After chatting with his father-in-law for a while, Fang Bai left.
He planned to visit Hengli Company and Berly Valves Company to secure some orders and also inform Wang Hengli and Hua Feng of his bp machine number.
First, he went to Hengli Company. When Wang Hengli saw Fang Bai and noticed the bp machine on his belt, he praised, "Oh, Fang Bai, you bought a bp machine! That must have cost several thousand, right?"
"Mr. Wang, please don't tease me. I bought a bp machine because I don't have much money. Big bosses wouldn't bother with it; they all buy big brothers."
Wang Hengli smiled broadly after being praised.
Fang Bai chatted with Wang Hengli for a bit and quickly secured a new order: 400 pieces of 3-inch gate valve machining. Then, he left Hengli Company.
Arriving at Boli Company, he met Hua Feng and asked for feedback on the delivery quality.
Hua Feng was quite satisfied; there were no issues, and they could continue to cooperate.
Fang Bai secured the two orders and planned to report back to his father-in-law.
Qin Donghai was delighted to hear about the large processing order worth ten thousand yuan, but he was also concerned about the issue of hiring more people.
Originally, if the payments for the two existing orders could be successfully collected, Qin Donghai would receive 6,800 yuan in processing fees, and Fang Bai would receive 4,900 yuan.
With the two new orders, Fang Bai had a profit margin of seven to eight thousand yuan.
It might seem like Fang Bai could only earn around ten thousand yuan a month from sales, but once Qin Donghai had more equipment and workers, and thus more orders, earning over fifty thousand yuan a month would not be a problem.
Moreover, it wouldn't require much of his time.
In those days, earning tens of thousands a month and running a factory with a hundred employees was quite something. Where else could one find such a stable business?
The middleman in valves should not be underestimated.
Fang Bai left Jiayu Processing Factory and returned to his rented room. Whenever he had free time, he would design several types of jigs and molds that could be outsourced for processing, then hand them over to his father-in-law for manufacturing.
So far, the payment for the outsourced processing orders had not yet been collected, and his father-in-law was certainly a bit worried. He still had to advance money for workers' wages and other expenses, and he had no control over when the payments would come in.
Once the money was actually received, even if Fang Bai didn't say anything, his father-in-law would be more proactive in hiring workers.
Fang Bai understood these principles and his father-in-law's thoughts; there was no point in rushing. Only when his father-in-law received the money would it be considered true cooperation.
Fang Bai returned to his rented room. As soon as he parked his car and turned around, his father noticed the bp machine on his belt and leaned in to examine it.
He couldn't help but notice; his son rarely tucked in his shirt, and this instantly surprised him.
Ah, it turned out he had bought a bp machine. He asked,
"Son, how much did this bp machine cost?"
Fang Shi had seen people wearing bp machines, and some small workshop owners in the village also had them, so he was not unfamiliar with bp machines and knew they were very expensive.
Fang Bai chuckled, "The whole set cost 2,580 yuan."
"That's really expensive. I heard there's also a monthly rental fee. Most people can't afford it even if they have one."
"Well, for business people, you can't do without it. Dad, how about I get one for you too?"
Fang Shi, hearing his son offer to buy him one, laughed and waved his hand, "No, don't buy it. I'm always at home and don't go far. If something comes up, just call you."
The father and son were talking about the bp machine. The students who were repairing the TV heard them and also came over to look, then praised Mr. Fang for being impressive.
They got along quite well with Fang Bai, mainly because Fang Bai was generous and easy to talk to.
Fang Bai raised an eyebrow and smiled, "You all need to work harder, so I can afford a big brother."
"Then, Mr. Fang, we'll work even harder, so you can drive a car."
"Yes, full marks for understanding."
Fang Bai chatted with the students for a while, then told each of them to disassemble ten machines so he could mark them, and also to take notes on the problems he explained. He would be busy with exams the day after tomorrow and wouldn't have time to explain faults to them.
If they missed how to fix something, they could just switch to another TV.
These students felt that Fang Bai was amazing, and he was still a high school student, yet he could quickly identify the specific faults of each TV and had a very clear understanding of TV structures and circuit boards.
However, Fang Bai didn't have time to explain the more profound things to them.
What they didn't know was that Fang Bai himself didn't understand the deeper knowledge points either, so how could he explain them?
For Fang Bai, it was enough for the students to know where to repair. Understanding too much was irrelevant to him; he wasn't involved in R&D.
Fang Bai finished his tasks for tomorrow and the day after, then rolled back into his room to study, not saying another word of nonsense to the students.
Speak less, do more.
Everyone's time is occupied by various chores, entertainment, TV, gossip, etc., leaving too little time for actual work, so much so that year after year passes without much being accomplished.
The monthly exam was tomorrow, and he was still a little excited. Since he started self-studying, he hadn't tested his own level yet.
The next morning,
Fang Bai leisurely ate breakfast at home, memorizing English words, as he did every day.
When the time was almost right, he stuffed the bp machine into his backpack, put on his bag, and left the rented room.
