Chapter 717 Northeast Journey 3
After an in-depth and detailed communication with the supplier boss, the two sides finally reached a preliminary consensus. At that moment, Liu Ping'an's frown relaxed slightly, but the tension in his heart did not relax at all. He knew that reaching a consensus was only the first step in this procurement battle, and the smooth progress of the subsequent goods transfer link was the key to completing the procurement task on time.
Therefore, Liu Pingan did not dare to delay for a moment and rushed to the warehouse without stopping. In the warehouse, boxes of goods were piled up like mountains, and the busy figures of workers shuttled through them, making bursts of noisy sounds. However, Liu Pingan had no time to care about these. He stood in a position where he could clearly see the goods coming in and out, and stared at the entrance of the warehouse and the goods stacking area, as if this would speed up the progress of the goods transfer.
In order to get the latest news about the transfer of goods at the first time, Liu Pingan set a strict schedule for himself. Every half an hour, he would take out his mobile phone and dial the supplier's number with his fingers skillfully. The "beep" waiting tone came from the other end of the phone, and each sound seemed to knock on his heart, making his heart beat faster involuntarily. When the call was finally connected, Liu Pingan always couldn't wait to ask: "Hello, this is Liu Pingan, I want to know the progress of our transfer of goods? Which stage is it at?" There was a hint of anxiety in his voice, and his eyes were full of expectation, as if he could see the actual situation on the supplier's side through the phone.
While waiting for the supplier's reply, Liu Ping'an rubbed his hands unconsciously and paced back and forth. Once he learned that there was a delay in a certain link, he would immediately pick up the phone and contact the relevant person in charge, urging in an urgent tone: "Please speed up here, our procurement task is very tight and we can't delay it." Every call and every inquiry is like a charge he launched towards the goal of completing the procurement task on time, full of his unswerving determination.
At the same time, another group of colleagues also launched a carpet search in full swing in the huge market. The market was bustling with people coming and going, and the dry goods stalls were full of various goods, exuding the unique aroma of various dry goods. The colleagues were divided into several groups, like a group of well-trained scouts, moving quickly and orderly between the dry goods stalls.
Their eyes are like sharp searchlights, carefully scanning every product, not missing any stall that may meet the purchasing criteria. Whether it is the popular dry goods placed in a prominent position or the niche varieties hidden in the corner, they are all within their scope of scrutiny. When they encounter a suspected suitable supplier, they will immediately stop, put on a warm and sincere smile on their faces, and quickly walk up to communicate with the stall owner.
My colleague Xiao Wang was one of them. When he saw a stall full of various dried goods, his eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly walked to the stall owner and asked politely: "Boss, how is the quality of your dried goods? We need a lot this time, so the quality must be guaranteed." His voice was loud and clear, and his eyes revealed his desire for high-quality dried goods.
When the stall owner heard Xiao Wang's question, he quickly and enthusiastically introduced: "Don't worry, the dried goods here are all carefully selected, and there are absolutely no defective products. Look at this shiitake mushroom, this is our signature product here, the meat is thick and the aroma is rich. Whether it is stir-fried or stewed, the taste is especially good, I guarantee there is no problem." As he said, the stall owner picked up a shiitake mushroom and shook it in front of Xiao Wang.
Xiao Wang took the mushroom and first put it close to his nose and sniffed it hard. The rich aroma of the mushroom instantly penetrated his nasal cavity, making him nod slightly. Then, he put the mushroom in the palm of his hand and looked at it carefully, observing the color, shape and texture of the mushroom. He found that the mushroom was brown in color, with a full cap and a thick stem. It was indeed of good quality as the stall owner said.
After he felt the quality was up to par, Xiao Wang started to discuss the price and supply details with the stall owner. He first asked tentatively: "Boss, how much do you sell these mushrooms for? We have a large quantity, can you give us a preferential price?" The stall owner frowned and thought for a while, then gave a price. Xiao Wang felt that there was still room for negotiation, so he started to bargain with the stall owner: "Boss, you see, we really want to cooperate for a long time, can this price be lower? We may have more orders in the future." The two of them went back and forth, arguing, and in order to get the most favorable price and the most suitable supply plan, neither of them was willing to give in easily.
