Chapter 7 Initial Margin

  "Dennis looked bewildered and said, 'How is this possible? You must have misheard, yes, I'm certain you've misheard. How could such a thing happen to me? I am the most polite and gentlemanly Frenchman!'"

  Chen Xiaoqi couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated with his shamelessness, shaking his head and saying: "Alright, honest Frenchman, I trust your judgment. So, let's talk about the cooperation next."

  "Dennis exclaimed excitedly, 'This is just great! Come on, let's sit down and discuss the details. Someone get us a pot of coffee! We've got big business to talk about! All of you, out! Don't disturb us unless we allow it!'"

  Two bewildered attendants and a mysterious accountant shook their heads, took over the already prepared enamel coffee pot from the young man who had been waiting at the door since morning, and delivered it to the tea table before retreating and closing the door. Impatient Dennis hastily grabbed the coffee pot and carefully poured a cup for Chen Xiaoqi, then waited as Chen Xiaoqi slowly added sugar, stirring vigorously with a stainless steel spoon, her eyes closed in rapture, savoring the aroma of the coffee, her eyeballs reddening with excitement.

  Chen Xiaoqi was actually pondering the attitude problem of this Frenchman. In his opinion, even if that waistband and the picture he drew were excellent, okay, extremely excellent, but what could a waistband represent? He didn't think that just relying on this one waistband or a pile of novel waistbands could change Dennis's fate or achieve the success he spoke of. The definition of success was too low, wasn't it?

  He really didn't know what the underlying reason was for Dennis's urgency. Dennis, who came from a good family background and had some natural talent in fashion design and cutting, simply had bad timing. Just as he was starting to make a name for himself, World War I broke out, and France was quickly pushed to the brink by Germany. Countless young Frenchmen hastily filled the meat grinder made up of machine guns, barbed wire, trenches, tanks, and heavy artillery, becoming vengeful spirits in the bottomless pit.

  Dennis was born with a timid heart, and he soon found an excuse to escape from France and arrived in China by mailboat. Although at that time China was also chaotic, with wars everywhere, even more chaotic than Europe, foreign nationals in China had extraterritorial rights, and the timid and ignorant Chinese people had long forgotten the grandeur of the Ming dynasty 300 years ago, which had a broad vision and a vast territory. The foreign guns and cannons of the Eight-Nation Alliance were nothing compared to the firecrackers that the Chinese set off during the New Year's celebrations, which were just as loud. Even the great cannons of the Ming dynasty, which were dug up from the alleys of Beijing 300 years later, were no worse than those of the invading British at that time! At the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasties, Dai Zong designed the flintlock gun, the repeating rifle, and the mother-child cannon. Then he was exiled to Shenyang by the great Emperor Kangxi, who claimed to "live for another 500 years", where he was tortured to death after 30 years of hunger and cold!

  Dennis found that there were many competitors in Shanghai, and there were also many Chinese-owned stores. As a young-looking Frenchman with no funds and no background, it was difficult for him to get a share of the limited market. So he moved again to Qingdao.

  The Japanese devils declared war on Germany when the Germans were trapped in the European battlefield, and then they came to "liberate Shandong" with their warships. The French also joined in, which made the French who stayed behind relatively better off. Denis came relatively early, so he only spent a little money to open this clothing store, but because the customer base was too small, it has been barely scraping by all these years.

  Today, he put his heart and soul into this trip, only to run into Chen Xiaoqi, a clumsy time-traveler who doesn't understand the current trends. With his keen eye for fashion and his understanding of the European market, especially Paris, the capital of fashion, he immediately determined that Chen Xiaoqi's value was enormous! Of course, he wouldn't think that just relying on this one product, the waistband, would make him rich; what he valued was the potential for future products. You have to know that although Chen Xiaoqi drew simple waistbands, they were all masterpieces! Every detail conformed to aesthetic standards, every curve and shape had been carefully selected. Just as he said, without a high level of skill and craftsmanship, it would be impossible to produce so many good things; Chen Xiaoqi must be a genius. So, what are the chances of success when cooperating with a genius?

