Chapter 110 TV Factory Site Selection: Garment Factory Wants to Expand
Wang Xiao has too many things to do; she doesn't even dare to stay in bed anymore.
I get up promptly at eight o'clock in the morning, make myself some bread and milk, and then hurry out to work.
Today she also has to go to the airport to pick up Director Wu of Longhua TV Factory so they can discuss jointly setting up a color TV factory.
Speaking of which, Director Wu should have arrived in Bucharest long ago.
While at the Jinning Grand Hotel, he confidently patted his chest and promised to attend the opening ceremony of the container market.
As a result, their color TV traveled across the ocean for a month before finally arriving in Bucharest, while his family was still waiting anxiously for their passports to be issued on the other side of the river.
Why is it so tragic?
Because his supervisor, for some unknown reason, insisted that he was planning to defect, and therefore refused to let him apply for a passport.
Factory Director Wu is practically going crazy.
If he wanted to defect, he would have run away in 1989. At that time, the color TV in their factory was in a terrible state, and he was so worried that he was going to lose all his hair.
He didn't run away back then, but now that Longhua TV Factory is doing well, why would he be so desperate as to try to escape?
Later, when all else failed, Wang Xiao made connections for him, asking embassy officials to speak on his behalf, and he finally got his passport back.
Now that he's off the plane, Director Wu can't help but complain: "I have no idea what these people are thinking all day long."
Wang Xiao comforted him, "Forget it, don't bother with them."
While Director Wu was still indignant, a young man suddenly ran over to them, looking at them expectantly: "Comrade, is this America?"
Wang Xiao and Factory Director Wu looked at each other in bewilderment.
Comrade, are you kidding me?
This place is thousands of miles away from the United States.
"No, this is Romania."
As a result, the young man burst into tears on the spot, unable to speak clearly: "They lied to me. They took my 30,000 US dollars and said they would send me to America."
Wang Xiao and Factory Director Wu exchanged another glance, unsure of what to say.
This is a scam! They bring people to Romania for a fee of only five thousand US dollars.
I'm not afraid of losing my hands even with $30,000.
Wang Xiao sighed, "Alright, alright, stop crying. We'll take you to the embassy."
What else could we do? He was unfamiliar with the place and couldn't speak a word of English. If we just left him at the airport, he wouldn't know what to do.
Throughout the journey, Director Wu comforted the young man.
Honestly, he initially felt that his experience was extremely tragic.
But compared to this young man, life doesn't seem so bad.
Happiness is indeed relative.
When they arrived at the Chinese Embassy and explained their purpose, the embassy staff were speechless: "Another one?"
Oh? What do you mean by that?
The embassy staff member pointed into the room with a look of utter despair.
Oh, and inside sat a kind-looking middle-aged man, his eyes red and his face blank.
He had just been brought over from the train station by the Romanian police.
He also wanted to go to the United States to make money, but he was scammed by a human trafficker.
"Pfft"
Then came bursts of laughter.
The young man who was just crying was now overjoyed, slapping his thigh and laughing hysterically: "Hahaha, are you stupid? How could you think you could get to America by train? Don't you know what America is? It's the Pacific Ocean's policeman—it has too many responsibilities. The Pacific Ocean, at least you could take a boat."
Everyone present was speechless.
Young man, is it appropriate for you to be so hypocritical, like the pot calling the kettle black?
You're not much better than others, so how can you be laughing so happily?
Everyone felt they couldn't bear to look anymore.
Now that the handover with the embassy is complete, let's not delay any longer and get back to work.
Even after leaving the embassy, Director Wu's assistant was still laughing and shaking his head: "He can still laugh, even though he's been swindled out of so much money."
As a result, he stepped on his boss's sore spot, and Director Wu immediately frowned and said angrily, "Whose fault is this? Blame the policy for the problem! Which country is like ours, where you have to be invited from abroad to get a passport?"
Oh, which overseas Chinese person needs us to send them invitation letters one by one when they come back from getting a passport abroad?
This is unreasonable!
So only officials can go abroad? We ordinary people aren't qualified to go abroad, right? Why doesn't he say that ordinary people aren't even qualified to poop or pee, yet he does it all for them?
Damn it, it's a double standard – officials are allowed to set fires, but ordinary people aren't allowed to light lamps.
If they hadn't been so strict about restricting people from leaving the country, and if everyone had just gone about their business openly and honestly, would so many people have been fooled by human traffickers?
