Back to 1979: Sending the Educated Youth’s Wife Back to the City

Chapter 190 Investment Directions
At the end of March, Lingzi returned from Shanghai. She brought back all the data from the first month in Shanghai. Although it was still a few days into April, the revenue figures could already be predicted.

In addition, Fang Mingfeng also flew back. He had been gone for a month, and it was agreed that he would fly back once a month at public expense.

Now that the people and data had returned, Fang Mingche told them to go home and rest, and then called Wang Dexian to look at the accounts.

Wang Dexian arrived on Sunday morning. The administrative staff in the office weren't working today, but the tour guide team was operating normally. However, since they were out leading tours, the main office outside was empty.

Wang Dexian asked, "Xiao Fang, when can you make use of the first courtyard of your family's courtyard house?"

A few more desks have been added, it's so crowded!
"The first courtyard is finished, but the restoration work on the second and third courtyards is not yet completed. Moving there now will inevitably cause some disruption. Before May Day, Master Lei told me that the construction work would be finished in April. If there are no more clanging noises, it should be fine."

Wang Dexian nodded, "For the same rent, a 400-square-meter office space is definitely better than this 240-square-meter one."

Tsk, at first, a small courtyard with a main house of 30 or 40 square meters was enough, but now even 240 square meters feels cramped. And, so many people have been sent to Shanghai. Speaking of which, he hasn't even been to the Shanghai office yet.

Next time his company has a business trip to Shanghai, he should try to get it done. He can go on company-funded.

He followed Fang Mingche into the small office and saw Gao Xiang and Lin Yan inside. They also had regular work hours and could only squeeze in time to come. They came together this Sunday. They were also looking at data from Shanghai.

Wang Dexian sat down, and Gao Xiang first handed him the capital's account books to look at.

He flipped through it for a while, then, seeing the accountant and cashier busy at work, didn't disturb them. He whispered to Fang Mingche, "From the very first day the handicraft cooperative set up a stall in Tiananmen Square, I knew that it was easier to make money from foreigners selling handicrafts. But I never expected the sales volume to reach so high!"

The net profit is about the same as that of a travel agency, and with the suppliers, transportation channels, and stores all set up, it's much easier than with a travel agency. He previously told his father that the current scale was 100,000 yuan a year, but now, with the booming sales of handicrafts and the opening of more and more stores, it could easily reach 200,000 yuan a year!

The old man was astonished by the promise of 100,000 yuan a year, saying he never imagined that running a travel agency had such great potential. He also said it was no wonder that the higher authorities insisted on carrying out reform and opening up.

He must be even happier now that he's in the handicrafts business. All it takes is the craftsmanship of an artisan and the raw materials to fetch a good price! Exporting them to earn foreign exchange is naturally ideal.

Fang Mingche sat on the sofa, holding a teacup, and said, "We are now sourcing goods from all over the country. You were only concerned about your cooperative back then, weren't you?"

"That's not it. I've thought about integrating resources from the capital and even the entire North China region. After all, it's not easy to set up a stall in Tiananmen Square. We could help our brother units sell some too and get a commission. That's the first step. Maybe if we do well, we'll think about expanding the area. I was originally going to tell Xiao Xu after he settled in, but then he turned out to be a hopeless case. Lao Song took over, and I'm not very familiar with him. Plus, I had a lot of things to do at my own unit, so I forgot about it."

It's not that Song Quan and Wang Dexian weren't familiar with each other; it's that Song Quan was bad at networking and didn't know how to ingratiate himself with his superiors. Old Wang, no longer in a position of authority, naturally didn't concern himself with much since he'd been transferred. Otherwise, people might have said he was still remotely controlling things even after leaving office.

Fang Mingche said, "The Shanghai branch has secured two counters in a shopping mall on Nanjing Road, and they're preparing to move in next month. You can inquire about things in Xidan."

