OBS Chapter 1291 Time is money, efficiency is life
Chapter 1291 Time is money, efficiency is life
Chapter 1291 Time is money, efficiency is life
The train rattled along for three days and three nights. Yang Xun pressed his face against the window, his eyes wide with excitement. This was his first time traveling so far, and everything was new and exciting. The scenery rushing past the window was so beautiful that even the air seemed to become moist.
"Brother Hao, are we almost there?" Yang Xun asked for the umpteenth time.
Qin Hao, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them upon hearing this: "Soon, the next stop is Guangzhou."
Yang Xun rubbed his hands excitedly: "Guangzhou is a big city! I've heard there are lots of amazing things there!"
"Don't just get caught up in the excitement," Qin Hao reminded him. "Keep an eye on your luggage; the train station is crowded and chaotic."
Yang Xun quickly grabbed the bundle from the luggage rack and hugged it to his chest, glancing around warily. This bundle contained all their belongings; it couldn't be allowed to fall into any danger.
The train slowly pulled into Guangzhou Station, and Yang Xun eagerly squeezed to the door. The moment the door opened, a wave of heat mixed with the cries of vendors in various dialects rushed towards him, and Yang Xun was completely stunned.
The platform was packed with people, passengers carrying large bags and small packages surging like a tide. Uniformed train attendants shouted to maintain order, while vendors nimbly weaved through the crowd, hawking cigarettes, fruit, and newspapers. In the distance, several green trains puffed out white smoke, their whistles sounding incessantly.
"Come on, what are you daydreaming about?" Qin Hao patted Yang Xun on the shoulder.
Yang Xun finally snapped out of his daze and swallowed hard. "Brother Hao, there are so many people! This is ten times more crowded than the market in our county!"
Qin Hao smiled and said, "This is nothing. You'll see after we get off the train."
The two squeezed out of the train station with the flow of people, and Yang Xun couldn't take it all in.
On the towering plaza in front of the station, buses, taxis, and tricycles lined up in long queues, their horns blaring incessantly. Shops lined the streets, each with an eye-catching sign. What surprised Yang Xun most was that the pedestrians here were dressed much more fashionably than back home. Many young people wore bell-bottoms and floral shirts, and some even wore sunglasses. There were also far more bicycles than back home, making the streets almost too crowded.
"Brother Hao, where are we going now?" Yang Xun followed closely behind Qin Hao, afraid of getting separated in the crowd.
"Let's find a place to stay first," Qin Hao said, leading Yang Xun onto a bus.
The bus swayed and rattled through the streets of Guangzhou. Yang Xun leaned against the window, greedily gazing at this unfamiliar yet bustling city.
The streets were lined with tall banyan trees, their aerial roots hanging down like an old man's beard. The shop windows were filled with a dazzling array of goods, including televisions, radios, bicycles, and other novelties that Yang Xun had never seen before.
"Brother Hao, look at that!" Yang Xun suddenly exclaimed, pointing at a shop on the roadside, "What's that? How can it spin by itself?"
Qin Hao followed his finger and saw an electric fan displayed at the entrance of an appliance store: "That's an electric fan; you can just plug it in and it'll blow air."
Yang Xun's eyes widened: "How much does this cost?"
"Once we make some money, we'll buy one for your family too," Qin Hao said with a smile.
The bus stopped near Renmin Road, and Qin Hao led Yang Xun to a state-run guesthouse. A middle-aged woman with curly hair sat at the front desk, eating sunflower seeds and reading a newspaper.
"Comrade, we need accommodation." Qin Hao handed over a letter of introduction.
The woman looked up and sized them up, then slowly took the letter of introduction: "Two people? How many days will you be staying?"
"Stay for three days first," Qin Hao said.
After the woman finished registering, she handed them a key: "Third floor, room 308. Five yuan deposit."
The room wasn't big, with two single beds, a wardrobe, and a wooden table with peeling paint. But compared to the hard seats on the train, this was heavenly comfort. Yang Xun plopped down on the bed, the mattress creaking.
"Brother Hao, what do we do next?" Yang Xun asked impatiently.
Qin Hao put the luggage down: "Are you tired? Do you want to rest for a bit?"
"Not tired at all!" Yang Xun waved his hands repeatedly. "Let's go for a walk!"
Seeing Yang Xun's excited expression, Qin Hao smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll show you around."
Walking the streets of Guangzhou, Yang Xun was like a curious puppy, looking around. He soon noticed a peculiar phenomenon—the storefronts all extended outwards, forming long corridors.
"Brother Hao, these Guangzhou people really know how to do business." Yang Xun looked up at the eaves above him. "When they built the shops, they extended this area, so customers can shop here without worrying about wind or rain. They can take their time browsing."
