1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 243: Go to the Imperial Capital

The capital city in November is obviously colder than Qi and Lu, so many people coming and going on Liangma River South Road have already put on down jackets.

However, with the current average temperature of around 8 degrees, Yang Mo was unable to tell whether the people in the capital city were indeed not as cold-resistant as the people in Qi and Lu, or whether they were just showing off... Mainly because down jackets were not very cheap at this time of year, and the royal blue color looked a bit too flashy against the gray sky.

Ok……

That’s right, Yang Mo, who had just taken office, did not stay in Momo Baitou’s office to take charge of the overall situation, but went straight to the imperial capital.

Not only him, Miss Mu, Wang Yinuo, and Feng Yuan also came... Under the escort of eight comrades from the Public Security Department, the four cars drove for a whole day before arriving in the imperial capital.

To be honest, it is only now that there is no traffic restriction on vehicles from other places in the imperial capital, otherwise it would be really a headache to make such a journey at this time of year.

The reason for this trip was not because of any major incident, but purely because of Yang Mo's investment plan that seemed extremely willful to outsiders.

Since the amount of this so-called investment plan was quite intimidating, and Yang Mo had his own demands on the specific operation, the Qilu Province office of a certain official foundation did not have the authority to handle it, so he had no choice but to go to the imperial capital.

However, although the money was paid from the account of Mo Mo Bai Tou, it was paid through the "internal connection" channel. In addition, the way the funds were used was somewhat special. Due to some unspoken rules, Yang Mo, a small section chief, was not qualified to connect with others. Therefore, Vice President Feng, who was in charge of the relationship between workers and peasants, had to make this difficult trip.

As for why Wang Yinuo and Miss Mu would take the risk to make such a trip...

In fact, the reason is not complicated.

In order to fill the big hole he left behind, Momo Baitou naturally had to walk on two legs, and foreign trade was one of the legs that Wang Yinuo valued the most. Taking advantage of the fact that the island country's civil exchange group was visiting China, even if Yang Mo hadn't done this, he would have taken his little niece on such a trip.

You know, seeing that the island country's civil exchange group received such a high-level reception in China and signed so many investment and trade contracts so smoothly, the embassy staff of other Western countries must be very jealous!
what?
How did this matter involve the embassy of another country?

Please, everyone on earth knows that any embassy established in another country has a number of important tasks, and business docking, especially business docking based on foreign trade and investment, is one of their most important tasks, okay!
Therefore, anyone who has done foreign trade knows that small orders have to be found by oneself, while large orders have to be handled by embassy staff of other countries!

It is precisely because of this that, in this somewhat ambiguous period, and because Wang Yinuo is a Shanghainese who has natural advantages in certain aspects, if he does not know how to use his advantages to gain some opportunities in an unofficial manner, then he will no longer have the opportunity to be the general manager.

………………

"Yang Mo, why haven't Uncle Wang and Vice President Feng come back yet?"

On Anjialou Road, in a courtyard house that had been remodeled in a rather weird way, Miss Mu, who was dressed in a suit, put down the coffee in her hand and couldn't help frowning.

A nice Chinese courtyard house, but they insisted on changing the rooms inside into French decoration style. Not only was it fancy, but the coffee also had a burnt smell. If Uncle Wang hadn't insisted on arranging them to wait here, she wouldn't have wanted to stay for a minute.

Yang Mo, who was also wearing a suit but a woolen windbreaker, lazily rested his elbows on the modified low railing, looking like he was about to hibernate: "It takes some time to get ahead... In fact, given the current situation, the later the two CEOs come back, the more optimistic the situation is... Be patient, just stay alert and wait to get rid of the flies that will surround you in a while."

This is true. Due to the special circumstances this year, most of the embassies have changed from being bustling in the past to being deserted... and with the visits of island countries' civil exchange groups to China, this situation has become more and more obvious.

