A hundred flavors of life

Chapter 1416 Making Money! (Please Subscribe!)
P.S.: That beautiful actress who starred in all four classic Chinese novels has passed away. I was writing about her just a few months ago. Alas, life is unpredictable. May she rest in peace!
The following morning, Hua Shier used the mirror space as cover to create a clone inside and went to school with Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe, while he wandered around outside for a while before arriving at the Magpie Bridge at the agreed time.

Li Yiming was already waiting here.

"Brother Pengfei!"

Li Yiming greeted him from afar. He seemed to have gotten used to calling a primary school student "brother" and no longer felt any shame.

After greeting him, he immediately inquired about yesterday's events. Even now, he still couldn't believe that Hua Shier, this elementary school student, had actually arranged a temporary worker status for him at Pengcheng Electronics Factory.

If it were true, he felt it was a complete fantasy.

Hua Shier could tell Li Yiming's concerns from his expression, and said with a smile:
"Do you suspect that I used a fake work ID and letter of introduction to fool you?"

"Isn't there a phone number on that letter of introduction? If you don't trust me, you can just call and confirm!"

Li Yiming, having been exposed, gave an embarrassed smile: "No need, since you've said so, Brother Pengfei, then it must be correct!"

"How could it be wrong!"

Hua Shier was somewhat disappointed in his lack of ambition!
"what?"

Li Yiming didn't know what he had said wrong. Did he really believe him?

Hua Shier explained to him:

"You believe everything people say? How can you do business like that? You'll get swindled out of everything!"

"From now on, for important matters, you must make sure everything is clear. Don't be afraid of the trouble, understand?"

Li Yiming nodded: "Shall we call and confirm?"

Hua Shier stared wide-eyed: "You don't even believe me?"

Li Yiming was a bit confused. "You're putting yourself in a bind," he thought, wanting to ask me what he should do.
Hua Twelve laughed loudly upon seeing this:
"Alright, I was just joking with you, but what I said is true. You need to remember to be vigilant when doing business in the future. Let's go to the supply and marketing cooperative and talk on the way!"

The supply and marketing cooperative is an old three-story building with a gray exterior and wooden-framed glass windows.

The first floor sells groceries and general merchandise. It had just opened, and the sales clerks were wiping the counters. The air was filled with the smells of soap, kerosene, and dried goods—a unique commercial atmosphere of the late 1970s.

After asking for directions, Hua Shier led Li Yiming directly to the second floor. The stairs were made of wooden planks, which creaked as they were stepped on.

The second floor is the office, and the corridor is quiet, except for the door at the end of the corridor which is ajar.

Hua Shier stopped at the door of the director's office and gestured for Li Yiming to knock.

Li Yiming took a deep breath and knocked three times.

"Come in," came the voice of a middle-aged man from inside.

Pushing open the door, they entered. Inside sat a man in his forties, with a side-parted hairstyle and black-rimmed glasses, looking down at documents. Upon seeing them enter, he looked up, his gaze sweeping over the two men before finally settling on Li Yiming.

"You are"

"Hello, Director Zhang." Li Yiming stepped forward and handed over the letter of introduction: "We are from Pengcheng Electronics Factory, and we would like to discuss a cooperation with you."

Director Zhang took the letter, adjusted his glasses, and carefully read it twice. The letterhead was formal company letterhead, the official seal was neatly affixed, and the content read:

"Application for establishing a pilot program for the sale of electronic watches in the Suzhou area".

He put the letter down, took off his glasses to wipe them, and put them back on: "This isn't in accordance with the rules. Supply and marketing cooperatives have their own procedures; how can you just set up pilot programs arbitrarily?"

Li Yiming was a little nervous, but he still said what Hua Shier had told him on the way here:

"Director Zhang, this year the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives issued the 'Opinions on Expanding the Pilot Program for the Autonomy of Grassroots Supply and Marketing Cooperatives,' which allows pilot units to expand their autonomy in business operations, such as choosing operating methods and purchasing and sales channels!"

"How could you not know these things? Please stop testing us young people!"

Director Zhang was somewhat surprised: "You young comrade have really found out about the policy very well!"

Li Yiming took out a digital watch, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Director Zhang.

Director Zhang said coldly, "What are you trying to do? Are you testing our cadres with this?"

Li Yiming quickly explained:

"You've misunderstood. This is a new brand produced by our factory. The purpose of setting up this experimental sales point is to promote the new product and increase brand awareness. So, in addition to selling a small quantity to the public, our factory also plans to invite some customers to try it on for free. They just need to give an objective evaluation afterward!"

"I think Director Zhang's temperament is a perfect match for our product, so I'd like to ask you to help us try it on for a while to see if there are any shortcomings or areas that need improvement. This is also a way of serving the public!"

Director Zhang was taken aback at first, then a knowing smile appeared on his lips:

"You're an interesting young man; that's a novel idea. Very good. Since it's about serving the public, I'll help you out."

Neither party mentioned the trial period, so it's acceptable to try it on for three, five, seven, or eight years. Of course, all of this is left unsaid.

