Chapter 130: Undercurrents Rising

"Boss Wu, here are the contract and the approval report. Please take a look and see if there is anything that needs to be added."

As soon as Chen Boyuan left, Factory Manager Pei handed the documents to Wu Ya. His tone had unconsciously become quite respectful, and his demeanor was instinctively humble, as if he were facing a superior in the hierarchy.

"Factory Manager Pei, there's no need for me to look. Let's get these sent over quickly so the leaders can approve them as soon as possible," Wu Ya replied, politely declining.

For a veteran like Factory Manager Pei, who had run a factory for over a decade, this procedural routine was second nature. He would never miss a single detail. If he was being courteous to Wu Ya, it was because Wu Ya had handled things well, but that didn't mean Wu Ya should consider himself above the Factory Manager. After all, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets. Especially since Wu Ya still had many areas where he needed to rely on Manager Pei.

Therefore, not looking at the documents was the greatest sign of respect he could show. Wu Ya understood the nuances of etiquette and social boundaries perfectly.

"Very well, I will go deliver them now." A flicker of subtle emotion crossed Factory Manager Pei's face before he turned and left.

"Heh, it's about time I checked on Sister Chai to see how she's doing. I wonder how much sales have surged now that we've stabilized the supply," Wu Ya muttered. With that, the office was left empty.

*Ring-a-ling!*

A crisp bicycle bell soon echoed through the marketplace. Even from a distance, the scene at Sister Chai’s stall left Wu Ya stunned.

"Give me three pieces, I've already paid you!"
"Me too, I've already paid as well!"
"Mine! I paid for five!"

The clamor reached him directly. Customers were buying in bulk—three or five items at a time! People were leaning over the stall, waving their arms, hands clutching either money or clothes they had already secured. It was a chaotic scene, and Sister Chai was nowhere to be seen amidst the frenzy.

In contrast, the surrounding stalls were desolate and empty, as if the clothing section of the market had been opened solely for her.

"Is it really this explosive?" Wu Ya was speechless. The crowd was three layers deep; he couldn't even squeeze a foot in. Only a few days ago, business at her stall had been so quiet you could catch birds in the rafters. Because of the supply shortage, she could only stay busy for half a day, and even then, it was a lackluster experience. But today? The daily revenue would likely surpass an entire week's worth of business from before—and that initial week had already been equal to her former monthly profit. By this calculation, she was making a year's worth of profit in just a few days.

Great! It was fantastic! But... even with a steady supply, shouldn't it be this crazy? People weren't just shopping; they were panic-buying! It was as if they were trying to starve out all the other merchants. What was going on?

Wu Ya felt a surge of doubt. He parked his bike by the roadside and crossed his arms, deciding to watch the spectacle for a moment. Just then, three young men walked past him, their faces beaming as they clutched their new clothes.

"Oh man, finally got them! I was almost crushed to pieces!"
"Tell me about it! These student uniforms are suddenly so popular; I've wanted one for ages. Luckily, there's a promotion these past two days, otherwise, I'd still be short by a dozen yuan!"
"Heh, you're right. This promotion is such a great idea! We each saved over ten yuan—put together, that's enough for another outfit!"

A promotion? Wu Ya’s interest was piqued. He stepped forward, wanting to hear exactly how this promotion worked to trigger such a massive buying frenzy. Before he could take more than a few steps, a loudhailer began to broadcast.

"Chen Si Clothing Factory promotion! Buy one item and get 20% off, two items for 30% off, and three items for 40% off! Valid for three days, come and buy!"

Group buying? Hearing the announcement, Wu Ya stopped in his tracks. She was clever. She had come up with a promotional model that would become popular in the business world later—the group discount bundle! This approach not only rewarded those who already intended to buy but also tempted the hesitant. After all, it was cheap! It even dragged in those who hadn't planned on buying at all, as they were pulled in by others looking to make up the group numbers to lower the price.

No wonder it was so explosive. It was the dividend of lower costs! Sister Chai’s original wholesale price had been thirty-five yuan per piece, with Wu Ya taking ten yuan in profit. Now, with Wu Ya’s lowered production costs, the wholesale price to her was his actual cost—seventeen yuan per piece! That was less than half of the original price. It was easy to see that even with a 40% discount on the original retail price of fifty yuan, she was still selling at thirty yuan. It maintained her profit margins while creating a massive buying craze. Most importantly, it didn't damage the fifty-yuan retail price point; she could restore it as soon as the promotion ended without causing any customer dissatisfaction.

Sister Chai’s ability to look beyond immediate, short-term gains made Wu Ya admire her even more. "If she weren't a woman, Sister Chai would truly be a dragon lurking in the shallows."

He had offered her the national agency rights, but she had refused, stating that as a woman, she didn't have the energy for it. In truth, it was because she had lived a simple life for half a century. Subconsciously, she felt that as a woman, she should just be content with small comforts rather than having the ambition to navigate the complexities of large-scale business. Wu Ya understood; it wasn't easy for a woman to make her own way in the world.

