8: Chapter 8: After settling things with the branch office, trouble arises domestically.

Five minutes later, the young vendor was brought to the restaurant. He had changed into a relatively clean shirt today, but his hands were trembling slightly from nervousness.

"Sit," Shen Fei said, gesturing to the seat opposite him. "Have you eaten?"

"I, I have eaten." The young man said this, but his eyes drifted involuntarily to the bread and fried eggs on the table.

Shen Fei nodded at the waiter, asking them to bring over that breakfast.

"Don't be polite, let's eat and chat. What should I call you?"

"Ade... Mr. Adebayo." The young man finally sat down.

"Sir, you clearly aren't an ordinary person. I thought about it all night yesterday; I'll do the partnership you mentioned!"

The waiter brought a new plate, and Mr. Adebayo hesitated for a moment before starting to eat at Shen Fei's signal. His movements were a bit reserved, but he wasn't slow. It seemed he was truly hungry.

Shen Fei waited until he had finished most of the meal before speaking slowly: "Mr. Adebayo, right? The situation has changed a bit today."

The young man's hand holding the fork paused, and his face instantly turned somewhat ugly. But he forced his emotions down, put down his cutlery, and straightened his back!

"Sir, if the terms have changed, I... I can make another concession. Although my stall is small, and you shouldn't judge me by my youth, I've worked at Bal Market for 5 years, learned to repair multiple series of phones, and know many people... I definitely have value, please don't give up on me."

"No, you've misunderstood," Shen Fei interrupted him with a smile. "It's actually better news for you."

Mr. Adebayo was stunned.

"After yesterday's discussions, Transsion has decided to implement a new model in Africa." Shen Fei leaned back slightly and placed his cutlery on the table.

"We are no longer planning to establish partnerships with large local distributors, but instead will directly cultivate a local team and build our own sales network."

The young man's eyes gradually widened, and his heart pounded... This opportunity seemed even more... more explosive than he had imagined.

He hadn't just grabbed a small opportunity; it was a chance to reach the sky.

"This means..." Shen Fei's pace slowed, but his words seemed to possess a certain magic, making Mr. Adebayo's breathing quicken.

"If you agree and pass my test, you will become Transsion's first officially signed employee in Nigeria. No longer a small vendor, nor an agent, but one of us, and Nigeria's employee number 001."

Mr. Adebayo swallowed hard, his breathing rapid as he said: "Si, Sir, what do you mean..."

"Initially, we plan to open 20 direct-operated stores in Lagos."

Shen Fei signaled for Li Qing to take out a document from the briefcase beside him.

"Location selection and renovation will be handled by headquarters, while you will be responsible for recruitment and daily operations. Of course, the company will provide financial support and training guidance. As long as you pass, you will be employee number 001 and possess significant authority."

He paused and looked at the young man: "However, this path will be very difficult. You will face suppression from existing distributors. To be honest, our negotiations with them yesterday were not that smooth; we even... had a falling out. If you agree, our security team will temporarily be responsible for your safety, but I hope that next time I come to Africa, you will have established your own security system and opened up a certain market share."

Mr. Adebayo stared blankly at the contract. The words "TECNO Nigeria Employment Contract" on the cover were exceptionally clear in the morning light.

"So these problems are my test." His voice trembled slightly.

"Yes. Actually, you've already passed the first test. That is your technical skill." Shen Fei nodded.

"But having technical skills only makes you an employee; to be a manager, you need more effort. If you can complete this task and prove you have the ability to handle things on your own, then..."

He flipped to the last page of the contract and pointed to the position line: "The position of General Manager of the Nigeria branch will be yours."

Silence! In the restaurant, there was only the faint sound of waiters moving back and forth in the distance.

Suddenly, Mr. Adebayo stood up abruptly, took two steps back, and amidst the surprised gazes of everyone, performed a standard traditional Nigerian salute—kneeling on one knee with his right hand over his chest.

"Sir! I, Mr. Adebayo, swear to Allah that I will never betray your trust." The young man's eyes turned red.

"I've been buying mobile phones at Bal Market for so many years, handled hundreds of models, and I know what kind of phones are suitable for Nigerians. I know where the foot traffic is high, how to deal with the police, and how to avoid gang extortion... I am willing to dedicate all this experience to Transsion."

Shen Fei signaled to the bodyguard beside him to help him up: "The contract term is three years, the base annual salary is 5,000 USD, and there are additional commissions for meeting performance targets. If you agree, you can sign now."

Mr. Adebayo barely looked at the specific terms, flipping directly to the signature page and signing his name with a trembling hand.

Whether it was the salary or the position, for him, it was equivalent to a complete turnaround.

After signing, he took a deep breath: "Sir, when do I start work?"

"Now," Shen Fei said, glancing at his watch. "At 8:00 sharp, the security team will accompany you to Bal Market to take inventory of your stock; handling that is your business. At 10:00 sharp, we will hold a meeting in the temporary office, where we will determine the locations for the first batch of stores."

"Yes!"

Watching Mr. Adebayo leave in excitement, Chen Hai asked in a low voice: "General Manager Shen, isn't it too risky to hand such a heavy burden to a street vendor we just met?"

"In Africa, the wisdom of the locals is more valuable than any market report," Shen Fei continued after finishing his last sip of tea. "We don't have time to do things step-by-step."

... Not long after he finished speaking, his phone rang. The caller ID showed Manager Li Xiuyun!

Shen Fei answered the phone, his expression gradually darkening.

"Young General Manager Shen, something has happened!" Manager Li Xiuyun's voice was urgent, but one could still hear a hint of schadenfreude.

"The three major distributors in our country have jointly issued a letter demanding that rebates be increased from 5% to 42%, otherwise they will immediately delist all Transsion products. Additionally, some media have already arrived at our factory, wanting to interview us and, incidentally, interview Old General Manager Shen."

"How much inventory is left in the warehouse?"

"There are about 300,000 units of the 100 series left, and around 150,000 units of other models. Based on the current shipping speed, it was originally enough to sell for three months, but if the distributors really delist everything... we..."