Exciting 1979!

Chapter 208 Wei Ming's Business Territory (Guaranteed -in-)

After returning to the Overseas Chinese Apartment, although Zhu Lin did not take much with him, the house inexplicably felt much quieter.

Wei Ming turned on the tape recorder and played the music that Melinda brought back from England this time, and flipped through the best-selling children's book she brought him.

The first thing she read was the hardcover edition of her own "Jumanji". The paper quality was obviously improved, and there were more illustrations than the paperback version. The most noteworthy thing was that the games in the book were restored.

It would be great if Sister Lin was here, the two of them could play together, and replace those disasters like lions and crocodiles with punishments like stripping and spanking, which would definitely be fun.

Wei Ming sighed and started looking through other children's books. There were very few pure text books, most of them were picture books or novels with rich illustrations.

For example, the picture book he is reading now introduces African creatures, including lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, baboons, honey badgers, warthogs, etc.

Africa is too far away, and many of the animals unique to the region are actually unfamiliar to children in China. Currently, only zebras, giraffes and other African animals can be seen in zoos in some big cities.

But Wei Ming was fine, he was not unfamiliar with these animals. In order to collect stories for "Black Cat Sheriff", he read many animal books and focused on the animal chapters in "100,000 Whys".

He has a lot of knowledge about animals stored in his mind, and he would rather continue writing a fairy tale with animals as the protagonists, but he just doesn't know which one to choose.

That night, Wei Ming sat at the table, drawing on paper with a pencil.

Before deciding what to write, he first drew some cartoon images of animals, trying to pick one that he liked.

The next day, Wei Ming was stopped by Mei Wenhua and Zhao Debiao as soon as he arrived at the unit.

Biaozi said: "Brother Ming, we have thought it through clearly, let's do it together, and you will be the boss!"

When Mei Wenhua returned to school yesterday, he easily convinced Zhao Debiao. Then Mei Wenhua spent a lot of effort to persuade Biaozi to be the third largest shareholder, and Xiaomei would be the second largest.

Wei Ming said: "Let's go out for lunch at noon and talk while we eat."

Because it involved commercial secrets, Xiaomei deliberately chose a restaurant far away from Peking University to avoid meeting acquaintances.

Wei Ming started by saying, "Thanks to Melinda, one of my novels was published in the UK and I earned some foreign exchange, which I certainly can't spend all at the moment. If you want to expand your business, I can contribute a part of it to help you. Now I want to ask how much money you can contribute."

Mei Wenhua said: "If we hadn't bought this motorcycle, each of us could have come up with 3000 yuan."

Biaozi: "I can get 4000!"

Xiaomei was surprised: "How can you take so much?"

Biaozi: "I also calculated the share for Yan Zi and my mother. They were willing to support me and gave me all their bonuses and savings."

Mei Wenhua was a little envious. His parents did not support his business and wanted to find him a job in the army, thinking that was a legitimate job. However, they were not powerful and could not do much.

However, Mei Wenhua wants to be the second largest shareholder. He feels that he is better at doing business than Biaozi, so he needs a greater say than Biaozi.

So Mei Wenhua made a painful decision.

"Biaozi, how about this? The motorcycle is yours. I don't ask for much, just a little bit higher than yours."

The two of them bought the motorcycle together, and each spent more than a thousand yuan.

Biaozi calculated that the motorcycle belonged to him, so theoretically he should give Xiaomei more than a thousand yuan, so Xiaomei would get 4000 yuan and he would get 3000 yuan. But he only needed a little more, and he could do it!

Xiaomei thought that although the ownership belonged to Biaozi, Biaozi would join the crew to film during this period, so she would still use it, so it didn't matter.

Both of them were very satisfied with the proposal, and then looked at Wei Ming to see how much money he could come up with and how many shares he wanted to own.

Wei Mingxian asked, "How much money do you need? What kind of business do you want to do? Have you thought about these things clearly?"

Mei Wenhua: "We have discussed before that we would open a store that mainly sells clothing and other in-demand goods in the south. We would then produce the clothing ourselves and buy the other goods from the big dealers."

