Lu Nan sat in the car talking to Sasha on the phone for five or six minutes. During that time, Jiang Chutian drove away and even rolled down the window to wave goodbye. 

All Lu Nan could do was respond with a polite smile and a nod. 

She didn’t start the car until she finished the call with Pan Sasha. 

Once home, Lu Nan turned on her computer. She hadn’t written anything in nearly a week, so she took a few deep breaths in front of the screen, reread the drafts of the previous chapters to get back into the flow, and then continued writing. 

After two hours of focused writing, she glanced at her saved drafts and let out a small sigh—she hadn’t even reached 50,000 words. Publishing the new novel still felt far off. 

She stood up to stretch her neck and shoulders when her phone buzzed. 

It was a message from Jiang Chutian. The general gist was that he was apologizing on behalf of his mother, saying she had asked too many questions earlier in the evening. 

What could Lu Nan say? Was she supposed to reply, “Yes, your mom really crossed the line and made me uncomfortable”? 

So she simply replied: “It’s fine.” 

… 

“It’s fine,” Lu Nan said while walking downstairs, addressing Luo Junjie, who looked awkward and embarrassed. “Compared to Supervisor Huang and the others, you’re still a bit inexperienced. These things take time.” 

Luo Junjie thought: Aren’t you a newcomer too? 

But after working with her for a while, he no longer saw Lu Nan as someone on the same level. He replied earnestly, “I’ll make sure to observe, learn, and reflect more over the next few days.” 

The attitude was right—now it depended on how sharp he was. 

Downstairs, the landlady wasn’t drying radish strips today but instead had some dried mustard greens out. They smelled quite nice. 

When she saw Lu Nan, she greeted her warmly: “Xiao Lu, the dried radish tastes good, right?” 

“They were, thank you, Auntie.” 

“Heading out for work?” she asked, giving a curious glance at Luo Junjie behind Lu Nan. 

Lu Nan smiled, “Yes, taking a colleague out for some market visits.” 

“That’s hard work.” 

“It’s just part of the job.” Lu Nan said goodbye to the landlady, then turned to Luo Junjie, “Get in the car.” 

Luo Junjie hesitated as he opened the passenger door. “Manager Lu, should I sit here?” 

Lu Nan was already in the driver’s seat, fastening her seatbelt. “If I were you, I wouldn’t even ask. But of course, if you’re uncomfortable, you’re welcome to sit in the back.” 

Luo Junjie apologized, clearly embarrassed. “I thought it might be inappropriate.” 

Lu Nan gave him a look that implied he should reflect on his own. 

They were headed to Wucheng today, a drive of less than an hour. Lu Nan went straight to the city’s largest supermarket—Walmart. “Let’s go take a look,” she said, and that quick look turned into a 90-minute visit. 

They grabbed a quick fast-food lunch. Luo Junjie was thinking quickly by now; while waiting in line, he told the cashier, “We’re together,” and hurried to pay the bill. 

Lu Nan glanced at him. It was a simple lunch that cost less than 20 yuan per person, so she let him handle it. After all, she’d been playing both manager and chauffeur these past few days. 

After lunch, Lu Nan followed addresses she had looked up on her phone and took Luo Junjie to a few Baihui supermarkets. 

By around 3 p.m., they drove back to the city office. 

On the return trip, Lu Nan asked, “So, how did today feel?” 

As soon as she asked, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Luo Junjie sat up straight—like a struggling student suddenly called on by the teacher. It was a bit amusing, though it also showed this young man still needed to toughen up mentally. 

“Relax. It’s not a formal report. Just share your thoughts.” 

“I noticed that very few customers buy baijiu in the supermarket. This morning at Walmart, only beer and wine were sold.” Luo Junjie tried to recall what he saw. “In contrast, Baihui sold some mid- to low-end baijiu this afternoon.” 

“Go on.” 

