Chapter 242 Let's Make a Deal: The New Era Has Arrived

In the office, the factory manager was also trying to explain: "It's really a misunderstanding. You all know what our factory's products are like."

"How would you know? Who knows how long these goods have been sitting in the warehouse? They're worn out and break all the time." The soldier was quite angry. "I know you're all trying to cut costs. But we spend so much money buying these goods precisely because of the good quality from your Red Star Ribbon Factory! Otherwise, we could get the goods from the South, which are nicer and only half the price of yours."

As soon as he finished speaking, the factory manager remembered, put on his reading glasses, and examined the straps carefully: "I still feel something is wrong. This couldn't possibly be produced by our factory."

The soldier pushed open the door and strode out, saying, "I have nothing to say to you. We've always been buying from your factory, and now that something's happened, you're denying it? Anyway, we're returning this batch of goods, and we don't need to cooperate anymore."

The factory manager tried to stop him, but the soldier insisted on ignoring him.

A tentative voice sounded from the side: "Can I take a look?"

Yang Tao forced herself to say, "I've sold ribbons before, I'd like to take a look."

She picked up the webbing the soldier had brought and placed it next to the samples in the factory. After just a few glances, she was certain, "No, you see, the machines that weave this thread are different. It can't be some old stock that's been sitting in the warehouse for a long time."

The worker was quick-witted and immediately called downstairs, "Sister Huang, come up here for a moment. Take a look, is this strap produced in our workshop?"

A plump female worker climbed up the stairs, glanced at it, and shook her head: "Of course not, the direction is wrong."

The factory manager finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I told you it was a misunderstanding, Director Guan. Our factory never does anything underhanded."

Director Guan was completely baffled: "But we really only get our straps from you, right?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Why don't you go back and ask around to see if there's any misunderstanding? I just heard that the factory hasn't updated its equipment in seven or eight years, so they probably can't weave new straps."

Director Guan's face immediately darkened. He borrowed the phone from the factory director's office and yelled at the person on the other end until he threatened to take military law into his own hands. Only then did the person on the other end finally tell the truth.

Yes, this batch of goods is indeed not from the Hongxing Ribbon Factory; it's from the south, and the price is half that of the original. The purchasing agent sold the inferior goods as the superior ones.

Director Guan was furious and wanted to kill that son of a bitch.

The people around were chilled to the bone. "Brother, if you're going to kill someone, you should definitely do it back home."

The way you're doing it makes it sound like you're going to drag the other person out of the phone line and shoot them on the spot for us to see.

Good heavens, you're not carrying a gun, are you? That's a bit scary.

Fortunately, despite his profanity, Director Guan only hurled insults at the telephone receiver; at least he didn't smash the table in a fit of anger.

So when he hung up the phone, the factory manager still managed to muster up the courage to say, "Well, this batch of goods really can't be used. Why don't you just buy from us instead?"

However, each batch of funds has its own purpose, and Director Guan's primary task now is to recover the money as soon as possible.

The factory manager frowned as he watched the people leave in a hurry: "Oh dear, this is all a mess. What kind of business can the military do? It's ridiculous for soldiers to go into business. Sooner or later, something terrible will happen."

Everyone agreed that military personnel who went into business rarely ended up well.

When the factory manager heard that these Russians had come to buy goods, he immediately felt like he had found a kindred spirit: "That's right, each person should do what they're supposed to do. If things are all messed up, with all sorts of makeshift teams involved, how can they produce good products? Take those southern goods, for example, who makes them? Farmers who haven't even washed their feet properly. What good stuff can they produce? Cheap, huh? But are they even usable?"

The conversation was going nowhere.

Yang Tao didn't like hearing this and blurted out, "You can't say that. Their purchasing agent probably got ripped off too. Otherwise, this thing, at half the price, 15 yuan, is the same quality as what your factory sells, and they could easily get it. Normally, this kind of thing they bought would definitely not cost more than 10 yuan, and could be bought for seven or eight yuan."

The factory manager's eyes widened: "Are you kidding me? How can you expect this kind of quality for 15 yuan? Young lady, production has costs. You can't just make up prices like that."

Wang Xiao looked at the ribbon sample and calmly said, "I'm not kidding you, you can definitely get it for 15 yuan."

She gestured, "We know you didn't deliberately quote a high price, but we certainly didn't try to fool you either. Because the production costs are different on both sides."

