2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 232 Emotional Card

“I’ve lived in Wangjiang for 25 years since I was 19, and I have a deep affection for this place,” Tao Qinian said emotionally.

“You grew up in the city and left when you were 18. You’re only in your early 20s now, so you probably can’t understand how I feel about staying in one place from my teenage years to middle age. Wangjiang is my second hometown.”

"You understand what a second hometown means, right?"

Tan Jincheng listened intently and nodded. Was this about feelings? Could it be that there were some unreasonable demands?
Don't be like that. If you can talk about money, don't talk about feelings.

However, Tan Jincheng can indeed understand the feeling of staying in a city from his teens until middle age. In terms of past and present lives, he has stayed in Beicang for a total of 22 years.

“I spoke with your father on the way here. We are about the same age, and I can be considered your father’s generation. Let’s not talk about cooperation now, but about how a poor county should develop.”

Tan Jincheng was somewhat speechless. "Does this have anything to do with me?" he said. "Um, boss, I don't understand this."

Tao Qinian smiled and said, "It's true that you don't understand the big picture, but you definitely understand some of the details, such as creating jobs and setting up factories."

So that's where they were waiting for me.
"I understand, that's true. The more factories there are in the county, the more choices the people have, and they won't have to go out to work. The leaders need to work harder in this regard. Attracting investment is indeed a good thing that benefits the country and the people."

"So, is it okay to put the logistics center in the county? We can allocate a piece of land for you in the development zone, which isn't too far from your hometown."

"Sure, no problem. We can go there to select a site and start construction next month; of course, it also depends on the county's planning."

The logistics transfer center is part of the cooperation, so it doesn't matter where it is located. Since people from the county have come, it's natural to place it in the county. Besides, land will be cheaper there.

"I have another request. I hope that FlashTech's future development plans can take the county into consideration. I wonder if President Tan can agree to that?"

The electric vehicle market is a huge market, and FlashTech's future will certainly extend beyond the current 150-acre industrial base. They will definitely have a second and third phase of construction in the future.

Moreover, acquiring the intangible asset of Andar's automobile production qualification will certainly not be limited to mere appreciation. The automobile industry is much larger than that of electric vehicles, and simply intending to buy high and sell low is not in line with the company's operational strategy.

Although a businessman's promises are not necessarily trustworthy, a businessman without integrity will not go far. Tao Qinian bet on 20-year-old Tan Jincheng that he would not make promises lightly for the sake of his company and its future.

Once a promise is made, it will inevitably be fulfilled when the time is right.

As expected, Xiao Tan didn't answer the condition immediately, but instead pondered it carefully, which reassured Tao Qinian even more. Alas, it's a pity that this kid sent his old man away, otherwise that emotional appeal would have been more effective.

Emotional appeals may not be very effective against young people like Tan Lihua, but they are a surefire way to work on state-owned enterprise employees of similar age who have spent their entire lives in their hometowns.

"Could it be that Comrade Xiao Tan deliberately sent his father away? If that's the case, then we should think even more highly of him."

"Electric vehicles are an industry with a relatively large supply chain, and our county's supply chain cannot yet meet the requirements. We really don't have any plans to build a factory in the county for the time being."

However, the world is constantly evolving, and our country's economy is also booming. In the future, as long as the county's supply chain develops to a certain extent, or our company's strength is sufficient to support the entire supply chain, I will definitely consider the county.

Although no specific guarantee was given, Tao Qinian was still quite satisfied with Tan Jincheng's words. The industrial chain was indeed an issue, and it was indeed most beneficial for a company to be located in a region with a complete industrial chain.

It's already quite commendable that Comrade Xiao Tan was able to speak frankly and assure everyone that the county would be taken into consideration once the company's strength improved.

Having secured the logistics transfer center project and received a partial promise without much effort, Tao Qinian was already quite satisfied. However, he was clearly not content with just that.

"On a side note, does Jinpeng Trading have its own garment factory? Could you introduce your friend to it?"

"No, we currently have an OEM contract with the manufacturer. As for my boss wanting to meet my colleague, no problem, I'll call him in a bit."

Tao Qinian sighed and said, "Then thank you in advance, Xiao Tan. As you know, many migrant workers in our county work in the garment industry. If there were a large-scale garment factory in the county, they could earn money right at their doorstep, which would be very beneficial for them."

With an annual export volume of 20 million US dollars, which translates to a sales volume of just over 160 million yuan, even after accounting for exchange rate differences and profits, a garment factory with an annual output value of over 100 million yuan could easily provide employment for five or six hundred workers, right?
Tao Qinian doesn't understand garment manufacturing very well, and he doesn't know how many workers are needed to achieve an output value of 1.6 million yuan, but there is no denying that the garment industry is a labor-intensive industry, and there are quite a few garment workers in Wangjiang County.

Compared to electric vehicle manufacturers like FlashTech, the county has certain advantages in the clothing industry. Firstly, workers can stay at home and earn at least 30% less in wages. Secondly, land prices in the county are cheaper.

The county could easily transfer the land according to the minimum industrial land standard released by the Ministry of Land and Resources at the beginning of this year, which is the fifteenth grade, at a price of 60 yuan per square meter. They could even offer some discounts. Acquiring three to five thousand square meters and expanding the production scale would be no problem at all.