Luo Junjie continued, “Our competitors set up promotional displays in Walmart, but they didn’t seem effective. The yogurt sample stand had far more people. I think that’s because the baijiu customer base is smaller, and many shoppers were driving, so they declined to sample alcohol.” 

That was all fairly obvious, and Lu Nan nodded. “Keep going.” 

As he reflected more, Luo Junjie began to worry that their own products might not be viable in the supermarket channel at all. “Manager Lu, if that’s the case, even if Jiaxifú and Baihui open more stores this year, it won’t really help our sales, right?” 

Lu Nan thought: Finally, he’s getting to the point. 

She explained, “For well-known baijiu brands, supermarkets have never been the main sales channel. Most people who buy or drink baijiu know that liquor stores or wholesale markets have better prices. What sells in supermarkets are retail beer, mid- to low-priced wines and spirits, and either well-known low-cost flow baijiu brands or obscure brands. The former is priced similarly everywhere; the latter aren’t easy to find elsewhere, so there’s no reference for price comparison.” 

“So baijiu can’t succeed in supermarkets? Then why do we spend so much on entry fees, displays, and promotions?” Luo Junjie asked, confused. “Isn’t that just wasted effort?” 

Lu Nan smiled faintly. “Not at all. Entering supermarkets isn’t just about selling; it’s about showcasing brand strength—it’s invisible marketing. It gives the public a way to learn about our pricing and brand positioning. I call this ‘price resistance.’ Group purchase prices and liquor store prices are negotiable and often lower than retail price; restaurant prices are notoriously high. None of those are reliable price references. So, Supervisor Luo, you’ve misunderstood. Supermarkets are very important, not for volume, but for visibility and positioning. Understand?” 

Luo Junjie seemed to understand—at least a little. 

After joining Yuan Chuan, like all male newcomers, he rotated through all four channels except group sales. 

He eventually ended up in the supermarket channel. 

His mentor at the time, an experienced old hand, took him to Hongtu Liquor to shadow the distributor. After a while, the mentor “disappeared,” and a few months later, Luo Junjie somehow became Supervisor Luo—mainly because he was the only one left handling that channel in the Hua’an office. 

He was, of course, happy to be promoted, and a little proud. 

After all, none of his peers who joined at the same time had been promoted as quickly, and none of the senior colleagues had a higher degree than him. 

But reality quickly humbled him. The old hands barely worked two hours a day, yet their channel sales were still several times higher than the supermarket channel. 

Luo Junjie began to doubt himself when he thought about his former mentor who had considered quitting. Is it really impossible to make the supermarket channel work in Hua’an City? he wondered. 

After the new city manager arrived, sales in other channels had improved significantly, but the supermarket channel remained stagnant. 

Just when he thought Manager Lu had also given up on the supermarket channel, she said during the weekly meeting that she would personally take him out to visit the market. 

By the end of the day, Luo Junjie felt that his previous pride was almost laughable. 

He began to understand why, despite starting at the same time, Lu Nan had become a city manager, while he was still a struggling channel supervisor. 

After spending a day on the road with Manager Lu, Luo Junjie felt he had learned even more than he had during his initial onboarding with his previous mentor. 

He said, “Manager Lu, I understand now.” 

But Lu Nan was not as easily reassured as Sister Tian. She asked plainly, “Understand what?” 

“I understand that the sales volume in the supermarket channel isn’t the key issue. I should be focusing more on how our products are displayed in major supermarkets.” 

“You’re half right,” Lu Nan tapped the steering wheel and responded directly, “In fact, supermarkets can generate significant sales.” 

“Huh?” Luo Junjie was confused, but didn’t question her. He believed that if Manager Lu said it was possible, she must have a solution. 

“This is your homework,” she said. “For the next two days, come with me to check out supermarkets in other counties. The day after tomorrow, tell me your answer.” 

… 

Luo Junjie wasn’t entirely hopeless. At the morning meeting three days later, he had shed his earlier gloom and enthusiastically said, “Manager Lu, I’ve thought it through. Supermarkets really can drive sales.” 

