Zhang Suzhi was also stunned to hear this:
"What's wrong? Why bring this up suddenly? You're only 44 this year, and I'm only 40. We're not old, are we?"
Tan Lihua said with a wry smile:
"Oh, when I just dropped off your good son, he said the air in the city isn't good, and suggested we take early retirement and move to the countryside, saying he can earn money now."
To be told by his son that he could take early retirement at just over 40 years old was quite a blow.
If it was just said casually, it would be fine, but the key is that his son seems to already have this capability; not to mention this year, the money he earned last year alone was equivalent to several years of his own income.
"Oh, so that's what it is, you're upset about this. It's a good thing that our son is promising."
"You don't understand."
"What don't I understand? It's just your male ego that's hurt; it's okay, if our son doesn't need you, you still have us two, mother and daughter. Jin Yue still relies on you to save up her tuition and dowry."
Afterwards, Zhang Suzhi counseled her husband for a while, and slowly Tan Lihua also let go of his emotional knot.
It's a good thing for their son to be successful, and if he can't help, then so be it.
He should focus on raising their daughter well.
Anyway, this son had never been very obedient since he was little, except for being moderately good-looking and having good grades.
"Haha, you're right; I'll go make milk formula for our little Jin Yue first."
Night fell, and neon lights once again illuminated the city center.
Although it was only a little past seven, pedestrians on the street were sparse.
Yongcheng is a city without nightlife.
"Come on, get in."
The electric scooter stopped in front of Tan Jincheng.
The high-spirited Zhang Xupeng said with a smile, in a posture he thought was very dashing.
The company's business was progressing steadily, which could be seen just from Zhang Haiping's attitude towards him.
Previously, when he visited his factory, he was ignored, but recently he had been treated to good cigarettes and tea.
It would be impossible to say he wasn't a little carried away; however, Xiao Tan had instructed that making a fortune quietly would last longer, so Zhang Xupeng could only suppress his excitement and not broadcast it everywhere.
Placing the luggage on the front seat of the electric scooter, Tan Jincheng straddled the back, and the two headed towards their rental apartment.
"Didn't you say you weren't going to do the three-day celebration? Why have you been home for so long?"
"I got a driver's license at home. When the New Year comes, I'll pick up a car, and then Ge will take you back. We'll never have to eat instant noodles from a shady shop again."
The breeze blew gently.
Tan Jincheng tightened his jacket and said with a light chuckle.
"Holy cow! You got a driver's license in half a month? Can you drive? Is this something to joke about?"
"Haha, don't be scared, Ge won't lead you astray."
"Forget it, who's whose Ge? I wouldn't dare ride with you driving. I don't have the guts to trust a bought license."
"Then suit yourself, but you should also hurry up and learn one. The sooner you learn, the better."
"Alright then, I'll go register in a couple of days."
After arriving home, Tan Jincheng was amused to see the meal Zhang Xupeng had prepared; quite thoughtful, even though it was all takeout.
It's strange to say, but men, whether they know how to cook or not, will absolutely be too lazy to cook if they're just by themselves.
They'll just make do if they can.
"Are you really planning to buy a car at the end of the year?"
Zhang Xupeng was still lingering on the previous topic.
What man isn't interested in cars?
"Yes, I'm planning to buy one. A car is also the company's facade, which is why I told you to hurry up and learn."
Doing business these days really emphasizes appearances.
Having a good car makes business discussions much more convenient.
Tan Jincheng has an uncle who, when he first started his business, rode a motorcycle to talk with people.
As a result, the deal fell through because people thought he lacked strength, riding a motorcycle.
So, in a fit of anger, he borrowed money to get a Santana and went back to negotiate, and he actually clinched the deal.
This was a personal experience of a relative in his family.
Coastal cities might not be as exaggerated, but such cases are not uncommon either.
Leaving aside the convenience of travel, for better business development, buying a car should indeed be considered.
Although in Tan Jincheng's view, buying a car these days is purely a raw deal.
When things are rare, they are valued, and cars are far more expensive than houses.
Spending 200,000 to buy a car, it becomes a pile of scrap metal after 10 years.
But what about spending 200,000 to buy a house?
"Then what car should we buy?"
Zhang Xupeng, who had just been worried about Tan Jincheng's driver's license, was no longer concerned about that issue.
"I'd like to buy an Audi A6, but I can't afford it. How about a Passat?"
In Yongcheng, business people are quite keen on driving Audi A6s.
In a couple of years, Audi A6s will be almost everywhere, but currently, the on-the-road price exceeds 500,000 yuan, which Jinpeng Trading cannot afford.
As a second-best option, the Passat, which has been on the market for three years, is a better choice.
This car has high overall quality, a good balance of handling and comfort, very spacious interiors, and a decent power output from its 1.8T engine.
Its appearance is appealing and not outdated, even though it was launched over three years ago.
Whether for personal use or entertaining clients, it's sufficiently classy.
The on-the-road price shouldn't exceed 300,000 yuan, which is also affordable.
Moreover, buying a car in the company's name can also reduce certain taxes.
"A Passat? That car isn't cheap either, but it's okay, we can get some tax reductions. But the question is, can you really drive?"
"Don't worry. Do you think my dad would agree to me buying a driver's license if I couldn't drive at all?"
"That's true. Uncle is much more reliable than you; he doesn't even dare ride a motorcycle fast. So when are we buying?"
"Let's wait until this batch of goods is shipped out. But we can go look at them first, then we can pick one up directly when the time comes, as our New Year's gift."
Currently, the company account has approximately 600,000 yuan.
Excluding the salaries of Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng, the company's daily expenses are actually not large.
There are two full-time employees, one part-time customs declarer, one part-time accountant, and one part-time designer.
Additionally, there are monthly rent, utilities, and property management fees.
These are fixed expenses that must be paid regardless of whether there are orders.
The rent has already been paid for a year.
Excluding rent, the average monthly fixed expenses are actually less than 20,000 yuan, simply because labor is truly cheap these days.
Then, whenever goods are shipped, some temporary workers need to be hired.
The costs for temporary workers vary but are generally very cheap.
For packers, fifty yuan a day is the absolute maximum.
Labor costs are never the heaviest burden for businesses in this era, and Jinpeng Trading is no exception.
OEM factories, materials like product outer packaging boxes, and customs declaration fees—these are the major costs.
Down payments and final payments for goods cannot be delayed, otherwise, they will cause adverse chain reactions.
Of course, for the second and third orders, Jinpeng Trading already has some bargaining power, so it no longer needs to pay a 50% down payment like for the first order.
The December order was only 50,000 USD, a significant decrease compared to November, but Tan Jincheng was not worried.
In the early stages of entrepreneurship, one needs to be bold but also steady.
The company's risk resistance is too low, and being scammed on a single export order could lead to the company's collapse.
Therefore, Tan Jincheng still accepts orders by collecting sufficient deposits, as he did initially.
Blind and disorderly expansion will only lead to greater risks; accumulating clients, building a reputation, and proceeding steadily are currently the safest operating methods for Jinpeng Trading.
(End of chapter)
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