Chapter 18: Common Language (Bug Hunting)
The three of them went downstairs together, and Qiao Junxian asked, "Have you bought it?"
"I've bought everything. How about you? What do you think?"
"I'm surprised that the electrical appliances here are very expensive. Do you know how much a double-door refrigerator costs?" asked Qiao Junxian.
Yue Ning pretended not to know and asked, "What is a refrigerator?"
The refrigerator is something that she has a very distant memory of, so far back as her previous life.
Qiao Junxian then realized that they had just brought Yue Ning out of the mountains, and she had no chance to come into contact with the outside world before, so he quickly apologized: "Sorry!"
In Hong Kong, people are used to mixing Chinese and English, and Yue Ning has no chance to learn English. Qiao Junxian realized that he even apologized in English, and Yue Ning might not understand, so he corrected him: "Sorry, I just asked casually. A refrigerator is a refrigeration machine. A double-door refrigerator has one door for making ice and the other door for keeping it cold. It is used to store drinks, watermelons, and other things."
Yue Ning pointed to the freezer where ice cream was sold: "Is this it?"
"Yes, but this one only has a freezing function, while a household refrigerator also has a refrigeration function. A refrigerator here costs nearly seven hundred dollars."
"So expensive? I heard from Mr. Chen that their salary is only a few dozen yuan. Does it cost a year's wages?" Yue Baohua was also surprised.
"And you can't buy it even if you have money. It's supplied with coupons." Qiao Junxian said with a smile, "A 14-inch black and white TV costs more than 500 yuan."
Yue Ning asked: "How much are the Hong Kong City refrigerator and TV?"
"Color TVs have long been popular in Hong Kong. They cost about HK$1,000, and refrigerators cost less than HK$1,000. According to the official exchange rate of RMB, the exchange rate between RMB and HKD is about 1:3.5, which means that when converted into HKD, a double-door refrigerator costs HK$2,500, and a black-and-white TV costs HK$1,800."
Since her country is lagging behind in this industry, it seems understandable that the prices are high. Yue Ning remembers that when she went to Rio de Janeiro, a mobile phone that sold for 3,000 or 4,000 yuan in China could be sold for 7,000 or 8,000 yuan in Brazil.
As they walked out the door and waited for the traffic light to turn red, Yue Baohua said, "So, if we can open up sales channels in the country, the profits will be very considerable."
"Yes! Although the domestic income is low, a billion people is a huge market. Even if one in ten thousand people can afford a TV or a refrigerator, that is still a huge order of magnitude," Qiao Junxian said excitedly.
Yue Baohua was also happy for him, and admired the Qiao family's keen insight into business. In comparison, when he accompanied his children to buy clothes, he was really just buying clothes.
At this moment, Yue Ning asked, "Mr. Qiao, you discussed the domestic economic situation with Director Chen on the train. Director Chen asked how much foreign exchange reserves our country has?"
Although Yue Ning's question was abrupt, Qiao Junxian still answered: "167 million US dollars."
"You buy from Germany and sell in China, and you have to convert the money you earn into US dollars, right? China only has this much foreign exchange reserves. Do you think that with the reform and opening up, we don't need to buy equipment? We don't need to buy scarce raw materials? This amount of foreign exchange is used to buy refrigerators and televisions for one in ten thousand rich people, allowing foreigners to make money from the Chinese?" Yue Ning asked with a smile.
After being hit with a bucket of cold water, Qiao Junxian suddenly realized: "That's right!"
"The light is green, cross the road." said Yue Ning.
The three of them crossed the road, and Qiao Junxian shook his head and said, "Yue Ning, you really woke me up with a word."
"And what's more! If we allow these household appliances from abroad to come in, since they are cheap and good, will they crush the domestic manufacturers of refrigerators and televisions?" Yue Ning asked, "How much output value do these companies create each year, and how many people do they support?"
"That's right!" Qiao Junxian replied.
