Reborn in 1977, I will no longer be my brother's blood bag.

The contract for the Red Star Factory was laid out on the table.

Three thousand pieces.

It's twice as much as the previous batch.

The purchasing agent pushed the pen in front of Ma Chunlan.

"We signed it today, and we'll make the schedule tomorrow."

"Once this batch of goods is completed, Hongxing Factory will have no shortage of work for six months."

Workshop foreman Lao Tian stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the quantity on the contract.

Three thousand pieces.

All forty-odd people in the factory can get busy.

Ma Chunlan grasped the pen, then put it down.

When will you receive the money?

The purchasing agent pointed to the contract.

"Settlement will be made within three months after delivery."

"What about the prepayment?"

"Give us 20% first."

When will the money arrive?

"The finance department will handle it after the contract is signed."

"A few days?"

The purchasing agent frowned.

"Director Ma, how could a department store system, such a large entity, owe you money?"

"I didn't say you wouldn't give it to me."

Ma Chunlan adhered to the contract.

"I asked when to give it to you."

The purchasing agent leaned back in his chair.

"I can't make a decision regarding the finance department."

Lin Xiuhe flipped to the end of the contract.

Hongxing Factory will deliver the goods within twenty days.

If you're late, you'll lose a day's pay.

The document only states "to be made after the contract is signed" when the purchasing unit will pay the advance payment.

She transferred the contract to Zhao Qingsong.

"Bring me the factory's accounts."

Zhao Qingsong quickly turned to the page about cash.

He fiddled with the abacus a few times, then looked up.

"After buying the first batch of raw materials, it wasn't even enough to cover this month's wages."

The purchasing agent said:

"Once the goods are finished, won't we get paid?"

Ma Chunlan asked:

"Payment is settled three months after the goods are completed."

"Who will pay the workers' wages for these three months?"

The purchasing agent did not answer.

"The raw material supplier is demanding payment, who's going to explain?"

"The next order is coming in, what will the factory use to buy materials?"

The purchasing agent's face darkened.

"There are always risks involved in doing business."

"We can't let Hongxing Factory bear all the risks."

Ma Chunlan placed the pen on the table.

"Take the goods first, and pay us in three months."

"We had to cover all the intermediate costs, such as wages, raw materials, and shipping."

"This order looks big, but if we actually take it, we'll empty the factory's coffers first."

The purchasing agent looked at Lin Xiuhe.

"Engineer Lin, the research institute set up the collaboration group precisely to help the factory get more orders, right?"

"Orders that can make money should of course be accepted."

Lin Xiuhe nodded at the contract.

"The factory has already run out of money before this order is even finished."

"We can't pay wages, and we can't buy the next batch of materials."

"The Red Star Factory has three thousand pieces of goods waiting for you to settle the payment; it can't take on any other work."

The purchasing agent tapped on the table.

"The contract has always been signed this way."

"Other factories can take on the job, so why can't Hongxing Factory?"

Old Tian couldn't help but speak up:

"We don't know how much money the other factories have."

"We know exactly how many factories there are at Hongxing Factory."

The purchasing agent glanced at him.

"Twenty days, three thousand pieces. We can finish them by adding one more shift."

"Scheduling for a shift is free?"

Old Tian put the packaging box in his hand on the table.

"The machines need electricity to run at night, and the workers need to eat while working overtime. After finishing, they still need to check each item one by one."

"If the inspection time is shortened, who is responsible for returns?"

"Wasn't the pass rate quite high in the last batch?"

"The higher the pass rate, the stricter the inspection of the previous batch."

The purchasing agent was cornered and turned pale.

Ma Chunlan asked Lao Tian:

"In twenty days, with the current manpower and machinery, what's the maximum amount that can be done?"

"One thousand and five."

"What if it gets even more crowded?"

"Eighteen thousand."

Old Tian answered very quickly.

"If we do too many checks, we'll have to check fewer things. If something goes wrong, all our previous work will be for nothing."

Ma Chunlan looked at Lin Xiuhe.

"Can I accept only 1500?"

The purchasing agent stood up first.

"no."

"The department store system requires a uniform order of 3,000 pieces, without splitting the order."

Lin Xiuhe closed the contract.

"Then don't answer."

Everyone in the office looked at her.

The purchasing agent sneered.

"Mr. Lin, you make it sound so easy."

"If you take this order out, there will be plenty of factories in Linzhou that will want it."

"Let whoever dares to take it."

Lin Xiuhe pushed the contract back.

"If Hongxing Factory doesn't have the resources, it shouldn't force itself to stay afloat."

The purchasing agent grabbed the contract.

"You need to think this through!"

"It's three thousand pieces, not three hundred."

