The film and television city starts from the courtyard

Although Uncle knew through Mei Ping that Wang Mingzhu wanted to use Fan Xinhua's connections to find a way in Shenzhen, he didn't think Wang Mingzhu could really succeed.

After all, plane tickets to Shenzhen are hard to buy, and besides, he had already bought all the plane tickets to Shenzhen during this period through stamps, making it impossible for Wang Mingzhu to fly to Shenzhen.

Of course, he didn't really go all the way by buying train tickets from Shanghai to Shenzhen. After all, Wang Mingzhu was partnered with Zhao Shucheng. If he really went all out against Wang Mingzhu, and Zhao Shucheng personally intervened, even he, an experienced lawyer, would be in a very difficult position.

Moreover, Abao is currently planning to take his clothing company public. If Zhao Shucheng targets Abao, even if he gets the order, Abao may lose everything and even be burdened with heavy debts.

However, if Wang Mingzhu cannot find a factory in the Yangtze River Delta region, and the situation is delayed for a period of time, she will eventually have no choice but to cooperate with herself or transfer the orders to herself.

Wang Mingzhu has already partnered with Mr. Ma, and the fabric has even been transferred to Mr. Ma's factory in Zhuji through Zhao Shucheng's warehouse and transportation channels. Production is already underway.

Uncle was too superstitious about his connections. He thought that by relying on his influence, he could get the textile and garment factories of all sizes in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai to give him face and not produce for Wang Mingzhu.

In reality, he didn't have the face he imagined. Or rather, only the older generation or those in large factories had that kind of face. Small factories or newly built factories didn't care about the face of their elders at all.

However, most of the people Wang Mingzhu could contact before were business people who came to Shanghai to do business. Most of them were involved in foreign trade, so they didn't cooperate with Wang Mingzhu out of respect for her uncle.

Although Boss Ma has a good relationship with A Bao, he relies on Zhao Shucheng's supermarket for his livelihood and doesn't know Uncle at all, nor will he give Uncle any face.

However, because Zhao Shucheng had previously said not to make a fuss before the product was delivered, Wang Mingzhu used a feigned approach to secretly advance her plans, appearing clueless to outsiders while searching for partners everywhere.

Time quickly came to Christmas Eve in 93.

For many, the end of the year was a difficult time.

Whether it's Wang Mingzhu's Walmart order, A Bao's clothing company's IPO plan, or Li Li's escape plan, they have all reached a critical moment of success or failure.

Zhao Shucheng was preparing for the Christmas Eve celebration in his old house on Fuxing Road, since Vivian was a graduate of a church school and had a tradition of celebrating Christmas Eve.

Zhao Shucheng meticulously decorated the old house, setting up a Christmas tree in the lobby and hanging colorful lights throughout the rooms, creating a festive atmosphere.

However, it wasn't just Zhao Shucheng and Vivian at the old house today; Vivian also invited Wang Mingzhu to celebrate Christmas Eve.

Wang Mingzhu originally planned to drive to Zhuji early tomorrow morning, mainly to see how the jeans produced by Boss Ma were doing and whether they could be completed before New Year's Day.

However, after receiving Vivian's invitation, she still agreed to spend the holiday together. Besides, she had visited Zhao Shucheng's old mansion quite often during this period. Sometimes, when she had a good chat with Vivian, she would even stay at the old mansion.

"Mr. Zhao, you seem to be having a really easy time. Aren't you worried about our business at all?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Miss Wang, don't be so nervous. Boss Ma has already made arrangements. You'll see when you go. Besides, Boss Ma isn't really our only option; we have backup plans. What's there to worry about?"

Wang Mingzhu sighed and said, "I'm not nervous, it's just that this time we're competing head-on with Uncle. His network of connections is very deep. We simply can't compete with him in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai area. Boss Ma is playing dirty, but I'm still a little worried."

Zhao Shucheng said, "Alright, it's a holiday today, let's not talk about these unhappy things. By the way, have the clerk or someone else from the foreign trade company buy a few plane tickets to Shenzhen at the airport another day."

"What, are we really going to go to Shenzhen to find a factory?"

Zhao Shucheng laughed and said, "Of course not, it's just to show Uncle. Of course, I know plane tickets are hard to buy these days, since all the Hong Kong businessmen need to fly to Shenzhen and then from Shenzhen to Hong Kong."