"Your factory workers have high wages and many benefits, and the factory has to cover a lot of medical expenses. Southern factories don't have these problems. Moreover, if you go to the south, you'll find that the villages there really don't support idle people. Elderly men and women in their seventies and eighties, as long as they can still move, are all working. During the off-season, they can easily take on some manual labor from the factory and earn three or five yuan, which they are very satisfied with. They don't need the factory to take care of their medical expenses when they are sick, and they don't have any retirement pensions, so the costs are naturally low."

Of course, what she didn't say was that, unlike you people, they don't have ten people supervising each other's work. There are more people sitting in offices than in the workshops.

But the words she uttered had already touched the factory director's heart.

On the surface, the ribbon factory has more than 2,000 employees, but about 900 of them are retired.

The retirement pensions and medical expenses of these people alone are like a mountain weighing down on the entire ribbon factory, making it hard for them to breathe.

He even felt that the country's market economy initiatives last year, or rather the year before, were a complete joke.

The newly established township enterprises and privately-run factories have no retired workers at all, but these state-owned and collective factories all have workers from the first batch who have worked for thirty or forty years and are now at retirement age.

They're all middle-aged, with elderly parents and young children to care for. How can they compare to young people?

He even suspected that the government was trying to force state-owned and collective factories like theirs to their deaths by doing this.

Of course, these were just his internal monologues.

In front of outsiders, especially international friends, he had to maintain his party spirit and never show the slightest fear.

"Since you all believe this so much, why do you come to our factory to buy goods? Our production costs are what they are, and we can't lower the price."

Wang Xiao nodded: "I understand that now too. We're not leaving because we still want your factory's goods."

The factory manager suspected that these people were deliberately trying to mess with their Red Star Ribbon Factory.

Otherwise, who would be crazy enough to deliberately buy overpriced goods?

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Public enterprises also have their advantages. You can get export tax rebates. Starting from this point, we can find a way to ensure that your factory can also make a profit while keeping the price reasonable."

The factory manager gave them a suspicious look: "Export tax rebate? Can't our factory handle that ourselves?"

Wang Xiao's smile remained unchanged: "But even if it's exported, it has to be able to be sold. We have a market, we can sell it for you."

As she spoke, she handed over her business card, saying, "We have some experience in the export business."

Her name is unremarkable in Beijing.

But Hongxing Ribbon Factory had long suffered from the sales of goods from the south, so how could they not know her, the leader in the sales of goods from the south?

The factory manager glanced at the business card and tossed it onto the table: "You can leave now. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I don't know what you're up to, but I know there's no such thing as a free lunch. A big boss like you doesn't need to come to our small factory to mess with us."

“How can you call it a prank?” Wang Xiao said seriously. “Of course we have something to gain. Aren’t you moving to the new factory this year? We want your factory land.”

The factory manager was stunned once again: "Land? You want to take our factory?"

Wang Xiao nodded: "Of course. I don't like beating around the bush or using tricks to fool people. We're here to sell webbing, and in exchange, your old factory buildings will be ours."

The factory manager was at a loss for words.

Wang Xiao said earnestly, "I urge the factory director and all colleagues to carefully consider this matter. I am not exaggerating, but given your factory's current situation, it is truly difficult to gain a foothold in market competition. If you do not seize this opportunity to expand your sales channels, then it will be very difficult to find another opportunity later."

To put it bluntly, such collective enterprises can only survive if they can seize the opportunities of the times, upgrade their technology, and, like Toray Industries, stop relying on the traditional textile industry.

Otherwise, it will most likely face production stoppage or even bankruptcy.

The factory manager felt a bitter taste in his mouth and a dry throat. It was an objective fact that their market was shrinking due to the pressure from goods from the south, making it difficult for them to even survive.

He opened his mouth, but what he finally said was: "Such a big matter cannot be decided by me alone. We need to hold a general meeting of all the staff."

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Then we'll wait for your factory to finish its meeting and give us a definite answer. Um, send me a sample of each one, I'll start making arrangements for sales."

The factory manager felt like a donkey, with fragrant, bright orange carrots dangling in front of him. He couldn't bring himself to refuse, so he gritted his teeth and took out the entire set of samples.

Wang Xiao smiled slightly, watched as his assistant took the sample, and then bowed slightly to the factory manager: "Excuse me, we'll take our leave now."

As she walked out of the office, she nodded to the stunned young worker and the experienced worker, saying, "Thank you."

The two men shuddered.

So, this person isn't here to buy their goods, but to buy their factory!

Oh no, she wants to buy both goods and factories!

"Oh my god! Our factory is going to be sold?!"

"It's land!" the factory manager roared, turning around to warn the loose-lipped employee, "Don't talk nonsense!"

Wang Xiao and his group didn't care what kind of earthquake was happening behind them.

