Chapter 102 What to do when you're broke (Revised)
He Changyi made a considerable profit at the auction.
She bid on tractor factories, machine tool factories, and bearing factories, using up almost all the vouchers collected since the Friendship Store opened, as well as a batch of vouchers she urgently acquired at high prices before the auction, with a total value exceeding one million US dollars.
However, compared to the asset valuation of the three factories, the cost of the voucher is negligible.
These three factories have been established for decades and not only have huge factory buildings and land, but also a considerable amount of production line equipment, as well as a large inventory of raw materials and finished products.
Even if He Changyi does nothing, the revenue from selling the machinery and equipment alone can cover the auction costs, and more.
Moreover, she really does have something to do.
Similar to the dairy factory, He Changyi first sent a legal audit team to the three factories. After obtaining the exact list of employees and the audit report, she brought bodyguards and a money box to pay the overdue wages to all the workers in the largest meeting room of each factory.
The workers at the three factories were ecstatic.
"It's unbelievable that the first thing Ms. Jong-kook did after buying the factory was to pay for it!"
"She's completely different from those funds and oligarchs!"
“Look at the dairy factory, those people are wearing new cotton-padded clothes, the rooms are heated, and they even buy a whole piece of beef!”
"I can't wait to make her our new factory manager!"
"It turns out that Zhong Guo is still our comrade. We have changed, but they haven't."
Suddenly, people of Asian descent received a surge of goodwill in Vladimir, with friendly smiles everywhere.
Sometimes, when local teenagers would block people's way asking for cigarettes or change, an old woman with a headscarf would rush up aggressively, waving her fists and yelling at them, "Hey! Smirnov boy, I know you, I'm going to tell your mother about this!"
The teenagers scattered in fright, leaving only a bewildered Asian man standing there, muttering something to the old woman.
The old lady didn't understand, but nodded kindly, "It's alright, don't be afraid, the Chinese are our friends."
Fearing he wouldn't understand, the old lady took out a notebook and pointed to the red five-pointed star on it.
Asian: ...? ? ?
He couldn't speak Emei, so he repeatedly bowed to the old lady to express his gratitude, his hands pressed against the seams of his trousers, his movements extremely precise and methodical.
The old lady squinted, her expression suddenly changing, as if some memory had been awakened.
"Japanese people?"
She suddenly called out, "Smirnov boy, come back! Now!"
The teenagers hesitated as they approached to observe, but the old woman turned and left decisively, muttering to herself as she walked quickly away, "I didn't see anything. Do whatever you want, anyway, he's a Japanese man..."
Japanese people:? ? ?
He looked at the old woman, stretched out his helpless little hand, and said, "Wait, don't go!"
Geng Zhi rushed into the office, both apprehensive and overjoyed, panting, and said, "Boss, you'll never guess who I just ran into!"
He Changyi was looking at documents when he heard this and said without looking up, "You got robbed by the police again?"
Strangely enough, perhaps because his stubbornness and headstrong personality make him stand out, the local police are particularly keen to collect "overtime pay" from him. Just when the police near the store finally remember his stubborn face, they find him blocking their way and checking their passports again the next day when they move to a different area.
He Changyi had gotten used to picking up the straightforward little boy from various police stations from time to time.
But this time, Geng Zhi shook his head frantically: "No... uh, it seems so... oh dear, I did run into a policeman, but he didn't ask me for money!"
He Changyi finally raised her head and said with some surprise, "So this time you gave me the money voluntarily?"
Geng Zhi was so anxious he was about to jump up and down, stammering incoherently, "No money! I didn't give it, I didn't ask for it, anyway, it's just..."
From his agitated and confused account, He Changyi finally understood the cause and effect of the matter.
It turned out that Geng Zhi had encountered a stranger policeman today, and he was mentally prepared to ask his boss to bail him out, so he bravely walked up to the policeman.
Unexpectedly, the policeman only glanced at him and then looked away without any reaction.
Geng Zhi was shocked and hesitated before taking two more steps forward, but the police still didn't react.
He touched his face, then looked down at his clothes—what, did he wake up as an old Russian?
He stubbornly took two steps forward, then two more, until he was almost face to face with the police officer, at which point the officer finally reacted.
"Boss, do you know what he said?"
Before He Changyi could speak, Geng Zhi gesticulated wildly and said, "He asked me if I was lost, and then he took me to the store in a police car!"
"I came to work in a police car today! And I haven't paid yet!!!"
He Changyi leaned back in disgust, using the documents to shield himself.
"Alright, alright, I know you got the better deal with the police today. Go out and brag to others, I have things to do."
Watching Geng Zhi skip and hop out of the office, He Changyi smiled and shook her head, then continued looking at the documents.
The office door was pushed open again, and this time it was Ms. Tajiyana.
"Boss, I have to tell you some bad news. Our working capital is about to be wiped out."
He Changyi wasn't surprised; he pushed the documents aside and slumped onto the table.
“Ms. Tagyana, if I buy a lottery ticket now, is there any chance of winning a multi-million dollar jackpot? I mean, US dollars.”
Ms. Tatyana remained unfazed. “You can only buy ruble lottery tickets in Oros. Perhaps you could do so in Europe or America.”
He Changyi sighed silently.
During this period, she spent money like water. Not only did she buy vouchers at high prices before the auction, but she also had to pay wages and heating fees to the factory after winning the bid. In addition, there were expenses for purchasing equipment and renovating the factory buildings for the dairy products factory.
Each of these is a large expenditure, and given He Changyi's current financial situation, it would be difficult for him to provide financial support to multiple factories on his own.
