Canton Fair

Recently, due to the disappearance of the "iron rice bowl" (guaranteed job), even though the factory has no shortage of orders, the workers have become much more demoralized.

The new China was founded not long ago. The old folks still vividly remember the treatment of workers in the old private workshops, and they would sigh and tell their children who were working there.

After giving the job to Wang Jinbu, Wang Shuitao was invited back by the factory and became the factory manager.

But at such a critical juncture, no one is envious.

When she proposed to subscribe, she thought she would receive a great response, after all, her performance was there, and in addition to her salary, she would receive an extra bonus, which would increase her income.

But she underestimated people's resistance to new things at that time.

In addition, newspapers did publish some cases of factories going bankrupt after workers subscribed to shares, which further fueled the fear among the pearl sugar factory workers.

Moreover, Wang Shuitao is still too young. As the old saying goes, "A young man with no beard is unreliable." She has just become the factory director, and is only acting. She certainly doesn't have the same level of authority as Sun Ming.

The workers are so obedient now because of the trust she has built up over the years through hard work.

There are many things in this world that can be solved by trying, but when you don't have money, you just don't have money. And a sugar factory is ultimately just a sugar factory, not a money-printing factory.

Just when she was at her wit's end, Wang Shuitao saw an advertisement for the Guangzhou Trade Fair in the newspaper.

Those who can get into the exhibition hall are either large factories or companies that are leading in the country, or they have a geographical advantage, with the greater the opportunity the closer they are to Guangzhou.

The Shenxian Pearl Sugar Factory does not occupy any of these positions.

Fortunately, she had the endorsement of Harbin Qiujiang Food Factory, which said that Wang Shuitao was very eloquent and best at hitting the nail on the head with foreigners.

For example, those people from Sweden were completely fooled by her.

With the backing of a large factory and, most importantly, with verifiable past performance records, the Canton Fair allocated a small booth to the Shenxian Pearl Sugar Factory.

Wang Shuitao brought Zhang Qin with her.

This classmate, who used to attend night school, was transferred from the workshop to the factory office after graduation due to his improved academic qualifications.

Wang Shuitao needed to cultivate her own confidants, and Zhang Qin also wanted to get closer to them. The two hit it off immediately and have been very close over the past few years.

The manufacturers had already arrived before the exhibition started, and preparations needed to be made in advance.

The sugar industry is highly competitive.

Both Guangdong and neighboring Guangxi are major sugarcane-growing provinces, and due to their latitude, the fruits here are exceptionally sweet, resulting in high-quality sugar.

There are two large sugar factories here.

Heilongjiang is a major sugar beet producing province, so naturally it wouldn't be left behind, and here comes another one.

Wuzhou Province may not be as good as these three places in terms of raw materials, but after Meng Songying went there, the new technology developed by his team greatly improved the quality of sugar production. This is the fourth place.

The Pearl Sugar Factory was the fifth one to arrive, and it was relatively late. Wang Shuitao noticed that the other four factories had already finished setting up.

Nobody paid any attention to it, but someone did.

Pearl Sugar Factory's booth was in a small corner, next to four other companies.

The leaders over there were also shouting loudly, directing the workers they brought to make arrangements. When they saw Wang Shuitao arrive, they even tried to pull her aside to learn some information about the foreigners.

Wang Shuitao glanced in the direction of the Wuzhou Sugar Factory, but didn't see Meng Songying. She smiled at the leader and then quickly made an excuse to leave.

She's very busy today, with a very tight schedule.

After leaving Zhang Qin to make some simple arrangements, Wang Shuitao was about to go outside for a stroll to see if there was anything useful when she saw a bright green flash by in the textile venue.

Some resemble the tender green of new leaves in early spring, the deep green of grass and trees in midsummer, some resemble the grayish-green of moss in a humid environment, and others resemble the deep and glossy green of pine needles.

She ran inside following the color.

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

Wang Shuitao, panting, stopped the man carrying a tall stack of fabric, offered her a hand, and helped him lift it as they walked forward.

"Brother, which stall do you work at? I'll go with you."

The older brother smiled good-naturedly: "It's over there, thanks, little sister."

Wang Shuitao tried to get closer to him: "Brother, where are you from?"

The older brother, still wary, said, "From Shandong Province."

The message was simply three words, without revealing any specific information about the company or organization. However, the older brother seemed a bit naive, as his factory stall was approaching soon, and there was little point in hiding anything.

"Oh!" Wang Shuitao exclaimed with sudden realization, "Lu Province, I know it, it's very cultured."

The older brother, unaware of her purpose, didn't respond and simply smiled.

Upon arriving at the stall, a woman who appeared to be a leader came out and said, "Young lady, thank you so much. I am Xie Rong, the deputy director of Shandong Provincial Textile Factory No. 1."

Wang Shuitao shook hands with her: "I am Wang Shuitao, the acting factory manager of the Pearl Sugar Factory. Factory Manager Xie is truly dashing, and this fabric is even more outstanding."

Let's not even talk about Shenxian County. It's a small place, and people wouldn't know it anyway. They'd probably look down on it.

But one day, she will make her hometown famous throughout the country, all of Asia, and the world, Wang Shuitao encouraged herself.

Xie Rong's eyebrows twitched: "Yes, these are all carefully selected by us to be used as samples."

sample?

Wang Shuitao tentatively asked, "I wonder if there are any extra samples besides the original ones?"

Xie Rong smiled, a hint of slyness in his eyes: "Of course we have spares, but I wonder what Director Wang plans to use them for? Could we discuss it together?"

She didn't know Wang Shuitao, but it's always good to try your luck, no matter what.

Xie Rong looked at the clever girl with a smile.

Since they weren't in the same industry, Wang Shuitao had no intention of hiding anything: "I'm planning to make a banner to attract attention, isn't that what all the shops used to do?"

