Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 123 Business Intelligence
"Oh, the timber business, that makes sense. Most of the Fujianese businessmen around here are in the timber business. By the way, do you know Mr. Chen Yong? And also Sun Qiang, Chen Jianlei, and Huang Tianhong," Mr. Teng mentioned a few names briefly.

This statement is extremely important. These people basically represent the high-end circle of this market, yet Yan Hui has never met a single one of them.

"These are all senior figures, I don't know them very well, but I know Mr. Chen's son, Chen Dong, very well, and Mr. Huang's son, Huang Feiyu, very well. We all hang out together." Yan Hui did know that Chen Dong's father's name was Chen Yong, who was very famous in the market. His cousin had told him about it.

As for whether Huang Feiyu's father is named Huang Tianhong, Yan Hui doesn't know, and presumably President Teng doesn't know either. It's probably close enough, anyway, his cousin said that both of them are second-generation businessmen in the market.

"You know Chen Dong? I've heard Mr. Chen mention him, but his son isn't here."

“I come back to Beijing occasionally, and we’ve collaborated before, but to be honest, our discussions were just small-scale.” Yan Hui’s heart was racing, but his expression remained calm.

"It seems you two have a good relationship. Well, Mr. Chen is over 40." Mr. Teng nodded, having already begun to approve of Yan Hui.

"Mr. Teng, I've come to see you today because I want to discuss a collaboration. This is a rare opportunity, and I'm afraid if I don't come to you soon, I might leave Jianye." Yan Hui quickly steered the conversation back on track. He knew he wouldn't be able to answer any of Mr. Teng's questions.

"Where are you going?" Mr. Teng asked.

“I need to ship freight cars back to the Northeast, so I can’t stay here forever. Before I came to Jianye, I didn’t expect this market to be so small. I’ve been observing for a while, and you’re the only company that can afford to ship freight cars like this. So, I was thinking of cooperating with you.” Yan Hui said frankly.

"It's not that exaggerated. There are quite a few people who can consume an entire train car of food," President Teng waved his hand.

"That's different. Most of them are distributors. Because they're distributors, they live near the market, constantly monitoring prices and squeezing profits to the limit. You're different. You're a customer. You have abundant construction site resources and need to consume a large amount of timber every day, so you're the real buyer. To be frank, the price you get for your timber will definitely be higher than these distributors. So, I'm thinking, since you have the ability to buy so much, why not directly connect with the source of the timber? If possible, I can ship it to you from Northeast China. You can pay me after you receive it. I guarantee the lowest price and the quality is absolutely guaranteed."

"Hmm?" President Teng frowned.

What Yan Hui said didn't hold much appeal for him.

Throughout the entire business chain, apart from high-tech products and items in short supply, it's almost entirely a buyer's market. The names Mr. Teng just mentioned weren't just about finding out Yan Hui's background; they were also a way of demonstrating his own resources.

"To be honest, the timber I'm using is from Northeast China. What difference would you make?" Mr. Teng asked one more question.

"I can guarantee that the price of the same quality timber will be 3%-5% lower," Yan Hui said confidently. "I don't know their specific prices, but my channels and my supply chain are definitely the best, so I can definitely guarantee a lower price for the same quality timber."

"To be honest, I find it hard to believe you. You always say yours is the best, so how can you prove it to me? Unless you bring over a truckload of goods right now, and I have someone inspect them, then I won't believe you." Mr. Teng shook his head slightly.

Mr. Teng has been wealthy for many years. He has a slightly chubby belly, but he still exudes a certain authority and has a wealth of knowledge.

Yan Hui certainly didn't have that ability. He wouldn't dare to rush to pick up the goods if he didn't get the order from Boss Teng. He couldn't afford to tie up the funds, and the two places were far apart, so he couldn't travel around.

"I know you have a processing plant. I've never been there, but I can make a trip there. How about this, Mr. Teng, I'll do you a favor, and then I'll make a condition. Would you like to hear it?"

“Go ahead,” Mr. Teng nodded. “If you’re free today, I’ll go with you to your processing plant. I guarantee I can improve it through my methods, increasing profits by at least 3%. I won’t charge you a single penny for this. If I can do it, I need an order from you.” Yan Hui had already prepared for this; he was confident.

"You want my order? I get one freight car per order. You mean I have to pay first? That's impossible," Mr. Teng said very warily.

“No, I just need a contract,” Yan Hui had already learned how to write contracts in the bookstore. “You can draft the contract; you don’t need to pay for it. My requirements are simple: as long as my goods are in good condition, you have to buy them all once they arrive and then transfer the money to my account.”

"You mean I don't have to pay anything?" Mr. Teng was starting to trust him. If he was going to write the contract, how could he possibly be scammed? Besides, the word "contract" was crucial; these days, most people in this market didn't even know what a contract was.

"Yes, if it's convenient, I can go to your processing plant right now." Yan Hui sat calmly in the chair, he was very confident.

"I have something to do today. Here's the address: I'll give you one. Come over tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. I'll bring all my technicians with me, and I'll be at the factory too. Let's make this clear: if you can't handle it, or if you're just bragging, then any cooperation is pointless." Boss Teng stated this upfront.

“It’s a deal.” Yan Hui took out paper and pen. “Then please write down the specific address, Mr. Teng.”

"Okay, see you tomorrow." President Teng took it and quickly wrote it down.

Today's communication only lasted twenty minutes, but Yan Hui has already completed the first step he wanted, so it went quite smoothly.

He took the paper and pen, scribbled a few words on it, put it back in his bag, and stood up.

President Teng also stood up, the two shook hands, and Yan Hui said goodbye first.

For some reason, when Yan Hui went out, the clouds had gradually begun to dissipate, and the heavy rain had turned into only a few drops of water. There was no need to use an umbrella at all, and Yan Hui quickly disappeared into the haze.

Not long after Yan Hui left, General Manager Teng came downstairs with a tea box. Without saying goodbye to the store manager or the others, he got into the car parked at the door and drove away.

Yan Hui didn't go far; he saw President Teng's car leave.

Jetta, just like Uncle Si's car.

Then, Yan Hui looked at his notebook again. He had just written down the names of the people that President Teng had mentioned earlier that day. He was afraid he would forget them later, so he quickly wrote them down before he forgot them.

In a little while, he was going to find his cousin to get a complete understanding of these people's situations, and ideally, to know their sources of goods and prices. Others might not be able to get this information, but his cousin should be able to.

With that in mind, Yan Hui found a phone booth and sent his first page to his cousin.

(End of this chapter)