Chapter 165: City of Deception
Sunil recently moved to a new home near Malabar Hill, finally realizing the ultimate dream of countless Indians and living in the wealthy area of South Mumbai.
It was true that the apartment was a bit old and there was an ugly pink building right in front of it.
But apart from this, there is an endless sea from the left.
The sea belongs to him, he can open the window with confidence, no garbage will fly in, and there is a vast blue sky above his head.
His new home is clean and tidy, the solid wood furniture is elegant, and more importantly, there is plenty of light indoors.
Throughout the afternoon, the light and shadow kept changing, and every change was pleasant, bright but not dazzling, and there was a gentle light even in the rainy season.
The kitchen was filled with the aroma of fish curry, and his newly married wife was stirring the handle of the spoon, waiting for the hot delicacy to come out of the pot.
Time seemed to flow particularly slowly on Sunday. Sunil, no, Baniya, half lying on the sofa, couldn't help but think of the past.
Sunil is his middle name, and his friends and business partners prefer to call him Baniya.
But recently Bania has been insisting on asking them to change their tune, as this concerns his plan to make a fortune.
Yes, getting rich, this is the dream he has been pursuing for many years.
When Bania first came to Mumbai, he was penniless and a real poor boy.
He was down-to-earth and hardworking, and saved some money by doing hard labor and running errands.
He originally thought that he could integrate into the city with his own hands, but that was not the case.
He was rejected again and again, and the most common answer he heard was "no".
"Can you help me get the LPG line turned on?"
"no."
"Can I book a train ticket?"
"no."
Bania discovered that India is a country that likes to say "no".
These “no”s are a test for you. They are the Great Wall of India, keeping all foreign invaders out.
If you want to gain a foothold here, you must never be discouraged. You must be more courageous as you face more setbacks, and rush towards it with high morale and conquer it.
Bania was truly enlightened by this city because of an experience he had with liquefied gas.
India is facing energy shortages, and the government has an absolute monopoly on the supply of liquefied petroleum gas. Domestic gas is packed in bulky red cylinders and distributed to every household.
He went to the designated liquefied gas supply station in the area, but the staff told him that "there is no quota."
The Mumbai government’s much-vaunted “Five-Year Plan” is unable to provide adequate gas to residents.
“When will the quota be released?”
“Maybe until August.”
It was only May. Did the family of four have to eat cold bread for three months?
So someone suggested to him that he might as well try his luck in the black market.
He didn't know where the black market was, so he could only hang around the supply station and try to stop the guy delivering liquefied gas.
Sure enough, he saw a porter riding his bicycle along Harkness Road. Bania approached the man and asked him how much a tank of liquefied gas would cost.
The man said the LPG wasn't the problem; the key was getting it connected. He assured him that if he could find someone willing to install it on the black market, he'd call him right away.
Still the black market, Baniya quietly remembered this word.
But his home didn't have a phone, so he had to go to another supply station.
He walked into the supply station's office and said to the staff, "I want a can of liquefied gas."
Then the problem of no quota at the previous supply station was explained.
“Do you have connections in the Rajya Sabha?” the staffer asked him, referring to the upper house of India’s parliament.
"No, what's wrong?" Baniya answered stupidly.
"If you know someone there, things will be much easier. Each councillor has a quota of liquefied gas that they can allocate on their own."
At this time, an auntie next to him interrupted, "He has two children!"
She looked at the female staff member and said with deep emotion, "They have two crying children. Without liquid gas to heat milk, the children are crying. What can a father do? His own children can't even have a sip of hot milk!"
The staff relented and finally agreed to deliver a tank of liquefied gas to Bania's home the next day.
After leaving the office, Bania thanked the kind aunt profusely.
But the other party said something that Bania will remember to this day.
"Mumbai is a city with no integrity. Sometimes you have to lie."
Bania finally got the can of liquefied gas. Instead of following the formalities and filling out forms, he took full advantage of the female employee's compassion. After all, everyone has children.
Once he broke through this barrier, the staff no longer made things difficult for him and even took the initiative to tell him a loophole: if he bought commercial liquefied gas tanks instead of civilian products from the supply station, he would be able to get the quota immediately.
Commercial liquefied gas tanks are of course larger and more expensive than civilian ones, but they do not encounter the "quota" problem.
To put it bluntly, when you go to a supply station to buy cheap civilian supplies, you will be deliberately harassed.
They force you to buy commercial liquefied gas on the black market, making up all sorts of excuses for doing so.
Even if you go through all the difficulties, you will finally get the civilian liquefied gas which is a welfare benefit.
However, I found that the dosage that should have lasted for three months could only last for three weeks at most.
Baniya encountered such an embarrassing situation. The tank of liquefied gas delivered from the supply station was used up in less than twenty days.
