Before long, Jin Yu also arrived at the Economic Developnt Departnt, having been inford by Hong Ximing about the transfer the day before.
"Why didn't you wait for ..." Jin Yu greeted Chu Zhishui excitedly, but as soon as she saw the icy Xin Yunmao, it was as if soone had pressed her mute button, and she beca flustered, stuttering, "Shall we... clean together?"
Jin Yu's face turned pale, clearly frightened. She seldom encountered Xin Yunmao during work hours.
"It's okay, there will be other chances to clean." Chu Zhishui, noticing Jin Yu's timidity, glanced at Xin Yunmao and took charge of the situation, "Although we all know each other, it's rare to reunite like this, so let's go through the process and get to know each other again."
"This is Jin Yu, and this is Xin Yunmao. Both were previously in the Logistics Departnt and now in the Economic Developnt Departnt. It seems we are all fated to et again."
Chu Zhishui acted like a kindergarten teacher, gently guiding both parties to break the ice.
Jin Yu obediently bowed her head, "Hello."
Xin Yunmao nodded.
That marked their first communication. Jin Yu used to avoid Xin Yunmao in the Logistics Departnt, where Xin Yunmao simply ignored others, creating a less than healthy workplace atmosphere. Now in the Economic Developnt Departnt, things were slowly changing.
Chu Zhishui had been worried that Xin Yunmao might say sothing outrageous, but she now realized she had been overly concerned; he remained silent even in the presence of other demons.
Jin Yu looked at her empty desk and hurriedly said, "I'll go to the Logistics Departnt to get my things."
"I'll help you."
Chu Zhishui had noticed when she arrived that her desk in the Economic Developnt Departnt was arranged just like in the Logistics Departnt, even down to the position of the pen she had used the day before. She wondered how that was possible.
But Jin Yu's new desk was still empty, her belongings not yet moved.
The two greeted Niu Shi in the Logistics Departnt and promised to visit often before leaving with the docunts.
In the corridor, Chu Zhishui couldn't suppress her curiosity any longer and took the opportunity to ask, "Jin Yu, why are you so afraid of him?"
She had known that Xin Yunmao was an outcast in the Logistics Departnt, but she didn't understand why.
"Maybe I'm still too weak, haven't been a demon for long enough, I always feel such a strong oppressive aura." Jin Yu murmured, "I'm just not on the sa level as him."
"Do you demons have levels?"
Jin Yu honestly nodded, "Yes, you might not feel it as a human, but we naturally can tell. Like the heads of the Observation Departnt and others, their demonic energy is much stronger than ours who work in logistics. My ability is just to erase mories, they have much stronger talents."
Chu Zhishui comforted her, "You're still young, the sky's the limit."
"And I rember soone once said it's best to keep your distance from him, that it could be dangerous..."
"Dangerous? Like what?"
Jin Yu racked her brain trying to rember, then ashadly bowed her head, "I'm sorry, it seems it was when I first joined the departnt, but I can't quite rember now, I've forgotten who said it."
"It's okay, it's scientifically proven."
Jin Yu was puzzled: "What scientific proof?"
"Fish have poor mory," Chu Zhishui joked, "Maybe after a while, you'll even forget Director Wu."
"He's so annoying, I can't forget him. You didn't see how mad he was in the office after Director Hong's announcent yesterday," Jin Yu said excitedly as he escaped the grip, promising loudly, "I will work hard in the Economic Developnt Departnt from now on!"
Back in the room, Chu Zhishui arranged for Jin Yu to enter old data into the computer for the Economic Developnt Departnt, as Xin Yunmao was not adept with electronic products, so such tasks couldn't be assigned to him.
Chu Zhishui originally wanted to explain further, but Jin Yu, full of fighting spirit, took the order and left. She didn't mind at all that a forr colleague had beco her boss, nor did she raise any objections to the work distribution.
The morning passed without incident. Chu Zhishui reviewed the tea garden data, and Jin Yu entered information, even Xin Yunmao sat quietly in the room, not wandering outside.
When lunchti ca, Chu Zhishui stretched lazily. She turned around to find the desk behind her empty, blinking in surprise, not knowing when he had slipped away, although he had been there just minutes before.
Xin Yunmao disappeared the second lunch started, perfectly keeping his promise to appear only during working hours prescribed by the bureau, and never lingering in the office during breaks.
Chu Zhishui didn't mind; if he was too slow, inviting him to lunch would be another issue.
"Jin Yu, let's go have lunch."
