Some habits are indeed very hard to correct. 

For example, when people talk about the alcohol sales industry nowadays, some will give knowing smiles when mentioning young male and female salespeople, or like Ms. Huang, they hold biases against the entire industry. The root cause of this is the special nature of the products being sold and the significant issues with the professionalism and conduct of the personnel in the industry. 

In reality, is there any real difference between baijiu, red wine, beer, and yellow wine? 

They’re all just alcoholic beverages and belong to the fast-moving consumer goods category. 

Sales representatives should serve distributors professionally, and the products should win the market based on taste and price — that’s the proper way. 

Lu Nan thought: one should do as much as one is capable of. Even if I get transferred later and the staff in the Hua’an City office revert to their old ways, at least during my tenure, they will work according to my rules. Maybe, just maybe, some of them will develop good working habits and professionalism as a result? 

… 

Monday might really be a good day. 

At 10 a.m., Mr. Wei from Wucheng Xianwang Wholesale Department called Lu Nan, saying he had prepared a payment of 100,000 yuan and also compiled a list for pairing small liquor products for distribution. He asked about the progress of the contract. 

Lu Nan checked the system and saw that the headquarters had just sent the contract ten minutes ago. 

“What a coincidence! I just received the contract. I’ll send it to you, Mr. Wei, this afternoon.” 

Lu Nan would never admit that she was most enthusiastic when it came to collecting payments—she was simply delivering attentive service to the very end! 

Although Supervisor Li would handle the coordination with Xianwang afterward, it was still beneficial for the city manager to visit distributors more frequently at the beginning of a partnership. This helps build a better rapport with the distributor and makes the local salespeople more motivated. 

As time goes on, when the partnership stabilizes, the city manager only needs to visit quarterly, semi-annually, or at the end of the year; regular phone calls will suffice. 

On the other end of the line, Mr. Wei was also polite: “You really don’t have to trouble yourself, Manager Lu, coming all the way from Hua’an.” 

“It’s very convenient to drive back and forth. Since this is our first time working together, I want to make sure you feel the efficiency of us Yuan Chuan people.” 

After hanging up the phone, Lu Nan immediately called Supervisor Li to schedule the meeting at Xianwang Wholesale at 1:30 p.m. Supervisor Li, stationed in Weipu, had easy access to Wucheng via a minibus. Lu Nan gave him enough time, and he readily agreed: “Sure, I’ll definitely be there before 1:30.” 

While Lu Nan was planning to have an early lunch so she could leave for Wucheng, her phone rang again. 

Again. 

Seeing the caller ID: Mr. Yang from Shunfa. 

Her intuition told her it was good news. 

And her intuition was right. 

A good start is half the battle. Landing two distributors in a row, even though the total contract value was only 1.3 million yuan, was still a great encouragement for Lu Nan. 

Zheng Jing entered the office to ask Manager Lu for receipts—it was the beginning of the month, and she needed to help the city manager submit expenses for reimbursement to the provincial office. But when she entered, she saw Manager Lu sitting at her desk, smiling happily. This indicated that in a brand-new market, her judgment in selecting potential clients and her strategy for attracting distributors had been spot-on. 

“Manager Lu, what’s the good news?” Zheng Jing couldn’t help but ask. 

Lu Nan nodded, “Our city office just secured another distributor!” 

“Ah? Shunfa? They agreed?” Zheng Jing was surprised. 

“An 800,000 yuan contract,” Lu Nan restrained her smile. This amount was higher than she had expected. She then said to Zheng Jing, “Please prepare a blank contract. I’m going to have a detailed discussion with Mr. Yang from Shunfa. Oh, and I need to call Qian Xin…” 

Qian Xin was in the city area, and Lu Nan had arranged to meet him directly at Shunfa. 

In less than half an hour, Lu Nan, along with Qian Xin, was negotiating the specifics with Mr. Yang. 

By 11:30 a.m., everything was settled. Lu Nan told Qian Xin, “Take the contract back to Zheng Jing and have her draft the additional terms based on what Mr. Yang and I discussed. Then, bring it back this afternoon for Mr. Yang’s signature and stamp.” 

Qian Xin nodded. 

