47: Chapter 47 Sudden Change

"You silly girl, he's just an old block of wood, stop teasing him. Hahaha!" Hao Linger couldn't help but laugh heartily at Cao Xiao's embarrassed look.

"Mr. Cao, hello!"

Hou Jin didn't look as wild-tongued as Hao Linger had described; he actually appeared quite composed now.

"Hello! Don't just stand outside, come in and we'll talk." Cao Xiao nodded. He didn't shake hands; after what Cheng Xiang had just done, he was a bit wary of shaking hands with others. It was one thing with women, but if he ever encountered a pervert, he'd probably feel disgusted for the rest of his life.

"By the way, I see the fruit in the orchard has already begun to ripen. Why are you only considering selling them now? You should know that fruit picking usually starts when they are almost ripe but not quite. Otherwise, once they are fully ripe, their shelf life is very short. If they aren't sold in time, a large amount will rot, and they are easily damaged during transport. You can start picking now; otherwise, with such a large volume, the market won't be able to digest it all at once, and they might spoil before reaching distant places." After sitting down, Hao Linger looked at Cao Xiao with a questioning, scrutinizing gaze.

"I only took over a few days ago, so I haven't had time to deal with it yet." Cao Xiao brewed a pot of Longjing tea he had received from his teacher and poured a cup for each of them, turning his body slightly to hide his guilt.

"Fine, I won't hold it against you. How do you plan to arrange things here?" Hao Linger said dismissively.

"I've already found people to pick the fruit, but it won't work today because we don't have picking tools or packaging. I'm not sure how to operate it. You know many people, and it's too late to hire more, so please consult some professionals to see what tools we need to prepare. As for packaging, I want to build the fruit from Tianxing Garden into a brand. This is a newly developed woodland; the soil is nutrient-rich and unpolluted, and no pesticides or chemical fertilizers have been used. The fruit might not look the best, but the quality is excellent. It's completely natural, green, organic fruit. So, we need to apply for a trademark and organic certification. We'll use blank packaging for now, but once the trademark is approved, we need to design it as soon as possible." Cao Xiao paused, seeing that Hao Linger didn't look impatient, before continuing, "I want to register another new company called Tianxing Biological Technology Co., Ltd. and place Tianxing Garden under its management. However, one team can manage both companies. You'll manage the new company too, but I can't give you shares this time. This place is very important to me; I can't afford any mishaps. The fruit will be sold wholesale to Dizang Company in the name of the new company. This way, the continuously ripening fruit alone will bring a lot of profit to Dizang Company, and we won't have to act as agents anymore. I'll find ways to gradually expand the company's business later. Only half of Tianxing Garden has been developed; the other half is woodland, and I've already hired people from the nearby Wujia Village to clear it. Since the land is designated for agricultural use, it can only be developed for agriculture. I want to turn it into a beautiful private farm, but I'll need you to handle the specific planning."

After Cao Xiao finished speaking, he watched Hao Linger's expression, but she was busy taking notes in her notebook.

"I've noted down everything you said. I'll place an order with the packaging factory today, and it should arrive tomorrow. I have other things to arrange and won't have time, so you can start organizing people for the picking first. For tools, just buy some baskets and hampers for now. Today, find some relevant books to learn how to pick. I'll purchase specialized tools after consulting others, and I'll start recruiting professional talent immediately. In the future, managing the orchard will require not just ordinary workers but also professional guidance. A new department needs to be established for management. Don't worry about these; I'll arrange them. Don't rush the woodland clearing either; wait until a design company has surveyed and evaluated the place and come up with a plan. I'll start the registration process for the new company. Transfer the registration capital to my account first so I don't lose track of you later. As for the fruit sales, leave that to Hou Jin. Hou Jin, I don't care if you go out yourself or hire people, you must find sales channels within three days and start shipping in large quantities within five days, or you're fired." Hao Linger suddenly exuded the aura of a powerful businesswoman as she quickly made the arrangements.

"No problem. As long as the supply keeps up, I can sell them all the way to Africa," Hou Jin promised confidently.

"I don't care where you sell them. Discuss the pricing with Mr. Cao and come up with a marketing plan by the end of today. Remember Mr. Cao's requirements: we are building a green fruit brand, not just selling them off. We need to build a reputation and establish sales channels, not just do a one-off deal," Hao Linger said sharply to Hou Jin.

"We don't need to set the wholesale price yet. Let's see the market reaction first. Do some market research on the retail price before setting a suitable price point. The priority now is to sell the first batch as quickly as possible; the rest can come later. Have some tea first; this is authentic Imperial Tribute Pre-Rain Longjing." Cao Xiao said after taking a sip.

"I really don't know where you get all these good things. You have to give me some of this tea. I'll send some to my eldest uncle later. Bringing out this tea during business negotiations will be very prestigious," Hao Linger said.

"I only have two ounces; I'll give you half later. By the way, how is it going on your uncle's side?" Cao Xiao asked, his heart stirring as he remembered what they had discussed last time when she mentioned Hao Dali.

"It's not going very well. A batch has already been produced, but a major problem arose. There's an issue with the source of the formula he obtained. After the trial production was successful, it attracted a lot of attention in the industry, but problems cropped up a few days later. The person who provided the formula suddenly reneged, claiming my uncle stole it from him. My uncle says he's not that kind of person and that the man might have been threatened. Furthermore, the formula has been leaked. A Japanese company claimed yesterday that they had purchased the formula from the developer long ago and registered a patent internationally, even producing samples. However, for confidentiality reasons, my uncle only registered the patent domestically, and the formula was protected under trade secret laws. That Japanese company has sued my uncle. Now he's preparing for a lawsuit. The special steel produced was only bought by Hongdu in one batch; the rest is piled up in the warehouse. When I spoke to him on the phone today, he had been ordered to stop production of that special steel." Hao Linger's voice grew low and despondent as she spoke about Hao Daqiang's situation.

"Don't worry too much. Such despicable tactics won't stand up to scrutiny. As long as there's evidence, they won't be able to do anything to your uncle. If your uncle needs help, you should go to him. There isn't much going on at the company. How about this: once we're done with the fruit, I'll accompany you back to see if I can help?" Cao Xiao hadn't expected Hao Daqiang to encounter such trouble. He felt a surge of emotions; what was supposed to be a good thing had turned out like this. Now that he was somewhat of a businessman himself, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shared bitterness, but mostly he was filled with righteous indignation, which is why he offered to go back with Hao Linger.

"Let's see how things go. The court date is in half a month. Once the company's affairs are settled, I'll go back and take a look. I'll show those guys the power of the great lawyer Hao Linger." Hao Linger shed her despondency and spoke with sudden, resounding strength.