Darkstone Code-Chapter 949 - 947: You Win

In a roadside store, the owner rested his chin in his hand, staring at the empty counter. Seven or eight people came wanting to buy Every Moment tobacco today, but there was none. These people all left.

He even tried to keep them in the store and kindly reminded them that other cigarettes had good flavor, too, but still, they all left.

People can sometimes be pretentious, or you could say they’re low.

Back when Every Moment was fine, maybe some people never bought it at all. After all, the price of Every Moment tobacco is relatively ten to twenty percent higher than other brands of the same tier.

But now that Every Moment has cut supply, these people have joined the ranks of avid Every Moment searchers, trying to find places to buy it and taste its flavor.

This is also related to a rumor circulating in the market, saying that Every Moment might disappear from the tobacco industry, and if people who haven’t tried Every Moment don’t try it now, they might really miss out for good!

This rumor carries some sentiment, some guidance, some incitement, and altogether it succeeded, making even those who didn’t plan to smoke Every Moment want to buy a pack or even a carton.

To smoke themselves, or as a memento, for it represents an era.

This is also a strategy used by Shi Haoyun and other tobacco companies. Using this small strategy, smokers will spontaneously clear out their last remaining stock.

Such a small tactic yields great effects, and it also quickly guides uncertain store owners toward other tobacco companies.

After all, every departing customer means a loss of previously expected profit.

The store owner signed on the authorization form after a salesperson convinced him, as the other party promised to help fight for more commission for him and invalidate his previous contract with Every Moment.

Initially, influenced by the salesperson’s persuasion, the store owner firmly agreed with this approach to defending his own rights, but as time passed, he started to feel uneasy.

After all, Every Moment is such a big company, and individual power could hardly withstand its waves.

Just as he regretted his actions, suddenly three young people entered the shop, and he immediately stood up and looked at these people.

"Are you the store owner?" The young man at the front, who looked about twenty-three or four years old, asked as he walked in.

The store owner hesitated and nodded, "Yes, I am...", meanwhile placing his hand under the counter, where there was a shotgun.

The young man glanced at his hand but said nothing, instead smiling, "Great, I’m from the court staff, here’s my ID..."

He swiftly displayed his ID in front of the store owner without letting him see it clearly before putting it away.

Then he took out another document, "You’ve commissioned a lawyer for a case, the defendant is Every Moment for breaching the contract, correct?"

The store owner nodded. He actually didn’t know the specifics; the salesperson hadn’t told him about the follow-up.

Now that the young man brought it up, he trusted the man’s identity because only he, the salesperson, and his wife knew about this matter; he hadn’t told anyone else.

Thinking of this, his expression grew tense, "What’s the matter?"

"You won the case." The young man said with a smile, "After the trial, the judge ruled in your favor, and as soon as Every Moment pays the compensation, no later than fourteen days, the bank will notify you about the transfer information."

"Today, I’m here because your lawsuit mentioned the counter issue. Every Moment is willing to remove the counter, and the ones behind me are here for that."

The counter was custom-made by Every Moment, which retained ownership, it was freely rented to the store for usage due to contract relations.

Now Every Moment admitted defeat in the lawsuit, they ended the contract, and naturally, they have to take the counter away.

Upon hearing this, the owner was pleasantly surprised, "Really, you came at just the right time!"

He also smiled.

If the Every Moment counter could be taken away, he could organize another counter to come up, maybe changing the current situation—those buying cigarettes wouldn’t leave for somewhere else.

Moreover, another serious issue was that, under contract, Every Moment’s counter couldn’t be used for other purposes; it could only hold Every Moment tobacco products.

This left the first section of the counter empty, unattractive, and easily made people think the business was in poor shape. Now these problems were resolved.

"When can it be moved?" He cooperatively asked.

"Now, I’m here to supervise their work, don’t worry, it will only take a short while."

The store owner took out a pack of cigarettes from the fourth section of the counter and handed it over, "Then should it be..."

The young man nodded, and the two men behind him started pushing the counter out and loaded it onto a truck.

Watching the counter being moved away, the store owner felt completely relaxed; winning the case meant it was out of his hands now.

He now felt very calm and cheerful, especially because Shi Haoyun’s salesperson promised their counter would soon be delivered, and then he could earn a sanitary bonus again every month or quarter.

