.
Seeing his father in such an awkward situation, Lu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart.
The moment the father saw his son, it was as if he had seen a savior; he felt that his son was becoming more and more pleasing to the eye.
"Who are you?" Thomas asked Lu Yuan.
Mike Zhang was worried that Lu Yuan wouldn't understand, so he was about to translate, but Lu Yuan raised his hand to stop him and introduced himself to Thomas in fluent and pure American English.
Thomas was greatly surprised by those few words.
Thomas was even more shocked when he learned that Lu Yuan was the boss's son and that he personally admitted that the design drawings were all his work.
Afterwards, Lu Yuan personally guided Thomas through the design drawings, accurately conveying his advanced design concepts to the other party.
Thomas listened intently throughout, nodding repeatedly. Even Lisa, who had initially looked impatient, now put away her disdain and listened with curiosity, her eyes filled with newfound respect for Lu Yuan.
"Amazing!"
After listening to Lu Yuan's explanation, Thomas couldn't help but applaud, sincerely praising Lu Yuan's forward-thinking design concept and the amazing results.
Everyone in the showroom knew Lu Yuan, but no one expected that this seemingly unassuming young man would be so composed when facing major foreign clients, communicating without any obstacles and leaving them amazed.
"Oh my, Aunt Lu, your son is truly remarkable!"
"Absolutely! If my son had even half of Lu Yuan's abilities, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"
Several old friends who were watching gathered around, gave the mother a thumbs up, and praised her for raising her son well.
My mother stood to the side, her eyes filled with unbelievable surprise.
She never imagined that her son would become so successful, turning into the family's savior at such a crucial moment.