Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 759 Field Investigation
July 3rd, Tuesday, the tenth day of the sixth lunar month.

A British-made Trident passenger plane broke through the clouds and landed smoothly on the runway of Baiyun Airport.

The shuttle bus pulled up its gangway and stopped at the cabin door. Only then did the flight attendants open the door, and passengers with their luggage filed out.

A moment later, Chen Fan, carrying a homemade sheepskin backpack and with his hands in his pockets, followed the crowd down the gangway.

Zhou Yali followed closely behind, followed by Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili.

The four of them went down to the ground. Jiang Lili looked around and was quite surprised. "I thought Guangzhou summers would be especially hot, but it turns out it's not that hot."

Jiang Tiantian nodded gently, "It feels about the same as when I came here in March or April."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "It's still a bit hotter than back then, but to be honest, although the temperature in Guangdong is high in summer, it's not that bad. The heat doesn't feel as intense as in the Jiangnan region."

Zhou Yali nodded knowingly, "Yeah, it's not as hot as Hong Kong."

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. This was simply incomparable. Hong Kong already had the urban heat island effect, while Guangzhou, although currently one of the leading metropolises in China, didn't have many skyscrapers. The city center was mainly concentrated in the Yuexiu area. Even under the same weather, the temperature would be two or three degrees lower than in Hong Kong, not to mention the air circulation, making it feel even colder.

However, this is only true now. Half a century from now, the urban and suburban areas will be two completely different experiences.

Looking at the crowd heading towards the exit, Zhou Yali said, "Let's get off the train first. I forgot to ask where they're picking us up."

Chen Fan looked around, then suddenly pointed to a Hongqi sedan not far away and said, "Isn't that one?"

Zhou Yali immediately looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a man wearing a white shirt, green military pants, leather sandals, and a hat even in this hot weather, holding up a sign with a few words written on it.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a message to "receive Ms. Zhou Yali".

She jumped up in a flash, grabbed Chen Fan's arm and walked over there, laughing, "You've even brought them to the tarmac, isn't that great?"

Chen Fan gestured to Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian, and was pulled forward by them. He couldn't help but purse his lips and say, "They're all so enthusiastic, and you still insist on dragging me here for an on-site inspection. It's completely unnecessary."

In the past two months, besides her regular work at the telecommunications company, Zhou Yali spent her time discussing with Chen Fan the possibility of setting up a factory in mainland China.

To be precise, the question is whether it is necessary, and if so, how to proceed if the decision is made to invest in and set up a factory.

In May, Zhou Zhengdong reached an agreement and a preliminary agreement with Guangdong.

The agreement stipulated that the program-controlled switchboard would be brought in advance, but the payment would proceed as planned. The condition for the exchange was that Zhou Zhengdong's company would receive certain preferential treatment during the Canton Fair in the next three years.

Compared to recovering a small portion of the funds six months to a year in advance, Zhou Zhengdong had almost no resistance to this condition.

The Zhou family's companies originally started with trade, especially domestic products, which were the foundation of their business. However, after the 50s, it became relatively difficult to obtain certain domestic specialties.

If the Canton Fair can be used to rebuild the original goods framework, it will bring countless benefits to the Zhou family.

Don't assume that domestic products are not competitive internationally now; it depends on what they are.

For some light industrial products, they have always been popular abroad because of their "high quality and low price". So even in some years, when very strict conditions for participation were set, tens of thousands of traders still signed up to participate in the trade fair.

In addition, traditional "southern goods and northern goods" are also highly regarded in overseas Chinese communities and have always been sought-after products.

This is because the domestic gay community lacks awareness of economics, which is why such conditions are offered.

Otherwise, let alone just installing it six months in advance, even asking Zhou Zhengdong to give away a piece of equipment for free wouldn't be out of the question.

Based on this, and adhering to the principle of friendly exchange, Zhou Zhengdong reached a preliminary agreement with the province and gladly accepted the invitation from the provincial leaders. He planned to invest in and set up a factory at an appropriate time, naturally in Shekou, Shenzhen, the first industrial zone in China.

Although Zhou Yali was in Shanghai, she would communicate with her father by phone every few days. After learning about the relevant situation, she insisted that Chen Fan accompany her to Shekou for an on-site inspection.

