Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 941 Not a single one
In a small house in a fishing village, Wang Jianguo and Fang Guoan exchanged views on how to develop their team and do business in Hong Kong.

Despite Fang Guoan's constant mockery of Wang Jianguo's primary school education, he himself wasn't much better off; junior high school was his absolute peak.

Thanks to spending most of the past two years hiding indoors, he developed a habit of reading newspapers out of necessity. In addition, he is a thoughtful person, or rather, the environment forced him to think, which makes him seem a little better than Wang Jianguo.

But ultimately, its strength is limited.

Therefore, after establishing the fundamental principle that the "unforgivable bottom line" could not be crossed, the two had a thorough exchange of opinions on the two core points raised by Chen Fan: organizing the team and selling counterfeit goods.

With Li Nan keeping watch at the door and occasionally chiming in, the conversation gradually veered off-topic.

To reiterate, none of these three people have a very high level of knowledge. Fortunately, they have all learned a lot over the past year, otherwise they wouldn't even be able to have this much to talk about.

However, they also have their own advantages.

That is "fighting a war".

Before joining the army, all three were outstanding militia members in the local area; otherwise, they would not have been able to obtain the precious enlistment slots.

Those who have participated know what militias are like these days; they're prepared to fight a nuclear war at any time.

From the basic three-three system to the coordination of squads, platoons, and companies, to the operation and setup of communication equipment, information reconnaissance, individual soldier skills training, and theoretical courses such as combat principles, tactical basics, and military command, and even chemical warfare, atomic stations, etc., all are compulsory courses.

Not to mention that they later joined Class A field units, where they further strengthened their learning and practice.

Then, quite naturally, the conversation between the three of them took a turn for the worse. What was originally a perfectly good civilian business association gradually veered off course, forming information groups, logistics groups, assault groups, guard groups, support groups, transportation groups, liaison groups, and so on, clearly showing a trend toward developing into a quasi-military organization.

Fang Guoan smoked a cigarette and slowly summarized, "After I go back this time, I will try my best to gather all my comrades-in-arms, both those I know and those I don't, and assign them tasks according to their previous branches of service in the army."

The first priority is to form a reconnaissance squad. If there are enough people, we can consider forming a reconnaissance platoon or even a reconnaissance company to quickly find out all kinds of intelligence from Hong Kong, both overt and covert, and to continue to collect information.

Secondly, we need to gather as many people as possible…

He looked up at Wang Jianguo and suddenly said with a smile, "Your place can only accept a limited number of people. In the past, my business here was not big, so I didn't dare to accept too many people."

Seeing that many elderly comrades can only earn a meager living by using hoes, and even struggle to make ends meet throughout the year, I feel quite sad that there is nothing I can do.

Things are different now. With you handling the receiving of goods, I dare to take on bigger business and recruit more people with confidence.

He paused, took a drag of his cigarette, and continued, "Actually, even without looking for people from our hometown, we have quite a few old comrades-in-arms in Hong Kong. Most of them are in grassroots positions; some have gone to factories, and some are doing manual labor."

Perhaps some people have become rusty in their skills, but others certainly haven't. Anyway, as long as the basics are still there and there are the necessary equipment, they can get back to their old ways with a few days of training.

The exact number of people you can hire depends on how much inventory you can handle.

Wang Jianguo immediately raised his head and said confidently, "I can take as much of your goods as you have."

He paused for a moment, then quickly added, "But you have to be careful. It's okay for thieves to steal from each other, but it's not okay to oppress ordinary people."

Fang Guoan curled his lip. "In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"

Wang Jianguo chuckled awkwardly, "Just a reminder, I was just reminding you."

"Don't worry, I know what's going on."

Fang Guoan lit a cigarette, his eyes narrowed slightly, and said, "Hong Kong has many small factories where things are ridiculously cheap. A dress costs only two or three dollars, and if you buy in bulk, it's even cheaper. The prices are much lower than on the mainland."

Previously, the only problem was the lack of suitable sales channels. Panyu, Zhongshan, Dongguan, Shantou, and even the smuggling channels here were all already controlled by certain individuals. If we wanted to enter the market, we could either work as their assistants and earn some transportation fees, or we had to fight a few battles to grab a share.

But compared to the meager profits earned through hard work, it's better to pull off a few big heists.

He looked up at Wang Jianguo and smiled, "Things are different now. With your connection, we can trade directly. Once we've recruited enough people, I can give you any quantity of goods you need."

"Uh-huh."

Wang Jianguo nodded, paused for two seconds, and looked at him, saying, "How about I give you the tools? And what about the money for purchasing the goods? How about I give you an advance payment first?"

