12dz Chapter 636 Establishing Clear Rules
Chapter 636 Establishing Clear Rules
Tian Guoqiang remained silent for a long time, finally letting out a long sigh: "Mr. Li, to tell you the truth, I have indeed suffered from acting on impulse over the years. A friend asked me for money to start a business, and I lent him 500,000 yuan without hesitation. His business failed, and he still hasn't paid it back."
"That's why I'm laying it all out upfront," Li Xiangyang said, his tone softening. "Since we're partners, we have to be responsible for each other."
“You’re right.” Tian Guoqiang nodded. “Then we’ll do as you say.”
Back at the factory, Li Xiangyang called Wang Ergou over and gave him a detailed report on his trip to the provincial capital.
"Xiangyang, do you think this Tian Guoqiang is reliable?" Wang Ergou asked directly.
“His character is probably fine, but he is indeed prone to acting on emotions,” Li Xiangyang said thoughtfully. “That’s why I demand financial transparency, so I can’t give him any opportunity to exploit loopholes.”
"What about Lin Yajing?"
"This woman is very professional and rational. With her at Hualian, our cooperation should be quite stable."
Wang Ergou nodded: "That's good. But Xiangyang, I think you're being a bit too cautious."
"It's always better to be cautious," Li Xiangyang smiled. "Our business is growing bigger and bigger; we can't afford to make any mistakes."
A week later, the tripartite cooperation agreement was officially signed. As agreed, Li Xiangyang would first invest one million yuan in Tianrun Commerce and Trade, holding a 30% stake.
However, the day after the agreement was signed, Tian Guoqiang called Li Xiangyang.
"Mr. Li, I have something to report to you." Tian Guoqiang's voice sounded a little nervous.
"what's the situation?"
"One of our long-term clients in Guangzhou suddenly asked us to advance payment for goods. They said they were experiencing some cash flow problems and needed a month's payment."
Li Xiangyang's mind immediately went into overdrive: "How much should I advance?"
Two hundred thousand.
"No way." Li Xiangyang refused without even thinking. "We just signed the agreement yesterday, and you want to pay for the goods today?"
"Mr. Li, this client has been cooperating with us for three years and has always had an excellent reputation. Moreover, the profit from this batch of goods is 80,000; it would be a real shame to miss out."
"Mr. Tian, do you remember what we said yesterday?" Li Xiangyang's voice turned cold. "Under no circumstances should we advance funds; there are no exceptions."
"But Mr. Li..."
“No buts.” Li Xiangyang interrupted him. “If they really need bridging finance, then let them get a bank loan. We’re in business, not running a bank.”
Tian Guoqiang was silent for a moment on the other end of the phone, then finally said, "I understand, Mr. Li."
After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang let out a long sigh. His worst fears had come true so quickly.
Indeed, people who act on emotion are always prone to being soft-hearted.
The next day, Li Xiangyang made a special trip to Tianrun Trading's office. He wanted to resolve the issue personally to prevent similar troubles in the future.
"President Tian, how did things go yesterday?" Li Xiangyang asked directly.
“We’ve already refused.” Tian Guoqiang’s expression was somewhat unnatural. “However, the client is very unhappy and said they’re considering terminating the cooperation.”
"Terminate it, so be it. It's no big deal." Li Xiangyang's attitude was firm. "President Tian, I have a question for you. What do you think is the most important thing?"
"What's the meaning?"
"Is the immediate profit of 80,000 more important, or our cooperative relationship?"
Tian Guoqiang thought for a moment and said, "Of course, the cooperative relationship is more important."
“That’s right.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “To risk 200,000 yuan for 80,000 yuan is simply not worth it. Moreover, if we set this precedent now, anyone can find a reason to demand advance funding in the future.”
Tian Guoqiang nodded thoughtfully: "Mr. Li is right, I was oversimplifying things."
"It's not a matter of simplicity or complexity; it's a matter of principle." Li Xiangyang's tone became serious. "President Tian, I'll say it again: the success of our cooperation hinges on whether we can uphold our principles."
A month later, Hualian Supermarket's first batch of orders arrived as scheduled.
Standing in front of the factory's production line, Li Xiangyang watched as boxes of beautifully packaged processed agricultural products came off the assembly line, feeling both satisfied and cautious.
"Xiangyang, is there any problem with the quality of this batch of goods?" Wang Ergou came in from outside, holding an inspection report in his hand.
"You personally oversaw it, what problems could there be?" Li Xiangyang took the report and glanced at it. "However, since this is our first collaboration with Hualian, we can't afford to be careless in the slightest."
Wang Ergou nodded: "Don't worry, I've already arranged for Xiao Zhang and the others to load the goods onto the truck. Tian Guoqiang has also sent someone to pick up the goods."
Just then, the sound of a car came from the factory gate. Tian Guoqiang walked in with two workers, his face beaming with undisguised excitement.
"Mr. Li, Mr. Wang!" Tian Guoqiang called out from afar, "I've come to pick up this first batch of goods myself."
“Of course.” Li Xiangyang walked over. “President Tian, could you please confirm the delivery schedule for this batch of goods?”
Tian Guoqiang took the order and examined it carefully: "No problem, I've already arranged a warehouse in Guangzhou, the goods will arrive tomorrow."
The loading process went smoothly, but Li Xiangyang noticed that Tian Guoqiang kept looking at his phone and seemed somewhat anxious.
"Mr. Tian, is there anything I can help you with?" Li Xiangyang asked proactively.
"It's nothing serious," Tian Guoqiang forced a smile. "It's just that the warehouse rent in Guangzhou is going up, and the landlord says we need to renegotiate the contract."
"How much will it go up?"
"It increased from 50,000 to 70,000 per month."
Li Xiangyang frowned: "The price has gone up quite a bit. Have you considered moving to another location?"
"We considered it, but this warehouse is in a good location and convenient for delivery. Besides, moving it now would affect our delivery schedule."
Li Xiangyang thought for a moment and said, "President Tian, let's be clear. How will this cost be shared regarding the increased warehouse rent?"
Tian Guoqiang was taken aback, clearly not expecting Li Xiangyang to ask such a direct question: "This... I think it should be resolved through tripartite consultation."
“Negotiation is necessary, but there needs to be a bottom line,” Li Xiangyang said calmly. “If the need for a larger warehouse is due to increased business volume, then it’s reasonable for everyone to share the costs. But if it’s simply a rent increase, then it should be Tianrun’s cost.”
Tian Guoqiang's expression was somewhat unnatural: "Mr. Li, we've just started cooperating, and cost control is indeed not easy..."
“Mr. Tian, please don’t misunderstand me.” Li Xiangyang patted him on the shoulder. “It’s not that I’m unwilling to share the costs, but I’m worried that if this sets a precedent, everyone will have to share all costs in the future, and then the accounts will become unmanageable.”
Wang Ergou chimed in, "President Tian, Xiangyang is right. We need to establish clear rules, otherwise we'll run into trouble later."
Tian Guoqiang was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand. Tianrun will bear this expense itself."