For him, there’s no loss at all, and he solved a problem; it’s the best choice.

Besides, even if Every Moment gets stock again in the future, he can still obtain it from the distributors. Nobody will ignore profits.

After about twenty minutes, all three counters were moved away. The young man from the court also requested to take a photo, saying it’s for the record to ensure the execution was completed.

The shop owner naturally did not object to this. He even cooperated by standing inside the counter, looking at the camera as if he were very dedicated.

After the flash and shutter sounds, the young man shook hands with the shop owner and left.

This scene occurred in many places, especially in the South, as Sabin City is located in the south-central area, while the North might take a few more days.

Beyond this, a large number of court summonses flooded Every Moment’s mailbox like snowflakes in a blizzard. The less Every Moment retaliated sharply, the more rampant other tobacco companies became. Those stores that had signed counter contracts with Every Moment also leaned more toward other tobacco companies.

Within Every Moment, there was also some instability.

After all, if something indeed went wrong with the company, it might have to declare bankruptcy, restructure, or be directly split up, which would be a heavy blow to any employee.

The thirty-year social insurance payment system has left middle-aged and older employees disadvantaged in the job market. If they lose their current job, it could mean they might miss out on their pension.

That’s why some older employees have already started sending out resumes, preparing to transition to other companies.

In this regard, Lynch doesn’t seem to have any plans to intervene.

The former president’s secretary is also worried. She recently lay with her department’s manager, and now that manager plans to jump ship, leaving her very hurt.

Repeatedly being taken advantage of, she felt she was the company’s most miserable and aggrieved person.

Just before getting off work in the evening, the manager suddenly found her, "Come out with me this evening."

The former female secretary was a bit unwilling, "I’m not convenient today; my boyfriend is here."

The manager looked around and pushed her into a corner, "Do you know about ’Diverse’?"

The former female secretary nodded, knowing the three major tobacco giants of the Federation: Every Moment, Shi Haoyun, and Diverse.

Diverse is an authentic local brand, but its brand strategy is relatively conservative. Although it doesn’t perform particularly well in tobacco industry revenue rankings, it is stable and has a group of loyal customers.

After listening, the manager’s face showed a bit of a smile, "I’ve talked to Diverse. They’re very interested in me; they might agree to my joining them."

"But this isn’t a hundred percent confirmed yet. I still need to engage a bit, and I hope you can help me!"

The manager looked at the former president’s secretary, his tone sincere, "After I settle in, I’ll bring you over too. There’s definitely no problem with that. By then, you’d be my personal secretary; wouldn’t that be much better than your current situation?"

The former president’s secretary hesitated a bit. If being taken advantage of a few times could indeed exchange for a stable job, it unquestionably seemed worth it.

Seeing her hesitation, the manager upped the ante, "I’ll give you two thousand extra..."

He felt a little pain in his heart, but there was no choice. After all, the identity of the former president’s secretary was quite valuable.

Just like women, those roadside girls seeking help might only need twenty or thirty bucks to solve some troubles.

But the former president’s secretary is worth at least two thousand; her identity could make the people at Diverse recognize his "energy."

If he could drag the former president’s secretary down with him, who knows, he might have some special secrets of Every Moment in his hands.

Hearing the money, the former president’s secretary reacted, "Five thousand, not a penny less."

The manager, a bit exasperated, "You’re no better than a prostitute, and prostitutes don’t cost as much as you!"

The former president’s secretary was indifferent; she had long been accustomed to being taken advantage of. When the former president was around, she was only taken by one person.

Now, after shifting into the department, all the heads in the department could take her, and she hadn’t much choice.

If she resisted, as long as they handled it officially, she wouldn’t be able to stick around here, and she’d already come to terms with it.

Facing the supervisor’s dissatisfaction, she didn’t falter and sharply retorted, "But if you see me as a prostitute, you have to pay accordingly."

The manager paced back and forth a few steps, finally gritting his teeth, "Alright, but don’t cause any trouble, or I won’t let you have it easy!"

The former president’s secretary snorted softly, considering it just as being bitten by a few dogs today, at least she’d get some money.

Before, she had been taken advantage of so many times without earning a cent!