There were twelve dealers that Xu Yan planned to visit this time, distributed in the province and the capitals of neighboring provinces. It would take a week to visit one distributor a day in the province, even without a break.

The first stop was in Jiangshui City, which was two hours away from Canghai City by high-speed train. This distributor had been cooperating with Meisi Group and Xinlan Group for many years, mainly focusing on Xinlan Group's products, just like Qian Kun.

Xu Yan went to the office and handed over her business card. The other party showed a happy expression and warmly welcomed her. Now that Meisi Group was on the rise, it was important to make a fortune by taking advantage of the popularity of its products.

The negotiation went smoothly. After the initial agreement was reached, Xu Yan retrieved the pre-drafted contract and the other party nodded after reading it, saying, "These contractual provisions are satisfactory. Print it out and I will sign it directly."

Xu Yan was caught off guard. "So soon? Don't you need to think it over again?"

The other party said with a smile, "This isn't my first collaboration with Meisi Group. We all acknowledge the high-quality products you offer, but your brand awareness used to be a little weak, resulted in a comparatively weaker presence compared to Xinlan Group."

Xu Yan smiled and said, "Things are different now."

The other party stated, "Therefore, it is imperative for us to swiftly seize the chance and capitalize on the ongoing trend. Xinlan Group's products currently enjoy a significant market share. To further stimulate customers' consuming desires, it is crucial for us to introduce other brands. I envision that the future growth of our profits will heavily rely on Meisi Group."

At this point, he would not hesitate to sign the contract. Xu Yan printed out the contract, obtained the other party's signature, and promptly sent it back to the company via a courier service.

After sending the contract, Xu Yan called Cheng Ji to report the good news. "My assignment in Jiangshui City is complete. I have sent the contract via a courier service to the company. Tomorrow, when you affix your signature, send it back to me. I will request an advance payment from the distributor."

"Wow, already?" Cheng Ji was surprised, lifting his eyelids to catch a glimpse of Qian Kun seated in front of him.

He came to the company of Qian Kun early in the morning. The two of them sat face to face and chatted. They had already drunk two pots of tea. Neither of them talked business. Qian Kun didn't want to show any anxiety, while Cheng Ji came here just to confuse Jiang Han.

Qian Kun took a sip of tea. Judging from Cheng Ji's happy look, it was probably related to Meisi Group's performance.

"Yes, our products have been very popular recently, showcasing a commendable market performance. Savvy businessmen won't let this money-making opportunity slip through their fingers," Xu Yan stated.

"Thank you for your hard work." Cheng Ji said.

"My pleasure. This is my duty. The success of this order is beyond my expectation. I plan to leave Jiangshui City in the afternoon and go to the next stop." Xu Yan reported her schedule to Cheng Ji.

"Okay." Cheng Ji couldn't show more concern towards her in front of Qian Kun.

When he hung up the phone, Qian Kun asked him, "What's the good news, Mr. Cheng?"

He stood up, stretched himself, and said with a smile, "Yesterday, Meisi Group set a new record. Just now, Xu Yan called me to report the data. I've taken up half a day of your time, allow me to treat you to lunch."

Qian Kun wanted to talk to him further, so he nodded and said, "Okay, thank you for your treat."

…

Qian Kun and Cheng Ji went out for a meal. Cheng Ji took a few photos and edited the captions to post on Moments: "Drank two pots of Mr. Qian's excellent tea in the morning, and I treated him to lunch at noon."

The purpose of his post was to let Jiang Han see it.

Jiang Han saw it. He was currently eating the lunch that Kang Cheng had bought. He frowned and asked, "Cheng Ji and Qian Kun have never been close. Today they are having tea and meals together. Cheng Ji is too eager for instant benefits."

Kang Cheng came over to take a look and said, "Meisi Group also wants to collaborate with Qian Kun."

Jiang Han shook his head and said, "Cheng Ji has always considered himself an intellectual. He likes to pay attention to the whole situation, but he lacks tenacity in pursuing his desires."

"Why did he decide to visit Qian Kun then?" Kang Cheng asked in confusion.

"It's probably Xu Yan who came up with the idea and persuaded him to do so." Jiang Han couldn't help feeling annoyed when he heard the name. He put down his chopsticks and asked Kang Cheng, "What do you think of Xu Yan?"

