Chapter 57 Making a Quick Fortune (Complete)

Since seeing Yan Zhengchuan and his group off, He Changyi has been wholeheartedly busy with his money-making business.

As goods shipped from the country were transported to various factories in Vladimir, six thousand tons of scrap steel were also systematically delivered to the storage yard in batches.

As more and more low mountains of steel piled up in the yard, the pressure on He Changyi also increased.

If she were to transport 6,000 tons of scrap steel back to China in one go, she would need to pay $700,000 in customs duties, shipping costs, and other miscellaneous fees.

Alternatively, the 6,000 tons of scrap steel could be split into four orders, transported in batches in a ratio of 1:1:1:3, and the payment received from each order could be used to pay for the next order.

In this way, He Changyi only needs to raise the cost of 1,000 tons of scrap steel, which is about US$110,000.

She currently has $50,000 in cash, but is still short $60,000.

How can we raise this money in a short period of time?

He Changyi's mind was filled with nothing but money, money, money. While checking the accounts in the store, he fiddled with the calculator and racked his brains.

Observing the situation, Zheng Xiaowei eagerly approached, carrying a mop.

"Boss, is something bothering you? Just tell me, and I'll do anything to help you!"

He Changyi looked the boy up and down.

Are you serious? You'd even be willing to die for him?

Zheng Xiaowei straightened his thin chest and said resolutely:

"No problem, you can even take my heart and liver to go with your drinks!"

He Changyi patted him on the shoulder and praised, "You're quite good. Director Zheng has sent me a capable assistant."

Zheng Xiaowei feigned modesty: "You flatter me. I'm just a lowly soldier, nothing to mention, nothing to mention..."

He Changyi interrupted him.

“Xiao Wei, I don’t want your heart and liver as a side dish, nor do I need you to sacrifice your life—that would be a waste of resources. I heard that someone at Moscow State Hospital is buying healthy organs at high prices. I see you are young and strong. If we disassemble you and sell you piece by piece, including your corneas, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, oh right, and skin and bones, you could get 30,000 to 50,000 yuan. If we also pay for a body donation, it would be more cost-effective than selling you whole.”

She spoke with such seriousness, it seemed like she really knew the stuff.

Zheng Xiaowei was stunned. After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously said:

"Boss, are you kidding me?"

He Changyi's smile vanished, and she stared intently at him.

"You're not happy?"

Zheng Xiaowei almost burst into tears.

This isn't a matter of whether he likes it or not!

"No, no, that's not what I meant..."

Geng Zhi wasn't as slick as Zheng Xiaowei, and Zheng Xiaowei beat him to it, so he finally managed to chime in.

"You've tried to flatter me but ended up pissing me off, haven't you? Humph, I told you long ago, the boss isn't that old scoundrel surnamed Zheng. Don't try to show off your little tricks!"

In front of He Changyi, Zheng Xiaowei did not refute her as usual, but looked at her pitifully, as if hoping that she would make the decision.

He Changyi closed the ledger, pushed open the calculator, stood up, and shook his head.

"Tsk, you say you'd give your all for this? I think you should just stick to mopping the floor."

As she passed by Geng Zhi, she skillfully tapped the silly boy's forehead, just like tapping a watermelon.

"Don't say things like 'flattery' in front of me again. How can you call your boss a horse?"

Geng Zhi looked bewildered: "Ah, what should I say? Flattery? Suck-up?"

He even boasted, "Boss, I had someone bring me a book of idioms, and I'm reading it every day."

He Changyi: ...

"Forget it, you should go learn the Emei language instead."

As He Changyi walked out of the finance office, the little black dog enthusiastically circled around her legs.

This little thing has been eating and sleeping well lately, and it's grown bigger and bigger. It's gone from the size of a pillow to a half-grown puppy. When it lies on your lap and acts cute, it's so naughty that it can make you stumble.

He Changyi patted the dog's head and, seeing that a guest had arrived, personally went to greet him.

The customer, empty-handed and wearing worn-out overalls, leaned against the counter and asked in a low, urgent voice:

Do you buy or sell cables?

He Changyi raised an eyebrow: "Cables?"

The worker looked around warily and lowered his voice even further.

