"I can't eat anymore, Brother Hai," Zhen Linna said weakly.
"Why are you eating so much? Are you not going to eat the dinner I cook tonight?" Jia Fuhai teased.
"It's just too delicious, I can't stop! I'll continue eating tonight too," Zhen Linna replied with a grin.
"It seems like I'll have to help you avoid gaining weight, heh heh heh!" Jia Fuhai gave her a mischievous smile.
"Hmph, I'm not scared!" Zhen Linna, as usual, stubbornly retorted.
Looking at the scene, where everyone seemed to have had their fill, Jia Fuhai quickly said, "Don't overeat, everyone. Otherwise, people might think you've never had a full meal before."
"It's all because Boss Jia's cake is too delicious!"
"Exactly!"
"Oh no, once Boss Jia officially opens, I'll definitely gain weight!"
"The price isn't expensive at all, totally worth it for the quality."
...
"Thank you all for your support! If anyone wants to order these cakes, you can talk to Director Gao. The same goes for future collaborations."
Jia Fuhai had an air of letting things go, as most of the details had already been discussed and decided with the women. Gao Qichao could handle the rest under the agreed-upon rules.
Although it was clear from the start that Gao Qichao was only assisting with production, Jia Fuhai didn't restrict him from growing the factory.
If the food factory expanded, wouldn't Jia Fuhai benefit from that as well?
"Those interested in collaborating, come with me," Gao Qichao quickly said in front of the crowd.
"Hey, hey, hey, I'll take all of it."
"Get out of here, who do you think you are? There are so many people here, you think you can hog it all? Dream on!"
"I want in too! Boss Jia, I'll buy it and have my streamers promote it for you!" Chen Xiaofeng immediately shouted.
"I can promote it too! My upscale restaurant will definitely spread the fame of these cakes."
Some people just loved the cake, while others were thinking about how it could benefit their companies.
Since the cake was not yet famous, they wanted to grab it early. With the taste and the natural ingredients, it might be hard to get their hands on it later.
Seeing the chaotic scramble, Jia Fuhai could only tell Gao Qichao, "Just divide up the cakes we have now evenly so that everyone gets a share."
"Is that okay?"
Despite some dissatisfaction, the crowd accepted Jia Fuhai's decision. After all, if you didn't want it, someone else would.
The crowd followed Gao Qichao into the lounge to confirm the distribution of this batch of cakes and discuss future cake collaborations.
As Jia Fuhai watched almost everyone head in, he asked, "Huh? Why are you all going too?"
"We want to collaborate! My dad is coming soon."
"Same here, my mom is on her way."
"Boss Jia, you can't be partial. We can collaborate too; we need cakes as well."
"...Alright," Jia Fuhai sighed. He hadn't expected that these people were sharp, all calling their families to collaborate.
Even Zhao's mom, a housewife, had called her husband, who was an executive at a corporation. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to afford living in the Bailu District.
Of course, a few didn't go in.
Like Supervisor Liu and Grandpa Huang, they didn't have anything related to this business.
Then there were a few people who had inherited wealth and didn't care. They knew that Jia Ji Cakes would soon be sold at Fengxi and Yunlin Plazas, so they weren't in a rush.
At this moment, Zhou Jin came over with his mouth full of cake.
While still chewing, he said, "Little Jia, I was going to help introduce you to some distribution channels, but it looks like you've already got it all figured out."
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Zhou. It all just happened by chance," Jia Fuhai replied, grateful for Uncle Zhou's past help.
Zhou Jin said, "Do you still need my help? I'm afraid you might not have enough to sell."
"Let's see what they negotiate," Jia Fuhai replied, having to wait and see.
"You're quite laid-back about this, aren't you?" Zhou Jin looked at Jia Fuhai, the boss, wondering why he seemed so unconcerned.
"Let them handle the negotiations. In the end, I'll still be the one signing, so there's no point in wasting my breath," Jia Fuhai wasn't foolish; he just didn't feel the need to get involved in the negotiations.
Inside the lounge.
As more people came in, Gao Qichao instructed them to come one by one, distributing the cakes evenly for now while discussing future collaborations.
"Director Gao, how's the production of the five-star cakes?"
"And what about the other star-rated cakes?"
Gao Qichao started explaining, "For the five-star cakes, only the boss can make those. No one else here can. Even making the four-star cakes is challenging."
"Then how can we collaborate? We're all here for the five-star cakes."
"Hey, if you don't want them, I do! You're all obsessed with the five-star cakes, huh? Only the boss can make those. Do you really think you deserve it?"
"Exactly, if you don't want to collaborate, then leave. The door's that way."
Others joined in, clearly seeing everyone as competitors. They wanted to edge out as many as possible.
"I never said I wasn't interested in collaborating," the person under attack didn't seem bothered and stayed.
Gao Qichao quickly intervened, "Don't underestimate the lower-star cakes. Your taste buds have just been spoiled by the five-star ones."
"...It's all Boss Jia's fault for giving us such delicious cakes."
Everyone groaned in frustration. After tasting the five-star cakes, their taste buds had evolved, making anything slightly less tasty unsatisfactory.
"Wild boars can't appreciate fine food. Director Gao, I want to order XX three-to-four-star cakes every day," Chen Xiaofeng huffed and told Gao Qichao.
He had already thought it through. He'd distribute them to his streaming platform staff and streamers, as well as offer them as perks to his father's company.
It was better to secure the cakes now; who knew what would happen later?
"Alright, here's our pre-order contract and the terms," Gao Qichao handed him the prepared contract.
The others quickly realized they had been outmaneuvered by this young man.
One by one, they began stating how many cakes they needed.
Even Grandpa Wang and Grandpa Xu joined in. Although they had already agreed to give Jia Fuhai a storefront for foot traffic at the plaza, they had other businesses to think about.
Chen Xiaofeng didn't even glance at the price—only the terms.
No one had any issues with the price. Even though they had calculated the cost of the cake they just ate to be in the thousands, they still felt it was worth the money.
Meanwhile, Gao Qichao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. With so many four-star cake orders, how could he possibly fulfill them unless the boss stepped in?
And the boss had said he would only be available in the afternoons—when he felt like it.
"Ladies and gentlemen, for now, we can only consistently provide three-star cakes. The four-star cakes will depend on availability, and as for the five-star cakes, you'll need to talk directly to the boss," Gao Qichao nervously explained the limitations, fearing he might get beaten up.
"Ugh, Jia shouldn't have given us those five-star cakes," Chen Xiaofeng grumbled.
"This is such a letdown. Director Gao, why didn't you say this earlier?"
...
Now everyone was sighing in disappointment.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure the employees quickly master the production process. We were just starting up, so the production capacity is indeed lacking. It will improve soon," Gao Qichao reassured them, using his best "motivational" skills.
"Alright, but make sure we get priority in the future."
"Yeah, we want priority for future orders."
Gao Qichao had his staff distribute the contracts, saying, "No problem, everyone. Just review the contract, and if you need any adjustments, we can discuss them."
"That's all we can do for now."
They all knew they had to secure their future supply and maintain a good relationship with Jia Fuhai, so they reviewed the contract carefully.
After some discussion about the details, they were satisfied, and Gao Qichao quickly called the boss in to sign.