2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 25 Noble Man
In 2004, the main urban area of ​​Guangzhou was not very large. The now-famous Zhujiang New Town was still a wasteland and vegetable fields at that time.

Who could have imagined that, just over a decade later, everything would have changed so drastically?

Perhaps even the city's designers didn't expect the changes to come so quickly and so dramatically?

At that time, the Canton Fair only had the Liuhua Pavilion, which was a small pavilion. Compared to the new pavilion that was built later, it looked much, much smaller.

Hotel prices throughout the city are three times higher than usual. To save money, some exhibitors have arranged to stay in the nearby city of Foshan and then travel by bus in the morning and evening.

Some stingy bosses even arrange for their sales staff to stay at the homes of their friends in Guangzhou, where four or five people squeeze together and make do with what they have.

These were all things that Uncle Cheng told Tan Jincheng. Uncle Cheng's full name is Cheng Yongjun, a name that has a very contemporary feel. This is his third time attending the Canton Fair.

This was Uncle Cheng's first time participating in an exhibition, and in order to save money, he just found a place to make do.

In his words, it was very tough and tiring, but it was all worth it.

Uncle Cheng was most impressed by an African woman who looked twice his weight. She was dressed in a flamboyant manner and also worked as a clothing maker.

This African woman, accompanied by a little assistant, was right next to their stall when they placed an order for nearly 300 million T-shirts.

Recalling his previous two experiences, Cheng Yongjun couldn't help but sigh, "Young man, keep up the good work. As long as you can produce good products, you won't have to worry about orders."

In fact, this applies to himself as well. If he hadn't heard about this exhibition for the first time and mustered up the courage to participate, his company wouldn't have developed so quickly.

If I had been scared off by the booth fee back then, perhaps I would still be just a mold maker, working day and night with a few workers to do contract manufacturing for others and earning a meager living.

Opportunities are often like this: when you seize one unexpectedly, your life may undergo earth-shattering changes.

Outside the venue, the crowds were immense; even in his two lifetimes, Tan Jincheng had never seen so many foreigners in China.

People of all skin colors gathered here, and the building hosting the exhibition hall looked very grand, but from the perspective of later generations, it seemed somewhat insignificant.

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to find the Ningbo delegation. Our symbol is a rattle drum; we can look out for each other when we’re together.”

Seeing that Tan Jincheng seemed shocked by the scene, Gu Yongjun couldn't help but smile, recalling that he had the same expression when he first participated in the exhibition.

Tan Jincheng has a sweet tongue and speaks the Ningbo dialect. Having lived two lives, he has seen a lot and knows how to chat with middle-aged men and win their favor.

In addition, Cheng Yongjun, who also speaks Ningbo dialect, enjoyed chatting along the way and even paid for Tan Jincheng's fare.

Even though he had already arrived here, Cheng Yonghui didn't mind seeing this young man off a little further; after all, he had his salesman on his side, so it didn't matter if it was a little earlier or later.

"Thank you, Uncle Cheng. If you hadn't given me directions, I probably wouldn't have been able to find it in a while. There are just too many foreigners here; it's making my eyes dizzy."

"Haha, you'll get used to it after a couple more times, let's go."

"Hey~"

Tan Jincheng was going to the area near the Ningbo delegation. At the Canton Fair, the Ningbo delegation was quite impressive. Many provinces formed delegations at the provincial level, while Ningbo formed a delegation at the city level, which shows its importance.

"If it's your first time in Guangzhou, you can go out and explore if you don't have anything to do. There are a lot of different kinds of electronic products here, which young people like. Or you could go to Shenzhen and buy some things to take back with you." "As for safety, you don't need to worry during the exhibition, as it's very strictly managed. However, you should still be careful of pickpockets and not lose your wallet."

As Cheng Yongjun walked inside, he introduced the place to Tan Jincheng.

Tan Jincheng smiled and agreed, while occasionally glancing at the booths he passed. Losing wallets was indeed a common problem these days, and one had to be extra careful no matter where one was.

Especially on the bus, when he was in Beicang, Tan Jincheng was always extra careful when taking the bus. Losing money was a small matter, but if he lost his ID card, he would be unable to move an inch.

This also made him miss the QR code payment system of his previous life, where all he needed was a mobile phone to go out; in a sense, the widespread use of QR code payment has led to a significant reduction in petty theft.

The reduction in social crime rates is something we should thank, to some extent, the two entrepreneurs surnamed Ma.

A short while later, Tan Jincheng found the booth he was looking for, pointed to it, and said to Cheng Yongjun, "Uncle Cheng, I've found the place."

Cheng Yongjun glanced at him, didn't recognize him, and didn't plan to go over. He nodded to Tan Jincheng and said, "Alright, then you go ahead. If you need any help later, just call me. When we're in another city, we're all family."

"Okay, Uncle Cheng, if you have any problems with translation, you can come to me. My English is pretty good."

"Haha, you young man; I know, but don't just focus on being a translator. Try to get a contract; that will earn you much more than you do as a translator."

"Understood. Thank you for your guidance along the way, Uncle Cheng. I will definitely visit your company when I return to Beicang. I would also appreciate it if you would do me the honor of treating me to a meal then."

"We'll talk about it when we get back. I'm leaving now."

"Take care, Uncle Cheng."

For Cheng Yongjun, encountering a nice-talking young man on his journey, whether to alleviate the loneliness of the trip or to satisfy his own desire to teach others, is just a casual matter of offering advice.

But for Tan Jincheng, Cheng Yongjun can be considered his benefactor. What he said in the past few hours has helped him to sort out his thoughts.

Unlike stock trading, historical inertia will not change. The future stock price of Moutai liquor may deviate somewhat from your memory, but it will ultimately be roughly the same.

Buying stocks will yield good returns in the future; it's just a matter of time.

In business and entrepreneurship, even if you know the general trend, one wrong step can ruin your future.

Starting a business in a booming industry isn't something just anyone can achieve. That's why countless successful grassroots entrepreneurs often mention their mentors in the early stages of their ventures.

Ordinary people don't have that many opportunities to learn from their failures. Having a mentor who systematically analyzes how to survive in this industry can help you avoid many detours.

In this era, Tan Jincheng is like an outsider; he needs different methods to do business at different times.

The conversation over the past few hours has allowed Tan Jincheng to clarify his thoughts, integrate into this era, and feel the pulse of the times.

"No wonder so many reborn people like to trade stocks. This thing is all about results. The process is important but not important. Just buy low and leave it there."

Compared to stock trading, doing business is much more difficult. If no one gives them guidance and no one buys these clothes, Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng will really have to set up a stall.

(End of this chapter)