Wei Ming shook his head and asked Biaozi, "Auntie hasn't resigned from the street garment factory yet, right?"

"Not yet. She's waiting for my letter."

Wei Ming noticed that his aunt was also very angry.

He first rejected the proposal: "It is not appropriate for us to produce clothes ourselves now. Clothing production is an intensive industry. If we do this, the number of employees will be terrible, and we will all be in danger."

If there is no problem doing this four or five years later, Li Chengru's special feature is the integration of production, processing and sales, which allows him to keep most of the profits in his own hands. He earned tens of millions of dollars in the 90s.

But it was 1980, the reforms were not yet so thorough, and there were occasional setbacks.

Although there are some outspoken people like Nian Guangjiu who now run a private factory with over a hundred employees, this is under the imperial city and everyone is watching them. The three of them don't have any strong background, so they'd better keep a low profile.

What's more, if they run their own garment factories, obtaining raw materials is a problem. In this era, you need a ticket to buy cloth, so state-owned and collective factories have more advantages.

So Wei Ming suggested: "Making clothes is a good idea. Whether it's bell-bottom pants or jeans, or other beautiful clothes, there is a huge market in Yanjing. We can cooperate with garment factories, and we will specify what to make and be responsible for sales. We don't have to be limited to one factory. We can fully develop and bring more small factories in the streets into our camp. We can make money together."

He had the same opinion about Mei Wenhua and Biaozi, that they could make money together. He said that he could directly take out 5000 US dollars and let Xiaomei exchange it into RMB as the start-up capital for this company.

The official exchange rate of this money is equivalent to 8000 yuan. If it is on the black market, it would be worth or yuan.

Wei Ming's investment was much more than that of Mei Biao and the other two combined.

However, he only needs 51% of the share, and the remaining 49% will be Xiaomei 25 and Biaozi 24.

This made Mei Wenhua feel relieved. He could even exchange 5000 US dollars for 10 RMB. According to the investment amount, he and Biaozi would not even have %. It would be too boring to do the business like that.

Of course, Wei Ming only cared about the general direction at the beginning. He had a proper job, unlike the other two.

Mei Wenhua said: "Biaozi, come with me to exchange money later. I know where the exchange rate is high."

He asked Biaozi to come along to avoid suspicion. After all, the black market exchange rate is very flexible, and the two of them should come together to avoid confusion.

Wei Ming added: "Don't worry, you won't need that much money at the beginning. First decide on the store address and name, and then you have to apply for a self-employed business license."

There is no business license for individual business owners in the country at present, but the application has been liberalized. At the end of last year, Zhang Huamei from Wenzhou applied to start a small commodity business, but the license was not approved and issued until the end of this year. It is considered to be the first business license for individual business owners after the reform and opening up.

Nowadays, you can open a store even if you don’t have a business license. Everyone does it.

Biaozi expressed his opinion: "Yanzi and I usually like to go shopping in Wangfujing and Xidan. There are many people and shops, and each one feels very lively."

Mei Wenhua nodded: "The rent over there is definitely high, but with this money from Brother Ming, I think it should be enough."

But it definitely won’t be sufficient, and Xiaomei has some understanding of the rent there.

Xiaomei knew that Wei Ming must have more than $5000 in his hands, but if Wei Ming increased his investment, he would be embarrassed to take so many shares, so he could only rely on the money he had.

Then there is the question of the store name.

Biaozi said modestly: "Things like naming must be done by you, Brother Ming."

Xiaomei meant the same thing. A business sign must be well-known, and this kind of thing should be done by truly cultured people.

So Wei Ming wrote down a few names and let them choose for themselves.

They are "Tebi Te", "Uniqaku", "Yijiayi", "Xiduoduo" and "Oriental New World" respectively.

This is a clothing store. I heard that Lao Gui is planning to start a catering business, and Wei Ming also provided him with some names.

With his ability, he can make a lot of money by naming people's shops. The two were very excited after seeing these shop names. They were all good and they wanted to use them!

As soon as you hear the names Yijiayi and Uniqlo, you know that they sell clothes, which is also their current main business direction.