Before responding, Kang Cheng searched for memories of Xu Yan. Her identity was so sensitive that he didn't dare to get too close to her. He could only say, "She doesn't seem to be very interested in anything other than work. She is not close to her colleagues."

His words reminded Jiang Han of something. When she first came to him, she was very stubborn. Every time he needed her, she seemed to be willing to sacrifice herself. Later, she became more tolerant and gentle. She even took the initiative to tease him. At that time, her life was monotonous. She would either be at her workplace or in her residence.

She was not much of a talker. She refrained from discussing her colleagues at work or her classmates and family with him. If he didn't say anything, she would also be speechless.

As a matter of fact, he couldn't describe what kind of person Xu Yan was. He replied calmly, "She used to be my assistant and remained tight-lipped."

Seeing that the boss intended to talk more about Xu Yan, Kang Cheng continued, "Due to her reserved nature, she rarely engages in conversations with her coworkers. We all assumed she was introverted and timid, but little did we expect her to embark on a career as a medical examiner."

"Unexpected..." Jiang Han repeated, "So we are unacquainted with the exact stratagems she might have at her disposal."

Kang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Selling products is nothing more than using certain tricks. Since she knows the situation of Xinlan Group very well, she might leverage Meisi Group's strengths and circumvent its weaknesses."

Jiang Han nodded. "You're right. Then let's make sure she can't find our weakness."

…

Xu Yan arrived at the next city. After taking a shower, she was worried about her cats, so she made a video call to Cheng Ji.

When the video call was connected, she asked, "How are Wuyou and Wulv?"

Cheng Ji smiled and said, "They are very good. You don't have to worry." Then he turned the camera to the two cats.

Wuyou and Wulv climbed up to the curtains of the room, without any restraint in the strange environment. Xu Yan was relieved and turned to ask something else, "Did you have dinner with Qian Kun today?"

"Yes, I'm very happy that you signed the contract in Jiangshui City. I invited Qian Kun to dinner because I wanted to tell him that our products are selling very well. I suggested him to buy products from us as soon as possible."

"What did Jiang Han do? He should have seen you Moments today," Xu Yan asked.

"Oh, he should have noticed it, yet he did not respond immediately."

Xu Yan pursed her lips and smiled. "He won't give up a distributor like Qian Kun so easily."

"Well, that's his business." From the video, Cheng Ji saw Xu Yan wearing a plain home dress and asked, "Are you ready to go to bed?"

"Yes." Xu Yan replied shyly.

"Close the door when you sleep at night. I regret it a little now. In fact, I should have arranged for a male colleague to go on a business trip with you. I worry about your safety." Cheng Ji sounded a little annoyed.

Xu Yan said, "It's nothing, actually I prefer doing things alone. It's inconvenient to have male colleagues. By the way, Wuyou and Wulv are a bit noisy at night, so you can keep them in a separate room."

"They're not noisy. They can sleep in my room at night."

"I'm going to rest first, get in shape and go run business tomorrow." Without waiting for Cheng Jie to respond, Xu Yan ended the video call on her own.

The next day, as soon as he arrived at the company, Cheng Ji received the contract sent by Xu Yan from Jiangshui City. He signed it and showed it to Cheng Xu.

Cheng Xu saw the order quantity and said incredulously, "Three million worth of goods in a single transaction and with prepayment?"

Cheng Ji nodded proudly and said, "Yes, prepayment. They will transfer the money as soon as they receive the contract I signed."

"Miss Xu was capable." Cheng Xu said awkwardly.

"The distributor in Jiangshui City mainly purchased goods from Xinlan Group, completely disregarding Meisi Group. I didn't anticipate Xu Yan's negotiation at the distributor's to go so effortlessly."

Cheng Xu was not in the mood to respond to his cousin's words.

Xu Yan had done such a good job in improving sales. She had the same position as him in the company, yet she had more power than him. Cheng Xu knew exactly what Cheng Ji was thinking, even without him saying it.

It was nothing more than a warning. If he made any progress, they would still be brothers. If he didn't achieve anything, he might fire him.

Cheng Xu was unwilling to be kicked out by Cheng Ji.

