Starting with vegetable greenhouses in 1988

Chapter 235 Abnormalities (Long Chapter)
The two entered the manager's office, where Manager Lin invited Li Zhe to sit down. While making tea, he asked, "Mr. Li, how much stock do you have in this batch? What's the price? If it's reasonable, we'll take it all!"

Li Zhe tentatively asked, "Manager Lin, I see that your factory uses only plywood, while mine uses only imported high-quality wood. Are you really sure you can handle that? Don't try to fool me."

"Hey, you think we want to use lumber? The channels for good timber are all controlled by state-owned factories. It's very difficult for us to find some good material!" Manager Lin sighed, picked up the teapot, and sat down opposite the coffee table.

"Who doesn't want to make good furniture? Who doesn't know that solid wood furniture is highly profitable? But if we can't get good timber, we have no choice but to use scraps and sawdust left over from state-owned factories."

Li Zhe left room for profit by replying, "The price of pine wood is 400 yuan per cubic meter, and the price of birch wood is 550 yuan per cubic meter. Moreover, we need to pay in cash on the spot, no credit."

Manager Lin picked up the teapot and poured Li Zhe a cup of tea: "Mr. Li, this price is a bit high. Could you lower the price a bit?"

Li Zhe shook his head: "This is the bottom price. If you think it's too expensive, it just means my supply channels are not good. Let's wait for a suitable opportunity to cooperate again."

"No, no, no." Manager Lin thought for a moment, "Birch wood is indeed quite expensive, so we can only grit our teeth and order a batch of pine. I can't determine the exact quantity; I need to discuss it with the other partners, but it should be at least 100 cubic meters."

Li Zhe picked up the teacup and took a sip. The taste wasn't too strong, with a light tea aroma and no bitterness. It was indeed quite good.

He took out a business card: "Okay, contact me when you've discussed it."

Manager Lin took the business card and glanced at it: "Mr. Li, our factory has a lot of unsold inventory, and we need some time to turn over our funds. Could you perhaps pay a deposit for one batch first, and then pay the balance later?"

Although Li Zhe had never run a business in his previous life, he had seen pigs run even if he hadn't eaten pork, and he knew that this kind of delayed payment was troublesome and that it was very difficult to get the full amount back.

"Manager Lin, I'll say it again: cash on delivery. If you feel it's not suitable, we can cooperate again next time." Li Zhe's attitude was very clear.

Manager Lin was also somewhat embarrassed: "Mr. Li, I really can't make this decision. Could you give me some time to discuss it with my partner? Is that alright?"

“Okay.” Li Zhe finished his tea. “Then you go ahead with your work, we’ll see you another day.”

Manager Lin greeted him warmly, "Mr. Li, it's almost noon. Why don't you have some lunch before you leave? I still have two bottles of good wine. Let's have a few drinks together."

"I have something to do today, maybe next time," Li Zhe politely declined.

Manager Lin personally escorted him to the factory gate and watched the white Volga car drive away...

There weren't many vehicles in those days, so there were almost no traffic jams along the way, and the roads were completely clear, attracting envious glances from passersby.

Li Zhe did not go home, but instead drove to another private furniture factory – Yijia Shangpin.

When the car drove directly into the gate of Yijia Shangpin Furniture Factory, the gatekeeper only peeked out to look at the license plate and did not stop it.

There were piles of semi-finished timber in the factory area, and the air was filled with the smell of pine and tung oil, mixed with the intermittent buzzing of chainsaws in the distance.

As soon as Li Zhe opened the car door and his leather shoes touched the gravel road, a woman in red overalls walked over and looked him up and down: "Hello, comrade, who are you looking for?"

Li Zhe picked up his briefcase and said, "I have a batch of imported timber that I want to sell. I wonder if your factory needs it?"

The woman's gaze swept over the Volga car, and then, noticing Li Zhe dressed in an expensive suit, she became even more polite: "Comrade, what is your surname?"

"My surname is Li."

"Comrade Li, this is not my responsibility, and I'm not entirely clear on the matter. Let me take you to the lounge first, and then I'll ask the leader."

Li Zhe politely replied, "Thank you for your trouble."

