Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 87 The Debt Collectors Have Arrived

I was supposed to return to Chongqing in two days, but I've been waiting for three days and I still haven't left.

What are you waiting for?
Waiting for the wind to come.

March 8th, night, Huaqiangbei, behind the electronics market building, two roller shutter doors were closed, and no light came out from inside.

Deep in the alley across the street, five people were smoking, occasionally glancing furtively at the other side.

What appeared to be a thief scouting the location was actually a very serious work meeting.

"I estimate that this large-scale inspection of OEM products, coupled with the manufacturing boom, will definitely lead to a significant drop in prices. After that, mobile phone dealers will gradually come in, and we will make a profit from the price difference. You need to figure out all the price changes of various machines, which ones are due to inventory and which ones are due to temporary reluctance to sell. When the time is right, you will cooperate with Factory Manager Qi to buy up the machines."

After finishing his sentence, Chen Xuebing took a puff of his cigarette and continued:

"Remember, you must negotiate a lower price and also delay payment to ensure our profit margin."

Hei Er scratched his head: "President Chen, they probably won't agree to both lowering the price and delaying payment."

"So now we need to help them sell, to let them know that no matter how good or bad the Huaqiangbei market is, we can still sell. As long as we become a huge sales outlet, they will have to curry favor with us. You should learn to brag to these manufacturers, tell them how well we sell in Chongqing, and even the entire Southwest region. I will also try my best to negotiate with Taobao, and even lower our profits to help them sell more, so that they can trust our channels."

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiaowen clicked his tongue: "Does that mean the overall price of mobile phones is going to come down, and our profit margins will have to be reduced?"

"Prices may decrease, but profit margins may not necessarily decrease. However, we will definitely need to adopt a strategy of low profit margins and high sales volume in the future."

Upon hearing Chen Xuebing's words, the four men exchanged glances, their expressions tensing.

I just arrived in Huaqiangbei, and before I'd even had a few good days, the industry is about to cut prices.

Morale must not be low.

Chen Xuebing chuckled and began to motivate them: "Don't worry, even if the profit margin per machine is halved due to the lower unit price, the volume will increase several times over. Our total profit will not only not decrease, but will increase exponentially. Also, if things go smoothly here, I guarantee that everyone will make a lot of money."

As he spoke, he pointed to the warehouse across the street.

Huo Xiaowen glanced outside and clicked his tongue: "How accurate is your intelligence? We've been staking out for three days and haven't seen anyone come! Did they deliver the goods during the day, or somewhere else, and we missed them?"

Chen Xuebing thought for a moment, then shook his head: "It's unlikely."

Gao Shu said that Zhao Wanping's factory was located in the suburbs, in a rural area with poor security. He was afraid of being robbed or stolen from. He had to leave work before dark every day, and not only the produced mobile phones had to be transported away, but also the components. It was unlikely that he would stockpile goods outside.

There are no theft or robbery problems in Huaqiangbei, and Zhao Wanping is personally overseeing the area, so he must feel more at ease.

However, the information Qi Guangming received was not very accurate. He only knew that a batch of smuggled goods had entered the country in the past few days, and the quantity was quite large. He dared not inquire about the specific route.

These days, it's mostly people who smuggle aircraft in; the transportation channels are quite scattered, so it's impossible to detect them on the road.

If they're receiving goods during the day, there's not much point in squatting here; it's impossible to force your way in when people are coming and going.

So Chen Xuebing spoke firmly, but could only try his luck here.

I'm betting they're guilty.

Two more cigarettes were gone.

"Hey, here it comes! A car is here!"

A low shout.

Huo Xiaowen turned his head and looked, his expression becoming somewhat excited: "Two! Two cars! They're parked at the entrance!"

Chen Xuebing also saw it.

The car in the lead was pretty good, a Buick GL8, followed by a minivan. A person got out and knocked on the roller shutter door a few times.

The way they knocked on the door was quite strange.

The sound wasn't loud; it could only be faintly heard from this side.

Ding ding ding, ding ding ding, ding ding ding ding ding.

