Chapter 26 Exclusive Land in Jinjiang

Zhao Xianghong's price was much cheaper than the wholesale market price, but Su Ruyi wasn't so easily satisfied and felt that she could negotiate the price further.

During negotiations, Zhao Xianghong was not as gentle as she usually appeared, and she did not easily concede on the price.

After some back and forth, the two finally settled on a price of 2 yuan for a large hula hoop and 1.8 yuan for a small hula hoop, with the plastic factory also including a free gift box.

The door-to-door delivery was something Su Ruyi negotiated. She initially tried to lower the price to 1.5 yuan for a large hula hoop and 1.2 yuan for a small hula hoop, but after a long negotiation, she got the current price. However, she insisted that the plastic factory be responsible for delivery.

It's not easy to find a transport vehicle these days, and for someone like her who doesn't have connections, the shipping costs will be very high.

The plastics factory only had one truck, and Su Ruyi had long had this idea.

Zhao Xianghong readily agreed, but stipulated that the total purchase amount must exceed three thousand, otherwise it would not be worthwhile, and a 50% deposit would be required.

Su Ruyi gritted her teeth and agreed; her heart was pounding as she signed the contract.

This was the first time she had ever taken such a risk; it was a do-or-die situation.

After spending money during this period, plus the money she gave to Wang Huiting before, she now has less than three thousand yuan in her hands!

We'll need to rent warehouses then, and the shortfall will be around four or five hundred.

Because the final payment can be made later, Su Ruyi is taking advantage of this time difference.

This was undoubtedly an extremely risky move; she didn't actually know whether hula hoops would be a hot seller.

Even if it's certain that this thing will become popular, it's hard to predict exactly when it will become popular or whether there will be any mishaps along the way.

There's a saying that in business, the bold get rich and the timid starve.

If she buys less stock, not only will her costs increase, but others will also learn from her and she won't be able to reap the early profits. She'll earn much less later on.

Even bolder people can throw all their money into the gamble at the deposit stage, winning big and becoming rich, or losing everything and ending up with a mountain of debt.

Su Ruyi didn't put herself in that awkward situation. Even if the sales cycle was long, she wouldn't be unable to pay the balance. Even if it didn't sell well, she could still recoup four or five hundred yuan.

I know what I'm thinking, but I still can't help feeling nervous.

Hongxing Plastics Factory has recently experienced a series of events, resulting in fewer orders and readily available materials, so the factory will be able to receive the goods in half a month.

This was still an extended timeframe, as the plastics factory allowed a considerable amount of time for the first production run, just to be on the safe side.

Su Ruyi wasn't in a hurry. She had a place to stay now, and the warehouse issue also needed to be resolved.

Once the plastics factory gave her confirmation, Su Ruyi called back and asked Li Mei to help her find a warehouse.

"Do you have a lot of things? If not, I can borrow your Aunt Huang Ling's woodshed."

Huang Ling's husband was a cadre in the factory, and she herself was an office worker, so they were allocated a cadre apartment. Not only was the apartment larger, but it also had its own kitchen and bathroom, and there was a small woodshed of a few square meters downstairs.

The woodshed used to be used to store honeycomb briquettes, but now Huang Ling's family has switched to a more convenient gas stove, and the woodshed has become a storage room.

“My goods take up a lot of space, and the woodshed is definitely not enough to hold them. I need a warehouse.”

After clarifying the required space, Li Mei said, "Okay, I'll go to the factory and ask."

"Thank you for your help, Aunt Mei."

"Don't be so polite with me. Don't worry, leave this to me."

Li Mei wasn't surprised that Su Ruyi would bring up the matter of renting a warehouse. She had already inquired about it beforehand and revealed that she wanted to make a living by doing business, so she already had a premonition.

Although Li Mei felt that girls didn't need to work so hard and that finding a stable job was the right thing to do, she didn't have so many requirements for Su Ruyi.

Before Su Ruyi arrived, Su Ying had called her and told her that as long as Su Ruyi didn't break the law, she could do whatever she wanted.

