Chapter 107: The Longshan Spring Company

Tang Long sat down beside Shan Xiu and tilted his head, asking, “Why are you so curious? If I were out fooling around and got caught by Zhang Xiu’e, it would make sense for her to dig into it. But you? Isn’t this a bit like a dog biting a mouse and meddling where it doesn’t belong?”

It was that girl who first threatened Tang Long with this matter; Tang Long was just using that metaphor in response.

“I’m willing. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” Shan Xiu replied nonchalantly, with a face that showed she didn’t care at all.

Tang Long couldn’t help but laugh and sigh. “I told you, even if I told you, you wouldn’t know who it is!”

Shan Xiu pouted and said, “Not knowing who it is is my business. I’m just bored and want to hear a story.”

Tang Long rolled his eyes and said irritably, “So you’re just treating me as a source of entertainment when you have nothing better to do?”

Shan Xiu smiled but said nothing. That’s exactly how it was! He wasn’t her man, so why should she care who he was fooling around with?

Tang Long changed the subject and asked, “By the way, how’s the mineral water factory coming along?”

Purchasing equipment, registering the company, and initial factory construction—these were all big tasks. But seeing Shan Xiu hang around with Zhao Xiaoyue every day, it didn’t seem like she was in any hurry to get things done.

Shan Xiu said calmly, “Don’t worry about that. I’ve already handed it over to an operations team. The mineral water brand and company registration are underway, and we’ve even gone abroad to negotiate the mineral water bottling equipment.”

After a brief pause, she continued, “We’ve arranged a specialized domestic construction team, and they’re expected to arrive in about half a month. The whole project will take four and a half months. By then, the equipment should be shipped back as well. Including installation and factory construction, it’ll take roughly six months.”

Tang Long was a bit surprised. She had entrusted everything to others? He couldn’t help but scratch his nose. That certainly made things easier.

The early stages of factory construction could be outsourced and handed over to others, but hiring workers and production issues—surely she couldn’t outsource those too, could she?

“You’ll need some technical backbone, right?” Tang Long probed.

“Definitely!” Shan Xiu nodded seriously. “I’ve already hired a headhunting company to poach talent from other factories.”

Her approach seemed a little reckless, but on the other hand, it was straightforward and effective.

If there’s no technical backbone, just poach some from elsewhere. What else could she do?

Since Shan Xiu had no experience in manufacturing mineral water—she’d been involved in much darker deeds before—she had to pay top dollar to attract talent from rival companies.

Not just “technical backbone,” but also “management talent,” “sales talent,” and so on. Essentially, any talent needed by the mineral water company, she left to the headhunter. The premiums were very high—two to three times the current salaries, sometimes even five times for exceptionally rare talent.

In a place like Yutou Village in Taoyuan County, no one would come without a premium—who’d be crazy enough to move otherwise?

“Oh, by the way, our mineral water brand is called ‘Dragon Mountain Spring’!” Shan Xiu smiled.

She wasn’t asking Tang Long’s opinion; she just wanted to inform him. The full name was “Dragon Mountain Spring Mineral Water Co., Ltd.,” abbreviated as Dragon Mountain Spring Company, with the brand registered as “Dragon Mountain Spring.”

Tang Long couldn’t help but laugh. “Naming the company after me isn’t very appropriate, is it?”

“It’s not named after you!” Shan Xiu glanced at him and shook her head. “I simply think ‘Dragon Mountain Spring’ sounds good and powerful.”

“Can’t you change it?” Tang Long asked tentatively.

Shan Xiu tilted her head and smiled. “What else? You’re not going to let me call it ‘Fish Head Spring’ or ‘Ghost King Spring,’ are you?”

‘Fish Head Spring’ or ‘Ghost King Spring’ definitely didn’t sound very appealing!

Dragon Mountain Spring? It seemed catchier and more impressive than Ghost King Spring or Fish Head Spring.

Fine, Dragon Mountain Spring it is!

“What about the workers?” Tang Long asked. A factory couldn’t run without workers. Of course, these workers were the ordinary kind, not technical experts.

Shan Xiu smiled and said, “That’s up to you. I don’t mind hiring from the surrounding mountain villages, Donghe Town, or even the entire Taoyuan County.”

She just wanted to handle the investment side. If possible, including sales, operations, and production, she would hire professionals to manage those aspects. This was probably the most effective and reliable method.

If Shan Xiu managed everything herself, there was an eighty—no, ninety percent chance ‘Dragon Mountain Spring’ would go bankrupt.

These issues, at least for now, didn’t need her attention. Her primary task was to keep pumping money into the project. As long as the funds were sufficient, nothing would be impossible!

Decisions about the site for the company, where to drill wells, and so on would all be made by a professional survey team.

Professional opinions should come from professionals!

Once the mineral water company was up and running, the factory would need several hundred workers. If the business thrived, the factory might expand later, potentially creating jobs for over a thousand people.

“Are we going for high-end mineral water or low-end?” Tang Long inquired.

Regarding the pricing and positioning of ‘Dragon Mountain Spring,’ Yutou Village had some say, but Tang Long wasn’t planning to interfere. He was just curious.

Shan Xiu thought for a moment and said, “During the branding phase, we’ll start with mid-to-low-end, targeting the mass market. If the business goes well and the brand establishes itself in the country, then we’ll move into mid-to-high-end products.”

Several large domestic water factories were doing well now. For example, Mounongfu Spring, which once paid dividends of billions, was kept afloat by loans. Of course, they were aiming to go public and raise funds, but they might already be looking beyond small profits.

The domestic mineral water market was growing better and better, but a few big brands dominated the bulk of it. The market was huge, but breaking in and gaining a foothold wasn’t easy.

Simply put, to stand firm in the market, you had to pass the test of mass consumers and win their recognition.

Tang Long subtly guided the conversation. He and Shan Xiu talked for a while about ‘Dragon Mountain Spring’ until Zhang Xiu’e came over, prompting them to pause.

Shan Xiu gave Tang Long a half-smile, as if to say, “You think that’s all there is to it?”

Zhang Xiu’e asked curiously, “What are you two talking about?”

“Recognizing a woman by her scent!”

“About the mineral water company!”

Zhang Xiu’e was momentarily stunned and looked at Shan Xiu, puzzled. “What do you mean by ‘recognizing a woman by her scent’?”

Tang Long rolled his eyes secretly and looked at her, curious how she’d handle this.

Shan Xiu, unruffled, smiled and said, “I once saw a classic movie called ‘Scent of a Woman.’ We were really just discussing the branding of Dragon Mountain Spring. I just said it offhand.”

“Oh!” Zhang Xiu’e didn’t take it seriously. She sat down and joined the discussion. “Regarding the mineral water company, do you want us to get involved in management or not? When I say ‘us,’ I mean the people of Yutou Village!”

Shan Xiu smiled. “Of course, it’s better if you get involved. I don’t want to manage it myself, so the more participation, the better!”