"Yes, cables, from transformers, pure copper. I'll give you a roll of cable for just ten cans."

He Changyi asked him, "You know this is illegal, right?"

The worker said impatiently, "Law? You're talking about law in Oslo? If it were up to the law, the factory should have paid my wages long ago, instead of making me figure it out myself!"

He calmed himself down and softened his tone.

"Rather than calling it a crime, I think 'getting back the fruits of my labor' is a more appropriate way of saying it, at least it can feed my family for a week."

He Changyi remained unmoved.

“No matter what, it’s still theft, and I don’t want to attract the police and cause trouble for myself by buying stolen goods.”

The worker pursed his lips, and seeing that he couldn't persuade He Changyi, he turned and left in disappointment.

Suddenly, a voice came from behind him, seemingly talking to himself.

"However, I heard that there are people buying scrap metal at high prices in the back alley of the mall."

The worker turned around in surprise to look at He Changyi, who winked at him suggestively.

"It is said that a roll of copper wire can be exchanged for a box of canned food."

The worker understood what she meant, and a surprised smile appeared on his face.

"I also have some colleagues who need to support their families..."

He Changyi lowered his head to sort through the goods and said casually, "Perhaps you can sell the scrap copper for a good price."

After the workers left, He Changyi jumped up from her chair, called Geng Zhi over, and asked him to carry a few boxes of canned goods and follow her.

Geng Zhi asked, puzzled, "Boss, what are we going to do?"

Without turning his head, He Changyi said, "Let's go make a fortune!"

After exchanging three boxes of canned goods for three rolls of copper wire, He Changyi hired a truck to haul the copper wire to the storage yard. Then she went to ask her regular customer, Sergei, if he wanted to earn some extra money.

Sergei was buying Chinese seasonings at the shop; he was going to cook an authentic Chinese meal for Nastya and Sasha.

Upon hearing He Changyi's words, he agreed without hesitation, only remembering to ask after he had done so:

What do you need me to do?

He Changyi said, "I remember that your factory has a few idle metal stamping machines. I happen to want to make some metal products and need to use stamping machines. Could you help me contact the factory and see if I can borrow these machines?"

She added another sentence.

"Paid."

Sergei, upon hearing how simple it was, patted his chest and said he would take care of it.

Without alerting the factory leaders, he spoke to a workshop director he knew well. Under the pressure of the small envelopes, the workshop director readily agreed and asked He Changyi to deliver the raw materials and design drawings after the factory closed. He then arranged for the workers to start work overnight.

Because the product is quite simple to make, all three rolls of copper wire were used up in just one night, and several boxes of finished products were replaced in its place.

The next morning, He Changyi sent a car to bring all the boxes back to the store. While unloading, Geng Zhi asked curiously:

"Boss, what's this? It's quite heavy, and the box makes a clanging noise when I move it. Is there something fragile inside?"

He Changyi said mysteriously, "This will soon be Mosk's best-selling product."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Xiaowei immediately perked up his ears, afraid of missing anything He Changyi said, while his eyes kept darting into the gaps in the box, as if he wanted to crawl inside and take a look.

Geng Zhi became nervous first.

"Boss, then I'll stay at the store tonight and keep watch, so no one can steal the goods!"

He glared at Zheng Xiaowei and said fiercely:

"What are you looking at? Just because it's yours doesn't mean you can look at it! Are you trying to tip off that old bastard Zheng!"

The little black dog rallied, barking fiercely at Zheng Xiaowei.

Zheng Xiaowei quickly defended himself:

"Don't make false accusations. I'm just a distant nephew, and you're his biological son. If anyone should be tipping someone off, it should be you!"

He then said to the little black dog:

"You heartless bastard, have you forgotten who groomed you?"

Little black dog: "Woof woof woof—"

Geng Zhi said indignantly, "Anyway, stay away from the box!"

He Changyi smiled without saying a word, and had Geng Zhi move all the boxes to the locked finance office. Before leaving, she locked the door from the inside, and she carried the only key with her.

Zheng Xiaowei stared longingly at the door of the finance office, wondering what could possibly be so popular in Moscow...