Xiduoduo and Tebiete sound very unique, making people want to find out more.

The last one is “Oriental Plaza”. Mei Wenhua likes this one the most. It is so grand and looks like a big business. He is afraid that his own small shop cannot afford it.

"I definitely can't afford it now, but in a few years, when the situation becomes clearer, I will definitely expand the store and hire more employees. Then I will be able to afford it."

Xiaomei slammed the table and said, "That's him! Oriental New World!"

The Oriental Plaza in Yanjing is Li Jiacheng’s industry. It will not open for business until 20 years later. It is located in the Wangfujing Dongdan area. The name is grand and Wei Ming also likes it. It would be more suitable if it could transform from a clothing store into a comprehensive supermarket or real estate in the future.

After confirming these things, Biaozi and Xiaomei started to take action and exchanged the US dollars first.

Only with money can you rent a store and negotiate with the garment factory.

However, Mei Wenhua was careful. He only exchanged 4000 US dollars and kept 1000 US dollars to smooth the relationship.

It's not a bribe, but what's wrong with me exchanging my dollars for those in need at the official exchange rate?

As for the fact that these people are the managers of the garment stores, the leaders of the material supply unit, and the civil servants responsible for reviewing individual business licenses, it can only be said to be a coincidence.

Wei Ming decided to help them with another small favor, so that same day he sent a telegram to Gong Xing who was far away in Shanghai. The telegram contained dozens of words to explain the matter clearly.

At this time, Gong Xing's filming of "Good Things Come Hard" was getting into good shape, but there was one thing that was very annoying.

Her husband Guo Kaimin and her best friend Zhang Zhihua in the play are a couple. After filming, you can always see the two of them showing their affection, which makes her look even more lonely and helpless.

She really wanted to finish filming the movie and return to Beijing as soon as possible. She mainly wanted to see Wei Ming buy Qi Baishi's paintings.

After the morning scene was over, Zhang Yu came to find Guo Kaimin and said they wanted to take photos together for the promotion of the movie next month. Zhang Zhihua, who was laughing, finally stopped laughing because she knew that her boyfriend and Zhang Yu had a kissing scene in "Lush Mountain Love"!

Even though it was just a kiss on the cheek, it was still a kiss. I’ve never kissed that often!
Seeing the young couple having a quarrel, Sister Gong Xing finally felt a little better.

Oh, why am I so bad? I must have learned it from Xiao Wei.

Just as he was thinking about Xiao Wei, Gong Xing received his telegram in the afternoon. This made Gong Xing surprised but also a little worried. What urgent matter was there that required a telegram?
After watching it, she quickly asked Zhang Zhihua: "Where did your Guo Kaimin and Zhang Yu go to take the photo?"

~
On the other hand, Lao Gui and Amin in Hong Kong also received Wei Ming’s reply at almost the same time.

At this time, Lao Gui and Zhou's mother were selecting a location for opening a store and preparing to operate fast-moving snacks.

The two of them split the investment amount 60:40, with Lao Gui taking 60%. Thanks to his grandson's funds, Lao Gui can become a big boss, and Mother Zhou also does not lose out. If the business is good, 40% is better than the previous guerrilla warfare.

The store location had not yet been chosen, and the two began arguing over the store name.

"Okay, we'll discuss the name issue later. Let's go check out the store next to the University of Hong Kong tomorrow." said the old ghost.

"Okay, I think the University of Hong Kong is good. It has a lot of people, and Amin can feel the atmosphere of a prestigious university when she goes there to help." Zhou's mother said. She works so hard to make money just so that her daughter can get into university, but the goal of the University of Hong Kong is indeed a bit too big.

There are too few universities in Hong Kong and the number of students admitted is also small. Every year, only 2% of high school graduates have the opportunity to receive higher education locally.

The University of Hong Kong is the best institution of higher learning in Hong Kong. Only the top students in the class or even the school have a chance. Amin is obviously not that kind of top student.

Before Zhou's mother returned home, Amin was reading the reply letter Amin wrote to her. The expression on her face was very rich and changed every now and then.

