Chapter 129 What a stunning beauty: The amazing office building tenants
Because these companies have rather unique circumstances.
What kind of special law is it?
Two-thirds of them are township enterprises.
Note that office rents were not cheap in 1992.
Because of its scarcity, even in a second-tier city like Xiaozhou, the monthly rent for one square meter of office space can reach 150 yuan.
Even if you only rent a 15-square-meter office, you'll still have to pay 2,250 yuan a month, which adds up to 27,000 yuan a year.
Think about it, Tang Yicheng only spent 25,000 yuan to buy a two-bedroom apartment in a tenement in Jiangdong Province.
So far, the price of residential houses has not changed much.
If we're looking at it from a cost-saving perspective, then township enterprises should rent private houses. They're spacious, cheap, and much more convenient.
Why obsess over office buildings?
In reality, very few people in the world who can successfully run a business are fools.
The reason people choose office buildings is because they offer many conveniences in today's world.
At the very least, you can easily make phone calls or send faxes from your office building.
But if you switch to a regular residential house, the initial telephone installation fee alone is not a small amount.
What's worse is that you have to wait. When will it be your turn to pretend? You'll have to rely on your luck.
Besides, having your office in a residential building is practically like putting four words on your forehead: a shell company.
Are you afraid people won't suspect you're a fraud?
Therefore, in order to demonstrate their professionalism and reliability, many companies operated their offices in suites of large hotels before the first office building appeared in Xiaozhou.
As for the cost of a suite, for example, at the Jinning Grand Hotel, it costs US$80 per night.
You can certainly choose to work in a lower-end hotel, but the problem is that even a single room in a lower-end hotel may not have a telephone, and even if it does, you can't make international calls.
As for faxed documents or anything like that, don't even think about it.
Because when they designed it, they didn't consider that you would be working here long-term.
Compared to this, doesn't renting a 15-square-meter office for 2250 yuan seem less unacceptable?
At least for companies renting office space, the price wasn't unacceptable.
In a city of the same level and with office buildings of the same quality, the Yangtze River Trade Building is priced at $888 per square meter.
This is the current market price; if you don't want to rent it, there are plenty of other people who want to.
Don't you even look at the location? It's right next to a commercial center and an airport.
It's no exaggeration to say that in an era where highways have only been under construction for less than two years and high-speed trains are nowhere to be seen, airplanes are indeed the best choice for business people.
etc.
For legitimate large companies, it's fine; they have the business need and are willing to pay for it.
Why are so many township enterprises suddenly moving into your office building in this commercial city? What are they trying to do?
Do you have too much money to burn?
Sigh, you just don't understand.
Township enterprises renting office space here is actually a choice they have no other choice but to make.
If possible, they would also like to go directly into the sales hall of the trade city.
However, the competition in this sector is now extremely fierce. Even though the commercial city has expanded and several floors below the office buildings have been converted into wholesale markets, it still cannot meet the needs of thousands of factories.
When shrewd manufacturers realized they couldn't get in, they immediately opted for a different approach: renting office buildings as offices and turning them into showrooms, much like modified wholesale markets, and still managing to do business with the Russians.
After discovering this, Feng Zhonglin didn't say anything, but walked around the office building expressionlessly.
That's why they say old ginger is spicier.
These township enterprises that do business in office buildings are particularly panicked, fearing they will be kicked out.
Everyone wants to do foreign trade right now, but not all companies are qualified to get involved in this area.
Before 2000, China had very strict approval processes for "import and export rights".
The procedures are so complicated and the requirements so high that they are simply not something that township enterprises can handle.
If they want to engage in foreign trade, they either need to organize collectively to knock on the door of the provincial import and export company and export under its name.
Or we could simply open up a new track and take the private trade route.
In Moscow, middlemen who act as agents for domestic companies fall into the latter category.
There is also the simplest, most convenient, and easiest way: just stay in the trade city and wait for the Russians to come and buy the goods.
Without a doubt, township enterprises that have already rented office space have embarked on the last road to success.
They would absolutely not be willing to give it up now.
So they put their clever minds to use, took the initiative, and expressed their opinions actively.
The specific actions are as follows:
Township and village enterprises in different counties or towns form alliances and provide guarantees for each other.
Simply put, when one factory has a problem, other local businesses are dragged down with it.
Clearly, they learned this trick after hearing about the shoe factory in Leshui County.
They were able to do this thanks to the clustering of township enterprises.
Basically, once one business in the town achieves success, others follow suit and start doing the same business.
On the one hand, this has indeed led to the homogenization of local products, resulting in fierce competition among them.
