Chapter 41 contains four layers of meaning in one sentence: Let's expand the business by contracting the market.
Xiang Dong is really overthinking things.
Given Wang Xiao's personality, even the donkeys in the production team don't rest, how could he be allowed to be a wallflower?
Don't just stand there, hurry up and help.
Thankfully, the statutory Spring Festival holiday is over today, and many people have gone to work, even if they're taking turns on duty. After dinner, when there's nothing else to do, even more people will come to the mall.
Even so, Wang Xiao underestimated the appeal of the self-service supermarket shopping model to the general public.
It's like every child fantasizing about owning a small shop where they can take whatever they want to eat or play.
Once the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, after welcoming the God of Wealth, was the day when everyone tacitly agreed that businesses should reopen, the self-service clothing supermarket, which was about 100 square meters in size, was immediately packed.
How does it explode?
Hey there, have you ever seen the unique queue at Chayan Yuese? It's like this, the queue stretches all the way outside the mall.
I didn't pay any shills, really, it's all just word from the mouth.
Moreover, because there were so many customers entering, the People's Department Store had to deploy security guards to maintain order, allowing only one hundred people in at a time—well, that's the simple supermarket surrounded by counters. They would then let in as many people as they left.
We have to do this; it's such a small place, we can't afford to cause a stampede.
In Qian Xuemei's words, even rural fairs aren't this lively; it's truly packed with people.
Speaking of which, the platoon leader even made a funny blunder that was both funny and embarrassing.
Those are people who experienced the planned economy era. Even though they know that there is now an abundance of goods and even overcapacity, they still subconsciously join the queue when they see it.
When several middle-aged women reached the front of the line, they were surprised to find that it was selling men's suits. They were particularly angry and asked why there were no women's clothes for sale.
Wang Xiao could only reassure the customers from the side: "It'll be quick, it'll be quick. These two days are a special for men's suits, and after that we'll sell women's clothing."
As for how much further there is, it depends on the speed at which the suits are sold.
There are 22 full-length mirrors, each serving 22 customers simultaneously. Even if each customer spends an average of 15 minutes buying one item, only 88 items can be sold per hour. Even working non-stop for 10 hours, the maximum daily sales would be 880 items.
Wang Xiao didn't dare to expect to sell all the suits before the Lantern Festival. Given the circumstances, as long as she got things going, she could sell the remaining thousand or so suits later.
However, she underestimated the decisiveness of gay men when buying clothes, or rather, the swiftness of gay men in this era when buying clothes.
They moved much faster than she expected, basically picking out an item, trying it on, finding it fit perfectly, paying, and leaving.
The fastest person finished in less than 10 minutes. Alas, the main problem was the checkout time; otherwise, he could have finished in five minutes.
What she found even more incomprehensible was that some men would buy three suits of the same style.
I really don't understand what they're thinking.
Thanks to their incredible speed, Wang Xiao managed to sell all his goods on the night of the Lantern Festival—the thirteenth day of the first lunar month. The remaining day, the fourteenth, became a clothing special, and Xiang Dong even brought out clothes from his warehouse to sell.
Seriously, it sells incredibly well, it sells out super fast.
The previous suit-themed event inadvertently allowed Wang Xiao to create a sense of scarcity.
Most of the people shopping for clothes in malls are women. They had been looking at clothes but couldn't buy them, and they were getting impatient.
Now that the store is open, it would be strange if everyone didn't rush over to try on the clothes.
Even though the pretty young ladies in front of the full-length mirror had already paid their bills and left (the hotel was gradually taking in guests after the New Year, and not many people could take time off to help out), the female guests didn't care.
Because girls like to go shopping with friends in groups, so someone can help carry the big clothes they take off.
Wang Xiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, temporarily looked away, and went to the warehouse to discuss more important matters with Xiang Dong and the others.
What's up?
The first step is to take stock of the accounts.
Wang Xiao paid for the suit himself, and now that it's sold out, he definitely needs to settle the accounts and clear the details as soon as possible.
Upon reviewing the accounts, a problem was discovered: over three hundred suits had vanished.
Based on the price of the clothes, that's 100,000 yuan!
Xiang Dong's cousin, who had come to help, couldn't stand it anymore and immediately started yelling, "I told you we couldn't do it like this! If the clothes are just sitting there and people wear them, we won't even sell enough to cover the thefts. How can we remove the counter? Then forget about stealing, everyone will rush in and snatch them all!"