Thirty thousand US dollars is a lot, but five thousand US dollars isn't much? Looking across the whole country, how many families can come up with five thousand US dollars? They couldn't even scrape together that much even if they sold everything they owned!
The poor assistant was terrified. In a fit of youthful arrogance, he even muttered a retort: "That's because too many people go abroad, and they all fawn over foreigners."
Wang Xiao, who had been listening in, couldn't help but retort, "They've been holding back for decades. It's normal that more people came when they finally had the chance to come out and see the world."
Seriously, after three years of staying home during the pandemic, everyone is running around freely as soon as the lockdown is lifted.
Moreover, China was under lockdown for the equivalent of thirty or forty years.
Those who have the means would love to take a round-the-world trip; that's perfectly normal.
"Besides, people don't necessarily think that the grass is greener on the other side. Nine out of ten are just there to make money. In my experience, whether they're doing business or working, they all want to earn more money to take home. For them, there's no real difference between foreign countries, the Pearl River Delta, and places like Shenzhen. If there's any difference, it's just whether making money is easier or harder."
Factory Director Wu immediately echoed her words: "Exactly, they're all just bored and have nothing better to do than throw big accusations at people. Don't act like old Marxist-Leninist ladies at such a young age."
The assistant was so frightened that he dared not utter another word.
Fortunately, after the leader finished venting his anger, his mood improved, and he even had the heart to sigh, "It seems that people have really relaxed; more and more people are going abroad."
What does this mean? It means the world will become a huge market, and those who don't actively participate will be eliminated.
Factory Director Wu said with great interest, "Hey, where is your container market? I heard it's really bustling. I'd love to see it."
Just then, the car arrived nearby, so Wang Xiao simply had the driver turn around and take everyone for a visit.
"Hey, this is the wholesale display area for Longhua TVs."
Factory Director Wu was taken aback by the long line of people waiting in front of the shipping containers: "Why are there so many people?"
Oh dear, there's no reason why it's so lively, even more so than the stalls selling clothes and shoes!
Wang Xiao explained with a smile, "Because we can sell retail here."
Color TVs are large appliances and are not sold in the kiosks, so this place can meet the needs of citizens to purchase them.
It's kind of funny, but quite a few people actually came specifically to buy color TVs because they wanted to learn Tai Chi and Baduanjin more clearly.
She pointed ahead and saw a Romanian man wearing Tai Chi training clothes walking by: "Look, these are all loyal fans."
To be honest, businessmen really have a keen sense of smell.
Tang Jianguo had just appeared on television the night before to teach people how to practice Tai Chi, and the very next afternoon, the same Tai Chi training clothes appeared in the container market in Bucharest.
Wang Xiao was completely dumbfounded.
Their efficiency is top-notch, no doubt about it. They deserve to make a killing.
Upon hearing this, Factory Director Wu immediately clapped his hands and made a decision on the spot: "We must invite Mr. Tang Jiangang to film an advertisement for Longhua Color TV."
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "That's great!"
Thank goodness, her partner was a shrewd businessman.
Working with someone like that can save you a lot of trouble.
The container market is bustling with activity, teeming with people inside and dazzling with color outside.
It truly has many flowers and many fruits.
Outside the main market is a small, spontaneous market.
Someone brought over a table, and the people doing business were local residents. The table was covered with all sorts of bottles and jars that they had made themselves.
The bottles contain various homemade wines, including cherry wine, plum wine, blueberry wine, and grape wine, each of which is both sweet and full-bodied.
Because they are so sweet, it's easy to overlook their alcohol content.
Wang Xiao felt twice that he hadn't drunk much, but inexplicably he started laughing loudly and even felt a little unsteady on his feet.
As for the jars, they are mostly glass jars.
It contained jam, vegetable sauce, pickled cucumbers, smoked bell peppers, and all sorts of syrupy fruit.
Honestly, when it comes to pickling fruits and vegetables, Wang Xiao felt that Romanians had an even richer imagination than the Chinese.
They can stuff everything into the jar.
Peaches, plums, apricots, pears, cherries—those are child's play. Cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes—that's standard practice too. They can even pickle watermelons.
The taste was surprisingly good.
Someone was pushing a bicycle with a frame attached to the back seat, which served as a small display case. Inside were freshly picked cherries and apricots, as well as fresh vegetables and dried mushrooms.
