Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2733 A World in Tumultuous Change (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

Although the air in Guangzhou is cool and pleasant in early autumn, there is still a slight chill in the air.

A cool breeze made Lou Xiao'e, who had just stepped out of the customs exit, instinctively wrap her woolen coat tighter around herself. After leaving the station with the crowd of people visiting relatives, she headed outside.

The train station square is not spacious, surrounded by low, blue-brick bungalows with somewhat mottled walls. Occasionally, you can see a few faded slogans, which would have been unimaginable in the past.

The square wasn't crowded; most of the people were locals carrying cloth bags and wearing Zhongshan suits or blue cloth jackets. There were a few simple stalls by the roadside, with stall owners pushing bamboo carts, selling herbal tea and local snacks. They were all trying to attract customers, and when they saw someone like Lou Xiao'e, who was dressed fashionably and had a bit of a Hong Kong style, they would immediately greet them warmly.

After exiting the station, Lou Xiao'e tried to find a taxi as usual, but because there were few cars and many people in front of the station, whether she could get one depended entirely on luck.

But the next second, her gaze was drawn to the car that appeared on the road, and she even stopped abruptly, her eyes widening and her face full of disbelief and surprise.

Near the exit of the station, a row of red Wuling cars were parked on the roadside, with the word "Taxi" on the roof.

"This, this really is a taxi! There are actually taxis now..."

Lou Xiao'e muttered to herself unconsciously, her voice full of astonishment, and gently covered her mouth with her hand:

"It wasn't here last time I came. It's only been three months. How come it has changed so much?"

She walked quickly forward, her eyes carefully examining the red taxi on the roadside. The car had a sleek design, similar to the taxis she had seen on the streets of Hong Kong Island. They were all Wuling cars, but station wagons, obviously designed to carry more cargo.

A small roof light was installed on the roof, the windows were clean and bright, the seats inside were neat and tidy, and there was even a familiar meter.

On the road, there were also several red taxis driving by, their red color forming a striking contrast with the surrounding environment.

The low, old brick houses next to them had mottled walls, and even the pedestrians' clothes were mostly monotonous colors such as gray, blue, and black. Only these red taxis were vibrant and eye-catching, creating a completely different scene on this street.

In Lou Xiao'e's view, they were like intruders who suddenly broke into this land, seemingly foreshadowing the changes that were quietly taking place in the city.

"This is too fast! There weren't these taxis when I came last time."

Lou Xiao'e has been frequently visiting Guangzhou in the past few months because she has been negotiating OEM manufacturing with a garment factory there. She had just visited two months ago.

When I arrived, I waited for more than an hour for the car service company's car.

This wasn't just something he encountered; other people returning to visit relatives had also experienced similar situations. Six months ago, after the Guangzhou-Kowloon Through Train opened, Liu Yaozhu returned to his hometown from Hong Kong Island to visit relatives. There was absolutely no transportation from the train station to Xiamou Village. Carrying large bags and small packages, he waited for quite a while but no bus came. In the end, he had to call his fellow villagers and ask them to ride bicycles for more than an hour to come to the city to pick him up.

While waiting for someone to pick him up, he looked around at other people returning to their hometowns with large bags and bundles, just like himself. Thinking about the various inconveniences they faced, he sensed a business opportunity.

Sensing a business opportunity, Liu Yaozhu didn't even wait to return to Hong Kong before directly negotiating with the local government to jointly establish a taxi company.

The two sides hit it off immediately. Guangzhou had also realized that the shortage of cars had caused a lot of inconvenience to Hong Kong residents visiting relatives and foreign guests. It wanted to follow the example of Hong Kong Island and establish a taxi company, but it was hampered by insufficient funds. Soon, the two sides reached a consensus, and Liu Yaozhu introduced 300 cars to establish Baiyun Taxi Company - the first Sino-foreign joint venture taxi company in mainland China.

During the negotiations, Liu Yaozhu proposed a series of taxi concepts that were unheard of by the mainland representatives, including hailing a taxi, metered fares, telephone booking, and 24-hour service. From then on, red cars with the word "Taxi" on their fronts began to appear in the sight of Guangzhou residents. This not only facilitated visits from Hong Kong residents and foreign guests but also completely changed the way locals traveled.

After all, in the past, car service companies did not offer their vehicles to ordinary people.

When Lou Xiao'e recovered from her surprise, the people who had come back to visit relatives with large bags and small packages also seemed to have discovered a new continent. With surprise and delight on their faces, they suddenly sped up and ran towards the taxis.

"Hurry up, or there won't be any more buses..."

The shouts behind her made Lou Xiao'e realize that the train had just pulled into the station and there were so many people on board; these few cars were simply not enough.

There was no time for her to think. The surprise on her face gradually turned into tension, and she quickly took off running, just like she was scrambling for a taxi in Hong Kong. Since she had no luggage, she naturally ran ahead of everyone else. She only breathed a sigh of relief after getting into the taxi.

The driver, dressed in a suit, greeted them warmly:

"Miss, where are we going?"

