Chapter 70: "Come at Me All at Once, If You Dare"

This calculation hasn’t even taken the titanium ingot business into account yet.

The nonferrous metal factories in Jiangsu and Zhejiang now recommend a minimum of two tons of spot transactions per month, and as long as it’s within five tons, they can handle it all. This special metal, which used to have only two or three hundred tons of annual nationwide production, is something everyone should realize will see explosive demand as the economy develops under reform and opening up. Not to mention, Wei Dong is also well aware of the famous incidents related to titanium dioxide in Jiangzhou and Shangzhou that have made waves in the stock market.

So this thing, with nearly a hundred thousand in profit each month, will only become more lucrative in the future. Compared to that, the wages, food, and transport costs for Dog Egg and his group of young men—even the fuel consumed by that Dongfeng truck—are negligible. The spicy hotpot business run by the Lao Rang couple, now employing seven or eight small workers, could probably cover all these costs.

This one hundred eighty thousand is pure profit!

Wei Dong raised his hand and gestured, “Every month I can earn over a hundred thousand, and I’m still expanding sales. With the Aikes camera, it’s possible to sell more than a hundred or two hundred thousand units a year. Tell me, should I make this money or not?”

Yu Songhai, who looked close to forty, stared in amazement, “Why shouldn’t you?”

Wei Dong glanced at him quickly, “If I make over a million a year, do you think I’d be considered a capitalist?”

Yu Songhai wanted to say no, but with his broad experience, he paused only briefly before nodding, “Now I understand why you’re so cautious.”

Wei Dong had no grand ambitions, “I just want to seize this golden period of reform and opening up to make some money, and helping third-tier factories like Xishan is meaningful, too. But I never expected the market demand to be so vigorous. Isn’t this supposed to be a time of material shortages, with ration tickets and approvals needed everywhere?”

Yu Songhai certainly understood better, “These days since I got back from Guozhou, I’ve been thinking. Most market problems are due to mismatches between production and sales. The planned economy model has been chaotic as it interfaces with the market economy these past two years. Factories don’t know what to sell or how to sell it, and ordinary people can’t find what they want or afford it. That’s the opportunity for speculators like You Qili, who buy low and sell high, but you’re different.”

Wei Dong had been wracking his brain, trying to figure out how to make his money safely, “I participate in product development and production? Or do I sell it myself?”

Yu Songhai shook his head, “They profit by playing both sides between factories and the market, buying low and selling high, never involved in production. You, on the other hand, help them produce the most marketable goods and revive a military factory on the brink of bankruptcy. The difference is huge. So... regarding what the editor-in-chief mentioned today: you register your company in Rongdu, conduct business fairly and openly, pay taxes according to regulations. Even if policies change, they can’t find fault with you.”

He said it, but couldn’t be certain, slowly frowning.

Wei Dong laughed, “So it’s crucial never to engage in bribery or corruption, always earning money upright and aboveboard—is that what you mean?”

In the 1980s, 1990s, and even for the next twenty years, business in the mainland was almost impossible without some networking and backdoor dealings. But it seemed Wei Dong, having seized an early opportunity, had the confidence to say this.

“I’m a few years older than Lao Jin, but I look much older because I spent several years supporting the frontier in the snowy region, with plenty of time to contemplate life in desolate surroundings,” Yu Songhai relaxed a bit, “So I’ve realized: if you’re full of greed, you can’t survive; but if you’re utterly disheartened, you can’t survive either. So I’ll observe your business closely, but won’t participate in the profits.”

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Wei Dong asked, “Explain that? I’m just a country kid, not very cultured. Who doesn’t have some desires?”

Yu Songhai nodded, “Actually, it’s exactly the state you’ve grasped. If you’re driven purely by greed and ambition, always following your desires, trouble will come sooner or later. But if you lack the motivation to strive, you’ll become mediocre. You need to find the right balance.”

Wei Dong thought seriously about it and gave a thumbs up, grateful for the guidance.

He finally revealed his key idea, “That’s why I want to work with Lao You, to ground his wild ideas and make them real—this is also a kind of balance.”

Yu Songhai broke into hearty laughter, “No wonder you’re always urging him to get out soon.”

Wei Dong sighed, “He loves grand schemes so much, the more money I save, the easier it is for him to tinker.”

By now, the truck had turned into Provincial University. In those days, universities rarely had gatekeepers, so vehicles could come and go freely, but this truck was conspicuous and drew many students’ attention.

Yu Songhai, barely keeping a straight face, finally disclosed two important pieces of information to Wei Dong.

“Lao Feng, as editor-in-chief, has recently been focusing on Rongdu’s electronics and electrical equipment. The factories are all sorts, most running losses, and it’s uncertain if they’ll survive, but among them are military production lines making radar and communications equipment. Your experience selling tape recorders—could you share some insights with them?”

