When Manager Zhao arrived, the wine cabinet in the private room had already been set up. Although he was the manager of the Chinese cuisine department, having worked at Shangri-La for nearly five years, he had a decent sense of aesthetics.  

He thought the arrangement looked pleasing: “Thank you for your hard work, Manager Chen, Manager Lu.” 

“It’s the least we could do,” Chen Xiao replied. “We’ve managed to move in as scheduled. We’ll be relying on you from now on, Manager Zhao.” 

“Of course, of course. Rest assured, Manager Chen. I also hope to have more opportunities to collaborate with Mr. Yang and your team in the future.” 

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Chen Xiao and Lu Nan left the hotel. 

It was still 10:30 in the morning. 

Although the day’s work was already completed, Lu Nan couldn’t just outright tell Chen Xiao, Let’s wrap this up quickly so I can slack off. 

While waiting for a taxi in the lobby, Chen Xiao asked, “Do you have any other work arrangements for today?” 

Hearing her boss ask this, Lu Nan immediately knew that her plan to slack off was about to be shut down. So, instead of answering directly, she took the initiative: “Is there anything you need, Brother Xiao?” 

Chen Xiao felt that if there was such a thing as an antenna called ‘alertness,’ it would surely be standing up on Lu Nan’s head right now. He casually put his hand in his pocket and said, “Don’t worry, I just want to take you to the market.” 

“Huh?” What’s going on? 

… 

Standing at the entrance of the wholesale food market, Lu Nan finally understood. 

This isn’t the kind of market I was expecting. 

“You don’t seem too surprised that I brought you here,” After paying for the taxi fare, Chen Xiao turned to look at Lu Nan’s expression. 

Lu Nan gave him a strange look. “You were in this area yesterday, Brother Xiao, which means you definitely had something important to take care of. Coming to a wholesale market… it’s probably to check for counterfeit goods or unauthorized sales, right?”  

Anyone with some work experience knew where wholesale market products came from. It’s not that all of them are counterfeit, but, for example, incidents like buying eight walnuts or Wangzi milk can easily happen if you’re not careful. 

Chen Xiao nodded approvingly. “You may not have been here long, but you’re really sharp—in every aspect.” 

Before Lu Nan could offer a token humble response (Chen Xiao had already seen through her—whenever he praised her, she acted modest, but there was still a hint of pride in her eyes, as if thinking ‘You do have good taste’), he continued, “You heard what He Manlin said in the taxi, right?” 

Lu Nan nodded. 

“I am indeed investigating smuggled goods, but not for Classic Liquor—I’m looking into Harmony.” Chen Xiao stared into Lu Nan’s eyes and caught a flicker of surprise. “Seems strange, doesn’t it? I’m a brand specialist for Classic Liquor, so why would I meddle in matters beyond my department?” 

Actually, it’s not that surprising; the shock I’m showing right now is just for show. 

Though she was silently complaining in her mind, Lu Nan still played along professionally. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly acted as if she had figured it out. “Is it a secret assignment from Director Tong? Something seems strange with Green Trading, so Director Tong doesn’t fully trust Director Xiang and Manager Wang?” 

Chen Xiao was impressed by her guess—it was exactly the excuse he had prepared. He hadn’t expected Lu Nan to put it together without any hints. He nodded. “Yes, that’s right.” 

Lu Nan nodded knowingly. “Then, Brother Xiao, what do you need me to do?” 

Chen Xiao glanced at Lu Nan, then reached out his hand. “Give me your bag. I’ll carry it.” 

There wasn’t anything particularly valuable inside, so Lu Nan handed it over without hesitation. 

The moment Chen Xiao took the bag, he felt its weight and looked at Lu Nan in shock. 

Lu Nan felt a little embarrassed. “Didn’t you ask me yesterday what I carry in my bag? Just the usual things… and a thermos.” Of course, the thermos was filled with water. 

“Quite the treasure chest,” Chen Xiao mumbled quietly, then signaled with his eyes that he wanted to put his tablet inside. 

Lu Nan nodded. “Go ahead.” 

Once everything was settled, Chen Xiao said, “Let’s go.” 

The wholesale market they were heading to was well-known in Hailin City. The first floor sold all kinds of nuts, dried fruits, and other dry goods. The second floor was stocked with candies, biscuits, and small snacks. The third floor was dedicated to tea, cigarettes, alcohol, and beverages. 

Although it was called a wholesale market, it also sold retail products. However, retail prices weren’t much lower than outside stores, so most customers purchased in bulk, usually by the case. 

