"On the path, a young man, his body fragrant with orchid and musk."
For some reason, seeing Tan Jincheng again, Gu Qingqing couldn't help but recall this poem.
Boss Tan's demeanor seemed a bit different from late March.
"Here's what you wanted."
"Thank you, how much is it? I'll pay you,"
Gu Qingqing said somewhat shyly.
"Converted to RMB, it's about 1900 yuan. Just give me 1900."
Gu Qingqing quickly pulled out her wallet, counted out 19 banknotes, and handed them to Tan Jincheng.
In those days, buying goods from Hong Kong was common, especially electronics, which were new in style and had a favorable exchange rate.
So, when Gu Qingqing learned that Tan Jincheng was going to Hong Kong, she asked him to help her buy a phone.
Her father's birthday was approaching, and she wanted to prepare a birthday gift for him.
After Tan Jincheng put the money into his wallet, Gu Qingqing pointed to the BMW across the street and said,
"Haven't seen you in a while, Boss Tan changed cars?"
"Oh, I opened a new company. This car was configured for the new company."
If he wasn't going to be away for long, Tan Jincheng would drive himself to the airport and park his car in the airport parking lot.
Although parking fees were quite expensive, it was relatively much more convenient.
After returning today, to save time and avoid making another trip for a single purchase next time, Tan Jincheng drove straight here.
It wouldn't be too late to return to Beicang after delivering the item.
"Opened another new company? Boss Tan's business is getting bigger and bigger."
"Can't say I'm getting rich, just doing something I want to do. I'm drowning in debt."
"Doing business, you're bound to owe some money at first. Take your time, and you'll make a profit later."
Then Gu Qingqing said, somewhat hesitantly,
"It's still early. How about I show Boss Tan around my campus, and then treat you to dinner as a thank you?"
Tan Jincheng looked at the time.
It was only a little past two, still a long way from dinner.
What was the point of touring a campus?
It was more practical to go back to work and earn money.
"I just came from the airport and haven't even gone home yet. Setting up the new company is a bit busy. Next time, I'll treat you."
"Alright then, Boss Tan, you're busy."
Gu Qingqing was somewhat disappointed.
This was her first time actively inviting a boy to tour the campus and have dinner, and she hadn't expected to be rejected.
After Tan Jincheng drove away, three girls sitting nearby quickly got up and came over to Gu Qingqing.
These three were Gu Qingqing's roommates.
The three of them in the dorm today accidentally overheard on Gu Qingqing's phone that Tan Jincheng was delivering something to her.
Driven by a gossipy spirit, they followed along to secretly take a look.
The idea of touring the campus and having dinner together was also theirs.
"Why did he leave? Didn't you say you were going to tour the campus and then eat together?"
"Didn't you say he drove a Volkswagen? I saw a BMW emblem; I recognize that."
Three women make a drama, chattering endlessly, which made Gu Qingqing incredibly shy.
"It was all your bad ideas! I told you I just asked him to help bring back a birthday gift for my dad from Hong Kong. You just saw it, I gave him the money, and he took it."
"Why didn't he bring anything for us? But this Boss Tan is really worthy of being in the clothing business; his attire looks so comfortable, and he's handsome too."
It seems every university dorm has these matchmaker-type roommates, regardless of gender.
After learning that Gu Qingqing had eaten alone with Tan Jincheng several times, this group of people felt that their usually slightly proud roommate had an unusual relationship with him, especially after Gu Qingqing had gone to Beicang by herself last time.
In relationships between men and women, often both parties might just be decent friends, but they can't resist the perception of friends around them that there's something more, leading to a change in their own mindset.
This is probably similar to brainwashing.
Through the unremitting efforts of her three roommates, Gu Qingqing's mindset inevitably underwent some changes.
This time, buying a gift for her father was her test.
Normally, for a boss to go to Hong Kong for a few days, it would definitely be for work.
Asking for help with a personal purchase like this might be a bit inappropriate, but Gu Qingqing still asked.
What surprised her was that Tan Jincheng agreed.
In just a three-day trip, after handling his own affairs, he still made time to help her buy things.
Does he have a good impression of me too?
So, with her roommates' coaxing, today's scene unfolded, but the outcome was not as they had imagined.