Wei Dong could do business with those making titanium alloys and optical scopes, but he guarded his money-making secrets fiercely.

With his basic knowledge, he believed that if he didn’t do it, someone else would, and their outdated products would be eliminated sooner or later. But even casual viewers of military videos know how impressive Rongdu’s radar and aircraft are—that’s high technology, essential technology that must never be cut off.

Wei Dong parked by the basketball courts where PE was held and nodded readily, “No problem, I can definitely offer some advice. Let me tell you, the electrical appliance factory in Jiangsu-Zhejiang succeeded not only because of quality, but also by advertising on radio—this move was brilliant, and the ad must be interesting.”

At that time, TV ads went like, “Beijing Third Plastic Factory, various synthetic leather slippers, address XXX, phone XXX, telegraph code XXX, welcome to call!” Dry, with a whiff of plastic, and nobody cared to remember.

That’s why the Yanwu ad, with its catchy song, was so stunning.

Wei Dong figured that as long as they used such creative advertising, business would be set.

Yu Songhai jotted it down, “Yes, quality must be solid, and advertising... Another thing: before Spring Festival this year, Jiangzhou established the country’s first industrial goods trading center at the wharf, experimenting with a free wholesale market model. Do you know about this?”

Wei Dong exclaimed, “I was in Shangzhou in January, doing citrus and sand-stone business—how could I know? So it’s completely open trading now?”

He’d thought, after visiting the clothing market that morning, that Jiangzhou’s wharf wholesale market was bound to boom, but hadn’t expected the ignition point to start here.

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Previously, the markets he’d seen formed a network, more like spontaneous industry bazaars.

Now, with the title of “first in the country,” it was clearly an exploratory trial.

Yu Songhai nodded, “The slogan is ‘wholesale fully open, no distinction between public and private, no north-south divide, anyone can buy, anyone can sell.’ Open wholesale, direct deals between manufacturers and sellers—could this solve the production-sales mismatch?”

Wei Dong was cautious, “What’s on the sign and what actually happens are two different things, right? Everyone wants the people to have enough to eat, but with such a large operation, all sorts of things will emerge. I’ll seriously investigate when I return from Rongdu.”

Yu Songhai was satisfied, “It’s remarkable. You’re only twenty, just a rural high school graduate, yet you seem to understand the realities of government organizations. In our interviews, these are the contradictions we encounter most: either everyone just shouts slogans, hoping the higher-ups solve problems, or they’re cynical, blaming everything on the system. But you know the score and don’t take it too seriously.”

The old security guard played dumb, “Didn’t you say it’s all about balance? That’s exactly what Lao You’s little trading company does—he pioneered the path, Jiangzhou made it big, and he’s still stuck in jail. If only he could join this trading center, it would be unstoppable.”

Yu Songhai had finished his task, “Actually, our press office receives a flood of policy and business information daily. I’ll try to help by passing you reminders, but the key is for you to use your smarts wisely.”

Wei Dong reciprocated, “Lao You and Lao Jin are both ambitious and clever—I won’t... Do you know why I’m here?”

Yu Songhai finally looked around, confused, “Provincial University? Why are you here?”

Clearly, the basketball courts were occupied by PE classes, and the young men playing were still at it.

Wei Dong wasn’t in a hurry, “Didn’t I tell Lao Jin before, in Beijing, I used university forums to distribute over a hundred cameras to students, letting them sell for me?”

Yu Songhai took out his notebook again, “Now you want to replicate that at Sichuan Provincial University?”

Wei Dong smiled and pointed into the distance. Rongdu’s cityscape was so flat that, as the joke goes, you could see the whole city standing on a stool, especially obvious in the eighties, with few tall buildings.

From the open basketball court, you could see the sharp spire of Jinjiang Tower, a famous ancient landmark, rising among the teaching blocks and the neighboring park.

“I can sell three thousand cameras a week, and honestly, it’s nothing special—it’s just that I set up a sales point by busy West Lake, so tourists from all over the country arriving there each day can spend forty or fifty yuan to capture the scenery, take commemorative photos, and bring home a camera.”

Yu Songhai, shocked but attentive, caught onto something, “Check in? Hahaha, what a clever phrase, truly clever. Right, right, in Rongdu, if you don’t visit Jinjiang Tower every year, it’s as if you haven’t checked in. You always have a knack for wording. West Lake is a must-see for anyone on business in Zhejiang—who’d expect the place with the greatest demand for cameras to be the West Lake shore!”

Wei Dong pressed his two index fingers together, “College students love taking pictures and exploring beautiful sights—combine that with checking in at famous landmarks, what do you think?”

The reporter couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile, “In a word—excellent!”