Hong Kong Tycoon: Starting from Delivering Dongfeng Express

Chapter 103 The Passionate City of Dongguan

"I wouldn't trade the steering wheel for a county magistrate position!"

This is a description of the driver by the famous writer Lu Yao in "Ordinary World".

Although it's a bit of an exaggeration, it's enough to show how rare drivers are these days.

At that time, drivers had stable jobs and good benefits. In addition to basic salary, they also received additional benefits such as driving allowances, food coupons, and cloth coupons. When driving long distances, they could also carry some goods to earn extra money, and their income was quite considerable.

While most people earned only tens of dollars a month, drivers could earn hundreds.

A skilled driver is a rare talent, almost one in ten thousand, comparable to a high-end programmer in later generations.

Unlike later generations, the 80s did not allow you to drive as soon as you got a driver's license.

In later generations, we have mobile phone navigation, highways, and signs. Do we have those now?

There's nothing there. Forget about highways, you're lucky if you can even get a national road. Anything a little off the mark is just gravel or dirt roads.

Do you know the way? Can you drive on rough roads? Can you repair your car if it breaks down? Can you change a flat tire?
will not?

Then what kind of driver are you?!
Therefore, many drivers in China these days are truly highly skilled professionals who are proficient in everything from driving to car repair, and whose minds are like living maps!

This time, Dongfeng Express's recruitment has attracted all these highly skilled talents!
Have you ever run through Guangzhou?

"I've run through several surrounding areas, including Guangzhou, Zhuhai, and Dongguan!"

Ye Dongsheng looked at the middle-aged man in his forties in front of him. He had dark skin, but he always smiled and had a very good attitude.

"You used to work in a state-owned factory, which was a secure job. Why did you want to quit and come work here?"

Before the 90s, factory workers in state-owned enterprises enjoyed a high social status and earned more than civil servants. Generally, no one wanted to give up their secure jobs, especially drivers, who were in high demand!
The middle-aged man sighed:
"Boss, I don't really want to leave either. The factory has been really good to me!"

But there's no other way; my mother is seriously ill, and now we need money for everything. I have to earn money!

Ye Dongsheng nodded in understanding.

Although working within the system guarantees a stable job and high status, the income ultimately cannot compare to the 2500 yuan provided by Dongfeng Express.

This monthly salary of 2500 yuan attracted many applicants, and it's no wonder that many people were tempted.

Ultimately, after careful selection, Ye Dongsheng chose four drivers.

Ye Dongsheng also informed some drivers he thought were quite good that Dongfeng Express's business would be expanding in the coming months, and they would be recruiting again. He told those interested to keep an eye out.

There are Zhang Jiazhu and Li Meng, who look very brave at first glance. Both of them are from the military. There is also Lao Hu, who looks rather shrewd. And there is Lao Zhao, who always has a smile on his face and looks very approachable.

In front of the Hiace van, Ye Dongsheng led Xiao Fu and Wang Jianjun into the car and said to the four of them, "When we go, Zhu Zi and Lao Hu will come, and when we come back, Li Meng and Lao Zhao will come!"

"No problem, boss!"

After everyone agreed, they all got into the car. Zhang Jiazhu sat in the driver's seat, while Lao Hu, who worked with him, sat in the passenger seat and gave him directions.

These are two different work groups that Ye Dongsheng created.

Two people are assigned to each shift, so that if one person has an accident, the other can take over immediately. Even if they are tired, the two can take turns driving.

At the same time, the two are basically a combination of one old and one new, one scholar and one warrior.

For example, Zhang Jiazhu and Li Meng are both veterans. Although they are good at driving and repairing cars, they don't know the way when they first come down from the army, so they are naturally assigned an experienced driver who knows the way.

As for Lao Hu and Lao Zhao, they not only have long driving experience, but also a lot of social experience. They have experienced all kinds of things in the past. If they encounter any problems, they can get out and talk first. If they really can't reach an agreement, they can fight each other by force!

The first stop the vehicle was heading to was neither Guangzhou, the capital city, nor Zhuhai or Shantou, special economic zones.

Ye Dongsheng adhered to the principle of proximity when making plans, and naturally, the development of new markets proceeded step by step, starting from the nearest and moving further afield.

The two cities directly bordering Jinghai are Guancheng and Huicheng. Ye Dongsheng's first choice was naturally Guancheng!
When people mention Dongguan in later generations, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a dragon. But the reason why a dragon was born there is because of its developed manufacturing industry, with many factories, many workers, and many business owners!

In terms of the number of manufacturing enterprises, Dongguan once surpassed Jinghai and Yangcheng, and was known as the "world's factory".

Therefore, whether from the perspective of distance or market, Guancheng is the first choice for the next step!
“Yes, this way is the national highway!” Old Hu, sitting in the passenger seat, kept giving Zhang Jiazhu directions and sharing his experience with him.