However, these factories are currently in a bottomless pit, and there is no prospect of seeing any return on investment in the near future, so they can only rely on her to keep them afloat.
He Changyi tapped the table slowly with his knuckles, clearly pondering something.
Ms. Tagyan sat quietly, the experienced old accountant not disturbing her train of thought.
The knocking suddenly stopped, and the next second He Changyi's voice rang out.
"Banks should start attracting deposits, setting interest rates two percentage points higher than state-owned banks. And—"
She paused for a moment, as if she was still hesitant, but quickly made up her mind.
"Send people to inventory and value the assets of the tractor factory and bearing factory."
When regular customers habitually visit the Friendship Store every day, they are surprised to find that the new bank next door, called "Far Eastern Development Bank," has opened its doors and is enthusiastically attracting customers.
It's strange, this bank is always closed to customers, and apart from hanging up a bank sign, it hardly conducts any external business.
Curious people knocked on the door to inquire, but were told by staff that the bank was not currently accepting any individual or institutional clients, nor was it handling any business. It seemed like they were just playing around with themselves, and no one knew how they made money.
But now this mysterious bank has changed its style and is actively inviting people to come in and have a look. Whether you deposit money or do business, everyone who comes is a guest, so please come in and have a seat.
Far Eastern Development Bank even put up a huge advertisement at the entrance of the Friendship Store, with the deposit interest rate and new customer gifts in very eye-catching font. Even more eye-catching were the samples placed next to it—look at those piles of rice, flour, cooking oil and canned liquor that looked like small mountains. Even the most indifferent person would be moved!
Friendship Store has a large daily customer flow, and many customers coming and going are attracted by the display, lingering in front of the display stands and causing a small congestion.
The staff member said, "Go check at the bank! The number of gifts is limited each day, and if you come too late, they'll be gone. Don't waste this precious opportunity!"
At the front of the crowd, a plump middle-aged woman voiced the concerns in everyone's hearts.
“That’s a bank! That’s money! How can we trust a completely unfamiliar bank? If you take our money and run off to the United States, are we supposed to swim across the Pacific Ocean ourselves?”
Now that Russia has deregulated its financial system, anyone can open a bank as long as they have a registered capital of 500,000 to 1 million rubles.
These private banks, growing like weeds, are unregulated and reckless, often running off with depositors' money and then heading to Europe to enjoy the Mediterranean sun.
After being scammed so many times, the people of Oroqen became extremely cautious. Inflation already made money cheap, but it was still money. If someone cheated them out of their money, the whole family would have to eat potatoes in the Siberian wind and use their tears as salt to get through the ordeal.
Hearing the woman's question, the staff member was not angry. She had an exceptionally kind face and smiled as she said to everyone, "I understand your concerns. If it were me, I would have the same questions. But this time is different. Once you know who the bank's owner is, you will have the same confidence as me."
Someone shouted, "Who's the boss? Could it be Ye Mouqin?"
The crowd erupted in laughter, and another person shouted, "That's even more unsettling! He might use our money to buy up all the vodka in the world!"
The plump woman urged, "Just tell us, stop playing games with us. Who exactly is the owner of your bank?"
The staff member pointed to the Friendship Store's signboard.
"In fact, the bank owner and the shop owner are the same person, both Ms. He."
The crowd fell silent, and one of the more impatient people spoke up first: "Are you telling the truth? Is it Ms. Zhong Guo, the one who bought the dairy factory, tractor factory, bearing factory, and machine tool factory?"
“I know her. Miss He is a truly good person. The first thing she did after buying the factory was to pay the back wages.”
"Unbelievable, she actually owns a bank?"
"If it's her, this bank is much more trustworthy. After all, she's an extremely wealthy businesswoman; she has so much money that it could fill the entire square!"
The crowd was still buzzing with discussion, while those who were quick had already rushed towards the bank.
"Tell me, how much money do I need to save to get the highest tier of gifts?"
"What? You can get a 50% off store coupon by depositing 100,000 rubles? And there are no restrictions on the types of goods?"
"Make way, I was here first!"
Outside the bank, a man who had been working out of town for a long time asked in surprise, "Are they all crazy? This is a private bank!"
The person next to him patted him on the shoulder and explained, "Dude, you don't know, this is Ms. Zhong Guo's bank."
People working out of town were even more astonished: "The bank owner is a foreigner?! You must be crazy!"
The person next to her said, "Ms. He is different from other foreigners. She is trustworthy, and we believe in her."
The people working out of town shook their heads and muttered, "Let alone foreigners, I wouldn't trust even my own countrymen. I only feel safe when my money is in my own hands."
The person next to him didn't argue with him because the person he was waiting for had already come out of the bank.
"Nov, Nov, come help me! This is so heavy!"
Nov happily went to greet her and took the heavy gift bag from his wife's hands.
"My God, what did they give you! Canned beef, sugar, flour, cooking oil... Oh my god, they even gave you sausages and mayonnaise!"
With his wife's help, Nov carried the bag on his shoulders, and despite the heavy burden, the two of them moved with great ease.
People working in other places were extremely envious, while at the same time, people kept leaving with happy faces, carrying gift bags.
Look at the marks on these people's hands; that bag must have been incredibly heavy!
He became increasingly itchy, as if his feet had grown wheels, unconsciously propelling him toward the bank.
...Or maybe he should deposit some money too? He can just collect the gifts and withdraw the money a few days later.
When the people who worked out of town came out of the bank again, their hands were full of gift bags, and they walked home with beaming smiles.
He had to hurry back and tell his family to take all the money hidden under the bed and deposit it into the Far East Development Bank!
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