As an insider in the industry, Chen Shuqin knew that Zhou's Jewelry threw away countless amounts of money with the old Burmese every year, and she did not dare to say that the jade supply of her store would be stable.
High-end jadeite, in particular, has always been a problem that has troubled Zhou Jewelry.
Large companies like this actually face the same situation as purchasing staff at large state-owned factories in China.
The only opportunity to purchase jadeite is Myanmar's jadeite public auction. This is a petty move by Myanmar. They are doing their utmost to crack down on smuggling and then gather all the big companies together to let everyone bid.
The highest bidder wins.
This artificially drives up the price of jadeite raw materials. If no one comes, they won’t be able to hype it up anymore.
The best smuggling route now is actually from Hpakant to the east, through Tengchong and Ruili. To the south are all territories controlled by the Central Army. The journey to the seaside or Thailand is long and can be easily intercepted at any time.
This was also the route that Chen Xia and Yan Jinqie took to escape home. There were many warlords along the way, and they often fought with each other, so there were more opportunities for smuggling.
How did Ruili, a remote place, become so prosperous decades later? Where did all those jadeite rough stones come from? Everyone knows the source.
The Central Army of Myanmar could only stare blankly at this, as they were being sucked of their blood and their flesh scraped away. However, they had no control over northern Myanmar, and China was not a country they could afford to offend, so they turned a blind eye.
But the problem was that in the early 1980s, the mainland was still in an extremely conservative and closed era. Hong Kong bosses were not popular in the mainland and were far from having the connections to communicate directly with mainland senior officials.
Therefore, smuggling through the inland is impossible. The People's Iron Fist will let you know what it means to crack down on capitalist-roaders.
Small retail investors and companies like Zhuang Rui can gamble on stones at public auctions. If they win a high-quality ice or even glass-grade stone, they'll make a fortune. But if they don't, even if they spent hundreds of thousands or even millions of Hong Kong dollars on a large stone, it's just a large stone.
But purchasing staff of large companies dare not play like this. If they win the bet, they will get credit, but if they lose, their boss will kill them.
Therefore, in order to save their own lives, the purchasing staff and the company's top management can only choose to bid with "clear materials" to ensure that they do not lose money.
Not to mention gambling on stones, even window materials are rarely gambled.
Like the huge piece of clear material that Chen Xia bought from the Lei family in Tengchong, it weighs more than ten tons and the surface looks very good. How many companies would dare to take a gamble on it?
If you lose the bet, you will suffer serious injuries.
Did the legendary "Jade King" exist during this period?
There are certainly skilled jade gambling masters, but it's impossible for them to be as skilled as described in novels, able to tell the size, shape, and quality of jadeite with just a few glances. Not everyone has the clairvoyance of Zhuang Rui.
The so-called Jade King is just someone who wins more and loses less. Just like stock trading, it is about winning more and losing less over several years or decades, not in a single public auction.
Is he really such a brilliant person that he would still be willing to work for a big company? Can't he be his own boss?
There are so many wealthy people in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. How can they have the nerve to take out a piece of gold jewelry as a gift for their wives, girlfriends, or mistresses?
In 1982, diamonds were not yet popular in the East Asian cultural circle, and jadeite and Hetian jade have always been the darlings of the market.
For the sake of their company’s brand, these large jewelry companies have no choice but to bid, sometimes even at the cost of no profit, purely for popularity or to prevent their competitors from surpassing them.
Therefore, although jade is expensive, it is not the focus of profit even for Zhou Jewelry. It may still be in the embarrassing position of being well-received but not popular.
This is also the reason why Mr. Zhou was so calm when he heard that Chen Shuqin was planning to open a jade jewelry store with her nephew.
In the old man's mind, jade is not a profitable business. If young people rush in on impulse, they will definitely get hurt.
If Chen Shuqin said today that she had switched jobs to another jewelry company, or that she wanted to open a jewelry store herself, would Old Man Zhou still be so calm? He might even want to kill her.
But neither Zhou Yutong nor Chen Shuqin knew what the golden finger Chen Xia possessed was. He was a great man who had cleared out the jade stocks in Ruili and Tengchong in the mainland for decades.
He was even a powerful man who confiscated the property of a Burmese warlord who had existed for decades.
Other large companies would bring US dollars to the auction, but Chen Xia brought Yuezhou cloth and anti-inflammatory drugs. How could the cost be the same? It was like picking up something for free.
Not to mention the small items, Chen Xia has hundreds of glass-type imperial green bracelets on his hands. Just by taking out these bracelets and selling them one by one, "Caiyunzhinan" can make a lot of money, and this is "pure profit" with almost zero cost.
So, can Chen Xia and Chen Shuqin's jade company make money? Can it become famous? I'm afraid that after seeing Chen Xia's inventory, Chen Shuqin's thoughts are not on whether it will lose money, but on the rhythm of preparing for an "IPO."
Mr. Zhou has passed this level.
It can be seen that the old man really admires Chen Shuqin. He also told her that if she has any difficulties in opening a store in the future, she can ask him for help. If it really doesn't work out, she can still return to Zhou Jewelry to continue working.
After leaving Zhou's headquarters, Chen Shuqin looked back at the company she had served for half her life. With a firm heart, she said to the apprentice beside her:
"Let's go, we still have a lot to do."
Yes, Chen Shuqin resigned from Zhou Jewelry and did not dare to poach their employees. She only took away one of her apprentices, Lin Hui.
Lin Hui is 23 years old this year. She was an employee recruited by Chen Shuqin herself. She works diligently and conscientiously, never cheats, and never makes mistakes in the tasks she is assigned.
The key is that she is very beautiful, but unlike other girls, she does not rely on her looks to make a living by prostitution, but works honestly to earn money.
Chen Shuqin really appreciated this point. The two of them had similar personalities, and their relationship was more like that of master and apprentice than sisters.
This time, Chen Shuqin resigned and asked Lin Hui if she wanted to go with her. Lin Hui agreed without hesitation, which shows that this girl is determined to be her master.
Chen Shuqin also took away a lot of jade design drawings and information. These things were not company secrets. Most of them were public photos and drawings, which were intended to be brought back to the mainland for Chen Xia to refer to.
With Chen Shuqin's resignation, "Caiyunzhinan" officially entered the actual operation stage. For many years, it has always been Chen Xia's cash cow and one of the sources of funds supporting his career.
If you want to open a pharmaceutical factory or a hospital, it is really a very money-burning industry. Not to mention the money burned in research, the equipment needed for the pharmaceutical factory alone requires an investment of hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars.
Of course, the output can also be earned in the billions or hundreds of billions, but the prerequisite is that you have to have a successful product.
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