Li Mei never regarded Su Ying and Su Ruyi as ordinary women. Su Ying was even more capable than men, and her daughter, whom she had raised since childhood, was just like her. Therefore, she would not look at them with the same eyes as ordinary women.

Two years ago, Li Mei might have grumbled a bit, but in recent years, the factory's performance has been poor, and many factories around her are even worse than the furniture factory, unable to pay wages. Her views have gradually changed.

Even if being a self-employed individual is not respectable, it's still better than being penniless.

If Su Ruyi really makes money, not to mention her and her two daughters from her previous marriage, Tong Yunyun will definitely benefit from it.

Li Mei kept this in mind and went to find Huang Ling after hanging up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Su Ruyi left the plastics factory, planning to come back in a few days to check on the situation.

Once the sample is ready and she's sure there are no problems, she can go back. Once all the goods are ready, they can be shipped directly from here and she can just wait to receive them.

Su Ruyi's early return also confirmed that the warehouse was fine.

Fortunately, my aunt's house is nearby, otherwise she would have had to go back first and come over when the samples were ready.

As soon as Su Ruyi stepped out of the office, she saw Lu Ting standing under a big tree, the shadows dappled, and a beam of light shining on him.

His tall figure, backlit, stood there like a scenic view, sharp and flamboyant, very eye-catching.

Su Ruyi immediately understood the trick of using lighting to create a handsome atmosphere in short videos.

The lighting is such a great touch; Lu Ting is already good-looking, and this makes the effect even more amazing.

Su Ruyi is a sucker for good looks, and seeing this scene made her heart beat much faster.

Lu Ting saw her and greeted her, "Have you finished talking?"

"Okay, we're just waiting for your shipment to be delivered." Su Ruyi nodded.

"You can rest assured that we will definitely deliver on time and in the required quantity. Old Wei is in charge of production and has very strict requirements, so there won't be any problems."

"You're really sticking to your prices. We're friends, can't you offer a better deal?"

Handsome guys are nice, but Su Ruyi still feels bad about spending money.

She is about to become a debtor.

Lu Ting: "I guarantee I'll give you a friendly price next time we work together."

"You said it yourself, so you have to give me a discount next time. And as my first hula hoop customer, give me priority to get the goods."

"Okay." Lu Ting readily agreed. "I'll treat you to a big meal as compensation this time, how about it? A new KFC just opened in the provincial capital, and it's the first one in our province. Shall we go and join the fun?"

Su Ruyi: "..."

This invitation is just too tempting.

Although Su Ruyi knew that KFC was a very trendy place these days, and that people had even held weddings there before, and that it wasn't cheap.

Kids can brag about going to KFC once. Adults also feel quite proud to go, especially if it's the first one in the provincial capital.

But the memories of her past life influenced her, and she couldn't hide her disdain.

Su Ruyi hadn't been able to hire a suitable cook for a while, and since she didn't like to cook herself, she would order this stuff when she didn't know what to eat, which really made her sick.

Lu Ting sensed Su Ruyi's unusual behavior and assumed she thought his invitation to dinner alone so soon after they met was too frivolous, so he quickly tried to smooth things over:

"KFC offers takeout. Next time you come, I'll bring some for you to try."

“No need!” Su Ruyi refused decisively. “I think Uncle Liang’s cooking is very good.”

Lu Ting felt somewhat disappointed, but also felt that this was more appropriate for their relationship at this stage.

"Uncle Liang's roasted whole lamb is absolutely amazing. It's still early, I'll go get a lamb, how about we have roasted whole lamb for dinner tonight?"

"There's no need to go to so much trouble. Uncle Liang's noodles are already very delicious."

That being said, Su Ruyi couldn't help but secretly swallow her saliva as she thought of the taste of roast whole lamb.

Her body craves protein more, making it hard for her to resist the temptation of a full-meat feast.

Unfortunately, she's so poor right now that she can't afford to eat as much meat and fish as she wants.

