Chapter 227 - The Value Of Expensive Or Priceless

"I don't mean to discourage your passion... but, may I speak something that is a little bit harsher? I hope you don't mind?" the old man paused and his tone become cautious.

Sofia shook her head ad replied, "Not at all. I'm all ears, sir."

"Ehem! I can clearly see the spark in your eyes, young lady. It's the same glow of enthusiasm back when me and my wife started to sell cakes. I'm glad to see a young talent joining the business industry!" the old man started softly.

"Thank you for the compliments. We just want to try and see how far our success could go," Sofia earnestly said while looking at the elder couple with a friendly gaze.

"Listen here, okay? I have been in this industry for so long. And we are quite successful. So, I must tell you this. Ahhm, consider this like a fatherly words or an elder giving you some speech," the old man continued.

Sofia just smiled and encourage him to finish his words. She could tell that the man was reluctant to speak. Perhaps, it was because she was young and he thought that the girl in front of her is fragile. That if he said something rude, she won't be able to handle it and he might destroy the dreams of the youth.

"Okay, I will just say it. Operating a business is a great decision. But, young lady, unreasonable cost of service will not give you a profit. Instead, it will end your business. That price you just said, 500,000 is not acceptable in this district. NOT ACCEPTABLE!" the old man said with a serious expression on his face. He was determined to change Sofia's mindset about the price.

His line of vision was switching from Sofia to Jing Jing as if it was hinting for Jing Jing to help him make Sofia realize his point. 

Over the years of operating his family business, he had understood the perspective of his consumer. People, in general, will neglect expensive things. They would prefer the affordable service rather than wasting money. 

Hence, the old man was concerned about Sofia's mindset and high ambition. He just assumed that because this business owner is young, maybe she was eager to earn money.

On the other side, Jing Jing scratched the back of her neck and felt a little helpless. She gentle nudged Sofia's arms and leaned closer to her. "Miss Sofia, most of the reception budget in our district can go from 300 to 500 dollars..." she whispered. This was the standard amount the other places had set. But for the Lee family, perhaps they were willing to extend this price by few thousand. 

However, let alone a thousand, her young lady boss is actually setting a six-digit price! The cost was enough to make anyone pale. But the young lady spoke of the numbers casually as if it was not a high price. 

"Sister Jing, I understand. Thank you for reminding me," Sofia calmly stated in a steady tone while glancing at Jing Jing.

"How about we adjust the cost to an affordable price?" Jing Jing suggested.

'In the corporate world, there is no benchmark of what is affordable and expensive. The thing is, people will spend their money willingly as long as you hook their interest,' Sofia secretly thought. But she just pursed her lips and smiled at Jing Jing. This kind of mindset is not something that a teenager like her would speak. If she will tell Jing Jing about it, the three people at the table will be suspicious of her.

"My husband is right. Young lady, it's fine to be enthusiastic about your business. But, you can't go over the top and demand a price without any consideration of the customers," the wife said to support her husband. The couple sounded sincere and they felt sympathetic to Sofia.

"I have made my consideration, ma'am," Sofia said.

"Ahhh... even if we will agree to your price, the Lee family will not agree to this. Do you think they are a fool to spend so much money just for the reception venue?" the wife said with a long sigh. Her husband rubbed her back and gently smiled at her. The young lady was too hard to convince no matter how they spoke to her.

"What do you think, young lady? Ms. Jing Jing is famous and knowledgeable in this place. How about you ask for her assistant in setting a price for your business?" the old man stated.

"The price is reasonable. Our business can provide modesty and luxury. I can assure you that I will help you facilitate the decoration of the place," Sofia spoke. In her past life, wealthy families who lived in district 2 were even more than willing to spend millions to have a luxurious wedding. The Lee and Clenne family, if she combined their wealth, would have the same net worth as those wealthy families in district 2. 

Unfortunately, the gap between district 2 and district 7 was indeed too big. And the people in district 7 had set a cheap labor cost in exchange for mediocrity. These people pay much attention to sentiments more than anything. 

It was not a bad thing, yet, Sofia also wanted to give them a different experience. Beyond the sentiments, there must be a regal gratification of the ceremony. 

Weddings in their place symbolize a lifetime union. It was more than just a contract in the paper. It involved real emotions. 

"Not reasonable at all! Young lady, I am sure that the Lee family will share the same reaction to us once they know about the price," the old man argued. This time, his wife was rubbing his back to comfort him.

"It's reasonable for me. But if you think it's not, I won't convince you to believe me. Anyway, there is a second option for us to settle," Sofia opened up while maintaining a cool composure.

"The second option? What is it?" the old man quickly asked.

"No payment," Sofia answered.

The moment Sofia spoke the word, the old man was about to sip his tea. But after hearing her answer, he directly choked and severely coughed.

At first, he was certain that Sofia was greedy for setting such a high cost for her business. But after hearing the second option, he was completely stunned. No payment!

"What do you mean?" his wife asked while he tried to calm himself.

"The groom and bride is my friend. Consider the reception as our gift for their wedding," Sofia answered.

"No way! In the eyes of the public, the powerful family of this district is bullying your business if we agree to no payment," the old man forced himself to speak his opinion.

"Young lady, what are you thinking? At first, you gave us the price of 500, 000. This amount is unacceptable. Now, you are saying there is no cost for the reception! Such arrangement is also improper! Are you here to waste time?!" the wife scolded Sofia.

"No, ma'am. The only resources that I would never waste are my time," Sofia softly replied. "As I said, it's not about profiting. This wedding would be my first customer. I have to build value for my business. About this price arrangement, what I have in mind is that the value could either be expensive or priceless," she finished.

'Expensive or priceless!' 

These two options seemed to linger in the thoughts of the three other people at the table. All their mouths were slightly opened as if the idea had just made them drop their jaw.

Such a concept of value was indeed something that no one in district 7 had ever thought. One option was directly hitting the money. The other option was grabbing customers which were also the lifeblood of a business. 

Of course, it was more profound than the three people could ever speculate. Providing a kind of service that is too precious that it could not be sold at any price. Not every business could offer it. Such commitment was too hard to achieve.

"Young lady, the moment you have dropped these options for your business cost, I almost had heart attacks. I told you to adjust the price but not this way! In theory, the value of a priceless service is indeed good for the customers. It's an act of charity. But, your business will also bankrupt. It's not also good for you since you are just about to start the operation of your business," the old man stated after taking a few breaths. His hands were pressed on his chest while he was trying to steady his emotions.

"I will keep that in mind, sir. You may choose which one is suitable for the wedding but please don't negotiate with the amount. This is the value of my business. As for whether the business will go bankrupt, I have my personal plans. I know what I am doing,"  Sofia muttered hinting that she was done. She would not explain further to the two elders about her decision. 

As the organizer of the wedding, it's up to them to decide which path they should choose. But under the façade of these options, the two elders suddenly came into one realization. 

The young lady in front of them had calculated the situation very well. It was not as simple as choosing between paying the reception or accepting its service freely. There was so much more to it.

"I'll have to make a call. Give me a few minutes," the old man spoke and stood from his seat. 

His wife also took a stand and inhaled some air. "I'll tell the kitchen to prepare the table for lunch. Please join us," she invited.

Sofia and Jing Jing nodded but did not speak anything.. They just look at the two figures as they entered their house.