Suddenly, light came on inside the roller shutter, and the door opened.

Chen Xuebing laughed when he heard the rhythm.

"Holy crap, 'Jingle Bells'?"

……

Twenty minutes later, the two vehicles unloaded more than a dozen boxes of goods and left. The roller shutter door closed, and the surroundings returned to silence.

However, the lights inside did not go out.

The five men walked to the door and heard the sounds of boxes and cabinets being moved inside. Chen Xuebing raised his hand.

Ding ding ding, ding ding ding, ding ding ding ding ding.

The sound inside stopped.

"Who?"

"Wait a minute, isn't the code 'Where is the road ahead?'"

Chen Xuebing's face darkened.

Damn, I guessed wrong?
"Hurry up! There are still two boxes left, do you want them?"

Chen Xuebing immediately put on a high-pitched Cantonese-accented Mandarin and shouted in a nonchalant tone to stop the speculation from continuing inside.

There was a moment of silence inside, indicating skepticism.

The small roller shutter door couldn't really stop Chen Xuebing at all; he was just afraid of attracting a lot of people.

Just as he was about to lift his foot, someone came to the door and opened it.

As they drove, someone said, "Pass it in from below!"

The door was only opened about half a meter high, preventing them from going in.

Chen Xuebing moved incredibly fast, ducking inside and quickly standing up to push the person at the door out.

The door was fully opened by Huo Xiaowen from behind.

The five people at the entrance and the dozen or so people scattered inside the warehouse formed a standoff.

The people inside panicked when they saw the person at the door carrying a camera, and someone shouted:
"Mr. Zhao! Someone has broken in!"

"Hey! Who told you to open the door?"

Zhao Wanping emerged from the luxurious compartment inside the warehouse, cursing and swearing. He was also surprised to see Chen Xuebing standing at the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

He was a little flustered, but not too flustered, because the boxes piled on the ground were just labeling machines. As long as the person coming wasn't someone who could confiscate his goods for inspection, he had nothing to be afraid of.

As for the counterfeit phones in his warehouse, he's not afraid at all. If Huaqiangbei were to investigate that, no one would come to do business there anymore.

Chen Xuebing walked in with a faint smile and patted a pile of boxes.

"I told you, Mr. Zhao, I'll come and collect your debt sooner or later."

Zhao Wanping's expression was unfriendly, and he roared, "Are you all just good-for-nothings? Throw him out!"

Upon hearing this, someone next to Zhao Wanping immediately tugged at him in a panic.

"Mr. Zhao, we can't fight. Those thugs of Liu Tao's from last time..."

This was the same person who had been monitoring Chen Xuebing and his gang collecting debts outside Liu Tao's shop last time, and had personally witnessed several thugs being beaten until their heads were bleeding.

At this moment, Chen Xuebing didn't waste any words and chuckled, "Close the door."

The roller shutter door was pulled up.

……

A minute later, three men who dared to charge into battle for Zhao Wanping fell at Chen Xuebing's feet.

Zhao Wanping's face turned terrified.

He always thought that Huo Xiaowen was the one who helped him collect debts and beat people, and that Chen Xuebing was just someone who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Now he finally understood that Chen Xuebing was skilled in both literature and martial arts.

"Chen..." He couldn't remember Chen Xuebing's name, so he had to bite the bullet and say, "I don't need other people's money, who are you helping to collect my debts?"

"Hei Er, bring the camera over here."

Seeing that no one dared to move, Chen Xuebing opened the box next to him, took out a cell phone from the sealed oil paper bag inside, and opened the battery compartment.

Upon seeing the network access license inside, Chen Xuebing smiled and handed it to Hei Er, who was holding a digital video camera, and asked him to record it.

"Oh, Mr. Zhao, all the machines here now have network access licenses?"

"Good to know! This is a product from a legitimate manufacturer. What, you dare to steal it?" Zhao Wanping was about to argue when Chen Xuebing laid his cards on the table.