"If we don't take it today, it won't be Hongxing Factory's turn tomorrow."

Ma Chunlan glanced out the window; workers were loading a batch of goods onto the truck.

The factory definitely needs this order.

More than forty people were also waiting for their turn to work.

The purchasing agent handed the pen over again.

"Signed, I won't have to worry about finding work for the next six months."

Ma Chunlan looked at the pen.

After a while, she pushed the pen back.

"We have to take on jobs."

"The factory has to survive until the day we get the payment."

The purchasing agent's smile vanished.

"What do you mean?"

"I will not sign this contract."

"OK."

The purchasing agent stuffed the paper into his bag.

"You'll regret it when someone else takes the call."

He turned and walked out, and Zhao Qingsong subconsciously took a step after him.

"Shall we talk some more?"

Lin Xiuhe pressed down on his notebook.

"Let him go."

The door was slammed shut.

The machines were still humming in the workshop.

Old Tian stared at the doorway.

"Really, you don't want it anymore?"

"don't want!"

Ma Chunlan opened the drawer and put the pen inside.

She had to do it twice to lock the drawer.

Old Tian rubbed his hands together.

"If the people at the factory find out, they'll probably blame you."

"Let them be the ones to blame."

Ma Chunlan picked up the water glass on the table; it was already empty.

"If we really sign it, and they don't pay our salaries next month, they'll curse us even more fiercely."

Zhao Qingsong looked down at the abacus.

"What if the purchasing agent actually finds another factory?"

Lin Xiuhe crossed out the number in front of her.

"If they have the ability to find it, then let someone else do it."

"It's better than the Red Star Factory betting its entire fortune on it."

Ma Chunlan turned around.

"If he comes back, what are the terms?"

"Pay enough money for the first batch of raw materials first."

"They inspect each batch of goods after they've been produced."

"Pay after inspection; we can't hold onto the payments for all three batches of goods until the last minute."

Lin Xiuhe turned to the page about the postponement.

"They changed the quantity and packaging at the last minute, so the time lost should also be charged to them."

Ma Chunlan took out another piece of paper.

Write it down.

Zhao Qingsong picked up his pen.

"Should I write it all?"

Write it clearly.

Ma Chunlan said:

"Even if he doesn't come back, keep this piece of paper. We can't just sign off on big orders without a clear plan."

The purchasing agent did not return that day.

The next day, Hongxing Factory still didn't receive a call.

Discussions began to circulate in the factory.

"Are you really going to turn down such a big order?"

"What if we can't keep up with the work?"

"Wasn't Director Ma being too definitive?"

On the morning of the third day, Lao Tian looked unwell when he entered the office.

"Everyone in the workshop is asking about it."

Ma Chunlan handed him the production schedule.

"Finish the orders you have on hand first."

"I'll take care of what happens next."

The words were harsh.

At lunchtime, she only drank half a bowl of vegetable soup.

At 2 p.m., the security guard ran in from outside.

"Director Ma!"

"The department store people—they're here again."

The purchasing agent walked into the office.

The handbag was still the same handbag, but his face was even more somber than before.

He took out a new contract from it.

"The prepayment has been increased to 30%."

"The goods can be delivered in three batches."

Ma Chunlan turned to the payment page.

When will each batch be settled?

"After the first batch is accepted, we'll settle half of the accounts."

"The rest will be settled after everything is handed over."

Ma Chunlan frowned.

"What about the cost of the raw materials?"

"The first payment for raw materials will arrive within three days."

"You changed the quantity and packaging at the last minute, so the time will be extended accordingly."

The purchasing agent put down the pen.

"This is something we can change."

"The quantity must not be less than two thousand."

Ma Chunlan looked at Lin Xiuhe.

"Two thousand? Can Hongxing Factory afford that?"

Lin Xiuhe did not answer for her.

She passed the contract to Zhao Qingsong.

Zhao Qingsong was stunned.

"Give me?"

"You calculate it."

"Don't just calculate how much can be done in twenty days."

Lin Xiuhe tapped the ledger.

"Raw materials, wages, and when each batch of payment will be received—everything must be clearly calculated."

"We also need to calculate how many pieces the factory will have left after completing two thousand."

The purchasing agent glanced at the clock on the wall.

"I can only wait until I get off work."

Zhao Qingsong pulled the abacus in front of him.

As soon as the first bead was pulled out, the purchasing agent spoke up again.

"There's one more thing."

"Once this contract is signed, Hongxing Factory cannot produce the same goods for other department stores for six months."

Zhao Qingsong's hand stopped on the abacus.

Ma Chunlan raised her head.

As expected, there was an extra clause on the last page of the new contract:

Exclusive supply for six months.