Wang Xiao didn't take it seriously.
If it were a real robbery, what could a single counter possibly stop? They'd still rob you without hesitation. You know what "zero-dollar purchase" means? It's pretty ruthless.
As for stealing clothes, that's perfectly normal. Even before she transmigrated into the book, clothing stores and supermarkets were always plagued by theft.
The solution is quite simple: hire more people and make sure the clothes the customers are trying on never leave their sight.
Xiang's cousin's eyes widened, his voice rising several octaves: "You're saying! Hiring people doesn't cost money, right? How much money do you think you can afford to spend like this?"
He said this because Xiang Dong felt he hadn't played a significant role in the suit sales event, so he offered to take only 20% of the revenue, and also to cover all the expenses for renting the counter and hiring external sales staff to help sell the clothes.
His cousin couldn't hold back when he learned that a hired waiter was paid 50 yuan a day. Now that he heard Wang Xiao say that more people should be hired, it's no wonder he exploded.
Upon hearing this, Xiang Dong immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly called out, "Third Brother!"
Xiang's cousin snapped out of his daze, realizing that this young lady from the provincial capital was no ordinary person and couldn't be treated like a sales clerk. He could only suppress his anger and force a smile, saying, "Why hire anyone else? Just let the sales clerks look around. Are we paying them to act like royalty?"
Wang Xiao turned a deaf ear; she never engaged in any ineffective communication.
This cousin represents a typical type of private capital.
This is probably because these bosses grew up in an era when industry was extremely underdeveloped, and being able to get a job was a rare and glorious thing. So subconsciously, they believed that work was a rare commodity, and that employees should be grateful to have a job offered to them.
Because they are the ones who support the workers, not the other way around.
Well, forget it. We're on different paths, so let's not waste each other's time.
Wang Xiao spoke only to the east: "My suggestion is to hire more sales clerks. They should be paid for what they do; there's no reason for someone to do two jobs for one salary. Nobody's happy that way, right?"
In fact, even if someone were to do two jobs and receive two salaries, they wouldn't be happy. When people are exhausted, they need more material rewards to motivate them to keep going. At least three times the salary would be needed to force them to sacrifice their health for money.
Instead of doing that, you might as well hire two people and pay them 1.2 times their usual salary. I guarantee their work will be much better than if you paid 3 times the price to hire just one person.
The above insights come from the experience of a top-tier influencer with tens of millions of followers managing their own team.
Never overwork your employees; it's unnecessary.
She considers herself a capitalist, hiring employees solely to extract surplus value from them. However, she has an exceptionally good reputation among the employees of online celebrities because she is a legitimate capitalist who pays people to do work—a normal business transaction.
Unlike some bosses who think they're slave owners just because they pay someone a few thousand dollars in wages, as if people have been sold to them.
Although Xiang Dong is younger than his older brothers, he is the one who contracted the counter, so naturally he has the final say. His brothers have only come to help out these past few days; they haven't yet taken over his responsibilities.
He nodded in agreement: "Okay, then I'll hire a few more people."
Feeling humiliated, Xiang's cousin muttered to himself, "How many people can they hire for such a tiny place? Can they even fit everyone behind the counter?"
Xiang Dong was getting a little impatient: "Of course we should rent all the other counters as well, and sell clothes like we are now."
Although he still doesn't really understand why removing the counter would drive customers so crazy, as someone in business, he has to go along with the customers' wishes.
He said to his cousin with a hint of resentment, "You're really something, aren't you? We're lucky we even have this counter; you think you can take over other counters?"
In Xiangdong's hometown, the family has been in business for generations, and bartering chicken feathers for sugar is a tradition. It's perfectly normal for children as young as ten to go out with adults to make a living by going from street to street.
When I returned home for the Spring Festival last year, the villagers talked to each other and found that everyone's situation was similar. Those who set up stalls were doing better and continued to make money by moving from place to place.
Those who contracted the counters were in a terrible situation; they were all kicked out of the department stores in Beijing.
Everyone was encouraging each other, saying that things would get better once this storm passed.
When Xiang Dong returned to his hometown for the Spring Festival this year, he found that the situation had not improved but had gotten worse.
Life is really tough for self-employed individuals.
He is the only one who can contract a counter in a shopping mall in a big city.
