The owner of the garment factory also had the surname Zhang, named Zhang Haiping, a very localized name, tall and thin, about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.
According to the owner, Xiaxi Village, including the surrounding villages in this area, is primarily dominated by the surnames Zhang and Hu.
In fact, when Tan Jincheng went to draw the sketches, Zhang Haiping already knew that two young men had come to the village, asking house to house about samples.
The village was only so big; if anything happened, everyone basically knew it with a phone call or a text message.
However, Zhang Haiping didn't expect that when these two came to his home, they changed their approach.
By instinct, Zhang Haiping didn't think these two were fraudsters; because when he was young, he also did similar door-to-door sales work and suffered countless cold stares.
That feeling was indeed unpleasant.
These two were clearly just like him back then, having not yet found their way, which was why they were being treated as fraudsters.
"Couldn't study well, so I had to come out to earn money,"
Tan Jincheng replied with a smile, facing Zhang Haiping's curiosity.
Immediately after, he introduced himself and Zhang Xupeng separately.
After chatting for a while, Zhang Haiping pointed to the sketches on the table and got straight to the point:
"The few places you visited earlier sent word. You want to see samples, right?"
"Yes, we can't hide it from Boss Zhang. We do want to see some samples and place an order for some first."
After being exposed, Tan Jincheng didn't feel embarrassed; in a village, there were always a few well-informed people.
"What do you want to do?"
"We want to buy a batch of clothes to take back to our hometown to sell, as the clothes here are cheaper. Also, these few sketches of mine, although a bit crude, could become good samples if a designer refines them. What do you think, Boss Zhang?"
The sketches were drawn by Tan Jincheng from memory, all popular Taobao styles from his previous life, for both men and women.
Without color, they looked quite abstract.
Since they were already drawn, Tan Jincheng didn't plan to give up just like that.
He intended to find a fashion designer later to redesign them and produce samples from these sketches.
Tan Jincheng didn't know if future styles would suit the current market, but there was no harm in trying once.
If they sold well, he could recall more.
If they really couldn't be sold, they could indeed be taken back to his hometown to sell.
In those days, surplus foreign trade goods were still quite popular.
In short, losing money was out of the question.
Since joining the WTO, the business of surplus foreign trade goods had always had a large market domestically and was hot for a long time.
It was unclear when, but the impression that foreign trade products were of better quality had become ingrained in the public's mind.
Buying better quality goods at cheaper prices was the consumption mindset of some consumers in third and fourth-tier cities and county towns.
Among these, clothing, luggage, shoes and socks, and accessories sold best.
Choosing to enter the garment industry was also for this reason: the leftover goods from export orders could be sold in the domestic market, maximizing capital recovery.
Zhang Haiping wasn't entirely convinced by Tan Jincheng's claim of buying goods to sell in his hometown; if he really intended to buy goods to resell at home, Sijiqing, Qingfangcheng, or Huzhou would be much more convenient than Beicang.
However, Zhang Haiping didn't care about these things; businesses had their secrets, and there was no need to inquire.
With abundant productivity, Zhang Haiping didn't mind allocating some production capacity to supply these two young men.
While earning a processing fee, he could also get to know two young fellows.
If their clothes sold very well, he might even earn a little alongside them.
Youth meant infinite possibilities.
"Alright, follow me. I'll show you the samples here. As for your own sketches, if you want to make them, you'll have to find someone to design them yourselves. I don't have the facilities for that here."
Small, family-style workshops like theirs couldn't afford to hire designers; when needed, they would temporarily find freelancers and pay a fee.
Tan Jincheng nodded in understanding.
Those sketches could wait a few days; just having the chance to see samples today was already very good.
Actually, it would be better to look for OEM factories after Jinpeng Trade's business license officially came through, as it would build more trust.
However, firstly, the Canton Fair opening was approaching, and secondly, being idle was still idle.
Taking Zhang Xupeng to get a feel for things and getting into the swing of it early was also good.
The three arrived at the sample room.
Though called a sample room, it was essentially no different from a warehouse, filled with various samples from past and current production.
Zhang Haiping introduced the samples one by one, also mentioning which ones sold better. Whether they truly sold well was unknown.