In the previous letter, Amin tentatively asked about Aming's love history. Aming did not hide anything and generously said that he had a cross-border love affair that ended without success. He had been dating a tall and beautiful British student, but the relationship ended when she finished her studies.

Hong Kong people always feel a little psychologically disadvantaged when facing the British. After all, Hong Kong is still in the hands of the British.

However, the fact that Amin can date a British student shows how outstanding he is.

Thinking of this, Amin became happy for Amin again. Besides, the international students had returned to their home country, and this farewell was probably forever.

Afterwards, Amin commented on the songs recorded by Amin.

First, he praised Amin's singing voice, saying that it was beautiful and that "you can tell she's a beauty right away."

Amin covered her face and twisted around, Oh, no, just an ordinary little beauty.

Ming: "But what your mother said is not wrong. The entertainment industry looks glamorous, but it is not that easy to get into. Not only is it hard, but you may also encounter a lot of dirty things. If you can get into university, you can become a high-income earner whether in Hong Kong or the mainland."

Amin lowered her head in embarrassment. Could she really pass the exam? She was good at liberal arts, but math was too difficult!
Then A-Ming talked about the example of his sister. He actually has a biological sister who looks about the same age as him. She will take the college entrance examination this year. The age for college entrance examinations in mainland China is younger than that in Hong Kong.

"I have creative talent. Although I didn't get into college, I still have enough food and drink. I even bought a house recently. But my sister Ahong's creative talent is average. She definitely can't make money by selling her writings. She is weak, so I don't know what other options she has at her age except going to college."

After reading this passage, Amin had a big question mark in his mind. Amin said he didn't get into university? Isn't he a teacher at Peking University? Is it possible to become a university teacher without taking the university entrance exam?
After talking about studying for a while, Amin went back to talking about singing.

"Music is actually a very good hobby. Although I can't sing well, I still love to sing. If I can't sing my own songs, I'll sing other people's songs. Amin, you said you are learning to play the piano, so learn it well. If I can go to Hong Kong in the future and if we have the chance to meet, I will write a song for you as a gift."

"Ah!" Amin stood up excitedly, with little stars in his eyes with joy.

Although Wei Ming had given her many gifts, they were all polite exchanges. But if it was a song, it would be too romantic!

Romantic might not be quite accurate, but her heart nearly melted when she heard the news!

Before Wei Ming finished his letter, he briefly introduced his second pen name "Wei Shenme".

In the package accompanying the letter were also "The Magic Book" and several copies of "Jumanji: The Next Generation" and "Youth Literature" and "Children's Literature" magazines where the stories of "Black Cat Sheriff" and "Juvenile Literature" were published.

It was a pity that Wei Ming had not met Melinda at that time, otherwise he would definitely have written about the achievement of "Jumanji" being published in the UK. He quite enjoyed the feeling of being admired by his little female pen pal.

Afterwards, Zhou's mother came home and the mother and daughter had dinner. Just as they finished their meal, Gui Bo knocked on the door and Amin opened the door.

In the past few days, Uncle Gui has discussed business partnership with his mother many times. If you don’t know, you might think they are dating, but Zhou Huimin is no longer surprised.

"Can't we discuss it tomorrow?" Mother Zhou asked while washing dishes.

Lao Gui: "Name, I have another idea for the name of the store."

"what is it call?"

Lao Gui: "What do you think of Holiland?"

Mother Zhou thought about it for a while, and then suddenly she was happy: "This is good. I feel like even if it's not catering, selling anything else will be fine. How did you suddenly get the idea?!"

Lao Gui: "It's so sudden. Okay, the name is decided. I'll go to HKU to check out the store tomorrow and try to decide on it as soon as possible."

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

Lao Gui had just finished reading his grandson's letter. In the letter, Wei Ming talked about his grandmother's experience of opening a tofu shop in the village after he passed away in the 1950s.

"My grandmother built a very large tofu workshop at that time. She said that you are better than her. I believe you can do it too. If you can make it bigger and stronger, you may be able to return to the mainland as a patriotic Hong Kong businessman in the future. Bygones will be bygones."