In the cafeteria, the two found a corner but didn't see Xin Yunmao. Chu Zhishui chatted with colleagues over lunch, discussing future business plans.
Huaijiang Observation Bureau had various strange resources; just categorizing them took ti, and it was unclear where they all ca from. After reviewing the docunts, Chu Zhishui found records of a wild tea garden, about fifty acres of green tea, not a large scale.
There were quite a few tea farrs in Huaijiang, but Huaijiang tea was not well-known nationally, nor was it produced on a large scale. So families who didn't rely on tea farming kept one or two acres of green tea, which they would fry in a dry pot for personal use or as gifts.
Chu Zhishui was now eyeing the tea garden, thinking about whether it could be operational.
"A tea garden?" Niu Shi pondered, "It seems there is such a thing, it's been many years, and no one has managed it."
"Now is the tea picking season, and it will soon be too late. If we miss the timing, there will be no harvest this year," Chu Zhishui said. "Huaijiang is already a tea-producing area, whether it's hiring people to pick tea or quickly selling it, it's relatively easy to get started, at least we can find channels."
Jin Yu curiously asked, "Can our tea be sold?"
"If we sell to custors from other regions, we definitely can't compete with professional tea rchants. Their operations and scale are mature, while we are just about like a small workshop, rely supplenting the departnt's performance," Chu Zhishui said with a smile. "But as long as we have the tea garden, we can scrape sothing together. When it's ti to sell the tea, we'll think of so ways to leverage the departnt's advantages."
Jin Yu seed to understand but not quite.
"Brother Niu, I'm thinking of visiting the tea garden in a few days. Do you know anyone nearby who is familiar with the tea industry?"
Niu Shi had been at the departnt even before Wu Changgong, and managing the cafeteria allowed him to et many people, undoubtedly making him the most knowledgeable about the surroundings.
Niu Shi replied, "I'll ask around for you another day."
Chu Zhishui quickly thanked him.
Everything is difficult at the beginning. The Economic Developnt Departnt is in its pioneering phase; it's not possible to create a well-known brand right off the bat. Fortunately, with only about twenty people in the departnt, if the Economic Developnt Departnt could earn a million a year, that would an an extra forty thousand per person annually, which works out to over five thousand a month.
This was the short-term goal Chu Zhishui had set. Although it was still far from her previous salary, everything must be done step by step; one cannot beco fat with just one bite. She often reminisced about her fulfilling days in school, rushing between various events, hoping her efforts would bear fruit, much like her current situation.
The so-called high-end wild tea garden was actually unattended. The records stated it was green tea, mainly old Longjing and Longjing 43.
The most valuable part of green tea is undoubtedly the bud tips. The tender leaves of early spring are small, and the yield is not high, but the price can reach a thousand yuan per kilogram. As the green leaves grow robust, the color of the fine leaves gradually changes, and the yield increases, but the price of green tea actually drops. The larger the tea leaves, the higher the yield, but the lower the price, until the season is completely over.
Moreover, green tea cannot be stored; green tea from the previous year loses its aroma, only the fresh ones taste good.
The green tea mountains stretched on, with gentle undulations, like soft erald gauze scattered on the ground. Cars could not climb the narrow paths and could only stop at the entrance to the tea mountain.
Chu Zhishui gathered with the tea farrs at the foot of the mountain, looking up to take in the expanse of green. She had been to the tea garden several tis recently, consulting on the harvesting and sales processes, and had finally gotten a clear picture of the situation with the fifty acres of green tea.
"Your fifty acres of tea isn't much, but you'll definitely need to hire people to pick it. Seven or eight people to pick the bud tips should do, then arrange for the tea frying. Later, when the green tea leaves co in bulk, you'll need a dozen or twenty people to handle it," she inquired humbly.
"How much does it usually cost to hire tea pickers around here?"
"People usually only hire during the busy season, so pay daily wages, others by package," the man looked her up and down, "If you're serious about doing this, I can find people for you, and give you a discount, including helping you wholesale it out."
The man in front of her specialized in selling tea and naturally had sales channels, occasionally even buying tea from the farrs.
Chu Zhishui remained noncommittal, skillfully steering the conversation towards packaging and shipping costs. She had recently tasked Jin Yu with checking for any overlooked business licenses, considering that the bureau had previously registered a small company, and it wasn't strictly necessary to sell to other tea rchants at wholesale prices.
