A Tale of Two Cities Supporting Xinjiang

In the evening, Batur sat at the small table in his rented room, flipping through his notebook.

This is just the beginning; there are still ice packs, thermometers, sorting stations, live streaming equipment, and more to come...

More than 100,000 sounds like a lot, but it's spent quickly.

He recalled Lao Yang's words: "For fresh food e-commerce, hardware investment is the threshold."

High barriers to entry are necessary to keep out those looking to make quick money, and to ensure that those who are serious about their work can survive.

I'm also reminded of Ding Xuemin's words: "Every stroke must be used wisely."

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Lao Yang: "Did the funding get approved?"

Batur replied: "Approved. Director Ding told me to keep a record of every expense and report it weekly."

Old Yang quickly replied: "This is a good thing. Only with constraints can there be rules."

Feel free to ask me any questions about purchasing, but remember, the final decision is yours. Whether you profit or lose, it's all your responsibility.

Batur chewed on the word repeatedly.

He used to think that raising crabs well and selling them was all that mattered.

Only now do I understand that from breeding to sales, every link carries responsibility: responsibility to the crabs, responsibility to the customers, responsibility to Mr. Ding's trust, and responsibility to my own future.

He turned on his computer and began creating a detailed purchasing plan.

Everything is divided into three categories: necessary, important, and optional.

Insulated boxes, ice packs, and thermometers are essential.

Sorting station and monitoring system – important.

High-end fill lights and professional microphones are optional; use cheaper alternatives first and upgrade when you start making more money.

He wanted every penny to make a sound.

At 1 a.m., Batur finally completed the entire procurement plan.

The total budget was kept at 118,000 yuan, which saved 9,600 yuan compared to Lao Yang's budget.

He sent the plan to Ding Xuemin and Lao Yang, adding a note: "This is my revised procurement plan. Please take a look."

I will be responsible for every penny.

After sending the message, he lay down on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep.

Outside the window, the night sky over Xinjiang is dotted with stars.

Batur recalled his father's words: "Son, be a person like the snow on the Tianshan Mountains, clean and pure; do things like the stones under the snow, steadfast and reliable."

He clenched his fist and whispered into the darkness, "Dad, I will."

This time, I will definitely work diligently and get it done.

When the SMS notification sounded that 118,000 had been deposited into his account, Batur was feeding the crabs at the edge of the crab pond.

He stared at the string of numbers on his phone screen for a full half minute, then put his phone away and continued to evenly scatter the feed into the water.

"Abujiang, has the money arrived?" Old Ma, the helper next to him, asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"We've arrived," Batur said calmly. "We'll start shopping this afternoon."

Old Ma hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't hold back: "So much money, aren't you afraid...?"

"Afraid."

Batur straightened up and patted the feed residue off his hands. "So we have to be more careful."

At 2 p.m., Batur sat in front of the old computer in his makeshift office, with price quotes from three insulated box suppliers displayed on the screen.

Xinhua Packaging: 50 yuan/piece, full payment in advance, freight collect.

Yonggu Materials: 48 yuan/piece, 70% deposit required, balance due upon acceptance.

Xinyuan products: 45 yuan each, but only 3.2 cm thick, and without quality inspection report.

He first dialed Manager Wang of Xinhua Packaging: "Manager Wang, I'm sure I want to make the purchase, but we still need to discuss the price."

Yonggu quoted me 48, and they even offered installment payments.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "Brother Batur, ours is of different quality..."

"Manager Wang, the three companies that Lao Yang recommended are all of good quality."

Batur said sincerely, "I am in the early stages of starting my business, and I have to be very careful with every penny I have."

If you can lower the price to 47, I'll order 300 immediately, cash on delivery.

"47 is too low, it doesn't even cover our costs..."

That's a real shame.

Batur pretended to hang up the phone, saying, "I'll ask Yonggu again."

"etc!"

Manager Wang panicked, "48! How about 48? That's the lowest I can go!"

Batur opened his notebook and wrote down the number: "48 is fine, but the payment method needs to be changed."

A 30% deposit is required, 60% upon delivery and acceptance of the goods, and the remaining 10% after one month of use if there are no problems.

"this……"

"Manager Wang, this is my first time placing such a large order, so we need to have some reserves."