"You're welcome, this way please. We've built a new showroom, and there's a rest area over there." The female employee gestured for Li Zhe to enter the factory.

Passing through the workshop piled with boards, Li Zhe's eyes lit up as soon as the showroom door opened. Unlike the mess outside, the showroom was spotless, and sunlight streamed through the high windows onto the floor, making the rows of furniture gleam with a warm luster.

The wardrobe has simple and smooth lines, the wood grain of the desk is clearly visible, and even the single sofa placed against the wall shows a generational gap compared to state-owned furniture factories.

At first glance, Li Zhe felt that these pieces of furniture were more stylish than those from state-owned furniture factories and more exquisitely crafted than those from Century Jingzhou: "What materials are these pieces of furniture made of?"

Solid wood furniture.

"Is it all solid wood?" Li Zhe reached out and touched the edge of a desk. It felt smooth and had no burrs.

“That’s right, our factory only produces solid wood furniture.” The woman said confidently, leading Li Zhe to the rest area: “Please have a seat, I’ll go get our manager.”

"Thanks for your hard work."

"You're too kind." The woman nodded slightly and then left.

Not long after the woman left, another female employee poured Li Zhe a cup of tea, and Li Zhe nodded his thanks.

As he drank his tea, he felt that something was different today, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He thought back carefully. This morning, he had just driven to another furniture factory, Century Jingzhou. As soon as he got out of the car, a salesperson ran over and took him to see the furniture. Now, he had driven directly into Yijia Shangpin Furniture Factory. The security guard did not stop him. As soon as he got out of the car, he was led into the rest area.

Hey, this went so smoothly; I never would have dared to imagine this before.

If we really have to talk about it, it's probably all thanks to that Volga car.

The tea was a bit too hot for his mouth, so Li Zhe put down his teacup and began to stroll around the showroom. He discovered that the showroom not only had Chinese furniture, but also a lot of European furniture, all of which were exquisitely crafted, and he no longer smelled that strange odor from before.

"Comrade Li, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." Just then, a middle-aged woman in her forties walked over. She had slightly yellow curly hair, was a little overweight, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a very imposing presence.

The two shook hands, and Li Zhe said, "My name is Li Zhe. What's your name?"

"My name is Han Yuehong, and I'm the deputy director of this factory. I heard from Xiao Sun that you have a batch of imported timber to sell?"

"Yes, it's birch and pine from the Soviet Union, of good quality. I wonder if your factory would be interested?"

Han Yuehong gestured for Li Zhe to sit down and said, "I'm interested. Our factory mainly uses birch, pine, willow, and elm wood, and we also make a small number of custom-made mahogany furniture pieces. What are the prices for your goods?"

Li Zhe replied, "Pine wood is 400 yuan per cubic meter, and birch wood is 550 yuan per cubic meter."

Han Yuehong leaned forward: "How much stock do you have?"

Li Zhe replied, "Several hundred cubic meters."

Han Yuehong's eyes lit up, and she tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "The price is fine, we'll take this batch of goods. When can you deliver them?"

Li Zhe took a sip of tea and said unhurriedly, "As long as the price is right, I can deliver within five days, but payment must be made immediately upon delivery."

Han Yuehong was stunned, a hesitant look on her face. She rubbed her hands together and said, "It's just... could you be flexible with the payment method? We'll pay a 30% deposit first, and the rest of the payment can be made later. The factory recently got new equipment, and we're having some cash flow problems."

Li Zhe put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it collided with the table.

He looked at Han Yuehong and shook his head: "Director Han, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but I ordered this batch of timber from abroad, and the payment was made a long time ago. If the payment isn't received on time, our cash flow will be cut off."

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "It must be paid in cash. That's the rule. Otherwise, I can't explain it to my partners."

Han Yuehong's smile froze, her fingers hovering over the table, and she remained silent. The exhibition hall was quiet, save for the occasional sound of a chainsaw coming from outside the window…

"Comrade Li, please give me some time. I'll discuss it with the factory leaders and see if we can raise some more funds."