"No trouble at all, you wait here, I'll call someone to bring it over right away." Lu Ting took out his mobile phone from the car and asked someone to bring over a sheep.

Looking at that huge mobile phone, Su Ruyi was filled with emotion.

If there's anything she's not used to after transmigrating here, it's the lack of a cell phone.

Every morning when she wakes up, she subconsciously reaches for the headboard. She also can't help but reach into her pockets at other times. Not having her phone makes her, a heavy phone addict, feel very awkward.

When I'm out and about, I feel uneasy without my phone. I always feel like if something happens, I won't be able to call for help.

"It's still early. Let's go into the office and wait, or I can show you around the factory?"

"Let's look around."

She was quite curious about the factory; she had only visited a few places yesterday and hadn't explored many of them.

"If you're busy, you don't need to bother with me. I can take a look myself."

Lu Ting laughed and said, "I don't have anything to do right now. I came back mainly to deal with the fact that someone is deliberately targeting the plastics factory. My main business is not here."

"Is it competition from other companies?" Su Ruyi asked curiously. "If it's inconvenient to talk about it, then don't."

This is, after all, a secret of the factory. If people find out that the factory is going out of business, it will affect their future business.

"There's nothing that can't be said; the news has been circulating everywhere for a while now. Yesterday's commotion was foreshadowed; the workers were starting to get restless."

At this point, Lu Ting smiled and said, "Speaking of which, your arrival has also brought us a new opportunity."

Yesterday, he drove around the provincial capital and found that the hula hoop market is indeed huge and is showing signs of becoming a hit.

In addition, with the Asian Games mentioned by Su Ruyi, the whole country is paying close attention to this major sporting event, which will surely set off a fitness craze.

Hula hoops are suitable for people of all ages. They are fun, good for fitness, and don't require a specific location, making them easy to become popular.

Not only that, Lu Ting also called his friends in Beijing to confirm how popular the hula hoop market was. His friends were quite surprised, as it wasn't popular in Qing Province yet.

Su Ruyi didn't mince words: "Just remember to give me a discount."

When it comes to money, she is exceptionally clear-headed, and even handsome men cannot blind her.

Lu Ting chuckled: "How about I give you another hundred of each type?"

Su Ruyi was pleasantly surprised! She had only mentioned it casually, but the current price was actually quite reasonable, and she hadn't expected such an unexpected surprise.

"Mr. Lu! You're so generous! You clearly know how to do business, so I won't stand on ceremony."

“If the plastic factory hadn’t been scammed a few times recently and lost a lot of money, Brother Wei and Sister Zhao wouldn’t be so cautious. This factory is their life’s work and the responsibility they’ve taken on.”

Although people have a certain understanding of the trend that hula hoops will become popular.

However, Wei Dongsheng and Zhao Xianghong remained conservative. Their factory could no longer afford to make any more moves, so they dared not start mass production before establishing sales channels.

This has resulted in relatively high costs at present, and the price that Su Ruyi obtained is already very favorable.

The two then arrived at the residential area, which was separated from the work area by a gate that was usually closed and only opened when people were going to and from get off work.

Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter the factory area to ensure safety and order.

Lu Ting had the key and led Su Ruyi through the gate.

Just as Su Ruyi had seen from afar, the residential area resembled a military camp, built in an orderly manner, with clear plans for everything, and no random construction was allowed, but the atmosphere of daily life was much stronger.

Next to the residences, there are also sports and leisure areas such as basketball courts and table tennis courts, where many children now play.

"Your factory is practically indistinguishable from a state-owned factory," Su Ruyi exclaimed. "You must have invested a lot of money initially, right?"

Whether now or decades from now, private companies basically do not provide family housing.

Su Ruyi went over and took a look. The houses had one-bedroom and one-living room layouts as well as two-bedroom and one-living room layouts, and there was a unified water room, kitchen, and drying area.

It has all the necessary facilities, including toilets, shower rooms, and hot water rooms.

Although the single dormitories are relatively small, only two people live in each room.