In this case, Wang Yinuo visited in an unofficial capacity, so there was almost no problem of waiting in line. In addition, the staff in the embassies of various countries who were responsible for connecting business cooperation have always been known for being direct and efficient, and rarely procrastinate. Therefore, the longer the stay, the smoother the progress.

Miss Mu knew this very well. The reason why she acted so impatient was simply because she hated the situation of being the focus of countless eyes.

This boss is such an idiot. He divided the nice courtyard into a dozen not-so-private semi-enclosed booths. Although the others might not be able to hear what they said, their appearance could be seen clearly.

So it was not surprising that when such a face with exquisite features and temperament appeared in this courtyard, everyone's attention, regardless of gender, was naturally focused on him.

"fly?"

Miss Mu sneered, "The prices here are not cheap. The layout and decoration are hard to describe, but it's not a nightclub after all... If flies are still harassing you in a place like this, then this boss shouldn't think about continuing his business."

Playing with the cup of coffee worth 108 yuan in his hand, Yang Mo smiled and said, "I think you misunderstood. The flies I'm talking about are not the kind of flies you encountered before."

After taking a sip of the obviously over-roasted hand-brewed coffee, Yang Mo frowned and said, "Don't you think about it? In the Second Embassy District, so much money and effort was spent to transform a good courtyard house into such a weird appearance. Is the boss really crazy?"

"How can a cup of worthless coffee in this kind of place be sold for 108 yuan, and so many people come to drink it... Are these people really so vain that their brains are filled with water?"

Miss Mu was stunned: "What do you mean...?"

Yang Mo nodded, but before he could answer, a voice came from the side: "You two, I'm Zhao Fanhua, would you mind taking a seat... I'll buy you two coffees!"

Turning around, I saw a man in his thirties wearing a handmade suit.

Mu Liya looked at this uninvited guest with a sly look in her eyes with some displeasure. When she was about to refuse, Yang Mo spread his hands casually and said, "It is fate that we meet. Please take a seat, Mr. Zhao... You don't have to pay the bill. It's just two cups of coffee. We can afford it."

The man was overjoyed when he heard that. He moved his hands properly to clear a chair and sat on one side. He waved his right hand and said, "Waiter, please bring three croissants."

After exclaiming, the man turned his head and said, "Hey, you two must be new here. The croissants here are really special. It is said that they learned the craft from a French chef... Thank you for giving me this opportunity. Although I am sorry to violate the host's wishes with the coffee, I must honor you with the bread and let me be the host."

Give him a chance?

what chance?
Miss Mu was a little confused.

Seeing the slightly smug look on the man's face, Yang Mo couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, I'd be very grateful if you don't give me a thumbs up. I, Yang, would like to thank Mr. Zhao for his kindness."

Seeing Yang Mo sitting there in a big way, with no intention of introducing the identities of the two people, he even said his last name;

Faced with such a frivolous attitude, the man was not angry at all, but became more respectful: "I have been paying attention to you two at the next table for a while, but I dare to ask, are you two here in the yard to see if there are any good projects that you can handle?"

Yang Mo pursed his lips and glanced at him lightly: "Oh? Why do you ask that, Mr. Zhao? The scenery here is pretty good. Can't we just come here to have some fun and have a cup of coffee?"

The man laughed when he heard this: "Mr. Yang, why are you kidding me? Although this International Youth House is a little famous, there is no scenery to speak of."

"Besides, even if some uninformed tourists come in, even if they are not scared away by the prices here, they will definitely not sit here for more than two hours with this cup of coffee... I, Zhao, believe that I can judge people well. Someone with Mr. Yang's style and temperament will definitely not look down on the coffee here."

This is actually not false. After all, people who can wear a cashmere suit with a woolen coat these days are not of low status.
Moreover, this thing called aura is real;

With Miss Mu's stunning face and a noble temperament that no one dared to look at directly, Yang Mo, who looked lazy and casual, was even more not to be underestimated. Seeing the man complaining about the taste of the coffee here, Yang Mo couldn't help laughing: "In fact, Yang and his companions came here today mainly because they couldn't stand the cold weather in the capital and planned to find a place to kill time; as for whether there is a project or not... Mr. Zhao might as well talk about it first, just as a way to broaden my horizons... It's cold, and it's boring to sit there."

