CHAPTER 439: CHAPTER 439: SU NUO’S COMMENTARY

Su Nuo actually wanted to rebut Xu Xiuxiu’s sharp comments, but she found herself unable to speak up because her fashion brand "Promise" did indeed have some fame in City Z. However, compared to world-renowned brands like Chanel and LV, there was simply no comparison. It was heaven and earth apart. Even against well-known domestic brands, there was truly no advantage at all. It was precisely because she was keenly aware of this that she sought connections and even approached Ye Hua, then Xu Xiuxiu, to plead for a favor. Wasn’t it all to enhance the visibility and advantages of her "Promise" clothing? But Xu Xiuxiu’s candid pointing out of the gaps left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"But since you’re sitting here today, speaking in front of Mr. Ye, and you two are acquainted, I will show some respect for Mr. Ye even if it means I’m not showing you any. However, Miss Su Nuo, you still need to show your sincerity and ability to convince me to give you two VIP floor retail spaces. Only then will I consider making an exception for you. After all, I’m a businessperson, I prioritize profit, and you need to see things from my perspective. If you can’t convince me to make an exception for you, then I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to grant you the two VIP retail spaces you’re requesting. I cannot stake the reputation of Soup City for you, not even for Mr. Ye’s sake," said Xu Xiuxiu with an air of unmistakable certainty and authority in her tone, full of strength and momentum.

Su Nuo considered herself quite knowledgeable and resolute among women of her own age. In the reforming and opening-up era of the eighties, it was rare for a woman like her to dare to venture into entrepreneurship. She had always been extremely confident in herself, but today, in front of Xu Xiuxiu, she found herself retreating step by step, shrinking down.

It had to be said, Xu Xiuxiu indeed possessed the capability to develop a large-scale tourist and holiday destination like Soup City. Initially, Su Nuo had been too proud, overestimating herself and underestimating her opponent. Nevertheless, since Xu Xiuxiu was indeed capable, despite having dashed cold water on her with just a few words, as Su Nuo came with a purpose, she certainly had to try her best, especially since Xu Xiuxiu herself had said she would consider it, for Ye Hua’s sake. The premise was, she had to be able to convince her.

She had great confidence in her clothing brand, but the reality was that she didn’t have much faith in persuading Xu Xiuxiu.

"You don’t need to do me any favors. Miss Su Nuo and I are merely acquaintances. In business we speak openly. If you think it’s feasible, then consider it, Xu Xiu; if not, then refuse. It’s simple. No need to involve me," said Ye Hua seriously, just as Su Nuo mustered the courage to speak up.

Hearing this, Xu Xiuxiu turned her head to look at Ye Hua, saw his serious expression, and nodded, "Alright."

Su Nuo’s face, however, turned ashen. In truth, she hadn’t expected much support from Ye Hua, considering that he had already done her a great favor by bringing her to Xu Xiuxiu. Still, she had thought he might afford her some respect, being a fellow woman. Xu Xiuxiu had spoken; even if Ye Hua had remained silent, it would have been considered a kindness to her, and she would have been grateful for his gentlemanliness. But instead, he made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her, making her feel exceedingly awkward.

"Mr. Ye..." Su Nuo’s face showed her dissatisfaction.

Ye Hua remained indifferent, while Xu Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow and spoke, "Miss Su, by all means tell me. Since we’re sitting at the same table today, I will listen to what you have to say, even without considering Mr. Ye. But first, you must convince me." The brand "Promise" seemed vaguely familiar to Xu Xiuxiu, and because of this familiarity, she was willing to give Su Nuo a chance to persuade her.

"Thank you, Mr. Xu!" Su Nuo sighed in relief. She had thought that after Ye Hua’s remarks, Xu Xiuxiu might have rebuffed her outright, but fortunately, Xu Xiuxiu was a person whose word was as firm as a nail and kept her promises.

"Mr. Xu, our ’Promise’ clothing brand mainly targets young people, but we also manage a children’s clothing line. After all, children are the future flowers of the nation. Even if parents are reluctant to spend on themselves, they are always willing to invest in their kids. It’s a fact we all understand, hence, money from kid’s clothing is the easiest to earn. Of course, our children’s designs are novel, and we hold our quality and craftsmanship to very high standards," Su Nuo began to explain the strengths of her "Promise" clothing.

"Additionally, our ’Promise’ designer is the rising domestic talent, Ni Chang. Ni Chang’s designs have always been innovative and bold, securing first place in designer competitions and often experimenting with various styles. But everything she touches has a distinctive era feature. The denim jeans and denim jackets she designed for early spring and early summer became a fashion trend in City Z. They were so popular that almost everyone owned a pair. Hence, I am very confident about the quality and sales volume of our products. Soup City has a high foot traffic and suits my taste in terms of class. I just need to enhance the grade of our ’Promise’ clothing, which is why I approached President Xu. Also, here are our ’Promise’ basic sales records, as well as the latest designs for the early fall collection of ’87. Mr. Xu, if you are interested, please have a look..." Su Nuo explained as she turned to retrieve several design sketches and sales records from her purse for Xu Xiuxiu to examine.

Xu Xiuxiu wasn’t very knowledgeable about clothing design, being a corporate HR executive. She had mostly studied human resources, but with several decades’ more experience with changing times, she could roughly understand the general style of the design sketches, even without fully comprehending them. The designs she held were indeed novel, and the preceding sales records were objectively solid. It was just that, previously, "Promise" clothing had been more popular with the masses. Aiming to abruptly elevate the brand’s standing to match globally renowned brands was still not realistic, even though Xu Xiuxiu also felt Promise had great potential.

"Is the right side of this pair of jeans designed with a silver chain?" Xu Xiuxiu asked, holding one of the design sketches and recalling a trend from a later era. The eighties saw the emergence of bell-bottoms and then the ubiquity of jeans, while this design with a silver chain had also been quite popular for a few years. Even students in schools and office workers on the streets had worn jeans with a silver chain dangling behind for several years.