Chapter 158: Eating Eggs Tonight (Seeking Votes)

Huakun Holdings was an exceptionally unique enterprise.

Beyond the profitability tied to the production and management of its affiliated factories and workshops, its earnings were also deeply intertwined with the sales performance of the Huakun Group.

By absorbing capital managed by the Huakun Group this time, Lu Kun aimed to establish precisely this manufacturer-to-consumer production and sales model.

During the preliminary stages of development, the various workshops under Huakun Holdings only needed to maintain a broad focus on production and management, without having to overly concern themselves with sales.

Through collaboration with the workshops and factories under Huakun Holdings, the Huakun Group could likewise cultivate a large pool of stable suppliers, thereby enhancing its own risk-resistance capabilities.

This vertical production and sales model significantly strengthened the market competitiveness of both the Huakun Group and the factories and workshops under Huakun Holdings, while broadening the enterprise's profit margins.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

...

"Old Sun, I'll have to trouble you to put in extra effort for what comes next," Lu Kun said, patting Sun Bowen on the shoulder.

"Heh, what are you talking about? Only when the Huakun Group and Huakun Holdings grow big and strong can I get my capital back, right?" Although thoroughly exhausted, Sun Bowen forced himself to perk up and replied.

"Haha, true enough. You rascal, you've certainly got some nerve, daring to drop five hundred thousand without even fearing that your missus would find out the money was missing from the house and shear you off in the middle of the night," Lu Kun laughed heartily.

Sun Bowen: "......"

Lu Kun knew very well that Sun Bowen was a textbook henpecked husband.

When it came to investing five hundred thousand this time around, Sun Bowen hadn't consulted his wife at all; he had even secretly entrusted someone to sell his family plot back home just to scrape together that five hundred thousand RMB.

"How many times in a lifetime can you run into a sure-bet business like this? Naturally, it's a case of striking first to gain the upper hand, while hesitating leaves you suffering!" Sun Bowen composed himself, looked toward Lu Kun, and smiled.

"Indeed. If even this manages to turn a loss, I'd become a murderer!" A cold glint flashed in Lu Kun's eyes as a hint of ferocity crossed his face.

"There's no way it'll lose money; it's just a matter of making more or less. I can't guarantee how much we'll rake in initially, but once we integrate the Huakun Group and Huakun Holdings, I reckon our profit margin will at least double!" Sun Bowen thought for a moment and said earnestly.

"Very well, then I'll be waiting for your good news," Lu Kun said, patting Sun Bowen on the shoulder once more.

...

Regardless of the era, the profit margins in retail are relatively high.

Even now, when the Huakun Group sourced goods directly from other suppliers, it still marked up prices by thirty to forty percent for retail.

Of course, due to the Huakun Group's massive scale and its robust, steady procurement demands, its wholesale acquisition costs were generally eight to twelve percent lower than those of smaller retail shops and wholesalers.

Calculated this way, for an item priced at one yuan, the Huakun Group could basically net a profit of about fifty fen.

Naturally, to sustain the business over the long haul, the Huakun Group frequently ran promotional events, meaning that for a one-yuan item, the actual profit reaped was closer to forty fen.

Naturally, net profit still required deducting rent, labor costs, and other overheads.

Looking ahead to the e-commerce era, it might seem as though the profit margins in retail experienced a slight decline.

That was far from the truth.

New retail in the e-commerce era harbored even more deceptive tricks!

Take clothing, for instance.

Clothes priced at forty-nine yuan on a certain treasure platform fail to sell; their tags are replaced to show ninety-nine yuan before being listed on a certain cat platform, and if they still prove hard to move, they are tagged at one hundred thirty-eight and put on a certain eastern platform. If they still refuse to sell, they are dumped onto a certain bargain platform for nineteen yuan to clear out inventory.

Did you think the tricks of e-commerce new retail ended there? If so, you were gravely mistaken.

In the e-commerce era, online shops are easy to set up, and a single computer can operate multiple storefronts. When you think a bargain platform is cheaper than a treasure platform, which is cheaper than a cat platform, which in turn is cheaper than an eastern platform, you have no idea that all these different shops actually share the exact same boss and the exact same products—they just tweak the promotional images and titles slightly.

Their products are priced at nineteen yuan on the bargain platform, forty-nine yuan on the treasure platform, ninety-nine yuan on the cat platform, and one hundred thirty-nine yuan on the eastern platform.

In fact, even selling them at nineteen yuan a piece allowed the seller to reap massive profits through sheer volume.

Naturally, such minor tricks could not possibly escape the notice of e-commerce platforms, which had plenty of ways to deal with them. For small merchants to try arm-wrestling with e-commerce platforms was nothing short of delusional.

...

"Yo, is it already this late?"

Lu Kun glanced at the pitch-black sky outside the window, then looked down at his watch to check the time. It was already past eight in the evening, prompting him to exclaim in mild surprise, "Old Sun, I promised my wife I'd be home for dinner tonight, so I really have to get going."

Sun Bowen: "......"

Just who was the henpecked one here?

"Go on back first! I still need to wrap up today's closing tasks so I don't end up scrambling like a headless chicken tomorrow," Sun Bowen said as he also stood up.

