2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 31 Reunion

When the plane landed at Ningbo Leshe International Airport, it was already afternoon.

As soon as he landed, Tan Jincheng took a deep breath.

Returning to a familiar place brought me a sense of peace and security.

Although Guangzhou is an international metropolis, this is 2004, not Guangzhou after 2008.

Having spent almost half a month in an unfamiliar city, staying in hotels, and being quite generous with his money, Tan Jincheng really didn't feel safe.

In 2004, Ningbo did not have a subway. To get back to Beicang, you either had to take a taxi or transfer to various buses.

I took a taxi back to Beicang. I had a lot of things with me, and it would be troublesome if they were stolen on the bus.

In the taxi, Tan Jincheng summarized his trip to Guangzhou. Although it was rushed, the gains were considerable.

Not to mention the nearly 100 million yuan in orders signed directly, they received almost 200 business cards alone.

When I get back, I need to sort these business cards out properly and categorize them. In the future, there's a very high chance that some of these business cards will be converted into hard-earned US dollars.

The total deposit for the two orders exceeded 43 yuan. After deducting the advance payment to the OEM, there is still more than 17 yuan in the account.

If the shipments go smoothly, we can have a good New Year this year.

The taxi sped along; farmland and factories flashed past the window from time to time. Perhaps because they didn't speak Mandarin very well, the drivers in Ningbo were generally not as talkative as those in other cities.

During the more than one-hour journey, the two barely exchanged a few words.

When I got back to my rented apartment, Zhang Xupeng hadn't returned yet. Before I boarded the plane, he told me that he should be at the factory today.

Looking at the time, it was not yet four o'clock. After a long day of work, Tan Jincheng decided to take a nap and slept until six o'clock in the evening.

I was woken up by Zhang Xupeng.

"Get up quickly, let's go eat," Zhang Xupeng said excitedly.

In just over half a month, Xiao Tan stabilized Jinpeng Trading's foundation with two orders, giving herself a huge surprise.

To be honest, Zhang Xupeng couldn't quite understand his childhood friend anymore.

Since they were little, seeing each other for half a month was the longest time the two of them had ever been apart, but they didn't know when Xiao Tan became so capable.

The business processes I learned were mostly through research back in my hometown.

But after arriving in Beicang, Xiao Tan seemed to have become a different person. She could speak the Ningbo dialect and was extremely familiar with the terrain.

These are skills that cannot be learned in a short time, especially the familiarity with the terrain, which many locals cannot match Xiao Tan's level of expertise.

Zhang Xupeng didn't believe Tan Jincheng's explanation. Although Tan was smart, he wasn't that smart. He had traveled to many places in the past two weeks, but he still couldn't remember what he couldn't remember.

As for the Ningbo dialect, it's really not that easy to learn.

However, everyone has their secrets. Since Xiao Tan is unwilling to talk about it, there is no need for me to hold onto it. Besides, this change is not a bad thing.

"Don't you usually cook?"

After getting up and washing his face, Tan Jincheng noticed that the pots and pans he had bought for the kitchen were still the same as before he left, so he asked Zhang Xupeng about them.

"What kind of food can one person cook? Besides, I'm exhausted like a dog every day when I get home."

"Exhausted like a dog? What have you been doing every day?" Tan Jincheng asked with some surprise. "Working, I found a mechanic and had him teach me how to make clothes. I operate the sewing machine every day. I usually get home around seven o'clock, but I came back earlier today because you're back."

Then, Zhang Xupeng sighed, "Xiao Tan, working in the factory is really tiring. I can't even handle working a day without a break. How do those regular workers endure working more than 10 hours a day?"

"You're really honest. I did let you into the factory, but I didn't expect you to actually do any work. You should learn from Lao Zhang how to manage a factory. As for making clothes, you just need to understand the process."

"I just want to learn more."

"As for what you said about how tiring factory work is, if there were no other choice, who would go to work in a factory? Who wouldn't want to do an easy job?"

"Yes, it's a good thing you got the order. A few days ago, I was thinking that if our company went out of business and lost money, would we also have to go to work in a factory like this? After all, we don't have much education."

"Of course not. If the company goes bankrupt, we'll just set up a stall. We'll never work in a factory, right?"

"Come on, let's stop talking about this and go eat. I'm hungry. Tell me all about the situation in Guangzhou later. By the way, did you bring me a gift?"

"I bought you some clothes, do you want them?"

"Are you kidding me? Aren't electronics supposed to be really cheap over there? Didn't you buy an MP3 player or something?"

"I don't have money, but I'll take the clothes. If not, I'll bring them home next month for my dad and uncle to wear."

"Holy crap, you really bought clothes? Are you out of your mind? We sell clothes, why did you go all that way to buy clothes?"

Tan Jincheng smiled but didn't say anything. He did bring back quite a few clothes, all of which were samples given to him by the older brothers and sisters who had been with him before. Their company had a lot of samples, and Tan Jincheng planned to bring them back for reference.

These days, intellectual property rights aren't strictly regulated, so it's no big deal to borrow from others.

As for gifts, Tan Jincheng hadn't really thought of that; if Zhang Xupeng hadn't mentioned it, he probably would have gone home empty-handed.

It's almost November, and in about half a month, Tan Jincheng will be going back to his hometown.

"Oh, why didn't you say you wanted a gift earlier? I really hadn't thought of it. If you had told me sooner, I would have bought a few watches," Tan Jincheng said with some regret.

The craftsmanship of Guangzhou watches is renowned in later generations, and the industry chain should have gradually taken shape by now.

As for the MP3 that Zhang Xupeng mentioned, it seemed like an ancient term to Tan Jincheng.

"The watch is too expensive, I have no hope of getting one. I was hoping you would bring me back an MP3 player instead."

"If you like it, go buy it yourself. A few hundred yuan should be enough, right?"

"A regular one costs around 500 or 600, a better one around 1,000, which is equivalent to a month's rent, so it's not worth it."

"What kind of logic is that? The ones I brought back are fine, but it's not worth it for you to buy them yourself?"

"Of course, haha."

For dinner, Zhang Xupeng chose a restaurant he thought was good, as a welcome dinner for Tan Jincheng. After dinner, the two did not wander around outside, but went straight home.

Zhang Xupeng was about to report to Tan Jincheng about some of the company's situation.

Since Tan Jincheng went to Guangzhou, Zhang Xupeng has been dealing with the document coordination with the agency, renting a place, buying office equipment, and recruiting sales staff.

In addition, I also had to liaise with factories, making each day incredibly fulfilling.

(End of this chapter)