TL: Etude
"Wanqiu!"
Chen Jianghai called out and swiftly walked over.
"Jianghai, are you alright? How did the police station handle things?"
With a face filled with concern and anxiety, Lin Wanqiu approached, examining her husband from head to toe as she asked.
"Hey, what could possibly happen to me? I'm fine, see? The police station has already mediated the matter. It's settled now!"
"Right, didn't I tell you to go to the hospital? Why did you come here?"
Chen Jianghai grasped Lin Wanqiu's hand and inquired.
"I already went. The hospital said there's no major issue. When I heard you were taken to the police station, I got worried and came over."
Lin Wanqiu bit her lip as she spoke.
"Silly girl, what's there to worry about? You've been waiting here, haven't even eaten yet, right? You must be starving."
Chen Jianghai gently wiped the sweat from Lin Wanqiu's forehead, speaking with evident concern.
"How could I eat when you weren't back?"
Lin Wanqiu shook her head.
Feeling the warmth of his wife's deep concern, Chen Jianghai felt touched.
"Let's go home. I'll cook something delicious for you."
Chen Jianghai gently embraced Lin Wanqiu.
"Jianghai!"
"What's the matter?"
Leaning against this dependable man, Lin Wanqiu softly spoke, "Promise me you won't be so impulsive in the future, okay?"
"Sure, I'll listen to whatever you say."
Stroking his wife's hair, Chen Jianghai readily agreed.
Inwardly, he thought: Wanqiu, as long as you're fine, everything is good. But if anyone dares to hurt you, I, Chen Jianghai, will stop at nothing!
...
"Brother Hai, Brother Hai!"
The next morning, before Chen Jianghai could leave the house, he heard Fang Aiguo's voice outside.
"What brings you here so early?" Chen Jianghai greeted him with a smile.
Fang Aiguo exclaimed, "What happened yesterday? Why did you end up at the police station?"
"Ah, it was nothing serious. Just got into a fight," Chen Jianghai said nonchalantly.
Fang Aiguo clenched his fists, "Why didn't you call me for the fight? Anyone who dares to challenge you deserves a good lesson!"
Chen Jianghai shook his head, "Enough, enough, you came here this early just to talk about fighting?"
Fang Aiguo grinned, "Of course not! Good news, I sold both radios for a hundred bucks!"
Waving two fifty-yuan bills in his hand, Fang Aiguo's face was as flushed as if he had been drinking.
"Good job! You really have a knack for business, selling at such a high price."
Chen Jianghai patted Fang Aiguo's shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.
Fang Aiguo looked pleased; this was the first deal he had ever closed, and nothing could make him happier.
"Here, Brother Hai, the money's for you," Fang Aiguo handed the money to Chen Jianghai.
Chen Jianghai accepted the money without hesitation, then took out two 'worker-peasant-soldier' bills from his pocket and handed them to Fang Aiguo.
"From now on, Aiguo, if you can sell the radios at this price, I'll give you a ten-yuan commission for each one."
Holding the bills in his hand, Fang Aiguo was quite excited, "Brother Hai, this is a bit too much!"
"What's too much about it? If you work hard, there will be plenty of money to make," Chen Jianghai chuckled.
With Fang Aiguo running sales, Chen Jianghai felt a load had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Alright, Brother Hai, you can count on me. I'll sell wherever you point," Fang Aiguo patted his chest, promising his loyalty.
"Okay, I have more than a dozen radios here. You'll be responsible for selling them. As for the price, you can decide, but try not to go below forty yuan," Chen Jianghai added.
Fang Aiguo was stunned, "More than a dozen? Brother Hai, where did you get so many radios?"
Before Chen Jianghai could respond, Fang Aiguo looked around and then whispered, "Brother Hai, you didn't smuggle these, did you?"
Chen Jianghai didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing that Chen Jianghai didn't answer, Fang Aiguo widened his eyes, "Brother Hai, I heard smuggling could get you in jail. In serious cases, you might even get sentenced or executed!"
Chen Jianghai shook his head, "Come on, who would smuggle second-hand goods?"
"Ah, you're right, Brother Hai. I was overthinking it," Fang Aiguo scratched his head, smiling awkwardly.
The domestic situation was still relatively conservative and information was not that developed. People didn't even know that a business dealing in 'foreign trash' existed.
"Alright, I have to go get more components. Come back in a few days," Chen Jianghai lifted the bicycle handle and said.
"Okay!"
Fang Aiguo didn't ask any more questions and happily turned to leave.
Watching Fang Aiguo's departing figure, the corner of Chen Jianghai's mouth lifted slightly.