  It's obviously very high. That's why he's so anxious to leave. A guy who fled the battlefield without any achievements would be ridiculed by everyone when he returns with his tail between his legs. Although the French have super thick skin and can easily surrender in a national war, and even voluntarily go to concentration camps without German supervision, it is undeniable that they also fear failure. A failed person, even if he goes to sleep with someone else's wife, will feel like he has no dignity.

  So today, no matter what the reason is, since he is so sure in his heart that this is an opportunity, then it must be seized.

  Chen Xiaoqi's social experience was not rich to begin with, and coupled with his lack of understanding of this era, no matter how careful he was, he would still inadvertently reveal things that didn't belong to this era. Wanting to completely conceal it was simply too difficult.

  Can't figure it out. Chen Xiaoqi couldn't convince himself, so he finally decided that this era's so-called fashion was just lacking like this, and maybe Dennis Craig had his own plans too, who knows if he could succeed? Heaven knows.

  So he pretended to be reserved and silent for a while, until Dennis was about to lose his composure. Then, slowly and deliberately, he put down the coffee cup, leaned back in his chair with ease, one hand resting on the armrest, gently swaying it, and raised his toes slightly as he spoke: "Mr. Craig, I must say that I admire your business acumen and reaction speed. Indeed, I need someone who is very familiar with Europe, especially Paris, France, as a partner to start my fashion product venture. It's quite fortunate that we met today, and I'm delighted to see that you appreciate my products, which makes me feel very happy. So, I think it would be a pleasure to work with you!"

  Dennis finally interjected, patting his chest and saying: "Everything you said is absolutely right, please trust my professional level and vision. I believe that with the cooperation of our two geniuses, we can definitely lead the direction of Paris fashion! We will be the most dazzling people! You know, I grew up in Paris, I am most familiar with it, you can't find a more suitable candidate than me! So, what do you plan to do, Mr. Chen?"

  Chen Xiaoqi's title finally has an upgrade, this feeling is very refreshing, so he can't help but reveal a smile on his face, and his voice is even more cheerful: "Hehe, this matter seems to be not that troublesome. You see if it's possible, I just returned from the US, so for a period of time, I don't want to travel such a long distance again. Since you have such a natural advantage in France, how about we first sign a cooperation agreement? I'll provide my own design and business strategy and philosophy, and you'll be responsible for going back to Europe to register the trademark and apply for patents. After completion, you can organize production and sales locally, and I'll propose reasonable suggestions at an appropriate time and continue to provide new designs. So, Mr. Craig, what percentage of shares should I hold?"

  Dennis felt strange, from the moment he saw Chen Xiaoqi, he had never thought of treating Chen Xiaoqi with an attitude and gaze towards a minor. Whether it was the first impression or the subsequent communication, it made him feel that this face looked like a high school student in China, but how could he be so familiar with society and socializing like an adult? Okay, even if he grew up in the US, when did American education become so advanced?! It's unbelievable! The principal of that school should be taken out and... (censored)! How evil, how can they educate students who make people feel suffocated?!

  Dennis let out a sigh, as if he had cooled down from the excitement and eagerness of just now. Now that they were talking about money, the other party only provided the design, leaving all the dirty and tiring work to him alone. This was something that required careful consideration. However, this was a bit too difficult for him, and for the time being, he really couldn't make up his mind.

  Chen Xiaoqi couldn't help but feel amused, as it turned out that when it came to money, people in this world were no different from those in any other time and space. No one wanted to be taken advantage of, and no one wanted to lose out. This was an extremely difficult decision, and whoever made the promise first would always feel like they were at a disadvantage.

  He chuckled and looked at Dennis, whose face was slightly flushed, with a profound gaze: "Mr. Craig, this is the case. I think that since you want to put in so much effort to do most of the work, I shouldn't be too greedy. How about this? The trademark registration belongs to me, the design belongs to our jointly established company, and then I will take 25% of the shares, on the condition that I guarantee to provide no less than a certain number of design schemes. What do you think?"

  Dennis was overjoyed! In his heart, he still thought Chen Xiaoqi would at least get half of the credit. It's worth noting that in this era where marketing gimmicks are extremely lacking, any product that wants to make a name for itself relies mainly on its own value, a new design concept and fashion trend. This is bound to require a large amount of pioneering design, which is an essential condition for success in the industrial age. If it were a Frenchman, they might drag this out for several months! So he quickly stood up, hastily grabbed Chen Xiaoqi's hand and shook it vigorously, excitedly saying: "Mr. Chen, I must admit you are too generous! Too refreshing! Please rest assured, your decision is absolutely correct! We should have a good drink to celebrate!"