“In addition to securing the best shelf placement, floor displays need to be positioned in high-traffic areas.” 

“To achieve these two goals, we have to help distributors maintain strong relationships with supermarket staff.” 

“We also need to provide professional training for the supermarket promo staff in the beverage section.” 

“And during major holidays, we should coordinate buy-one-get-one promotions—with stronger incentives.” 

By the end of that sentence, Luo Junjie was slightly nervous, because everything he proposed hinged on one core factor: budget. 

Without sufficient funding, the supermarket channel couldn’t gain traction. 

Lu Nan nodded in satisfaction. “Then, from now on, Supervisor Luo, you need to reach out to the sales staff at Hongtu Liquor as soon as possible. I hope we can turn things around in the supermarket channel during the New Year period. Don’t worry about the cost—I’ll do my best to secure funding from the provincial office.” 

This wasn’t the first time Lu Nan had said something like that, but now, when she said it, her subordinates truly believed her. 

“And,” she added, “here’s some good news—year-end bonuses will be distributed this week, and starting next Tuesday, we’ll begin our official holiday break.” The room erupted in cheers before she could even finish. 

Lu Nan had to signal for quiet, then smiled and said, “Let’s all give it a final push over the next few days. If we hit good numbers, I’ll have more confidence when requesting next year’s budget.” 

The team replied eagerly: “Don’t worry, Manager Lu!” “We’ve got this!” 

Encouraged, Luo Junjie left the meeting highly motivated. 

Starting that week, the sales team at Hongtu Liquor also got back into the swing of things. Yuan Chuan Liquor began pushing hard across all channels, and momentum was strong. 

… 

On Friday, Lu Nan also received her year-end bonus. Strangely, she didn’t feel much when she saw the notification. 

She thought back to six months ago, when she was pinching pennies to buy clothes or always asking for a receipt when taking a taxi. She lowered her head and chuckled, then sent a message in the city office group chat to Zheng Jing: “After tomorrow’s weekly meeting, let’s all go out for a meal. Zheng Jing, help arrange it. It’s my treat.” 

At the weekly meeting, Lu Nan acknowledged everyone’s hard work, and the team was happy to hear it—after all, it was nearly New Year, and no one wanted to be criticized. 

Not that Manager Lu ever criticized anyone. 

She would simply look at you disapprovingly and calmly lay out the facts, the logic, and the numbers… which was often even more intimidating than criticism. 

Because criticism could sometimes be mistaken or misdirected, but data doesn’t lie. 

The team dinner afterward had a great atmosphere. 

Lu Nan said openly, “I don’t care how other city managers do it—here with me, those who like drinking can find others who also like it, and those who don’t can just have soft drinks. No need to force anything. I’ll start—tonight I’m drinking soda. I plan to save money on a designated driver.” 

Everyone knew this dinner wasn’t being charged to the city office—it was Lu Nan’s treat. Hearing her joke about saving money made everyone laugh kindly. “Manager Lu, already saving money just after getting the bonus?” 

“You all know I just got promoted—I’m still broke,” Lu Nan joked at her own expense without hesitation. 

By the end of the dinner, Lu Nan addressed her team seriously: “I know Monday is the last working day, and everyone’s already in holiday mode. I totally understand. But headquarters might do a surprise check-in, so please do me a favor—after the morning meeting, don’t head home too early, okay?” 

Everyone laughed and agreed—it wasn’t just about doing a favor for her, since getting caught would mean getting docked pay. 

Huang Dafang declared earnestly: “Don’t worry, Manager Lu—we won’t leave before 3 p.m.” 

The dinner ended fairly early—before 9 p.m. 

Looks like as long as Lu Nan remains the city manager of Hua’an, this tradition of “early dinner, early wrap-up” will likely continue. 

At Monday’s morning meeting, Lu Nan kept it brief, wished everyone a happy New Year in advance, and dismissed the team.