Lin Yan had previously asked at Xidan Shopping Mall, and they dismissively said they never accepted individual business owners. But now they are affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and are an export-oriented unit.

The Shanghai branch used this as a pretext, sending people to the four major department stores on Nanjing Road every day. Luckily, after three weeks they finally found one that was closing down. They quickly took over the remaining days, and also had priority to sign contracts when the lease expired.

The shopping malls on Nanjing Road are now frequented by quite a few foreign tourists. And you could even try setting up a mobile stall along the Bund. Anyway, just pay the taxes you're owed. In short, now that you have legal status, things are much easier!

Wang Dexian took the lead, saying, "Okay, I'll invite the relevant people to dinner, and we'll immediately fill in for any that need to close down."

Since it has been proven that selling handicrafts is highly profitable, he will definitely pay more attention to it.

"For these kinds of expenses, bring back the receipts for reimbursement."

Compared to the Wang family connections that were utilized, the cost of food and drinks was a small matter.

Wang Dexian nodded, "Okay. By the way, Lin Yan, Yang Mei really likes the scarf you bought. She said you have good taste."

Lin Yan gave out scarves for International Women's Day, one each to his mother and Yang Mei.

Seeing her close the ledger and Gao Xiang drinking water, it was clear that she had finished her work for a while. Wang Dexian said with a smile.

Lin Yan said, "If she likes it, that's good. I don't know when she'll be free, but my schedule is pretty fixed. I'll let her ask me to go shopping when she's free."

If Yang Mei had free time, she would be a great shopping buddy. The foreign exchange certificates earned from submitting foreign exchange were also distributed to the Wang family proportionally. Yang Mei should have quite a few on hand.

"Okay."

Gao Xiang put down his teacup. "Xiao Xie also said it looked great, and that your taste is very sophisticated. She even said it must be from spending too much time shopping."

He covered the teacup and then got back to the point, "Isn't it too risky for the Shanghai branch to apply for a mortgage loan using their two existing commercial vehicles? That would just increase their debt ratio again."

Currently, all four commercial vehicles in the capital are mortgaged at the bank. The loan amount is 120,000 yuan, and the interest will add up to a considerable sum. Crucially, if the two vehicles in Shanghai are also mortgaged, then the travel agency's entire assets will be tied up in the bank.

The initial funding of 80,000 yuan for the Shanghai branch was all allocated from the accounts in the capital. After that, they were told to find their own way to raise the funds, and this is the method they came up with.

Wang Dexian said, "Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

He's got the Shanghai accounts now. As expected, there's a profit of around six or seven thousand this month. After all, they only opened on March 7th.

Fang Mingche nodded, "If we can keep up with the manpower, it's fine. After all, it will take more than a month for the funds to come through after the mortgage is paid. We can do a lot of things during this time. The more commercial vehicles we have, the more money we can make. We'll talk about it after they come to report on their work on Monday."

He delegated personnel authority below the team leader level, so part of Shanghai's current personnel structure was built by them themselves. They recruited staff locally.

If drivers, tour guides, and administrative staff can be provided, then adding two more vehicles would be fine. He has high hopes for the initiative shown by the Shanghai team, especially their success in securing a counter in the Nanjing Road shopping mall.

Wang Dexian nodded, "Your cousin is really good at doing things. It's a pity he won't stay here for long."

He barely had to worry about it before it was all done. Clearly, the travel agency handled all the preliminary preparations themselves, only contacting Lin Wuyi at the last minute. He'd have to treat Brother Lin to a meal when he got back to Shanghai.

Speaking of this, he said to Fang Mingche, "Well, branch manager, I've found a candidate."

"Oh, what's going on?" Fang Mingche asked, intrigued.

He couldn't lower the bar too much. A leader parachuted in like this is likely to face resistance from his arrogant and unruly subordinates. You need connections and connections to succeed. Brother Mingfeng is a seasoned veteran; he can handle them. Someone else might not be so lucky!