With a clear objective, the two of them headed straight for the third floor. 

Compared to the first and second floors, the shops on the third floor had noticeably more upscale décor. Chen Xiao led Lu Nan into a store near the main passage, named “Fenwang Tobacco & Liquor”—a shop he had been monitoring for a while. 

As expected, the store carried a full range of Yuan Chuan’s liquors, including Classic Liquor, Harmony, special blends, the Rare and Confused series, and the circulating small bottle series.

The shop owner glanced up, saw two young people, and didn’t even bother to stand up to greet them. He remained focused on the stock market on his computer screen and casually said, “Look around. Let me know if you need anything.” 

Chen Xiao walked around the store, first inquiring about the price of a competing liquor brand. Then he asked, “Boss, what’s the wholesale price for this Harmony liquor?” 

Without looking up, the shop owner replied, “There are three different vintages. Which one are you asking about?” 

“The nine-year one—the ‘Bright Moon Everlasting’ edition,” Chen Xiao answered. 

The store owner lazily glanced at them and said, “Oh, is this for a wedding?” The ‘Bright Moon Everlasting’ edition was branded by Yuan Chuan as a wedding liquor due to its auspicious meaning and festive packaging. 

That was precisely why Chen Xiao had brought Lu Nan along and insisted on carrying her bag—to act like a couple. 

He glanced at Lu Nan and nodded. “Yes.” 

Facing away from the shop owner, Lu Nan shot Chen Xiao a sideways glare: Brother Xiao, I’m making quite the sacrifice today. 

Chen Xiao gave her a reassuring smile. 

“How many cases do you need?” The shop owner did a quick calculation, guessing it was a small order. Plus, with such a young couple, they might not even have the final say in what wine to buy.  

So he casually added, “If you take three or more cases, I’ll give you a 15% discount off the listed price.” 

For wedding liquor, purchasing from a hotel falls under the catering channel, whereas buying from a specialty tobacco and liquor store is considered a group purchase. Yuan Chuan Group’s group purchase price is usually around 80% of the market price (though there are exceptions, which won’t be elaborated here). So the shop owner’s offer of an 15% discount on three cases or more was completely reasonable. 

Chen Xiao stepped closer and started bargaining. “Three cases definitely won’t be enough. If I take more, can you give me a better price? I heard wholesale market prices are the real deal—that’s why I came here.” 

“This is the standard price. We can’t just sell however we like. The manufacturer and distributors conduct inspections.” After saying that, the shop owner looked up and scrutinized the young couple more carefully—Are these two here as undercover investigators? 

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, the shop owner became even more suspicious. Why? Because the two of them were standing a whole foot apart. 

His suspicious gaze darted between the two. 

Chen Xiao was about to explain when— 

Lu Nan took a few steps forward, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, and elbowed him aside, pushing him backward.  

Impatiently, she said, “I told you to let my parents handle this, but you insisted on doing it yourself. You don’t even speak our Hailin dialect—of course, the boss won’t give you a discount!” 

Then, turning to the shop owner, she switched to fluent local dialect. “Can’t you lower the price a bit? We came all the way from Shugang, and making the trip here is really troublesome.” 

“Shugang?” The shopkeeper knew about Shugang. That area was set for demolition earlier this year, creating a lot of millionaires and billionaires. If this girl was from Shugang, then it made sense for the young man to be helping her carry her bag—he must have registered his household with her family! 

The following conversation verified the shop owner’s guess. 

Lu Nan casually revealed that she and her husband were university classmates, had been dating for several years, and in their third year, when the demolition was announced, they went ahead and got their marriage certificate to receive the extra compensation. But they didn’t hold the wedding during school to avoid affecting their studies, so they delayed it until June, after graduation. They consulted a “fortune teller” and decided on a date in October for the wedding banquet. 

As for her husband, since his household registration was transferred to her family, he had been feeling a bit awkward. They had originally agreed that her parents would handle the wedding, but now he insisted on managing everything himself. 

What a story of “Miss Jiao Jiao Strikes It Rich, the Handsome Young Man Marrying into Her Family”—the shop owner listened with great interest, feeling somewhat regretful that he didn’t encounter such good fortune when he was younger. After carefully examining the young man, he had to admit that he didn’t have his “good looks.” 

After hearing Lu Nan speak fluent local dialect, the shop owner had no doubts about the couple’s identity. He even kindly advised Lu Nan, “Not everything should be said in front of him. Men care about their pride.” 