Chen Fan was a little suspicious that this might be Zhou Zhengdong's idea. After all, he was in Guangzhou, and it wouldn't take much effort for him to go and take a look. Why did he have to make Zhou Zhengdong go there?

He originally wanted to have a good talk with Zhou Yali and tell her that there was no need to conduct an on-site inspection of this industrial zone. Shekou was just a wasteland now, with nothing but the China Merchants Group building a port there.

Even if an investment is to be made, it won't be finalized until next year at the earliest.

However, Zhou Yali argued that this was their company's first physical factory, and they couldn't be careless. They needed to have a sense of ceremony, and on-site inspections and negotiations on preferential treatment were essential.

Chen Fan suspected that she just wanted to drag him out to play, but he had no proof.

Finally, unable to resist her persistent requests, he had no choice but to agree to accompany Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian to conduct their inspection during their summer vacation.

So, the school let out for a holiday the day before yesterday, I spent the whole day preparing yesterday, and flew to Guangzhou today.

Fortunately, the province arranged a car and a driver to accompany him; otherwise, running around on inspections in this day and age would have driven him crazy.

As Zhou Yali walked towards the driver who was picking her up, her mood suddenly plummeted again. She pouted and said, "Brother, why do we have to have their people accompany us? Aren't you worried that they'll only take us to see the good things, and that won't be a comprehensive view?"

Chen Fan pursed his lips and said, "What you're saying, I've already told you, and your dad has said it too, that place is just a wasteland. You're worried they'll only take us to see the good ones? The key question is, is there anything good there now?"

Zhou Yali's lips twitched slightly, and she remained silent.

She also talked to her father on the phone, and of course mentioned the issues that Chen Fan had raised before.

But what's the key point? Since you have so much confidence in the development of the mainland, and these factories were only established because of you, why bother setting up factories in places like South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore first?

Then, after a few years, they moved to the mainland again?
It's totally unnecessary.

We can just have a tough time for the first two years.

But it's only the workers who suffer; what does it have to do with them?

Besides, she had heard about it when she chatted with Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian, and she had also seen it with her own eyes when she took her younger brother shopping.

Shanghai is now filled with idle young people, which shows that there is a large-scale labor surplus in the mainland. Under such circumstances, as long as we negotiate with the mainland, we don't need to go through the trouble of recruiting workers as we do in other places.

They can send hundreds or even thousands of workers over with just a single official document.

Everything is ready except for the east wind, so what else is there to consider?
Now, she dragged Chen Fan along to fill the last gap. Chen Fan had no idea that his seemingly naive cousin had so many ideas. He continued, "Don't think that the security is good everywhere in the mainland. That's because you haven't encountered any trouble. Shenzhen is not simple. It's close to Hong Kong. From the 1950s to now, nearly a million people have gone to Hong Kong from there. Do you still think it's safe and sound there?"

Even if Zhou Yali had never seen much of the world, she could guess what it would be like to have a million people pass through.

Not to mention that she grew up in the United States and is by no means an innocent and naive person who knows nothing. She has heard about topics such as slums and refugees since she was a child and has seen a lot of things with her own eyes.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, he finally understood his intention and said thoughtfully, "So, this person is the one who will guarantee our safety?"

Chen Fan glanced at the driver who had made eye contact with him and put down the playing card in her hand. He gently patted her back, said nothing, and went straight to greet her, extending his right hand and saying, "Hello comrade, I am Chen Fan, and this is Ms. Zhou Yali from the United States."

The driver immediately reached out and shook hands, then grinned and said, "Hello, Writer Chen, I've heard so much about you. My name is Liao Guangzhi, you can just call me Azhi. I've been ordered to pick you up, and from now on, I will be serving you. Just tell me where you're going, what you need to do, and who you need to contact, and I'll arrange everything."

Chen Fan smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Zhi."

After exchanging pleasantries, Ah Zhi opened the back door and invited the three ladies to get in.

Chen Fan then went around to the passenger seat and sat down. After A-Zhi got in the car, the car slowly drove out of the airport.

Ah Zhi gripped the steering wheel and turned on the air conditioning. A blast of cool air immediately dispelled the stuffiness in the car. He looked at Chen Fan and asked, "Writer Chen, are you going to rest in Guangzhou for a couple of days first, or go to Bao'an first?"

