2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 4: How to Get Started
Tan Jincheng's sudden apology caused a moment of silence among the three people at the dinner table.

Even the most attentive Zhang Suzhi was at a loss for what to do after suddenly sensing that her son seemed to have matured.

Parents always look forward to their children growing up and maturing, but when they actually realize that moment, their feelings are complicated.

Fortunately, Tan Jincheng quickly recovered and returned to his previous carefree attitude, making the dinner table lively again.

After a lively meal, it was still not six o'clock.

If it weren't for the fear that their son might be hungry, the couple would have only just begun preparing dinner. After clearing away the dishes, Tan Lihua glanced at Tan Jincheng while holding his teacup.

After that, they headed towards the study, with Tan Jincheng obediently following behind.

Zhang Suzhi, meanwhile, was already sitting on the sofa, had turned on the TV, and tuned it to Anhui Satellite TV. The weather forecast after the news was something the couple checked every day.

Then came Zhang Suzhi's favorite prime-time dramas. Back then, Anhui TV was still dominated by Thai dramas; the melodramatic plots were very popular with housewives.

From the beginning of the century, in the following years, film and television dramas and songs experienced a period of explosive growth, giving birth to a series of classic masterpieces.

In 2023, after the economic environment changed, a group of people on the internet who were somewhat dissatisfied with life said the most: "Only movies, TV dramas and songs have not let down the people born in the 80s and 90s."

Meanwhile, in the study, the father and son had already begun their encounter.

"What are your plans for the future? Do you want to repeat a year of high school?" Tan Lihua asked first.

Tan Lihua came from a humble background; his ancestral home was a rural village in a county under Yicheng. As the first person in his family to graduate from a vocational school, he knew that only through education could he change his fate.

But in Tan Jincheng's view, the first college student (or vocational school graduate) in a family actually suffers the most, without any mentors, and has to step into one pitfall after another.

My parents benefited from the times. If you put them 10 years later, without family connections and the ability to get things done, you wouldn't even be able to get into a state-owned enterprise.

Tan Lihua was initially furious that her son missed out on college because of his willfulness, but after a year, her anger had subsided.

What's more, he had given the boy a good beating today. According to Tan Lihua's thinking, he wanted Tan Jincheng to continue his studies. However, after just one meal, Tan Lihua could sense his son's maturity and wanted to hear his own opinion.

Although school has been in session for almost a month, there should still be a chance to get into a repeat class as a transfer student by pulling some strings and finding some connections.

"I don't plan to study anymore. I want to start my own business," Tan Jincheng said firmly, something he had already decided beforehand.

Missing out on university is certainly regrettable, but in an era when university students were still relatively few, Tan Jincheng was well aware of the value of a university degree.

But none of this mattered to Tan Jincheng; he had no plans to pursue a legitimate career in the future, and it was even more impossible for him to rely on his diploma to find work.

Even if things don't go well, once your career has reached a certain scale, getting a degree from any university won't be difficult.

In the early days of the common people, daring to fight and struggle was the most important thing.

Even if everything goes smoothly, repeating a year of high school and graduating from university would take at least five years. Wasting these five golden years would not be worthwhile for Tan Jincheng.

Moreover, it would be incredibly foolish for Tan Jincheng, who is 20 years in the future, to actually repeat a year of high school, as he would have already forgotten all the knowledge he learned in high school.

Although the timing of my rebirth wasn't ideal, it's fortunate that I wasn't reborn before the college entrance exam, otherwise I would have been completely lost.

“If you don’t study, what do you want to do? You’re only 19 years old, and you only have a high school diploma. You won’t be able to find a good job if you go out to work,” Tan Lihua said thoughtfully. “In the past year or so, Xu Peng and I have traveled to many countries on cruise ships and seen a lot of the world.”

After a pause, Tan Jincheng continued, "Dad, you also know about our country's accession to the WTO. There have been great changes both domestically and internationally in the past two years, so we want to take advantage of the opportunities brought by these changes to start a small business."

Once you board the train of time, you won't be left behind; but if you don't get on, no matter how hard you try, you can't catch up.

"Start a business? Have you thought about what kind of business you want to start?"

Tan Lihua was somewhat disappointed that his son was unwilling to continue his studies; however, he still wanted to hear his son's future plans, since it was his own decision.

The Tan family doesn't have the typical patriarchal style. Usually, if there's anything going on at home, the couple discusses it together. Whenever the topic involves Tan Jincheng, they also listen to his opinion.

"Both domestic and foreign demand are expanding, but at present, the profitable industries are still related to foreign trade, so I plan to do foreign trade first, and I also have some experience in going overseas."

"Foreign trade? You mean exporting? What are you planning to sell?"

"Yes, I'll do export business. As for what to sell, I plan to go to the coastal areas to investigate in a while. Anything is fine."

Tan Jincheng didn't say what he would sell. Actually, he already had a target in mind, but it wasn't finalized yet, and he didn't know how to say it for the time being.

In 2004, the EU became China's largest trading partner, followed by the US and Japan.

In the foreign trade sector, the best performing industries are apparel and electronics; however, electronics require a certain level of technological investment, which Tan Jincheng's current startup capital is insufficient to support.

Therefore, choosing the clothing industry, which has a relatively low barrier to entry, is naturally the best choice; as a consumer product, clothing has a huge market demand and low cost, resulting in relatively high initial profits.

One of Tan Jincheng's goals is to first establish a foothold in the apparel industry, accumulate initial capital, and then gradually transition to other industries.

Although he didn't make money from stock trading in his previous life, Tan Jincheng did know about a company that had transformed from the apparel industry to the new energy industry.

"If you're going to do foreign trade, it probably won't work here at home, right?" Tan Lihua asked his son.

“Yes, the infrastructure here is still a bit lacking. If we want to make money, we still have to go to the coastal areas,” Tan Jincheng sighed.

Tan Jincheng, a middle-aged soul, naturally knew the bitterness of leaving one's hometown, but he was helpless, as he had lived in Ningbo for a long time in his previous life.

If given the choice, who would willingly leave their hometown?

Speaking of Yicheng, from ancient times to modern times, it has produced many famous people. It is one of the Five Tigers of the Yangtze River, and half of the names in Anhui Province are derived from it. Its abbreviation comes from a mountain in Yicheng.

Unfortunately, Yicheng, which was once prosperous, has declined further after its strategic importance was reduced and the provincial capital was moved away. Even in 2023, when Tan Jincheng was reborn, its GDP was only the size of a third-tier city.

Therefore, if you want to get rich, you must go to the coast again to look for opportunities, just like in your previous life, and Ningbo, which you are most familiar with, is the best place to settle down.

"So when are you planning to leave? Where are you going?"

The contract has been signed, so everyone can continue reading with peace of mind. There will be one chapter each morning and evening from now on.

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(End of this chapter)