Chapter 32: Second Week Surprises
Feedback Loop
By the second week, Rui's feedback notebook was half full — and a little confusing.
Some riders were over the moon:
"I used to fill up every two days — now it's three!"
"My customers think I bought a rich man's bike."
Others had practical gripes:
"Gear shift a bit stiff in the mornings."
"Seat's slippery when it rains."
"Back rack still too small — tell that engineer of yours I mean small."
Rui chuckled while reading that one. "Alright, alright, I hear you," he muttered, jotting Extend rack by 10 cm.
But one comment stuck out:
The mail courier's chain had snapped after just nine days.
"That's not just bad luck," Rui said in the next team meeting. "Check the batch — could be supplier quality slipping."
Li Wei nodded grimly. "I'll handle it."
Haotian's "New" Model
Meanwhile, Haotian's "Tiger Lite" was splashed across posters in town.
Big red lettering:
"Power. Pride. Now Affordable!"
The photo looked suspiciously like the old Hawk 125 with new orange paint.
When Xu Lian showed the poster to Rui, he laughed.
"They didn't even change the exhaust pipe cover. Same scratch marks."
Still, it drew attention. Some riders hesitated, wondering if Haotian's bigger distribution meant safer parts supply.
Rui knew perception mattered — even if the truth was obvious.
The Dealer Visit
On Thursday, a man in a navy blazer walked into the factory floor, stepping carefully around scattered parts.
"I'm Liu Peng," he introduced himself, "I run a dealership in Wenzhou. I've been hearing about your new bike from… let's just say… unofficial channels."
Rui poured him tea in the small meeting room.
"I don't move on rumors," Liu Peng said, "but twenty riders in my area are saying your bike runs like a dream. If that's true, I want stock."
"How many?" Rui asked.
"Fifty units to start."
Li Wei nearly choked on his tea.
Rui glanced at the production calendar on the wall — they were barely hitting twenty a month at full speed.
"Fifty…" Rui said slowly, "might take time. But if you can wait, you'll get something real, not a painted-over leftover."
Liu Peng smiled. "I'd rather wait for steel than rush for tin."
Evening Reflection
That night, Rui sat on the factory steps, watching the workers file out.
The bikes weren't perfect. The line was slow. The competition was loud.
But he could feel it — Kaiyuan's wheels were finally turning faster.
"Fifty units," he murmured, half to himself.
"Guess we'd better make room."