However, after reviewing the current English and Japanese group leaders, he found that neither of them seemed to meet the criteria for internal promotion.

I won't even mention the head and deputy head of the Japanese language group; they used to work illegally in Japan. Their educational level isn't very high to begin with, and we had to constantly emphasize to them that we must be neither servile nor arrogant. Never treat foreign tourists like superiors. They probably suffered quite a bit of oppression when they were working illegally.

As for Qiu Yin and other English group leaders, those ten years were tough for them; they were suppressed and lacked confidence. Even Qiu Yin was like that. After being bullied for ten years, she didn't have much confidence in facing outsiders.

This kind of person isn't suited to be a leader unless they completely change their mindset. He has also communicated with these mid-level managers, urging them to pay attention to improvement in this area.

The people he mentioned, those with promising futures, are currently in the best mental and emotional state. These are the types of people who would be better at leading a team. Now that they've arrived, the focus of their training and emphasis should be on developing a service-oriented mindset.

Wang Dexian said, "He was originally going to be selected as a reconnaissance soldier. But he injured his ligaments during training and became a level 10 disabled person. He can only walk with a slight limp. Someone like that definitely can't be a reconnaissance soldier, not even a regular soldier. Originally, we were going to let him become a quartermaster after he was discharged from the hospital, since he had made meritorious contributions. But he didn't want to stay in the army and become a stain on his company. His company used to be a spearhead company, the kind that takes on the toughest challenges on the battlefield. Do you think he meets the requirements? A quartermaster is a deputy company commander. It's really hard to find a deputy battalion commander under 35 years old. Even those over 35 are highly sought after in their hometowns after retirement."

Fang Mingche thought for a moment, "The quartermaster from the saying 'Don't be a quartermaster if you want to be an official'?"

The reconnaissance soldier knew that there wasn't a specific branch of the military called "special forces" anymore. But reconnaissance soldiers essentially did the work of special forces. That person must be highly qualified.

As for the quartermaster, he is the company's quartermaster officer. He manages the company's daily logistics affairs, is responsible for the company's food, the ideological work and administrative management of the cooking squad, the military and professional training of the cooking squad, and the company's finances and other matters.

Managing these miscellaneous tasks requires strong management skills. It's not like you're being promoted to quartermaster just because you're injured. You need to have the corresponding abilities.

That would indeed be quite suitable for him to be a branch manager at a travel agency.

Wang Dexian nodded, "Yes, he's only in his early twenties. If it weren't for the training injury, he would have had no problem becoming a deputy battalion commander before he turned 35."

Fang Mingche said, "Then let him work as a deputy first? The monthly income for a deputy should be around 400. However, he should be on trial for a month first."

"Sure. Once he's discharged from the hospital and has completed his discharge procedures, we'll let him go to Shanghai with your cousin. It should be ready next month."

Fang Mingche said, "He's a stubborn one too!"

He injured his ligaments, and the army took care of him by offering him the position of company quartermaster, but he insisted on being discharged.

"Who says it's not?"

After that, nothing much happened, and Wang Dexian went back to the tenement building as well. He had deliberately not ridden his bike today; he had taken the bus. Now, the four of them drove the Fang family's small truck back, with Lin Yan driving.

Gao Xiang sat in the front passenger seat, leaving the second row for Fang Mingche and Wang Dexian to talk.

Wang Dexian said, "Lin Yan, you seem to really enjoy driving?"

"Yes, I like being behind the steering wheel."

"So who drives the steering wheel in your house?"

"Of course he's clear-headed; he controls the overall direction," Lin Yan said frankly.

From the moment Mingche announced his plan to open a large tea stall in Tiananmen Square and achieved great success, she followed his lead without question. Back then, she was back in the city and had no way to stop him. But Mingche, an outsider, was doing much better than her.

Fang Mingche asked Wang Dexian, "How's your club's business?"

"It's alright. There are seven instructors and more than forty students. It's starting to operate normally and making a small profit."

