"Of course!" He Zhiyuan responded firmly.
"Then will you take as much as we have? Is there an upper limit?" Song Nianchu needed to clarify.
"You have a lot more in stock?" He Zhiyuan was quick-witted and immediately caught the implication in her words.
"If your factory is willing to take them," Song Nianchu replied with a smile.
"Comrade Song, come with me to see our factory director," He Zhiyuan said seriously.
Her tone made it clear she had a substantial supply. While he could handle smaller orders, questions about upper limits required the director's approval.
"Sure," Song Nianchu agreed readily.
She had actually planned to speak with the director herself and was pleasantly surprised that He Zhiyuan suggested it first.
"Let’s go now!" He Zhiyuan sounded eager and turned to leave, but then paused, doubling back to grab a complete fishing net and tucking it into his basket before looking at Song Nianchu again.
"I’ll bring a sample for the director to inspect."
"You’re very thoughtful, Comrade He," Song Nianchu praised smoothly.
He Zhiyuan scratched his head sheepishly. "Let’s go."
"Mm," she acknowledged.
……
The two headed straight to the director’s office.
He Zhiyuan knocked on the door.
"Come in," a middle-aged man behind the desk called out leisurely.
Only then did He Zhiyuan lead Song Nianchu inside.
"Xiao He? What brings you here?" The director sat at his desk, holding a large tea mug.
His gaze flickered to Song Nianchu beside He Zhiyuan, slightly taken aback. The girl was quite striking, but she looked unfamiliar—he hadn’t heard about any new hires recently.
"And this is?" the director asked He Zhiyuan.
"Director, this is Comrade Song Nianchu from Qinghe Fishing Village. She’s here to deliver goods," He Zhiyuan introduced.
"Is there an issue with the shipment?" the director inquired.
"Director, you should see the goods Comrade Song brought first," He Zhiyuan said mysteriously, placing the basket on the floor.
The director frowned but said nothing, setting down his mug and walking over. He crouched slightly, picking up the fishing net inside to examine it closely. As a former fisherman himself, he could judge the quality of a net at a glance and with a single touch.
This net was top-tier—uniform mesh, smooth and refined knots. Even the most experienced workers in the factory might not produce something so flawless.
"Director, isn’t this net exceptional?" He Zhiyuan could tell from the director’s expression that he was impressed.
"How was this net made? Did one person do it all?" the director asked Song Nianchu urgently.
"No," Song Nianchu shook her head.
No?
Then it must have been a team of highly skilled, long-time collaborators.
The director knew about machinery, but it never crossed his mind that a small fishing village like Qinghe would have a net-weaving machine.
"This net is indeed high quality, but I assume you only have this one? A single piece like this wouldn’t justify a price increase," the director said apologetically, assuming He Zhiyuan had brought her to negotiate.
"Director, Comrade Song said she can supply as many nets of this quality as we need. She even asked about our upper limit for procurement," He Zhiyuan said excitedly.
"What did you say?" For a moment, the director doubted his ears.
"I said Comrade Song has many nets of this quality," He Zhiyuan repeated.
"Are you certain?" The director stared intently at him.
"There are several more in the warehouse, all identical. If you don’t believe me, Director, you can come see for yourself," He Zhiyuan offered.
"Let’s go—now!" The director was already impatient.
He Zhiyuan gave Song Nianchu a confident look before leading the director back to the warehouse.
The director meticulously inspected every net Song Nianchu had brought—five in total, each flawless and identical in specification.
One net could be handwoven, but multiple identical ones? Impossible without machinery.
"You’re Song Nianchu, from Qinghe Fishing Village?" the director finally asked after verifying the quality.
"Yes," Song Nianchu nodded.
"I recall your village is quite resource-scarce. How did you produce these nets?" The director was determined to understand.
"You can rest assured, Director—these nets were made by our village. I swear it," Song Nianchu sidestepped the question.
The director sensed her evasion and studied her for a moment before pressing on.
"How many more nets like this do you have?"
"How many does the Director need?" Song Nianchu countered.
"You can supply any quantity I ask for?" The director narrowed his eyes.
"You can name your figure first," Song Nianchu remained composed.
The director frowned, thinking carefully before testing the waters.
"What if I ordered fifty at once?"
"If you need fifty, I can deliver them in batches—once every seven days, with full delivery within forty days," Song Nianchu stated firmly.
"Forty days?!" The director’s voice rose sharply.
"Yes," she confirmed.
Qinghe Fishing Village already had five net-weaving machines, and Mu Shi'an had nearly finished five more—ten in total.
With all ten running simultaneously, each machine could produce roughly one net per week.
Fifty nets would take about thirty-five days, and with Mu Shi'an likely adding more machines in that time, forty days was more than enough.
"You’re absolutely serious about this?" The director scrutinized her.
"Director, Comrade He has known me long enough to vouch for me. I would never joke about something like this," Song Nianchu said emphatically.
The director glanced at He Zhiyuan, who gave a subtle nod.
Her claim was hard to believe, but the nets she’d brought were undeniable proof.
Had their village stumbled upon some opportunity?
The director’s thoughts churned, but he quickly suppressed them.
Whatever their secret, all he cared about were the nets.
"Would you be willing to sign a contract?" the director asked gravely.