  "Let's forget it, first I don't have suitable clothes, secondly I'm waiting for an important guest today, and thirdly, I think you should finish making my clothes first and then draft a contract to find a lawyer to notarize it, isn't that better?"

  Dennis said: "Yes, yes! You're absolutely right! So I'll go and do all of this right away! And your clothes will be made with the improvements you suggested, I think it's going to be a masterpiece!"

  Well, what was unbelievable outsider's opinion just now has become a professional design. It's really amazing how fast people's minds can change. Chen Xiaoqi hasn't dealt with many foreigners in his life, but he never thought it would be such an absurd scene. At this moment, he suddenly felt that the years he spent not studying hard in school were actually very useful!

  As they were talking, someone knocked on the door. Chen Xiaoqi called out to come in, and the door opened. Gao Zifu led the way, followed closely by Chen Shouting, the owner of Dahua Dyeing Factory, and behind him was a tall and straight young man with a handsome face.

  Mr. Chen wore a lined cotton-padded jacket with a straight collar, and on his feet were cloth shoes with thick soles, while the young man was dressed in a suit that was pressed to perfection, with shiny leather shoes, looking very dignified.

  Gao Zangfang bowed lower than Chen Xiaoqi had ever seen before, with a more genuine and warm smile on his face, saying in a friendly tone: "Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen the shopkeeper and Mr. Lu Jia have arrived."

  Very secretly, Chen Xiaoqi gave a wink to Dennis. Chen Xiaoqi chuckled and nodded at Dennis, then quickly got up and walked to the front of Chen Zhanggui, first grasping his hand and shaking it vigorously, affectionately calling out: "Sixth Brother! You're here!" Then he also gave Lu Xianrui a wink, saying: "Jiaru Ge, long time no see! How are you?"

  Mr. Lu was somewhat perplexed, being an honest man who didn't usually pretend, while Mr. Chen noticed the glance exchanged between Gao and Chen Xiaoqi, knowing that these two were up to something but not quite sure what, however upon seeing a foreigner inside he realized there must be some connection so without making a sound he discreetly poked Lu Jia with his finger, Mr. Lu suddenly came back to himself, hastily grabbed Chen Xiaoqi's hand and said with great joy: "Oh! Ah! It's you! It's been such a long time since we last met, how have you been?"

  Mr. Craig laughed happily beside him, "Mr. Lu, we meet again! I really didn't expect that you would have such an incredible friend, if I had known earlier, I should have invited you to drink earlier!"

  Lu Jiaju didn't know what was going on, stuck in the middle and muddled, yet unable to give the other party a clear answer, so he could only go along with it: "Where, where! I haven't seen my younger brother for a long time either, I don't even know what he looks like now. How? You guys seem to be chatting very happily."

  "Dennis exclaimed: "It's not just happy, it's extremely successful! I just made a big deal with your... uh... brother, and I think we should find a place to celebrate with a drink. Unfortunately, he has to stay here to wait for you all to arrive. I suppose you haven't seen each other in a long time either? So I won't disturb you anymore, and after a few days when Mr. Chen's clothes are ready, I'll invite you all to have a drink together again."

  "Alright then, Mr. Craig, let's settle on a week from now. We'll both have enough time to prepare everything we need. You can make sure my clothes are ready, this is the first step in our collaboration!"

  "Rest assured, Mr. Chen, I will personally make your clothes. My craftsmanship will surely amaze you. Well, I won't bother you anymore, goodbye." With that, he didn't say a word and gave Chen Xiaoqi two loud kisses on both cheeks.

  He did this and caught Chen Xiaoqi off guard, hastily pushing him away, blurting out: "Damn! You're also too unsanitary, right? Did you brush your teeth in the morning?"

  He spoke too quickly, and his family didn't even understand what he was saying. Dennis just thought he was politely bidding farewell, and with a loud laugh, he nodded at Mr. Chen and Mr. Lu, then took the clothes, cane, and top hat from Gao's hand and strode out the door.