However, the market situation is not optimistic. There are not many suitable suppliers, and with the year-end approaching, the demand for dry goods has increased greatly. Many stall owners said that the supply is tight and it is difficult to meet their large-scale purchasing needs. Although some stall owners have goods, the prices are ridiculously high, far beyond the budget range.
"This price is too outrageous. If we purchase at this price, the cost will be too high. We won't be able to explain it when we go back." Xiao Zhang, a colleague, frowned and said helplessly to his companion. His companion also looked worried: "Yes, but time is tight now. Where can we find goods with suitable prices and good quality?"
……
The next day, the sky was still in a hazy gray-blue hue. The early winter morning mist was like a soft veil that had not yet completely dissipated from the vast land. The mist was curling and entwined between the houses in the village and the haystacks in the fields, casting a mysterious and cold color on the whole world. Liu Ping'an had already woken up from his sleep. He quickly washed up, ate a few bites of breakfast, and came to the gathering point in high spirits.
The task of this rural purchase is really heavy. The company urgently needs a batch of high-quality agricultural products to meet market demand, and time is tight and there is no room for delay. In order to improve the efficiency of purchase, after some discussion, the team decided to adopt a strategy of batch action. Liu Pingan knew that the responsibility of this purchase was heavy. He carefully selected the two brothers Chen Dahu, who was straightforward and strong, and Chen Xiaohu, who was smart and agile, and planned to take them to the surrounding villages first.
The three of them carried a heavy shopping list, which was filled with the names, specifications and quantities of various agricultural products, as if it was their mission statement for this journey. They walked slowly along the winding mountain path, which was rugged and covered with stones of different sizes and deep and shallow potholes. Every step they took, they had to pay careful attention to their feet, for fear of falling down accidentally.
On both sides of the road, withered wild grass shivered in the cold wind. Their once green bodies had now turned yellow and haggard, as if they had been drained of vitality by the years. When a cold wind blew, the wild grass swayed in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if whispering about the cold and loneliness of winter. Occasionally, a few tits were startled by their heavy footsteps. They flapped their wings and flew away from the grass in panic, leaving behind a series of crisp and panicked calls.
Chen Dahu held a grass stem that he had picked from somewhere in his mouth, and the grass stem swayed up and down in his mouth with his steps. He took big steps, and every step made the ground thump, as if he wanted to break the silence of the mountain. As he walked, he muttered: "Brother Ping'an, do you think this purchase will go smoothly? We must get some good goods back to let those people in the company know our abilities. In the future, any purchase tasks will have to come to us." His voice was rough and bold, echoing in the empty mountains.
Liu Pingan smiled faintly after hearing this, and that smile was like a ray of warm sunshine in winter, giving people a warm and reassuring feeling. He stretched out his hand, gently patted Chen Dahu's broad shoulders, and said, "Don't worry, we have already inquired in advance. These villages are rich in products, and the villagers are simple and kind. As long as we talk to them sincerely and at a reasonable price, we will definitely be able to buy all the good goods. There will be no problem." His tone was firm and confident, as if he had already seen the scene of a successful purchase.
Chen Xiaohu was like a nimble little monkey, jumping and exploring the way ahead. He ran to the rocks on the roadside, then went into the bushes, and from time to time he picked an unknown leaf and put it in his mouth to whistle a few tuneless sounds. He turned back and called out, "Brother, Brother Ping'an, hurry up, the scenery ahead looks good, maybe there are good things waiting for us!" His eyes were sparkling, flashing with curiosity and excitement, as if he was full of expectations for everything in the mountains.
Just as they were laughing and talking happily, heading towards their destination and entering a dense forest, suddenly, a rapid and terrified shout broke the silence of the forest. The sound was like a thunderclap, exploding instantly in the originally quiet forest, carrying endless fear and despair, as if it was a distress signal coming from the depths of hell.
"Help! Help!" The voice kept echoing in the empty forest, and each sound was like a heavy hammer, hitting Liu Ping'an and the other two hard. Liu Ping'an's heart tightened, as if an invisible hand was tightly grasping his heart. He immediately stopped, his feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and he pricked up his ears, concentrating and listening carefully to the source of the sound. His eyes became sharp, and he scanned the forest, trying to find a clue from the dense branches and leaves.