In the following days, He Changyi received several more rolls of copper wire, which she processed in the same way and sent to Sergei's factory to be made into finished products.

When the finance office could no longer hold any more boxes, He Changyi hired a truck and personally escorted it to transport all the boxes to Moscow.

She first sent samples to Peshkov, Vasily, and some other old customers. As expected, she soon received a stack of orders, and more orders were still pouring in.

Peshkov said sincerely, "He, you really surprised me. I originally thought you would only bring Zhongguo products and let the Eguo people adapt to Zhongguo's tastes and habits. I didn't expect you could also tailor-make products for the Eguo people."

Vasily said, "Honestly, you're not the same He I knew when I first met you. You not only speak like a local, but you also think like one."

He Changyi humbly stated, "It might be because I ate too much black bread and pickles."

Peshkov laughed: "No, that's not all, you also drank too much vodka!"

He Changyi gave him a harmless smile.

"After we sell this batch of goods, let's find a tavern and try Zhongguo's vodka this time."

Peshkov's expression was incredibly complex, a mixture of eagerness and relief at surviving a close call.

"I'm very curious about the taste of Jong-guk vodka, but I don't want to mistake a telephone pole for my dear wife anymore. God knows, my tongue almost got ripped off..."

He Changyi burst out laughing.

Before parting, Peshkov said to He Changyi:

"I believe this batch of goods will sell very well, and perhaps in a few days I will place another new order with you."

He Changyi said, "Then let's wait and see."

After finishing his business, He Changyi took the rare opportunity to visit Grandma Vitalie in Mosk.

Grandma Vitalie has just returned from the Black Sea sanatorium. She looks radiant from the Black Sea sunshine and spa treatments, as if she has become several years younger.

“My dear little bird, you have finally remembered this lonely old lady. It has been so long since I have seen you that I almost suspected you had grown completely tired of the cold and boredom of Mosk.”

He Changyi also hugged Grandma Vitalie warmly, and affectionately pressed his cheek against hers.

"How could that be? As long as you are here in Mosk, even the harshest weather in Mosk will not make me feel cold."

Alexei leaned against the doorframe, his face expressionless, and said:

"Of course you won't feel cold at all, because it's summer now, and you might even need to wear a down jacket?"

He Changyi peeked out from behind Grandma Vitalie.

"You are so considerate. I have never met a more considerate person than you. Should we light the fireplace again? The room will be as warm as a volcano."

Alexei politely replied, "As you wish, if that is what you need."

Grandma Vitalie sighed loudly, as if she couldn't bear it any longer.

"Oh my god, why don't I sign you up for the All-Emei Comedy Competition? You're sure to win the championship. Now, please spare me, the poor only audience member."

He Changyi and Alexei gave each other a look of disdain and then turned their heads away.

Grandma Vitalie directed Alexei to the kitchen to knead dough and chop meat; she was going to make a homemade pie that evening.

He Changyi sat comfortably on the sofa and took out the gift he had brought for Grandma Vitalie from his bag.

Grandma Vitalie was very enthusiastic and exclaimed with delight, "Oh, a beautiful copper bracelet!"

The copper bracelet has a C-shaped opening, which can be adjusted to fit the wrist circumference and is not affected by body shape.

The bracelet is slender and exquisite, with a soft and warm color. The outer circle is engraved with the symbol of a birch tree in the center, and the sides are decorated with traditional Slavic weaving patterns, symbolizing protection, strength and wisdom.

On the inner circle of the bracelet is engraved Grandma Vitalie's surname.

He Changyi slipped the bronze bracelet onto Grandma Vitalie's wrist. She held it up to the light, examined it, and exclaimed in admiration:

"It's such a simple and elegant bracelet. It looks very expensive. You must have spent a lot of money on it. I think such a beautiful bracelet is more suitable for young people's wrists."

Grandma Vitalie reluctantly took off the bracelet, but He Changyi stopped her.

"In fact, the amount of money I spent on this bracelet is negligible."

Meeting Grandma Vitalie's puzzled gaze, He Changyi revealed a sly smile.

"Because I am the manufacturer of the bracelet."