Now that his cousin has mentioned it, Xiang Dong is also feeling uneasy, fearing that the business world might turn against him.
Wang Xiao felt that the mall's leaders weren't the kind of people who were old-fashioned; otherwise, they wouldn't have tolerated the east-facing counter until now.
"Just pay the money. Pay whatever the contract fee is due. There's no reason for a shopping mall to turn down money that's offered to them."
Xiang Dong was finally persuaded by her. He was reluctant to part with a lot of money, so he mustered up his courage and nodded: "Okay, I'll go talk to the mall manager."
At worst, we can just pay a higher contract fee and give out more gifts.
When you can earn ten thousand, you must not hesitate to spend one thousand. No, even three or five thousand is fine.
In the end, I still made a profit.
Wang Xiao then reminded him, "You should hurry up and stock the silk scarves you received."
Xiang Dong looked a little lost: "No rush, it's still cold now."
Silk scarves are more of an accessory than a means of keeping warm. It's still quite cold this January, so there's no rush to wear one right now.
Wang Xiao said helplessly, "If you don't take the opportunity now, you'll be wasting it. Don't you see how good things are going right now?"
What does it mean that this momentum is good? It means that the self-service clothing sales model has attracted a large number of people who originally had no plans to buy clothes to come to the mall to see what's going on.
Given that women generally have a higher enthusiasm for shopping than men, and young people are especially curious, about 60-70% of those who came to watch were teenage girls.
It wasn't until September 1982 that family planning was established as a basic national policy and fully implemented.
This means that, in terms of time, the vast majority of these teenage girls are not only children and have limited access to family resources.
Simply put, they don't have much pocket money or New Year's money. It's difficult for them to ask their parents for money to buy clothes again after they've already bought new clothes before the New Year.
In this situation, of course we should help them downgrade their spending.
If you can't afford clothes, a pretty and fashionable silk scarf will do; at least it satisfies everyone's desire to consume.
Otherwise, just looking at things and trying them on without being able to afford anything will make you feel very uncomfortable.
Seeing Xiang Dong staring intently at her, Wang Xiao was puzzled: "Of course we have to wear scarves, don't worry about the trouble. Since these young girls are already at the mall, it means they are participating in our marketing activities. As the organizers, we have an obligation to satisfy their desire for deeper participation, rather than excluding them with a condescending attitude."
"It's not that I'm afraid of trouble."
Xiang Dong didn't know what to say. He had been selling clothes for several years and considered himself to have achieved some success, but he had never thought so much about it.
His analysis left him speechless with admiration.
Wang Xiao couldn't help but sigh, filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment: "It's because you're so lucky!"
very nice.
These days, the competition in the clothing sales industry is so fierce. With just a little brainpower, a bit of legwork, and a bit of talking, you don't have to worry about not being able to sell your clothes, and the profits are ridiculously high.
Thirty years from now, such a good thing wouldn't exist.
The current situation, where the old commercial order has been broken and the new order has not yet been fully established and stabilized, presents a rare opportunity for upward mobility and is a genuine opportunity of the times.
Xiang Dong didn't catch her implied meaning and was quite amused: "That's right, I'm lucky, otherwise how could I have such a capable strategist as you? Okay, I'll put on the silk scarf right away."
Wang Xiao paid the bill at the mall and, without further ado, hurried off to the Jinning Grand Hotel.
Tang Yicheng had already worked with Wang Tiejun to get the camera and watch back from the Soviets.
This batch of goods has tied up almost all of Wang Xiao's savings, so it's no wonder she's so concerned.
Hehe, Tang Yicheng didn't realize how much she cared.
He's the one who's really getting angry!
No matter how well the clothes sold at the People's Department Store, it was all meaningless to him. The watches and cameras he traded for 10,000 black-and-white televisions were, as you can imagine, a huge sum of money; they'd take forever to sell in the department store.
Oh dear, I can hardly breathe.
Wang Xiao was utterly speechless, wishing he could crack open his skull to see exactly how much mush was inside.
Are you kidding me? Cameras and watches are sold in the tens of thousands. She's selling them at department store counters? The sheer volume of unsold stock would be overwhelming.
With such large-scale shipments, they can only earn a little less per unit, relying on wholesale channels.
Therefore, it's better to stick with what you know than what you don't, and the shipping location wasn't the shopping mall, but the Jinning Grand Hotel.