"Director Han, if you don't have enough funds, you can buy less. We don't have a limit on the quantity of goods here." Li Zhe stood up and looked at the furniture showroom. "In addition, I'm thinking of buying a batch of furniture recently. If it's suitable, we can use the cost of the furniture to offset part of the price."

Han Yuehong also stood up and said with a smile, "Comrade Li, what kind of furniture are you looking to buy? I'll introduce some to you." Li Zhe walked towards a round dressing table. This dressing table was very similar to the one Wang Ting had seen before, with similar workmanship, but a more fashionable and minimalist design: "How much is this dressing table?"

Han Yuehong took a price list from an employee, glanced at it, and said, "This dressing table is 160 yuan. If you want it, I'll give you a discount, so it'll be 140 yuan."

Li Zhe asked, "What material is this dressing table made of?"

“It’s made of elm wood,” Han Yuehong said confidently, stroking the tabletop. “Our factory’s furniture is crafted with care; our craftsmen are all experienced and skilled, and the polishing is meticulous. The price isn’t much different from state-owned furniture factories, but look at this style—”

She pointed to a bookcase with glass doors, "This shelf design is perfect for storing books and decorative items. Young people especially like it. State-owned factories definitely don't have this."

Li Zhe paced slowly, nodding to himself. It certainly took considerable effort to produce this style for this era.

He has looked at a lot of furniture in the past two days, and overall, this furniture factory's quality and price are indeed superior.

Li Zhe asked, "Director Han, may I take a few photos? I'd like to show them to my family."

Han Yuehong hesitated for only a moment before nodding and saying, "Please do as you please."

"Thank you," Li Zhe replied, then asked again to confirm, "Also, I'd like to ask, are all these furniture pieces from your factory made of solid wood?"

Li Zhe wasn't being indecisive; he was just wary of the tricks some merchants had used in later generations. The furniture business was a murky affair, and one could never be too careful.

Han Yuehong answered without hesitation, "That's right, I can guarantee that. If even one piece isn't solid wood, you can bring it back and I'll compensate you ten times the price."

Li Zhe confirmed it repeatedly because he was terrified of the unscrupulous merchants of later generations.

Li Zhe walked around the showroom several times, selecting all the furniture he needed for his home. The total price was 4652 yuan, but Han Yuehong gave him a 20% discount, bringing the total to 3721 yuan.

Li Zhe had only made his selections, but hadn't put down a deposit yet. He still needed to wait and see if Yijia Shangpin wanted to buy imported timber from him... If Yijia Shangpin did want to buy timber from him, he could simply deduct the amount from the deposit.

……

Four p.m.

A white Volga was parked on the side of the road.

Li Zhe got out of the car carrying his briefcase, pushed open the glass door of the Mona Lisa Restaurant, and the wind chimes rang out a series of crisp sounds. The afternoon sun slanted through the glass door, casting patches of light of varying lengths on the floor.

"Mr. Li, you've arrived!" a warm voice rang out.

Li Zhe turned his head and saw Su Mingyuan carrying a tray and walking quickly towards him: "Our boss is on the second floor, I'll take you up."

Li Zhe raised an eyebrow, feeling a little uncomfortable with his enthusiasm. This guy used to be so arrogant; when had he ever greeted him first? "Da Zhuang, you look pretty energetic today!"

Su Mingyuan was not offended. As he led Li Zhe upstairs, he asked, "Would you like something to eat? I'll have the kitchen prepare it."

Li Zhe felt something was off. This guy used to be indifferent to him. If he said something to him, it was good enough if he didn't talk back. This sudden politeness made Li Zhe feel a little uncomfortable.

"The kitchen isn't closed?" Li Zhe was indeed a bit hungry; he'd been so focused on business that he hadn't eaten lunch. The faint aroma of butter in the air made his mouth water.

Su Mingyuan suggested, "I can make something simple, how about I get you some pasta?"

Li Zhe nodded: "Okay, give me another bottle of Beibingyang soda."

"Okay." Su Mingyuan agreed readily, led Li Zhe upstairs, and went to the kitchen himself.

Li Zhe watched his retreating figure, a playful smile playing on his lips—the sun really did rise in the west.

Shen Yanan was sitting at the dining table by the window, scribbling in a leather notebook with a fountain pen in her hand. Hearing the noise, she glanced over and asked, "Brother, what brings you here at this hour?"