"That's enough for today, Old Sun.

Your health is the capital of the revolution! Running yourself ragged day in and day out like this means you really need to pay more attention to your well-being," Lu Kun said, patting his shoulder as he walked toward the door.

"Can't help it, I was born with a busybody fate; I just can't stay idle," Sun Bowen said with a helpless chuckle.

...

Lu Kun drove back home.

"Well, is the whole family waiting for me to eat?" Lu Kun asked cheerfully as he kicked off his shoes.

"Not at all, Yiming has already had his milk," Erya ran over to help carry Lu Kun's bag.

"You little imp! Is little brother Yiming asleep yet?" Lu Kun patted the little girl's head and lowered his voice.

"He fell asleep ages ago. Mother said he played too much with me this afternoon and skipped his nap, so he has to catch up on sleep. Oh right, Dad, what about the ice lolly you promised?" Erya extended a small hand, a look of eager anticipation on her face.

Lu Kun: "......"

"I'll give you the money directly in a bit, you can go buy it yourself tomorrow," Lu Kun lowered his voice and said conspiratorially.

"Mm-hmm," the little girl had been slightly disappointed at first, but upon hearing that money was forthcoming, her face instantly lit up with joy as she nodded repeatedly.

"What are you two father and daughter whispering about over there? Come wash your hands and eat."

Hearing Liu Liping call for dinner, Lu Kun hurriedly replied, "Coming right now!"

"Daya, you don't need to dish out rice for me, just scoop me a bowl of soup instead! I talked too much today, my throat hurts a bit," Lu Kun instructed Daya, who was already holding his bowl and preparing to serve him rice.

Night deepened. Inside the bedroom.

"Wife, I've got something good for you to eat," Lu Kun said mysteriously.

"What good thing? Where is it?" Liu Liping's eyes lit up as she asked with curiosity.

"In my pants pocket, go get it yourself," Lu Kun said with a straight face.

"Hey, what could you possibly be carrying in your pants pocket?" Although Liu Liping spoke as if she weren't interested, her hand instinctively reached into Lu Kun's pocket.

"Ah? This is a... an egg?" Liu Liping's face was covered in dark lines.

"Yeah, this isn't just any ordinary egg, it's a tea egg! I saw a vendor selling these on the roadside while hurrying home from the company just now, and figuring you'd never had one, I specially bought it," Lu Kun held his cheek and looked at her with eager anticipation.

"In this kind of weather, it's probably gone bad, right?" Liu Liping gave Lu Kun a sideways glance.

"No way, it's wrapped in a plastic film," Lu Kun's eyebrows twitched as he insisted on placing the egg into her hand.

"Hurry up and try it," Lu Kun pulled Liu Liping's hand over and pressed the tea egg into her palm.

"Ooh~ dear, your egg is so special?" Liu Liping had never seen a tea egg before, and she asked with a sense of wonder.

"Have a taste first!" Lu Kun helped her peel off the eggshell.

"How is it?" Lu Kun watched as Liu Liping swallowed half the egg with barely a chew, his eyes lighting up.

"It's so good, the flavor feels really unique," Liu Liping held up the egg and smiled at Lu Kun.

While continuing to eat the tea egg, Liu Liping hugged Lu Kun's arm and acted coquettishly, "Dear, do you have any more? I want to eat another one!"

"You want to eat another one?"

"Mm-hmm."

Lu Kun's eyebrows twitched violently. He wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead and said, "Don't be too greedy; one is enough for now, eating too much isn't good either."

"What do you mean it's not good? Don't you usually tell me to eat more eggs to build up my health?" Liu Liping pouted playfully.

"That's not the same thing at all," Lu Kun pried Liu Liping's arms away from him.

"How is that not the same thing?!" Liu Liping was so irritated she felt like jumping up and giving Lu Kun a flick on the forehead!

"Ahem, stop touching, hurry up—the way you're carrying on is going to drive me crazy."

As he spoke, Lu Kun snatched the remaining half of the egg from Liu Liping's hand and shoved it directly into her mouth.

...

"Is it finished already?" Liu Liping asked, her expression a mix of lingering attachment and disappointment.

Good things coming to an end too quickly always left one feeling somewhat wistful.

"You still want more?" Lu Kun's eyebrows twitched fiercely.

"Yes," Liu Liping nodded.

"Fine then, let's turn off the lights first, lest anyone see you eating eggs in the middle of the night," Lu Kun said as he extinguished the bedside lamp.

...

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PS:

Cute little Dotty: La-la-la, I'm a little driving expert~ not afraid of wind or rain~

Yet...

There exists a divine beast in the world, known as the River Crab; its body can cover the heavens, residing in the northern lands. Suddenly one day, it rode upon the wind straight into the highest vault of heaven, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to suppress all directions, shouting with intent across the nine provinces: "Heaven and earth have no laws, spirits shall not manifest, vulgarity is not tolerated in the world, brutality cannot remain, the netherworld shall surely perish!"

Fierce River Crab: Roar~ Dotty, you're so plump, I'm going to eat you!!!

Cute little Dotty: Terrified!!!

Onlookers: The fiend is ferocious, Dotty, hurry to the southern heavens and invite Patriarch Ma to the rescue!!!