Going too early was useless. Today was the monthly exam, and the school required students to move their books from their desks to outside the classroom or to the back rows. During the time before the exam, everyone's studying effect was not good, and Fang Bai felt it was better to study more at home.
…
Oubei No. 1 Middle School, First Repeat Class classroom.
Teacher Zhan stood at the classroom door, checked the time. It was almost nine o'clock, and the Chinese exam was about to start, but Fang Bai hadn't arrived yet. He was the only one missing from the class.
Oh, don't be late at such a crucial time.
The Chinese teacher, in her thirties, stood to the side, more or less displeased, saying that only one student was missing from the entire class.
Teacher Zhan explained, "Teacher Mo, the papers will be distributed in five minutes, there's still time. Maybe that guy likes to arrive just in time."
"All the other students are rushing to review, but he's the only one who isn't in a hurry at all. I really don't understand why the school leaders agreed to let him take long leaves so often."
Teacher Mo was a bit annoyed. Fang Bai had only attended one of his classes, while he attended more of other subjects. He even thought Fang Bai didn't like his class.
"Teacher Mo, Fang Bai's situation is quite special."
"Never mind, I don't have any objections."
Teacher Mo probably knew something about Fang Bai, saying that he often left school for medical treatment for his severed finger, which was why he needed long leaves.
However, even if he frequently saw a doctor, he shouldn't need to take long leaves so often.
As the two were talking, a boy walked towards them unhurriedly.
Teacher Zhan saw him, a smile appeared on her face, and she no longer urged him. She only spoke when he came closer:
"Fang Bai, I thought you had forgotten about the exam."
"How could I forget? It's such an important matter."
"Hmm, thank you for helping me get the discount on the TV."
"Don't mention it. If other teachers also want to buy, they can get a 10% discount. Teacher Zhan, just give me their names, and I'll talk to the boss."
"Oh, really? That's great! Many teachers have been asking me, and I felt bad telling them I couldn't help."
Teacher Zhan said, then turned to Teacher Mo beside her, "Teacher Mo, weren't you asking me where I got the TV discount? Fang Bai, I recommend Teacher Mo, is that okay?"
"Of course, no problem. Teacher Mo is also my teacher and has helped me a lot in my studies." Fang Bai lied through his teeth, not wanting to offend anyone face-to-face.
"Is that so? Then I thank Teacher Zhan and Fang Bai." Teacher Mo had just heard their conversation and realized that Teacher Zhan had gotten the discount from Fang Bai.
Fang Bai even said that as long as Teacher Zhan recommended someone, they could get a 10% discount.
Now, Fang Bai directly said that he could also get a 10% discount, which was even better.
At this point, he had no complaints about Fang Bai being late. Besides, it wasn't even time to distribute the papers yet; he just arrived precisely on time.
At this moment, the students in the classroom were getting anxious. The class next door had already started distributing papers, but they hadn't. Some students grumbled, "Teacher, please distribute the papers quickly, or we won't finish the essay later."
Teacher Mo heard the students grumbling, entered the room, and slammed the podium, "What's all the fuss about? There are still two minutes. During the actual college entrance exam, they won't give you the papers early."
Having gotten the TV discount, he had no grievances against Fang Bai at all. In fact, he owed him a favor.
"Teacher, Fang Bai isn't here for the exam; you don't need to wait for him." From a corner of the classroom, a student reminded him.
Upon hearing this, Teacher Mo thought, wasn't this trying to embarrass him? He who eats another's food speaks softly, he who takes another's hand is short.
He slammed the podium again, and said with a resounding voice:
"Fang Bai arrived long ago; he's just outside the classroom.
I must remind you that Fang Bai has a very stable mindset, calm and unhurried, which doesn't mean he doesn't take the exam seriously.
Unlike some students, who usually score well but whose psychological quality fails them on the battlefield, unable to even finish their essays."
The students below heard Teacher Mo say this and didn't dare to refute him, only complaining about Fang Bai: he never comes to class normally, so it would be a miracle if he could score well.
Teacher Zhan, outside the classroom, knew the exam was about to start and said to Fang Bai, "Fang Bai, you should go into the classroom first. The exam will begin soon."
"Okay."
Teacher Zhan watched Fang Bai enter the classroom, then glanced at the student inside who had reminded Teacher Mo that Fang Bai hadn't come for the exam.
Oh, this student was obsessed.
Before the exam, Li Hui had again reported to her, saying that Fang Bai didn't come to class because he was working part-time, and he saw Fang Bai selling TVs for someone on the weekend.
Teacher Zhan felt a surge of anger when she heard this student say that. She immediately criticized him, "Li Hui, just focus on your own affairs. Your primary task is to study, not to supervise others. Go back to your classroom."
Hearing his homeroom teacher criticize him, Li Hui was actually a little surprised. He thought he would be praised for discovering Fang Bai's little secret.
After Li Hui left, the teachers in the office couldn't help but say that this student Li Hui was truly obsessed, and his psychological state might be somewhat unbalanced.
How could such a student succeed in society?
Then look at Fang Bai, how well he handles things. Which teacher wouldn't like him?