In Oros, copper is believed to have magical powers, capable of warding off illness and evil spirits. Copper ions are said to promote blood circulation and treat arthritis. Many people like to wear copper ornaments, such as copper rings, copper necklaces, and the copper bracelets sold by He Changyi.

The bracelet she gave to Grandma Vitalie was custom-made, while the mass-produced items sold to the public were simpler, or rather, made with less labor and materials.

It is wide and flat in shape with a smooth surface. There is only a bear head relief in the center, and the inner circle is engraved with the cursive letters "God with me".

He Changyi priced the copper bracelets very cheaply, at only fifty rubles, focusing on low profit and high volume. You can't find copper jewelry cheaper than that on the market.

Just as she had expected, the Oros people did indeed have a particular fondness for copper ornaments, as evidenced by the great enthusiasm they showed for copper bracelets, as seen from savvy retailers like Peshkov and Vasily.

She brought 60,000 copper bracelets with her, which were all snapped up in one day. After all the bracelets were sold, she made a profit of three million rubles, which is less than four thousand US dollars.

Peshkov seized 20,000 bronze bracelets and impatiently urged, "I need more!"

This trial run has received an astonishingly positive market response.

He Changyi immediately found the factory where the copper wire sellers worked and bought more copper wire at a very affordable price. After all, the factory couldn't even pay its workers' wages and even tacitly allowed the workers to "pay themselves" wages.

At the same time, she rented an idle metal stamping machine from Sergei's factory and hired the stamping machine operator who was on the verge of unemployment.

With raw materials, equipment, workers, and orders, countless copper bracelets were shipped to Moscow.

With five metal stamping machines operating at full capacity and workers working in three shifts, they can produce 40,000 copper bracelets in just one day.

He Changyi also provided new design drawings, with the central pattern changing from a bear's head to a sun cross and then to Thor's axe, while the inner inscriptions consist of the names of deities or religious phrases, in a wide variety of styles.

These bronze bracelets, imbued with religious symbolism, were extremely popular and sold out immediately upon release.

However, counterfeit products immediately appeared.

Although the quality of the copper used by counterfeiters is inferior, and the copper is blackened due to excessive impurities, their products are cheap enough to attract many customers and squeeze out the market share of the originals.

He Changyi was not surprised at all; in fact, she did not intend to make the copper bracelets a long-term business.

The entry barrier to this industry is too low, making it only suitable for making a quick buck. Unless she builds her own jewelry brand, but in today's Oros, intellectual property is like a pebble on the ground, which anyone can kick at. Running a business locally is like a garden in the sky, seemingly thriving, but in reality, it could be destroyed at any time.

The price war for copper bracelets in the market is getting fiercer, with prices dropping from fifty rubles to thirty rubles, and there is still a downward trend.

After using up the last batch of raw materials, He Changyi sold the remaining copper bracelets at a discount and gave the workers a bonus. She then decisively shut down the temporary workshop.

Make your money and run; let whoever wants to wage a price war do so.

In just one week, He Changyi earned 14 million rubles, which is less than 20,000 US dollars.

She is now a little closer to her $60,000 goal.

Upon learning that He Changyi had ended her copper bracelet business, Zheng Xiaowei said with regret:

"Why shut it down when you can still make money? Even if you're not making as much, as long as it's open, money will keep coming in..."

Geng Zhi remained silent, finding it rare that Zheng Xiaowei had spoken a truly human word.

He Changyi said, "My time is precious, and I don't have time to waste on things that don't make money."

Zheng Xiaowei muttered to himself, "But you can still make money that way..."

He Changyi said, "Why only earn one million when there's an opportunity to earn ten million rubles?"

The light bulb in Zheng Xiaowei's head lit up instantly.

What? The boss has a new money-making idea?

He Changyi didn't say much. Just then, the goods she had ordered from China a week earlier arrived, so she arranged for Geng Zhi and Zheng Xiaowei to unload them.

Zheng Xiaowei was cunning; when no one was looking, he secretly opened the cargo box and found that it contained a small, tightly wrapped statue.

etc……

statue?

This change is too drastic! What does it have to do with the bronze bracelet?!