In her previous life, Yue Ning studied business as a graduate student, and later became her own boss, so she naturally understood the country's economic development history. But now she naturally couldn't say that, so she said: "I just listen to the radio and know a general idea. You can ask Director Chen, isn't he from the foreign trade department? He must know."
Walking into the hotel, Qiao Junxian sighed, "No need to ask, home appliances are a big industry, and the upper echelons will definitely find ways to promote domestic products. Even if the products currently sold are at least two generations behind those of foreign countries, they will find ways to support these companies. Targeting mid- to high-end customers, in fact, those who can afford domestic TV sets are already high-end customers. Above that is the top level, and as for those people, the brand I have is not important enough in the international market. On the way here, I heard Director Chen say that China and Japan are now in close contact. I think the two countries are neighbors, and Japan's home appliance industry is extremely developed. Japanese manufacturers are about to enter China. Once Japanese manufacturers set up factories in China, my brand will be even less competitive. This has been verified in the Thai market."
"It's not just Thailand, right? I bought a new air conditioner for the restaurant today and found that the price has also dropped a lot." Yue Baohua said.
"It's from Thailand. Thailand surrendered to Japan very early during World War II. After Japan developed after the war and Thailand's political situation stabilized, Japanese manufacturers set up factories in Thailand. Originally, our brand sold well in Thailand. After the Japanese brand refrigerators, televisions and air conditioners assembled in Thailand were launched in Thailand, Thailand has a protection policy for locally produced home appliances, and labor in Thailand is cheap. Therefore, compared with imports from Japan, the price of Japanese home appliances produced in Thailand dropped by 20%, and our brand could not compete."
"That's right. Japanese manufacturers have opened factories in Thailand, and you think they will also open factories in China. Why can't the brand you represent open a factory in China? As long as the German manufacturers are willing, your family has a good relationship with the country, so it can definitely be opened!" This time, Yue Baohua witnessed the Qiao family's connections in the country.
"But this is not something that can be solved by connections. For the leaders above, this is a question of whether it is capitalist or socialist. It is not that simple to introduce foreign-funded enterprises."
"What do you mean?" Qiao Junxian asked. They had already gone upstairs and his room was not far from the stairs. "Why don't you come to my room and sit down and talk."
"Okay! I'll put the things down first." Yue Ning pointed to the bag on his shoulder.
“OK.”
Yue Ning took the shoes from her grandfather, went back to her room and used the bathroom. When she came out, she saw the cloth bag on the sofa. She took out all the clothes she had bought, stuffed two pairs of trousers and needle and thread into the bag, and went out with the bag.
Qiao Junxian's door was open and Yue Baohua was already inside.
When Yue Ning went in, Yue Baohua had already noticed that she was carrying the tattered cloth bag.
Qiao Junxian stood up and asked, "Miss Yue, would you like coffee or tea?"
"I won't drink any of it. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep at night. Just boiled water will be fine." Yue Ning took out needle and thread from her bag and started threading.
"Ningning, what are you doing?" Yue Baohua was sweating. Why was his granddaughter doing needlework here?
Yue Ning took out his pants and said, "I'll wear them tomorrow, so I'll fix the hem today. The brigade is organizing a meeting for members, so which female comrade doesn't have a needle and thread in her hands?"
Qiao Junxian paused holding the teacup and placed it on the coffee table: "Ms. Yue, have some water."
Yue Ning looked up: "Thank you!"
She lowered her head and continued to sew: "Mr. Qiao, I don't have much experience. I just listen to the radio and combine my own experiences and feelings to tell you my own opinion."
"you say."
"Do you know the Shekou Industrial Zone?"
Qiao Junxian shook his head: "I just came back, I don't know."
Yue Baohua said: "The area across from Yuen Long."
“There!”
"The radio said that the Shekou Industrial Zone has started to blast mountains and reclaim land. This industrial zone seems to be two square kilometers, serving as a test field for attracting foreign investment. It is located in Pengcheng, which is connected to the port city. Where is the capital for attracting foreign investment?" Yue Ning finished sewing a trouser leg, and bit off the thread. "Two square kilometers is very small. The capital from the port city is introduced because the port city has patriotic entrepreneurs like you. It is called a test field because we are unsure."