Lu Ting hadn't been here for a long time, and he was deeply moved.

"This land was bought very cheaply, and many of the houses are existing, so it's not too bad."

This area was originally the site of the provincial machinery factory. There were plans to build a new factory area here, but after the factory was opened to the public, it suffered a blow and its profits declined significantly. As a result, it did not have the resources to build a branch factory, and this factory area was abandoned.

Something terrible happened here; criminals committed a crime here, bringing people here to be murdered. The scene was extremely gruesome, and so this place became a place of ill omen.

This place was already very remote, with no villages or shops in sight, and now it's even less popular.

The machinery factory's performance has been declining in recent years, so it has started selling off its assets, including this area.

Lu Ting also got involved with this line by chance. He had just made a lot of money and received demolition compensation. He had a lot of cash on hand, and he felt uneasy.

In addition, he saw that some of his comrades who had retired from the army were not doing well after leaving the army, and Lao Wei was also ostracized in his original factory and had to go out and start his own business.

With everything coming together, Lu Ting inevitably had some ideas.

He figured he had all the manpower, technology, and machinery he needed, and he didn't feel secure keeping the money in his pocket, so he simply bought the land at a low price and prepared to set up his own factory.

Wei Dongsheng was in charge of the factory and held a higher share than him, but the land belonged to him.

It took a lot of connections to buy this land; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy.

However, overall, this land was not very popular at the time; plots of land of the same size could sell for several times the price in other districts.

Lu Ting was also glad that he acted at the time; otherwise, the price reform failed two years ago, leading to rising prices and currency devaluation, and his money in the bank would have shrunk in value.

Su Ruyi was extremely envious. Such a large area, so close to the provincial capital, it was such a good deal to get it for such a low price.

Given the development of the provincial capital, this area will definitely develop as well.

What impressed Su Ruyi the most was that Lu Ting was also a recipient of land expropriation compensation!

But can the residents who are relocated afford to buy such a large piece of land with so much compensation?

Lu Ting explained, "When I was discharged from the army, I built a big house for my grandmother so that she would have face, and I received a lot of compensation. Later, I did some business and made some money."

Su Ruyi understood and exclaimed, "Demolition and relocation are really great!"

She misses it so much too.

Lu Ting: "It's not that simple. Not every household that gets relocated can get that much money. If you're unlucky and encounter a heartless person, it's better not to get relocated at all."

Su Ruyi wholeheartedly agreed, as such things were not uncommon in this era.

"You're lucky."

Lu Ting's expression was complicated: "After the villagers received their demolition compensation, they were targeted by people. Although we discovered it relatively quickly, several households were still cheated out of their money, and some were even taken to gamble and lost all their demolition compensation."

Su Ruyi could empathize with such situations even more, as others in her village had experienced the same thing.

And she has many people around her who want to exploit her and make her family die out.

She was young at the time, and they all treated her like a lamb to the slaughter.

This led to her having several relationships, but none of them were truly committed, and she never considered marriage. She had already made a will long ago.

I was terrified; I'd encountered far too many wolves, tigers, and leopards around me.

Although her mother is very capable, her battlefield is overseas, and she can only come back once a year. She can't take care of her all the time, so she has to be extra careful.

"If you had used all your money to buy land back then, you would have avoided being targeted by others. Besides, land holds its value, so you wouldn't have lost money no matter what."

Lu Ting smiled and didn't explain further, "Yes, the plastic factory also pays me rent every year."

The two then returned to talking about how the plastics factory had been targeted.

"At first I thought it was competition from other companies or a professional scam, but it seems to be more complicated than that now."

Su Ruyi frowned; her first thought was that foreign capital was deliberately squeezing out her.

In this era, many foreign companies have used various means to squeeze domestic products to the point where they have almost no room to survive, and many national brands have been swallowed up. Others have used deliberate smear campaigns to destroy those brands.

Some disappeared completely, while others barely survived until the rise of domestic products, at which point things gradually improved.