This is also the reason why Wei Ming supports the old man to come out and try his luck at the age of 60. Ordinary Hong Kong people and Hong Kong businessmen who return with capital are treated differently in the mainland. This may be an opportunity for the old man to return to his hometown.

Besides, the old man has only one grandson, so if he starts a business, it is just like starting his own business in Hong Kong.

By then, I will have the catering business in Hong Kong and the clothing business in mainland China, both of which are profitable businesses, and I can write books more freely.

"You want to start a business. I just bought a house, so I can't help you with the money. If someone is interested in adapting "The Terracotta Warriors" into a movie, the royalties can support you. Now, I can only help you think of a few names."

Then there were names like Holiland and Subway. Laogui decisively chose the name "Holiland" which sounds auspicious. Hong Kong people like to seek good luck in everything they do.

At that time, Wei Ming had not yet received his royalties from the UK, otherwise it would not be a big deal to give him a few hundred-dollar bills.

Now, Wei Ming still has 15,000 US dollars, or more than 2,000 RMB, left.

He wanted to buy a color TV. He had a color TV ticket and enough RMB. He could then exchange some foreign exchange coupons and go to the Friendship Store to buy a refrigerator and a washing machine so that he could live a modern life as soon as possible.

He really wanted to find someone to go with him, but unfortunately Sister Lin had ignored him recently, so he had to go alone.

As soon as I went downstairs after work, I saw Mu Rong taking a walk with her six-month belly.

She seemed to be blocking Wei Ming on purpose, and immediately trotted over when she saw Wei Ming.

"Sister-in-law, wait a minute, I'll do it." Wei Ming quickly ran to her.

Mu Rong smiled: "I don't have anything else to say, I just want to ask, are you really together with Sister Lin?"

"How did you know?"

Mu Rong: "Oh, I ran into Liu Zhenyun from the Chinese Department yesterday when he came to the school hospital with diarrhea. Then he asked me about a former colleague of mine, and that's how I found out about this!"

She looked very excited. She had supported this forbidden couple a long time ago, but Wei Ming suddenly found a girlfriend who was a foreign student. She didn't expect that there would be such a sudden turn of events.

Since he had already admitted it to Liu Zhenyun, Wei Ming didn't need to hide it. He nodded and said, "That's true, but I can't say for sure whether we are still in that kind of relationship now."

"What's the matter? Are you having a quarrel?"

"It's more serious than a quarrel. Anyway, she is ignoring me now."

Mu Rong didn't ask who was right or wrong, and said directly: "Then you should be more proactive! Girls are like this, they need to be coaxed."

Older girls are still girls.

Wei Ming sighed: "It's hard to appease her."

He also went to Zhu Lin's workplace to wait for her, but he didn't see anyone. There were several doors in their workplace, so she must be avoiding him on purpose.

Mu Rong thought for a moment and said, "Then let me help mediate and see if I can get you two to meet and have a good chat."

Wei Ming looked at Mu Rong in surprise: "Sister, you are my biological sister!"

Mu Rong plans to go to the city with her mother tomorrow to buy some things and go back to her original unit.

After saying goodbye to her, Wei Ming went to the South Gate to push his motorcycle, and then he saw a familiar man with glasses.

"Mr. Wei, nice to meet you. Nice to meet you again." The other party took the initiative to greet him.

"Oh, reporter Zhu." Wei Ming remembered that this was Zhu Wei from China Youth Daily.

Wei Ming is an outstanding youth role model established by China Youth Daily and a national youth idol. He has been interviewed by China Youth Daily more than once before, one of which was with Zhu Wei.

"Are you here to see me?" he asked. Why was it so sudden without even a phone call?

Zhu Wei said embarrassedly: "I should have called to negotiate, but the request was urgent, so I came here directly after receiving the instructions."

He looked at Wei Ming seriously and said, "But I'm not here to interview Wei Ming this time. I want to interview the fairy tale writer Wei Something."

……

(Yesterday's guaranteed! There will be more in the evening, please give me your monthly pass!)
(End of this chapter)