Since there are policies from above, as long as we can pull some strings, we can get things done.

Both parties agreed that Suzhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative would conduct a pilot cooperation with Pengcheng Electronics Factory. The electronic watches sold to external parties would be pilot products and would not be within the quota of the prescribed plan. The models and brands of the electronic watches sold would not be the same as those sold by the department store.

Pengcheng Electronics Factory, which is Li Yiming's side, only needs to hand over 30% of the profits, while it needs to be responsible for its own operating premises.

Just as Li Yiming was about to say something, Hua Shier nudged him with his hand. This was the secret signal the two of them had agreed upon. He immediately agreed and, following Director Zhang's instructions, wrote the application for the pilot program.

Director Zhang chuckled and said, "We'll have a meeting to discuss this application. After all, we can't just make decisions on our own. Come back in three days to pick up the paperwork!"

The implication was that the deal was done.

Li Yiming then took out ten beautifully packaged electronic watches, whose styles were far more fashionable than those on the market:

"Director Zhang, now we're all family. We don't know who to ask about this trial fitting thing. You'll have to help us find a few reliable people."

Director Zhang pointed at Li Yiming: "You little comrade, you're always causing me trouble. Alright, just leave it here!"

After Li Yiming and Hua Shier left the supply and marketing cooperative and walked a distance away, he asked:

"Brother Pengfei, aren't we giving them too much? Thirty percent of the profits, all under the name of the supply and marketing cooperative."

Hua Twelve said irritably:
"Can't you think long-term? Having this brand means you're not breaking the law, otherwise it's considered thievery, and if you get caught, you'll be in jail, you know that?!"

"Moreover, with this business model as a precedent and Director Zhang's connections, we can operate in other places in the same way. After Suzhou, there's Nanjing, after Nanjing, there's Hangzhou, and after Hangzhou, there's Shanghai. These are the long-term benefits!" Li Yiming nodded as if he understood.

Hua Shier smiled and said, "Take your time to learn. Pay attention, and you'll understand in time!"

Three days later, Li Yiming successfully obtained the relevant documents from the supply and marketing cooperative. With these documents, their so-called 'sales pilot program' was officially registered under the cooperative's name.

The next thing to do was rent a house and set up the sales pilot project. Hua Shier didn't care about these things. He just threw a roll of money at Li Yiming and handed everything over to him.

Li Yiming was taken aback by Hua Shier's extravagant spending: "Brother Pengfei, where did you get so much money?"

Hua Shier, of course, wouldn't say that this was stockpiled from other worlds; he simply shifted the blame:

"Of course it's from Pengcheng Electronics Factory. After all, we're organizing a sales pilot program for Pengcheng Electronics Factory. We can't just spend our own money!"

Li Yiming thought it made sense, so he gave Hua Shier a receipt and then took the funds to get things done.

In the original storyline, Li Yiming was among the first batch of self-employed individuals after the reform and opening up. He was definitely capable, and within a few days, he rented a shop on Guanqian Street, did some simple renovations, and officially opened for business.

Hua Shier traveled between Shenzhen and Suzhou several times via the Anywhere Door, and also made several trips to Hong Kong Island, bringing a large number of electronic watches to sell in the store, all of which were issued with unified invoices provided by the supply and marketing cooperative.

On the opening day, Hua Shier had Li Yiming put up a sign outside, offering a free pound of eggs with the purchase of an electronic watch.
Well, these days, electronic watches are already in high demand, and many people ask others to bring them back from the south. Now, stores selling electronic watches have opened up, and they even give away eggs, which has attracted a lot of consumers.

Upon entering, I discovered that the store was selling a type of digital watch called "Gold Rolex," with a variety of styles. Compared to digital watches from brands like "Shanghai" and "Gemflower" on the market, it not only had a unique design but was also cheaper, making it a great value for money.

In fact, only a small number of these watches were produced by Pengcheng Electronics Factory. Most of them were made by Hua Shier, who went to Hong Kong Island to find a factory to process them under his brand. The cost was only a dozen or so RMB. With the Anywhere Door, he didn't have to pay for travel expenses. He could sell a watch for eighty to one hundred and twenty RMB, making a fortune.

As for the name 'Gold Rolex', it was obtained by Hua Shier. From now on, if anyone says 'Gold Rolex', they are referring to our kind of electronic watch.

Director Zhang of the supply and marketing cooperative initially had reservations about the name "Jin Lao," feeling that "Jin" was not a good word and that it lacked the spirit of hard work and frugality, instead giving off a sense of extravagance and hedonism.

Following Hua Shier's explanation, Li Yiming insisted that "gold" meant wealth, and "gold labor" meant "creating wealth through labor".

This immediately elevated the discussion, and Director Zhang said "good" several times, suddenly feeling that it had a particularly profound meaning!

After a month of operation, the final statistics left Li Yiming speechless with shock.

This month, they sold over a thousand electronic watches, most of which were over 100 yuan. The sales amounted to over 100,000 yuan. Even after deducting taxes and payments to the supply and marketing cooperative, the two of them still had over 60,000 yuan left.