"Forget it then." Qiao Junxian leaned back on the sofa, "I was just hot-headed for a moment."
"Don't give up just like that!" Yue Ning shifted his trouser leg. "Reform and opening up must have come step by step! When the college entrance examination was resumed in 1977, I was so excited and went to register. They said I didn't meet the requirements. But the requirements were relaxed in 1978. If the sheep at home hadn't been infected with sheep plague, I would have taken the college entrance examination. I should have been in college for a year now. You see how fast things change."
"You didn't take the college entrance examination for the sake of the sheep?" Qiao Junxian couldn't understand. When he was in school, applying for a university was the top priority. "Isn't this the most important thing?"
"The policy says to relax the family review of candidates and pay more attention to the character of the candidates themselves. If half of the sheep in the flock die after I take the exam, does this count as putting my own interests first and the interests of the country second? Then my personal review will definitely not pass, and it will be a waste of time to take the exam."
"What about this year?" Yue Baohua asked.
Yue Ning said: "There is still more than half a month before the exam."
"No wonder you said at first that you didn't want to go back to Hong Kong City with me."
"Grandpa, what are you thinking about? It's nothing more than going to college a year earlier or later. Let me take this as an example. Introducing German manufacturers is like me taking the college entrance examination. It requires strict review and needs to be done step by step. But introducing funds from patriotic businessmen in Hong Kong to open a factory is like the group of people who took the college entrance examination in 1977. It can be done immediately. So why don't you open a factory yourself?"
Miss Yue grew up in the mountains. Even if she is extremely talented, she has limited experience. Qiao Junxian shook his head: "This is simply a fantasy. In the international market, home appliance brands, European and American brands, especially German brands, occupy the high-end market. Japan competes with Germany, and South Korea has risen. The manufacturing industry in Hong Kong seems to be booming, but in fact it is just doing clothing processing and electronic product processing. There is no brand to show off, and there is no technical accumulation in this area. Besides, introducing color TV and refrigerator production lines is not a small investment. I once suggested that this company set up a factory in Southeast Asia. They calculated that a color TV production line costs about 120 million US dollars."
"For me, refrigerators and televisions are too far away. What I want most is a radio and an electric fan. Uncle Mo told me that I grew up in a mountain village and had no access to the outside world. Only radio could bring in news from the outside world through radio waves. He told me to listen carefully to the news on the radio, so that I could learn to analyze policies and understand the outside world through the broadcasts. If I had a radio, I wouldn't have to worry about missing the village broadcast. Other people also like to listen to the radio. My third grandmother can hum a few lines from "The Orphan of Zhao", "Famen Temple" and "The Legend of the White Snake", all of which she learned from the radio."
Just now he thought that she had limited experience, but her next sentence broadened his mind. He asked, "Where is the electric fan?"
"When I went to deliver the sheep, I walked such a long mountain road that my sweat dried and then soaked again. Sister Ge asked me to stand under the electric fan for a while and let me drink some water. At that time, I told myself that I must buy an electric fan when I have money." Yue Ning bit off the thread, put his pants on his legs, looked up and said, "If you think that the people who can afford a refrigerator and a TV are one in ten thousand, then how many people can afford a radio and an electric fan? One in a thousand? Moreover, there is a good thing. Refrigerator and TV are definitely industries that the country hopes to develop. The country will focus on large and let go of small industries. It will not hold all industries in its hands. Electric fans and radios are not technically difficult, so they should be released. A refrigerator that costs more than 600 yuan and an electric fan that costs more than 600 yuan actually have the same total market value."
Qiao Junxian couldn't help but raise his hand, wanting to knock his head, but in the end he stroked his forehead instead. Others who stayed in the mountains could have such comprehension ability just by listening to the radio, so what was it for him to travel across the ocean to study?
