Chapter 13 — Thirty Million And One Man's Worth

Someone asked, she just replied: "Just joking." I saw that article while adjusting the oven in the shop. To Dinh stopped by to look and raised his eyebrows.

“She believes it?”

"Temporary."

“What next?”

“Show her a good show.”

To Dinh looked at me and shivered a bit.

“Chu Xiaoxiao, when did you become so scary?”

“When there are thirty million.”

The drama started at the city's largest bakery industry exhibition, held once a year at the fair center. To Dinh always wanted to participate but didn't have enough money to rent a booth. This year, I rented a room for her. Not the prettiest location, but enough to be seen. With a stall of 28,000 yuan, To Dinh brought all her “strongest weapons”—handmade croissants, French-style macarons, and a cinnamon-fermented soft cake she created herself, which just the smell of it is enough to make people stop. On the first day of the exhibition, the number of visitors was quite good, but nothing too groundbreaking, until the afternoon of the second day, when a middle-aged woman stopped in front of our booth, dressed simply, but the watch on her hand clearly showed her class was not ordinary. She tasted a piece of cinnamon cake, then another piece, her eyes clearly changed, then asked very directly: "Who made this recipe?" To Dinh raised her hand, shaking a bit but still trying to stay calm, while the other woman looked at her and then asked: "What is your name?"

“Your combination of cinnamon flowers and fermented wine is very special, did you adjust it yourself?”

“Yes, I did it myself.”

The woman took out her business card and gave it to us. It read: Tran Ngoc Hoa - Deputy General Director of Hoa Ngoc Food Group, a name enough to make anyone in the industry stop for a moment. Hoa Ngoc is one of the largest food corporations in the city, owning many brands from cakes to fast food, with annual revenue in billions. To Dinh held the business card with his hands visibly shaking.

“Tran… President Tran?”

“Do you intend to mass-produce this product?”

To Dinh reflexively looked at me. I took a step forward, keeping my voice steady: "Hello Mr. Tran, I am To Dinh's partner, we can discuss production matters." She looked at me for a moment, her eyes sharp but not unpleasant.

“What's your name?”

“Zhu Xiaoxiao.”

"Partner? How much did you invest?"

“Not much.”

“Enough to open this store.”

She smiled slightly, clearly not needing the exact number but had already finished her own assessment.

"Okay, where is the store? I'll come check it out tomorrow, is it convenient this afternoon?"

“Anytime.”

She bought two boxes of cakes and then left, leaving a very long silence. To Dinh stood next to me as if he had lost his gravity.

“Understanding… Hoa Ngoc…”

“She… said she would come to our shop?”

“Am I dreaming?”

“Try pinching yourself.”

She actually pinched herself, then took a breath.

“So it's true, clean up the shop tomorrow.”

I haven't told Chu Minh Vien about this yet, not because I'm hiding it, but because I want to give him a surprise beautiful enough to remember for the rest of my life. The next day, Tran Ngoc Hoa actually came, accompanied by an assistant. She observed very carefully, from the kitchen, the ingredients, the way To Dinh made the cakes, to the sales board hanging behind the counter, not missing any detail. Half an hour later, she sat down, ordered a cup of coffee, took a sip and asked: "How much is your monthly revenue?"

“Second month of attendance estimated about 150,000.”

“Profit rate?”

“About 35%.”

"Fine." She put down the cup, her eyes clearly filled with decision, “I have a suggestion.”

“Please, Mr. Tran.”

“We have a cake brand called 'Mach Thoi Quang', and are looking to open another line of high-end handmade products. Your products are very suitable to become a supplier."

"Supplier?"

“Yes, you guys provide the core formula and techniques, we are in charge of the distribution channel and large-scale production, in the first phase about 300,000 to 500,000 in goods each month.”

Three hundred to five hundred thousand per month, that number just dropped, To Dinh no longer trembled, but directly froze, and I kept my voice steady.

“President Tran, cooperation is fine, but we have two conditions.”

“First, the copyright to the formula belongs to us, you only have the right to use it.”