2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 89 The Millionaire in Debt
"Uncle, I'm leaving now. Please stay with me for a few days. I've already asked someone to help you find a place to live."

"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing, I'm fine here."

"Okay, if you need anything, go to Jinpeng Trading and find Li Yanning or call me."

"What could possibly happen to your uncle after all these years away from home? You should be careful yourself."

"Okay, Uncle, you need to be extra careful with your workers. My new company is getting a big renovation, so you all better take it easy and not have a bad start."

"You jinx, get lost! What will you do if you get stuck in traffic and miss your flight?" Zhang Qingliang said with a laugh.

This nephew really has no tact. Anyone starting a new company wouldn't say such unlucky things so casually, just for good luck. But this nephew is really capable; in just six months, he opened a second company.

Yesterday, I went with him to order a BMW 3 Series, which will cost nearly 50 yuan. I don't know where he got so much money.

In just six months, he acquired two companies, two cars, and two houses. His assets must be over 200 million yuan, right? He caught up with his uncle in just six months?
Isn't this too exaggerated?
However, one thing that made Zhang Qingliang feel gratified was that although his nephew had become wealthy, he still respected his uncle very much. The incident happened suddenly and in a hurry, and although he hadn't had time to rent a house for him as promised, he immediately arranged for someone to help him find one.

He now lives in his nephew's room, while he sleeps on the sofa in the living room. He won't even go into the empty room next door, because, in his words, he can't just go into other people's rooms.

This nephew truly exemplified respect for others in such a detailed way; that was a friend he had grown up with since childhood, so what was wrong with leaving the bedroom empty for a couple of days?
Zhang Qingliang thought his nephew was making a fortune, but little did he know that he was now penniless.

Where did the money for the company cars come from? Nothing more than a loan from Jinpeng Trading. They'll repay it with the year-end bonus from Jinpeng Trading.

Tan Jincheng borrowed 40 yuan from Jinpeng Trading to buy the car, 50 yuan from the bank, plus 8 yuan owed to Zhang Xupeng and monthly mortgage payments on two houses. His debts have now exceeded one million yuan.

I was reborn as a millionaire in debt!

But if possible, Tan Jincheng would like to borrow more money. He is not afraid of owing too much; he is just afraid that no one will lend him any.

The safety tips Tan Jincheng had given Zhang Qingliang earlier weren't an exaggeration. He was genuinely worried about accidents. If something went wrong, the compensation and debts would be enough to keep him busy for years.

Most of the time, a seemingly insignificant event can have a life-changing impact.
-
Guangzhou, April 11th, the third day of the third lunar month, the Shangsi Festival.

With average temperatures around 19 to 26 degrees Celsius and moderate rainfall in April, it should be the most comfortable season in Guangzhou. People wearing T-shirts and thin jeans are seen everywhere on the streets.

People in Guangdong and Guangxi have a very rich nightlife. Midnight feels like the start of a new day, unlike in Beicang, where the streets are almost deserted after 12 p.m.

Besides lifestyle habits, the hot weather may also be a reason, as it's too hot to sleep at night.

I took a taxi from the airport to the exhibition hall, which was as bustling as ever, with exhibitors busy setting up their booths.

For exhibitors, the Canton Fair, held twice a year, is the highlight of the year. Many companies will set aside time specifically to prepare for the Canton Fair. Companies that can participate in this grand and unprecedented exhibition should not be underestimated.

The exhibition booths are divided into standard booths and custom-designed booths; as the names suggest, the price difference is obvious, with standard booths being cheaper. Jinpeng Trading naturally doesn't have the resources to secure the more expensive and sought-after custom-designed booths, and even the standard booths were hard-won; the standard booths, assembled from three partition panels and one fascia board, are characterized by saving time and costs.

However, the display effect of a standard booth is definitely not as good as that of a custom booth. How can you get the same effect as a custom booth at a low price? Converting a standard booth to a custom booth is a great option.

Therefore, exhibitors, with limited budgets, have resorted to all sorts of ingenuity and creativity to attract more visitors, highlighting the importance of booth setup.

"Xiao Tan, come here quickly, over here." Zhang Xupeng stood at the entrance of the exhibition hall, waving his right hand and calling out to Tan Jincheng in Yicheng dialect.

Tan Jincheng smiled and waved, then quickly walked over.

"How did it go?"

"Everything went smoothly. Apart from a few people trying to sneak in and take photos, there were no other surprises," Zhang Xupeng said.

The number of exhibitors is increasing year by year, making the competition fierce. Naturally, there are many who try to play tricks, such as secretly taking pictures of your samples or booth setup. Such things are commonplace. Although Tan Jincheng entrusted the booth setup task to Zhang Xupeng, he did not neglect any of the necessary reminders and always kept in touch by phone.

Even the two salespeople recruited this time are tall and strong. Putting aside their sales skills, their appearance alone can intimidate some bullies who are afraid of the strong.

Traditional business battles are always simple and straightforward, like snatching a seal. These days, it's okay to be a little wild in business, as long as you keep things within limits.

"Come on, take me to our exhibition area," Tan Jincheng said enthusiastically.

"Should we send your luggage back to the hotel first? Isn't it a bit of a nuisance to carry this around? The hotel isn't far from here." Zhang Xupeng pointed to the suitcase that Tan Jincheng was dragging.

"No need to rush, we can go back together after we're done."

Walking from the entrance in, many exhibitors' booths were covered up tightly. Although the booths are to be displayed publicly during the exhibition, the setup is related to each company's creativity. If a good idea is copied, it's bound to be a bit unpleasant.

Similarly, Jinpeng Trading's booth was also completely covered up. Compared to these companies today, Tan Jincheng's biggest advantage is that he has memories of the future, and these memories are all accompanied by information gaps.

Information asymmetry is a crucial aspect of doing business; often, a seemingly insignificant design can become a highlight for a company.

However, one thing that troubled Tan Jincheng was that this spring Canton Fair was being held amidst a sharp rise in international energy and raw material prices, coupled with continuous restrictions imposed by Europe and the United States on China's textile and apparel exports.

Against this backdrop, this presents a significant challenge for the apparel industry this year, and transaction volume will inevitably be greatly affected. It remains to be seen whether Jinpeng Trading can withstand this impact.

A grain of sand in the era becomes a mountain when it falls on an ordinary person.

(End of this chapter)