He patted the armrest and said, "Ms. Yue, shall we go to the department store again to see how the sales of electric fans and radios are going?"
"Okay!" Yue Ning put away her needle and thread, "Let's go?"
"Walk."
"Grandpa, you have varicose veins in your legs. Stop running and take a rest in the hotel."
"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back and have dinner together." Yue Baohua nodded.
The two went downstairs together. Yue Ning remembered that the main store selling home appliances did not seem to be a department store. There should be a special store. She had never been there and could not remember what it was called.
She went to the hotel front desk and asked, "Comrade, do you know the name of a store that sells bicycles, refrigerators, and the like?"
"A hardware store?"
"Yes, yes! Where?"
"It's not far, just turn left when you go out..." The receptionist told her the exact location.
Yue Ning asked the front desk for some paper, drew a rough route based on the front desk's description, took the paper and asked Qiao Junxian: "Want to go over and take a look?"
There are also stores that specialize in selling electrical appliances? Qiao Junxian was delighted: "Of course."
The waiter said it was not far, and it really was. After turning a corner, I saw the sign of the hardware and electrical appliance store.
Qiao Junxian and Yue Ning entered the store. The counter outside the store was filled with hardware products such as electrical wires and cables, door locks, etc. The counter opposite had samples of a 28-inch and a 26-inch bicycle.
Needless to say, people gathered around the home appliance counter. A black-and-white TV on a shelf inside the counter was playing a news segment about how a canteen of a textile factory in Northeast China that employed 10,000 people provided three meals a day for its employees. With just this one program, these people were gathered here and refused to leave.
The refrigerator on display is a single-door one, and the washing machine is very large, with a label that says it is a twin-tub washing machine.
Yue Ning was puzzled: "What is the dual cylinder for?"
Qiao Junxian answered her: "One washes clothes, and the other dehydrates them."
"oh!"
At a nearby counter, a salesperson carried out a ceiling fan. The customer opened the paper package that contained the blades and took a look at the blades: "Comrade, the paint on this blade is peeling."
The salesperson said lazily, "Just buy a bucket of white paint and paint it yourself."
"I'm here to buy a new one!" said the customer aggrievedly.
The salesperson walked over and pushed the paper up: "Forget it if you don't want it."
Another person ran over and took out a ticket: "He doesn't want it, but I do. Comrade, this is my fan ticket."
The customer who was disgusted by the peeling paint immediately hugged the ceiling fan and said, "I want it, I want it. Comrade, give me the invoice and I'll pay for it."
Yue Ning leaned over to take a look and asked, "How much is it?"
The salesperson who was issuing the ticket looked up and glanced at her: "Can you afford it?"
Yue Ning was treated coldly by the salesperson. Qiao Junxian couldn't stand it and walked over and said, "I can afford it. How much is it?"
The salesperson slapped his ballpoint pen on the counter, pulled out the carbon paper that was pressed against the ticket book, tore off the three-part form, and stretched out his hand to the customer and said, "Give me the ticket."
The customer gave him the ticket. The salesperson held up the ticket and still didn't look at Qiao Junxian. He asked coldly, "I have money. Do you have a ticket?"
Qiao Junxian said awkwardly: "No."
Yue Ning couldn't help laughing: "The salespersons in Hong Kong only look at the clothes and don't recognize people, while the salespersons in the mainland treat everyone without a ticket equally."
The customer counted out the money and gave it to the salesperson, who took the money and the ticket, put them in a clip and sang, "One Shuangle ceiling fan, one hundred and twenty dollars."
The clip slid along the wire to the cash register.
"One hundred and twenty yuan for a paint-chipped electric fan? That's too expensive." Qiao Junxian really couldn't accept it.
The customer who was complaining about the paint peeling just now said with a smug look on his face, "One hundred and twenty yuan is expensive, but first you have to have a ticket."
When the order came back, the salesperson rewrapped the fan for the customer and said, "We are not responsible once the item leaves the counter."