This would solve the employment problem for at least a thousand people, right? I just don't know if Mr. Zhang would be willing to do it, since he currently only does simple trading and outsources production to contract manufacturers, which is easier for him.

On the other hand, although Xiao Tan introduced them, they had no real connection with the other party and were unfamiliar with their character. However, they still had to give it a try, and it would be even better if they could persuade them.

This trip to Ningbo was truly remarkable. He encountered mostly young people. Even Secretary Zhao, sent by Beicang District, wasn't very old, and FlashTech Technology is an even younger company, with its management and workforce predominantly young. This kind of "business development" experience was something Tao Qinian had never had before. The biggest advantage of dealing with young people is that there's no need for wining and dining; business is discussed directly. Like this Comrade Xiao Tan, who came back and immediately got down to business, without mentioning any other requests.

Don't assume that the government is necessarily powerful. In the process of attracting investment, you are the one asking for favors, so it's only right to flatter them a little. The leaf spring factory only received a mere 500 million yuan, and it's mostly Xu Xueming's fault.

Someone like Tao Qinian could easily see that Tan Jincheng disliked Xu Xueming, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to the capital on a business trip without even saying hello to him, putting his side in a very passive position.

Tao Qinian glanced at Xu Xueming, then at Tan Jincheng, and made the final decision: "Alright, in that case, let's sign both agreements."

The county government was in charge of using Andar Auto, a brand that was barely surviving, to attract investment. Therefore, Tao Qinian had a certain degree of decision-making power. Xu Xueming had already signed the agreement, and they could just complete the formalities after returning home.

As for the other agreement, it was naturally the agreement for Flash Technology to build a logistics center in Central China in Wangjiang County, but he didn't even mention the donation.

“Okay, then please wait a moment, sir. I’ll have the legal department prepare the contract.” Tan Jincheng readily agreed.

Xu Xueming nodded repeatedly. To be honest, he had messed things up this time. If he hadn't been so selfish, he probably could have gotten more. If he had interfered again, he would have been in big trouble when he got back.

Flashpoint Technology now has a nearly full-time legal team. With an increasing number of departments and suppliers dealing with the company, as well as a growing number of contracts, it is essential to have several lawyers on standby to review these contracts.

As early as last year's annual meeting, Tan Jincheng had already spoken with the law firms he had previously worked with, and starting this year, the two parties signed a long-term cooperation agreement.

Since it was only a preliminary agreement, the contract was processed relatively quickly. Tan Jincheng would need to return to Yicheng for the next steps, and he would also need to visit the site to determine the size of the logistics center.

Tan Jincheng didn't really have a concept of where the so-called technology development zone in the county was, since he had never lived in his hometown except during summer and winter vacations, and he didn't know where the towns and villages that Tao Qinian mentioned were.

"Stop calling me 'leader.' Actually, I'm about the same age as your dad, and we've gotten along quite well along the way. If Comrade Xiao Tan doesn't mind, just call me 'uncle.'"

Tao Qinian's words shocked everyone in the room, but he wasn't lying. He and Tan Lihua did get along quite well. Both of them came from farming families and graduated from vocational school. After graduation, they had different opportunities and developed in different directions.

Logically speaking, Tan Lihua's life has not been very successful; it could be considered a wasted life. However, he does not have a decadent demeanor. On the contrary, he gives people a very peaceful attitude. Now that his son is successful, he does not show off much.

Tao Qinian admires a person who seems indifferent to personal desires yet has a deep affection for his hometown.

However, others didn't see it that way. After all, it was quite unexpected that a powerful figure would be so fond of this young man.

Tan Jincheng was also somewhat surprised, but he couldn't refuse such a request from the big boss: "Then I'll shamelessly call you Uncle Tao."

Well, it's not so easy to call someone "uncle." It seems we'll have to raise the original donation amount.

It's all about human relationships and social interactions.

I recommend a new book by one of the authors in the same group; you might want to check it out if you're interested!
Book Title: Chinese Entertainment: The Laying-Down Superstars and the Rising White Moonlight

Synopsis: A sweet, single-female-lead entertainment and slice-of-life romance novel; no angst or unwarranted criticism of the main character.

Li Yi'an time-traveled to 2002, a time of great opportunity.

Seizing the opportunity means a life of peace and tranquility.

Ahem, I misspoke. It should be about becoming a connoisseur of life.

Li Yi'an enjoys many things, including Kunqu Opera, the guqin (a seven-stringed zither), the guzheng (a seven-stringed zither), skiing, and diving.
But they are lost and confused, unable to find what they love.

At the same time, another person was holding a thick stack of papers covered with writing.

My heart is resolute.

This time, I want to become an actress like Audrey Hepburn!
Oh no, I've been tricked into the entertainment industry, what should I do?
Meanwhile, the fairy godmother Li Yi'an, who aspires to be like Audrey Hepburn, teaches acting.

On the other hand, there's the story of Li Yi'an desperately trying to persuade the celestial being to retire from the entertainment industry and settle down.

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(End of this chapter)