As the group prepared to leave, the tea rchant surveyed the lush tea garden. Seeing that she didn't pick up the conversation, he continued to persuade, "I see you guys don't have ti to manage it, why not lease out the tea mountain? This garden has been neglected for several years, right? You hear about high tea prices, but it requires maintenance every year, and you only make money for a couple of months. Honestly, it's quite troubleso; leasing it out would be less of a headache!"
Chu Zhishui listened to his relentless persuasion and quickly realized that the bureau's tea garden was quite decent. Since the tea rchant was interested in renting, it indicated that the existing tea trees were of exceptional quality; otherwise, he wouldn't be so actively initiating.
Chu Zhishui smiled and said, "Could you leave your contact information? The situation at the bureau is special, and I need to report to the leadership."
"Sure, sure, a phone number? Or shall I scan your WeChat?"
Busy with collecting tea, the rchant left his contact details and hurried off to his next stop.
Others, seeing the exchange of phone numbers, waited for the tea rchant to leave and then chid in with good intentions, "Hey, young lady, I advise you not to rent it to him. Your family's tea garden is quite good; you could get a higher price with soone else. This kind of trader will always try to drive the price down!"
Chu Zhishui, clearly young and appearing knowledgeable, gentle, and composed, drove a mid-to-high-end car in Huaijiang City, looking like a wealthy young lady who might be easily deceived due to her privileged background and lack of harsh societal experiences.
The crowd, perceiving her as inexperienced, felt uneasy about her renting the tea garden to the rchant and began to dissuade her.
"Thank you, but the tea garden isn't mine," Chu Zhishui replied gently. "Do you also grow tea?"
"Yes, my family's tea garden is quite close to here, and we grow so white tea as well."
"Is it also fifty acres?"
"Oh no, more than that, about a hundred acres."
Chu Zhishui showed admiration, "That's quite impressive, not easy to manage."
Soone else interjected, "That's nothing. My family has two hundred acres. To really scale up, you need thousands of acres!"
Chu Zhishui was rely starting the conversation, and the topic of tea growing unfolded, allowing her to learn about the situations of other tea farrs. Seeing her amiable deanor, everyone began to chat eagerly.
Tea gardens typically struggle to profit in the first two years, with yield mainly depending on the age of the trees and varying by harvesting thods, including single buds, one bud one leaf, and one bud two leaves.
She was puzzled because, according to the tea farrs, tea gardens required ticulous care, yet the bureau's was a wild tea mountain, which logically shouldn't have such high-quality tea trees.
Having gathered the information, Chu Zhishui sighed softly, remarking, "It's all hard-earned money."
"Exactly, but there's no choice but to sell, otherwise how would we support our families!"
Tea farrs generally mobilize the whole family to keep labor costs down, but it's usually the tea rchants who end up making the money. However, tea farrs rarely have the capability to create valuable brands and lack direct control over sales channels, so they only make a little money from supplying raw materials, which is an unavoidable situation.
Chu Zhishui knew that growing tea wasn't enough to compete with the farrs; to earn more, one needed other strategies.
After several inspections, Chu Zhishui discussed this matter with Jin Yu.
Jin Yu was confused, not understanding the intricacies of tea garden managent, and asked what she was most curious about: "How much can we make if we rent it out?"
"It might be just around a hundred thousand; not much money," Chu Zhishui said, "but we still need to negotiate the specifics."
Jin Yu's eyes widened: "That's already a lot! It would take several years to earn that!"
Chu Zhishui couldn't help but smile wryly, "But that hundred thousand is the total profit. After the division within the bureau, each person would only get a few thousand. If we handle the sales ourselves, the profit could be even higher."
"But we would need to hire people to pick the tea first, right?"
"Yes, if we don't accept their all-in-one package, we'll need to hire people to pick the tea first, then figure out how to sell it," Chu Zhishui pondered, "We might need to get an advance from the bureau to cover the hiring costs."
"From the Finance Departnt?" Jin Yu felt troubled, "I don't see that as very realistic; even the Observation Departnt argues over money with the Finance Departnt every day."
The Observation Departnt is the most powerful division in the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, and all funding requests must go through multiple levels of approval.
Chu Zhishui understood this well. Director Hu readily agreed to cooperate, but when it ca down to each departnt, the departnt heads were not pushovers. Why should they bother with her, a newcor at the deputy level?
"It seems the most profitable ventures are always illegal," Chu Zhishui lanted, "It looks like we need to find a shortcut."
"What kind of shortcut?"
"How to keep labor costs as low as possible without violating labor laws."
"?"
Managing the tea garden kept Chu Zhishui busy, and she spent several days running around outside.