This time, Tang Yicheng was smarter. Without Wang Xiao reminding him, he understood that she still wanted to promote the products to the people at the investment conference.
The problem is that she already sold it once before the Lunar New Year, and only half a month has passed. Even the wealthiest person wouldn't be willing to spend money to buy it again.
Wang Xiao was exhausted from selling clothes these days and didn't have much energy left to explain things to Tang Yicheng in detail. So she had someone by her side to teach her by example: "See for yourself, this time it will only sell better."
Tang Yicheng was used to her abilities; it seemed like there was nothing she couldn't sell. He truly believed that if every factory had a salesperson as capable as her, or even just half as capable, triangular debt would no longer exist in society.
However, he still harbored doubts this time.
Everyone has a limited budget; even if you live beyond your means, you can't overspend indefinitely. He simply didn't believe that everyone had a hidden treasure trove in their homes.
When the two arrived at the hotel and entered the conference hall, they saw only a few scattered booths, and the hall was almost empty.
Tang Yicheng's heart skipped a beat when he saw it.
Oh no, I was already worried we wouldn't be able to sell them.
There are hardly any people around, so what's the point of selling anything?
Unexpectedly, before they even reached the center of the conference hall, a local government worker who had been idly chatting suddenly rushed over—literally, like he was on a spring—and greeted Wang Xiao enthusiastically: "Hey, Engineer Wang, there's something I'd like to ask you."
After pulling the person aside to a corner, they hesitantly asked, "Do you still have that camera from last time? I have two friends who like to go out and take pictures of their families when they have free time."
Tang Yicheng could practically set off fireworks on the spot; he almost blurted out: "Yes, yes, yes, I have as many as you want."
However, Wang Xiao spoke first, looking troubled: "It's hard to say. Last time, someone else also handled it. How about this, you tell me how many you want, and I'll ask around."
The other party hesitated and said tentatively, "2...20 cameras...well, I really can't refuse, we're all friends."
Wang Xiao smiled amiably: "I know, I know, Director He, you can tell at a glance that you have a wide circle of friends. Without this affability, how could your county have sent you to take on the responsibility of attracting investment? So, how's it going? Did that Mr. Zhou who took a liking to your county and wanted to set up a factory there last time make the final decision?"
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Wang Xiao pretended to go out and make a phone call. When he returned, he stated frankly, "I have a camera and a watch, but I don't know the exact number. Just let me know if you want them, because they might not still be in the provincial capital after the Lunar New Year."
Someone pressed, "How could it just disappear? How could something perfectly good just vanish like that?"
Wang Xiao shook his head and smiled helplessly: "Isn't that how debt settlement works? Everyone uses their own methods. It's rare for a factory to have seven or eight creditors. If you want it, say so as soon as possible. It's genuine Soviet goods. Those who have bought it know the quality."
Her statement actually attracted people in the conference hall to come over to her in twos and threes to retrieve their watches and cameras, leaving Tang Yicheng dumbfounded.
During the meal, he whispered to Wang Xiao, "How come everyone here is so rich?"
This is a camera and a watch, things that you can't afford with a month's salary.
Government salaries aren't high these days, so are they all corrupt officials? That would be way too greedy.
"They brought them to their relatives and friends."
Tang Yicheng pressed for details: "Didn't we already bring it once before the New Year?"
Wang Xiaozhen sighed helplessly: "Don't people visit relatives and friends during the Spring Festival? Shouldn't people be allowed to see the new camera and watch I bought? If more people see them, more people will want to buy them, isn't that normal?"
Tang Yicheng suddenly realized: "So, they came so early because they wanted to help their relatives and friends take care of the children."
Wang Xiao smiled and swallowed the chicken in his mouth.
Oh my, I have to praise the chef's skills! Look at this pork tripe and chicken soup, it's absolutely amazing!
The soup is fresh and delicious, the chicken is tender, and the pork tripe is crisp and refreshing, leaving a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth.
That's really great.
She didn't directly respond to Tang Yicheng's words, but only comforted him: "Alright, now you know you can sell them, right?"
Tang Yicheng breathed a sigh of relief and happily finished off a large bowl of rice.
However, his joy did not last two days before it turned into doubt.
Do they have so many relatives and friends? How come each of these officials has so many relatives and friends?
The most outrageous one asked for 100 watches and 100 cameras right off the bat, totaling tens of thousands of yuan. He didn't bring an envelope with cash; he brought his bankbook directly.