Ye Dongsheng asked, "Old Hu, how long does it take to drive from the border crossing to downtown Dongguan?"

Old Hu thought for a moment and said, "If everything goes smoothly, it will take less than 2 hours. If something happens, it might take 3 hours."

Xiao Fu asked, "Did you run into trouble? Were you dealing with highway robbers?"

Old Hu nodded and smiled: "Pretty much. If you're on the road for a long time, you're bound to run into them. Who knows which village will suddenly have some reckless guy popping up and starting a business with no capital?"

Ye Dongsheng asked curiously, "How did you handle this before?"

"Most of them will be dealt with by giving a few dozen yuan, and if there are many people, it will be a few hundred yuan. Most road bullies are just after money and will not really hurt anyone."

If he demands more or persists even after you've given him money, be careful; he might be plotting to murder you for your money!

Old Zhao, who was behind, chimed in:
"Never let anyone into your car. I'd rather run them over than let them in!"

I had a colleague before, a young man with no experience, who went to western Guangdong and was groped in his car, resulting in him being stabbed to death on the spot!

It was quite interesting to listen to two experienced drivers recount their past experiences and share their expertise.

As they were talking, the vehicle slowly slowed down, and Zhang Tiezhu said, "There's someone blocking the road ahead!"

Xiao Fu immediately perked up: "There's a roadblock!"

Old Hu quickly waved his hand: "No, no, this is the checkpoint in Dongguan!" These days, it's not like later generations where you can just drive around and go on a road trip.

Want to travel to another city? Do you have a letter of introduction? Do you have a travel permit?
You don't have any? Then what are you doing wandering around aimlessly? Just stay in your local area!
Sure enough, after the Hiace van slowly came to a stop, a uniformed staff member walked to the vehicle, knocked on the window, and asked, "What brings you to Dongguan?"

Ye Dongsheng did not have a letter of introduction or a travel permit, but he was a Hong Kong Island resident and had a Home Return Permit!
Ye Dongsheng smiled and pulled out his return permit: "Hello comrade, I'm from Hong Kong Island. I heard that the mainland welcomes investment now, so I came to Dongguan for a visit!"

The staff member took Ye Dongsheng's return permit, examined it carefully, and after confirming that it was indeed him, his attitude immediately improved, and he smiled and said:

"Welcome! Our Guancheng is actively attracting investment, and our support is no less than that of Jinghai. We welcome our compatriots from Hong Kong Island to visit Guancheng and conduct on-site inspections!"

"Thank you for your hard work!" Ye Dongsheng smiled and took back his ID.

A moment later, the barrier was raised and the car drove through the checkpoint. Ye Dongsheng thought to himself, "These days, having Hong Kong residency is really useful!"

Even if you have no money, as long as you have this identity, you will naturally have many advantages when doing things in mainland China.

However, Ye Dongsheng couldn't accompany the vehicle every time, so his first step upon arriving in Dongguan was to register and set up a Dongfeng Express office with the government.

With this, we can apply for and issue a pass in the name of the Guancheng Office, and there will be no problem with vehicle passage in the future.

Two hours later, Ye Dongsheng and his group arrived in Dongguan City, found a guesthouse to stay in, and then went to have dinner.

After returning to the guesthouse after the meal, just as Ye Dongsheng was about to open the door to his room, he heard a voice from the side: "Excuse me, are you Mr. Ye from Hong Kong Island?"

Ye Dongsheng turned his head and saw a neatly dressed man and woman carrying briefcases smiling at him.

The man, Li Lei, immediately extended his hand warmly: "Hello Mr. Ye, we are from the Dongguan Investment Promotion Working Group! We warmly welcome you to Dongguan!"

Ye Dongsheng was surprised. After shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with them, he asked the question that had been bothering him: "How did you know I was coming to Dongguan?"

Li Lei smiled and said, "The guesthouse informed us that all the citizens of Dongguan welcome our compatriots from Hong Kong Island very much!"

Please feel free to tell me your needs and where you'd like to visit, and we'll arrange everything perfectly!

The proactive and enthusiastic attitude of Guancheng was far beyond Ye Dongsheng's expectations; he had never experienced anything like it in Jinghai!
Unbeknownst to him, Dongguan City had devoted tremendous effort and exhausted every possible means to attract investment.

In 79, 15 relevant departments were brought together to form the Leading Office for Processing and Assembly Business, which was the predecessor of the Investment Promotion Working Group.

Back when the reform and opening up had just begun, Dongguan City took the initiative to send people to Hong Kong Island to do various promotional activities, give speeches at various chambers of commerce, and participate in seminars. Whenever a Hong Kong businessman was willing to come and inspect, even without a car, they would drive buses and motorcycles to Luohu Port to pick him up and bring him back to Dongguan City for a visit!
So now that they've learned that a Hong Kong businessman has taken the initiative to come and investigate, how could they let him go?