What is now Shenzhen was a town under Bao'an County, while Shekou was a village far away from the town. So the people there were used to calling it Bao'an County, rather than the Shenzhen that is known to later generations.

Without hesitation, Chen Fan said, "Let's go to Shenzhen first and take care of business first."

Ah Zhi gave a thumbs up and laughed, "You guys are serious about getting things done, you're already working right after landing."

Chen Fan chuckled and casually asked, "Your Mandarin sounds alright to me. Are you a native of Guangdong?"

Ah Zhi laughed and said, "I guess so. My family is from Guangzhou, but I served as a truck driver in the north for a few years. Most of my comrades were from the north, so my Mandarin is pretty good."

After being discharged from the military, I worked in the provincial government office, where I was responsible for driving for the leaders. I got to know a lot of people from all walks of life, which is why the leaders entrusted me with the task of receiving you all. With me leading the way, I guarantee you'll have a smooth journey in Guangdong.

He paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, I almost forgot to ask you, have you had lunch yet?"

Chen Fan nodded and said, "I ate on the plane, have you eaten?"

Ah Zhi laughed and said, "We ate before we left. In that case, shall we go straight to Shenzhen?"

Chen Fan: "Okay."

The two of them chatted in the front, while Zhou Yali and the other two looked at the scenery outside in the back.

Although Jiang Lili and Jiang Tiantian had visited before, they had stayed at the hospital with Chen Fan and had never gone out shopping. So, it seemed quite novel for them now.

This scenery is different from Yunhu and Shanghai.

What they have in common is that the streets are lined with old houses and the streets are filled with people dressed in gray, white, black and green clothes. What they have in common is that the economic activity here seems to be more active.

After exiting the airport and crossing two main streets, you'll see vendors pulling carts and street performers.

The two sisters couldn't take their eyes off these open and aboveboard economic activities.

However, the car sped away and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Then new stalls appeared ahead.

(A roadside stall in Guangzhou in 79)
(A child performing on the street)
Chen Fan, however, seemed oblivious to these things on the street.

If we're talking about the first place in China to open up, Guangdong is definitely the one, especially Guangzhou. With the Canton Fair held twice a year, it was the place with the closest international connections before the reform and opening up, even surpassing Beijing and Shanghai.

Although there were very strict controls on contact between foreigners and the general public at the time, even the tightest walls have their moments of breach.

For example, hotel staff can help foreign guests exchange foreign currency or purchase non-foreign goods for them.

At the same time, many independent backpackers from Hong Kong and foreign tourists visiting the mainland use Guangzhou as their first and last stop.

These independent travelers can hardly isolate themselves from the public.

Therefore, private buying and selling often occurs.

After last year's conference ended, many vendors surfaced and began working closely with workshops that only had two or three sewing machines and one or two simple pieces of equipment at home, doing business with foreigners.

To be honest, although the first individual business license was issued in Wenzhou, the first individual business owner... well, I really don't know where that was established.

Anyway, it was much earlier than that.

The car continued eastward, and after more than half an hour, it finally made its way out of Guangzhou city.

Looking out at the vast farmland, Chen Fan suddenly asked, "Is this Tianhe?"

Ah Zhi immediately nodded and smiled, "Yes, it's Tianhe."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, “Writer Chen, you seem to know Guangzhou quite well. Not many people from other places know about Tianhe. This area used to be under the jurisdiction of Panyu County. In 73, it was incorporated into Guangzhou and became a suburb. Look outside, it’s all farmland, with few streets and shops. There aren’t many people here usually.”

Chen Fan couldn't help but grin.

Who could have imagined that this run-down place would become Guangzhou's CBD and the area with the highest property prices in the city decades later?

Yes, I must acquire a piece of land here sometime and reap the great benefits of this era of development.

After passing Jishan Village, drive for another half hour or so to reach Xintang Town. Then, pass through Zengcheng County, cross a small bridge, and you will arrive in Dongguan.

Continuing along National Highway 107, which was originally built in 1958, Chen Fan turned south at some point, not knowing where the car had ended up.

It wasn't until dusk, after driving for nearly six hours, that Ah Zhi finally perked up and pointed to a cluster of buildings ahead, saying, "That's Bao'an County."

(End of this chapter)