Chapter 633: Chapter 347 Aftereffects
After Liu Ying left for just over ten minutes, Sun and Wu returned.
Chen Feng glanced at the time. It was just a little before five in the afternoon, clearly indicating that they left work early.
But since the two of them are high-level executives in the company, their subordinates certainly wouldn’t dare to dock their performance.
The reason they hurried home early wasn’t only to see Chen Feng sooner, but also because Liu Ying came to No. 8 Villa.
Thinking of Liu Ying being alone with Chen Feng at the villa where they lived made them feel a bit uneasy, as if their territory was being intruded upon.
So, the two of them discussed it and decided to come home early.
"Where’s Liu Ying? Why didn’t we see her?"
They rushed back eagerly but didn’t see Liu Ying and asked Chen Feng.
"She left." Chen Feng didn’t elaborate with them.
His treatment of Liu Ying earlier left him not entirely without feelings, but he didn’t want to indulge her and also wanted to dispel some of her inappropriate thoughts.
If Liu Ying wanted to leave him because of this, he would feel a bit regretful. Of course, if she really decided to leave, he definitely wouldn’t stop her.
Their current relationship was essentially a business transaction.
Chen Feng had already offered the terms he could afford, and if she thought the price was too low, or even wanted to upgrade from a retail shareholder to a full stakeholder, Chen Feng certainly wouldn’t accept it.
When Sun and Wu heard that Liu Ying had left, their mood instantly improved.
Even though they didn’t think Liu Ying posed much of a threat, since she had been married and divorced, but she was nevertheless a college classmate of his and should not be underestimated.
Then, the two women asked with concern about Chen Feng’s experiences in the Red Demon Country, to which Chen Feng only replied that the trip involved state secrets that needed to be kept confidential.
Though they were still quite curious, hearing Chen Feng’s response, they had to drop the matter.
The three of them enjoyed a pleasant dinner, chatting and laughing with each other, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
The next day, Chen Feng rarely went with the two women to Fengmang Film and Television Company to personally understand the current situation of the company.
Simply put, the company’s operations are running smoothly, with the television series "Mountain Order" earning them a significant profit, and now most of the company’s resources and efforts are focused on developing various profit-generating projects around this series. Lu Sijia coordinated everything in this regard and performed well.
Currently, the company generates tens of thousands daily from merchandise related to the series, with a profit margin of at least 40% after labor costs, which is pretty profitable.
Moreover, fan meetings and themed concerts also show promising financial prospects, providing substantial revenue for the company.
After understanding the situation, Chen Feng did not stay much longer, spending just about an hour.
After leaving the company, Chen Feng went to see Zhang Kewei, who had opened a stationery store. When it opened, Chen Feng didn’t attend in person but sent a flower basket. Later, Chen Feng handed the Fengmang Film and Television Company and Dianchuang Culture Company stationery orders to him, which was considered quite supportive.
Zhang Kewei was a decent person who kept in touch and occasionally invited Chen Feng to hang out or visit his store.
Having just returned from abroad, Chen Feng didn’t want to stay home and decided to walk around a bit.
He didn’t have many friends in Xiu Zhou, now counting old classmate Zhang Kewei as one of them.
Chen Feng didn’t notify him in advance, as there was no need since there was nothing particular to do. If Zhang was busy, contacting him to rush back to the store would only cause him trouble.
Chen Feng was considerate of how others might feel, avoiding disturbing or inconveniencing them.
The visit was mainly to kill time; if Zhang was at the store, they could chat, and if not, it was no issue — he would just look around.
The stationery store was a few minutes drive from Fengmang Film and Television Company, not too distant.
Upon arrival, Chen Feng parked by the roadside.
Entering the modest stationery store, around fifty or sixty square meters, with four rows of shelves: one row against each wall and two in the middle.
A thirty-something cashier sat at the front desk. She was average-looking and seemed to be a cousin from his hometown, now working in Xiu Zhou with her husband. She used to be a cashier in a supermarket and now worked as a cashier here, which was a suitable match.
There were three or four customers browsing inside, indicating that Zhang Kewei wasn’t there. Chen Feng glanced at Zhang’s cousin but didn’t intend to introduce himself and continued looking around at the various stationery items.
The store maintained a clean and neat appearance, with the four rows of shelves set up for easy visibility.
Chen Feng wandered around briefly without finding anything to buy and left the store after a few minutes.
Just as he reached the door, he happened to bump into Zhang Kewei carrying a briefcase and returning.
"Chen Feng, how come you’re here? Why didn’t you inform me in advance?"
Zhang was momentarily surprised, then delightedly hurried over.
"Just popping by to look around, knowing you might be out doing business, I didn’t notify you."
"You’re right; I was out running errands since early morning. I used to do this, but now market competition is fierce. I visited several clients today but didn’t secure a single deal."
"Do you mainly target enterprises and institutions now?"
"Yes, most have designated suppliers with internal connections, making it hard to break in. I wish more old classmates, like you, would support my business," Zhang admitted.
"Take it slow. Your main task now is maintaining your current clients and gradually increasing sales from there. I believe you can do it."
"Haha, you, Mr. Chen, certainly have a way with words. Come, let’s go have some tea and chat."
Zhang grabbed Chen Feng and headed for tea. Chen Feng didn’t resist.
After a ten-minute walk, they reached a somewhat upscale teahouse where Zhang, familiar with the place, chose a window seat. He ordered a pot of Pu’er tea worth over a hundred for Chen Feng, while he himself ordered the cheapest one.
Recalling their reunion back in Xiu Zhou, their first drink was also tea, but Chen Feng hadn’t received such a warm welcome then. It wasn’t about being calculative, but merely human nature.
Back then, Zhang paid for the tea, as Chen Feng remembered, which showed Zhang was indeed a good old classmate.
"How’s business at the store recently?"
After visiting, it was polite to show some concern.
"Not bad," Zhang, candid with his old classmate who helped with big orders, confessed, "Last month, I earned about fifty or sixty thousand. After deducting costs like labor and rent, I personally made two to thirty thousand, much better than my previous job. Your orders contributed to at least 30% of the profit, which is practically a quarter’s worth. So, I’ve been trying to branch out to new clients lately. Otherwise, this month’s performance would surely falter, mainly relying on customers I accumulated at my old job, living off past relationships."