On the other hand, it is precisely this competition that forces them to find ways to improve the competitiveness of their products, such as pursuing product comfort and keeping up with fashion trends.
Over time, the benefits become apparent. When someone mentions a certain product, others immediately recognize it: "Oh, oh, XX place specializes in making this."
Given the reality that township enterprises are generally small in scale and have difficulty forming a brand effect, this has given them the opportunity to gather together into local famous brands.
They themselves were clearly aware of this, understanding that five fingers are no match for the power of a fist, so they simply banded together, vouching for each other and relying on one another.
Secondly, these companies voluntarily offered to each pay a deposit of 50,000 yuan to guarantee their products.
If a dispute arises due to product quality issues and the seller is unwilling to pay compensation, the trade city can use this money to compensate the customer on their behalf.
Yes, without a doubt, this move is also a case of borrowing from Bucharest's container market and Moscow's wholesale markets.
In fact, Feng Zhonglin did not want to accept the challenge at first.
Receiving this money means they are now tied to the trade city, and the trade city must take on the responsibility of supervising them.
Honestly, have you ever seen an office building management company that has to manage how the companies it rents out operate?
Isn't this just like a landlord meddling in how their tenants live their lives, a classic case of meddling and being nosy?
Does he feel that his life is too easy and he has too little to do, so he has to add more burdens to himself?
Heaven above, he's getting on in years, he really doesn't want to go through all that trouble.
But when he called Wang Xiao about it, they both had to admit a basic fact.
That means if the products of these township enterprises have quality problems, it will ultimately affect the reputation of Chinese goods as a whole.
Due to the unique nature of this export method, which bypasses the national "import and export rights" review, it is unrealistic to expect unified official supervision.
Since their International Trade City intends to continue to operate at this table, whether they like it or not, they have no choice but to comply.
So the commercial city accepted the money and began to provide the relevant services in a proper manner.
For example, a law firm has been added to this office building, specializing in drafting and reviewing contracts for both parties and providing relevant legal advice.
Don't think this is easy.
China is different from Russia.
Russia's market economy is similar to that of China 10 years ago.
However, they already had lawyers in the distant Soviet era, in the 1920s and 30s, and the lawyer system was fully established in the early 1950s.
However, the Chinese people did not have a concept of lawyers until the mid-to-late 1980s.
Therefore, professional lawyers who are proficient in foreign trade law and also speak Russian are extremely rare talents.
The fact that their commercial city has managed to recruit such talent proves that they provide excellent service.
In addition, the building has restaurants and hotels, and the accommodation and dining conditions are not bad. People can solve all their business problems without leaving the building, which is of course convenient.
The presence of these office building tenants has undoubtedly put enormous pressure on the merchants in the commercial city's warehouse supermarket.
But pressure is everywhere; no matter where you are, you're not in a safe haven.
While the self-selected warehousing market allows you to enter, it doesn't guarantee you'll be worry-free.
If you don't find a way to win over your customers, it's only a matter of time before you're eliminated.
Wang Xiao led his bodyguards and first took the elevator to tour several floors of the office building.
Besides township enterprises, there are other companies here, including state-owned, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Southeast Asian, and even genuine European and American companies that have set up offices.
Without exception, everyone came here to do business with the Russians.
Some say that the global financial crisis that swept the world in the late 1980s was resolved by the collapse of the Soviet Union.
There's a reason for that.
Lyuba was visiting China for the first time, and after seeing everything, she was particularly puzzled: "Since they want to do business with us, why don't they just go to Moscow? Or St. Petersburg would be fine too."
Russia has also opened its doors and is trying every means to attract foreign investment, so why would these foreign investors need a transit point?
For example, the American company mentioned earlier manufactures toys.
They invested in a factory in Xiaozhou that specializes in making American toys, which are then sold to middlemen to be taken to Russia for resale.
They don't seem to mind the trouble of going through all those steps.
This time, even without Wang Xiao, the boss, explaining, Sergei scoffed, "They don't trust us, and they're afraid our government will change its mind again tomorrow."
Wang Xiao added, "Huaxia has relatively low labor costs."
They didn't explore from beginning to end; if they continued like this, they wouldn't even have time for dinner, let alone lunch.
However, even though it's lunchtime, most people in the office building didn't choose to go to the restaurant. Instead, they were making phone calls, sending faxes, and waiting for the restaurant to deliver their boxed lunches.
Wow, everyone's hair is all scrunched up like crazy.
Wang Xiao felt that if she kept watching, she wouldn't be able to go for the big meal, so she quickly ran upstairs.
The revolving restaurant upstairs is now considered a landmark building in Xiaozhou.
Many people come here specifically not to see the Russians, but to go upstairs and sit in the revolving restaurant.