Fang Guoan shook his head. "There's no need. We have our own money to buy the goods. After all, we haven't been living off others these past two years. Besides, we don't have many people at the beginning, so it's better to buy less at first."

As for the tools, ..."

He smiled at Wang Jianguo and said, "Don't worry about this. It's not too difficult to get. You can buy it at the supply and marketing cooperatives in the townships or the machinery factories in the county. It's not troublesome to buy it. When you contact your old comrades to gather, just send them some money and let them bring it over."

From now on, our relationship will be purely transactional; you pay, I sell. Let's not get too involved.

Wang Jianguo nodded. "That's settled then."

He was about to get up and leave when he suddenly sat down again and said to Fang Guoan, "By the way, at the last company meeting, I heard the company's CFO mention that starting from January 1st of this year, tariffs on import and export goods will be reinstated."

I don't understand this stuff either. I've only heard that it hasn't fully recovered yet and we're still in the process of figuring it out.

Here's what I'm thinking: once you make money over there, you'll still need to set up your own company, since my profits are ridiculously high, and with tariffs, we can make a fortune too. So why not just do business openly and honestly? You understand what I mean?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Fang Guoan's eyes. "You came up with this yourself?"

Wang Jianguo blinked. "Otherwise what?"

"Sure, Lao Wang."

Fang Guoan gave him a thumbs up, "Not bad, you've improved."

Wang Jianguo grinned and chuckled, "Right? I also think I've made progress."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly sensed something was amiss. He frowned and looked at Fang Guoan, "Are you saying I'm stupid?"

Fang Guoan immediately shook his head and said with a serious face, "No, I'm praising you, really. You see, I never thought of that."

Smuggling goods is definitely not a long-term solution. When the time is right, we should bring our business into the open. That way, maybe one day I can make money legitimately, just like you guys, and return home in glory, right?

Wang Jianguo then dispelled his doubts and grinned, "That's right, that's exactly it. I told you I'm smart, didn't I?"

Fang Guoan nodded without thinking, "Yes, yes, you're the smartest, a really smart one."

Li Nan sat at the doorway, exhaling a puff of smoke towards the distant Wutong Mountain. He was seriously pondering how Old Wang had become the class monitor. Was it just because he was good with his fists?

……

Rewind to two hours earlier. Chen Fan arrived at the top floor of the office building and met Zhao Wanru, who was dressed simply, in Ye Yufeng's office.

Zhou Yali and Ye Yufeng were sitting next to her.

Upon seeing him arrive, Zhao Wanru immediately smiled and waved, "Xiao Fan, come sit here."

Chen Fan smiled and called out, "Auntie."

She then sat down on the sofa next to her, and looked at Ye Yufeng and Zhou Yali sitting next to her, asking curiously, "Weren't you two going to the city government to discuss the hotel? You're back so soon?"

Ye Yufeng crossed his legs and said with a light laugh, "It's over. It's just putting the established facts on paper. The city made a phone call to the provincial leaders to inform them, and then we signed a supplementary contract, listing the Pengcheng Hotel project as a key project in Shenzhen. It guarantees that, on the premise that the project payment will not be delayed, there will only be an increase in workers, not a decrease in manpower and equipment."

Our objective was successfully achieved, and then we came back.

After she finished speaking, Zhou Yali made a gesture to Chen Fan, "So easy."

Before Chen Fan could speak, Zhao Wanru asked him, "Are you sure Shenzhen can get the title of Special Economic Zone this time?"

"It's probably close to ten."

Chen Fan smiled, took the teacup Zhou Yali handed him, and said with a smile, "This matter is basically out in the open, and there's not much room for change."

Therefore, we must prepare in advance. Even if we cannot gain the upper hand in this large-scale development, we must not allow our normal development to be affected. Otherwise, a slight delay will lead to delays in everything, and the losses will be significant.

Zhao Wanru nodded slowly as if she was thinking, then smiled and said, "Since you are confident, then do it your way."

Since the company belongs to him and his daughter, the main operational direction should naturally be determined by the two of them. She and her husband can offer opinions and suggestions, but they should not interfere too much with the two of their decisions.

Of course, Qianfan Company is an exception.

She is now the CEO of Qianfan Group, and even the chairman has to step aside, and the major shareholders have to cooperate with her.

She's here today specifically to get the major shareholder's cooperation.

After taking a sip of tea, Zhao Wanru put down her teacup and said to Chen Fan, "After half a year of integration, Qianfan Group has initially completed its restructuring, basically following your suggestions at the beginning of the year."

Television stations, radio stations, publishing houses, newspapers, magazines, film companies, and cinema chains have all been acquired or newly established. After integration, Qianfan Group has become much stronger.