“He doesn’t understand anyway.” 

Because of this, the shop owner regrettably asked Lu Nan why she had chosen an outsider. “Aren’t there any good local men?” 

Lu Nan smiled. “He’s good-looking.” 

Chen Xiao, who had only caught bits and pieces of the conversation, was utterly confused. “…Nan, what are you guys talking about?” 

Lu Nan casually replied, “Saying you’re handsome.” 

Such a long conversation boiled down to three words. Of course, Chen Xiao didn’t believe it, but since he was playing the role of a patient husband, he smiled at Lu Nan with tolerance and said, “So can the boss offer us a discount?” 

The shop owner shook his head helplessly—look at this guy, definitely a future henpecked husband. 

After chatting for a bit, he stood up and made an offer. “If you’re really here to buy, I’ll give you an honest price. Buy five cases or more, and I’ll sell at 65% of the listed price. Ten cases or more, I’ll go down to 75%.” Considering that a banquet for relocated households could easily have 30-50 tables, this was likely not a small order. 

Harmony 9-Year—Bright Moon Eternal was priced at 688-yuan retail. The lowest official bulk purchase price was 80% of retail (550.4 yuan), but once Lu Nan revealed her local identity, the shop owner offered a 65% discount (447.2 yuan). And both Lu Nan and Chen Xiao knew this wasn’t even the absolute bottom price. Clearly, Harmony was already being sold below the manufacturer’s suggested price in Hailin City.  

If this continued unchecked, price inversion wasn’t out of the question. 

Putting aside the issue of price inversion, just the fact that this shop owner was offering locals a 75% or even 65% discount made things difficult for Green Trading, which strictly followed the manufacturer’s pricing guidelines. 

No wonder Green Trading had millions worth of stock sitting in their warehouse—people had blamed their lack of experience for slow sales when they expanded into the liquor business. But look at Feixiang—they also came from a different industry, yet in less than two months, they were thriving. 

Hearing the local dialect turned Chen Xiao’s doubts into certainty. 

Lu Nan felt quite accomplished today. 

She glanced at Chen Xiao. “So, what do you think?” Her tone carried a hint of impatience, perfectly portraying the arrogance of a spoiled local girl. 

“Let’s look around some more. This is just the first store,” Chen Xiao played his role well too. Wedding wines cost a lot, so it was wise to compare prices. 

The shop owner wasn’t worried. He handed Chen Xiao a business card. “You won’t find a lower price than mine in this whole market. No rush, look around and come back if you change your mind.” 

Chen Xiao thanked him and turned to Lu Nan. “Shall we check out a few more places?” 

… 

Once they left, Chen Xiao lowered his voice. “So that was Hailin dialect just now? I remember your hometown isn’t here, right?” 

Lu Nan replied, “I had two roommates from here in college. so I learned a few phrases from them in my free time.” 

This isn’t just learning a few phrases; she’s speaking very fluently. 

Chen Xiao thought for a moment. “Alright, at the next stores, you handle the negotiations.” 

Since they were already here, might as well go all the way. 

Lu Nan figured: Chen Xiao must be desperate for a trustworthy helper, which is why he thought of me. Today I’ve helped him gather this information, but the deeper aspects of this business shouldn’t be my concern. 

“Sure, but when I’m talking, don’t mess things up.” 

“Mess things up?” Chen Xiao pointed at himself. 

Lu Nan nodded seriously. “You don’t want to know what kind of role you’re playing in this story. Just keep quiet when we enter a store. Speak only when I ask you something.” 

Chen Xiao was sharp. Based on Lu Nan’s earlier attitude and this comment, he had already guessed his “character” was basically a soft man. 

I’m really making sacrifices for work, huh? Including my dignity… 

… 

They visited a few more stores. Some carried Harmony, some didn’t. 

For those that did, none offered a better deal than the first store—Lu Nan’s local identity only managed to secure a 75% discount at best. Selling at 75% of retail was slightly lower than the bulk purchase price, but since no free bottles or gifts were included, it was still somewhat reasonable. 

For stores that didn’t stock Harmony, when Lu Nan inquired about the 9-year “Bright Moon Eternal,” most shop owners recommended competing products with slightly lower list prices. However, with bulk purchase discounts, the final prices were about the same. 

A couple of shop owners, seeing Lu Nan’s interest in Harmony, gave her a knowing look and subtly commented, “That liquor? It’s just average. The price is inflated! It’s not as good as the secondary brand of the national liquor.” 

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