Even though he had expected this, the man couldn't help but light up when he heard Yang Mo's ambiguous and distant words: "Okay! Since Mr. Yang is willing to do me the honor, I, as the half-host, will be honored to receive it."

As we all know, a soft refusal = chance of a deal. The more people who don't express their attitude at the beginning, the more likely they are to be the real big fish. Those who brag and make promises right from the start are just empty shells.

Seeing the man's glowing face, Yang Mo poured cold water on him: "But Mr. Zhao, let me say this in advance. I'm sure you know what kind of people are willing to come to the International Youth to sit and listen to people chatting;"

"Unfortunately, we came to Beijing to visit various embassies and our elders happened to be working with embassy staff... So, forget about those projects like getting notes and queue jumping."

The man's face froze when he heard this, and after a long while he managed a smile: "So Mr. Yang is a big businessman... I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

As the center of China, the imperial capital naturally contains countless business opportunities that can make people rich overnight, and this was especially true in the 1980s, 1990s and even the millennium; of course, these so-called business opportunities are big and small, real and fake.

As the imperial capital, everyone is well aware of the conveniences of this era.

It's just that everyone on earth knows that there are some things that they cannot deal with directly, so for a very long time, a group of "gloves" of all kinds were very active in the capital... As time went on and resources were concentrated, these gloves not only gradually gained a prominent status in the world, but the projects involved were not just limited to issuing notes. Instead, various projects in the society that required matchmaking gradually became their main business.

Now that they have status and position, and with more and more resources and projects in their hands, it is naturally impossible for these guys to hang around the streets every day. So there are a lot of non-direct henchmen who help them to solicit customers... These people are called "brokers".

It was obvious that the Mr. Zhao in front of him was a broker, and the strange courtyard where Yang Mo was located was a small base tacitly established between the broker, clients and financiers.

That's why the layout here is this weird semi-enclosed booth...it's just to make it easier for each other to confirm their identities.

Of course, this is only in the initial stage. When these businesses in the capital are fully formed and scaled, if you want to meet these brokers again, you need to spend some time in various clubs. Even if you want to discuss some projects, you have to go to those private clubs.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s, those gloves were still pretty good. They were basically very similar to Zhongtang and would not charge for things that could not be done. But those brokers did not have so many rules. There were some who were honest matchmakers, but there were also many scammers... Not only were their bosses fake, but even the information they provided and the projects they matched were fake.

Therefore, what Yang Mo said just now might not sound like much to outsiders, but to a broker like Zhao Fanhua, it was undoubtedly telling him: I am not the kind of sucker who knows nothing, nor am I the kind of small shrimp who can be fooled by making up a few relationships. Don't fool me with those fictitious projects.

Seeing Yang Mo speak more openly, Zhao Fanhua felt a little troubled.

To be honest, since he has the confidence to sit in this international youth building every day waiting for customers to come, he is certainly not the kind of broker who makes a living by cheating... Although he does have some ridiculous projects in his hands, he will not use them to ruin his reputation unless he encounters a foreign sucker who knows nothing.

But Yang Mo specifically mentioned that he was not interested in projects that required approval and queue-jumping, so he was really in trouble.

The reason why he felt so unlucky was, on the one hand, that he could see that Yang Mo was indeed not an ordinary person... at least he was very clear about the current turmoil in the imperial capital.

Two or three years ago, or even a year ago, projects like issuing notes would have been absolutely huge projects; but now, they are truly empty-handed projects... Even if there are real ones, they are extremely risky and are not something that a broker of my level would be able to connect with.

There is no other reason. In this era when domestic materials are gradually becoming abundant, various indicators, especially those for scarce materials, are still very popular. However, with the failure of price breakthrough, the country has not only had the idea of ​​gradually abolishing the dual-track pricing system, but has also become more and more strict in the orderly control of indicators... If you do such a project without considering the wind direction, you are either arrogant or stupid.

