Chapter 549
Market share is 0
Chapter 549 Market share is 0
The shipping containers were packed together like anthills, and the narrow aisles were teeming with people, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling, and jarring Russian music.
Lin Xiaohe walked along the passageway.
The stalls on both sides were piled high with goods.
Down jackets, cotton shoes, thermos flasks, toys, and digital watches were all crammed together in a colorful display.
The stall owners, wrapped in military overcoats, stamped their feet, exhaled white breath, and shouted at the top of their lungs whenever someone passed by.
A young man in his early twenties is trying to sell a down jacket to an elderly woman from Russia.
"Kharasho! Kharasho!" the young man said in broken Russian, shaking out his down jacket and gesturing to the old woman. "Eastern country, brand name! Moscow winters are definitely not cold!"
The old lady touched the fabric, looked at the tag, hesitated, and asked something.
The young man's smile remained unchanged as he gave a thumbs-up: "No problem! Go back and wear it. If you're not satisfied, bring it back to exchange!"
The old lady took out her money and bought one.
Lin Xiaohe stood there for a while, her gaze falling on the pile of down jackets.
The fabric feels okay, but the stitching is crooked and there are several loose threads sticking out.
Xiao Dong, a saleswoman from the international department, looked rather grim. She leaned closer and whispered, "The quality..."
"Let's go."
They hadn't walked more than a few steps when a commotion suddenly broke out ahead.
A middle-aged man from the Russian bear country stood in front of a shoe stall, holding a shoe in his hand, his face flushed red.
The shoes were clearly coming unglued; the soles were drooping, like open mouths.
The stall owner, a woman in her thirties, was shouting something in broken Russian.
The man became increasingly agitated as he spoke, then threw his shoe on the ground and started cursing at the stall owner.
A crowd gradually gathered around, including people from Russia and East Asia.
Ivan translated for everyone: "He said the shoes came unglued after only three days of wear. He went back to the stall owner, but the owner denied it. He tried to return them, but the stall owner said they wouldn't give a refund since they'd been worn. He said all the people from Dongguo are liars and sell only junk..."
The woman's face flushed red. She wanted to refute but couldn't explain herself clearly, so she could only keep repeating "No," "No."
After the man finished cursing, he picked up the shoe, slammed it onto the stall, and turned to leave.
The shoes fell onto the pile of goods, knocking over a row of shoe boxes.
The Russians watching began to discuss, their voices not loud, but their gazes were like knives piercing through.
Lin Xiaohe understood one of the words: "Kitaiski," meaning a product from the East.
She turned and walked forward.
The others followed behind, their faces ashen.
Xiao Dong finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Factory manager, are we just going to sell these goods like this? Isn't this ruining the brand to death?"
This is so infuriating!
Their Changhong factory, and even the entire Anning County, are trying to leave consumers with a high-quality impression. To this end, the R&D department is meticulous about details, the production department never dares to cut corners, and the quality inspection department is practically inspecting each product with a magnifying glass.
After finally making a name for themselves domestically, they wanted to sell their products abroad, but now the reputation of Dongguo products has been ruined like this!
Xiao Dong's face turned bright red with anger, burning with rage, as if those distrustful and condemning gazes were directed at him and at Changhong Factory.
Lin Xiaohe didn't say anything and continued walking forward.
At the end of the aisle was a stall selling leather jackets.
A young man from Russia was excitedly trying on clothes. The stall owner, all smiles, complimented him in broken Russian, saying he looked good. The young man looked in the mirror, satisfied, and took out his money.
As soon as he left, the shoe vendor leaned over and whispered something to the leather jacket vendor.
Ivan's expression changed upon hearing this.
"What did he say?" Xiaodong asked.
Ivan hesitated for a moment: "He said... how many days can this batch of goods last? The last batch was returned on the third day." The leather jacket stall owner chuckled, waved his hand, and replied in Chinese: "What's there to be afraid of? As long as it can run away."
