2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 92 Old acquaintance

"Boss, it's a success! It's a success!"

The following afternoon, Sun Yuming ran over with a grin and shouted at Tan Jincheng, which immediately drew the attention of staff from nearby exhibition companies.

"Keep it down, keep it down, come in quickly," Tan Jincheng hurriedly stopped him.

Sun Yuming realized what was happening and quickly shut up. The staff at the nearby exhibition assumed it was a sales order from the next booth and didn't react much after glancing at it a few times.

"What do you mean?" Tan Jincheng asked in a low voice, pulling Sun Yuming to the innermost part of the booth.

"Hehe, I just noticed that a batch of samples from one company was confiscated. I reported this company before, and you were right, boss. They're cracking down really hard this year," Sun Yuming chuckled.

A thrill of doing something naughty arises spontaneously, and my smile looks somewhat lewd, haha.

Tan Jincheng nodded. It's only the second day of the event, and it seems that Cheng Yongjun's information was accurate. Infringement of clothing products has always been a serious but ambiguous issue, and confiscating samples is already considered quite serious.

Business competition is always unethical, and doing this is somewhat unethical, but we can't worry about that now. If you don't do it, others might. Didn't they come to inspect our own exhibition this morning? Maybe that's what they're talking about.

Fortunately, I still carry some of the habits from my later years in the import and export business, and I pay more attention to junk patents, otherwise I might have been scammed.

However, this experience also served as a reminder to myself. Clothing products are relatively safe, but electronic products have far more patents, and the scrutiny will likely be even stricter. I must be careful then. If I have time, I can also visit Cheng Yongjun's booth to take a look.

"Don't go tomorrow, switch with Brother Liu."

Sun Yuming nodded. Yes, he needed to change. He had been reported successfully for two days in a row. He would have to dress up again next time he went, otherwise he might get beaten up if he was discovered.

But you know what, this is really exciting. The key is that while it's exciting, you can still get your salary and subsidies as usual, so you don't lose a single penny.

Zhang Xupeng also noticed the two acting suspiciously at the far end of the exhibition hall. He was responsible for arranging what Sun Yuming was doing, so he could guess a little bit about it. Liu Wenbin, who was standing to the side, was also watching Boss Tan and Lao Sun with a smile.

For a moment, the two of them smiled knowingly.

Another encouraging thing is that the first customer from yesterday, perhaps feeling quite satisfied after comparing and discussing, came back this morning and finally decided to place another order. Although the quantity is not large, the profit margin is still pretty good.

Jinpeng Trading's spring apparel collection consists of self-designed, novel styles at low prices. It can be sold under OEM or directly as a brand, giving it a competitive advantage.

Today, we not only secured the same client as yesterday, but also signed two more orders. These three orders are from Europe, Singapore, and Hong Kong, further expanding our client base.

Another interesting thing happened today. A customer was quite interested in the clothing designs from Jinpeng Trading, but due to the special nature of their region, these clothes were not very suitable for them. They asked if it was possible to customize a style that suited their market.

To be honest, Tan Jincheng was quite tempted, because the profit margin was extremely high, after all, it was a piece of cloth hanging over his head.

If we can secure the deal and deliver it smoothly, the profit margin of this order is equivalent to the total profit of the three deals we closed today, which is quite tempting.

Zhang Haiping's production capacity has caught up, but the external situation has changed. If he can guarantee enough orders this year, he will have much stronger bargaining power with the contract manufacturers.

Reporting violations is merely a supplementary measure; ultimately, the number of orders determines a company's fate. Obtaining orders honestly and fairly is the foundation of a company's survival. "Go all out to generate orders, distribute more business cards, take more orders, and provide excellent service."

After the exhibition closed, Tan Jincheng gathered Zhang Xupeng, Sun Yuming, and Liu Wenbin together at the hotel for a short meeting. He reiterated that orders were the ultimate goal and that the main focus should not be changed because of today's minor incident.

Of course, minor incidents still need to be dealt with; eliminating an opponent is the greatest benefit to oneself.

Tan Jincheng had been a boss before, so he was no stranger to motivating employees and making grand promises. After a few words, even Zhang Xupeng was filled with enthusiasm.

Just do it and it’s done!
The exhibition continued amidst a lively atmosphere. Ever since the orders started coming in, it seemed like luck had turned around, with Jinpeng Trading signing orders of all sizes one after another.

Raising the entry threshold, requiring real-name registration, and establishing a formal exhibition with standardized procedures means that you no longer need to prove you're not a scammer, unlike last year, making it much more efficient.

Although participating companies generally reported that business was not as good as last year and gross profit was significantly affected, Tan Jincheng thought that business was too easy. You have to understand that he came from an era when starting a business was known as the most wasteful, and doing business was extremely difficult.

In addition, Jinpeng Trading's requirements are not that high; they only eat as much as their stomach can handle. Therefore, under Tan Jincheng's influence, Jinpeng Trading stands out as somewhat out of place among the exhibitors.

Other exhibitors were eager to accept any order from any customer, as long as a deal could be made; but Jinpeng Trading was different. They were very enthusiastic about the visits of customers and tried their best to meet their requirements, but they were very cautious when it came to signing a contract.
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On April 19, the fifth day of the Canton Fair, Jinpeng Trading's booth welcomed a familiar face.

"Hi, Tan, my friend, it's been a long time."

"Hi James, welcome back to my country."

The two opened their arms, hugged, and burst into laughter.

Zhang Xupeng, who was standing to the side, was also a little excited. He had never met James, but he knew that James was currently the company's most stable client. Last year, he and Xiao Tan were able to earn money to buy a house and a car, largely because James trusted Xiao Tan and was willing to give her an order to try.

In a way, the tall, handsome foreigner with thick eyebrows and big eyes in front of them could be considered a lucky star for Xiao Tan and herself.

"James, come here, let me introduce you to my partners and employees. They are all trustworthy partners of ours." Tan Jincheng put his arm around James and introduced him to Zhang Xupeng and Liu Wenbin.

Today it was Sun Yuming's turn to go out and cause trouble again; he's not here right now.

Following his directions, James shook hands with Zhang Xupeng and Liu Wenbin, and then introduced his entourage.

James looked at Tan, who seemed rather thin and small to him, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional. Last October, Tan, who was only 19 years old, looked like a conman or a salesperson, carrying a backpack and introducing his company's products to him. He looked rather disheveled.

Just six months later, Tan's company had its own exhibition booth, and its products became more diversified. It seemed to be developing very well.

James looked at Tan Jincheng with a smile. Tan Jincheng looked both happy to see an old friend and full of self-confidence.

"This is a remarkable young man from the East."

(End of this chapter)