"How could goods that received a 17% export tax rebate end up back in mainland China? Mr. Zhao, do you owe the country money? Check the serial numbers of these phones... wouldn't that be considered tax evasion and smuggling?"

Zhao Wanping panicked completely.

"You...brother, let's talk this out. If you want the money, we can discuss it! It's just about what happened when your brother went to the police station last time! I'll compensate you!"

Chen Xuebing's smile widened, and he began to make exorbitant demands: "Fine, I'll compensate you. How about the three stalls in Yuanwang?"

"How is that possible?!" Zhao Wanping roared, "Do you even know how much a counter costs? My counter is the biggest!"

"Two stalls." Chen Xuebing sat down to pay back the money.

"no!"

"One, the one on the third floor."

"You, you, you... I'll pay you back, okay? How much do you want!"

Chen Xuebing smiled and shook his head, picked up his phone, and dialed 110.

"Then you don't have to pay compensation. You can go to jail for as many years as you need to. And you still won't let me into Yuanwang? I'll slowly get in after you leave."

The resentment in Chen Xuebing's tone was genuine, and he dialed the number immediately after speaking.

Zhao Wanping raised his hand in alarm.

"and many more!"

……

In the luxurious private room, Zhao Wanping gritted his teeth and signed the 0 yuan transfer contract.

The contract states: Due to poor management and inability to pay rent, the company is voluntarily transferring ownership.

“Mr. Chen, even if I don’t ask for a transfer fee, I still paid 220,000 yuan in annual rent this year. You have to pay me that rent, right?! My third-floor stall is 3.5 meters high! They offered me 1 million yuan for the transfer fee, but I didn’t sell it!”

Chen Xuebing really wanted to say no.

But he knew one principle: don't pursue a cornered enemy.

"Your stall has a five-year contract, right? There are still more than three years left on the lease? Five years is one million, two hundred thousand a year. Mr. Zhao, I know our feud is worth two hundred thousand. I only need this stall for one year. When it expires, I will give you the rent and the stall together. Of course, that is on the premise that you don't cause trouble. If you come to cause trouble, our feud will increase, and I will really use up this five-year contract."

Chen Xuebing set a price for hatred, while also limiting Zhao Wanping's hatred to 200,000 yuan, so that when he wanted to take revenge, he could return to an economic perspective and think about whether it was worth it.

After all, this person dared to take the risk of running a tax fraud machine; who knows what he might do when he goes crazy?

He doesn't want to solve problems with force and threats every time.

When Zhao Wanping heard that it would only take a year, he felt much relieved, and his tone softened.

"Alright! I hope you'll keep your promise. Consider this year your apology to Brother Huo! I won't..."

"What kind of 'brother' is this? Stop trying to be friendly. Yuanwang isn't yours, and whether I get in or not isn't up to you."

Chen Xuebing stood up with a dark expression and tapped his finger on his desk.

"Once this batch of goods is cleared out, you are not allowed to sell it again, or I will deal with you every time I see you."

Zhao Wanping was stunned.

You call yourself a champion of justice?
Chen Xuebing took the contract and went out.

This was the most remorseful thing he had ever done in his two lifetimes.

This debt shouldn't be his responsibility to collect; it should be collected by the state.

Fortunately, it's just taxes, not something as irreversible as murder or arson.

He took the money from the counter, so he can pay the tax.

……

……

It delayed us for another two days.

However, these past two days, all members of Chen Xuebing's Shenzhen gang have been happy.

Despite the huge crowds on the third floor, Chen Xuebing, Huo Xiaowen, Qi Guangming, Gao Shu, and Ren Ying stood behind a spacious counter at the corner, not feeling crowded at all.

"Hahaha...you actually set up a counter for me! Now I can sell goods too! Maybe my sales will even be higher than your online store!"

Huo Xiaowen was extremely excited, acting as if he had never been there before. He kept opening the counter to take a look, and then he opened the door to the cubicle to look at the cramped space inside.

"This is the real store! Look, there's even a small warehouse! Those tiny counters don't even have a place to put a stool!"