The following day, in Humen Town, Dongguan City.

"This is the site where Lin Zexu destroyed opium, demonstrating the firm determination and awakened awareness of the Chinese people in banning opium..."

Upon arriving in Humen, Ye Dongsheng was immediately shown around and given an introduction to the history and stories of the Humen Opium Destruction, which he listened to with great interest.

However, he didn't come to Humen for that. He came to investigate the distribution of local factories in Dongguan City, because only after understanding these could he proceed with the next step of selecting branch locations!
"Mr. Ye, this is Taiping Garment Factory!"

In 1978, Mr. Zhang Zimi visited Humen and was amazed by the efficiency and craftsmanship of our female workers. He immediately invested HK$300 million to cooperate with us in establishing Taiping Handbag Factory and signed a 5-year contract.

Taiping Handbag Factory obtained the first license issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce in the country, Guangdong No. 001!
This was the first exemplary case of "processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, and compensation trade" in the country, earning over 100 million yuan in processing fees that year and generating over 60 Hong Kong dollars in foreign exchange for the nation!

Han Mei introduced Ye Dongsheng with a sense of pride.

"This is the first nightclub in the country: the Guancheng Hotel Nightclub! Our province's top leader even visited it last year during his inspection tour!"

That's right, the first nightclub in the country was established in Humen Town in 84. Its purpose was to narrow the gap with the entertainment industry in Hong Kong and attract Hong Kong businessmen. When the leaders visited, the mayor of Humen Town explained that it was just a place for singing and dancing, and the leaders didn't say anything more.

Humen Town, Chang'an Town, Shijie Town, Dalang Town, Houjie Town, Tangxia Town...

Over three days, Li Lei and Han Mei tirelessly led Ye Dongsheng and his group to visit seven or eight towns, maintaining their high level of enthusiasm.

Back at the guesthouse, Ye Dongsheng, Xiao Fu, and Wang Jianjun gathered together.

"Brother Sheng, the situation here seems a bit different from Jinghai!"

"It is quite different!"

Ye Dongsheng couldn't help but rub his forehead; this was somewhat different from what he had expected.

I originally thought that Dongguan would be like the neighboring Jinghai, with some kind of industrial zone and factories clustered in certain areas, since most cities in the country have followed the special economic zone development model.

However, the situation in Dongguan was completely different!
Why has he been traveling to various towns instead of staying in the city center of Dongguan these past few days?

That's because Dongguan City really took a different approach!

Guangzhou is the capital of eastern Guangdong, and Beijing is a special economic zone. Funds, talents, and equipment naturally flow to the two cities.

Located between Guangzhou and Beijing, Dongguan City suffers from poor infrastructure and lacks policy and financial support. Therefore, they have no choice but to take a risky approach and delegate the qualification for foreign investment review to more than 30 villages and towns.

This approach has fully mobilized the enthusiasm of various towns to attract foreign investment. For example, Shijie Town has adopted a large-scale manpower strategy, encouraging everyone from the town to the villages, from village groups to individuals, to participate in investment promotion. As long as a foreign company is attracted to open a factory, a reward of three months' rent for the factory building will be given.

At this time, the factories in the town ranged in size from several hundred to several thousand square meters, with a monthly rent of 10 yuan per square meter. Therefore, the rewards alone amounted to at least tens of thousands of yuan. For the villagers, as long as they could bring in just one person, they would become incredibly wealthy!
Therefore, every town and even the villagers are trying their best to attract foreign investment. Chang'an Town alone has more than 200 factories, while Guancheng has more than 30 towns of all sizes plus the main city.

At the same time, the Dongguan government also categorized and clustered foreign-invested factories. For example, sweaters were made in Dalang, furniture in Humen, and shoes in Houjie, forming a cluster effect.

It is thanks to these efforts that the number of factories in Guancheng has now reached 4000!
This made Ye Dongsheng give a thumbs up to the leadership team of Dongguan City. They are truly bold in their thinking and daring in their actions. No wonder they will be able to surpass the two special economic zones of Zhuhai and Shantou in the future, second only to Guangzhou and Beijing, and have been in a love-hate relationship with Foshan City for many years, vying for the position of the third largest city in eastern Guangdong.

However, this presented Ye Dongsheng with a difficult problem.

He can open only two stores in Jinghai because most of the factories in Jinghai are concentrated within the special economic zone, which itself isn't very large. It's perfectly feasible for delivery drivers to operate around these two stores.

However, these thousands of factories in Guancheng are scattered throughout various towns in the city!

The area of ​​Guancheng is much larger than that of the Jinghai Special Economic Zone!
(End of this chapter)