As they left the factory, she reminded Ivanov, "Darling, I think you should perhaps have a good talk with your friends in the military. Look, the crisis of war is so urgent; the army must need to replenish their equipment. Hmm, the military stores should also get some new stock."

What does this mean? It means that she suppressed the export price of the Red Star Factory, allowing them to profit from export tax rebates, but she herself couldn't work for free.

She was going to sell the goods to the Russian army at the original price, and well, according to their usual practice, at least half of these military supplies would end up on the free market.

Otherwise, where does the army get its money now?

To line their own pockets.

Corruption in the military has always been a very serious problem.

If Ivanov had heard these things at a different time, he would have been unhappy even if he knew they were true.

After all, who wants to be accused by foreigners of corruption in their country's military, even if they have done business with the military countless times?

But now, the situation is delicate.

He had just witnessed the ruthlessness of the Chinese military in taking kickbacks and using inferior products in procurement, and how the collective slackness of everyone made people feel at ease accepting the depravity.

“Alright.” He nodded. “Our soldiers definitely need some new uniforms.”

Look what an honest businessman he is. He never even sells counterfeit or substandard products to the military, and he never deliberately inflates prices.

Even if God hadn't compared them, given the production capabilities of the two countries' light industrial products, he knew that the original price of the Red Star Factory's products was cheaper than that of Russian-made products.

As for how the military should integrate them, that's their own business.

Since it was still early, Wang Xiao suggested, "Let's take a walk."

Ivanov had no objections; in fact, if the smog hadn't been so severe, he would have loved to stroll around the streets. As for tourist attractions like the Forbidden City, he wasn't particularly interested.

As the car passed Peking University, Wang Xiao curiously peeked over the shoulder.

Yang Tao's assistant was truly dedicated, always attentive to her boss's needs. Upon seeing the situation, she immediately suggested, "How about we go inside and take a look?"

The driver also quietly slowed down, preparing to stop the car.

However, the boss shook his head: "No need, I just feel like the area outside the school has changed."

Yang Tao finally found a place to shine and immediately launched into a long-winded introduction: "Last spring, Peking University demolished its south wall and developed a commercial street."

Wow! The public outcry was huge at the time. She saw in the news that some college students were being interviewed, and they emphasized with particular grief and indignation: "This is a great tragedy. From now on, Peking University will no longer produce a true scholar."

However, she didn't think it was a big deal.

If public security bureaus and courts can engage in tertiary industries, what's so strange about Peking University building a commercial street?

Many universities abroad don't have walls, yet they still manage to cultivate world-class talent.

Wang Xiao was interested in the following: "Which company developed it? They must be quite capable, managing to get Peking University to tear down its walls."

Yang Tao quickly replied, "It's Peking University's own real estate company."

Sigh, you really can't entirely blame her for being incompetent.

Look how hot the real estate market has become! Even Peking University has torn down its own walls to turn it into a commercial street.

Even though the 15 measures were released to dampen the real estate market, some people still insist on not withdrawing them.

Xiao Zhao suddenly blurted out, "Then Peking University probably won't allow students to eat out, right?"

His younger brother's high school cafeteria was contracted out to the principal's brother-in-law.

Wow! My brother-in-law's cigarettes are getting better every day, and he even bought a new luxury motorcycle.

Meanwhile, the food in the cafeteria became worse and worse every day, and the school gates were locked, preventing students from going out to eat.

They claimed that outside food is expensive and unhygienic, and that the school was considering the students' health.

As a result, it was common to find bits of rags in the food.

The people on the bus were taken aback at first, then burst into laughter.

Yang Tao laughed until tears almost came to her eyes: "Universities never care about these things. If you want, you can eat out every day."

Wang Xiao thought to himself, "Why shouldn't we care? It's just not the right time yet."

Who among those who can contract the school cafeteria isn't part of the school leadership's network of vested interests?

When the cafeteria's business is threatened, the university will impose various regulations.

The driver skillfully drove the car into South Street.

It's probably exam season, and it's afternoon, so there aren't many people on the shopping street. Some shop owners are standing in front of their shops, basking in the sun and idly smoking cigarettes.

Wang Xiao looked around and found that there weren't many shops on the street, mainly small restaurants, hair salons, and a clothing store.

Yang Tao kept a close eye on her boss's activities, and seeing this, she mustered up her courage and asked, "Mr. Wang, if it were you, what kind of shop would you open here?"

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow slightly and said half-jokingly, "What? Thinking of starting your own business and opening a shop?"

Yang Tao was so frightened that she quickly waved her hands: "No, no."

She now knows her own limitations; even if she had ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare to go it alone.

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "It was just a joke. If it were me, I would open a bookstore here."