Chu Zhishui had no ti to stay in the office, so much of the paperwork fell on Jin Yu. Although Jin Yu didn't mind, thinking it was less work than in the Logistics Departnt, Chu Zhishui still felt bad about it.
Thus, every ti she drove back to the bureau, she would also buy three cups of milk tea to share with her colleagues in the Economic Developnt Departnt. Although she preferred coffee, Jin Yu liked pearl milk tea with regular sugar.
Over ti, Jin Yu felt embarrassed, "You really don't have to keep bringing milk tea; I was fine just trying it once."
"It's okay, I like milk tea," Chu Zhishui reassured her without changing her expression, "I want you to join ."
"But you never take money for it; that must cost a lot," Jin Yu said, looking down uneasily. She felt that Chu Zhishui was not very conscious about money, unlike Wu Changgong who boasted everywhere, but her every move still showed lavishness.
"It's not much money."
Chu Zhishui wasn't lying when she said that what costs a cup of milk tea in Yinhai City could buy three in Huaijiang City. Now, it indeed didn't stress her out. She looked around at her two colleagues and whispered, "The most important thing is that everyone is happy. Or do you guys not like drinking it?"
Xin Yunmao, usually a man of few words in the office, had no objections and quietly sat by the window.
Jin Yu blushed slightly, "I do like it, but..."
Chu Zhishui smiled, "If you like it, that's good enough. Don't overthink it."
Jin Yu was thus persuaded, although she always felt sothing was off but couldn't pinpoint the details.
The Economic Developnt Departnt was just getting started, and there were indeed many tasks to handle. Jin Yu occasionally had to leave the office to handle procedures and wasn't always stationed at her desk. Chu Zhishui usually bought pearl milk tea when Jin Yu was around. Truth be told, she wasn't too fond of the overly sweet, high-sugar milk tea.
In the office, Xin Yunmao noticed Chu Zhishui returning empty-handed from outside. Recalling her recent habits, he pondered for a few seconds and curiously asked, "You seem to have bought less milk tea these past few days. Don't like that sweet drink anymore?"
"Jin Yu went out to handle so business today and probably won't be back until after work," Chu Zhishui replied, puzzled. "Do you want so? I feel like you're not very interested in pearl milk tea."
She had packed milk tea from several places before and observed her colleagues' drinking speeds, which roughly indicated their preferences. Both colleagues had a sweet tooth, but Jin Yu preferred the extra sweet pearl milk tea, while Xin Yunmao leaned towards the lighter fruit teas.
"It's not about what you like..." Xin Yunmao's brows furrowed slightly, and he suddenly realized, incredulously, "You've been buying it specifically for her and just bringing it along for ?"
She had said she hoped everyone would join her in drinking it, but it turned out to be all about accompanying that 'fish'!
"Yes."
Hearing her unapologetic response, Xin Yunmao was even more upset: "Do you think that's reasonable?"
Chu Zhishui saw his icy face tint with slight anger, completely baffled by his sudden temper.
Xin Yunmao took a deep breath, not exploding imdiately but coldly said, "If we're talking about offerings, what you're doing is almost blasphemous. I'll give you a chance to rephrase that—say it's you who likes drinking it, or that it's specifically bought for and just brought along for her."
Chu Zhishui, puzzled, replied, "Give a chance to rephrase?"
Xin Yunmao's gaze was deep, "Yes, I'm being quite generous here. Just change your statent, and all will be forgiven."
Her actions were akin to bringing a Christian Bible as an offering to a Buddhist temple, a move not just about losing faith but outright provocative and insulting.
Yet, Chu Zhishui was unyielding, calmly stating, "I won't change it."
Xin Yunmao's eyes darkened like the spreading night, his lips barely parting as he warned, "This is your last chance..."
Chu Zhishui's tone remained serene, "Thank you, but aren't chances ant to be wasted?"
Xin Yunmao, seeing her unrepentant, finally beca thoroughly annoyed and exclaid, "So you think I should be treated the sa as that fish!?"
It was bad enough that she compared him to Hu Chenrui, but Jin Yu was just a little demon who had only recently beco sentient.
The gap between Xin Yunmao and Jin Yu could be likened to a top-level pro versus a complete novice.
Chu Zhishui was taken aback: "Of course not."
Xin Yunmao's expression softened slightly, thinking she still had a will to survive.
Chu Zhishui blinked, "Jin Yu has a heavier workload than you, so naturally, shouldn't his compensation be higher?"
"???"
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