Even if it costs five yuan to buy a Coke in order to sit down, everyone is happy to do so.
However, it's lunchtime now, so the restaurant isn't serving customers who just want drinks; most of the people inside are ordering seafood feasts.
This time, Wang Xiao didn't order king crab or baked lobster; instead, he simply ordered pineapple seafood rice.
As for the bodyguards, they weren't particularly fond of seafood. They preferred pork, beef, and lamb to fish, shrimp, and crab.
They thought the large chunks of beef stew with potatoes were delicious, even if the potatoes themselves weren't the best. It tasted just as good with rice.
Just as Wang Xiao was halfway through his meal, an acquaintance entered the restaurant.
Feng Zhonglin personally led city leaders to have dinner with the foreign businessmen who had come from afar.
He was quite surprised to see Wang Xiao: "Oh, when did you get back?"
"Just arrived. We'll go to Jiangzhimen after we eat." Wang Xiao gestured to him, "You go ahead with your work."
Feng Zhonglin smiled and said softly, "It's nothing, I'm just showing people the way."
Now that he's seen so many foreign businessmen, he doesn't feel anything anymore.
The city leaders of Xiaozhou also remained calm and composed, unfazed by either praise or criticism.
Thanks to the International Trade City, it has attracted foreign merchants from all over the world.
A year ago, they were racking their brains to retain foreign investment and trying every means to steal it from others.
Now, a year later, they've become the ones choosing who to work for. It's not like you can just decide what kind of factory you want to set up in Xiaozhou and expect us to review and evaluate it.
This factory isn't profitable enough; we don't want it. We can't just give you land for nothing.
The environmental pollution caused by this factory is too serious, so we suggest you find another job.
Our goal is to become an international metropolis; we can't be short-sighted and ruin ourselves.
How many local governments are as arrogant as them these days?
They have principles; they will never accept anything that's on their plate as food.
Wang Xiao smiled without saying a word.
As a businesswoman, where does she get the confidence to criticize government actions?
Feng Zhonglin simply sat down at her table and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Hey, boss, it's almost the end of the year, let me give you a report on the work."
Wang Xiao only asked the key question: "Is there anything special about it?"
Feng Zhonglin laughed: "They're all special, so it's hard to tell who's more special."
From summer until now, I've been incredibly busy, with no time to rest.
Wang Xiao added fuel to the fire: "Don't expect to be idle, you'll only get busier later. You really need to train more deputies, otherwise you'll be exhausted."
After the guests had ordered their meals, Feng Zhonglin went over to greet them, and the table was bustling with activity and a festive atmosphere.
Wang Xiao went over to greet the city leaders after he finished eating and left the restaurant.
I'm so sorry, she has to catch her flight.
Otherwise, she would have to sit down, offer everyone three toasts, and thank them for their support.
The city leader laughed and said, "You can drink now too."
"No, no," Wang Xiao said with a smile, shaking his head apologetically. "I have to talk to the expert. That expert hates people who drink. If my breath reeks of alcohol, there's no point in talking. He'll just turn around and leave."
"Oh," the city leader said curiously, "where is this expert from, and he dislikes drinking?"
Feng Zhonglin explained from the side: "The Russians drink too much, some even drink themselves to death. Some of their family members who are left behind really hate them drinking."
Having already given his greetings, Wang Xiao nodded to the foreign businessmen at the table, smiled, wished them a pleasant meal, and then quickly left.
She had planned it all out; she flew directly to Jiangzhimen to meet the factory manager of the down jacket factory first.
That person just happened to personally escort the goods to Jiangzhimen today.
After the meeting and the discussion, she took a car to see the beautiful and fun doll she had been longing for.
She hoped that by the time she finished all these things, it would still be daylight, so she wouldn't have to walk home in the dark.
Tao, the factory manager of Snow Lotus Down Jacket Factory, was very interested in the joint venture to set up a factory in Bucharest.
His family already had down jackets that were exported to Finland through legitimate international trade channels.
Now, by directly manufacturing down jackets in Europe, we can get closer to foreign markets.
He also asked Wang Xiao, "Do Romanians accept goose feathers and duck feathers?"
If they recycle them, they won't necessarily have to raise so many ducks, and they can save costs.
Wang Xiao was stunned, and told him very sincerely, "I don't know either, I haven't heard of anyone buying them. Teacher Peng's duck feathers are still stored at home."
Factory Director Tao immediately became excited: "If no one buys them, the price will definitely be low. If we buy them, our costs will be lower."
Oh my, this is great, this business is a good one.
Since they set up a factory for snow lotus in Romania, they won't be subject to export quota restrictions.