In my past life, you took care of me; in this life, I will definitely repay you.
Riding his bicycle, Chen Jianghai bounced along until he reached the component factory. He parked the bike, took out a cigarette to greet the security staff, and then confidently headed to the warehouse.
The factory wasn't doing well and seemed a bit desolate. The only exception was the warehouse.
Just like last time, the same people were there, in the same gloomy place, still playing cards.
Chen Jianghai looked around and didn't see Xu Dong.
"Comrade, is Brother Dong here?" Chen Jianghai asked, distributing a round of cigarettes.
"Brother Dong is in the office," someone replied.
"Alright, thank you!"
Chen Jianghai quickly walked towards the office.
At that moment, Xu Dong was in his office. His mood appeared to be less than stellar; even the tea he'd brewed had cooled without him taking a sip.
He had smoked half a pack of cigarettes, and the office was foggy, as if on fire.
The factory hadn't paid this month's salary yet, and Xu Dong considered it an ominous sign.
Especially after his brother-in-law had recently discussed the factory's situation with him. It seemed it wouldn't last much longer.
What would happen if the factory closed? He had a family to care for and no stable income.
Thinking about all these things made Xu Dong's head spin.
The cruelty of the times was just like this. You'd be laid off without any warning, suddenly.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Brother Dong, are you there?"
Along with the knock, a familiar figure appeared in the slightly ajar door.
"Oh, it's you, Little Chen. Come in!"
Xu Dong glanced over and nodded as a form of greeting.
Chen Jianghai entered with a beaming face, "Brother Dong, I've come to bother you again."
"Ah, we're all friends here. What's there to be bothered about?"
Seeing the resourceful Chen Jianghai, Xu Dong felt a slight improvement in his mood.
Chen Jianghai took out a paper and laid it on the table, "Brother Dong, I need a lot of components this time. Is it convenient for you?"
Xu Dong nodded, "Let me take a look first."
"You really are asking for a lot this time!"
After scanning the list, Xu Dong looked up and said with meaningful undertones.
Chen Jianghai was not worried about Xu Dong's reaction.
The more serious Xu Dong seemed, the more it meant he took it seriously, which made things easier to handle.
Chen Jianghai smiled faintly, "Brother Dong, like I said last time, the demand will only grow."
"Alright, wait here for a moment."
Saying this, Xu Dong left the office without waiting for Chen Jianghai's response.
Watching Xu Dong leave, Chen Jianghai felt relieved.
As long as Xu Dong was willing to help, there would be no problem in assembling electronics.
After all, the difference between the internal cost and the retail price was not insignificant.
Half an hour later, Xu Dong leisurely returned, holding two bulging black bags.
"Here, everything you asked for is in these bags. Count them; the quantity will only be more, not less."
After entering the room, Xu Dong set down the bags and gestured with his lips.
"Brother Dong, I trust you to get things done."
Chen Jianghai scanned the room with a quick glance, subtly nodding his approval. He then took two freshly printed banknotes from his pocket, still carrying the scent of ink, and placed them on the table.
Impressive. Chen Jianghai was becoming more generous each time he took action.
Although these parts only had a factory price of around two hundred yuan, they were now accumulating in the warehouse, unwanted even for twenty yuan.
Xu Dong shifted his gaze, walked over, and weighed down the money with a newspaper. Then casually he asked, "Brother Chen, business has been good for you recently, huh?"
"Ah, Brother Dong, I'm just scraping by. How could I compare with your iron rice bowl?" responded Chen Jianghai, still adopting a modest demeanor.
"Ah, they always talk about a market economy these days. Even an iron rice bowl isn't so ironclad anymore," Xu Dong shook his head and jokingly said, "Brother, if you really have good opportunities, don't forget to bring me along!"
"Brother Dong, aren't we collaborating now?" said Chen Jianghai, raising an eyebrow.
Xu Dong waved his hand and said, "Originally, since you wanted so little, I could even claim it as a loss. But with this amount, I'll have to get it at the internal factory price. To be honest, there's not much profit."
Hearing this, Chen Jianghai inwardly nodded. It seemed Xu Dong wasn't driven purely by greed and still understood some rules.
This was something Chen would have brought up himself if Xu Dong hadn't, or else it would be irresponsible.
"Brother Dong, my demand will definitely keep increasing. From now on, I'll buy parts from you at factory price. How much you can earn will depend on how well you can negotiate with the factory," Chen Jianghai candidly said.
Stunned, Xu Dong instantly grasped what Chen Jianghai meant. This was a straightforward offer of money. Otherwise, Chen could have directly approached the sales department.
