Zhang Tianxing, who was diligently working on self-improvement, received a call from Tuofu Nawawa, which greatly surprised him.
He wondered why this Russian beauty was calling. "Tuofu Nawawa, long time no see!" Zhang Tianxing greeted her politely.
"Dear Zhang, I need your help with something," Tuofu Nawawa shyly stated her request.
Recalling how smoothly his canned goods had sold, he felt he had to help, to showcase the magnanimity of China.
"Tell me about it. I'll definitely help if I can, and find a way to help if I can't!" As a businessman, Zhang Tianxing was competent; in business, one must have one's principles.
"It's like this: we have a batch of substandard tricycles. Can you help us sell them?" Tuofu Nawawa presented her request.
Hearing this, Zhang Tianxing felt a bit puzzled. Russian products were usually quite popular, known for their ruggedness, durability, and adherence to the "strength creates miracles" design philosophy. They were well-known worldwide, so why would she need his help selling them?
"Sure, that can be arranged. But I'll need the specifications for the tricycles first." Zhang Tianxing agreed upfront, deciding to evaluate the data before making any further commitments.
"Well, it's like this: the quality is not up to par. Due to the large quantity, we can't recall them, so we were hoping you could help us sell them in China."
Hearing this request, Zhang Tianxing was stunned. What was going on? Their product quality was substandard, yet they were shamelessly asking him to help sell them. Was this appropriate? Wasn't this pushing him into a pit?
Wait a minute, Tuofu Nawawa, I saved your life! Is this how you treat your savior?
Before Zhang Tianxing could voice his complaint, Tuofu Nawawa continued, "We can't sell these domestically; it would ruin our brand's reputation. So, we can only sell them to China. They will definitely work, just that the quality is a bit inferior."
After hearing Tuofu Nawawa's plea, Zhang Tianxing paused. "How about this: send over the technical data and the price. I'll see if there's a market for them."
Zhang Tianxing decided to help Tuofu Nawawa, but only if the tricycles were usable. Given China's large population and many families with limited funds, if these vehicles could be made to work, selling them at a low price would benefit the common people. Anyway, it was a Russian brand. Selling them at a loss once there wouldn't matter. It was also a way to repay them for their help in Russia, as his canned goods had benefited from their support. It was precisely the cooperation with the Tuofu siblings that allowed him to accumulate his first pot of gold in life. This was about mutual aid. Considering these factors, Zhang Tianxing hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Sell good products at the price of good products, defective ones at the price of defective ones. Sell scrap at the price of scrap. As long as the public felt they got their money's worth, and the products weren't completely unusable, it was fine.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Tianxing realized he had been tricked by Tuofu Nawawa. Selling substandard products could get him into serious legal trouble. He'd be locked up. He decided to at least examine the specific quality issues and see if he could obtain a Chinese quality certification.
Upon receiving the data, Zhang Tianxing chuckled. This was a tough situation. If modifications were needed, Zhang Tianxing would end up working for free, let alone making a profit.
Seeing the situation, Guo Jiajia offered her suggestion to Zhang Tianxing. "This deal is clearly a losing proposition. There's no need for us to take it on. And even if we don't replace this part, our costs would be significantly reduced." Guo Jiajia's stance was clear: sell only qualified products; reject unqualified ones.
Zhang Tianxing shook his head, deciding not to pursue a losing business. He decided to talk to Ma Qiang and see if his factory could produce the necessary parts.
Zhang Tianxing found Ma Qiang and recounted his predicament. "Brother Qiang, tell me, can your factory produce this part and ship it over? And how much would it cost to replace the parts here?" Having reached this point, Zhang Tianxing was resolute.
In business, this losing proposition shouldn't be undertaken. However, sentimentally, the siblings had helped him immensely. As the saying goes, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring. Zhang Tianxing decided he would help them solve this problem, even if it meant losing money himself. What's most difficult to repay in this life? Debts of gratitude. If losing some money could clear a debt of gratitude, Zhang Tianxing would unhesitatingly choose to repay it. There would be plenty of opportunities to make money, but not many to repay favors.
Seeing Zhang Tianxing's firm resolve, Ma Qiang said no more. Zhang Tianxing's approach was quite in line with his own expectations. Knowing the batch was substandard, he would replace the parts and sell them only after they were qualified. If nothing else, Zhang Tianxing had upheld his principles. Fortunately, his factory could produce the parts, otherwise, Zhang Tianxing would have lost even more.
The most exasperating part was that because the parts were replaced before sale, Zhang Tianxing directly offered a promotional price. He also specified that during the sale, it should be clearly stated that the tricycles had had parts replaced, the reason for it, the original price, and that they were now being sold at an eighty percent discount.
With this series of strategic moves by Zhang Tianxing, he successfully resolved Tuofu Sijia's difficult problem. The decisiveness and capability shown by Zhang Tianxing impressed Tuofu Sijia and Tuofu Nawawa, earning their admiration. Having been involved in business since childhood and exposed to its ways, they had seen much in the commercial world. However, someone like Zhang Tianxing was unprecedented. There truly were people in this world who acted not for profit, but for the sake of truth. Undoubtedly, Zhang Tianxing had pulled their family out of a deep abyss, giving them a chance to breathe. This opportunity also allowed them to witness Zhang Tianxing's working style, further solidifying their respect for him. A more unscrupulous person could have easily pocketed the money. But Zhang Tianxing didn't do that. He used his own money to make the products qualified for resale. He acted with principle in major matters and with grace in minor ones – a rare individual indeed. What astonished them most was that a personality like Zhang Tianxing's should have been eliminated from the business world, yet his ventures were thriving. His Zhang Ji Canned Goods consistently held the top sales spot. The Little Lobster brand quickly established itself, thanks in part to Zhang Tianxing's business conduct and the repeated support shown by Tuofu Nawawa and Tuofu Sijia. The "battle nations" admired and appreciated sincere individuals like him!