Tang Yicheng couldn't imagine it; he simply couldn't fathom how large a family must be to need so many cameras and watches.
This can't be eaten as a meal!
And as for watches, he could barely accept that everyone had one.
What about a camera? If you have enough money at home, buying a camera is enough. Film isn't cheap.
Wang Xiao, however, seemed completely unsurprised. She believed whatever people said and provided whatever quantity of goods they requested.
When the leader saw his flustered appearance, he couldn't help but laugh.
Nonsense! How could she possibly believe those people's lies?
Of course, there aren't any families that big. Even if there were, they wouldn't all approach the same person to help sell their products.
Those with twenty or thirty items might indeed be buying for someone else, at most adding a markup to earn some pocket money.
As for those who buy goods for one or two hundred yuan, they are undoubtedly resellers.
Yes, it's a scalper, literally a scalper.
Don't assume these people are all government officials. Compared to scalpers, who are considered part of the same social class as vagrants and street urchins, one is in the clouds and the other is in the mud.
In reality, the earliest speculators were all cadres, and at the very least, they were the children of cadres.
Ordinary people have no way of getting permits for scarce goods. Without these permits, where would the officials who profiteer come from? And these officials who profiteer are the true progenitors of the term "scalper".
This shows that officials' mentality of buying and selling is no less than that of small merchants and vendors, and they may even be aware of it earlier.
They had the opportunity to obtain rare Soviet goods on the market, and the price was not expensive. Seeing the profit margin, how could they not be tempted to take action?
Of course, some people, for safety reasons, don't handle the goods themselves but act as middlemen. Judging from the manner and demeanor of those who brought friends to inspect the goods, Wang Xiao was more than 80% certain they were legitimate businessmen.
Tang Yicheng gradually began to understand the situation.
A person's temperament and habits reveal their profession. No matter how naive he may be, he has at least served as a special forces soldier and gone on missions, so he has seen a lot of people from all walks of life.
He struggled for a whole night before finally telling Wang Xiao, "I'm going to the warehouse to get the goods; you don't need to come with me."
It wasn't that he wanted to usurp power, but rather that the matter was extremely risky.
Strictly speaking, or not strictly speaking, according to current regulations, she is engaging in speculation and profiteering!
Why would she insist on running this kind of wholesale business at the Jinning Hotel? On the surface, it's for convenience. After all, her customers are staying at the hotel.
In reality, Tang Yicheng was at least 70-80% certain that she was seeking the hotel's protection.
That doesn't seem quite right. She didn't ask the restaurant for anything.
But Tang Yicheng understood that the Jinning Hotel's signboard was hanging outside, and many foreign businessmen stayed inside. Even if someone investigated speculation and profiteering, to avoid airing their dirty laundry in public and making a scene, those who wanted to make an example of someone would try their best not to come to the hotel to cause trouble.
There are no written rules for the selection criteria for this survey, and Tang Yicheng even believes that no one will bring it up in public, but he knows that it is an unspoken understanding.
As for whether the hotel was aware of the large-scale transactions within its premises?
Tang Yicheng probably realized it.
However, firstly, they weren't trading dangerous goods such as drugs or weapons, and secondly, more businessmen entering the market would bring more business to the restaurant, so the restaurant just pretended not to see it.
After all, apart from government officials who come with missions, the only people left who have the ability and are willing to spend 500 yuan to stay in a hotel are these individual speculators.
Tang Yicheng's thoughts wandered further and further, and he even began to doubt Wang Xiao's choice to cooperate with a television factory in Beijing.
Why do we have to choose this company?
Because his family was Yang Bailao, who was in debt due to a steel mill.
To ensure the transaction proceeds smoothly and the funds are successfully recovered, the steel mill also needs to protect Wang Xiao. At least in case something goes wrong, the steel mill can't just abandon him.
Triangular debt is so difficult to clean up. Even though the central government set up a cleanup team, it didn't make much of a splash. Now everyone is basically in a state of self-rescue.
Right now, someone at the steel mill has finally managed to find a loophole and make a few million yuan, and they'll likely keep making money from it. Only a madman would abandon this path without a second thought.
As long as the steel mill is willing to make things convenient, Wang Xiao's position is secure.