Qin Hao followed his gaze and explained, "This is called an arcade building, which originated from Southeast Asia. Guangdong is mostly saline-alkali land, unsuitable for growing crops. Poverty breeds change, so many locals went to Southeast Asia to make a living, earned money, and then returned to rebuild their ancestral homes. That's why many Southeast Asian-style buildings are preserved here."
Yang Xun suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! Brother Hao, you know so much!"
Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Stop flattering me. I always tell you to read more books, but you always think it's useless. You'll regret it later."
Yang Xun scratched his head sheepishly, "Brother Hao, I'm really not cut out for studying. My head aches as soon as I look at a book."
Qin Hao knew the kid wasn't listening, so he didn't bother arguing anymore. The two continued walking, and as they passed several electronics stores, Yang Xun deliberately slowed down to carefully observe the goods displayed in the windows and their prices.
"Brother Hao," he said in a low voice, "I just checked, there are four or five appliance stores on this street alone. If you want to buy from them, we can ask around and get the lowest possible price."
Qin Hao nodded inwardly. Yang Xun was truly a natural businessman. Most people, on their first long trip, would probably be focused on the food and fun, but he managed to remember the purpose of his trip, which put him ahead of many others.
"No rush," Qin Hao said. "I don't have much capital on hand, so buying appliances directly won't get me a lot of stock. Let's do something else first and accumulate some initial capital."
Yang Xun asked curiously, "So what are we going to do?"
Qin Hao smiled mysteriously: "You'll find out tomorrow."
As dusk approached, the two found a small restaurant to eat at. Yang Xun stared at the prices on the menu, exclaiming, "This is too expensive! A bowl of wonton noodles costs fifty cents!"
"There's nothing we can do, we don't have national food coupons. If we don't have coupons, then it'll just be a little more expensive." Qin Hao ordered a few dishes and two bowls of rice.
While waiting for the food, Yang Xun leaned over and whispered, "Brother Hao, what exactly did you mean by accumulating initial capital?"
Qin Hao took a sip of tea: "We'll just do some small business first, to earn some capital. We didn't bring much money this time, so buying electronics directly wouldn't be cost-effective."
"Then what kind of business shall we do?" Yang Xun's eyes lit up.
"I'll take you somewhere tomorrow, and you'll find out then," Qin Hao said, still keeping him in suspense.
The next morning, Qin Hao took Yang Xun to the long-distance bus station. Yang Xun thought they would be wandering around Guangzhou, but Qin Hao unexpectedly bought two tickets to Shantou.
"Brother Hao, are we not going to the market in Guangzhou?" Yang Xun asked in confusion.
Qin Hao explained, "There are better opportunities in Shantou; you'll see when you get there."
Once on the long-distance bus, Yang Xun noticed that most of the passengers were middle-aged men in their thirties and forties, speaking with accents from all over the country. These men dressed in various ways, some in suits and ties, others in work clothes, but they all had one thing in common—a shrewd and wary look in their eyes.
"Brother Hao," Yang Xun quietly nudged Qin Hao, "Why are so many people heading to Shantou?"
Qin Hao smiled mysteriously: "Guess."
After a seven or eight-hour drive, the car finally arrived in Shantou in the evening. As soon as we stepped out of the bus station, a group of people surrounded us, asking in heavily accented Chaoshan-accented Mandarin, "What kind of business do you do, boss? Want some smuggled goods?"
Yang Xun was completely confused: "Brother Hao, what's a counterfeit product?"
Qin Hao didn't answer, but instead asked the people who had gathered around, "Do you have a digital watch?"
Upon hearing that Qin Hao had come to buy a digital watch, most of the people gathered around dispersed, clearly indicating that it wasn't a popular item.
One of the boys, around fourteen or fifteen years old, spoke first: "How many pieces do you want?"
Qin Hao casually replied, "Two thousand yuan."
The boy held up three fingers: "Three yuan a piece."
Qin Hao turned to leave: "Too expensive."
The boy immediately caught up with him: "How much money can you give me?"
"One yuan at most," Qin Hao said without turning his head.
The boy shook his head vigorously: "You can't even buy that for one dollar in Hong Kong! It'll cost at least two dollars and fifty cents!"
Qin Hao stopped and stared at the boy: "Can you make that decision?"
The boy puffed out his chest: "It's my goods, so I'm the one in charge!"
Yang Xun stared blankly at the dark-skinned, thin boy in front of him, who looked about the same age as him. He had thought he was quite precocious, but this boy seemed even more mature than him.
"Two yuan," Qin Hao said. "I'll take a thousand yuan to test the waters first. If your goods are of good quality, I'll buy more from you next time."
The boy glanced at his menacing "competitors" around him, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine, two yuan it is! Come with me!"
The boy led the two onto a dilapidated tricycle, which zig-wrecked away from the bus station. Yang Xun noticed that the other passengers who got off with them were also led by different people, dispersing in different directions.
The tricycle traveled along the country road, and the scenery on both sides of the road became increasingly desolate.