Chen Xuebing, however, spoke to Qi Guangming and Gao Shu with a serious expression.

"This shop will be managed by Huo Xiaowen. He will be in charge of sales and will stay in the shop. You will be in charge of production. For now, stay in the office and each manage one section."

"Although the funds will all go into the company, it is important to maintain independence and clarity."

"The excavator has already leveled the factory site. Look, I've also placed an order for prefabricated factory buildings. It's expected that the simple factory buildings can be erected in two or three months."

"You'll have nothing to do during this time, so just connect those coyote machines to your Taobao store, take pictures of the products and send them over. I'll arrange for someone from Chongqing to stock them. Once the factory is set up after June, you can move your office there. I'll arrange for someone to take over the office here, and the Taobao sales line will also be moved here."

"In addition, we need to maintain good relationships with the manufacturers of the coyote machines. We can now supply them with goods in physical stores and on Taobao. We need to negotiate the terms for advance payment so that we can hold onto a batch of goods when it matters most."

After saying that, he turned around and snapped his fingers at Huo Xiaowen.

"Hey, we need to get Yu Guangtou to lower the price of his high-quality counterfeits! Also, talk to him about settling the payment at 20 yuan per order!"

Huo Xiaowen was stunned.

"Damn, didn't you agree with him to settle the payment and goods in one transaction?"

"Times have changed! MediaTek manufacturers are building factories everywhere now, so their high-quality replicas aren't in high demand anymore. In a while, we'll be able to produce them too! If you still want to sell your goods here, you'd better listen to us! Besides, we didn't have counters before, but now we do, with such a big 3.5-meter counter, are we afraid they'll run away?"

"Hehe! Times have changed so damn fast! I'm a stall owner now!" Huo Xiaowen's smile gradually turned lewd. "Hey, Chen Xuebing, can I show off to the vermicelli girl at that stall over there and say that the stall is mine?"

Upon hearing this, some people became anxious.

Gao Shu cursed loudly, "Scumbag! I knew you had no good intentions towards Vermicelli Girl. You always stare at her every time you come to pick up your goods!"

Chen Xuebing laughed: "We're all comrades in the same trench. Gao Yanjing got here first, so you can pick someone else up."

Huo Xiaowen chuckled awkwardly, "I was just joking, look how upset he is."

Chen Xuebing patted Huo Xiaowen on the shoulder again, his smile becoming inexplicable.

"What did you just call me? I remember someone telling me that if I rented a counter for him, what would he do?"

Huo Xiaowen's eyes lingered for a moment as he recalled how, before New Year's Day, he sold goods on the streets of a nearby city, and how he envied the stall owners who waited for business to come to him every time he returned to his stall to pick up goods.

The smile gradually faded, and the arrogant grin turned into a gentle smile.

The sound also became quieter.

"If you're so capable, I'll definitely follow you, Mr. Chen."

Over time, Huo Xiaowen's idea of ​​starting anew gradually faded, and his initial pride in selling his goods before Chen Xuebing gradually turned into resignation.

It wasn't until he uttered the title "General Manager Chen" that he stopped thinking about going solo and felt much more at ease.

Chen Xuebing then gently patted his back again.

"Brother, let's get rich together."

The calculus student next to him suddenly remembered that Chen Xuebing had also said this somewhat unconventional phrase, "Let's get rich together," three months ago. At that time, he said that Chen Xuebing was very smart and would definitely get rich.

At this moment, Chen Xuebing had become his boss, making him the deputy factory director and promising him a raise next year. This time, he genuinely hoped that Chen Xuebing would make a fortune.

Fate is truly amazing.

"Yay, let's get rich!" Advanced Mathematics also chimed in with a laugh.

The four laughed.

"Yay, get rich!"

Only Ren Ying looked anxious: "President Chen, if we don't leave now, we'll miss our flight."

Chen Xuebing raised his hand to check the time, then became cheerful again.

"Hey, I've been working in the fields for ages, and now I can finally fly! Let's go, let's go!"

(End of this chapter)