When the copper bracelets were selling like hotcakes, He Changyi realized that the long-suppressed enthusiasm of the Oroqen people for religion and faith had rebounded rapidly after the disintegration of the alliance. Especially in this difficult and confusing era, people needed spiritual sustenance and to find meaning in their existence.

When the belief in the sickle and hammer completely collapsed, religion became the option to fill the void.

Prior to this, it was forbidden to talk about religion in public, and artists were prohibited from creating works on religious themes. In particular, due to fear of the KGB, religious-themed products were rarely seen on the market.

But things are different now.

The church reopened to the public, the Bible was openly displayed in the bookstore, many people wore crosses, and He Changyi's copper bracelets with religious elements sold very well.

He Changyi keenly realized this, and before the small workshop was even opened, she had already made international calls to order a batch of small sculptures of saints from domestic manufacturers.

These sculptures are very simple to make. The inside is plaster and the outside is plated with a thin layer of copper. The cost is very low, and the bulk of the expense is the packaging, shipping and damage during transit.

In contrast, since there is no technical difficulty, it is very easy to replicate the icons.

If manufactured locally in Oros, the price can be even lower without having to consider long-distance transportation.

He Changyi capitalized on a time difference; when the price war in the copper bracelet market was raging, she dumped all her copper statues into the market.

This time, she earned $30,000.

At this time, He Changyi had $50,000 in his hands, as well as the equivalent of $50,000 in rubles.

Currently, we are still $10,000 short of the start-up cost for the first batch of 1,000 tons of scrap steel.

After skillfully telling the Nth customer who wanted to buy the statue, "Sorry, we're sold out," in Emei language, Zheng Xiaowei approached He Changyi and asked reverently:

"Boss, what new products will you be selling next?"

That's incredible! In less than ten days, he watched as He Changyi sold out of bronze bracelets and then bronze statues. Rubles poured in like snowflakes, more than the promotional flyers combined.

Zheng Xiaowei initially looked down on this young female boss, but now he is completely convinced.

If he could learn even a tiny bit from her, even just by following her around and picking up scraps, he could make a fortune!

Unfortunately, he was a step too late with the bronze bracelets and statues; otherwise, if he had spread the news back home, his family could have made a fortune.

This time, he absolutely had to be the first to know the inside information!

He Changyi glanced at Zheng Xiaowei, but didn't expose his little scheme, and said with a smile:

"you guess?"

Zheng Xiaowei said shamelessly, "How would I know? With my brain, how can I compare to the boss's intelligence? Please teach me..."

He Changyi didn't say anything, but pointed to the newspaper she was reading, drew a line with her fingernail under a headline in Ethnic script, and then gracefully left.

Zheng Xiaowei hurriedly stuffed the newspaper into his pocket, afraid of being discovered. After returning to his room, he took out an Ethnic language dictionary and looked it up letter by letter. He finally managed to understand the meaning of the Ethnic title line.

Mosk Cathedral is about to be rebuilt!

The cathedral was built during the Tsarist era to celebrate the resistance against Napoleon's invasion. It was destroyed before World War II by order of the Iron Father. Now that the Union has collapsed, in order to completely negate the former regime, the current government has proposed to rebuild the cathedral and to tour exhibitions of cathedral models made by famous artists.

Zheng Xiaowei stared at the picture of the cathedral in the photo for a long time, then suddenly slapped his forehead.

"I get it! She wants to sell a model of the cathedral!"

He rushed out immediately, eager to call back home and deliver the news!

While Director Zheng was gathering workers overnight to replicate the cathedral model, He Changyi went out with a gun and a bag of rubles.

The ruble has been depreciating recently, with its exchange rate against the US dollar falling from 1:600 ​​to 1:800, and it looks set to continue falling.

However, yesterday's news that the International Monetary Fund had agreed to provide loans to Russia caused the ruble to stop depreciating and start appreciating, with the exchange rate rising back to 1:650.

She needs to take advantage of this opportunity to exchange all her rubles for dollars, and then exchange the dollars for even more rubles when the ruble depreciates again.

In other words, He Changyi is also going to try his hand at currency speculation.

Fortunately, the shipping company and customs required payment in rubles; otherwise, I don't know how I would have filled that $10,000 shortfall!