However, deception was unlikely; Zhejiang merchants generally valued reputation in business and adhered to the philosophy of "everyone makes money together."
Moreover, there wasn't much for the two of them to be cheated out of right now.
But no matter what, selecting products is crucial when selling clothes.
Often, a design that meets public aesthetic standards can become a hit.
This involves personal aesthetics and market judgment.
Regarding aesthetics, Tan Jincheng personally preferred a minimalist style.
His experience as an ocean-going sailor in two lifetimes had exposed him to the clothing styles of different countries and various groups of people.
Coupled with some insights from his previous life, Tan Jincheng dared not claim to create a hit product in selection, but at least it wouldn't be ignored.
This was the advantage of foreknowledge, like an information gap, which could be fully utilized.
"Oh, if only, like in web novels, I could be reborn with a system or some cheat, that would be even more awesome."
Staring at the samples, Tan Jincheng thought somewhat nonsensically.
When he used to read web novels on Qidian in his spare time, he thought rebirth with a system was incredibly idiotic, but then rebirth actually happened to him.
Tan Jincheng just wanted to say to God:
"Please give me a system!"
Unfortunately, God was not so generous; after a moment of daze, Tan Jincheng could only pull himself together and carefully select products.
At the same time, he was thinking about how much to order for the first time.
Too much stock, he didn't have the money; too little, the boss might not even want to take the order.
Tan Jincheng was also aware of places like Sijiqing and Qingfangcheng that Zhang Haiping had in mind.
In short, it came down to one thing: too poor!
While wholesale markets were also cheap, source factories were even cheaper; moreover, Tan Jincheng wanted to establish a long-term cooperative relationship.
Sample selection took some time.
After Zhang Hai finished his introduction, he no longer accompanied the two and went to attend to his own affairs.
Within his own factory, there was nothing to worry about.
After Zhang Haiping walked away, Zhang Xupeng finally couldn't hold back.
He hadn't said much all afternoon, watching Xiao Tan's "performance."
It was his first time visiting a factory, and he was still a bit nervous.
"Xiao Tan, where did you learn this skill of spouting lies effortlessly without even batting an eyelid? Teach me."
Zhang Xupeng looked at Tan Jincheng with a grin; very good, he didn't ask a thoughtless question like why he lied, showing a bit of business acumen.
"Once you get used to interacting with people, it will come naturally; these things will be handed over to you in the future, so you need to adapt quickly,"
Tan Jincheng said with a smile.
"Okay, I'm a bit nervous for the first time, but I'll try to adapt quickly."
"Mm, we need to seize the time and try to earn a good sum before the New Year, so we'll have some confidence when we go home."
"Yes, by the way; how much stock should we get this time?"
Zhang Xupeng asked.
Zhang Xupeng also knew that money was tight.
High capital pressure was the biggest challenge they currently faced; moreover, it was now autumn and winter, and the ex-factory price of a single garment was considerably higher compared to summer clothing.
After thinking, Tan Jincheng looked at Zhang Xupeng and said, "80,000 yuan, what do you think?"
Placing an 80,000 yuan order at once; in those years, it was not a small order for a family-style workshop factory.
In 2004, the average annual salary for urban workers in Yongcheng was around 26,000 yuan, averaging less than 2,200 yuan per month.
In small garment factories, under extremely long working hours, garment workers' incomes were somewhat higher, but not by much.
The more they produced, the more the boss would lower the price.
An 80,000 yuan order, assuming no cost calculations, could at least cover the annual salary expenses of two workers.
For a small factory like Zhang Haiping's, with fewer than 20 workers, it was quite substantial.
"80,000? Wouldn't that be too much? We'd only have 20,000 yuan left in contingency funds, and we still have to pay rent and stuff."
"It's fine. 80,000 isn't paid all at once. We'll pay a deposit first. 20,000 yuan should be enough for rent. Later, once the business license and everything are sorted out, we can withdraw a bit more from that 80,000 yuan registered capital."
Seeing Zhang Xupeng still hesitating, Tan Jincheng encouraged him again:
"We only get one chance. It's either success or bust, so let's just go all in, use all available funds, and don't overthink it."
"Risk it for a biscuit, turn a bicycle into a motorcycle!"