Lou Xiao'e gave the factory's address, and at that moment, she even felt as if she had returned to the streets of Hong Kong Island.

A dozen minutes later, the taxi arrived smoothly at its destination. Lou Xiao'e casually took out a few bills from her bag and handed them to the driver. But when the driver saw the large denomination bills, the smile on his face instantly faded, his brows furrowed slightly, his expression turned somewhat unpleasant, and his tone became colder:

“Miss, it’s such a long way, and you’re from Hong Kong, so of course you should pay in Hong Kong dollars, but foreign exchange certificates are fine too.” Lou Xiao’e knew perfectly well why the other party said that, because the exchange rate was what it was. On the black market, foreign exchange was more expensive than the official rate, so the driver would definitely prefer to accept Hong Kong dollars.

Having been in business for many years, she didn't mince words and spoke directly.

"Comrade, you'd rather have foreign exchange than your own money; your thinking is somewhat contrary to the norm!"

Instantly, the driver turned pale with fright and waved his hands repeatedly, saying:
"Ah! No, no, comrade, don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense, I was just confused for a moment, just confused for a moment..."

Seeing the other person's frightened expression, Lou Xiao'e didn't say anything, and simply handed over a ten-yuan note, saying:
"You don't need to look for the rest."

After the car drove away, watching the disappearing red silhouette, Lou Xiao'e, standing in front of the garment factory, frowned and muttered to herself:
"I never expected things to change so much..."

Then she shook her head and walked straight to the garment factory not far away—that was her destination.

This garment factory is located deep in the alley, consisting of several interconnected brick buildings with a white wooden sign that reads "Dongfeng Street Garment Factory" hanging at the entrance.

Even through the wooden door, you could hear the clattering of sewing machines. The factory wasn't well-lit, but natural light streamed in through a few glass windows, and rolls of fabric of various colors and neatly folded garments were stacked in the corners.

As soon as Lou Xiao'e entered the factory, the factory manager, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, went to greet her:
"Miss Lou, you've finally arrived! Please come in!"

The factory manager warmly greeted her and led Lou Xiao'e to the garment storage area, saying as they walked:
"Don't worry, we are a street factory, not a state-owned factory. We don't have production tasks assigned by higher authorities. We rely entirely on the quality of our products to survive. If the quality is not good, you definitely won't give us orders next time, and we won't be able to survive."

Lou Xiao'e nodded without speaking. She bent down and picked up a shirt. First, she checked the fabric, and then she checked the workmanship. The stitches were fine and even, the lines were neat, and there was not a single trace of skipped or missing stitches. The collar and cuffs were also cut very neatly.

Then, without saying a word, she took out several shirts from the basket and examined them one by one. Whether it was the choice of fabric or the sewing craftsmanship, they were all very exquisite and not inferior to the level of some small garment factories on Hong Kong Island.

Seeing Lou Xiao'e's meticulous inspection, the factory director stood aside and added sincerely:

"Miss Lou, don't underestimate our small factory. Our workers are all highly skilled. They've just returned from working in the countryside. They're hardworking, diligent, and quick learners. They're especially meticulous when sewing clothes."

Because we couldn't find jobs for them, the neighborhood committee set up this factory. We also hope that with the orders from Hong Kong businessmen, the factory can operate sustainably and everyone can have a stable income. So, you can rest assured about the quality; even if you don't say it, I know how important it is.”

"The quality is acceptable."

Lou Xiao'e nodded slightly, without revealing much emotion. The reason she chose to come here to find a manufacturer was because it was cheap enough.

"As long as you can guarantee on-time delivery, I will place an order for another 50000 shirts."

"50000 pieces! This is fantastic, Ms. Lou, thank you so much!"

The factory manager expressed his gratitude, but then tentatively added:

"Ms. Lou, you are satisfied with our quality and we are sure you will be satisfied with our delivery speed. If possible, could you please introduce some more business to us?"

After all, the factory has over a hundred employees who depend on outside orders for their livelihood! I understand your rules over there, I can give you a cut.”

Seeing the factory manager's sincere expression, Lou Xiao'e put down the garments in her hands, looked up at the busy workers in the factory, and then looked at the factory manager. Looking at his cautious and ingratiating appearance, who would have thought that this factory manager in his forties would be a cadre in the neighborhood?

At this moment, the factory manager's face no longer bore the earnestness and seriousness she had been accustomed to. How long ago was it that, before she arrived in Hong Kong, she thought all cadres spoke with that same expression?
But now?
But he was completely different. Although some traces of the past remained on his face, when he faced her, he only had a certain expression that she had only seen on Hong Kong Island.

He's not a government official, but a businessman.

He spoke of business with an extremely natural demeanor. He even actively solicited business and brought up things like taking a cut.

For some reason, images of those taxis, and of course, the taxi drivers who insisted on asking for Hong Kong dollars, resurfaced in Lou Xiao'e's mind.

If it were a year ago, Lou Xiao'e would never have believed that all of this was real, yet it was right before her eyes.

All of this seemed to be proving one thing to her—a tremendous change was taking place here!

(End of this chapter)