Yang Xun's heart began to pound, and he couldn't help but ask, "Brother Hao, where are we going?"
"Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let you suffer any losses," Qin Hao said calmly.
Yang Xun noticed several tricycles following behind, carrying passengers he'd seen at the bus station. This reassured him slightly, but he was still puzzled: "Brother Hao, why don't you go to such a big market like Guangzhou and come to this remote, impoverished area to buy goods? Are the goods here cheaper than in Guangzhou?"
Before Qin Hao could speak, the boy said disdainfully, "How can Guangzhou's goods compare to ours? Our goods are all shipped from Hong Kong, cheap and good quality. Many Guangzhou bosses get their goods from us!"
As they spoke, the tricycle stopped at the entrance of a small alley. Two villagers, seemingly just strolling around, were eyeing Qin Hao and his group with wary looks. Yang Xun felt uneasy under their gaze and whispered to Qin Hao, "Brother Hao, are they going to attack us?"
Qin Hao chuckled: "Don't worry, with me here, if they dare to double-cross us, I won't hesitate to rob the rich to help the poor."
Upon hearing this, the boy glanced instinctively at the tall and burly Qin Hao, then turned back to continue leading the way. Yang Xun turned around and found that the people following him were gone, which made him even more uneasy.
Finally, the boy stopped in front of a dilapidated house: "Wait here for me, I'm going to get the goods."
Yang Xun nervously looked around. The village looked ordinary, but it had an eerie feel to it. Many houses had their doors and windows tightly closed, and when villagers passed by, they all looked at them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Brother Hao, something's off about this place," Yang Xun asked in a low voice.
Qin Hao explained in a low voice, "I reckon this village is full of smugglers; the villagers are very wary of strangers. Let's take the goods and leave, and avoid trouble."
A few minutes later, the boy came out carrying a snakeskin bag: "Here, these are the thousand digital watches you wanted."
Qin Hao took the burlap sack and began inspecting the goods. The electronic watches were simply packaged in plastic bags, and came in various styles, including square and round.
Qin Hao picked up a piece and tried it out. The LCD screen lit up, displaying the time and date.
The quality was so-so, and the appearance was just average. However, this thing was a rare item in mainland China in 79. Basically, if you had it, you didn't have to worry about selling it, and the profit was huge.
Yang Xun also helped Qin Hao inspect the goods. He had never seen a digital watch before, but he had seen mechanical watches. A Shanghai brand mechanical watch would sell for over a hundred yuan, and you'd need a receipt. This kind of digital watch only cost a few yuan, and you didn't even need a receipt. He couldn't imagine how much money they made from this stuff.
"How's it going? Is everything alright?" the boy asked.
Qin Hao nodded: "It's alright."
He took out two stacks of banknotes from his inner pocket, counted out two hundred large ten-yuan bills, and handed them to the boy.
The boy took the money and counted it skillfully. Yang Xun noticed that his movements were very experienced, not at all like a child.
"Wait, give me a hundred yuan too." Yang Xun pulled out a handful of change from the inner lining of his cotton coat.
The boy took the money, counted it, and turned to go back into the house.
Yang Xun felt a little embarrassed by Qin Hao's gaze: "Brother Hao, I can't have come all this way for nothing, can I?"
Qin Hao joked, "I didn't realize you had some capital. Looks like you're making quite a bit of money trading steamed buns for eggs."
"Brother Hao, please don't be so modest. I worked myself to the bone for two years and only managed to save up 100 yuan. The remaining 100 yuan was scraped together by my mom. She said that it's better to be frugal on the road than to be stingy, and she insisted that I take it with me."
As they were talking, the boy took out another hundred digital watches. Yang Xun carefully tried them one by one before finally showing a satisfied smile.
"Do you have relatives in Hong Kong?" Qin Hao asked the boy casually.
The boy nodded: "My dad and a few uncles are over there. They can get anything. If you need any appliances, I can get them for you, and they'll definitely be the best."
Qin Hao chuckled: "Okay, as long as your goods are of good quality and the price is fair, we can have a long-term partnership."
After counting the money, the boy readily shook hands with Qin Hao: "My name is A-Qiang. Look me up next time you come to Shantou!"
The transaction was complete, and the boy led the two out of the village. Before leaving, he specifically instructed them, "If you need to find me in the future, look for me at the bus station entrance. Don't come to our village alone; they'll chase you away."
Back at the long-distance bus station, Yang Xun was still a little dazed: "Brother Hao, we finished getting our goods so quickly?"
Qin Hao chuckled: "Then how long did you think it would take?"
Yang Xun scratched his head: "I thought we'd have to haggle for at least several days."
"People here are really straightforward in doing business. They pay money and deliver goods at the same time, unlike where we are, where you need a letter of introduction and a stamp to do anything."
"Xiao Yangxun, there's a saying in Guangdong: 'Time is money, efficiency is life.'"