But then I thought about it again. Hongxing Plastics Factory was only a factory that had been open for two or three years. Although it was developing rapidly, it didn't have much of a reputation yet. Compared with those established plastic factories, its market share was very limited. Why would foreign capital have its eyes on it so early?

"An enemy?"

Lu Ting shook his head: "No."

"Why is that?" Su Ruyi asked, even more curious.

Lu Ting paused for a moment, but ultimately did not hide his suspicion: "I suspect that the other party has their eye on my land."

Su Ruyi then realized what she had overlooked!

Her aunt's house was even further from the provincial capital, and in the original text, her land was also expropriated. There was no reason why the plastic factory area wouldn't be sought after, since it was closer to the provincial capital.

Su Ruyi recalled the map of the provincial capital; this place was indeed remote compared to the provincial capital.

However, with the rapid development of cities in the coming decades, the provincial capital, which is currently very small, will definitely need to expand outwards in the future.

If this large area were included in the city's map, it would actually become a relatively central location.

The land value in this area will increase several times over!

Think about Pudong; it's completely different now compared to what it will be like decades from now.

In the original novel, the male protagonist had his eye on this place early on, recognizing its development potential, which is why he made a fortune.

At that time, Su Ruyi had already married the male lead, which meant it would be at least two years later. In the original story, the male lead was a foreshadowing, and now there's even less news. The government may only have an intention, and there's no word from the outside world.

After all, the provincial capital has a lot of land that can be expanded outwards, and this area doesn't seem to be valued so much at present.

Su Ruyi hadn't considered him as the male lead, because according to the original story, he would definitely receive the news later, which is why he bought land so far away and delivered his first impressive achievement to the Zhang family.

He was just lucky; the area had a good overall environment with mountains and water, making it very suitable for building a high-end residential community.

"Is the municipal government planning to develop this area?" Su Ruyi asked tentatively.

Lu Ting frowned slightly: "There is such a rumor, but according to the current plan, the political and economic center is more inclined to develop in the eastern district. This area is too remote. Not only is it desolate, but the districts near it are also developing relatively slowly."

"What if the government wants to revitalize this large area?"

Some local governments, in order to develop a certain area, will relocate the government to that area, and then move it to another place after the development is almost complete, repeating the same trick.

For a long time, real estate was a pillar of the local economy.

Lu Ting's gaze was deep: "If that's the case, then it explains why it's so important to destroy the plastics factory."

If it weren't for his other connections and the factory's strict management, an ordinary private factory would probably not have survived by now.

If the plastics factory goes bankrupt, given their huge initial investment, they definitely won't be able to survive and will need to sell the factory and land.

The ringleaders of the rioting workers who were arrested yesterday are still stubborn, but it's now certain that someone is behind them.

However, the identity of the person behind this still needs further investigation.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qingfeng was handling official business when there was a knock on his office door.

Zhang Qingfeng looked up and saw a bright and beautiful face appear at the door.

"Brother Qingfeng, did I disturb you?"

Zhang Qingfeng's slightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile appeared on his face:

"Yiyi, what brings you here?"

"I've brought you afternoon tea. I heard from my secretary that you haven't been eating properly, which isn't good for your health."

Li Yiyi walked in carrying a lunchbox, and said coquettishly.

"I made your favorite lily bulb and astragalus turtle soup. Take a rest for a while, have some soup, and then continue working."

Zhang Qingfeng's eyes darkened. He had never had the habit of drinking soup, and this soup was far too nourishing.

However, he didn't say anything, but praised Li Yiyi for being very capable.

"Don't work so hard in the future, I can just eat whatever I want."

"That won't do. Health is the foundation of everything. You must take good care of your health, or you'll definitely regret it later."

Li Yiyi stared at him with bright eyes, determined to watch Zhang Qingfeng drink the soup.

Otherwise, Zhang Qingfeng will definitely regret it later, for not taking good care of his health when he was young.

With her there, this kind of thing would never happen.

After watching him finish his soup, Li Yiyi asked with satisfaction, "Brother Qingfeng, how's that piece of land doing now?"