In the conference hall, Song Yu and the other stewards who could attend were all present.

It was Qin Yao’s first time stepping into this brand-new and spacious conference hall, featuring a classical brick-and-wood structure, grand and elegant. It was hard to imagine such a house existing in a small mountain village.

Liu the carpenter’s aesthetic sense was indeed online. Qin Yao secretly felt satisfied, thinking that bringing Liu the carpenter back to help set up the new factory was definitely the best decision this year.

In the wide conference hall, there was a huge long table across the room, its surface made from a complete ancient wood.

Surrounding it were natural wooden stools made from various roots, uniformly coated with clear lacquer, giving off a warm natural wood color.

Qin Yao sat at the main seat, and went straight to the point.

"I think everyone has already heard the good news from the Capital City. I’m as happy as all of you, but let’s put the celebration aside for a moment."

Qin Yao smiled at Yun Niang and the others, "We have to deliver the second batch of goods to Fulong Trading Company by the end of the year. Calculate how many Lady’s Boxes we can produce for delivery now."

Yun Niang and Liu Zhong from procurement immediately began calculating, eventually arriving at a fairly accurate number.

Liu Zhong said, "Subtracting the time spent on delivery, we still have October and November, these two full months for production. Yun Niang and I roughly estimated that with our current pace, the entire factory working without breaks, we can produce more than two thousand six hundred book boxes."

"However!" Yun Niang seriously added, "The embroideresses at the embroidery workshop might not be able to keep up, we need to hire more staff. Also, regarding the jade factory, although we have stocked some of the same color jade, unifying the color might result in about thirty percent of the book boxes being of varied colors."

After listening to the two, everyone present frowned.

They all knew the selling price of the Lady’s Box. According to usual experience, the more the better; the more you earn, the better, instead of ending up like the Divine Power Book Box, which couldn’t keep up, making it difficult to earn more money in the future.

But if quality can’t be unified, the brand would be ruined, and naturally, it couldn’t be done that way.

Liu Qi, somewhat anxious, asked, "Then how many high-quality Lady’s Boxes can we actually deliver?"

Yun Niang regretfully said, "If we don’t hurry to recruit more at the embroidery workshop, conservatively estimated, one thousand five or six hundred boxes."

Even so, the embroideresses would have to work tirelessly, day and night.

Of course, more work means more pay, the silver would not be less than deserved.

Everybody looked with apprehension at Qin Yao, expecting her to be dissatisfied with the figures.

But unexpectedly, Qin Yao sighed deeply and said, "Too much."

Upon hearing her finish speaking, the stewards all appeared puzzled, and Qin Yao felt even more troubled, thinking they are all straightforward people.

She initially wanted to test how strong their brand awareness was, but it turned out to be non-existent.

However, Shunzi suddenly raised his hand, indicating he had something to say.

Qin Yao nodded, signaling him to speak.

Shunzi, a bit anxious, said, "As we all know, rarity enhances value. If we deliver over a thousand Lady’s Boxes all at once, would anyone still spend one hundred taels of silver to buy it?"

Everyone present understood very well that the cost of a Lady’s Box was not even eight taels of silver. Even accounting for the commission to Fulong Trading Company, it was still a huge profit.

No matter how excellently they are crafted, they are still fabric, jade, and wood.

Shunzi sincerely suggested, "I think delivering just five hundred boxes is enough, and they should be crafted slower and more meticulously, ensuring each is made to perfection. Less but finer, making people desire them but unable to get them, is the way to go for the long-term."

Shunzi had always been responsible for external affairs at the factory and occasionally joined Liu Bai’s convoy to the Prefecture for contact with Fulong Trading Company’s steward, having heard a bit about Qin Yao’s high-end brand sales model.

Upon first hearing it, he thought the idea was brilliant, and after witnessing the fervor for the first batch of Lady’s Boxes, he hoped to see this brilliant idea fully implemented.

"Everyone shouldn’t just think about seizing the chance for a fortune, steady progress is the truth," thought Shunzi, wishing to work at the stationery factory for a lifetime.

"Shunzi is right!" Liu Fei stood up, suggesting cautiously, "Manager Qin, I think five hundred boxes are too many, maybe we should deliver just one hundred this time."

"Then produce another hundred for reserves, let Manager Yun think of new color schemes and create new designs. We’ll launch them in the spring and only in the spring, each year, offering such a batch only at set times, making people eager but unable to buy, waiting in anticipation..."

This suggestion caused the stewards to frown tighter, thinking who would crazily wait such a long time for their product?

Yet Yun Niang noticed that Manager Qin’s expression was growing softer, her gaze at Liu Fei filled with surprise.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she followed Liu Fei’s train of thought, suddenly realizing people might indeed be cheap – the less obtainable something is, the more they want it!

Moreover, in recent years she had encountered many wealthy merchants and nobles, for whom spending dozens or hundreds of taels was akin to ordinary people spending a few cents, not worried about high prices, only afraid they couldn’t spend it.

"This is very good," murmured Yun Niang, "Who says varied-colored jade isn’t another form of exclusivity?"

Inspiration struck, Yun Niang couldn’t wait a moment longer. Without regard for still being at the conference table, she suddenly left her seat and rushed to her workspace.

Once Liu Fei had finished his proposal and received high recognition and praise from Qin Yao, Yun Niang returned with two fresh, warm sketches.

These days, a carpenter may not know how to write, but they must be skilled at drawing!

A Lady’s Box in fresh green and white colors, and one in a brown-gray-black mix, unfolded clearly before everyone’s eyes as the papers spread.

Perhaps back then Yun Niang didn’t know the concept of a product series, but she was already developing such an awareness, marking the two sketches with the same "I" symbol, and adding their names after "I."

The first model sent to the Capital City, the black-lacquered Lady’s Box with mother-of-pearl inlay, was named I. Dai.

Now, these two new sketches were named [I. Spring] and [I. Cang].

In the conference hall, this bunch of men couldn’t help feeling a bit intrigued by the new color Lady’s Boxes.

"I find them very appealing," Qin Yao asked the group with surprise, "What do you all think?"

Everyone nodded in agreement, greatly admiring Yun Niang’s creative color schemes.

Yun Niang modestly said, "I owe it to Liu Fei’s idea, otherwise, I wouldn’t have thought of these."

Liu Fei graciously accepted the praise, grinning and continuing to share his thoughts, knowing that whether to adopt them or not was up to Qin Yao.

"I think we can also illustrate a story, turning it into a booklet to accompany each Lady’s Box."

Qin Yao was surprised once again, looking at Yun Niang.

Yun Niang waved her hand, "I can’t draw the pictures for a booklet."

Liu Bai laughed, "Isn’t there a scholar in the village? Why not let them try? They could also earn some silver for ink and paper."

Qin Yao was inspired, that’s right, the village resources should be fully utilized!