"What's the logic here? If I go back and find that the electric fan is not working, can't I return it?" Qiao Junxian learned his lesson this time and just asked Yue Ning in a low voice.
Yue Ning curled her lips and said, "Not only can you not return it, but you have to pay to have it repaired yourself."
"ah?"
"Come and have a look over here. I checked each and every one of the goods when I purchased them." A chubby lady in the front heard their conversation and said.
Everyone likes a person with a cheerful face. Yue Ning and Qiao Junxian walked over. The fat lady's counter sold small electrical appliances, such as electric irons, hair dryers, radios, flashlights and the like.
"They don't have tickets." The male salesperson at the electric fan reminded the fat lady.
"There may be no tickets today, but there may be tickets tomorrow. Young men and women are getting married, so they should have a ticket for the third turn, right? Let's take a look first, and then buy it when there are tickets. I tell you, don't buy radios carelessly. This Diamond brand..."
This lady was a chatterbox. She introduced the radios from several manufacturers. She could answer all the questions asked by Qiao Junxian. She also added: "Radios are not like televisions. If you know how to assemble one, you can just buy a few parts. So there are many manufacturers. If you are unlucky and buy a poor quality one, how bad is that?"
When a customer came in, the lady immediately said, "Young men and women, please look around. I'm going to serve the customers. Comrade, what do you want?"
Qiao Junxian asked as he watched, "What is three turns and one ring?"
"Bicycles, sewing machines and radios are essential for city folks to get married."
While they were talking, a young couple came to buy a sewing machine. Yue Ning and Qiao Junxian watched the couple buy the sewing machine.
At this time, the bell rang, and the salesperson at the sewing machine counter said, "Comrade, the time is up. We have to prepare to settle the accounts before leaving get off work. We are about to close."
Qiao Junxian raised his wrist to check his watch: "It's only 4:30 in the afternoon?"
"Comrade, this is the store's rule. If you have any questions, please talk to our leader."
Yue Ning said to Qiao Junxian: "Forget it, let's go!"
They walked out with other customers. Qiao Junxian looked at the blazing sun outside and said, "The sun doesn't set until 8pm here. Are you not doing business now?"
"The department store is still open. The hardware and electrical stores open at 9:30 a.m. and close at 4:30 p.m." A customer who was in the store just now ran over and asked, "You are not locals, right? Isn't it the same where you are?"
Qiao Junxian replied: "From Hong Kong."
"Gangcheng? I saw it in the newspaper. You just said it was very expensive. So how much does an electric fan in Gangcheng cost?" the customer asked excitedly.
"It's less than a hundred yuan in Gangcheng, right? It's just Hong Kong dollars. The exchange rate between Hong Kong dollars and RMB is 3.5 Hong Kong dollars to one RMB." Qiao Junxian told him.
"So cheap?" The man became excited. "Do you want tickets?"
"Need not."
"Then I'll go to Gangcheng to buy electric fans and sell them, right..." The young man was almost dancing with joy.
Qiao Junxian stood still and said, "Sir, you have to understand that Hong Kong and the mainland have customs. You must first have import qualifications, otherwise it is smuggling, and smuggling is a crime anywhere in the world."
"Also, the two places are thousands of miles apart. How do you plan to transport it?" Yue Ning asked him.
This question gave him confidence: "I work at the Railway Bureau, responsible for material transportation dispatch. I have a way."
Qiao Junxian nodded and said, "Oh? I have a friend who is an electrical appliance agent. If the purchase volume is not large, he should be able to help with the customs import. But if it is a few thousand or tens of thousands of units, he may be powerless. Coincidentally, he is also exploring the mainland market."
The man's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really? Can I help?"
Just as they were walking to the entrance of the hotel, Qiao Junxian suggested, "Let's find a place to sit down and talk?"
"oh oh!"
Qiao Junxian brought Yue Ning and the gentleman to the coffee shop. After the three of them sat down, Qiao Junxian asked, "Sir, would you like coffee or tea?"