Xie Rong reminded her, "There are regulations for the setup of the exhibition; banners might not be allowed."

Wang Shuitao blinked: "So, it should be placed on the only road that people can take."

Xie Rong suddenly realized, and smiled, "Little sister, tell me which piece of fabric you want."

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After handing over a large roll of fabrics of various colors to Zhang Qin, Wang Shuitao headed straight for the Liuhua Hotel.

Hanbos and his group also came this time and were arranged to stay here.

The Liuhua Hotel is very close to the Canton Fair, and all the roads in between are under traffic control. Wang Shuitao stood in front of the hotel and looked into the distance, immediately spotting a residential building across the street.

However, she didn't rush to leave. Instead, she went into the hotel and approached a staff member: "Hello, I'm a manufacturer here to participate in the Canton Fair. I've had some orders with foreign merchants here before, and I need to communicate about some things. Is there a Swede named Hanbos here?"

After introducing herself, the waitress's vigilance lessened considerably. She was also afraid; her superiors had repeatedly warned her not to let unauthorized personnel in. However, manufacturers who wanted to secure orders would naturally come up with all sorts of methods. The waitress had heard similar excuses from Wang Shuitao countless times, but at least this time there was a confirmed name.

After the waiter and manager reported, the two glanced at Wang Shuitao.

Wang Shuitao smiled at them and nodded slightly.

The waiter went up and quickly brought Hanbos down, followed by Andreas and Bjorn, whom he had met before.

Hanbosi yawned as he got down, but still maintained basic politeness. Over the years, Wang Shuitao had made a lot of contributions to his promotion and salary increase.

Wang Shuitao waved her hand and said, "Come on, let me treat you to a meal."

Andreas muttered, "Peach, I remember you're not from here."

But I still followed them.

The dishes—Hua Diao chicken, roast goose, char siu bao—came out very quickly.

Discussing business at the dinner table is not a custom unique to China.

The dishes were delicious and visually appealing, but Wang Shuitao had no appetite. After entering, she only took a sip of tea and asked, "Hanbosi, is your company very busy?"

Hanbos is struggling with roast goose, shrugs: "Aside from the collaboration with Qiujiang, I think that's it. You know, our company only makes sugar."

Wang Shuitao put down her teacup: "Then, I need a translator. Their English needs to be good enough. Name your price."

Just because he looked up and saw the commotion, Andreas was sold to Wang Shuitao by Hanbosi.

"Oh! Tao, what kind of relationship do we have? She's just a translator, she doesn't need a salary."

Hanbos was very adept at doing favors for his subordinates, and Andreas showed no sign of reluctance.

The exploitation of subordinates by superiors always transcends time and space, and crosses races and nations, achieving a startling consistency.

Unless you're a complete slacker, no one can resist it.

Clearly, Andreas has an ambitious heart.

Wang Shuitao ignored Hanbosi and said, "Then let's go by the market price."

Hanbosi grinned and said, "Tao, that's what I like most about you. You're always the one who follows the rules the most."

He himself doesn't follow the rules, but that doesn't stop him from hoping that his partners and competitors, well, maybe the whole world, are law-abiding.

After finishing their meal, Andreas left alone with Wang Shuitao.

Hanbos said to Bian, "I think there will be a surprise tomorrow."

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The next day, the month-long Canton Fair officially opened.

As soon as he stepped outside, Andreas let out a gasp, drawing everyone's attention.

They followed Andreas's gaze, and the bright green instantly refreshed their spirits.

These are the colors of nature.

Of course, it's also the most eye-catching color.

The colors on it are different, making it look like words have been written on it.

Andreas squinted and read aloud, "Purely natural, pollution-free, Pearl Sugar Factory."

Biyan rolled his eyes. How could you possibly see anything from this far away?!

"Oh! Environmental protection!"

Some people nodded in agreement.

The "environmental revolution" attracted widespread attention in the 1960s.

Fires in the Cuyahoga River in Ohio due to accumulated pollutants and a major oil spill in the waters off Southern California have heightened concerns.

Shortly after the turn of the 1970s, the United States held its first Blue Star Day event, with approximately 20 million people participating in large-scale marches, demonstrations, and environmental awareness campaigns.

Now, at the end of the 1970s, the concept of environmental protection has expanded rapidly internationally, environmental awareness has gradually taken root in people's hearts, and the environmental movement has flourished.

But they also realized it was an advertisement.

To make a strong first impression, foreign businessmen interested in sugar naturally headed straight to the Pearl Sugar Factory's booth.

Andreas volunteered and took the lead, leading them there.

Both Hanbos and Bjorn fell behind.

When the foreign businessmen discovered that Andreas was an inside man, they were not angry at all; instead, they became even more interested.

It appears to be a very strong company, which has managed to find other foreign businesses to advertise in China, a country that has only recently opened up.

Several foreign businessmen followed Andreas as they walked, passing through the largest industrial goods area, which had a distinctive mechanical smell.

Passing by the textile section, I saw Shu brocade, Yun brocade, and double-sided embroidery, all brightly colored.

Passing by the handicrafts area, you'll find paper umbrellas, bamboo weaving, firecrackers, and lacquerware, all showcasing the unique characteristics of traditional Chinese culture.

Passing through the local specialty products area, you'll find Chinese medicinal herbs, tea, dried goods, and other products that are also important exhibits at the Canton Fair.

Finally, we arrived at the food section.

The sugar exhibition hall wasn't remote. Andreas led the group past four large booths, and they even met some Southeast Asian businessmen and sugar factory managers from Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, exchanging greetings.

Finally, in a corner of the exhibition hall, Andreas stopped.

Wang Shuitao greeted them cheerfully: "Hi! How are you all?"