It's called a club, but it's really just a martial arts school. However, because of the poor security and the lack of competition, business has been pretty good since it opened.

I can earn about 500 or 600 yuan a month, but about 30% of that comes from selling fried rice. I have the manpower, and the kitchen is ready. Selling this is pure profit.

When Gao Xiang returned to the courtyard, he saw Yan Yan pushing Chang Chang around and playing there.

She came to play with Niu Niu, and then Chang Chang saw her and insisted on going with her. Min Jie was doing laundry; Chang Chang changes outfits several times a day. So she pushed her over.

It was late March, and Fang Chang had already taken off his thick winter clothes, wearing only a light jacket. He was a bit chubby. Because he was wearing so many winter clothes, he couldn't fit his hands in the car and had to rest them on the armrests.

Now that he can put his thick clothes down after taking them off, he habitually puts them on his head.

Gao Xiang smiled when he saw him, "You're acting a bit like an official. Yan Yan, your parents are back."

Changchang watched him talk to him. He couldn't understand what he was saying, but the tone was quite nice, so he nodded happily. He now judged a person's likes or dislikes purely by the tone of their voice.

Gao Xiang was even happier when he saw him nod.

Mrs. Gao was in good spirits today and wasn't in bed. Sitting under the eaves, she smiled and said, "Xiao Ping, go and hug Chang Chang."

Xie Ping was speechless. Holding a little boy could make her pregnant with a boy? That's feudal superstition.

Ever since the new Marriage Law was introduced, her mother-in-law has been fixated on this matter. She keeps urging her to hold Fang Chang and Gu Wenle. Gu Wenle is Gu Zhiguang and Zhu Wenjuan's son, who was just over a month old.

However, Fang Chang, chubby as he is, is indeed the dream grandson of many elderly people. According to the phone call from Fang Minghua, Fang's parents were overjoyed to see the photos of their little grandson. Xie Ping stepped forward and took Fang Chang out. Fang Chang readily accepted her embrace, immediately wrapping his arms around Xie Ping's neck.

"Wow, it's getting more and more important."

Fang Mingche and Lin Yan, having heard that their son was here, had already come over. Fang Mingche had already told Xiaomin and Yan Yan not to go out into the alley without an adult.

With the implementation of family planning policies, young boys who don't remember much are becoming increasingly vulnerable to child trafficking gangs.

In his past life, Fang Kang was almost kidnapped. The brat even sat on the back of the kidnapper's bicycle, greeting acquaintances along the way. At first, everyone thought the kidnapper was a relative of the Fang family.

Later, a cousin of Fang Jiaming's generation felt that this person looked unfamiliar and asked him a few more questions. The trafficker, feeling guilty, picked up Fang Kang, threw him at the other party, and then pedaled away on his bicycle.

Of course, he couldn't escape, after all, they were still in the village. As his cousin caught him, he shouted, "Stop the human traffickers!"

Immediately, able-bodied young men from the road and fields rushed over. They surrounded and intercepted the trafficker, dragging him off his bicycle and giving him a severe beating.

It turned out that the person hadn't even intentionally come to their village. They were just passing by, and Fang Kang was just too easy to abduct. They gave him candy, told him they'd buy more in town, and he rode off on the back of their bicycle. They'd just kidnapped him on the way!
Zhu Wenjuan also brought her son out to bask in the sun. Fang Chang saw the little boy and tried to go over to him. Xie Ping picked him up and stood him an arm's length away. Otherwise, the little guy would grab her hands in no time.

Zhu Wenjuan said to Lin Yan, "I'm feeling weak and powerless right now. I really envy you for being so agile and riding your bicycle to and from work every day."

Fang Chang's old clothes were washed and given to Gu Wenle and Fang Wu. Gu Wenle is currently wearing one of Fang Chang's old bodysuits, which Lin Yan knitted by hand.

Lin Yan said, "Do you know what motivates me to ride my bike every day? It's to lose weight. It's very effective; I've lost four or five pounds in just over a month."