"How much can you roughly take in a month?" Xu Dong couldn't help but ask.
Chen Jianghai smiled, "Brother Dong, how many parts did I take last time and this time?"
After pondering for a moment, Xu Dong raised his eyebrows; the demand was indeed growing quickly.
"Brother Jianghai, give me a straightforward answer: How much will you need in a month? That way, I can plan ahead."
Taking a deep breath, Xu Dong looked at Chen Jianghai earnestly.
Margins on components were indeed low, but once volume picked up, it was a substantial sum. If the demand were too large, discounts would have to be applied, allowing him to earn even more. Then, Xu Dong would need to approach his factory manager brother-in-law.
Having made an early estimate, Chen Jianghai spoke without hesitation: "Based on the current trend, I'll need at least 5,000 assorted components per month."
"Five thousand?" Xu Dong widened his eyes in astonishment, "Brother Chen, do you really have that much demand?"
It was important to understand that the factory primarily produced electronic components for radios and televisions. The variety was limited, offering only three to five types of parts with low technological content and limited market competitiveness.
Due to these factors, the factory's performance had been declining, the warning lights already flashing red.
Coupled with a leadership lacking in vision and the courage for reform, they barely managed to scrape by, almost depleting their last resources.
Employee benefits were not improving, and due to management oversights, overall enthusiasm was low. This led to a decline in the production rate and efficiency, consequently increasing costs.
Added to this was the large financial gap caused by triangular debt; the factory was on the brink of closure.
The factory was in a precarious state, and the senior cadre had already thought of their exit strategies.
For someone like Xu Dong, who didn't have technical expertise, this was a complete disaster.
To a factory on the brink of closure, Chen Jianghai's order for thousands of components didn't mean much. But for Xu Dong, it represented a substantial income.
Chen Jianghai spoke candidly, "Brother Dong, I intend to work with you long-term. Why would I deceive you?"
Although he spoke of long-term cooperation, Chen Jianghai was fully aware that the factory wouldn't last much longer. He remembered that in his previous life, the factory had gone bankrupt by the end of the year.
At least before it shut down, Chen Jianghai could use it to make some money.
Xu Dong felt a bit awkward. "Brother Chen, that's not what I meant."
Chen Jianghai gave a slight smile, "Brother Dong, we're doing business. Cash for goods. You really don't have to worry too much."
It had to be said that Chen Jianghai's words completely moved Xu Dong.
Xu Dong nodded, took a sip of water from his cup, and said, "Let me think about it."
In the end, Xu Dong still harbored some doubts about Chen Jianghai.
"Alright, there's no rush. Take your time to think it over, Brother Dong."
After saying this, Chen Jianghai picked up his things and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Xu Dong quickly stood up, picked up a bag, and warmly said, "Brother Chen, you have quite a few things today; let me help you carry them out."
Before Chen Jianghai could respond, Xu Dong had already picked up the bag. Chen Jianghai thought for a moment and didn't say anything more.
Both men walked and chatted until they reached the factory gate. Chen Jianghai mounted his old bicycle, said his goodbyes to Xu Dong, and quickly left.
Watching the departing figure of Chen Jianghai, Xu Dong squinted his eyes, lost in thought.
…
First, Chen Jianghai went home to drop off the two large bags of electronic components. Then, without missing a beat, he headed to Pozijie Street located in the county center. It was a well-known commercial street in Linghai, with everything from department stores to grocery stores, bookstores, cultural centers, and cinemas. The general standard of living was higher due to the proximity of the county government.
Previously, he had only gone to the western part of Pozijie Street, which was a rural-urban fringe area.
But after all his recent efforts, his reputation had spread.
Recently, more and more people from the surrounding areas were coming to get their electronics repaired.
Therefore, Chen Jianghai decided to focus on the eastern part of Pozijie Street next.
Once he had accumulated enough capital and raw materials, he planned to concentrate on assembly and refurbishing, relegating repairs to a secondary role.
Chen Jianghai didn't have a moment to rest that afternoon, making more than a hundred bucks.
This was simply because he wasn't greedy; he could have easily charged double.
After all, when electronics broke down, people were in the dark; they had to accept whatever the repairmen said.
This was akin to car repairs in later years.
After counting a thick stack of bills and stowing them in his pocket, and after tying the old radio he had collected to his bicycle seat, Chen Jianghai wiped the sweat off his forehead. Looking at the time, it was nearly four o'clock; it was time to buy groceries and cook.
Riding his bike, as Chen Jianghai passed Qianjin Street, he was suddenly stopped by someone.
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