Chapter 14: The Bitterness Nearly Killed Me

"Chairman, you have to find a way to resolve this issue, or it will really drive us crazy!" Shen Yuequn grew more uneasy the longer he thought about it after returning home, so he called Huang He.

As chairman, Huang He naturally had a mobile phone for himself, and he had also handed out his business card to all the workers, so Shen Yuequn could reach him immediately.

"I’m already aware of your concern, but I need some time to think it over. I promise I’ll give you all an answer tomorrow," Huang He said over the phone.

The key here was that Huang He said "all of you," which meant that Shen Yuequn wasn’t the only one facing this problem. In fact, more than half the workers had already reported the same issue to Huang He; the rest either felt embarrassed to call or simply hadn’t started selling yet.

This problem had actually been brought to Huang He’s attention three days ago. At first, he didn’t think much of it and simply issued a strict order: ignore those people, refuse returns, and deny exchanges.

But by today, over fifty people had called to report the same problem. Many said that those demanding returns were seriously affecting the sales of the blind boxes, a situation Huang He had not anticipated.

Upon careful reflection, Huang He realized that he had indeed failed to consider the situation thoroughly.

He had blindly tried to apply the blind box strategies of Bandai and Pop Mart to his own leather goods, but he had overlooked some significant differences between the products.

Whether it was Bandai or Pop Mart, in essence, their products were toys or collectibles. There was no such thing as an unusable item; whoever bought one could always make use of it.

Leather goods, however, were different. Leather bags and belts had quite broad compatibility; as long as a leather jacket wasn’t too far off in size, one could still throw it over their shoulders and make do.

But leather shoes were another matter. If the size was off by more than two sizes, they were basically unwearable. Apart from giving them away, there were hardly any other options.

Naturally, this led to a flood of refund requests.

One or two might not matter, but when a large number appeared, it directly impacted sales, the staff’s morale, and the very future of the blind box business.

After all, shoes had become the star attraction in the blind boxes, the main incentive for buyers to try their luck. If the shoes they received couldn’t be worn, their allure would drop sharply, casting doubt on the future viability of the blind box venture.

This was a problem never faced by blind boxes in the past, but now Huang He was racking his brains over how to solve it.

He had been pondering this from morning, when Leng Zhiruo came to bother him, until dusk, yet still hadn’t found a good solution.

In fact, there were only a few possible ways to solve the issue.

The first was to give up on shoes and replace the main attraction with other more universally usable items, like bags. This would work, except that the warehouse was still filled with millions worth of shoes. He couldn’t just leave them unsold.

The second option was to allow customers to exchange for shoes in their size. But that wasn’t realistic, as each booth would then have to keep hundreds of pairs of shoes in various sizes and styles, creating endless logistical headaches.

The third was to accept returns, refunding ten yuan for returned shoes and simply boxing them up to resell as blind boxes. This was perhaps the only feasible method, and the company wouldn’t suffer any losses.

But this didn’t address the root of the problem. If a customer received only ten yuan back for a pair of shoes, it was neither a win nor a loss. Yet, to get a pair of shoes, a customer might have bought ten blind boxes, essentially wasting ninety yuan. If the shoes fit, it was fine, but if they didn’t and only ten yuan was refunded, the blow to their morale was crushing.

This would kill the blind box market just the same.

After a whole day of agonizing, Huang He had found no solution, leaving him utterly drained.

"Maybe I should just run away with my sister-in-law," Huang He sighed, rubbing his temples. At that moment, the office door opened and Leng Zhiruo walked in, her cheeks tinged with red. "Brother-in-law, my mother is calling you home for dinner."

"Home for dinner?" Huang He was momentarily stunned. In recent days, he had sorted through the memories of the original Huang He.

His original home was gone; both his parents and wife had passed away. Now, his real home was his mother-in-law’s place.

After his wife died, he hadn’t returned to his own house for half a year. Every corner was filled with memories, with traps for his emotions. He couldn’t last more than a few minutes before tears overwhelmed him.

So he stayed at the company or in a hotel. When his mother-in-law found out, she started inviting him over every few days for meals and rest. Gradually, her home became his home.

"But I promised the workers I wouldn’t leave until they were paid…" Huang He hesitated.

"Don’t worry, Brother-in-law, the workers have already seen your attitude and actions. They’ve stopped keeping an eye on you. Haven’t you noticed? There’s not a single worker watching downstairs anymore," Leng Zhiruo said with a smile.

"In that case, let’s go home. If I stay here any longer, I’ll turn into pickled vegetables—old-style pickled greens at that," Huang He replied.

"You’re exaggerating."

"If you don’t believe me, come and smell for yourself?" Huang He said instinctively, stepping closer. Leng Zhiruo, also acting on impulse, took a step forward and pressed her nose to his shirt, gently flaring her nostrils.

In truth, Huang He smelled quite nice. His office had a shower, and every morning Leng Zhiruo brought him freshly laundered, neatly folded, and scented clothes to change into. Of course, there was a scent—her favorite aroma.

Leng Zhiruo lingered for a few breaths, her face pressed against him.

"Zhiruo!" Huang He’s voice trembled with a hint of husky intimacy. Startled, Leng Zhiruo leapt away like a frightened rabbit, exclaiming, "It really is too sour! I’m going to faint! Let’s hurry home!"

And with that, she darted off like a rabbit herself.

Oh my, it’s too much for me!