Zhu Wenjuan is currently on leave from school. Gu Zhiguang has to work, and there's only her father-in-law at home. Unless she hires someone to take care of her like Lin Yan did, she can't get away from her work.

During my postpartum period, I asked Xie Ting to help out. Aunt Yuan would give me guidance while Xie Ting did the work.

But Xie Ting was mainly there to take care of Gao's mother, and she was also running an egg business. She definitely needed to attend to her own affairs. So, after Zhu Wenjuan finished her postpartum confinement period, Xie Ting stopped working.

For the past forty days or so, she was paid according to the wages of the hired nanny. But Xie Ting mainly helped out, which interfered with the nanny's egg business. Besides, running an egg business is much easier than taking care of a new mother and baby during her postpartum period.

Their main goal was to build good relationships. After all, they were unregistered residents in a tenement, so it wasn't a bad thing to maintain good relations with their neighbors and landlord.

So Zhu Wenjuan had no idea who she would hire to look after the child next year. Ideally, she would like to do what Lin Yan did and find a younger sister or niece from her husband's or her own family.

But her family didn't have any suitable candidates. As for the Gu family, they had severed ties with many relatives during those ten years. Now that their family is doing well again, some people are coming to visit. But the child's grandfather and father ignored them. They said that during those ten years, these relatives were all afraid of being implicated and kept their distance. They were even worse off than the neighbors in the tenement!

Never mind, I'll ask Aunt Yuan to help me find someone later. The old lady should be able to introduce someone she knows well.

Lin Yan held Fang Chang as they sat under the eaves, making it easier for him to keep an eye on Gu Wenle. Then she chatted casually with Zhu Wenjuan, Xie Ping, and others.

Fang Mingche went to the Song family home to watch Old Song weave bamboo dragons. Old Song had come up with a few new designs, although it wouldn't matter if he gave the tourists the same bamboo dragons every time. After all, the tourists came in waves, so there were no repeats. But he was also selling them on consignment at the travel agency, so having more variety was always a good thing.

Old Song isn't good at management, but he's incredibly skilled with his hands. Especially after he spent a few months as a junior manager and realized he wasn't cut out for it, he devoted himself entirely to bamboo weaving.

Old Song's income has been steadily increasing as Fang Mingche's intangible cultural heritage product stores have expanded. Now, Sister-in-law Song is all smiles.

When Song's wife saw Fang Mingche come in, she got up to make him tea.

Fang Mingche whispered to Lao Song, "Are we finally living the good life where economic status determines family position?"

Song Quan glared at him. This reminded him of two years ago when he believed him, threw money in front of his wife, and got a beating. Back then, he became the laughingstock of the entire tenement; everyone laughed at him for believing Xiao Fang's casual boast.

But now, he's probably experiencing the benefits of having plenty of money, because his wife has indeed become much gentler towards him.

He said to Fang Mingche, "I think our cooperative will fall apart sooner or later. This is no longer the era of eating from the same pot."

If it weren't for the 15% commission he and others who sold the best products handed over, the business would probably have been scattered long ago.

Xiao Fang had previously advised him to become self-employed, but he worried that would leave him without a job. Now it seems he'll inevitably be without a job sooner or later. And it won't be long before that happens.

So why would he hand over 15% of his profits? He could earn significantly more as a self-employed individual. He and his wife were just discussing this.

The biggest advantage of working at the cooperative is having a ready-made, large-scale stall. Hmm, I heard they're going to build a storefront. But since he supplies goods to Xiao Fang, that stall is practically useless to him.

Old Song is preparing to resign. Why should he hand over 15% to support those unsold products? Those people are envious and resentful of him, and they don't know how to be grateful.

Fang Mingche asked, "Have you decided?"

“It’s decided. Anyway, we have someone in our family with a stable job. Besides, I think your business has the potential to grow bigger and bigger.”

