Finding a real estate agent was relatively simple.
Houses aren't found that quickly, so we just found two more agencies, stated our requirements, and left the rest to them.
As for the location, there weren't many requirements; Tan Jincheng's only demand was that it be cheap, saving money wherever possible.
Fortunately, property prices weren't expensive back then.
Renting a well-located office space for a year wouldn't cost much.
After deducting the 80,000 yuan registered capital, the two only had 100,000 yuan of startup funds left to utilize.
Rent, daily company maintenance, and the subsequent need to hire one or two employees meant they were living quite frugally.
200,000 yuan would be fine for a small business or even buying a house; but for starting a business, it was a bit tight.
No wonder in later generations, when the economy declined, starting a business was ranked first on the list of "money-wasting endeavors."
After visiting two places, the morning was over.
It was already noon when they left the last agency, and by then, both of them were hungry.
They simply found a small restaurant by the roadside to fill their stomachs; it was still a certain county's International Hotel.
"By the way, are we only looking for office space? No place to live?"
Zhang Xupeng asked during the meal.
"No rush on that. We'll talk about it after the office space is settled, otherwise, we wouldn't know where it's suitable to rent. If it comes to it, you can make do at the office for a while."
"What about you?"
"Me? I'm going to Yangcheng, haha."
"Holy crap, you really are; then what will I do when you go to Yangcheng?"
"I'll find you something to do this afternoon, maybe even earn some money, hehe."
"What the hell?"
"Eat first, then we'll talk."
Tan Jincheng's idea was to send Zhang Xupeng to a garment factory to learn the basics of clothing and factory management.
In the future, Jinpeng Trading Company would need its own factory, and not only that, but also its own apparel design department.
From independent design to production and sales; possessing a relatively complete industry chain is the foundation for an enterprise to establish itself.
However, it's too early to talk about these things now.
In the early stage, with a makeshift team, survival is the most fundamental.
Xiaxicun is located in the eastern part of Beicang, not far from the urban area and the port, with a moderate distance; a large container industrial park will be built here in the future.
Like most rural environments, Xiaxicun is dotted with various small buildings, almost every one with a small courtyard.
Similarly, there were also rows of single-story houses from time to time.
These houses were mostly dilapidated, built with bricks unique to the seaside, as thick as roof tiles.
Wildly overgrown green plants occasionally appeared on these walls, telling of their age.
Tan Jincheng knew that most of these single-story houses were rented to migrant workers in the area, with a monthly rent of two to three hundred yuan and no independent bathrooms.
The entire village was built along the river, with small Western-style houses and single-story houses intermingled, appearing somewhat disorderly, but if one found the pattern of the roads, everything was surprisingly well-ordered.
The garment factories in Xiaxicun were family-run, hidden within the small buildings.
As long as the courtyard gate was open and fabrics were piled on the cement ground, it was almost certainly one.
These family-style workshops ranged from a few workers for smaller ones to a dozen or even forty or fifty for larger ones; they had low operating costs and were easy to manage.
Most importantly, in these family workshop-style factories, almost all workers knew how to make an entire garment, unlike assembly line factories where workers only made a specific part.
The working model for garment workers in small workshops was to receive a sample, then collaborate in husband-and-wife or sister-sister teams to quickly complete a garment.
Income was primarily piece-rate, and the work intensity was very high.
Many workers frequently worked over 12 hours a day to earn more money.
If their bodies allowed, they could work for months without rest, just to earn more money.
With no resources, they could only go from house to house.
At first, after visiting a few places, the bosses thought they were looking for jobs.
Young people, strong and healthy, were good at pulling fabric and transporting goods.
However, upon hearing that the two were not looking for jobs but wanted to see factory samples, they all refused without hesitation.
Several establishments in a row were like this.
No matter how much they tried to persuade them, the owners were unwilling, assuming they were competitors sent to cause trouble.
Tan Jincheng could only withdraw helplessly.
"What do we do now? There's nothing we can do if they won't show us,"
Zhang Xupeng said, feeling a bit lost.
This feeling of not being able to help at all was really uncomfortable.
After thinking, Tan Jincheng said,
"If they won't show us, then we'll show them."
"What do you mean?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, a bit confused.
"Come on, let's find a place to sit. I'll draw some pictures."
Before going out, Tan Jincheng carried a small backpack with him.
Inside, besides some essential documents, there was also a notebook and a pen.
This was a habit from his previous life; in his previous life, he always liked to carry a small backpack when going out, with paper and pen being essential, to jot down whatever he saw or thought of.
A good memory is no match for a bad pen.
Tan Jincheng certainly couldn't do professional garment design, but sketching the general shape of a piece of clothing with a few strokes was no problem.
He drew a few random sketches, pretended to be a salesperson from a certain company, and approached the bosses to discuss business, aiming to make them lower their guard and be willing to have an equal conversation.
The previous approach was indeed somewhat wrong.
It was very normal for them to refuse to let them see samples first and then place an order without any prior acquaintance.
But if a salesperson from a company wanted to order a batch of clothes using their own samples, then it might be possible to talk.
To be honest, Tan Jincheng's drawings were quite ugly, but he couldn't bother about that now.
Ugly was ugly.
After thinking, he ran to a nearby small shop and bought a pack of Dahongying cigarettes.
The most basic methods of social etiquette: cigarettes build bridges, alcohol paves roads, and a welcoming smile greets.
The morning's affairs had gone too smoothly, making Tan Jincheng suddenly forget these things; several years of "lying flat" plus the recent inconvenience of smoking at home had made him a bit negligent.
Sure enough, this time it was much easier to talk to people than before.
He offered cigarettes to men, called younger ones "Ge," and older ones "Shu."
Sweet talk, coupled with the ability to communicate fluently in Yongcheng dialect, and the possibility of getting business, finally broke the deadlock.
They were led to an office for discussion by a boss who appeared to be around thirty.
At this point, Tan Jincheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The office wasn't large, about 10 square meters, with a coffee table, a sofa, and some documents on the bookshelf behind the desk.
As for the desk, there was an old-fashioned computer with a "big-butt" screen, very nostalgic.
"You two don't look very old. How did you decide to get into sales?"
As soon as Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng sat down, the boss asked curiously.
(End of Chapter)
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