"Wu Jun, this is your little supermarket? It really is small."
Luo Zhengang followed Wu Jun into the supermarket and sized it up, his tone tinged with a hint of disappointment.
’This can be called a supermarket? It’s just a small corner store!’
He felt that with Wu Jun’s limited resources, trying to land that massive 125-ton rice order was a case of his eyes being bigger than his stomach.
Any random Meng Zalang specialty store was leagues better than this tiny supermarket.
Besides, Meng Zalang had four branches in Shimen City; Wu Jun’s little supermarket wasn’t even in the same league.
Wu Jun caught the undertone in Luo Zhengang’s voice and said, "Luo Xing, don’t let the size of my supermarket fool you. Here in Shimen City, aside from the major chains like Yonghui, Wumart, and Meilianmei, no other supermarket can hold a candle to mine."
Luo Zhengang turned to look at Wu Jun, surprised.
’That’s some big talk. What gives you so much confidence, running a tiny supermarket like this?’
Xu Fei, puffing her cheeks in annoyance, shot a glare at Luo Zhengang from the side. ’He’s so much worse than his father,’ she thought.
"Luo Xing, you can rest assured, we definitely have the capacity to supply this order." Wu Jun understood Luo Zhengang’s condescension, but his expression remained unchanged.
He had been to Meng Zalang’s specialty stores himself. In terms of decor and sheer impressiveness, his little supermarket truly couldn’t compare.
Anyone who didn’t know the full story would never guess that his tiny supermarket had the power to go toe-to-toe with Meng Zalang.
"Luo Xing, please have a seat. We can discuss the specific details once we’re settled." Wu Jun gestured for Luo Zhengang to sit in the chair Xu Fei normally used.
"Alright." Luo Zhengang agreed and walked toward Xu Fei’s designated chair.
"Manager Luo Xing, that chair’s leg is wobbly. Let me get you another one." Seeing the situation, Xu Fei picked up her chair, walked away with it, and returned from the back room with a different one.
Xu Fei set the chair down. "Please sit, Luo Xing. This one’s sturdy."
Wu Jun: "..."
’We just bought that chair after Xu Fei started working here. It’s only been a few days—is it broken already?’
’The quality must be terrible!’
"Thank you, Xu Fei." Luo Zhengang sat down and asked, "Wu Jun, I’ve never heard of this Hongyun Rice you mentioned. Even major rice brands like Wuchang, Arowana, and Fulinmen have been outclassed by Mongzhalong Rice. So tell me, why should we choose to partner with a completely unknown brand like yours?"
Instead of explaining, Wu Jun turned to look at Xu Fei.
Xu Fei had brought the chair she’d just taken away back out. She was now sitting on it in the grains and oils aisle, watching them.
’Didn’t you say the leg was wobbly? And now you’re sitting on it...’
Wu Jun called out, "Xu Fei, go cook up some of our Hongyun Rice. We’ll let the product speak for itself."
Luo Zhengang looked puzzled.
"Okay, boss." Xu Fei stood up from her chair. Before leaving, as if afraid someone else might take it, she carried the chair back into the bedroom, then reemerged and headed for the kitchen.
Wu Jun’s face darkened. ’It’s just a chair... what’s with all the drama, moving it back and forth? Is there a point to any of this?’
Xu Fei went into the kitchen and expertly filled the pot with water and scooped in the rice. There was no need to rinse it; she put it directly in the cooker.
After putting the Hongyun Rice on to cook, Xu Fei walked out of the kitchen, went back into the bedroom, and brought her chair out again.
Wu Jun: "..."
While they waited for the rice to finish cooking, Wu Jun didn’t mention the order at all, instead making small talk with Luo Zhengang.
For example: How old was Luo Xing when he became a bank manager?
How much did Luo Xing’s Mercedes cost?
What’s the gas mileage? Is it a guzzler?
Luo Zhengang was completely disoriented by Wu Jun’s roundabout line of questioning. ’Did he really call me all the way over here just to talk about this?’
’Why don’t you go talk to a salesman at a dealership!’
Just as Luo Zhengang was growing impatient and about to get up and leave, a rich fragrance drifted into his nostrils.
Luo Zhengang sniffed the air. "That smells amazing..."
Xu Fei chimed in from the side, a boastful tone in her voice. "Manager Luo Xing, that’s the unique aroma of our Hongyun Rice. The fragrance of other rice brands doesn’t even leave the room; your next-door neighbor can’t smell a thing. But with our Hongyun Rice, you could smell it ten stories up!"
"Wu Jun, this rice of yours is really something special," Luo Zhengang said, turning to him. The look of contempt had vanished from his face.