"Do we really have to take a plane there?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "That's right. Vivian is going back to Hong Kong with me, so we can only take a plane. It would be troublesome if she were recognized if she took the train."

Wang Mingzhu said, "But I can take the train or a bus by myself, right?"

Zhao Shucheng shook his head and said, "I suggest you don't do that. You yourself said that your uncle has a lot of influence in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai area. He can't possibly watch you leave Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai and escape his control, so he will definitely try to obstruct your departure in every way possible."

“He can’t possibly buy all the train tickets, but he can have someone cause trouble on the train, like stealing your wallet or doing something else to prevent you from leaving. As for driving, it doesn’t have to be too complicated. Just scatter a few nails on the road to prevent you from driving and you’ll eventually have to leave on foot, or snatch your bag at your destination and end up in the police station for a while.”

Wang Mingzhu looked at Zhao Shucheng in disbelief and said, "Uncle wouldn't do such a thing, would he?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "The business world is like a battlefield. Do you think Uncle might want to crush you, his biggest competitor, with one blow?"

Although Vivian didn't know much about business, she had seen a lot in Hong Kong and said, "Ms. Wang, I think what Shu Cheng said is very likely, so let's choose the safest approach."

Wang Mingzhu sighed and said, "I wish I could fly, but I've asked around, and all the plane tickets to Shenzhen during this period have already been bought up. It's impossible for us to buy one."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shucheng smiled happily and said, "It seems that Uncle is making a move. Then we can rest assured to produce and we will definitely be able to complete the order."

"I hope so!"

Standing on the stairs with Vivian, looking at the Christmas tree below, Wang Mingzhu suddenly recalled the scene of celebrating New Year's Eve with Abao on the rooftop of the Peace Hotel last year, and her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She never imagined that in less than a year, she and Abao would go from being the best comrades-in-arms to such fierce rivals.

Uncle was initially quite wary of Wang Mingzhu's next move, since if Wang Mingzhu really left the Yangtze River Delta region, it would be much more difficult for him to maintain control.

What he didn't expect was that Wang Mingzhu kept buying plane tickets but never thought of leaving through other channels. Even the fabric she used to make Walmart orders remained in warehouse number 27 and was never shipped to Shenzhen or anywhere else.

This puzzled the old man. He didn't think Wang Mingzhu had chosen to give up, but he also couldn't figure out her true thoughts. Had Wang Mingzhu really given up, or was she planning to transfer the business to him and Abao?
Just as he was wondering, he suddenly received a message from Mei Ping that Wang Mingzhu had already transported the jeans to No. 27 on the Bund and even inspected and put them into storage.

He then realized that Wang Mingzhu was playing a trick, making him only focus on that batch of fabric while actually ordering another batch and even finding a factory to produce it.

He knew his defeat was not unjust; after all, no one would have expected Wang Mingzhu to buy enough fabric to produce two batches at once. He felt he was getting old and hadn't taken any precautions beforehand.

He knew perfectly well that Zhao Shucheng was cooperating with Wang Mingzhu. Zhao Shucheng was rich and powerful; buying more fabric wouldn't be a problem for him, and he could even buy an entire garment factory directly. Why did he overlook this?

Uncle didn't have much to say about this failure, but he was worried that Abao Clothing Company would encounter difficulties when it went public. If Abao failed in the stock market and lost out in foreign trade, he really didn't know what Abao could do.

Wang Mingzhu, on the other hand, was quite pleased with herself, having completed the order ahead of schedule, which surprised her mentor and colleagues from the 27th.

What made Wang Mingzhu even happier was that even though she had driven the price down so low, Boss Ma and his team were still able to complete the production smoothly. Even if the exchange rate did not change, she would at most not earn much, but she would not lose money.

Just as Wang Mingzhu was about to celebrate with Zhao Shucheng, she received a call from Fan Xinhua. Only then did she learn that Fan Xinhua had been working hard for her and had already contacted a clothing factory. They were just waiting for Wang Mingzhu to sign the contract with the clothing factory.

"Mr. Fan, I'm sorry, but I've already found a suitable manufacturer, and the product is even in production. However, I still appreciate your kindness. I'll tell Mr. Zhao that if we need any help, he or I can contact us anytime."

