The next day.
Given the feud between Gao Fei and Feng Kunlin, the closure of the Boli Cosmetics Factory by the regulatory bureau would undoubtedly top the internet’s trending searches. After all, many reporters had been trailing them when the factory was sealed.
But why hadn’t this closure incident caused a stir online, with no news reports at all?
The reason was actually quite simple: capital entered the scene and strangled the trending search topics in their cradle.
Kong Liwei spent money and called in favors to prevent the incident from being reported, thus sparing the Boli Cosmetics Factory from public attack on the internet.
Upon learning that it was the boss who had manipulated things behind the scenes, preventing the Boli Cosmetics Factory from falling into further online attacks, Feng Kunlin was immensely grateful.
He didn’t bother Kong Liwei further after that, gritting his teeth and paying the hefty fines and liquidated damages out of his own pocket. It was worth noting that due to the previous public outcry, he had been forced to resign as factory director and retreat to a behind-the-scenes role. If netizens were to discover now that he hadn’t left the cosmetics factory at all and was in fact the leader of this closure incident, he would likely find himself back in jail as soon as he got out. Furthermore, he might even face a stricter investigation!
Feng Kunlin knew well that Kong Liwei must have used some unconventional means to get him out. Therefore, knowing that Mr. Kong had suppressed the trending news, he was willing to overlook the financial cost and bear all the fines and damages.
After settling the losses from the closure incident, Feng Kunlin met with the overseas cosmetics research and development team arranged by Kong Liwei. Following their meeting and discussion, Feng Kunlin was immediately captivated by the new cosmetics proposal presented by the R&D team. Simply put, the cosmetics involved in the proposal were no longer limited to skincare products and perfumes, but also included color cosmetics and hair care products. Moreover, they were all newly developed products.
If the cosmetics from the foreign team’s proposal could be manufactured, and once launched, they would undoubtedly rank among the top domestic brands. Feng Kunlin made a preliminary estimate. With proper promotion and attractive offers for the new products in the development plan, he was sure he could recoup his previous losses, and possibly even make a substantial profit. He believed that the market and prospects for the new products were far beyond what domestic cosmetic brands could offer.
Despite the enticing profits, Feng Kunlin had a problem he couldn’t ignore: he had no money! After paying the fines and damages, he had no spare cash left. Based on the budget for the new cosmetics in the proposal, the raw materials alone would cost at least tens of millions. Now, Kong Liwei could not invest further, having just lost tens of millions in investment. Feng Kunlin himself only had over a million in savings. To achieve the new products in one go, he would have to sell off his assets and take a gamble. But he was already at the twilight of his years, lacking the drive of his youth and not daring to take such a leap.
After meeting with the foreign R&D team, Feng Kunlin began to contemplate the funding issue. Mortgage the factory and borrow from the bank? But the factory belonged to Kong Liwei, so borrowing from the bank was out of the question.
After much thought, Feng Kunlin reluctantly took out his phone and started calling his closer old friends to borrow money. But in the business world, were there any true friends? Especially now that his factory had just been shut down, who would dare to lend him money? Therefore, upon hearing that Feng Kunlin’s intention was to borrow money, all those so-called old friends made excuses to decline. Some said their company was experiencing cash flow problems and couldn't lend money at the moment. One friend used the excuse of being abroad and unable to approve fund transfers to politely refuse the loan request.
The reasons for refusal varied wildly, enraging Feng Kunlin to the point of almost having a stroke. As news of his need to borrow money spread, other ‘friends’ either hung up, didn’t answer, or simply turned off their phones. After a round of calls, almost no one offered a helping hand. Thinking back to when they were all calling each other brothers, Feng Kunlin felt a knot in his chest and immediately blocked and deleted everyone.
With borrowing money no longer an option, he had to find another way. Just as Feng Kunlin was racking his brains in the car, a flash of inspiration struck him. It was the method Gao Fei had used to negotiate with raw material suppliers: pay a deposit first and then pay the remaining balance in installments. With this idea, Feng Kunlin immediately contacted the raw material suppliers he was familiar with.
Now he was wiser. He didn't state his purpose directly but instead used the excuse of a meal gathering to invite all the raw material suppliers. As expected, with his intentions concealed, all the raw material suppliers agreed to the invitation.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, at Puling Restaurant.
The heads of the eight raw material companies’ Kyoto branches were all present. When the eight regional heads gathered, no one felt uncomfortable or surprised. After all, Boss Feng often invited them to meals in a similar fashion in the past. What puzzled them, however, was how Feng Kunlin, whose factory had just been sealed and who had just been arrested, was out the very next day?
As the eight were whispering and guessing, Feng Kunlin pushed open the door and entered from outside the private room. After he entered, they exchanged pleasantries, and the dinner quickly began. After a few rounds of drinks, one of the regional heads finally voiced his inner doubts, slurring his words as he asked about what they had all been speculating about.
As soon as he finished speaking, the private room fell into dead silence.
Feng Kunlin smiled and waved his hand, offering an indirect explanation: "My old friends, I truly don't have the great ability to get myself out. But now, the factory has a strong backer; it was that person who made the move."
Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood, and the previous topic was quickly dropped. After a while, seeing that the raw material suppliers were already tipsy, Feng Kunlin seized the opportunity to state the purpose of inviting them to dinner today.
When they learned that he intended to purchase a batch of raw materials worth tens of millions, the eight raw material suppliers immediately put on fawning smiles, stepping forward with all sorts of flattery and praise. But upon hearing Feng Kunlin’s plan to pay a deposit and then pay in installments, the private room once again fell silent. The eight raw material suppliers also shed their obsequious demeanor and became extremely cold.
However, remembering their past collaborations, the eight pretended to make phone calls. They claimed to be consulting with their headquarters, but in reality, they were preparing to make their escape. Seeing this, Feng Kunlin felt a sense of helplessness. Indeed, money was king. As the eight left one by one, he didn't try to stop them but sat in his seat, smoking in silence.
Just as he was about to get up and pay the bill, the door to the private room suddenly opened, and the raw material supplier who had asked him about his doubts earlier suddenly returned.
"Old Zhou, are you willing to cooperate?" Feng Kunlin asked in surprise.
Zhou Shun coughed awkwardly and said, "I forgot my bag. I just came back to get it!"
Feng Kunlin smiled helplessly and let him pass. After retrieving his bag, Zhou Shun saw the look of dejection on Feng Kunlin's face. He thought for a moment, then took out a business card from his bag: "Old Feng, don't blame me for being unkind. After all, I'm not the chairman of the company, just a regional manager. However, a while ago, I got to know a new raw material supplier. He has a batch of black market goods he wants to sell, but our company stopped doing such business long ago. I went to the site and saw that the quality of his black market raw materials is very high. You might want to try contacting him."
Feng Kunlin was stunned. He gratefully took the business card and thanked Zhou Shun profusely. After Zhou Shun left, Feng Kunlin looked at the number on the business card, which seemed vaguely familiar, but he still tried dialing it. The phone was answered, and a Hong Kong accent came through: "Hello, I am Xiang Guosheng!!"