Although he suspected Xu Fei was exaggerating, he couldn’t deny that this rice felt genuinely special.
Luo Zhengang had Mongzhalong Rice at home and had been eating it quite a lot lately, but he’d never smelled an aroma so rich. Just the scent was enough to make his mouth water.
Wu Jun said, "Just a moment longer, Luo Xing. The rice will be ready in another ten minutes. Then you’ll understand why our Hongyun Rice dares to steal business right out from under Meng Zalang’s nose."
The minutes ticked by, and the aroma of the rice grew stronger, filling the small supermarket.
A courier, Xiao Liu, walked into the shop. "Wu Jun, you’re at it again, tempting everyone! I just finished eating, but smelling this rice of yours is making me hungry all over again."
Wu Jun asked if he wanted to wait for a bowl once it was cooked, but Xiao Liu had more deliveries to make, so he just bought a pack of cigarettes and left.
Auntie Hao from the 12th floor came in and said, half-joking, "You two, Wu Jun, Xu Fei, you’ve really done it now! I just steamed some egg custard for my grandson, but after smelling the aroma of your rice, he refuses to eat it! Now he’s demanding rice porridge. Hurry up and give me a bag so I can go home and serve my little tyrant."
Auntie Hao pulled out three hundred-yuan bills and handed them to Wu Jun, who gave her 50 yuan in change.
"Auntie Hao, it’s quiet in the store right now. I’ll carry it up for you," Xu Fei said, emerging from the back with a large bag of rice and following the woman out the door.
After they left, four or five more customers came in. Every single one of them first commented on the amazing smell, praising it effusively.
Luo Zhengang listened to the chorus of praise while inhaling the increasingly potent aroma of rice that filled the small supermarket.
Even though the rice wasn’t even cooked yet, he was already completely won over.
"Wu Jun," Luo Zhengang asked in astonishment, "the rice that older lady just bought... is it the same kind you’re cooking in that pot?" He had seen Wu Jun accept 250 yuan while Xu Fei hauled out a huge bag.
While he wasn’t in the grocery business and had never personally bought rice at a supermarket, he still had some basic common sense.
That huge bag of rice Xu Fei had carried out must have weighed at least 50 jin.
jin of rice for 250 yuan... that was only 5 yuan per jin.
The price of Hongyun Rice, considering its quality, was just as incredible to Luo Zhengang!
Seeing Luo Zhengang’s reaction, Wu Jun knew he had him hooked. "The rice Auntie Hao just bought is the exact same as what’s in the cooker," he said. "It’s all Hongyun Rice."
"Five yuan a jin?" Luo Zhengang asked, looking at Wu Jun in disbelief.
Wu Jun nodded. "Five yuan a jin. An honest price for everyone."
Mongzhalong Rice retailed for 18 yuan a jin. For the bank’s order, they were offering a 3-yuan discount, bringing it to 15 yuan a jin—three times the price of Wu Jun’s Hongyun Rice!
And the crucial part was, the ridiculously expensive Mongzhalong Rice wasn’t even as good as the much more affordable Hongyun Rice!
’Who would still buy Mongzhalong Rice? Anyone who did would be a total sucker.’
Xu Fei returned from helping Auntie Hao with her rice. Just as she stepped into the supermarket, she heard the CLICK of the rice cooker switching to ’warm’ and headed straight for the kitchen.
She used a chopstick to open the steam vent. Hot steam jetted out with a HISS, and the fragrance of rice in the shop grew even more intense.
Xu Fei dished out a bowl and handed it to Luo Zhengang.
Luo Zhengang stared at the rice in the bowl—each grain was glistening, translucent, perfectly plump, and smooth. He clicked his tongue in wonder, muttering, "Incredible, just incredible."
Xu Fei asked politely, "Luo Xing, would you like to have a taste?"
Luo Zhengang replied, "Yes! It looks absolutely mouth-watering. Could I trouble you for a pair of chopsticks, Xu Fei?"
Xu Fei: "..."
Luo Zhengang finished the entire bowl of rice. He still wanted more, but was too embarrassed to ask.
"Wu Jun, Monday at 9 AM, I’ll be waiting for you in my office," Luo Zhengang said, putting down his bowl and chopsticks to look up at Wu Jun. "Thank you. Thank you for being able to provide our bank with such high-quality, low-cost rice. I apologize for my earlier distrust and for underestimating your Hongyun Rice."
"Luo Xing, there’s no need for that," Wu Jun said, extending his hand to shake Luo Zhengang’s. "I look forward to working with you."
He had expected to land this order, and Wu Jun thought he would be ecstatic when he did.
And yet, he wasn’t.