More than 60,000 in 1979! Li Yiming could hardly speak anymore; it was somewhat like Fan Jin passing the imperial examination.

Hua Shier gave him a whack with the pestle before he came to his senses:

"You think it's all yours? Eighty percent will be handed over to the factory, twenty percent is ours, and the rest we'll split it 50/50. You don't have any objections, do you?"

In fact, the so-called "handing over to the factory" actually went into Hua Twelve's own pocket, a fact that Li Yiming was unaware of, and he thought it was perfectly reasonable.

The remaining money was to be split in half, which was Hua Shier's test for Li Yiming.

On the surface, Hua Shier is in charge of making connections, but in reality, Li Yiming is handling everything. In this situation, if the latter can't distinguish between the big and small partners, feels unbalanced, or feels he's not getting enough, he wouldn't mind changing partners.

As soon as Hua Shier finished speaking, Li Yiming nodded:

"No objection. Pengfei found the source of the goods, and it was your idea to cooperate with the electronics factory and the supply and marketing cooperative. Isn't it too much for me to take half?"

Hua Shier smiled and nodded at him, thinking that he was alright, had a clear understanding of himself, and wasn't the kind of person who could share hardship but not prosperity.

He laughed and said, "If you feel uncomfortable about it, you can just buy me a bicycle later. I don't plan to tell my family about this money anyway, and I need a reason to buy a bicycle."

Li Yiming said no problem.

The two immediately began dividing the money. Hua Shier took the initiative to take 48,000 yuan, saying he would give it to his uncle at the electronics factory later.

There was still over 16,000 yuan left, which the two split equally, with each receiving over 8,000 yuan.

Having earned over eight thousand yuan in a month, Li Yiming felt like he was floating on air.

The next day, he exchanged several bicycle vouchers and a watch voucher with Director Zhang of the supply and marketing cooperative, and then bought four bicycles and a mechanical watch from within the cooperative.

He kept one bicycle for himself and sent the remaining three to Zhuang Chaoying's house, saying they were for the three children.

This caused an uproar in the alley. Zhuang Chaoying and Huang Ling were stunned and resolutely refused to accept it.

Li Yiming's sincere explanation:

"Teacher Zhuang, please accept this. Pengfei helped me a lot, this is just a small token of my gratitude. Each of your three children can have a car."

When everyone heard that Hua Shier had met a capable person on the train, introduced him to Li Yiming, and helped him get a job, while also earning bonuses and commissions through sales, they finally understood what had happened.

Then everyone was envious, saying that Yiming had made something of himself.

After much persuasion from Li Yiming, Zhuang Chaoying finally decided to accept the bicycle.

But he also said that if Yiming ever wanted to take it back, he could just come and get it.

After leaving the Zhuang family, Li Yiming went to Lin Wufeng's house to talk. Once inside, he took out a mechanical watch and two digital watches.

"Mr. Lin, I also want to thank you for what happened last time. Now that I've made money, this watch is compensation for you. These two digital watches are products from our factory, so please give them to Auntie and Dongzhe!"

Lin Wufeng certainly couldn't accept it. Li Yiming then explained Hua Shier's "trial fitting" method and concluded by saying:
"After Auntie wears it, all she has to do is write a review of her experience, including the pros and cons. Just write it honestly, and this watch will be her reward!"

Lin Wufeng was a sensible man. He knew that even if this was true, the people who tried on the products wouldn't be chosen randomly. He also understood that this was Li Yiming's way of expressing gratitude to him. He couldn't refuse, so he could only smile and agree. In his heart, he felt that Li Yiming was a grateful person and deserved help.

From that day on, Hua Shier became a car owner, riding his bike to school every day, but he soon regretted it.

Because Zhuang Xiaoting is young, Huang Ling is worried about letting her ride a bicycle by herself.

So when Hua Shier went to school, he had to bring Zhuang Xiaoting with him. But there was also Lin Dongzhe next door, and that kid was shameless and insisted on riding on the crossbar of the bicycle.
So Hua Shier rode his bike to school every day, carrying two little kids along, just like taking his children to school!
Actually, he wanted to give Wu Shanshan a ride to school. To nurture a beauty... cough cough, he really didn't have any bad intentions. It's just that a man and a woman riding together makes cycling less tiring, and it's pleasing to the eye, isn't it?

Time flies, and the end of the year is here in the blink of an eye. In the final exams, Hua Shier got first place in the sixth grade.

The report card showed 100 points in both Chinese and Math. The teacher's comment read: "Intelligent and hardworking, please be humble and continue to work hard."

Hua Shier returned to Guizhou for the Chinese New Year with the top score in his class.

His nominal parents, Zhuang Hualin and Xiang Dong, held Xiang Pengfei's perfect score test paper, and laughed and cried at the same time. They felt that their son had grown up and knew how to make them proud.

Thank you to 08a, Little Tiger of the Demon Realm, and Brother Meow Big Dog for the donations, and thank you to the brothers who voted for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets. Thank you so much!