At that time, he was entertaining relatives and friends from his hometown, and the banquet ended abruptly when it was halfway through, which made him feel very embarrassed.
Afterwards, Bania found out through inquiries that there was a loophole in a certain link of the supply station, which caused most of the liquefied gas tanks to be opened and the gas to be pumped out.
The extracted liquefied gas will be sold on the black market at a high price. This is the origin of the so-called commercial liquefied gas.
This taught Bania a hard lesson: in the city of Mumbai, there is no way out by selling your labor.
He began to embrace the black market and tried every means to exploit it. The first thing he tried was the liquefied gas black market.
He found that the only way for ordinary families to ensure a continuous supply of liquefied gas at home was to order two tanks at the same time.
This naturally requires a secret operation, either by registering one of the liquefied gas cylinders at another address, or by bribing officials to achieve the goal.
Bania first acted as a broker, earning commissions by introducing clients to the black market, but later he simply bribed officials and set up his own supply station.
He lied again and again, used whatever means necessary, and succeeded again and again.
Bania rediscovered the city.
Mumbai is a city of deception, and everyone in it is complicit.
People who work hard to earn wages are far less respected than those who cheat and deceive for profit.
Because in Mumbai, "if one person succeeds, the whole family will prosper", and cheating and deceiving is a shortcut to climb up. Such people are quick-witted and good at doing business.
Everyone can make money honestly, so what’s the big deal?
But a well-designed white lie is an art!
Finally, five years ago, Bania saved enough capital to start a factory owner.
After all, you can only make small profits in the black market. If you want to become a real big shot and have officials treat you as a guest of honor, you have to have your own career.
As it turned out, he was right.
Although there have been many difficulties in the operation in recent years, the quality of Fengshen electric fans has been nothing to write home about.
But Indians are not picky, and they have no right to be picky, so his products sell well.
Now, not only has he moved into the Malabar Hill apartment that most people dream of, but he has also got a prettier and younger wife.
Well, she looks much more pleasing to the eye than the yellow-faced woman before.
Sooner or later, he would move to Malabar Hill and buy a villa there.
Then change to a young model, and life will be perfect.
Thanks to the profits he earned, Baniya's relationships became deeper and deeper.
Recently, the official who often worked with him promised Baniya that he would introduce him to "Tiger" Thackeray.
Baniya danced with joy and was very excited for a long time.
That was Thackeray, the man at the top of Mumbai.
Bania is well aware of the hostility his factory's recent actions will arouse.
He had heard of Dr. Sur's name, and of course he also knew the rumors between him and "Tiger" Thackeray.
But Bania was not scared. As long as he could get in touch with Thackeray, everything would be easy.
He was also jealous of the water-cooling business, after all, the ads were broadcast on the All India Television every day.
It is said that the other party has opened a branch factory in Uttar Pradesh. How long has it been since then?
It has only been half a year since water-based air conditioners were introduced and advertisements have been broadcast daily.
The other party's expansion speed in half a year far exceeds Banya's five years of accumulation. How can he not be jealous?
It so happened that Soul Electric had recently begun to enter the traditional electric fan market, which gave Baniya more confidence to make the move.
If you can steal my business, there is no reason why I can't take your profits.
Water-cooled air conditioners aren't complicated. After dismantling a few, the people at his factory roughly figured out how they work.
He doesn't need to make it as exquisite as Sur Electric Appliances, as long as it can be used. Anything more is a waste.
The most important thing is that it is cheap. Baniya knows Indians’ consumption habits too well.
Most people choose the cheapest restaurants even when eating out, let alone buying expensive home appliances.
Relying on price advantages, it is not difficult to get a share of the pie.
He also figured out the supply channels of Sur Electric Appliances, so he followed their example and looked for ways in Singapore.
This kind of thing cannot be concealed at all. After all, there are ships coming to the customs every day, and you can find out by just asking around.
The move that made Bania most proud was, of course, changing the name.
His middle name sounds very similar to Sur, so he didn't even need any advertising.
All Indian TV broadcasts it every day. Do you expect those who can barely read to tell who is who?
The entire product, from the shape, color, logo, to the name, is exactly the same.
He even took the prototype to ask his neighbors, but none of them realized it was a fake.
Great, now it’s stable!
Bania looked out the window, he was looking forward to the rainy season passing quickly.
The humid air prevented his water-based air conditioner from taking full advantage, so he was waiting for the best opportunity.
Ding Dong, the doorbell rang.
Bania waved his twelve-year-old son to open the door. At this hour, it must be the newspaper boy.
Sure enough, my son soon came in with a few newspapers.
Bania has long developed the habit of reading newspapers, which often contain business opportunities.
He opened one with ease, and then was stunned.
(End of this chapter)
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