After an afternoon, the group had inspected three properties for investment.
They returned to the headquarters in Ma Gong Town.
It was exactly four thirty in the afternoon.
Before they knew it, it was the end of the month again, and every department in the company needed to summarize and report on its business.
As the Finance Department manager, Ye Meijing was the first to knock and enter, reporting the company's financial situation for February.
Jiang Miao opened the blinds facing the corridor as he listened to her report.
"Boss, the company's total revenue for February was 175,273,528 yuan. Here is the detailed revenue statement."
After sitting back down, he took the documents and examined them carefully.
The company's largest source of income in February had been the final patent licensing payment from Japan's Kagoshima Eel Company, amounting to 105 million yuan.
Next came the 70.27 million yuan from Eel Fry sales.
Eel Canned Food, meanwhile, had sold only 350,000 yuan worth.
Ye Meijing then reported the company's total expenditures. "The company's total expenditure for February was 24,393,614 yuan. Here is the breakdown of all expenses."
Jiang Miao reviewed it just as carefully. Apart from relatively fixed expenses such as employee salaries and benefits, office supplies, and rent, the largest expenditures had been purchasing eels, construction projects, and equipment procurement.
Hai Lu Feng Company's current financial condition was very healthy, and it was indeed necessary to expand the scale of investment.
After reporting February's financial situation, Ye Meijing tactfully excused herself. The managers of the other departments were already lining up outside the door, waiting to report on their respective affairs.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Come in!"
Li Zhou entered with a trace of worry on his face. "Boss, this is the Sales Department's sales report for this month."
"Leave it there. I'll finish reading this document first."
Li Zhou set down the file, then unconsciously rubbed the underside of his lower lip with his fingers. "Boss, salespeople from different regions have reported some unfavorable developments. I think it's necessary to inform you."
"Oh? Are some Eel Farms dissatisfied with our prices?"
"As expected of you, Boss. After the news that our company's technology had been stolen was exposed, eel farmers and aquaculture companies across the country gradually began to have concerns. They think the current price of Eel Fry is too high and hope we can lower it." Li Zhou looked deeply troubled.
Jiang Miao smiled as he signed the document, then picked up his cup and took a sip of Mango Leaf Tea. Immediately afterward, he reassured Li Zhou with confidence.
"Don't worry. If they aren't willing to accept our price, then let them wait for Xihai Company's fry."
"Th-this... Boss! Won't that affect our sales?" Li Zhou was baffled.
Jiang Miao did not explain. "Just focus on sales and leave everything else to me. However, if the regional sales teams receive any useful information, you can report it to me as well."
"Is that so? Then I'll return to my desk first."
Although Li Zhou did not quite understand where his boss's confidence came from, since Jiang Miao was not worried about Xihai Company's threat, he naturally would not keep dwelling on it.
A few minutes later, Zhang Xinyi, the manager of the Online Store Department, knocked and entered.
"Have a seat."
"Boss, this is the Online Store Department's sales report. This is the marketing proposal we prepared, the product advertising plan, and the first draft of the product page design."
Jiang Miao reviewed them one by one.
After looking for a while, Jiang Miao raised his head. "Xinyi, your pricing is too low."
"Too low? Boss, I thought that since we're promoting the product in the early stage, we should set the price at 50 yuan per kilogram." Zhang Xinyi hurriedly explained.
"Large Dandong Strawberries are generally sold online for around 90 yuan per kilogram right now. Our strawberries are no worse in quality than Dandong Strawberries, so even for a promotion, we can't promote them like this."
"Then what do you have in mind, Boss?" Zhang Xinyi asked somewhat uneasily.
"Raise the price to 99 yuan per kilogram, then send large-value coupons to every customer who has bought our Eel Canned Food. Offer discounts to all users who buy strawberries as well, something like 30 yuan off for every 100 yuan spent."
Zhang Xinyi had not expected her boss to use the tactic of raising the price first and then handing out coupons.