Lin Xiaohe stopped.
She stared at the leather jacket vendor's back for several seconds before turning and walking back.
Stepping out of the market, a cold wind hit me.
The sky outside was overcast, and light snow was falling.
Andrei shrugged: "Lin, your color TVs aren't selling well. How about we consider my boss's suggestion and build a factory in Moscow together? Or we can set up a shell company in Japan and do OEM manufacturing. Japanese color TVs have a better reputation than yours."
These words made everyone's fists hard!
Changhong and the Japan Color TV Association are locked in a life-or-death struggle; why should they allow them to use Japanese color TV labels?!
Even if you do make money, it's a hot potato.
Lin Xiaohe chuckled: "Andrei, you even dare to sell military technology. If we build a factory here, our patents will probably spread all over the world."
Andrei shrugged: "Dear Lin, do you have a better idea? For the sake of that important person, my boss is willing to talk to you, but cooperation must be based on profitability. If your color TVs can't be sold, how can we cooperate?"
"Andrei, they are them, and we are us." Lin Xiaohe looked at the gray sky in the distance.
Snow fell on their shoulders, slowly accumulating into a thin layer.
The market was filled with the cacophony of vendors' cries, a mix of Russian and Chinese, creating a buzzing noise.
Lin Xiaohe walked towards the Volga: "Let's go. To the mall."
The Volga is heading towards Moscow's largest electronics store.
This place is completely different from the Ant Market. It's clean, tidy, high-end, and you can smell the money in the air as soon as you step inside.
The shop windows were decorated with advertisements for Samsung, LG, Sony, and Panasonic, their neon lights flashing.
The mall was well-heated and crowded.
Lin Xiaohe and her group headed straight for the color TV section.
At the TV counter, several Russians were choosing televisions.
In the most prominent position, there's a row of Samsung 29-inch monitors priced at $499. Next to them is a Sony 29-inch monitor at $599. And just next to that is a Panasonic monitor with picture-in-picture functionality, priced at $699.
Lin Xiaohe found the sales clerk, pointed to the counter, and asked, "Don't you have Dongguo color TVs here?"
The saleswoman was a blonde, blue-eyed Russian girl in her early twenties, wearing heavy makeup.
She looked Lin Xiaohe up and down, a half-smile playing on her lips: "Dongguo color TVs? No. We only sell high-quality ones."
Xiao Dong's expression changed immediately, and she took a step forward.
Lin Xiaohe reached out to stop him, and said with a smile to the girl, "Thank you, we're just looking around."
As they left the mall, Xiaodong couldn't hold back any longer: "Director Lin, what does she mean? What does 'only sell high-quality products' mean? What's wrong with our Panshi TVs? Our test results are just as good as Japanese products!"
Lin Xiaohe didn't say anything, standing at the entrance of the mall, looking at the huge Panasonic billboard across the street.
Three hundred square meters, brightly lit.
The Japanese celebrity in the advertisement smiles brightly, and below it is a line of Russian text: "Panasonic, bringing you a high-quality life."
There's another one next to it, a Sony one, smaller, but in a better position.
Further away is Samsung from South Korea.
Goods from the East?
There wasn't a single sign.
Andrei was not surprised at all. His handsome, deep-set features were like the cold wind of a Moscow winter: "Lin, people from the East can sell cheap clothes and shoes, but they can't sell high-end goods. A color TV costs at least $300. An average person only earns $110 a month, which is barely enough to fill their stomach. Would they buy an East Asian product with the money they save by scrimping and saving? As for those rich people, there is no difference between $300 and $700. Of course, they will choose a more reliable and famous brand."
Andrei opened the car door for Lin Xiaohe, and the neon lights of the billboard shone on his face, as if covering it with a colorful mask.
"Lin, if you insist on your idea, why not treat this trip to Moscow as a vacation? You will experience how the atmosphere of Western capitalism can transform the original red giant."