After some effort, a total of 31,000 review materials were loaded onto the Jiefang truck.
Lin Chen got into the passenger seat and set off with the driver.
Hunan Province is not far from Shanghai, but it still takes more than ten hours to travel there. In addition, the roads are in poor condition, so their speed is very slow.
Especially after dark, the driver's visibility was obstructed, and there were few road signs, so the two of them had to keep stopping and starting.
Just as they were rounding a bend, the car headlights illuminated a small house ahead, with a dark shadow beside it. The driver thought he should get out of the car and ask for some hot water.
Autumn has arrived, and the weather is a bit chilly; the water we brought has long since gone cold.
Lin Chen watched with a heavy heart as the driver slowly drove towards the small house.
Just then, he spotted a gun hidden behind the dark figure.
"Give it gas! Accelerate!"
Lin Chen yelled at the driver, wishing he could step on the gas himself.
The driver was quick-witted; he immediately turned the steering wheel, stepped on the gas, and sped away from the side of the house.
The two breathed a sigh of relief and, by the moonlight, saw several men standing in a row behind the truck, holding guns and firing at it.
"My God, that scared me to death." The driver couldn't catch his breath for a long time.
He used to travel within the province and was familiar with all the places, but this was the first time he had encountered such a ruthless robber.
Lin Chen, still shaken, asked:
"What would happen if we actually got off the bus?"
"What else can you do? Get beaten up, and you have to return the car. The smart ones just abandon the car and run away." The driver had heard many stories like this from his friends.
Lin Chen asked in surprise, "Does that mean all the goods on the truck are gone?"
The driver gave a wry smile: "That's still better than losing someone. That's how it is being a driver. Don't be fooled by how much we usually earn. Factory workers earn thirty or forty a month, while we earn five hundred. But if something happens, at best we get compensation, but at worst we lose our lives."
"That's a really tough job," Lin Chen sighed.
Just as he was about to take a nap, he looked towards the car window and saw a dark figure appear in the window.
Ah~
Even though he was a retired soldier and usually calm and experienced, he was quite frightened at this moment.
When the driver saw the head, he panicked and the car swerved wildly in the road.
The person clinging to the car door is holding onto the door handle tightly to prevent falling.
After the car finally came to a stop, he tried to pick up the gun in his hand, intending to force the driver to stop so that he could seize all the supplies in the vehicle.
Lin Chen instinctively gripped the package at his feet...
The car finally entered Shanghai in the early hours of the next day and slowly stopped in front of the science and technology bookstore.
Lin Chen opened the car door and got out, breathing in the air of Shanghai.
The streets here are indeed much more bustling than those in my own county town, with the sounds of breakfast vendors hawking their wares everywhere.
"I'm going to buy some food."
He said to the driver.
The driver was still gripping the steering wheel, breathing rapidly, and his face was pale, as if he had experienced something terrifying.
But he couldn't say anything.
Lin Chen did what he did to save himself, and there was nothing wrong with that. If anyone is to blame, it's that person who brought this upon himself.
When Lin Chen returned with the steamed buns, the driver ate a few before his mood calmed down a bit.
After 8 o'clock, Lu Zheng was already at work. Seeing Lin Chen so efficiently bringing the books over, he warmly welcomed him.
Just as Lin Chen had predicted, the city responded enthusiastically after the 1,000 sets of review materials went on sale at the bookstore, with everyone rushing into the bookstore to snap them up.
Some were for personal use, while others were bought as gifts.
A book costing 2.5 yuan is practically a steal in Shanghai, a city that was once a bustling metropolis.
The average wage of workers here has always been among the highest in the country, above 40 or 50. The standard of living is also among the highest in the country. Many families already have televisions and tape recorders, and some even have washing machines.
Looking at the shelves that were completely sold out in half a day, Lin Chen sighed that he had chosen the right location this time.
Jack, who hadn't shown up for a while, quickly came out and shook hands with Lin Chen:
"This is such a surprise, Mr. Lin! Your books have been so well received. When will the next batch of books arrive?"
Lin Chen skillfully withdrew his hand; Jack had suddenly become too enthusiastic, and he couldn't quite accept it for a moment.
"I'll arrange it right away. The next truckload of 30,000 books will arrive tomorrow."
For some reason, seeing the brochures selling like hotcakes, Lin Chen wasn't in a hurry anymore.
Let the market develop first. A thousand copies is nothing; the real test is when tens of thousands of copies are thrown into the market at once.
He checked the relevant local chronicles of Shanghai and found that the city now has a population of over 18 million. Even if only one percent of them need this book, that would still be 180,000 people.
Moreover, Shanghai has always been a vibrant city, with young people accounting for at least 20% of the population, which is 3.6 million.
The college entrance examination date has been set for early December, and the application period for university admissions has already begun. There is still a month left for applications to be submitted.
He found a guesthouse in Shanghai and settled in comfortably.
I called Shen Bo again and told him to arrange production as soon as possible, to produce as much as he could, and not to worry about not being able to sell it.
Then a truck was sent to Shanghai every three days.
The truck has two drivers who take turns driving and do not stop midway. They are armed and will fight back if anyone tries to rob them.
Shen Bo received a phone call and began to convene a meeting with the heads of various departments to assign tasks.
The raw materials department reported that the current paper supply is only enough to print another 100,000 copies.
The printing workshop reported that the workers have been working overtime for a month straight, and their bodies are about to give out.
The loading and unloading workshop is also causing trouble—they're short-staffed! Severely short-staffed!
Shen Bo instructed the personnel department to contact former colleagues immediately and urgently recall those who had not found suitable jobs, offering double the salary.
At the same time, he told Jiang Ning to quickly find people in the countryside. Anyone who was willing to come would only need to intern for half a month, and if they passed the assessment, they would be immediately converted into a full-time employee.
Jiang Ning immediately contacted Yi Yong and asked him to help spread the word and find the person.
As soon as the commune loudspeaker blared, everyone in the commune knew and rushed to sign up.
Of course, Liu Fang helped her register and conducted an initial screening by asking simple questions.
Only those aged between 18 and 40, in good health, hardworking, and with strong practical skills are eligible to participate in the training.
Wang Qiuju was naturally among those who signed up, and she rushed over excitedly.
After Jiang Ning learned that she was the person from the family that day, she immediately agreed.
"Girl, I'm giving you this opportunity, so you must study hard. If you don't pass the internship, you won't be able to stay," Jiang Ning instructed her.
Wang Qiuju raised her fist and nodded: "Yes, I will try my best."
Soon, the twenty selected people boarded a hand-operated tractor and were taken to the printing factory by Jiang Ning.
With the addition of the recalled veteran workers, the team immediately grew considerably.
Chen Bo made people talk about these things and arranged the shifts so that everyone could have rest time while also making the machines run at full capacity.
The printing factory suddenly presented a thriving scene.
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