Yet she had to admit that this plan was extremely reasonable. It achieved the promotion while keeping the strawberries positioned at a high price point.
If they followed the original plan, customers might not necessarily accept it and might instead feel that the price was too high.
But if they set a high price first and then offered coupons, customers would feel as though they had gotten a bargain.
Besides, the quality of South Lake Farm's strawberries was more than enough to support their "premium status."
There was another issue to consider when selling agricultural products: competitors.
If strawberries of such high quality were sold in large quantities at low prices, it would be a devastating blow to other strawberry growers and would severely harm the entire industry.
This was also something Jiang Miao had no choice but to consider.
After all, the domestic market was only so large. If he took one more bite, someone else would have one less bite to eat.
At this stage, Jiang Miao did not intend to compete through low prices. Instead, he planned to take the premium route and avoid directly competing with farmers at the bottom of the market.
Only after Hai Lu Feng Company had completed its foundational groundwork would he consider producing low-priced agricultural products.
Otherwise, before the new framework had even been built, they would have already smashed the old house. How were those struggling farmers supposed to live? The economies of farmers and rural areas were already extremely fragile. Continuing like this would only cause large numbers of farmers to go bankrupt.
Therefore, to avoid serious repercussions, Jiang Miao only intended to take the premium route in the short term, using high prices to secure profits while gradually building one premium industry after another.
Naturally, consumers would have to pay for it.
But that was no big deal. Those who could afford strawberries at 99 yuan per kilogram were not short of an extra hundred or so yuan to begin with. Jiang Miao felt no guilt about cutting into the rich.
After all, there was no reason not to cut into these tycoons. When they bought premium fruits in their daily lives, plenty of their money was already being harvested by foreign high-end fruit brands.
Foreigners could harvest them.
Why couldn't Hai Lu Feng Company do the same?
At least when Hai Lu Feng Company harvested them, the money would be invested in domestic reproduction and scientific research, while also benefiting local farm workers.
After discussing the marketing plan with Zhang Xinyi, Jiang Miao looked over the advertising proposal.
"For advertising, you're planning to work with Fruit Hunter on Bilibili for promotion? What is this person's reputation like?" Jiang Miao did not know much about this blogger.
Zhang Xinyi hurriedly replied, "He's one of the more professional fruit education bloggers on domestic social platforms in recent years. He often takes fruit-related advertisements as well, and his reputation is fairly good. It's just that the products he endorses are not very cost-effective."
"Does he also take the premium route?"
"Yes." Zhang Xinyi nodded rapidly.
"Fine. We'll go with him."
Next, he looked at the product page design drafts. There were four versions in total, and Jiang Miao reviewed them all.
As for that, Jiang Miao merely selected two designs that looked more pleasing and had clean, straightforward layouts. "Combine versions two and three. That'll do."
"Two and three? All right, I'll let the page design office know when I get back."
After Zhang Xinyi left.
The other managers also came in one after another to report various matters. Jiang Miao stayed busy until six in the evening.
The setting sun had already sunk beneath the sea.
In the company cafeteria, many employees had already finished eating.
Jiang Miao, his mother, his sister, and Shu Ya had just sat down at a table and were about to start eating.
"Sis, Mom is helping take care of Xiao Min, and she'll be starting elementary school this year. Have you considered finding work in the city?"
"What would I do in the city?" Jiang Xia asked curiously.
"The company opened a gold shop on Chengnan Road. I don't feel comfortable leaving it to anyone else. How about you help manage it?"
Jiang Xia did not have much confidence. "A gold shop? I've never managed one before. I'm worried I won't do a good job..."
"Sis, don't worry. This gold shop is mainly for legitimate tax avoidance, so making money is actually secondary. What matters is having someone I can trust."
Their mother hurriedly tried to persuade her as well. "A Xia, just help A Miao keep an eye on the gold shop. With so much gold, I don't think it would be reliable to let someone else manage it either."
Hearing her younger brother and mother, Jiang Xia could only scratch her head and agree.
Before you continue