It was obvious that although Yang Mo and the other two were obviously fat outsiders, they were definitely not stupid.

The second reason why he felt frustrated was that Yang Mo was not interested in the queue-jumping project.

God has pity on us. Since they are operating in the scope of the Second Embassy District, one of the main jobs of brokers like Zhao Fanhua is to act as a matchmaker for those old-fashioned people who don't understand the ins and outs of the matter, have limits in their minds, and dare not directly connect with foreign embassy staff and understand the situation... To be precise, they are the ones who handle the connection process on behalf of them.

Of course, they won’t tell you that as long as you have prepared all the necessary documents and the business categories involved are within the import and export scope of other countries, they will receive you according to the order of your application, and evaluate your foreign trade project based on the documents and samples, and give you an accurate reply after a few working days.

In their words, the initial application work they did for you according to the procedures became a favor they did by relying on their own connections to help you get through the queue...You would not be able to live with your conscience if you didn't give them a huge sum of thirty or fifty thousand to thank them.

But the Chinese people, due to their habitual thinking, were very receptive to this kind of talk; plus, sometimes the application projects they handled did enter the review stage, so for a very long period of time, people like Zhao Fanhua made a lot of money.

But it is obvious that for a reborn person, there is no such common sense information barrier and cognitive bias.

Is there anyone in the capital who can really help cut in line and persuade others in this regard?

Of course there must be some. After all, people who can work in an embassy are not unfamiliar with the idea of ​​adapting to local customs. In addition, human beings are emotional animals, so it is normal for them to establish a few good personal relationships in a foreign country.

But if someone with such connections is still just a small intelligence broker, it would be too much of an understatement for Yang Mo... Embassies of various countries, especially those of developed Western countries and Northeast Asia in China, are recognized as treasure troves of commercial projects. Not to mention VCs, even the people of Chaoyang District who live in the embassy districts know about this.

………………

After realizing that Yang Mo was not easy to fool, Zhao Fanhua was frustrated, but he was reluctant to let go of this fish that was looking more and more like a big fish.

There is no way. Since the second half of this year, the domestic situation has undergone tremendous changes. Not only are the gates of major embassies deserted, but life is becoming increasingly difficult for the brokers who make a living from this.

God has mercy on him. He and the brokers in this yard haven't had any serious business for several months.
If I give up this rare opportunity now, the other green wolves will be able to catch up immediately!

Thinking of this, Zhao Fanhua took a deep breath, and the smile on his face became more humble: "Since Mr. Yang is not interested in projects like issuing notes and queue jumping, then I only have some projects that Mr. Yang may not be interested in."

As if afraid that Yang Mo would not be interested, Zhao Fanhua quickly added: "Although Mr. Yang may not like it, that's because you are a noble man. If these projects were in the eyes of others, they might fight for them... After all, although these projects are not big businesses like bulk commodities or foreign trade, the money that can be earned is really not small."

Looking at Zhao Fanhua's slightly bewitching words and slightly nervous brows, Yang Mo laughed.

The reason why he allowed Zhao Fanhua to come closer to him and never gave up the idea of ​​getting rid of this guy was actually mainly because he wanted to broaden the horizons of this deputy section chief in charge of risk control, so as to prevent this young lady from falling into a trap without knowing it in the future.

Glancing at Miss Mu, who was frowning and listening attentively without saying a word, Yang Mo handed her a cigarette and said, "Mr. Zhao, you are worrying too much. It's just to kill time and broaden your horizons. What's so attractive or unattractive about it... Please tell me."

Taking the cigarette, Zhao Fanhua secretly glanced at the cigarette box that looked so ordinary, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it is not a drawer type, nor a set of five.

After having a general guess about Yang Mo's true identity, Zhao Fanhua's smile became more enthusiastic. After standing up and taking out a coin lighter to light a cigarette for Yang Mo, his tone became a little more mysterious...

(End of this chapter)