Xu Manli saw Gu Qingqing looking a bit downcast and comforted her,
"It's only a little past two. He probably really has something to do, so it's normal for him to decline. He's a boss, after all, so he's definitely busier than us."
"Well, he hasn't even gone home yet; he came directly from the airport,"
Gu Qingqing said awkwardly.
"There you go! He delivered it to you right after getting off the plane. That's already great. Keep it up."
"Hey, you haven't said why his car changed to a BMW. Is selling clothes that profitable?"
"Oh, he said he opened a new company, and the BMW was bought for the new company. I don't know the specifics."
Immediately after, Gu Qingqing seemed to remember something:
"Oh no, I just forgot to mention that he asked me to find clothing models last time. I was supposed to talk about that, it's all your fault."
"Hahaha, isn't that great? You'll find another opportunity to meet next time, right?"
"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going back."
Meanwhile, Tan Jincheng, driving back, had no idea what awaited him.
Ever since Zhang Xupeng told Zhang Suzhi everything that had happened recently, Zhang Suzhi became increasingly restless.
The company co-founded by the two brothers was doing business with foreigners, securing orders worth tens of millions from a single business trip.
The speed of making money had already exceeded Zhang Suzhi's imagination.
Furthermore, they were planning a factory with an annual output of 30,000 electric scooters.
Zhang Suzhi knew what electric scooters were.
In some large and small electric scooter shops in Yicheng, a cheap electric scooter cost over 2000 yuan, while expensive ones sold for around 4000 yuan.
Calculating at an average price, wouldn't that mean an annual output value of about 100 million yuan?
Zhang Suzhi, who hadn't yet recovered from the shock of the millions in investment, was now completely unable to sit still.
Without waiting for evening, she called Tan Lihua, telling him to come home early as there was something important to discuss.
This scared Tan Lihua into immediately taking leave and returning home.
Everything at home was fine, construction at the site was normal, and if there was an issue back home, the call would have come directly to him.
Needless to say, if his wife said there was something important to discuss, it surely meant trouble with that brat in Yongcheng.
Upon returning home, Tan Lihua was stunned when his wife told him.
But no, when he came back last year, he just said he was going to do business.
Tan Lihua's understanding of doing business was similar to Zhang Suzhi's, for example, their cousin at home sold steel, which was considered a significant business.
However, selling steel also required large investments.
When business was good, he earned a lot in a year, but when it was bad, with inventory buildup, etc., he might even lose money in a year.
When he first started, he had to shamelessly borrow money from every household.
His own son taking over 100,000 yuan to start a business, Tan Lihua honestly didn't take it seriously.
Even if he lost it all, Tan Lihua wouldn't really feel anything.
Although their family wasn't wealthy, they could afford to lose 100,000 yuan.
Once he faced setbacks, they could pull some strings, find someone, get him a job in a factory or elsewhere, and find him a wife; then his life would be stable.
"Do you think Peng Ya might be lying to you? Is business really that easy? Linong has been toiling for how many years, and his net worth hasn't surpassed ten million. How is it that, hearing you say it, these two greenhorns are already worth over ten million?"
"Peng Ya might boast and deceive me, but Qingliang certainly wouldn't. He saw that over 1000 square meter factory building with his own eyes."
"You're right, we really need to go take a look. If it's as Peng Ya says, then the annual output value might really be over 100 million. That would be the end of us; if they lose money, we could sell our whole family and still not pay it back."
"Are you going or am I? If I go, I'll have to send Jinyue back to our hometown first."
"I'll go. I'll take a few days off. Let Lamei manage the construction site, or we can just stop for a few days."
"Should we tell Huiru and her husband?"
"Hmm, it's good to tell them, see if they want to go see their son who's worth tens of millions. I guess they don't know the full extent either. If you hadn't pressed him, Peng Ya probably wouldn't have said anything."
Zhang Suzhi was speechless for a while, then sighed,
"Sigh, that Taobao shop transfers large sums of money into my bank account every so often. I've already saved over 100,000 yuan in the past few months. Your son said it was my pocket money, something he just set up casually."
"If his factory really takes off, then that truly could be considered pocket money,"
Tan Lihua said with a wry smile.
A factory building of over 1000 square meters, producing 30,000 electric scooters annually.
