Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 280 Family Matters
Doctoral Station. Government
If you're doing business in the country, you'll definitely reach this level; if you can't, it just means you're not skilled enough.

"How do you typically operate a chemical plant?" Yan Hui asked.

“I’ve never run one. If you’re interested, come to Quanzhou after the New Year, and I’ll take you to visit a few places. They’re all run by my brothers. Feel free to ask me anything. Getting the licenses isn’t difficult now; the challenge is creating your flagship product. You need to think carefully about what you want to manufacture and understand your technical capabilities,” my cousin said.

"Yes, that's true. But I've also looked into chemical plants. I don't want to deal with basic products. They're polluting, have low profits, and can be phased out at any time. If I'm going to do something, I want to do something advanced, so I'm not in a hurry." Yan Hui had already made his decision.

The first factory he's going to open will definitely be a timber processing plant, but he's fascinated by chemicals and feels that's what a great entrepreneur should be doing.

Yan Hui has two business ambitions: one is to own his own large factory, preferably a chemical plant; the other is to engage in steel trading, and aluminum trading is also an option.

Yan Hui has been "holding a grudge" ever since he was hit hard at the Sanming Steel Plant a few years ago.

“No rush, take your time planning. The investigation is relatively quick, but the experimentation is slow. Let me tell you, chemistry is a very mysterious thing. Even if you have a mature process and several PhDs, you may not be able to complete industrial production because each company’s core data is not publicly available.” The cousin looked at Yan Hui, “I’ll wait for your good news.”

“I know, um.” Yan Hui had heard of this before.

In industrial production, there is a great deal of core data because it is impossible to guarantee that the equipment is exactly the same.

Using the same materials and the same process, the difference in heating rate caused by the change in tank size can lead to drastically different results, which is even more difficult than in a laboratory.

The most critical issue is that industrial experiments are extremely expensive! A laboratory experiment might only cost a few dollars or tens of dollars, while a chemical experiment could cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In the laboratory, some common chemical synthesis is not difficult as long as there are formulas and specific steps, but industrial production is different. It requires adaptation to local conditions, environmental changes, and equipment changes.

Chen Jian had complained about these things to Yan Hui many times. Yan Hui just didn't understand the specific chemical theories; he certainly understood the basics.

"If you want to get into the chemical industry in the future, I have to say that Shandong Province has better conditions than Jiangsu Province. Shandong Province has a complete range of industrial products, it is easy for you to buy any raw materials, and there are also many talented people."

"Brother, have you heard of Wanhua? I think it's been listed for almost a year. At first, its stock price rose sharply, doubling in May, but now it's almost fallen back down," Yan Hui asked again.

“I don’t understand this. I don’t know anything about this company, and I know even less about the stock market. I suggest you don’t rush into it. First, your funds are valuable, and second, don’t touch things you don’t understand. Wait until you’ve gotten into the chemical industry and understand the trends of this company before you consider it. Anyway, that’s my opinion. My brother lost over a million yuan in the stock market.” The second cousin said with a sigh.

"I understand, it looks pretty scary to me too." Yan Hui didn't bring up the topic of stocks again.

"Oh, right," my cousin suddenly remembered something, "I haven't asked you in detail yet, how much capital do you have now? How much cash flow do you have?"

“My assets are about 1 million yuan, and my monthly income is about 1 million yuan. We stopped working during the Chinese New Year and will have to wait until spring to resume,” Yan Hui explained.

"Huh?" My cousin was a little confused. Monthly revenue and total assets are the same? Have we found Jianye's way again?
"The profit margin isn't high; it's only about 8% in my hands." Yan Hui and his cousin didn't need to hide anything.

"8% monthly profit? Is there still room for growth in the market?" his cousin couldn't help but ask. He had originally intended to ask for a general understanding, but now he felt that Yan Hui was a genius.

"There is room for growth."

“Sure. You went from having nothing to accumulating a million again so quickly, it will only be faster in the future! Xiaohui, let me make this clear first, if you need any investment opportunities, just let me know. If I don't have enough money, I'll talk to my dad.” His cousin was really tempted.

Of course he knew that his father and Yan Hui were both raised by their grandfather. Their grandfather hadn't taught them business acumen, but rather the principles of being a good person and conducting oneself properly. And being a good person, in fact, is the ultimate secret to success in business. After all, success depends on human effort!
"Yeah, bro, I'll definitely come to you if I need anything."

Yan Hui's relationship with his cousin wasn't as good as his relationship with his maternal cousin, but after several incidents, Yan Hui had come to respect his cousin very much.

Whether it was leading a convoy to Jianye to support him or offering to help him settle his debts when he was down on his luck, he always displayed the demeanor of a respected elder brother in the family. The eldest uncle had two sons; the elder son was quite ordinary and not cut out for business, while the second cousin had inherited some of his uncle's business acumen.

They wouldn't usually show up, but they would definitely step in if something really happened. Of course, things are different now. Now Yan Hui and his cousin can talk on equal footing, and there's no question of one begging the other.

The house only truly became lively after my sister and brother-in-law returned.

Yan Hui's transformation was so drastic that his family couldn't believe he had truly made a comeback. His cousin believed it, but Qinglan and the others were less inclined to fully believe it; after all, money couldn't be earned so easily.

Those born in the 70s and 80s experienced this era of great development. In the eyes of those born in the 90s and 00s, this was a golden age. However, most people born in the 80s were still ordinary. People of this era, limited by their background and understanding at the time, still felt that making money was difficult back then.

When her brother-in-law and sister returned, her grandmother, parents, and younger sister all rushed to ask her about it, and only then did they realize that Yan Hui had really stood up again.

My sister would never lie! No one in the Yan family doubted this.

Once this was confirmed, the atmosphere at home became lively, even more so than on New Year's Eve.

At his brother-in-law's urging, Yan Hui spent three or four thousand yuan to book two of the best banquet tables in the county town, which were then delivered to the village. A shed was set up in Yan Hui's yard to host the main relatives and friends.

After just this one meal, everyone in the village knew that the Yan family's son had made something of himself!

"Brother! This is so impressive! This is the first time I've ever eaten grouper!" The most excited one was Qinglan, who had been living in fear for the past two years.

"Study hard. If you get into a good university in this year's college entrance exam, I'll host a 20-table banquet in the village when I come back," Yan Hui promised.

"Huh? That won't do! You might as well just give me the money!" Qinglan immediately became unhappy.

"How can that be the same? I'm setting up 20 tables so people will think twice and not just anyone will try to propose marriage to us!" Yan Hui said firmly.
This past Chinese New Year, Yan Hui knew that matchmakers had already approached Qing Lan about marriage. Yan Hui's parents had wanted to meet with them, but Yan Hui strictly forbade it. Now, his younger sister is taking the college entrance exam; if she doesn't pass, they'll discuss marriage later. If she does, he'll let her go out and make her own way in the world.

(End of this chapter)