"I'll just have tea."
Qiao Junxian looked at Yue Ning again: "Miss Yue, would you rather drink boiled water?"
"Um."
Qiao Junxian ordered from the waiter: "One cup of black tea, one cup of boiled water, one cup of coffee, with milk but no sugar, thank you! And give me paper and pen." After ordering, Qiao Junxian politely asked the gentleman: "Excuse me, sir, what is your name, sir, and what position do you hold in the Railway Bureau?"
"My name is Li Guoqiang, and I'm in charge of material transportation dispatch at the Railway Bureau." As he said that, Li Guoqiang hurriedly took out a red plastic work ID from his pocket.
Qiao Junxian took the work permit and flipped it open to take a look. Then he returned it to him, took the paper and pen from the waiter, lowered his head to write down his name and address, and handed it to Li Guoqiang: "This is my friend's contact information. Can you also leave me your contact information? I will ask him to contact you after I return to Hong Kong City?"
Li Guoqiang took the paper, wrote down his contact information, and asked, "What's your name?"
"My last name is Qiao." Qiao Junxian put away the contact information and said, "Mr. Li, that's it for now. You can discuss the details with Mr. Fang later."
"OK."
After seeing Li Guoqiang off, Yue Ning looked at Qiao Junxian with a smile: "Your friend?"
"I was thinking..." Qiao Junxian was about to explain.
"I know, I know. Let's examine the other party's ability and character first." Yue Ning took over the conversation.
The two walked towards the stairs. Qiao Junxian once again lamented the high prices of electrical appliances. Yue Ning smiled and said, "How many times have you lamented the high prices? You are the son of the Qiao family in Gangcheng."
"I didn't consider it from the perspective of my spending power, but from the perspective of the target customers of these products. At first, I was very excited and thought these were business opportunities, opportunities everywhere. But compared with your income, these commonly used electrical appliances cost hundreds or even several thousand yuan, and I felt that it was really not easy for you."
Qiao Junxian was standing on the consumer's side. Yue Ning couldn't help but think of her past life, when the average salary in Pengcheng had exceeded 10,000 yuan, and the price of electric fans didn't seem to have changed much. She sighed and said, "Yes! I've always wanted a thermos so that I can have some hot water to drink when I come back from herding sheep in winter. I finally got a ticket, but when I went to the supply and marketing cooperative, I was told it cost 6.5 yuan. I only have 3 yuan a month for living expenses, so I had to give up!"
"I'll give you one?" As soon as he said this, Qiao Junxian couldn't help laughing.
Yue Ning couldn't help but say: "Nervous!"
Qiao Junxian remembered that she had said before that she wanted a radio, so he said, "When we return to Hong Kong City, I will give you a tape recorder. You can listen to the radio and play cassettes to listen to music."
Yue Ning waved his hand: "No, no. Wait until you open a factory and produce them before giving me one?"
"Of course, of course. Thank you very much for your suggestion today. A color TV production plant requires an investment of at least more than 100 million US dollars, but an electric fan factory or a radio factory can be opened with a few million Hong Kong dollars. The total market size is similar, and in terms of profit margin, it is even higher. This is a very good project. Just based on this suggestion, I have to give you 1% of the shares." Qiao Junxian said seriously.
Yue Ning smiled and shook his head to refuse: "No! At most, if you have new products, you can give them to me to try out. I don't dare to ask for dry shares, and you can't just give them to me casually, right?"
"What are you talking about?" At this time, Director Chen's voice came.
Yue Ning looked up and saw Grandpa and Director Chen preparing to go downstairs. Director Chen said, "We think it's almost time, so we thought of going downstairs to wait for you to have dinner together."
Director Chen looked at Yue Ning and asked, "Xiao Yue, you are the most knowledgeable about food. Should we go for Shaanxi cuisine, or just have a bowl of mutton soup with steamed buns?"
"When eating mutton soup steamed buns, you have to eat the most authentic kind."
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