“Mr. Yang, I would have definitely wrapped this up for you today, but the Wucheng distributor called me this morning and said they’re ready to arrange payment this afternoon. I already have an appointment with them at 1:30, so I can’t postpone it. The timing is a bit tight, so I’ll leave now. Qian Xin will handle the rest, and you can trust him. He’s very experienced, patient, and meticulous, and knows the city’s distribution market well. Once the headquarters sends back the contract, I’ll personally deliver it to you,” Lu Nan apologized. 

But Mr. Yang wasn’t concerned about Lu Nan leaving right away. Instead, he asked, “Has Wucheng already signed? Which company, and how much?” 

Since the contract in Wucheng had already been stamped and was effective, there was no need to keep it confidential. 

Lu Nan told him it was Xianwang with a contract value of 500,000 yuan. Upon hearing this, Mr. Yang was quite pleased: Yuan Chuan’s small liquor brand had signed two new distributors this year, including himself, which showed there was real potential. Plus, since his contract was larger, he figured he must be valued even more highly by the Hua’an City office. 

Thinking this, Mr. Yang jokingly asked about it. 

Lu Nan smiled and replied, “We treat all our distributors equally and value them highly. However, the contract and payment amounts are different, so the rebates and other discounts will naturally differ. Rest assured, Mr. Yang.” 

“With you saying that, I’m at ease,” Mr. Yang said, nodding. “I won’t keep you for a meal, you can go ahead with your work.” As he spoke, he took a few boxes of milk and packages of biscuits from the counter. “I know you still have to drive to Wucheng. Time’s tight, so take these to fill your stomach a bit.” 

Lu Nan said apologetically, “Just the other day, I told my colleagues not to always accept meals from distributors before we help them achieve their full-year goals. Otherwise, how can we have the face to take anything… Yet today, I’m already accepting snacks from you.” 

“Manager Lu, I understand what you mean, but this isn’t the same! Milk and biscuits only cost a few yuan!” Mr. Yang firmly handed them over. “Besides, you treated me to lunch the other day!” 

Lu Nan glanced at the time and realized there was no time for small talk, so she took the milk and biscuits, thanked Mr. Yang, and said goodbye. 

On her way driving to Wucheng, Lu Nan thought: If every phone call was from a prospective client talking about signing contracts and making payments, maybe her phone anxiety would be completely cured without medication. 

Before entering the highway, her phone rang again—it was resting on the holder. She glanced at the caller ID: Oh wow, a rare guest. 

She answered using speakerphone. 

“Brother Xiao?” Lu Nan turned the steering wheel, pulled over on an open stretch of road, and flashed her hazard lights. 

Chen Xiao’s voice sounded a bit tired. He said, “Sorry, Lu Nan. I wasn’t in the country recently, and I left in such a rush that I didn’t take this phone with me.” 

Lu Nan casually replied, “No worries, I figured you didn’t see it.” 

“I’ll keep an eye on Xu Wentao, thanks for the heads-up.” 

Lu Nan didn’t take credit for it: “Actually, it was Manager Wang who noticed, but he said since the money hasn’t been paid back, he was too afraid to contact you.” 

Chen Xiao thought about the money he lent to Wang Xinglong, which was returned to him the next day, and laughed, saying, “Yes, I’ll thank him later. Also, I heard that Hua’an City made a payment before the end of the first month and signed a new distributor. Congratulations!” 

“In three or four hours, it’ll be two!” Lu Nan couldn’t resist showing off a bit. 

Chen Xiao chuckled on the other end of the line, “That’s great.” 

“But Brother Xiao, I’m on my way to collect the payment. We’ll talk later.” Lu Nan glanced at the time. Casual chatting for a couple of minutes was fine, but any longer would be too much, even if the person was the boss’s son! 

“Alright, drive safely. We’ll talk later.” 

“Bye~” 

… 

The communication in the afternoon was also very pleasant. One party was transferring the payment to the company, while the other was placing an order in the system. It was all settled in less than half an hour. 

Mr. Wei from Xianwang also insisted on treating Lu Nan to a meal. 

