Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 356 Understanding Steel Trade (Part 1)

"By the way," Yan Hui said, after finishing their work conversation, "did you come to Jinan alone this time?"

"Huh? What else?" Qinglan asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Didn’t I say that if you have a partner, bring them over? Anyone you like can help me in some way,” Yan Hui said.

"Brother, I've already broken up." Qinglan pouted, looking a little sullen. "How did you find out I had a boyfriend during the New Year?"

"Back then, you would make phone calls behind my back all the time. I've been working in society for over ten years. It would be a problem if I didn't notice your little tricks." Yan Hui was somewhat speechless. "If we broke up, we broke up. I'll find you a good one here."

"Ah, I don't want to look anymore. Sigh. We were doing really well before, but then I said I wanted to come to Jinan to see the city. I didn't say I wanted to stay in Jinan, and he got a little upset. His family is well-off, and he works in the government. He told me a lot of things, but I wasn't feeling well at the time, and I was thinking of changing jobs, so we... argued." Qinglan reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, looking slightly relieved.

Is this your first love?

"Yes, back in middle school, you used to write to me all the time asking me these things, but now you don't even care about me anymore," Qinglan said, somewhat displeased. Yan Hui hadn't been home for Chinese New Year for the past few years, and when they talked on the phone, they barely exchanged a few words. She quite missed the happy times they used to spend writing letters together.

"You've grown up." Yan Hui didn't explain further.

"Brother, thank you," Qinglan said softly.

"Huh?" Yan Hui didn't expect Qing Lan to say that.

“I’ve been running around with you for days, and I only just realized what you’ve been through all these years. You went bankrupt back then, and now you’ve come to this point. Compared to you, I’m incredibly lucky. I’ll do my best to help you this time.” At this moment, Qinglan’s mind was solely focused on work.

“Work is work, and I feel very accomplished now, and you will too in the future. This place might be a stepping stone for you, or you might stay here in the future. It doesn’t matter, as long as you are happy and can realize your life’s value.” Yan Hui’s face was full of smiles.

When a man succeeds, he hopes to help his whole family take off. Now, his family is building a house, his parents and grandmother are in good health, his sister and brother-in-law are loving, and his younger sister has also come to live with him. He is content.

This success gave Yan Hui great confidence and allowed his ambition to continue to grow. Although his current resources and foundation are still inferior to those of someone like President Han, he can make up for it with time.

"Yes, brother, I will." Qinglan nodded.

"By the way, you have some free time lately, go learn to drive, I'll give you a car," Yan Hui said casually.

"Huh?" Qinglan was startled. "Give me a car?"

“My factory is in a bit of a remote area, so it’s inconvenient for you to commute to get off work. Lately, while you’re learning to drive, you’ve also been looking at houses. I’ve been thinking about it and I’m planning to give you a car and a house as your dowry. You can choose according to your preferences, whether it’s a house or a car, whichever you like, I’ll buy it for you.” Yan Hui looked south. “I promised Grandpa that I would take good care of you.”

"Brother, I don't need it, I don't need it. Your company still needs to grow." Qinglan was deeply moved.

She wasn't a naive recent graduate. During her year in Fuzhou, she endured a lot of hardship and learned the harsh realities of human relationships. Let alone big-ticket items like cars and houses, even a mobile phone or a meal can reveal a lot about many people. As for her grandfather…
Qinglan also misses her grandfather.

When her grandfather passed away in 1999, Yan Hui was 20 years old, while Qing Lan was only 16. From birth, Qing Lan was raised by her grandparents. After her grandfather's death, she didn't even know where her roots were.

Like Yan Hui, Qinglan felt more for her grandparents than for her parents. Her parents loved them too, but their love couldn't surpass that for her grandfather. Besides, her parents were simple and honest people who didn't have high expectations of their children and weren't good at expressing themselves. During the most difficult time after her grandfather's passing, Qinglan relied on her older brother.

At this moment, brother... *sobs*
"Does my company need this little bit of money for development?" Yan Hui laughed. "I don't have much more. A house or a car, you can choose whichever you like. I'll take care of the house's decoration, furniture, and appliances. But that's all I'll help you with. You'll have to earn your own living expenses from now on."

"This isn't enough! Brother, to be honest, even Dad wouldn't treat me this well!" Qinglan felt incredibly happy!

“That’s different, you have me.” Yan Hui gently shook his head.

"Then, can I choose any car?" Qinglan asked playfully.

"If you like it, I'll buy you a Porsche too." Yan Hui decided to spoil his sister to the end.

"Ah? No, no, I'd be perfectly happy with a Honda or something!" Qinglan shook her head immediately upon hearing this.

"However, you need to be thorough and serious when you learn to drive. Also, you need to be serious about your work." Yan Hui's words filled Qinglan's schedule for the next few months.

"Definitely!" Qinglan clenched her fist.

In the following period, Yan Hui's work became even busier. In addition to the Heng Hui Chemical business, he also had to travel around to learn about the relevant situation of steel.

In 1995, Yan Hui left his hometown. That year, China's steel production was 9500 million tons. Nearly five years later, when Yan Hui went to a steel plant in Fujian Province, China's steel production capacity was 1.24 million tons per year, or 12400 million tons.

2000年，国内钢产量1.28亿吨，之后几年的数字分别是：1.51、1.82、2.22、2.82、3.53、4.19、4.89（单位亿吨）。

In other words, in 2007, in just seven years, my country's steel production quadrupled.

Domestically, during this period, Hebei, Shandong, and Jiangsu provinces were far ahead in steel production capacity. At that time, the largest steel mills in Shandong Province were Laiwu Steel, Jinan Steel, and Rizhao Steel.

After 2008, Laiwu Steel and Jinan Steel merged to form Shandong Steel, but that's another story.

The Laigang mentioned here is not the Laiyang Steel Pipe from Laiyang, but Laiwu Steel, with an annual production capacity of approximately 1000 million tons.

Steel mills do not have holidays; blast furnaces never completely stop. A steel mill with an annual capacity of 1000 million tons produces about 3 tons of steel every day. With steel priced at about 3500 yuan per ton, the daily output value of the steel mill exceeds 1 million yuan.

In fact, it was only when Yan Hui reached his current level that he began to understand what steel trading was all about. To these giant steel mills, millions of dollars was nothing; they couldn't even secure a single batch of goods, let alone negotiate a regional agency agreement.

Tens of millions is enough. With tens of millions of funds, any steel mill will welcome you with a smile and be willing to sit down and discuss the regional agency issue with you.

Of course, ten million won't do.

(End of this chapter)