Just as Wu Ya was lost in thought, a clearly annoyed voice rang out. "Wu Ya, why are you standing there like an idiot? Come over and help!"

Wu Ya’s scalp tightened. Liu Qian? Why was this formidable woman here? Because today was the first day of the new assembly line, Wu Ya was worried about quality control. He had also decided to keep the sewing shop running solely to supply Sister Chai, as he didn't want his parents to be unemployed again after the factory opened—keeping the shop would give them something to do and a sense of purpose. Liu Qian had been bored at their house, so she had gone to the shop to help his parents, and when Sister Chai kept pushing for stock, Liu Qian had been the one to deliver it. Once she arrived, she couldn't leave. Seeing Wu Ya standing outside like a fool when they were clearly overwhelmed made her temper flare.

"Right, coming!" Wu Ya didn't dare hesitate. He shouted back and sprinted over, using all his strength to squeeze into the crowd.

"Wu Ya, you're here! How is it? Is Sister Chai’s turnout not bad?" Seeing him, Sister Chai’s face was full of smiles. The group discount was her own flash of inspiration after careful calculation. She hadn't expected that once the loudspeaker started, it would clear out the entire clothing section, drawing the crowd straight to her. It was a massive success!

"Haha, if my Sister Chai weren't a woman, she would definitely become a business tycoon in China!" Wu Ya laughed, half-flattering her.

"Hmph! I don't like hearing that! What’s wrong with being a woman? Can't a woman become a business tycoon in China?" Liu Qian, busy working nearby, shut him down immediately.

"Oh, well... yes... Sister Chai, is there anything I can do?" Wu Ya didn't dare talk back. He quickly leaned in, looking for work.

"Help me organize these clothes, stack them by size. Liu Qian brought these over, and I haven't had time to sort them." Sister Chai didn't stop moving, kicking the messy pile of clothes toward him. Wu Ya buried his head in the work. If anyone had known that the wealthiest man in Suiyan District was here playing assistant to a small stall vendor—and doing it willingly—it would have sent jaws dropping to the floor.

In the distance, other stall owners were gathered in small groups, whispering.

"Hmph, that Chai Yanfen is showing off again today! I can't stand her; one moment she's dying, the next she's booming! If she's so capable, let's see her keep it up for the long haul!"

"Heh, if she had the ability to keep it up long-term, her sales wouldn't be so volatile."

"Don't be so sure. It seems Chai Yanfen really won't face those shortages anymore! That 'long-term stability' you're hoping for might just become the new normal!"

The jealousy in their eyes was palpable as they watched her success. They were all small businesses. When one person monopolized the entire market's traffic, the resentment was bound to be intense.

"How could it become the normal? Isn't her supply channel just a small tailor shop?"

"Exactly. With that shop's output, how could she stabilize sales?"

"Old Wu, where did you hear that?"

The others looked at "Old Wu" with nervous concern. Chai Yanfen had been incredibly lucky. Half a month ago, she had met a kid who brought her a retro trend, and she had stocked up on student uniforms. Everyone had laughed at her back then! But who would have thought she would become so successful? It had even led to malicious suppression by rivals, but before a day had passed, the authorities had shut them down. It was rumored that even the local market bully, Huazi, had been arrested. Since then, Chai Yanfen’s path had been clear, and she had cemented her position as the market leader.

But the subsequent supply shortages had made everyone else happy for a while. You're out of stock? Great, let us have a turn! The other merchants had followed suit, making some money and creating a delicate balance. Now, hearing that she wouldn't run out of stock anymore—and that this frenzy would be the norm—they were panicked. How were they supposed to survive?

Seeing he had everyone's attention, Old Wu looked smug. "Heh, don't you know? That tailor shop has expanded into a clothing factory! That 'Chen Si' name on her loudspeaker? That's the name of the factory!"

A clothing factory? The news left everyone stunned. A strange, uneasy silence fell over the group, followed by a stir of agitation.

"This won't do! If this keeps up, we'll starve!" Someone shouted, breaking the silence.

"Exactly, we've become nothing but her background noise!"

"We pay market fees just to be her backdrop? How is that fair?"

"We must go to the Market Management Department! We need an explanation! Either they coordinate with Chai Yanfen, or we collectively leave the market and set up shop elsewhere!"

"Right! If push comes to shove, we'll move! Anything is better than waiting here to die!"

The crowd’s indignation grew. Driven by their own interests, they reached a consensus. Meanwhile, Chai Yanfen and Wu Ya, still buried in work, didn't notice the group marching toward the Market Management Department. A storm regarding their own interests and the market's revenue was brewing.

On one side, the stall owners; on the other, the thriving Chai Yanfen. One wrong move could spark a massive dispute. Would the management protect all the stall owners and harm Chai Yanfen’s interests, or would they let the others leave just to keep her? The answer was obvious—a market could not be sustained by one person alone. Under the surface, a crisis was closing in on Chai Yanfen.