OBS I learned a lot from Chapter 538
I learned a lot from Chapter 538
Along the way, Secretary Chen explained the ins and outs of maritime transport. Li Xiangyang listened attentively, occasionally asking a few questions.
“The most crucial thing is the commodity inspection certificate,” Secretary Chen said while driving. “Every single one of our mountain products must pass inspection before they can be exported. But General Manager Li has arranged everything in advance, so you don’t need to worry about that.”
"What about customs?"
"Customs mainly checks if the paperwork is complete and also verifies the goods," Secretary Chen smiled. "To put it simply, as long as the documents are complete and the goods match, there's generally no problem."
After driving for most of the day, the road gradually became smoother, and in the distance, Li Xiangyang saw the sea.
"We're almost there," Secretary Chen said, pointing ahead. "That's Dalian Port."
Looking out the car window, Li Xiangyang saw the sea and sky blend into one in the distance, rows of cargo ships were docked at the pier, and tall cranes on the shore were busy loading and unloading goods.
"It's truly magnificent," Li Xiangyang couldn't help but exclaim.
This was the first time he had seen such a large port since his rebirth, and also the first time he had seen the sea.
“Yes, Dalian Port is one of the largest ports in northern China,” Secretary Chen said, clearly proud. “Cargo ships sail from here to all parts of the world every day.”
As the car entered the port area, a bustling scene unfolded everywhere.
Trucks and forklifts came and went, and workers were loading and unloading goods in an orderly manner. The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea and the smell of diesel.
"President Li is waiting over there." Secretary Chen parked the car in front of an office building.
Li Zhihua was already waiting downstairs, with several staff members standing beside him. He greeted Li Xiangyang as he got out of the car.
"Mr. Li, you must be tired from your journey." Li Zhihua warmly shook Li Xiangyang's hand. "How is it? Is this your first time at Dalian Port?"
"Yes, it was very impressive," Li Xiangyang said sincerely.
"Come on, let me show you the process first," Li Zhihua said, pointing to the office building. "Let's go to customs to complete the formalities first."
The customs office was bustling with people, their various accents mingling together. Li Zhihua led Li Xiangyang to a counter.
“Comrade, we’re here to process the export formalities.” Li Zhihua handed over a stack of documents.
The customs officer was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses and looking very serious. He took the documents and carefully examined them one by one.
"Mountain Treasures Co., Ltd., destination Hong Kong..." the staff member muttered as they looked through the documents. "The inspection certificate is here, the certificate of origin is here too..."
Li Xiangyang observed quietly from the side and saw that the staff member was very serious about his work, carefully checking each stamp.
"Where are the goods?" the staff member asked, looking up.
“It’s on the truck outside,” Li Zhihua replied.
"Okay, let's go check out the goods."
The group arrived at the truck, where staff asked them to open several boxes for inspection. Li Xiangyang felt a little nervous as he watched his carefully packaged ginseng and deer antlers being taken out and examined one by one.
"This batch of ginseng is of good quality." The staff member picked up a ginseng root. "Wild?"
"Yes, they are all wild ginseng from Changbai Mountain," Li Zhihua explained.
The staff then inspected the deer antlers and other mountain products, carefully checking the quantity and quality of each item.
"The goods meet export standards," the staff member concluded. "Customs clearance can be processed."
Back in the office, staff stamped and signed various documents.
"Alright, customs procedures are complete." The staff member handed the documents back. "Now you can go to the port authority to complete the loading procedures."
The port authority's office hall was even busier, filled with people going through procedures. Li Zhihua was clearly an experienced worker, and he easily found his way to the appropriate window.
"Which ship should we load this batch of goods onto?" Li Zhihua asked.
"The Pearl will depart the day after tomorrow afternoon." The staff checked the records. "Loading can be arranged now."
Next, they contacted the loading and unloading team. Li Xiangyang followed Li Zhihua to the dock, where a huge cargo ship was moored on the shore, with the three large characters "Mingzhu" written on its hull.
“This is the ship,” Li Zhihua said, pointing to the cargo ship. “It will go to Hong Kong first, and then go to other places.”
The loading and unloading team leader was a burly man with dark skin and a loud voice.
"How much?" he asked.
“Thirty-two boxes, each weighing approximately fifty kilograms,” Li Zhihua replied.
"No problem!" the captain waved his hand dismissively. "It'll be done in half an hour."
Soon, the stevedores got busy. They used forklifts to unload the containers from the trucks and then used cranes to lift them onto the ship.
Li Xiangyang stood on the dock, watching his goods being loaded onto the ship box by box, feeling nervous.
"So, what are your thoughts?" Li Zhihua walked up to Li Xiangyang.
"It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous," Li Xiangyang said honestly. "After all, it's my first time doing such a big deal."
“I understand.” Li Zhihua nodded. “When I first started doing business, I was even more nervous than you. But your goods are of very high quality and will definitely be popular in Hong Kong.”
After loading was completed, Li Zhihua took Li Xiangyang to the ship to meet the captain. The captain was an old seaman in his fifties, with a weathered face and a very straightforward manner.
"Don't worry, I've been running this route for over twenty years and have never had a problem," the captain said, patting his chest.
After disembarking from the ship, Li Zhihua took Li Xiangyang to the insurance company to purchase cargo insurance.
“This is essential,” Li Zhihua explained. “While sea freight is safe, insurance is a safeguard in case of an accident.”
After a full day of completing the procedures, Li Xiangyang felt he had learned a lot.
It turns out that a batch of goods needs to go through so many steps before it can be shipped overseas, and each step must be done correctly.
That evening, Li Zhihua treated Li Xiangyang to dinner at a seafood restaurant near the port.
"Mr. Li, it was a pleasure working with you this time," Li Zhihua said, raising his glass. "We'll definitely look forward to working together again in the future."
“Of course, we also hope to establish a long-term cooperative relationship.” Li Xiangyang raised his glass. “Mr. Li, I’ve really learned a lot this time.”
During the meeting, Li Zhihua introduced Li Xiangyang to a lot about the situation in overseas markets.
"There is currently a great demand for our Northeastern specialties overseas," Li Zhihua said. "It's not just in Hong Kong, but also in Southeast Asia, Europe, and America."
"And then..."
"If you want to expand into overseas markets in the future, I can help introduce you to clients," Li Zhihua said sincerely. "However, to do business overseas, quality control is very important, and it's also essential to understand the needs of different regions."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiangyang quickly raised his glass to Li Zhihua, saying, "Mr. Li, your words have truly shown us the way forward. Before, we were working in the mountains, completely clueless about the outside market. Your willingness to make this connection is a great help. If you ever need our cooperation in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."
Li Zhihua smiled and waved his hand, "Mr. Li, you're too kind. We business people value sincerity. Your batch of wild ginseng and deer antlers are top-grade goods in Hong Kong's medicinal herb markets. As long as you maintain quality control, you won't have to worry about repeat customers."