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao wholeheartedly agreed, saying that a university should act like a university.

Look at how this place looks now. If you didn't tell me, who would know it's a university?

Wang Xiao explained, "Since the commercial street belongs to Peking University, if we want to attract more customers, we should maximize the advantages of the university, which is its humanistic atmosphere."

"Peking University itself is a brand name, but this street doesn't reflect that brand name at all. Small restaurants and hair salons can't be opened anywhere. What difference does it make if they're opened near Peking University? If you open a bookstore or a book cafe, you can satisfy the needs of university students to buy and read books. For those who come to Peking University to worship their sacred place, these shops are also very attractive."

"People would think that if the books sold by Peking University's bookstore are recognized by Peking University professors and students, then they must be good."

"Sitting in a book cafe, reading a book and drinking a cup of coffee, imagining that I am also a member of Peking University, how poetic."

Xiao Gao fantasized for a moment, then blushed with embarrassment.

It's really beautiful. And this is Peking University, after all.

Yang Tao persisted: "Besides bookstores and book cafes?"

Opening a café in a bookstore is indeed artistic and romantic. She first heard about it from Tian Han, the lyricist of the national anthem, who said he wanted to open a café in his bookstore.

Wang Xiao turned her gaze away from the car window and laughed, "Besides that, I also run a computer room."

In January 1994, the concept of internet cafes did not yet exist in China.

Computers are seen as a synonym for high technology and a symbol of the information age; no one associates them with things like internet addiction or teenagers playing games.

Yang Tao exclaimed "Oh!" with sudden realization, nodding in deep agreement: "We really should open a computer room."

As she spoke, she laughed, "When I was in college, the computers at our school were terrible—they were bulky and there weren't enough of them."

It's no wonder universities are stingy; computers weren't cheap in the 80s and 90s, and even now a decent desktop computer costs tens of thousands of yuan.

She nodded seriously: "If we really opened a computer room here, we definitely wouldn't have to worry about customers."

Wang Xiao hummed in agreement and muttered to himself, "The era of computers is indeed coming."

Therefore, when she acquired land, she never intended to simply wait for land prices to rise.

It will probably be about 10 years before housing prices skyrocket.

During this time, if she lets the land sit idle and not earn money properly, she'll wake up in the middle of the night and shout, "No way!"

The car drove out of Beida South Street and went to Yabao Road Market.

Just as Wang Xiao had promised, the CIS countries and Eastern European markets are huge, and the Zhimen and Xiaozhou commercial cities alone cannot steal business from Beijing.

Even in the dead of winter, Yabao Road is much busier than Beida South Street. Porters and traders, carrying loads on their shoulders and in their hands, hurry along, barely glancing at the cars parked on the side of the road.

There was also a case where a woman was ripped off by a tricycle driver, and the two women surrounded the driver, arguing their case.

Neither side could understand the other's words, but that didn't stop them from arguing fiercely.

In the end, the tricycle driver couldn't withstand the burly woman's imposing manner and reluctantly returned the $1.

If he doesn't back down, he probably won't be able to withstand the mother's left and right hooks.

Xiao Gao and Xiao Zhao watched with great interest, and finally sighed, "Women should be a bit stronger when they're out and about. If they get into an argument, people will have to think twice."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the bodyguard realized he'd messed up and quickly emphasized, "Boss, we weren't talking about you, you're different."

Wang Xiao laughed heartily: "That's right, I'm counting on you guys."

Indeed, having a little extra weight can be life-saving in a critical moment.

As they strolled along, the sun began to set in the west. Wang Xiao glanced at the time and quickly instructed the driver to head to the Jiangdong Province Liaison Office in Beijing.

This was the place where she and Minister Cao had arranged to have dinner.

Fortunately, the minister was very busy, and the car arrived at the restaurant entrance as dusk was falling, but Minister Cao had not yet arrived.

The lobby manager personally came out to greet the distinguished guest, prompting Wang Xiao to quickly cup his hands in greeting: "You're too kind, it's so cold, please come in."

With the Laba Festival just past, the Lunar New Year is just around the corner. The lobby manager, dressed in a festive manner, greeted the guests with a smile. "It's our pleasure, Mr. Wang. It's an honor for us to have you and Mr. Ivanov here. We've reserved a private room for you this morning."

Wang Xiao was led upstairs. The head waiter, who had just finished directing the waiters, saw her and immediately bowed, saying, "Hello, Ms. Wang!"

Wang Xiao was stunned. She didn't think she had been here more than a few times. Even the supervisor recognized her face.

If she were a star, at this rate, she might become famous all over the country.

