Chapter 2005: Chapter 662: Another Girlfriend, Difficulties (Part 4)
...
Qiuqiu left the community and hailed a taxi by the roadside, heading straight to Rongcheng Second People’s Hospital.
Inpatient building, sixth floor.
The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant alcohol.
The corridor was very quiet, with only occasional voices from the nurse’s station and the "beep beep" of medical devices.
She arrived at the door of ward 603 and looked through the glass window on the door.
In an instant, she saw the weak figure lying in bed, eyes closed, receiving an IV drip.
Just at that moment.
A familiar voice came to her ear: "Oh, Qiuqiu! You finally made it!"
Qiuqiu turned her head and saw Aunt Wang Aijuan coming over from the hot water area, holding a cup.
"Aunt Wang, thank you for your hard work. My... mom, how is she?"
"The doctor said it’s nothing serious, just a mild concussion. She’ll be under observation for a few days and can be discharged if nothing happens." Wang Aijuan put the thermos on the ground and continued, "The money you transferred earlier, I’ve paid the hospitalization deposit, and the excess can be refunded to you once she’s discharged."
"Thank you."
"No need to be polite, we’re old neighbors." Aunt Wang patted her shoulder, "Now that you’re here, I can relax. Your mom is sleeping. I have to hurry back; there’s a pile of things waiting for me at home."
After a brief farewell, Aunt Wang left in a hurry.
Qiuqiu stood at the door for a long time before finally working up the courage to push it open.
It was a standard large ward, with five beds aligned inside, all occupied.
In the air, the smell of medicine, food, and the unique scent of patients mixed together, somewhat dull.
She walked to the innermost bed and sat on the plastic stool.
She looked at the woman with thick bandages wrapped around her head, whose face was pale.
In her memory, this woman was always shrewd and lively, with a straight back, speaking quickly and loudly like a barrage.
To her childhood self, it was an existence full of oppression.
But now, she looked much older than remembered, as if all her energy had been completely drained by this accident.
Indeed, she loved money so much.
Valued money more than her own life.
To earn money, she moved from her hometown to Rongcheng, opened a small eatery, worked from dawn till dusk, not bothering even about herself.
Now a lifetime’s savings had gone down the drain, and she lay here.
Time, in this silence, passed bit by bit.
Qiuqiu sat there dumbfounded, saying nothing.
Only time had passed unknowingly.
Li Meihua’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.
She was initially a bit dazed, as if failing to grasp the situation.
"Qiuqiu, why did you... suddenly come back..."
Qiuqiu responded in an emotionless tone, "Weren’t you calling me every day, urging me to come back?"
Li Meihua parted her dry, cracked lips to say something but seemed blocked by something.
In the end, she instinctively avoided her daughter’s gaze.
Her eyes lacked the past liveliness, leaving only embarrassment and shame.
Qiuqiu said nothing more, taking an apple from the fruit basket on the bedside cabinet.
As the blade sliced through the peel, it made a slight "shasha" sound.
Li Meihua turned her head away, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes.
...
Rongcheng, Yulin district, deep in a quiet alley.
Narrow Gate Private Kitchen.
Bamboo shadows swayed in the yard, and water trickled gently. The air was filled with a faint gardenia fragrance.
Xie Shuyu and Meng Ran sat opposite each other, with several of the most authentic Sichuan home dishes before them.
The tension and identities of the daytime work were gone, shedding all pretenses and masks.
They seemed to turn back into the good friends from their university days who shared everything without reservation.
Looking at her friend across the table, Xie Shuyu’s eyes glowed with the tender brilliance of memories.
Once, she and Meng Ran stepped out of university and ventured into the glamorous world of Shanghai.
In their youth, they wore items they could afford only after receiving their salaries, like those from ZARA. They drank hand-brewed coffee at the Starbucks Roastery.
Carrying CHANEL WOC bought on installment, they learned to use knives and forks cautiously at fine dining French restaurants on the top floor of K11.
On weekends, hand in hand, they would stroll through Galeries Lafayette, even if they couldn’t afford anything, they still revel in it.
They would loudly shout their dreams late at night on Huaihai Road, imitating and learning, almost obsessively, the elegant and composed lifestyle of the metropolis.
Naively believing they could forever remain young in that city.
They were considered part of the lucky batch of the 90s generation favored by the times.
But later, they chose different paths.
Noticing the huge business potential of the coffee industry early on, she decisively quit her job and returned to the familiar Yan City, diving into the sea of entrepreneurship.
Through struggle and ups and downs, she finally achieved today’s success.
While Meng Ran chose another, more stable path.
She continued to work deeply within the giant enterprise Alibaba and now is the operations executive of [Hema Fresh] in the Southwest region.
If [Glimmer Coffee] hadn’t had its valuation boosted by Tang Song, she might not really compare to Meng Ran in terms of personal achievement.
After all, the enormous influence of the platform is difficult for individual efforts to reach.
"Ding~"
The green plum wine glasses lightly clinked in the air, producing a crisp sound.
Meng Ran took a sip, placed down her wineglass, and her expression grew more serious, "After reminiscing, let’s talk about the main issue you’re most concerned about."
"Okay." Xie Shuyu immediately sat upright.
"Yu, regarding that Chen Hao from [Shuxian Supply Chain], you must be careful. It’s almost impossible to bypass him and the Chen family behind him in the Southwest region..."
Xie Shuyu listened quietly, her eyes flickered, her heart gradually sinking.
Currently, the coffee bean production and roasting stages upstream of [Glimmer Coffee] are fully handled by Smile Holding’s top supplier [Yunting Essence], with quality and supply impeccable.
This also sparked her greater ambition to integrate the logistics system.
After all, to maximize flavor consistency, it’s essential to deliver freshly roasted coffee beans with a short shelf life, along with high-quality dairy products and fresh-baked semi-finished products, to every store nationwide in the most efficient and low-cost way.
A comprehensive cold chain logistics system is crucial.
The stores of [Glimmer Coffee] in the Southwest, as a temporary transition, are cooperating with [Shuxian Supply Chain] through the introduction of the local catering association.
However, after two months of cooperation, issues like inflated quotes, rigid delivery efficiency, and occasional product damage have left her very unsatisfied.
All along, she’s pursued cost control nearly obsessively.
To cut expenses, she rarely takes business class on business trips, and most of the company’s non-core businesses are outsourced.
And the Southwest is the next most important strategic expansion area for Glimmer Coffee after North China.
Xie Shuyu naturally wants to be perfect.
This trip to Rongcheng was meant to lay cards on the table and prepare for switching suppliers.
But now, things appear far more challenging than she imagined.
[Shuxian Supply Chain] belongs to the local logistics giant Shu Dao Group.
The father of General Manager Chen Hao is not only the Chairman of Shu Dao Group but also the Deputy Chairman of the Provincial Catering Association.
Rumor has it, there’s an official background behind them too.
If she were to bite the bullet and replace them, it would mean thoroughly offending this entrenched local bigwig.
Subsequent chain reactions could potentially follow.
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