"That's true. If we really can't sell them, it's a loss either way. 80,000 is no different from 50,000."
Perhaps Tan Jincheng's phrase "turn a bicycle into a motorcycle" motivated Zhang Xupeng, leading him to finally agree to Tan Jincheng's suggestion.
Originally, in Zhang Xupeng's view, spending 50,000 yuan on inventory was already the limit.
"Heh heh, we won't lose money. If we really can't sell them abroad, we'll just set up a stall and put up a sign for surplus foreign trade goods. At most, it'll just waste a bit of time, but we can still make money."
"That's possible?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, a little surprised.
"Of course, what did you think? When you have time, browse the clothing stores on the street, especially those with 'surplus foreign trade goods' signs."
"Okay, noted. Since that's the case, should we get a bit more, maybe 100,000? If the money isn't enough, I'll put in the tens of thousands I took out earlier."
"There's no need for that. Let's use this 180,000 yuan for now. If it's not enough later, I'll borrow from you or find other solutions. Business is business, personal is personal."
"Alright then, I'll listen to you."
Keeping business and personal matters separate was also agreed upon when the two signed the equity agreement.
If the 180,000 yuan used for company operations was lost, they would accept it without complaint.
However, if funds beyond the 180,000 yuan were needed, that would be different, and any losses would be borne equally.
Reborn in 2003, whether Tan Jincheng could make money was beyond doubt.
With nearly 20 years of opportunities, just seizing one would be enough to never worry about money.
Now, it depended on whether he could build a successful career, surpass his previous life's achievements, and whether this first shot would hit its mark.
The two discussed while picking samples.
After more than half an hour of selection, Tan Jincheng picked out a total of four samples, all tops; compared to trousers, tops were easier to sell, and sizes were also easier to manage.
European and American sizes still had some differences from domestic ones; relatively speaking, they were slightly larger, and tops had a higher tolerance for size variation.
In this way, the surplus stock would also sell better domestically.
Holding the four samples, Tan Jincheng found Zhang Haiping again.
Looking at the styles of the samples in Tan Jincheng's hand and listening to his requests for some size adjustments, Zhang Haiping couldn't help but inwardly chuckle.
"This isn't for selling back home; it's clearly for export. Haha, these two young men are interesting."
Zhang Haiping was not completely unknowledgeable, but he didn't expose Tan Jincheng's clumsy lie.
On the contrary, Zhang Haiping had some expectations for Tan Jincheng's desire to do export business.
Compared to the domestic market, which had not yet fully developed, the foreign market was still broader.
If these two young men had the ability to open up foreign markets, they might become stable partners in the future.
"How much stock do you want?"
Zhang Haiping asked.
"How about 80,000 yuan? Boss Zhang, please give us a unit price for each sample,"
Tan Jincheng replied with a smile.
"80,000 yuan? Do you have that much money?"
Zhang Haiping said, somewhat surprised.
He had taken large orders before, but these two young men clearly hadn't been out of school for long.
Where would they get so much money?
Although the young man surnamed Tan seemed more mature and was much more experienced in conversation and dealing with people than the young man surnamed Zhang, this was probably their first time starting a business.
At least, it was certainly their first time in the garment industry.
Although Tan Jincheng had made many preparations, he still couldn't fool these experienced small business owners.
"Yes, Boss Zhang, please rest assured about the money; we are fully capable."
"Also, to be frank, Boss Zhang, in a few days, the business license for the company we're starting will officially be issued, and then we can sign a formal contract."
When Tan Jincheng said this, Zhang Xupeng couldn't help but think that they had previously lied about selling them back home, and the company's business license name would expose them then.
However, seeing Zhang Haiping show no reaction, Zhang Xupeng suddenly realized; apparently, Boss Zhang must have also guessed that Xiao Tan was talking nonsense earlier.
Likewise, Xiao Tan still didn't bat an eyelid; it seemed that one needed to develop a thick skin to do business.
"Oh? Is that so? Then it seems I underestimated you two young men. In that case, there's no problem."
With a formal company entity and contract, plus an advance payment, Zhang Haiping no longer needed to worry about financial issues.
Next, both parties began discussing the unit price of the samples and some details of the contract.
Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng's first step in their venture was thus officially taken.
(End of Chapter)
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