Seeing that he was in a daze and did not respond, Cheng Ji said unhappily, "What are you pondering so absent-mindedly?"

Cheng Xu said absent-mindedly, "I was pondering that upon Miss Xu's return from her business trip, she ought to bestow upon us a marketing tutorial."

Cheng Ji nodded and said, "The Marketing Department really needs to learn from her." After that, he picked up the contract, walked back to the office, and asked his secretary to dispatch it by courier.

…

After the meeting at the company, Jiang Han opened WeChat and glanced at his Moment, where he saw Cheng Ji had posted a photo of drinking tea, with the location tagged as Qian Kun's Company.

For the past three days, Qian Kun had not signed the contract, and Jiang Han did not urge him. He believed that Xinlan Group offered Qian Kun good policies, while Meisi Group could not provide him the same policies.

But Cheng Ji always went there to drink tea, so Jiang Han didn't know what Xu Yan was going to do next. To be on the safe side, he decided to come and find out the truth.

He picked up the car key and went downstairs without even bringing Kang Cheng.

When he arrived at Qian Kun's company, he heard a burst of hearty laughter before he entered Qian Kun's office. His heart sank, but he still kept a decent expression on his face. He pushed the door open and went in.

"Huh? What makes you here?" Qian Kun asked in surprise.

When Cheng Ji saw Jiang Han, he smiled at him. "What a pleasant surprise to see Mr. Jiang here today."

"If I hadn't intervened, I fear you would have dragged Mr. Qian into a predicament." Jiang Han pressed his lips together. "If you want to talk about business with others, then just go ahead. It's not nice to waste Mr. Qian's time."

Qian Kun looked at Cheng Ji with a confused look. He said with a smile, "It's not a waste of time. I sincerely want to talk business with Mr. Cheng."

Jiang Han snorted and asked Qian Kun, " Mr. Qian, what benefits did he promise you?"

Qian Kun pondered and said after a while, "He promised to give me an extra 3% rebate."

"It's such a good thing. Why don't you sign it immediately?" Jiang Han stared at Qian Kun, exuding an overwhelming aura.

Cheng Ji said indifferently, "Good benefits require corresponding conditions."

"The conditions must be very harsh, right? Otherwise, why would Mr. Qian hesitate?"

As soon as he came in, there was a kind of imposing aura around him, which made people unconsciously follow his thoughts. Qian Kun answered naturally, "The conditions necessitate prepayment prior to the delivery of goods."

Jiang Han nodded and turned to look at Cheng Ji, mocking, "I have never seen any manufacturer dare to ask for payment in advance before delivering the goods. Mr. Qian, with your resources, Meisi Group couldn't even get close to you before. Mr. Cheng's request is indeed difficult for Mr. Qian. If you want to make a deal, you have to call your consultant, Miss Xu. Maybe because of her beauty, Mr. Qian will sign the contract immediately."

Qian Kun quickly shook his head. "I'm not that kind of person!"

Cheng Ji came to his senses and said, "I'm talking to Mr. Qian about our business. It's not appropriate for you to get involved, is it?"

"Heh!" Jiang Han glanced at him sideways and said, "Do I need to remind Mr. Qian whether you are sincere about cooperating with him? In terms of conditions, Xinlan Group is better than Meisi Group. I believe that giving a 2% rebate is already the limit, and I can't give more. So, what can you bring to the table? Proposing unreasonable terms is often seen as lacking sincerity."

Cheng Ji flashed him a knowing smile. "Mr. Jiang is a seasoned player in the corporate world. As you may be aware, the business realm demands meticulousness. I'm well aware of the boundaries. As I'm willing to invest more, naturally, my requirements are stringent. Mr. Qian knows well of this, otherwise I wouldn't have had any reservations."

Qian Kun felt annoyed as he listened to their quarrel. He waved his hand. "You two are both young talents in Canghai City, and you have a lot of unique opinions on business. How about I treat you to dinner and we talk while eating?"

"I propose to call Miss Xu here. She is now a rising star in the business world." Jiang Han looked at Cheng Ji with a cold smile.

"Sure, I will invite her." Qian Kun echoed.

"She asked for leave today," Cheng Ji said with some regret.