Lu Nan glanced at her watch and smiled, saying, “It’s just after 2 p.m., so I’ll pass on lunch. Next time, though, you can have Supervisor Li bring a set of our Yuan Chuan tea set over, and I’ll bring my own tea leaves to treat you and your wife to some tea.” 

The boss’s wife, who was sitting behind the counter watching TV, turned around and smiled. 

Mr. Wei tried to persuade her again, but Lu Nan had to say that she had just finalized a distributor in the city and needed to go back and enter the contract into the system—of course, this was also a strategy. Even if it wasn’t because Mr. Wei wanted to treat her to a meal, Lu Nan would still “naturally” mention it. 

Making money silently without showing off? Impossible. 

As a representative of the manufacturer, she had to give distributors more confidence, making them believe that choosing Yuan Chuan was the smartest decision. 

Sure enough, after hearing this, Mr. Wei had the same expression as Mr. Yang earlier, with a subtle “luckily we acted quickly” look in his eyes. However, considering the contract volume of the distributor in the city, he anxiously asked Lu Nan, “Manager Lu, you won’t prioritize serving others just because my contract volume is smaller, right?” 

Lu Nan smiled, “You can rest assured, Mr. Wei. This year, we have a dedicated team working one-on-one with distributors. I’ll tell you secretly, the person handling the city distributor is actually Supervisor Li’s subordinate.” 

Mr. Wei felt a bit more relieved after hearing this. 

At 4 p.m., Lu Nan rushed back to the city office, where Qian Xin was already waiting with the contract. “Manager Lu, did Shunfa really sign?” 

It really felt like Fan Jin Passing the Imperial Exam (a reference to overwhelming joy). 

“The contract is right in your hands. What are you still asking for?” Lu Nan smiled. “Hurry up and get to work. You want to work overtime, but I don’t! I drove half a day today and I’m exhausted. Finish up the contract quickly, I need to leave early!” 

Zheng Jing looked at the clock on the wall: Manager Lu will be busy until at least 4:30. This, a city manager leaving half an hour early, doesn’t exactly count as leaving early! 

At 4:15, Lu Nan waved goodbye to Zheng Jing and Qian Xin, saying, “I’m leaving.” 

That fast?! Zheng Jing asked Qian Xin, “Did Manager Lu already enter the contract into the system?” 

Qian Xin nodded. 

“So fast, how did she do it?” Zheng Jing was curious. She was usually slow at entering documents and wanted to know Manager Lu’s trick. 

Qian Xin thought for a moment, then started waving his hands in the air: “Like this.” 

Zheng Jing rolled her eyes at him: Forget it, this guy is so happy today he’s beyond talking sense. 

The rest of the day went smoothly. 

On Thursday, Lu Nan received the signed contract for Shunfa from headquarters. 

On Friday, Shunfa paid the first batch of 200,000 yuan, and Lu Nan taught Qian Xin how to allocate goods. After showing him once, she entered the allocation form into the system. 

On Saturday evening, Lu Nan received a message from Chen Xiao: “Maybe, you could give me a call?” 

Lu Nan thought for a moment, then dialed and told him, “Brother Xiao, you don’t have to be so cautious. I’m not as sensitive to the sound of a ringing phone as I used to be.” 

Chen Xiao was taken aback, then sighed with relief, “That’s good.” 

It was indeed good. Although he couldn’t see her now, he could tell by the sound of her voice that she was in great spirits, full of energy and determination. 

“By the way, you’re not trying to congratulate me again, are you?” 

“Yes, the payment from Hua’an City is currently the top in Qianjiang Province.” Chen Xiao had specifically asked about it. 

Lu Nan laughed, “The total amount in Qianjiang Province is so small, it’s not something to be proud of.” 

She still had such high standards for herself, which made Chen Xiao feel that if he didn’t work harder, he wouldn’t be able to keep up. After all, as a Deputy General Manager Chen, he hadn’t really accomplished anything. He sighed internally, then put his spirit back into it and said, “I heard from Wang Xinglong that you’re also attending the Spring Sugar and Liquor Expo?” 

“Also?” Lu Nan, as usual, caught the key word immediately. 

“I’m going too.” Chen Xiao smiled. “We’ll see each other then.” 

“…See you then.”