Dignity

When Lin Qi speaks, he is gentle and mild-mannered. He never gives people a fierce feeling. Instead, he is like someone's child next door, sunny, kind, and somewhat familiar.

But at this moment, Lunite felt something else entirely. Lin Qi was like a mountain... no, like a sea cliff, a sea cliff in a storm.

He stood in the middle of the boundless Sea Surface, with the raging storm whipping up waves that crashed against him.

But these waves are ultimately just waves; after creating a splash, they disappear without a trace, unable to harm him in the slightest.

Lunite was like that wave; he was angry, he hated, he was sad, he was sorrowful, but all his emotions ultimately turned into helplessness, like the foam stirred up by the waves, when faced with Lin Qi's bright and smiling expression.

"No problem, Mr. Lin Qi ..." He lowered his head, but also breathed a sigh of relief. Tens of thousands or even more in net profit would allow his factory to stay afloat for a while, about two or three months, which was a good thing for him.

As for the possibility of breaking the law... he felt that perhaps he should try a different approach. Then he looked up and looked at Lin Qi with sincerity, "Mr. Lin Qi, I agree with your idea. So when shall we sign the engagement agreement?"

Lunite may appear humble and modest, but that's just his outward appearance and the fact that he has no way out. In reality, in this era, any self-made businessman who succeeds is not a simple character.

The agency agreement seemed to be something this guy wanted as a guarantee, something that would put his mind at ease after signing it, so he wouldn't have to worry about Lin Qi going back on his word.

But Lin Qi wasn't really as young as he appeared on the surface. In terms of social experience and life experience, he far surpassed Lunite.

He nodded slightly. "Mr. Lunite, I've always believed that true friends don't need contracts or agreements to define their obligations to each other. Those are guarantees between strangers, but they're a desecration of friendship. What do you think?"

Lunite touched his hair, his tone pleading, "Mr. Lin Qi, I'm actually in a very difficult situation right now. If I could have an agreement or contract like this, my workers would be able to calm down, and the bank wouldn't pressure me to repay the loan as soon as possible."

"It may be insignificant to you, but it is very important to me."

He looked pitiful, but his heart was not.

If Lin Qi and Lunite signed a contract manufacturing agreement, commissioning Lunite and his factory to produce a batch of clothing and accessories for him, Lunite could then use the contract manufacturing agreement or production contract to tell the designers that they were only responsible for production activities without liability, and that Lin Qi was actually the one who infringed on their rights.

However, without this contract for production, if someone pursues legal action in the future, Lin Qi will only bear the lightest responsibility for sales. He could even use the excuse that he was misled to not only avoid any legal liability, but also turn around and sue Lunite for deception or concealment of true information.

What appears to be just a simple piece of paper actually establishes legal liability for infringement. Lunite thought Lin Qi was too young to know everything, but Lin Qi really did know everything.

The two men looked at each other, their gazes meeting in the air. Lin Qi's smile remained unchanged. "It seems Mr. Lunite isn't very interested in this collaboration..." He let out a soft sigh, placed his hand on the armrest of the sofa, and stood up. "Unfortunately, if there's an opportunity..."

"I agree!" Lunite interrupted Lin Qi, standing up as well. "I agree, Mr. Lin Qi." His face showed only a desolate look, like the withering of fallen leaves in autumn.

A few years ago, he could have slammed his fist on the table and kicked Lin Qi out of his office without hesitation, but now, he has to take on legal risks far exceeding his potential gains for this money.

However, he didn't have a good way to solve the funding problem. Once the City Hall and the Labor Union believed that he could no longer operate the machines and start production, the City Hall would take back the factory land, and then he would really have nothing left.

All of this is for survival; only by surviving can there be hope.

Mr. Lunite, the "successful man," was well aware of his current troubles, so instead of making an emotional decision to end things, he rationally humbled himself and sought the opportunity to keep the factory running.

Lin Qi nodded in satisfaction as he walked out. "Very good, Mr. Lunite. You can send me your bank account number. I will give you a 30% prepayment soon. When I see the first batch of products, I will pay the balance in installments. Any questions?"

