For foreign trade apparel, using foreign models is relatively better, but foreign models are too expensive now.
In these years, China was still synonymous with backwardness, so not many foreigners came here to seek their fortune.
The change in external perception all began with the 2008 Olympic Games.
Taobao is far from forming an industrial chain; photography bases, live streaming bases are completely non-existent.
Finding foreign models for shoots is not only expensive but also quite troublesome.
Students like Gu Qingqing, with their tall figures, are the most cost-effective.
They are convenient and cheap, only requiring 200 yuan a day, and can complete photo shoots for multiple outfits.
However, today's shoot was a bit of a loss, as only two outfits were photographed.
Never mind, just consider it a New Year's Day benefit.
At 3 PM, Gu Qingqing finished her day's shooting task.
While tidying her belongings, she pondered how to extract information from Tan Jincheng.
Being a clothing model was not as simple as she initially imagined, and the 200 yuan was not easy to earn.
Yiwu already had a developed small commodity market; if she could understand the operating model of a Taobao store, she could also open an online shop.
For example, small accessories that girls like, when sourced from Yiwu, have terrifyingly low costs.
Items sold by weight, bought by piece, would yield enormous profits if sales channels were opened.
This way, she would be able to cover her university expenses and wouldn't have to secretly come out to do part-time jobs.
Her family didn't approve of part-time jobs.
After packing her belongings, Gu Qingqing flashed what she considered a sweet smile and said to Tan Jincheng,
"Boss Tan, I don't want these two down jackets today; they're too valuable."
Following previous practice, Tan Jincheng would leave the clothes used for shooting to Gu Qingqing for her to take and dispose of, considering it a benefit beyond her payment.
Although Gu Qingqing wanted to earn money, she also had her principles.
The previous clothes were mostly summer wear, and the most valuable were only thin autumn clothes; taking them wasn't a big deal, as they weren't worth much.
But these two down jackets today were clearly quite valuable and couldn't be taken casually.
What Gu Qingqing said surprised Tan Jincheng; he thought to himself that this girl was quite sensible and understood boundaries.
"They are a bit more expensive than the previous ones, but the cost price is still acceptable. Take them, they're perfect for wearing now."
These two down jackets were actually mainly for the domestic market.
Seeing Taobao store business getting better and better, Tan Jincheng wanted to test the waters with these two down jackets to see if he could stabilize customer traffic.
Gu Qingqing was tall, and whether it was a long or short down jacket, they both looked exceptionally fitting on her.
Wearing a down jacket and walking on campus was also a form of advertisement.
Women's shopping triggers are different from men's; when they see others wearing nice clothes, they tend to think about buying them.
Later generations referred to this as "planting seeds."
"Isn't that inappropriate?"
Gu Qingqing hesitated.
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. If you feel bad, just help me promote them among your classmates, and I'll break even if I sell two more."
Tan Jincheng smiled.
After a slight hesitation, Gu Qingqing accepted the two outfits:
"Alright then, thank you, Boss Tan. But to thank Boss Tan, how about I treat you to coffee?"
"Treat me to coffee? Are you sure?"
Tan Jincheng asked, puzzled.
"Yes, Boss Tan let me earn extra money and gave me the clothes, so consider it my thanks to you,"
Gu Qingqing said with a smile.
However, it still pained her a bit; Starbucks was terribly expensive, and two cups of coffee would eat up a third of her day's wages.
Seeing Gu Qingqing's evasive manner, Tan Jincheng also smiled.
That expression was too familiar; wasn't it the look of someone wanting to ask a favor but feeling too embarrassed to speak?
"You have something to ask me, don't you?"
"Ah? No, no, it's mainly to thank Boss Tan,"
Gu Qingqing quickly replied.
Immediately after, she added softly,
"And by the way, I have something I'd like to ask Boss Tan about, if Boss Tan is available."
It was only a little past three, and there were no urgent matters in the afternoon, so Tan Jincheng agreed to Gu Qingqing's request.
"Let's go, there's a Starbucks over there, we can sit for a while."
Today was New Year's Day, the first day of 2005.
Although it was freezing cold, pedestrians on the streets were still bustling.
The pedestrian street, dominated by student consumption, was filled with various restaurants and clothing stores.
In this era, where physical stores were the main form of consumption, business was exceptionally brisk.
Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing maintained a certain distance, walking side by side, slowly heading towards Starbucks.
Women's visual height appears slightly taller than men's.
From behind, Tan Jincheng, at 175 cm, looked slightly shorter than Gu Qingqing, at 168 cm.
This led some confused university students behind them to secretly grumble about a beautiful flower being stuck in cow dung, wondering why she found a boyfriend shorter than herself.
Yongcheng was not short of wealthy people, even among the student population.
And with it being a holiday, Starbucks was bustling with people.
Tan Jincheng glanced at the queue and said to Gu Qingqing,
"Go find a seat, I'll order. What would you like to drink?"
"I'll order, I said I'm treating."
"No need, how can I let a young girl like you order? I'll treat you. What would you like to drink?"
What young girl?
You talk as if you're much older, aren't you just one year older than me?
Is being rich such a big deal?
"A Mocha then, thank you, Boss Tan."
Speaking of which, Gu Qingqing's only two cafe experiences were both brought by Tan Jincheng.
Her previous talks with Boss Tan about shooting, accompanied by her senior, were all at Starbucks.
Boss Tan always ordered a Mocha.
Today, Gu Qingqing also wanted to try what a Mocha tasted like; she had never had one before.
"Oh, if only my senior sister were here, she knows more than I do."
Gu Qingqing found a corner seat and sat down.
Tan Jincheng was responsible for ordering.
About ten minutes later, Tan Jincheng walked up to Gu Qingqing, carrying a tray.
Gu Qingqing saw that besides two cups of coffee, there was also a small slice of cake on the tray.
"I don't know if you like it, but have something to tide you over first."
Having eaten a bento box for lunch, Tan Jincheng wasn't particularly hungry since he didn't have to work.
Gu Qingqing, who had been posing for several hours, was indeed a bit hungry now.
This person was quite thoughtful.
Taking the cake, Gu Qingqing softly said,
"Thank you."
Then she added, somewhat embarrassed,
"I said I would treat, but I ended up letting Boss Tan pay."
Waving his hand, Tan Jincheng said nothing.
Nowadays, he was a person with hundreds of thousands in assets.
How could he really let a young girl treat him, especially since she had been working for him today?
Seeing Gu Qingqing eating the cake in small bites, Tan Jincheng didn't say anything either.
After taking a sip of coffee, he looked out the window.
A moment later, Gu Qingqing put down her spoon and glanced at Tan Jincheng.
"Alright, what did you want to talk about?"
(End of Chapter)
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