"Holy crap, I've only been a boss for half a day, and you're already throwing me into a factory to work?"
On the way back, Zhang Xupeng couldn't help but complain.
"What kind of bosses are we? You can call yourself a boss when Zhang Haiping stops calling us Xiao Tan, Xiao Zhang, and starts calling us General Manager Tan, General Manager Zhang."
"Oh well, forget it, going into the factory is fine. At least I can get a meal out of it."
"Be content, I'm still a salesperson, we're all pretty much the same. But you don't really have to do any actual work, you just need to focus on the quality of the clothes."
"Understood. Once the company's office address is set, how many people do we need to hire? We'll need to buy computers too, right?"
"Hmm, we'll talk about that when we get back. I'll tell you how to handle these things tonight."
"So when are you planning to leave? Are you going tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'll go tomorrow, can't delay it."
"Alright, be careful on the road. I heard the train station there is quite unsafe. Take a plane, don't sacrifice safety just to save money."
"I was planning to take a plane anyway, how would I make it on time by train? But during the exhibition, security issues shouldn't be a big deal, they'll definitely beef up security."
No matter the city, security is increased during major events, so safety shouldn't be a big concern.
However, Tan Jincheng still wouldn't dare go to Yangcheng Railway Station.
Mainly because of what he'd seen in both this life and his previous one; whether they were true or not, they were still quite frightening.
These days, when traveling, one must pay special attention to safety, no matter the city.
In Tan Jincheng's memory, the public security environment improved after 2008.
That evening, Tan Jincheng instructed Zhang Xupeng on what to pay attention to while he was away.
The primary task, of course, was to establish the company's framework.
Secondly, he needed to monitor the quality of this batch of clothes, as quality is paramount for any product.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xupeng felt quite pressured, realizing he had to hold down the fort while Xiao Tan was away.
Just like building a base in a game.
"By the way, how many days are you going to stay there?"
Zhang Xupeng asked while contemplating.
He had no particular curiosity about Guangdong Province; besides some negative news online, his biggest impression was probably that it was hot.
"I don't know, it depends on the situation. If the orders are good, I'll stay a few more days. If not, I'll come back earlier and think of other solutions here."
Then, Tan Jincheng suddenly remembered,
"Oh, right. After the computers are set up, create an account and open a shop on Lili International Station, and also open a shop on Taobao."
Lili International Shop will be an important online channel in the foreign trade industry in the future; neither online nor offline channels can be missed.
As for Taobao, a third-party payment software should be officially launched this year.
Once that's resolved, online shopping will gradually rise.
Opening a store now is cheap and doesn't cost much; we can secure a spot first.
"I don't know how to do any of that. You can ask me to play games, but opening an online store? I wouldn't know where to start,"
Zhang Xupeng said, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Just learn if you don't know; there's no hurry. Once we establish our own brand, we can open a flagship store on Taobao."
"Alright, we'll talk about it after the computers are set up. Let's go to sleep first, you have to get up early tomorrow to catch your flight."
He didn't dare to talk any further.
The more they talked, the more he felt he had to learn, and Zhang Xupeng's scalp tingled, feeling like he had been tricked into something he couldn't get out of.
—
October 15th, four in the morning, Tan Jincheng finished washing up and quietly closed the door.
The 7:45 AM flight would arrive at Baiyun Airport at 10 AM.
To save time, he had no choice but to leave so early.
The pre-booked taxi driver was already waiting at the community entrance; it would take about an hour and a half to reach the airport.
He was too sleepy.
After getting in the car, Tan Jincheng continued to catch up on sleep.
When he woke up again, they had already arrived at the airport.
This is the only trouble with flying: you have to check in in advance, and most airports are located in areas relatively far from the city center.
If you're unlucky, you might not even board smoothly.
Fortunately, this flight, though slightly delayed, was smooth overall.
With the Canton Fair approaching, tickets to Baiyun Airport from all over the country were selling out quickly.
The flights departing after seven in the morning were all packed.
A quick glance showed that most of the passengers were middle-aged men, all looking weary but unable to hide their excitement.
Needless to say, the purpose of most of these passengers' journeys was likely the same.
At 10:30 AM, the flight successfully landed at Baiyun Airport.
Founded in 1957, the Canton Fair, with a significant increase in trade volume after China joined the WTO, began to be held semi-annually (spring and autumn) starting from 2002.
To date, it has become the most important exhibition for domestic and international trade, holding a pivotal position in the history of foreign trade.
Since private enterprises were allowed to participate, the number of exhibitors at the Canton Fair has surged dramatically, reaching 100,000 in 2002.
Countless entrepreneurs like Tan Jincheng flocked to Yangcheng during the exhibition to pursue their dreams.
In addition, delegations organized by various provinces and cities also participated collectively.
Yongcheng, as an important port city, also organized a delegation to participate.
Tan Jincheng's current goal was to one day be eligible to join such an exhibiting delegation.
"Young man, do you want to share a ride?"
"Oh? Uncle, it's you! What a coincidence, let's share a ride then."
The person was an uncle who had been sitting next to him on the plane.
Tan Jincheng didn't know his given name, only that his surname was Cheng, and from his accent, he was also from Beicang.
On the plane, the two chatted for a bit.
Uncle Cheng was also going to the Canton Fair, and he was also alone.
His company manufactured small home appliances and had its own booth, which Tan Jincheng rather envied.
According to Uncle Cheng, the company employees had already gone to set up the exhibition, and he was there to oversee things.
"Xiao Tan, leave me your number. If there aren't enough translators when we get there, I'll ask for your help. You have to agree."
This uncle was quite familiar.
Tan Jincheng couldn't help but smile,
"Sure, no problem. Uncle, you're from Beicang, right?"
"Xiao Tan, you could tell? Yes, I'm from Beicang. Don't worry, Uncle won't let you help for free. If the opportunity arises, I'll introduce you to some friends to see if you can share their booth."
"That would be great! Thank you, Uncle. I'm also from Beicang."
"Haha, then we should definitely help each other even more."
That's right, Tan Jincheng entered the venue this time as a translator.
During the exhibition, people from all over the world flocked in, requiring a large number of translators.
During this year's spring exhibition, foreign language students holding signs outside the exhibition hall to work as translators were earning 200 yuan a day.
In 2004, this price was already quite high.
He had previously fooled Zhang Xupeng into believing he learned Yongcheng dialect from Yongcheng guests on a cruise ship.
Although that was a bluff, he had indeed met several Yongcheng foreign trade merchants on a cruise ship.
A few of them, finding Tan Jincheng quite clever, left him their business cards when they disembarked.
This time, Tan Jincheng, unable to afford the exhibition, took a chance and shamelessly called them one by one, asking if they would attend the autumn Canton Fair and if he could be their accompanying translator if they did.
Tan Jincheng also claimed that he had learned Yongcheng dialect from them.
It must be said that the Mandarin of many Yongcheng merchants nowadays is hard to describe;
There are many translators, but few who speak Yongcheng dialect and are known to them.
Thus, Tan Jincheng very fortunately obtained an opportunity to enter the exhibition.
Just on the plane, Tan Jincheng introduced himself as a translator, and also mentioned he'd see if he could sell some clothes to foreigners.
With a glint in his eye, Tan Jincheng looked at the self-assured Uncle Cheng and said,
"Uncle Cheng, could you give me a business card? When we're back in Beicang, I'll treat you to a meal."
This sentence was spoken in Yongcheng dialect; Uncle Cheng's Mandarin was also hard to describe.
(End of chapter)
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