It was the foreman's words that reminded her: "Manager Wang, I'll listen to you and the department head, but I don't believe their nonsense. I want to learn from you."

Wang Xiao then realized that it was the waiter who had served them dishes in their private room during the summer.

At the time, an older man was using manipulative tactics on her, saying things like strong women have no charm and that women should be incompetent to be feminine.

Then she and Minister Cao advised the young girl not to believe the old man's nonsense.

In this world, those who live well are all capable. Those who are incompetent can only wait to be bullied.

She smiled and nodded: "Then keep it up, study hard and exercise well, and you'll reach even greater heights in the future."

The little girl, whose face still had baby fat, looked troubled upon hearing this: "Then we can't go up another floor, otherwise Jiajia and I will be so awkward."

The lobby manager wished he could cover her mouth: "Stop nagging and quickly serve the guests tea."

The young girl then realized what was happening and personally served the VIPs in the private room.

Seeing the lobby manager busy again, Wang Xiao asked the junior supervisor with a smile, "What's going on with the argument? It's nothing, I was just asking."

The girl was indeed young and idolized Wang Xiao, so she felt he wasn't an outsider. She lowered her voice and started talking: "It's nothing, it's just that our original manager came back after having a baby, but Sister Jiajia has been working here for half a year, so the original manager... well, that's how it is."

Wang Xiao understood that this was a common challenge faced by new mothers returning to the workplace.

Someone has taken your place; if you come back, you'll have to start all over again.

It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. If you've been senior and have already risen through the ranks, wouldn't you feel awkward if you were to become a subordinate to someone less experienced and younger than you?

Anyone would feel awkward in that situation.

Wang Xiao nodded: "I see. Sigh, there's nothing we can do about it."

The foreman knew this wasn't the right topic, so he quickly changed the subject: "Mr. Wang, what would you like to eat?"

"Let's have some snacks first. No rush, Minister Cao will probably have to wait a while."

The foreman immediately asked, "Would you like to sing karaoke? I'll play some songs for you."

Wang Xiao burst out laughing: "Oh my, you guys have new stuff? What songs do you have?"

The little girl immediately began to excitedly introduce the songs: "There are songs by the Little Tigers and songs by Jimmy Lin."

Wang Xiao burst out laughing.

The little girl blushed and whispered, "There are also songs by Zhao Chuan, songs by Wang Xinping, and so many more."

"Just play a couple of songs, nothing too loud."

She was busy playing music.

The hotel manager also rushed to the private room and apologized to the guests as soon as he entered: "Excuse me, excuse me, I was held up by something."

Wang Xiao didn't betray the young female supervisor, but just smiled and said, "You're the one being too polite. We're all from Jiangdong, there's no need for such formalities."

Just then, Minister Cao arrived.

Everyone immediately skipped this part and went downstairs together to greet the leader.

Accompanying Minister Cao was a familiar face, General Cheng, who had shown up uninvited at the private room last time.

He wanted to express his interest in drones, but Wang Xiao instead asked the military to build them.

So now, when she meets people, she dares to joke: "Boss, are your drones finished yet? After spring, a bunch of our farms are waiting for drones to do the work."

General Cheng laughed heartily: "Then it's your turn to do it. Look, there are so many satellites now, even television is on satellite."

This is still the top news story of the year.

Starting from New Year's Day this year, Southeast TV, Shandong TV and Zhejiang TV have all started broadcasting on satellite.

“However,” General Cheng waved his hand, “this matter can be put aside for now. There is another matter I would like to ask you for a favor.”

Wang Xiao casually picked up the conversation: "What's up?"

General Cheng instructed the hotel manager, "Find a room; I'd like to speak with General Manager Wang privately."

Wow, this is a big deal.

But Wang Xiao shook his head and refused: "Personal matters are fine, but business matters are not. I will never hide anything from my partners regarding business matters. After all—"

She smiled and said, "It involves business. I can't do anything without him."

What a joke! A high-ranking military official specifically sought her out; how could it be anything trivial?

She's living a pretty comfortable life now and doesn't plan to fall into any traps easily.

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Beida South Street was a commercial street built in 1993 by breaking down walls, which inspired many other universities to follow suit. Later, in the early 21st century, during a campaign to improve the environment around universities, the commercial street was demolished. Therefore, the female protagonist had never seen it before her time travel. A novel by Jiang Nan, *The Youngsters of This Era*—yes, the fan fiction written without Jin Yong's authorization—begins by describing the atmosphere of South Street in the mid-to-late 1990s. Before Guo Jing even entered the university, a bunch of people selling pirated DVDs surrounded him.