Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 583 Shanghai

Xiao Liu said, "Oh dear, all I can think about right now are those cars. I just didn't have the nerve to suggest taking them for a spin. Why don't you give them a try?"

Xiao Wei said, "I'll still be driving when we get back, what's the point of this test drive?"

Xiao Liu winked at Xiao Wei: "Can I drive for two days when we get back?"

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "It depends on my mood, it's hard to say right now."

Everyone burst into laughter, and Xiao Liu and Xiao Wei made a fist gesture.

Xiao Hong said, "Wow, this is so expensive! I already thought cars costing hundreds of thousands were expensive, but this is even more shocking. Is this like riding on a pile of money? Xiao Wei, do you think this car is really that expensive? I feel like I've been tricked."

Xiao Wei said, "It's definitely expensive, and a legitimate import would be even more expensive. But it's also true that they were ripped off. They worked for free, right? They should at least make a profit, right?"

Xiao Liu asked, "You mean Section Chief Han added money himself?"

Xiao Wei said, "That's for sure. Who would help you for free? It's only right that they have ways to make money. I estimate that each car will definitely bring in around ten thousand US dollars, but we don't know who will ultimately make that money."

Xiao Hong gritted her teeth and said, "This person is really mean. They added more money when the cars were already so expensive. Three cars would cost more than 150,000 yuan."

Xiao Wei said, "Your mindset is wrong. Why shouldn't they add more money? They're not forcing you to buy, right? In business, the channel is also a business. For example, when we go back to Fengtian, some wealthy people want to buy a few of these cars, but they can't buy them anywhere else, so they have to come to us. We won't add more money, right?"

Xiao Liu said, "Actually, this car has already changed hands once or twice by the time it gets here. Usually, cars come to Hainan and are then transported here from there. I heard from my master that there are cars everywhere in Hainan. When the smuggling checkpoints go there, they don't even need to ask any questions. They just pick a few good cars and drive them away, and that's it."

Xiao Wei said, "Isn't it Guangdong?"

Xiao Liu said, "All the cars in Guangdong are second-hand, stolen, or cut up; whole cars can't be brought over."

After finishing their meal, the four of them went upstairs to rest for a while. The hotel receptionist called to say that the train tickets had been bought.

At this time, it wasn't a holiday, and population movement wasn't as high as in later years, so train tickets weren't as hard to buy. The fact that there were two middle and two lower berths for the night suggests the hotel had connections within the railway system. In the 1990s, no matter what you did or where you went, without connections, you'd be stuck.

Xiao Wei went to the service desk to pick up the ticket, and was charged an additional 30% service fee, which was neither too much nor too little.

The train was at night, and the four of us had nowhere to go, so we decided to play cards in the hotel. Back then, hotel check-out was at noon; if you checked out after noon, you were charged for an extra day. Hourly rooms weren't available in state-owned enterprises; only private hotels near the station offered this service.

"Everything costs money when we go out. It feels like money doesn't even count as money anymore. It hurts," Xiao Hong pouted, venting her dissatisfaction.

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "Is going out the same as staying at home? Why think so much when you're already out?"

Xiao Liu asked, "So, we still need to discuss the Santana when we get to Shanghai?"

Xiao Wei shook his head and said, "No, it's no use. I was just saying this for Director Li and Section Chief Han to hear. Santana has its own office in Fengtian. Not to mention Fengtian, it also has offices in Beixi. Xiao Hui has already found out. Even if we want to sell it in the future, we will talk to the Fengtian office."

Xiao Hong asked, "They already have their own offices, so why would we sell anything?"

Xiao Wei said, "Volkswagen is different from other car manufacturers. The Germans have their own system for sales. Their offices only coordinate and supervise, and handle after-sales issues. They don't sell cars themselves, but they can authorize others to sell cars."

Xiao Hong stared at Xiao Wei with wide eyes: "You seem to know a lot. Can you sell them to us?"

Xiao Wei said, "Yes, as long as there's a venue, he'll give it to anyone who wants to sell. Then, after a while, he'll make adjustments and weed out those who don't have sales skills. I feel like they're also exploring and constantly looking for more suitable sales methods."

Xiao Liu asked, "Aren't there lots of car dealerships there?"

Xiao Wei nodded: "I don't know about other places, but Xiao Hui said that there are dozens of places selling Santana cars in Fengtian alone. There are a lot of them in the auto and motorcycle market, but they are just one car per household, just sitting there."

Gazi said, "Wouldn't that mean we'd have to set up dozens of trucks? Wouldn't the factory lose money?"

Xiao Wei said, "When someone buys a car, they only pick the one that's displayed the longest, and then that company can no longer get a chance to sell it. So everyone is trying their best to sell more, and that's one way to do it. I'm not too sure about the specifics, and Xiao Hui's explanation was also vague."

In 91, cars were still a luxury item. The market had just been opened up from state control, and everyone was bewildered by the blank market. No one knew how to sell cars, including foreign car companies that were superior to China in this regard. Everyone was figuring it out.

The two major systems that maintain vehicle circulation have seriously affected the connection between car companies and the market during this period. Overstaffing, arbitrary pricing, unregulated transportation, and a bossy sales model are problems. Domestic companies dare not speak out due to systemic issues, but foreign companies do not have this concern. Volkswagen directly kicked out the two major systems and established its own sales network.

After eight years of trial and error, automakers finally found their sales path, which laid the foundation for the main sales model in China: establishing their own sales companies as general agents, then setting up distribution agents in various regions, and finally, through these agents, establishing a preliminary four-tier market. This eventually led to the mature model of distribution plus authorized sales agents we see today.

……

After dinner, the group strolled around the old concession area for a while before returning to the hotel to pack their things and take a taxi to the train station.

Upon arriving at the train station, Xiao Liu said, "We're leaving the North now. Let me tell you, this is the real start of our journey. The customs and habits are different, we don't speak the same language, and the food is completely different. Everyone, please be careful. Also, there are more thieves and swindlers here than in the North, so don't go out alone."

Xiao Hong said, "We've already entered the customs area, so doesn't that mean we're leaving?"

Xiao Liu said, "The whole of the North China and Northeast China are very similar in terms of language, food and customs. You won't feel much difference here compared to Fengtian. You'll understand what I mean when you get to Shanghai. Anyway, just be careful."

A group of people bought some food and entered the waiting room. They waited, had their tickets checked, and boarded the train. With a loud bang, their journey to Shanghai began.

……

Fengtian.

Xia Maosheng and Chen Hui entered the restaurant while talking. Wei Yun was waiting at the back door. Seeing Chen Hui, she ran over as if she had seen a savior and grabbed Chen Hui's arm, saying, "You're finally here! Why were you so slow?"

Chen Hui asked, "What's going on?"

(End of this chapter)