Batur said, "If you agree, I will draft the contract now."

Another silence followed.

"OK!"

Manager Wang gritted his teeth, "But you'll have to pay for the shipping."

"Each bears half."

Batur stood his ground, saying, "You lowered the price, so I'll cover part of the shipping costs. It's fair."

After hanging up the phone, he neatly made a note in his notebook:

March 9 13:14

Insulated box purchase contract finalized

Supplier: Xinhua Packaging

Unit price: 48 yuan → 47 yuan (final transaction price)

Quantity: 300

Total price: 14100 yuan (original budget 14400 yuan, saving 300 yuan)

Payment terms: 30% deposit + 60% upon receipt of goods + 10% balance one month later

Shipping costs: 50% each.

Note: Samples have been requested. A deposit will be paid after the insulation performance is tested upon receipt.

After writing it, he took a picture and sent it to three people on WeChat: Ding Xuemin, Lao Yang, and Lao Ma, the employee representative.

With the insulated box agreed upon, the next step is the ice packs.

Old Yang's list included four sizes: S (200g) for short distances, M (400g) for medium distances, L (600g) for long distances, and XL (800g) for areas with extreme high temperatures.

Instead of contacting suppliers, Batur first opened last year's sales records.

"Gansu, Shaanxi... Transportation time is 24-36 hours, use number M."

"In Guangdong and Fujian, the summer temperatures are high, so you need to wear a size L or even XL."

"Beijing, Tianjin... M size for spring and autumn, L size for summer."

He reclassified last year's orders by destination, season, and delivery time, and calculated the approximate demand for each size of ice pack.

By the time I finished all that, it was already four o'clock in the afternoon.

"Abujiang, it's time to eat!" Old Ma called from the doorway.

"You guys eat first, I'll calculate it later." Batur said without looking up.

The notebook was filled with numbers.

Finally, he concluded that the proportions given by Lao Yang were basically reasonable, but he could buy fewer XL sizes, as orders from Xinjiang to the extreme high-temperature areas in the south only accounted for 15% of the total.

He recalculated the quantity according to the adjusted ratio and saved another 1,200.

Batur put some thought into the shock-absorbing and cushioning materials.

Old Yang recommended food-grade pearl cotton, which is environmentally friendly but expensive.

Batur spent an afternoon browsing a wholesale market website and found a food-grade corrugated cardboard partition.

The price is only two-thirds that of pearl cotton, and the size can be customized to make a single crab compartment to prevent them from being squeezed together during transportation.

He took a picture and sent it to Lao Yang: "Teacher Yang, is this kind of paper partition usable? It looks like it's food grade."

Old Yang quickly replied: "Sure, but you need to pay attention to its moisture-proof properties."

Buy a sample and test it; see if it softens after being soaked in water.

Batur immediately contacted the manufacturer and requested samples.

At the same time, he thought of another idea: could words be printed on the partition?

"Custom printing is available, but the minimum order quantity is one thousand sets or more," said the manufacturer's customer service representative.

Batur thought for a moment: "Print two lines of text: first, 'Tianshan snow crab,' and second, 'Please inspect the goods upon opening the box.' How much?"

"Add two cents for each set if printing is added."

Batur's quick mental arithmetic: 1,000 sets, an extra 200 yuan. But that's equivalent to each package having a brand logo and reminder, so it's worth it.

He jotted down the idea in his notebook, noting, "I need to test the moisture resistance before making a decision."

For the small weighing instrument, Batur didn't haggle—Old Yang was right, for this kind of precision instrument, accuracy is life.

He chose the brand with the best reputation, two units, for 3,200 yuan.

However, he made changes to the grading and screening station.

Old Yang recommended a custom-made all-stainless steel table, priced at 8,000.

Batur contacted a local kitchenware manufacturer and sent them the design drawings: "Could we use a stainless steel countertop, but with a frame made of thickened galvanized pipe? How much could that save?"

Manufacturer's price: 4,600, saving 3,400.

Batur sent both proposals to Lao Yang: "Teacher Yang, are the load-bearing capacity and durability of the galvanized pipe frame sufficient? We can only sort a maximum of five hundred crabs a day."

Old Yang replied, "If it's just this amount, galvanized pipes are enough. But be careful to treat the weld joints to prevent rust."

"clear!"