The capital, Shanghai, Tokyo, London, Paris, and in a few months, New York. That's what you call booming success! He's just riding the wave, and he's already saved two or three thousand.

His family's expenses were just for daily living, unlike Gao Xiang who had to support an elderly mother who needed long-term medication and rest. They could save 300 yuan a month! With that 15% not handed over, they could save an extra few dozen. With this income, and it seemed quite stable, his courage gradually grew. Perhaps it wouldn't be easy to quit, but this time he was determined to do so.

Sister-in-law Song took out a tea canister from the cabinet, clearly preparing to brew tea for Fang Mingche.

Upon hearing the noise, Fang Mingche quickly said, "Sister-in-law, just pour me a glass of water, I'm thirsty. The first cup of tea is inconvenient."

"Okay then."

Sister-in-law Song put the tea canister back and poured a glass of water. Then she turned around and beckoned Song Chi to bring Yan Yan in to play, and opened a can of yellow peaches for them to eat.

This is a rare find these days; people usually only buy it when they're seeing a doctor.

Fang Mingche thought the person who marketed the canned yellow peaches was a genius. Actually, canned yellow peaches weren't that suitable for patients; their nutritional value was just average. At least, not as high as other canned fruits.

But surprisingly, the whole country knew that you should give canned yellow peaches when visiting a sick person. This actually boosted sales.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, canned yellow peaches were once sold out. People generally believed it was better to be safe than sorry. They weren't too expensive, and they tasted pretty good. So, the crowds flocked to buy them!
Song Quan and Fang Mingche said, "I saw Hu Yong and the other three with Zhu Dahai the other day, and I don't know what they were discussing. It really is true that there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends, only permanent interests."

Fang Mingche laughed and then told him, "They're discussing whether to bring in my investment. They were just testing the waters with Ayan a few days ago. Then Ayan said we should wait until May Day and consider buying a few tractors to transport vegetables."

Song Quan laughed too, "That's way more than what you can carry on a tricycle. If you're willing to lower your prices initially, you'll crush them."

"However, we can't do too much business. Otherwise, we might get reported for it."

His scrap metal business employs seven people. The travel agency is a foreign exchange earning enterprise, so it's not really restricted. But if he also starts a vegetable business, people might say he has more than seven people in total.

Otherwise, hiring a few more people would bring in more business, so why keep giving Zhu Dahai and Hu Yong opportunities?
Yan Yan ate two pieces of canned yellow peaches, found them a bit too sweet, and put down her spoon. "Aunt Song, I can't eat anymore. Thank you for your hospitality."

She had brought a small bowl and used a spoon to scoop the food out of the can before eating it slowly. This way, she wouldn't have to worry about Aunt Song giving her too much and wasting it.

Sister-in-law Song laughed, "You little rascal, why are you being so polite?"

In the afternoon, Fang Mingche drove his family of four and Fang Min to Mingfeng's place. It was Sunday, so they went to visit each other.

There was also a baby here who was even smaller than himself, and Fang Chang was very happy to see him.

Fang Wu is a bit older than Gu Wenle, and has already turned 100 days old. Mingfeng originally planned to hold a 100-day celebration, but he was in Shanghai. Then, Fang's parents were supposed to bring their three grandchildren over during the summer vacation. His father finally decided to come along for a visit. So, we'll postpone it until then.

Upon hearing him mention this, Fang Mingche said, "Minghui has a very heavy task; she has to take care of both the elderly and the young."

"Actually, they're not that old or that young. Everyone except my dad has been here before, so it should be fine."

Fang Min thought about it and agreed. His father was only 51, and his mother was only 50. His second uncle and aunt were a bit older, but not yet 60. They were all used to farm work and were in good physical condition.

Furthermore, Fang Tong and Fang Wu are both in the capital, and Ming Hui is not yet married. So, the only real child they have is Kang Kang.