After all, state-owned factories carry significant weight, and the current head of the steel mill holds a position no less powerful than the provincial head. With the steel mill protecting her, who would be so foolish as to go looking for trouble?
Tang Yicheng glanced at Wang Xiao once, then couldn't help but look at him a second time.
He felt that this Engineer Wang was like a reading comprehension exercise in high school Chinese class—a simple sentence with three layers of meaning.
No, it's four floors.
She guessed that when she was wholesaling to these cadres at the restaurant before the New Year, she had already thought of using them to attract legitimate merchants.
Ordinary people don't have these connections, and in the current environment, it's difficult for ordinary people to gain the trust of vigilant middlemen. Only cadres, those they know well, and those who have received benefits from them, can gain their trust.
So, in reality, these officials were acting as guarantors for her.
Tang Yicheng really didn't know what to say.
He used to think he wasn't stupid. Whether he was in school or in the army, his teachers and superiors often praised him for being quick-witted.
Compared to her, he was utterly incompetent; he could only do errands to save her from danger.
Wang Xiao was unaware that she had already been elevated to the status of a big shot in Tang Yicheng's eyes. Now that someone had taken the initiative to step forward, she immediately nodded and agreed: "Okay, then you take your people over and check the goods."
She was too lazy to make the trip herself; she still needed to go to the Chemical Research Institute to deliver the chromatographic column she had previously promised.
After all, she was still working at the Chemical Engineering Institute and benefited from the reputation of being "Engineer Wang," so it wouldn't be right for her to break her promise to Sister Miao as well.
She has no interest in scientific research, but she admires people who can patiently pursue it. Especially female engineers who dedicate themselves entirely to their work; that's truly admirable.
When Sister Miao saw that she had brought the chromatography column, she was very happy: "Okay, from today onwards you will work hard with me."
Wang Xiao couldn't let herself be in trouble, so she immediately put on a troubled look: "Sister Miao, I bought this chromatography column in installments. I can't afford it with the commission I'm receiving right now. But I think we can't keep saving it up, otherwise it will delay our experiments too much. So I've arranged with someone to bring it over first, and I'll pay them back slowly later."
Sister Miao immediately frowned: "How much longer? You're wasting so much time every day, what are we going to do later?"
Wang Xiao could only give a vague answer: "I'll definitely be able to pay it back this year. I just feel that the opportunity is too rare. Our lab must upgrade its equipment, otherwise we simply won't be able to compete for the national award."
Sister Miao certainly understood this principle: if you want to do something well, you must first have the right tools.
The problem is that a proper engineer can't sit down and do research in peace; he has to go out and make money. Isn't that a joke?
Wang Xiao didn't think it was a big deal at all. She remembered it was either the J-19 or the J-20, anyway, it was the design of a particularly awesome aircraft. These days, even people have to sell noodles to supplement their research funding.
Not to mention during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the New Fourth Army was doing very well in business, and Pegasus cigarettes were a hot commodity in Shanghai.
Therefore, it's perfectly normal to take on a side job to earn money in order to support your main job.
After comforting Sister Miao, she made an excuse that she needed to report to the director and quickly made her escape.
If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to escape.
No, all she cares about is making money.
No matter how dazzling the world of scientific research may be, it can't compare to the brilliance of money in her eyes.
She is so vulgar.
She didn't know why she had inexplicably inherited the original owner's chemical abilities, just as she didn't understand why she had transmigrated into a book.
But as young people thirty years from now, the main thing is peace of mind.
Giving the chemical research institute some money to buy equipment is like going to a temple to burn incense.
Whether it works or not, at least I feel better.
She has always believed in fair trade and doesn't like to take advantage of others.
Wang Xiao ran up to the director and told him about the progress of their study tour to Moscow.
Moscow State University has already finished its winter break. She contacted them, and the invitation letter will be sent soon. Once she receives the invitation letter and completes the passport procedures, she will be able to travel abroad.
Moreover, the invitation letter not only invited the employees of the Chemical Engineering Institute, but also their family members.
In short, it's a free trip abroad for you and your family, and you don't have to spend any money on the trip.
Of course, if you plan to exchange some foreign currency to spend abroad, that's your prerogative.
However, it's best to bring family members who are not too old or too young, otherwise their bodies might not be able to handle the long journey.
Well, the truth is, how many bags can the elderly and children carry? And the probability of running into trouble is even higher.
She didn't want to make a losing deal.