Li Zhe walked over, pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Shen Yanan: "I visited several furniture companies today and didn't even have time for lunch, so I'm here to mooch a meal from you."

Shen Yanan capped her pen and tucked it into her leather notebook: "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you planning to get married?"

"It's still early, I'm going to take care of some important business." Li Zhe leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice.

"The other day, after Wang Ting and I left, we stopped by a furniture factory. Suddenly, it occurred to me that we might be able to exchange some timber from the foreign trade company and sell it to the furniture company. How much we make isn't important; the key is to get paid on time. What do you think?"

Shen Yanan thought for a moment and said, "Your idea is not bad, but state-owned furniture factories have their own procurement channels. If it is a planned supply, the price is much cheaper than that of foreign trade companies. We have no advantage."

Li Zhe gave a thumbs up: "You're right. When I mentioned this idea to the people at the state-owned furniture factory, they immediately replied that they had no shortage of stock and didn't even ask about the price."

At this moment, Su Mingyuan came over with a tray, placed a bottle of Beibingyang soda and a glass in front of Li Zhe, and took the initiative to open the glass for Li Zhe: "Mr. Li, please enjoy."

"Thank you." Li Zhe paused, surprised, as he watched him walk away. "Where was I?"

Shen Yanan pointed out: "State-owned furniture factories have no shortage of timber."

"Yesterday, I went to the furniture market to inquire about some reputable private furniture factories, and today I visited four of them in one go. Guess what?" Li Zhe kept everyone in suspense.

“That’s obvious, they’re definitely short of timber. There are so many procedures involved in logging, transporting, and processing timber; you can’t do it without even one permit. Private furniture factories are far inferior in terms of supply channels.” Shen Yanan smiled and pressed, “Is there any profit to be made?”

"This morning, the furniture factory quoted 400 yuan per cubic meter for pine and 550 yuan per cubic meter for birch, requiring cash on delivery," Li Zhe said, taking a sip of Beibingyang soda. "The price isn't a big problem, but they want a deposit first, with the balance due later. I'm worried about the risk of bad debts later, so I didn't agree."

Shen Yanan thought for a moment and agreed, "You're right. Our main business is exporting canned goods. Timber is just a side business. We'll do it if it's profitable for us. It's pointless if we have to argue about it."

Just as Shen Yanan finished speaking, Su Mingyuan came over with a tray and placed a steaming plate of spaghetti in front of Li Zhe: "Mr. Li, please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything."

After saying that, Su Mingyuan left.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Zhe finally couldn't help but ask, "Second Sister, what's wrong with this kid? Has he changed his ways?"

Shen Yanan covered her mouth and laughed, then said softly, "He wants to do foreign trade business with us. He kept asking me about it all morning, and I told him I had to discuss it with you."

"Hey, I see, no wonder they were so attentive." Li Zhe suddenly realized, and forked a piece of pasta into his mouth.

"What do you think?" Shen Yanan looked at him, resting her chin on her hand. "Su Mingyuan is a Russian major, so he might actually come in handy."

Li Zhe chewed his food, his gaze falling on the hurried pedestrians outside the window. The streets of Beijing in the late 80s exuded a restless vitality; everyone seemed to be grasping at something. He pondered for a moment: "How much does he want to invest?"

"They didn't say. How much do you think is appropriate?"

"Five thousand, please." Li Zhe put down his fork. "Less is meaningless, and more is not worth it for us."

Shen Yanan nodded, then, as if remembering something, asked, "When should we tell him?"

"Leave him out for a few days."

Li Zhe picked up the Arctic Ocean soda and took a big gulp, savoring its refreshing coolness. No matter winter or summer, carbonated drinks taste best chilled. "I'm not including him in this timber deal; we'll talk about it next time we trade canned goods. That kid's used to being arrogant; he won't appreciate things that come too easily."

Shen Yanan chuckled: "You, you always have so many thoughts."

However, she was also annoyed by Su Mingyuan's stubbornness. Giving him a little push and making him realize who the boss really was might not be a bad thing.

(End of this chapter)