He stood by the door, glancing back at Lunite who was following behind him. Lunite shook his head. "No problem, Mr. Lin Qi."

Lin Qi then turned around, extended his hand, and watched as Lunite took three or four steps to stand in front of him and humbly shook his hand. He smiled and said, "It's a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Lunite."

Lunite was happy or not was something only he knew. He forced a smile and nodded, "It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Lin Qi."

Standing outside the door, watching Lin Qi's car leave, Lunite sighed heavily, punched the wall, and then let out a terrible scream.

The secretary was terrified and immediately tried to call an ambulance, but Lunite stopped her, shaking his head palely. "No, I'm fine. Have the Foreman organize the workers..."

The secretary, unaware of his intentions, hurriedly went to do it. Meanwhile, Lunite poured some water on his head in the office and found a small bag of leftover bread crumbs from a few days ago. He smeared the bread crumbs on his lips, and when the secretary came in, she was startled!

At this moment, Lunite seemed to be on the verge of death, as if she could die at any moment. She didn't know why hitting the wall with her hand had caused such a serious injury, and she began to worry about her job.

Lunite wiped the slightly damp breadcrumbs from his lips and quickly walked out. He went to the open space and looked at the curious workers. In a sorrowful tone, he described himself as a pitiful wretch who had knelt on the ground seeking pity in order to get orders for everyone.

He told everyone that this job was hard-won, and if possible, he hoped everyone would volunteer to work, as he could no longer afford to pay overtime. But he and all the workers needed to complete the orders as soon as possible...

Actually, Lunite doesn't need to worry too much. In this economic downturn, these Grand Duke won't easily file a lawsuit against a small, nearly bankrupt factory, because lawsuits cost money.

From the moment the lawyers begin collecting evidence, money flows out like water. Generally speaking, Grand Duke have only two purposes in litigation: the first is to acquire other companies, so they need some legal assistance.

The second reason is to achieve industry dominance and drive others out of their territory.

Grand Duke are actually reluctant to take action when faced with small business owners like Lunite and his infringements. They spend a lot of money to launch a lawsuit and get nothing of value in return.

They will not receive any compensation because Lunite's factory could go bankrupt at any time, and their lawyers will investigate that.

They will not receive any support from public opinion or influence. People have never believed that Grand Duke are righteous, and in many film and television scripts and artistic stories, Grand Duke are symbols of evil. People will instead despise their litigation behavior.

They will gain nothing, spend a lot of money, and damage their image. Given the current economic downturn, they will try their best to avoid taking action.

This batch of goods is mainly targeted at the Middle Class. Lin Qi plans to bring the Middle Class into the auction as well. He had previously mentioned to other investors when discussing Interstellar Trade Company that he wanted to segment and separate the customer base.

In other words, the "second-hand goods trading auction" is transformed into two relatively independent businesses: "Second-hand goods trading" and "second-hand goods auction," thereby differentiating the target audience.

Ultimately, ordinary people will flow into second-hand goods malls or trading markets in various regions. The "official" entity, namely the Interstellar Trade Company, is responsible for managing and selling a portion of ordinary second-hand goods from various regions. Some ordinary people can also pay management fees to conduct personal trading within these markets.

After all, ordinary people are unlikely to have long-term consumption impulses under the current economic trend. After satisfying their consumption desires once or twice, they will no longer be impulsive, and they may not have extra money. Therefore, they are more suited to the trading area of cheaper ordinary goods.

Conversely, the changing situation will cause the Middle Class to follow in the footsteps of these ordinary families. They will also begin to consider cutting back on spending, or have already begun to do so, but their situation is more complicated than that of ordinary families.

In fact, there is a very special situation in communities where the Middle Class is concentrated: comparison and attention.

What kind of business someone is in, or where they work, what kind of car they bought this year, what kind of watch they bought, or where they went on vacation... all of this will be noticed and spread throughout the community.

Everyone lives a life of comparison, and they need to maintain their dignity, but the way they do so is often difficult to deal with: consumption.

Lin Qi wanted to cater to these people who could get the latest fashion styles at extremely low prices. As long as they didn't say anything, no one would suspect anything because they had the ability to afford these trendy items.