The director's heart was pounding with excitement, and he immediately assured him, "No problem, no problem, everyone knows what's going on. We're going there for exchange and learning, not for a picnic."
He was in a hurry to find someone to exchange foreign currency, so he naturally didn't have time to keep nagging Wang Xiao about how much he thought highly of her and how much he wanted to nurture her.
After a few words, Wang Xiao could simply say goodbye and leave: "Then, Director, you're busy. I have something to attend to and need to go ahead."
She had no intention of staying to help her superiors solve the problem of exchanging foreign currency.
Although she didn't think it was a big deal, the leaders always believed that the capable should do more work.
The research institute won't pay her extra salary, so why should she take on more work?
She also wants to go to the People's Department Store to check on the ongoing operation of the self-service clothing supermarket.
When she called Xiang Dong last time, things were going very smoothly, and the mall didn't object to Xiang Dong taking over a few more counters.
Indeed, the self-service clothing supermarket has made such a big splash, and the shopping mall has benefited greatly. In the days following the Lunar New Year, the mall was bustling with people every day, and the sales of other counters in the mall increased significantly compared to the same period last year.
People's Department Store isn't unwilling to make money; it's a win-win situation, and any leader who isn't completely out of their mind wouldn't stop it.
Haha, with this self-service clothing supermarket, there will be so many more businesses to do in the future.
She sold 10,000 suits in less than 10 days after the Lunar New Year, making a net profit of over 1 million yuan, all thanks to her expanded sales platform.
Wang Xiao ran to the mall with a smug look on her face, intending to tease Xiang Dong, who was making a fortune, but when she looked up, she couldn't help but frown: Hey, where's the self-service supermarket? Why has the counter reverted to how it looked before the Lunar New Year?
These bulky counters, like an insurmountable barrier, kept customers away from the merchandise.
The once lively and cheerful shopping mall has become gloomy and lifeless.
She rushed to the counter facing east and called out, "What's going on?"
In the blink of an eye, the hen turned into a duck.
Xiang Dong was calling the sales clerk to hang up the clothes when he turned around and saw her, immediately giving a wry smile: "I was just looking for you."
He had wanted to call Wang Xiao before, but phone lines were very tight in 1991. There was a long queue at the mall phone booths, and the public phone booths outside were a long way away; he dared not leave the counter for too long.
Wang Xiao ignored his explanation and only asked the key question: "Has the shopping mall turned on us again?"
Xiang Dong's wry smile deepened: "Yes and no."
This means that he indeed failed to secure more counter contracts; otherwise, it means that the one who turned against him was not the shopping mall, but the sales staff, specifically the sales staff of the newly contracted counters.
The mall management had just held a meeting to reveal their plan to rent out a few more counters in order to make more money; the sales staff at those counters that were slated for rent immediately erupted in chaos.
Are you kidding me? They are sales clerks in a state-owned department store, people with secure jobs, how could they work for a self-employed individual?
Is the People's Department Store still called the People's Department Store? Is this department store for its employees or for the capitalists?
Is the shopping mall capitalist or socialist in nature?
Unlike 30 years later, when employees are all just laborers who can't even speak, and are either hired or kicked out.
These days, employees are the real owners of their workplaces, and they might just be really incompetent.
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Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-10-28 06:59:12 and 2023-11-03 06:59:12!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 fragment;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Wei 185 bottles; Changchun 50 bottles; Kuiyi 45 bottles; please hurry up and write!! 30 bottles of melamine; clmichaelia, 29230801, Blue Hyacinth 20 bottles; 16 bottles of Meng Fan; 15 bottles of Linda; 12 bottles of Tantai Wuchu; 10 bottles of Wu Kan Wu Kan, Wangwang Snow Cake, 35296556, kkmay, Dada, hellopost, snowyi, Qiqi, September Shanshan, Yuanyuan Yuanyuan, Ant 10 bottles; 231552667 bottles; 18476 bottles of Keqi; 5 bottles of PXQ, Run, Little Cow; 206558084 bottles of Taizi Zaori Dengji; 3 bottles of Yuer; 2 bottles of D major, Nie Ningning, Fangyi Naolan Renduo, I'm Happy, Looking Forward to Tomorrow; 2 bottles of Qiaoqiao Shi Xinbian De Xiaoxiao, lenfen123, Little Cutie Who Wants to Get Rich Every Day, Lin Er, aurora 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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