Furthermore, we reached an agreement with Universal, Warner Bros., and MGM to film the first "Eragon Legend" movie, and collaborated with Paramount, Columbia, and United Artists to film "Saint Seiya".

Both sides are currently busy assembling the production team, and filming is expected to officially begin as early as the end of this year. Then, by the end of next year, we should be able to see your work brought to the big screen.

She paused briefly, turned to look at Chen Fan, and smiled, "Currently, the only thing that's happening is that the establishment of the Hong Kong branch is slightly ahead of schedule, but it won't have a big impact."

Chen Fan rolled his eyes slightly and smiled at her, "Not much impact? Then there is an impact, right?"

Zhao Wanru chuckled and said, “There will definitely be an impact. For example, my original plan was to use your film ‘Monk Comes Down the Mountain’ as the company’s debut film in Hong Kong, and to release it in places where Chinese-language films are popular, including Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.”

He spread his hands and said, "But they're all gone now."

Chen Fan smiled awkwardly and said, "There's nothing I can do about it. President Liao contacted me directly through Elder Xia, wanting to buy the screening rights for 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain.' Although Elder Xia explicitly said he wouldn't participate, if he really wasn't going to participate, he shouldn't have even shown his face."

We should still give Mr. Xia face. Besides, the Hong Kong Left Team Film Company has made many contributions to the government in the past, and now that it is in trouble, we should try our best to help.

I suspect this was also Elder Xia's idea; otherwise, he wouldn't have personally intervened.

Zhao Wanru smiled and said, "Given your current position and stance, it's understandable that you would make such a decision, and I have no objection."

only,……"

She paused for a moment, looked at him and smiled, "Since we're missing one 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain,' shouldn't we compensate the Hong Kong branch with a new movie?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Yali looked at Chen Fan with hopeful eyes, "Brother, brother, do you have any new works?"

Chen Fan turned to look at her and said irritably, "I haven't even finished writing two series yet, and you want me to start a new book? Are you trying to kill me with work?"

Zhou Yali shrank her neck and said weakly, "If there's no problem, there's no problem. Why are you being so fierce?"

Chen Fan ignored her and turned to Zhao Wanru, saying, "Auntie, I just finished filming 'Monk Comes Down the Mountain 2,' and I have to go back to do post-production in a few days."

Then I'm about to shoot a feature-length scenic film. It's a long film, covering the entire Yangtze River from its tail to its head, and it'll probably take about a year to make..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wanru immediately interrupted him, asking curiously, "Filmed from the end of the Yangtze River to its beginning? Is it a scenic documentary?"

Chen Fan: "It's not just about the scenery, but also about the local culture and customs."

After a pause, he explained, "Actually, this film is mainly for promoting domestic tourism, and it will also be shown abroad after it is finished."

Before Zhao Wanru could speak, Ye Yufeng said, "When I contacted Sister Jia, she mentioned it. Young Master Biao has changed jobs and is no longer working at the Writers' Association. Instead, he has been transferred to the Provincial Tourism Bureau."

Originally, the transfer to the Tourism Bureau was to support the development of Yunhu Film and Television City, but later, the young master proposed to shoot a scenic promotional video, which led to the current filming plan.

Zhao Wanru nodded in realization and looked at Chen Fan, saying, "So, after filming, you plan to broadcast it on Qianfan TV?"

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "Actually, there's another way: release it in theaters first, and then broadcast it on TV after it's finished showing. I'm planning to shoot this entirely on film; it would be a real shame not to make more money."

Zhao Wanru chuckled as she listened, "I suddenly realized that you're even more perceptive than we are when it comes to making money."

Chen Fan coughed lightly and laughed, "Maybe it's because I was afraid of being poor before."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wanru and the other two changed their expressions, looking at him with pity in their eyes, wondering how he had fared back then.

Especially during the two years he was missing, he had no one and no money; God knows how much suffering he endured.

Little did they know that Chen Fan was referring to the impoverished life he experienced in the big city before his transmigration—something even cattle and horses would know.

Seeing that they were all silent and looking at him like that, Chen Fan knew they had misunderstood. He immediately coughed twice and said to Zhao Wanru, "Aunt, how is the Hong Kong branch going?"

Zhao Wanru came to her senses and smiled, "It's alright. We bought a piece of land on Broadcast Drive and plan to build a Thousand Sails Building as an office, but that's for the future. For now, we've bought three floors of office space in Kowloon."

A strange look appeared in Chen Fan's eyes as he asked, "What about the film crew?"

Hearing him say this, Zhao Wanru was also somewhat helpless and could only shrug, "We recruited dozens of soldiers, but not one of them can become a general or commander."

(End of this chapter)