However, remembering Fang Kang's tendency to follow anyone who offers him candy, he said, "Tell her to keep a close eye on Fang Kang. There are child traffickers who snatch children on trains. Once they get off the train and out of the station, where are they supposed to find them?"

Fang Mingfeng glanced at his two daughters and nodded. There were indeed more cases of young boys being abducted these days. He needed to inform Minghui to keep a close eye on Fang Kang. He couldn't let him out of sight. Ideally, Fang Jian should stay with him constantly.

He talked to Mingche about the home-buying model in Hong Kong, which involves down payment plus monthly mortgage payments.

"People like that have much less pressure. Ordinary office workers can afford it."

Fang Mingche asked, "Are there any connections to buy property in Hong Kong now?"

Hong Kong property prices started rising after the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. If you can buy now, you'll be making a killing.

Fang Mingfeng thought for a moment, "It's not easy. Unless it's those people who smuggled themselves in and obtained citizenship. People in the mainland can't buy them through intermediaries now. Having someone hold them on their behalf is too risky."

Forget it, let's figure something out after 84. Visas for family visits will be easier to obtain then. Or we could open travel agencies and shops selling intangible cultural heritage products in Hong Kong.

For now, focus on raising money to buy a house in Tokyo. Holding it under a company name might make it difficult to cover the down payment and monthly mortgage payments. However, you can have the overseas branches handle the transactions.

"Dahui" is a type of informal credit financing with a long history. It has the dual function of raising funds and earning interest, and is usually based on kinship, hometown ties, friendship, and other blood or geographical relationships, and has a cooperative and mutual assistance nature.

The biggest fear for any business is losing money after investing in the early stages. But with our own branches, that's not a problem. We'll buy from Tokyo first, borrow the money we've saved in London and Paris, and pay it back later.

Fang Mingche and Fang Mingfeng talked about investing in real estate, then about the stock market and exchange rates.

Mingfeng said, "It's a pity that we don't have a stock market in China, and the exchange rate is also very tightly controlled."

Fang Mingche thought to himself: It's a pity that we haven't established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union yet, so I can't go there to borrow rubles for business. Otherwise, the ruble would be between 1.6 and 2.1 against the dollar right now. Compared to how quickly it soared to 6000 to 1 within a few years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the difference is astonishing!
In the 90s, the United States blatantly robbed the Soviet Union of its $28 billion in foreign exchange reserves accumulated over nearly 70 years through exchange rate fluctuations.

This windfall wasn't so easy to make. We only resumed diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1989, but by then their economy was already close to collapse, and their exchange rate had already soared to a certain level.

Well, we'll see when the time comes. Mu Qizhong was able to exchange canned goods for airplanes; he could take advantage of the exchange rate to make a quick profit, following the US-China trade. SF Express could still make a decent living.

Fang Mingche looked at his cousin and said, "Buying a house can be an investment. But you've made the wrong move by buying a house in Guangzhou."

It's not entirely wrong; after all, in 2024, Donghu Xincun was selling for 50000 yuan per square meter. But that price increase is roughly the same as that of the Tuanjiehu community in the capital. Not to mention compared to the courtyard house I bought within the Second Ring Road.

My cousin probably didn't expect Shenzhen to reach such heights, completely dwarfing Guangzhou, the provincial capital. He likely envisioned Guangzhou as a future version of Shenzhen. Otherwise, why would he have rushed there so eagerly?

But it's not a good time to say that now. It's alright, we can mortgage the house in Guangzhou in 1984, take out loans to buy a few more houses in Shenzhen, and still make the same profit.

A few days later, Reiko heard that the overseas stores would be involved in real estate transactions and couldn't help but ask, "Can New York participate?"

"Participating in the association to buy a house in the future is definitely possible. But asking those three stores to contribute to the cost of opening a store in the US is not acceptable. To participate in the association, you first need to join and pay the membership fee to be eligible. We still need to keep some money in the account for emergencies. Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen to your sister in the US?"

(End of this chapter)