"The sound seems to be coming from over there!" Chen Xiaohu reacted very quickly. He pointed to the depths of the forest, his face full of nervousness, his brows tightly knitted together, and his eyes revealed a trace of worry. Liu Ping'an waved his hand without hesitation, and the action was crisp and clear, as if he was a general commanding thousands of troops. He shouted: "Let's go and take a look! Maybe someone is in danger, we can't just stand by and watch them die."
The three of them immediately quickened their pace, leaning forward slightly, and hurriedly running towards the direction of the sound like three arrows shot from a bow. The branches and leaves of the trees in the mountains and forests were intertwined, occasionally catching their clothes or scratching their faces, but they didn't care about these, and had only one thought in their minds, which was to rush to the place where the call for help came from as soon as possible to see what happened.
As they hurriedly approached the source of the sound, the already heart-wrenching cries became clearer, one after another, as if they were the last cries from the abyss of despair. Not only that, in this shrill cry, there was also a low and fierce roar of a beast, the sound seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of the throat, with a creepy threat, as if to completely tear apart the tranquility of the mountain forest.
The three of them sped up the speed of clearing the obstacles in front of them, using their hands to forcefully separate the tangled branches and vines. Chen Dahu was very strong, and he always rushed to the front. With a strong swing of his strong arms, he could clear a large area of dense branches and leaves; Chen Xiaohu assisted cleverly by the side, and he flexibly shuttled between the branches to clear away the small vines that might hook people; Liu Ping'an followed closely behind while paying attention to the surrounding environment, his eyes full of vigilance.
When they finally pushed aside a particularly dense bush, the sight before them made them all gasp in surprise. The sound of their gasps was particularly clear in the silent forest, as if even the air had been frozen by this thrilling scene.
A hunter was being chased by a wild boar as big as a hill. The wild boar was covered with brown and black bristles, which stood up like steel needles, flashing cold and dazzling light in the weak sunlight, as if each bristle was a weapon for it to attack. Two long fangs protruded from both sides of its mouth, like two sharp daggers, flashing a chilling cold light in the sunlight, as if it could pierce a person's body with a slight scratch. Its eyes were red, as if burning with two balls of angry flames, full of bloodthirsty madness. Every time it rushed towards the hunter, it was with overwhelming momentum, as if it wanted to crush everything in front of it.
The hunter looked very embarrassed. He held a chopping axe tightly in his hand, but the axe looked so small and powerless under the fierce attack of the wild boar. He dodged the wild boar's attacks again and again, and his body was like a leaf swaying in the wind, and he could be hit by the wild boar's tusks or huge body at any time. There were already several cuts on his body from the wild boar's tusks, and blood was gushing out of those wounds, staining his clothes red. The dazzling red color was particularly shocking against the green background of the mountains and forests. His face was full of fear and fatigue, and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat. The sweat kept sliding down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground, and was soon absorbed by the dry soil.
"My goodness, this wild boar is so ferocious!" Chen Dahu widened his copper bell-like eyes, which were full of shock and anger. He clenched his fists tightly, and his knuckles turned white due to the force, as if he was ready to rush up and fight with the wild boar at any time.
Liu Pingan quickly pulled out the hunting rifle from his waist. His movements were clean and neat, without any hesitation. His eyes were firm and calm, like a deep lake, without a single ripple. He knew that in this critical moment, he had to act decisively, otherwise the hunter would surely die. Every second of delay could put the hunter in an irretrievable situation.
"Big Tiger, Little Tiger, find a place to hide and don't get hurt by the wild boar. I will deal with it!" Liu Ping'an ordered in a low voice. His voice was low and powerful, as if it had an irresistible majesty.
Although Chen Dahu and Chen Xiaohu were very worried about Liu Ping'an's safety, their eyes were full of worry, but they also knew that they couldn't make trouble at this moment, and they couldn't make the situation worse because of their impulsiveness. They quickly hid behind a sturdy tree. The trunk of the tree was so thick that several people could hug it together. The dense branches and leaves were like a huge umbrella, covering them tightly. They stared at Liu Ping'an and the wild boar, not daring to relax for a moment, and their hands unconsciously clenched into fists, as if they could also provide Liu Ping'an with strength.