Although this thing can't compare to cars or motorcycles, it is an important mode of transportation, and to some extent, it has even surpassed motorcycles in importance within families.
Electric scooters don't require a driver's license, are easy to learn, and are cheaper.
Moreover, the large space in the front can carry some goods.
Tan Lihua often saw renovation workers and owners of street-side clothing stores using electric scooters to transport goods.
In a sense, an electric scooter is no longer just a simple mode of transportation for a family; it can even be considered a production tool.
Coupled with the country's strong development trend in recent years, some cities have already started banning motorcycles.
Not to mention, this kid has good vision, and he might just pull it off.
Tan Lihua didn't know the profit per electric scooter, but for a factory with an annual output value exceeding 100 million, what needs to be considered is more than just profit.
As a long-time employee of a state-owned enterprise, even at a grassroots level, his political sensitivity would be stronger than that of an ordinary person.
A company with an annual output value exceeding 100 million, even in economically developed coastal cities, holds a position that cannot be ignored.
If such a factory were placed in Yicheng...
For some reason, Tan Lihua always had a feeling that the days ahead would no longer be as peaceful as they were now.
"Sigh, I'll call Lao Zhang first. This matter shouldn't just trouble me; let him have a headache too."
So, the day before Tan Jincheng returned home, the two families discussed it and decided to send Tan Lihua and Zhang Guolong to Yongcheng to take a look.
Zhang Guolong's initial thoughts on Zhang Xupeng and Tan Jincheng partnering to do business were similar to Tan Lihua's.
Young people don't know the immensity of heaven and earth; they want to go out and make a name for themselves.
After they hit a wall, that's when their parents will rein them in.
But after only half a year, you pull this stunt on me?
My son is a millionaire?
During the New Year, I knew he had made some money, and he was so smug back then, but I never imagined he made this much money!
How can business be an overnight success?
Everyone starts small and develops gradually.
How can one achieve such success in just half a year?
We must go and see, and rein in these two wild boys.
Whether it was intentional or not, Tan Lihua and his wife, and Zhang Guolong and his wife, chose not to inform Zhang Xupeng or Tan Jincheng before coming to Yongcheng.
They didn't even tell Zhang Qingliang.
After arriving in Beicang, Zhang Guolong called Zhang Xupeng, saying they had arrived in Beicang and wanted to see his company.
Zhang Xupeng, who had just "backstabbed" Tan Jincheng, was also stunned.
I just wanted to see Aunt Zhang's reaction, or playfully trick Xiao Tan a bit, how did I manage to summon my own father?
"Dad, Uncle Tan, why did you suddenly come?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, utterly bewildered, as he met them.
"To see you. You've made things so big, your Uncle Tan and I couldn't be at ease without coming to see for ourselves."
"Haha, I haven't done anything big. That's Xiao Tan's doing; it has nothing to do with me. And don't even mention it, people have been asking me about Xiao Tan these past two days."
"Asking about what? What kind of people?"
Tan Lihua quickly asked.
"Oh, our company's supervisory unit, asking if Xiao Tan is really planning to set up a factory with an annual production capacity of 30,000 electric scooters. They probably were asked by other departments to inquire."
The sudden dividend distribution, overseas trips, factory registration, vehicle company and trademark registration, and asking people to buy equipment everywhere, coupled with the Canton Fair this time, made it difficult not to attract attention.
The reason there was no immediate reaction was, firstly, that Tan Jincheng had not explicitly stated specific goals or made clear declarations to the higher-ups.
Secondly, Tan Jincheng was currently abroad, but this did not stop some people from paying attention.
Naturally, more people started asking Zhang Xupeng for information, especially since Zhang Xupeng had been helping out in Shanqian Village recently.
Of course, those inquiring had no other intentions; it was simply that a factory with an annual output value of nearly 100 million yuan might appear within their jurisdiction.
This would significantly boost tax revenue and employment, so it was appropriate to pay attention.
Let alone 2005, even in 2023, a company with an annual output value exceeding 100 million is a registered key enterprise in a district.
Not to mention the taxes such a company would generate, it could at least solve the employment problem for around 200 employees.
As Zhang Xupeng spoke, Tan Lihua's brows furrowed, and he became even more worried.
Whether the attention was good or bad, in Tan Lihua's eyes, Tan Jincheng was still just a child.
(End of Chapter)
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