Entering 1993, Master Kong and Uni-President were just beginning to reap the benefits of the mainland market. Master Kong, in particular, registered in Tianjin in 1991 and officially produced its first package of braised beef noodles in the summer of 1992, which became an instant hit and quickly occupied a large market share.
Everything came too easily. In a world without Jiaming Foods, except for the rise of local enterprises such as Baixiang and Hualong a few years later which slightly hindered their progress, they basically walked sideways for the rest of the time.
Especially after achieving success in the food sector, they turned their attention back to the beverage market, directly challenging companies like Wahaha.
It's difficult for such companies not to expand, especially now that the economy on the island is so developed and the market is so prosperous, which puts pressure on mainland companies in terms of marketing, products, and processing technology.
At night, Xie Heng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He felt frustrated. He had originally planned to ask Lu Feng for help after marrying Jiang Xiaohong, and now that the baby was almost due, he had talked to Jiang Xiaohong several times, but to no avail.
The two brothers, Jiang Fuqiao and Jiang Fulu, shared a room, but neither of them spoke to the other. Each of them had their own plans, and for them, this year's New Year was going to be a tough battle.
They knew very well that defeating Lu Feng was impossible, so they could only try to get to his sister.
The next morning, five Steyr trucks were already parked at the warehouse entrance, the decorators were busy, and the night shift workers were starting to go home.
After getting up, washing up, and having a simple breakfast, Lu Feng greeted Gao Zhiwei and got into the car to go back.
It was almost ten o'clock when Lu Feng got home. A group of people were busy putting up couplets. Lu Feng went upstairs and his parents came out to greet him. His mother grabbed his arm and kept talking, but Lu Feng could only smile and remain silent.
Upon entering the house, Lu Feng noticed that Jiang Xiaoyan's eyes were somewhat red, as if she had been crying. He quickly realized why.
The cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and candy on the table were put back on, and Jiang Xiaoyan sat down next to Lu Feng.
"What's wrong?" Lu Feng asked in a low voice.
"It's nothing. By the way, an old classmate of yours came to see me, saying there's a class reunion this year," Jiang Xiaoyan said.
"He's the son of Sanlaizi from the village, the one who used to snot up his nose when you were in school in the village," Mom reminded her from the side. "He's doing pretty well now. Yesterday he came in a suit, all dressed up, and he even bought your dad a pack of cigarettes, which were really expensive."
Lu Feng had very few memories of his previous life, so whether he had three or four leprosy lesions was no longer important.
"I don't want to participate either, forget it." Lu Feng refused.
“Let me tell you, it all comes down to having connections. Wherever you go, you have to rely on your own people. Some of your classmates are doing quite well. Erlv’s nephew is a big boss now. Don’t let his grandfather’s stubbornness fool you, that kid is really something.” Dad said, gesturing as if he were an experienced person.
“That’s true,” Jiang Fuqiao chimed in. “When doing business, especially outside, if you meet someone from your hometown, they’ll genuinely help you. I went to Northeast China this year, and when I bought my ticket, I bought the wrong time. When I went to the window to ask, they wouldn’t even acknowledge me. But when the manager heard my accent, he said, ‘Oh, fellow countryman,’ and immediately took care of it.”
"It's all about personal relationships. It's just a meal; you never know when you might need it."
Everyone chimed in, saying that these days, personal connections matter, and having more friends means having more options. They were all experienced people who knew more than Lu Feng, and listening to their advice wouldn't hurt them too much.
Lu Feng looked up at the quartz clock on the wall. It was already 11 a.m. He said, "Let's not talk about that now. Is lunch ready? I'm a little hungry."
"It'll be ready soon, I'll go check." Mom stood up and walked towards the kitchen.
Lu Feng discovered something: no matter how successful you are or how old you are, once your elders start giving orders, they feel they are better than you. They talk about interpersonal relationships and experience, and they all seem capable just by talking. But when it comes to actually doing something, they are all terrible.
After finally making it to dinner, Lu Feng suggested that everyone have a drink, and if they drank too much, they should go to sleep to avoid talking so much.
Lu Feng's alcohol tolerance was quite good, after all, he often had to drink with his superiors at the dinner table, and he could easily drink a pound of baijiu. This time, the drinking lasted until after 2 p.m., and he was fast asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed).
The couplets have been put up. According to the usual routine, the women should be making dumplings in the afternoon. If they don't have to make dumplings, they should be playing cards.
Sunflower seeds and dried fruit were served haphazardly. We sat together chatting and waiting for dinner. After all, it's Chinese New Year, so we just eat and play cards.
Lu Feng, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. The first batch of products from Jiaming Foods' various factories had been completed, and trucks were delivering them to various distribution points. For some small shops and supply and marketing cooperatives in towns and villages, they were providing door-to-door delivery, with the requirement that the goods be distributed as widely as possible within a certain budget.
In the county, Liu Jiang made a phone call to his old classmate.
"Hey, how's it going? Has Fengzi come back yet?" the person on the other end of the phone asked.
"He's back. I met his wife. He wasn't here yesterday. You know, it's so hard to arrange a get-together like this. Back in school, he was our little brother. When those hotheads from fourth grade ganged up on him in the bathroom, I was the one who led the rescue." Liu Jiang said, slightly annoyed, "You're not doing too badly either. You must have a few hundred thousand in your pocket now, right?"
"That's all in the past. He's rich now. I just want to talk to him about investing in an outsourcing factory. Liu Jiang, let me tell you this: among our group, if it weren't for Fengzi, I'd be number one, nobody would dare to claim second place. Do you believe me?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
