Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 803 Discussion

Xiao Wei said, "It depends on the manufacturer's production capacity. We don't really have the final say on this stuff. I'll ask around and try to get as much as possible."

Grandpa Liu nodded and said, "Take a look at the price. If it's acceptable, then sign the contract and I'll arrange for the payment to be transferred to you."

Xiao Wei said, "Sir, 1,200 units at once is impossible. How can I sign such a contract?"

Grandpa Liu took the document and tapped Xiao Wei on the head: "It's for two years. You bring in a batch, and I'll replace it with another batch. This is just a formality; if the manufacturer can't keep up, they can't come to you. You're the agent, aren't you? But your foresight is quite accurate. Once Fengtian replaces it, almost all the others in the province can be replaced one after another. Just send a few people to run around, and this business will be quite substantial."

Xiao Wei said, "That's right. Replacing everything in the province would be a huge undertaking. The problem is, I'm worried the factories won't be able to keep up. How much would that be? Our province would probably have to take over the entire Xiali factory, right?"

Grandpa Liu said, "There are other brands too. Czech is definitely going to be on the market, Fukang is also running it, and there are also vans. Songhuajiang and Hafei are going to set up points here. You guys are just taking your time. How many can you sell by private buyers? Don't you have a Daihatsu? That can also be used for running routes. I heard that many places are going to implement hailing and parking, you can try it out."

Xiao Wei said, "We just put these up for our own use because they're cheap, hehe. We really didn't expect to make any money selling them. This is a pleasant surprise. Thank you, sir."

Grandpa Liu said, "I haven't been of much help. There aren't many car models that can be used as taxis in China right now. Even if you don't become an agent, we'll still find the manufacturers. This is a government-supported policy, and the local government can only implement it; it has nothing to do with me. But when the replacement starts here, I'll try to contact the local market for you and see if I can help you sell some. It's hard to say."

Xiao Wei said, "That's great, I never expected that. I thought taxi companies would have to go directly to the factory to talk to them, or at least to the supply company. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten a chance."

Grandpa Liu said, "Dealing with you guys is actually easier than going through the government to find a factory. It's not so easy to talk to them; there are too many complicated things involved. So, I now support the private sector. It's simpler not to think about all those twists and turns."

People are more motivated, and since we need workers, the better the business, the more the workers benefit. There's no need for seniority or family background; if you're capable, you get promoted. Isn't that great? How can the factory not be profitable if everything is done this way?

Xiao Wei said, "Only you, sir, can say that. We have no right to say it."

Grandpa Liu said, "In the past, everything was privately owned. There were no state-owned factories. Later, during the restructuring, they were all taken over. What happened? All the good factories were destroyed. They all became a bunch of haphazard operations. Having ability and skills was useless. You had to scheme and climb the ladder. Once you got in, the factories would be fine, right? Wouldn't that mean there would be people willing to work there?"

There were so many good things back then, but now they're all gone. If only the policy had changed sooner! Alright, I've read the document. Let's come over tomorrow to sign the contract. I'm off work now; my grandson's coming over today, so I need to go home early.

Xiao Wei asked, "Grandpa, your new house is finished, why haven't you moved in yet?"

Grandpa Liu stood up to get his bag from behind his desk and said, "I'm used to living here now, it's quite nice. I'm too lazy to move. I'll see when I retire. Anyway, it's just the two of us old folks, we'll just sleep wherever we are. We're familiar with our old neighbors over there."

Xiao Wei said, "It's better for your health to live in a more comfortable place. Your current place isn't well-ventilated and it's a bit gloomy. It's always dark inside."

Grandpa Liu chuckled and said, "You young people may not think it's good, but in our eyes it's quite good. That's an old building from the past. If we're really talking about quality, the newly built ones nowadays might not even be able to match the old buildings in terms of quality and design. The soundproofing is incomparable."

The group went downstairs together, and Grandpa Liu's car was already waiting downstairs. Xiao Wei and the other two helped Grandpa Liu into the car, and only after watching the car leave did they return to their own car. Chen Hui said, "I really didn't expect this. What a windfall! More than a thousand cars at once."

Xiao Wei turned the engine around and said, "Not only that, it can also help a group of people. Now private individuals are allowed to operate under affiliation, and there is policy support."

Liu Hongliang said, "You've really offended the materials company this time. This is no small matter. How many people have you affected by this loss of their livelihood?"

Xiao Wei said, "So what? Can he sue me or come and beat me up?"

Liu Hongliang said, "It's hard to say. Anyway, I reckon the trouble is yet to come. Things won't calm down. We'll have to make some moves."

Chen Hui said, "What's there to be afraid of? With them around, how can we not do business? I'd be grateful if he could even offer the same price as us. Pshaw, everything they handle goes up several times over. Where does all the money go? If he dares to provoke me, I'll report him by name."

Liu Hongliang sighed and said, "I was originally thinking of going through the supply channels, but now look what's happened. We'll have to deal with machines too. We'll just have to take it slow. Xiaowei, should we find someone to sell on our behalf or build our own? You've never given me a definite answer."

Xiao Wei said, "You didn't even ask. I thought you had everything arranged. So how did you get here?"

Liu Hongliang said, "Originally, production was small, so I would find people in the surrounding area to sell my products on my behalf. They would pay me, and as long as there was profit to be made, people would do it. But now that production has increased, it's not worth it to continue selling these products, and besides, sales aren't going to pick up."

Xiao Wei said, "We still need to expand into the countryside. Let's build a base in the county seat, and then coordinate with the towns below. We should also learn from Hope Group and go to the countryside to paint walls, and then... well, let's just say it's a bit chaotic. I'll also try to get it broadcast on provincial television; it shouldn't be too bad."

Liu Hongliang said, "I plan to be stationed in the village. I don't need to maintain anything normally. I'll just find the village chief, let him sell the goods, and we'll collect the money directly according to the amount. I think it will work. In rural areas, the village chief is quite powerful and effective."

Xiao Wei said, "That works, but we still need to set up distribution points in the county seat, one per county, and then down to the villages. The county will handle relationships, restocking, and payments, so we can sell some too. We absolutely have to keep the price firm. If we encounter a ruthless seller who tries to take advantage of us, we'll lose money."

Liu Hongliang said, "It's alright. Let him sell it, but we'll handle the promotion. We'll write down how much it costs, how effective it is, how to use it, and where to buy it. Do you think rural people are stupid? They just have narrow vision, and everyone's trying to outdo the rest."

Chen Hui said, "You two are making quite a fuss about it. But where are the people? One county, one location, and you still need to restock and go down to promote it. How many people do you need? How many counties are there in Northeast China?"

Liu Hongliang said, "We don't need that many people, right? We'll send one person and one car to each county, and recruit the rest locally."

(End of this chapter)