Wang Xiao quickly emphasized, "You should investigate thoroughly before you speak, lest it turn out to be a misunderstanding."
Factory Director Tao then inquired about Professor Peng's duck meat sales. Upon learning that he primarily sold to local residents, Chinese restaurants, and the roast duck shop affiliated with the Asian Embassy in the area, Factory Director Tao shook his head, saying, "He should be doing further processing, like smoked duck breast. Then he could export it directly."
Forget it, there's no point in talking about it now.
We'll talk to him in detail after he gets there.
As for when he will go? That depends on when his visa is approved.
Anyway, he's very interested.
Next year will definitely be a big year for down jackets. As far as he knows, there will be forty or fifty companies preparing to enter the down jacket processing industry.
How big is this place? If you look at the whole country, there are definitely tens of thousands of down jacket factories.
Even if each company only produces 10,000 pieces a year, that's still hundreds of millions of down jackets.
Instead of fighting tooth and nail domestically, it's better to cast a wide net and focus on more open markets.
Wang Xiao waved goodbye to Factory Director Tao, got into his car, and set off to see Sister Miao and Professor Kalayev.
As they were getting on the bus, Xiao Gao suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, so many motorcycles!"
When they left Jiangdong in the summer, there weren't so many motorcycles on the streets.
Motorcycles are really expensive now; they're a symbol of the rich, handsome, and successful.
High-end ones cost tens of thousands of yuan, and even the cheaper ones cost several thousand.
Even though it's expensive, there are still plenty of people who want to buy it.
In an era where most parts of the country don't have subways, or where subways are far from extensive, owning a motorcycle is incredibly convenient.
No matter where you want to go, just step on the gas and the car will fly off.
If you were to take a taxi, you might stand on the street for half an hour and still not be able to hail one.
Changing to a bus will only make things worse. Because bus stops are fixed and can't serve just one person.
Xiao Gao exclaimed, "President Tang is really something, managing to get so many motorcycles over here."
It can be said that Mr. Tang alone has directly changed the traffic patterns of several cities.
Whether it's a four-wheeled car or a two-wheeled motorcycle, he brought them all over from Russian territory.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "These motorcycles were traded for corn and wheat."
Currently, the problem of Chinese farmers having difficulty selling their grain likely stems from the fact that the food processing industry is still in its early stages.
Back in September, right when the autumn harvest was just beginning, they were already buying grain in Northeast China, all to have enough leverage to negotiate oil and gas fields with the Russian Federation government.
Everything is moving in a positive direction now, and their early planning efforts have paid off.
The car drove all the way to the factory that had been converted into an experimental base for the research institute.
Wang Xiao didn't exchange many pleasantries with anyone as soon as he entered. He simply greeted them briefly and immediately asked, "Where's the baby?"
Sister Miao's face was full of unspeakable emotions: "She's sitting right there, didn't you see her?"
Oh my, Wang Xiao is really excited now.
It's really well made and looks incredibly realistic.
Because a young woman with medium-length hair sat on the sofa, her eyes sparkling, her gaze filled with longing.
She has a typical Western bone structure and an Eastern skin appearance.
She has the kind of appearance that would make her a great beauty regardless of which culture's aesthetic standards are applied to her.
Wang Xiao couldn't help but reach out and touch the doll's face. Wow, it felt so good! It felt like it was full of collagen.
Lyuba tried to reach out and hold the doll's hand, and the usually composed female agent's expression changed.
Honestly, if you didn't tell me, her first impression was that it was a real hand.
Professor Kalayev added, "If needed, we can make it stand up and walk on its own."
Sister Miao instantly turned pale and said without hesitation, "No, no, no!"
She still finds this whole thing incredibly strange.
If the doll were to start walking on its own, it would be like a ghost story.
Wang Xiao chuckled: "It's alright, it's alright. Whether it can walk or not is not important. The customer can pick it up."
Therefore, everyone—
Your boss is going to try out the doll's functions now. Are you going to leave, or come with me to observe?
————————
Hmm, I suddenly realized that Saturday is almost over. So sad.
Regarding the office building rents and sales prices at that time, the reference material comes from the article "Comparative Table of Supply and Selling Prices of Office Buildings and Commercial/Residential Complexes in Major Chinese Cities in 1993" in the 1994 issue of "China and Foreign Real Estate Guide".
Yes, office buildings were really expensive back then—both the selling price and the rent were high. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-01-27 07:10:47 and 2024-01-27 17:02:28!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Zheng Wuyang 39 bottles; Why is Ao Bing so handsome? Did you update today? 10 bottles; Don't touch my tail, Affirmation, and Xiao Xiao by my heart 5 bottles; Happiness forever 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