After hanging up the phone, Wang Mingzhu still felt a little guilty. To keep her uncle in the dark, she had kept it a secret from everyone, but she had let Mr. Fan, who was truly good to her, do all her work for nothing.

After hanging up the phone, Fan Xinhua immediately called A Bao and told him about Wang Mingzhu finding a factory.

Ah Bao had actually known the news from his uncle long ago, and he even knew more than his uncle, knowing that the factory that manufactured for Wang Mingzhu was Boss Ma's factory.

This made him feel that things had changed. He had partnered with Boss Ma to produce T-shirts and planned to create his own brand, but he failed because there was no shopping mall on Nanjing Road. That's why he thought of becoming a shareholder in the clothing company. And it seemed like he hadn't been in touch with Boss Ma for a long time.

Yet this is the same person who, after partnering with Zhao Shucheng, has seen his business flourish. Now, he's even started producing jeans in addition to T-shirts, and plans to have his own jeans brand in the future, ready to launch in Zhao Shucheng's supermarkets.

Abao felt deeply that he was still not strong enough. If he had enough funds, he could buy the commercial buildings on Nanjing Road and make his own decisions, instead of going through all the trouble of trying to list the clothing company and then negotiating cooperation with the company as a shareholder.

New Year's Day is coming soon.

As the New Year's bells rang, thousands of lights shone along Huanghe Road, fireworks lit up the sky, and the whole country celebrated the arrival of the new year.

On New Year's Day, the government announced the unification of the foreign exchange system, ending the era of exchange rate differentials and causing a surge in the RMB exchange rate. Wang Mingzhu's previously signed Walmart order was successfully delivered, instantly turning a loss into a profit—not just a small one—making her a new legend in the foreign trade world.

Wang Mingzhu wanted to celebrate with Zhao Shucheng, but was told that Zhao Shucheng and Vivian had already flown to Shenzhen and should have arrived in Hong Kong by now.

Although she was slightly disappointed, the company had secured such a large order and had a great start, so it was only natural to celebrate. Therefore, she booked a private room at Zhizhen Garden and took the company's employees there to celebrate.

When Wang Mingzhu returned to Huanghe Road, she had a completely different experience. Before, when she had just left No. 27, she was no longer Miss Wang on Huanghe Road, but just a nobody, and no one could give her any face.

But after this success, I was greeted by smiling faces everywhere on Huanghe Road, as if the previous unfamiliarity and rejection were just my illusions.

Of course she knew why this was the case. It was because she had succeeded that those people were now fawning over her. But what if she failed? Perhaps those people would still look down on her, thinking that everything she had was thanks to A Bao, and that she couldn't even book a private room.

Zhao Shucheng had no idea what Wang Mingzhu was thinking at that moment. He had originally planned to go back to Hong Kong with Vivian to spend New Year's Day or the Lunar New Year with her mother, but when he called, Zhou's mother told Vivian that she was planning to come here to spend the Lunar New Year with them and also to see their new home.

Vivian looked at Zhao Shucheng somewhat nervously and said, "Shucheng, what do you think?"

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "I think this is good too. Auntie probably hasn't been here before, and her impression of this place is probably that it's poor and backward. This time, she can take a good look and see how fast it's developing. She'll also know that Shanghai is actually no worse than Hong Kong, and its vitality is even more vigorous."

After Zhao Shucheng and Vivian picked up Zhou's mother, they only rested briefly in Shenzhen before buying plane tickets to Shanghai and flying back to Shanghai the next day.

After Zhao Shucheng and his group got off the plane, Zhao Shucheng casually bought a copy of the Pujiang Securities Newspaper and saw a new announcement in it: the apparel company had officially gone public.

Zhou's mother was chatting with her daughter when she noticed the newspaper in Zhao Shucheng's hand, who was sitting in the front row, and asked, "Mr. Zhao, you also pay attention to stocks?"

Zhao Shucheng said with a smile, "Auntie, I made my first pot of gold by trading stocks. Although I don't trade stocks much now, I still need to spend some time every day familiarizing myself with the stock market. After all, if I'm short of money, the stock market is the best way to make money."

Upon hearing Zhao Shucheng's words, the taxi driver suddenly laughed and said, "Brother, you don't think the stock market is your personal ATM, do you?" (End of Chapter)