These are farmers from the suburbs.
Bicycles are rarely seen on the main streets of Bucharest, but they are a fairly common mode of transportation in the suburbs.
Some people simply squat on the ground and set up stalls, displaying all sorts of trinkets.
Some people had buckets in front of them, and the fish inside were splashing water, making a splashing sound.
There were several stalls displaying fresh flowers nearby. In May, the flowers were in full bloom, a riot of colors, and quite beautiful.
Factory Director Wu exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness, this is even more lively than a vegetable market! Mr. Wang, you really have a strong sense of everyday life here!"
Wang Xiao shook his head with a smile: "It wasn't me, it was the locals who did it themselves."
The first people to come to the container market to do business were those few kids selling fish.
They came running, placing their buckets on the roadside outside the market. Sure enough, a Chinese merchant who came to buy goods bought two fish and went to a newly opened Chinese restaurant next door to have them cooked for lunch.
In less than half a day, the bucket of fish that the children had caught was sold out.
Following that, some nearby residents boldly brought their own tables over to sell homemade sandwiches, which surprisingly attracted many customers.
It's convenient; they can hold it in their hands and eat while walking, without stopping them from browsing the stalls and looking at the goods.
From then on, it was as if everyone had suddenly unlocked their full potential, and people came one after another to set up stalls and do business.
There are many people coming and going here, and the middlemen and middle-aged people have a lot of money. They are willing to spend money, and they can sell almost anything here.
Factory Director Wu sighed with regret, "Oh dear, the rent for this piece of land would be quite high."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "No, I can't. If I take their money, I have to manage them. I don't have that ability."
Putting everything else aside, take the dried mushrooms for example; those are wild ones.
If you start having spiritual connections after eating it, that's one thing, but if you actually go straight to the underworld, that would be truly deadly.
She's not capable of taking on such a big responsibility, so let's just forget about it.
You can't earn money from just any kind of money.
Her only responsibility was to supervise hygiene and prevent littering. Besides that, she would arrange for cleaners to clean up after the market closed.
Even so, the vendors were very enthusiastic when they saw Wang Xiao, and an old lady even insisted on giving him a ripe apricot.
A young man nearby who could speak English helped translate: "She's treating you to this; it's from her own garden."
Wang Xiao offered her money, but she refused, saying it was for treating her Chinese friends to a meal.
"No, no." Wang Xiao could only firmly put Leyi aside. "I can't set a bad example. If I don't pay, others will follow suit, and how will you do business then? — You guys keep busy, and I wish everyone good business."
As she spoke, she quickly led Director Wu away.
Factory Director Wu was practically dying of laughter standing to the side: "Oh my, Mr. Wang, you're quite popular!"
Wang Xiao dared not take credit: "It's all thanks to the solid foundation laid by our predecessors, and the good impression Romanians have of Chinese people. We must take advantage of this favorable situation."
As they took two more steps forward, just as Director Wu was engrossed in watching, an uninvited guest arrived.
Compared to back in winter, the current factory manager, Yotelle, looks quite destitute.
His hair was a mess, his beard was unkempt, and even his cheeks were sunken.
It's obvious that he hasn't had a good time these past few months.
Now he stopped Wang Xiao, his tone urgent: "Miss Wang, you can take another look at our factory. Really, there are places more suitable as warehouses than ours."
When Wang Xiao wanted to rent their factory to set up a market, they asked for an exorbitant rent of $20,000 a month.
As a result, Wang Xiao turned around and left.
At that time, their factory didn't care. They felt it was a rare opportunity and they definitely couldn't afford to lose out.
If Chinese business owners want to set up a market, they will definitely come back to them again.
At worst, we can all sit down again and compromise.
But they never expected that the Chinese would be able to do things so quickly.
No sooner had they left than they had already fenced off a plot of land and started building a market in early March.
Were the factory workers in a hurry at that time? Yes, they were, but their anxiety was limited.
Why? Because people think it will take several years to build a market.
As long as Chinese businessmen are eager to make money, they will prioritize their existing factories, and they still have an advantage.
Therefore, when Factory Manager Taylor took the initiative to approach Ruan Xiaomei, his words implied a rather reserved tone.
However, back in March, Ruan Xiaomei was so busy that she didn't have time to give him any extra attention. She just gave him a perfunctory answer, saying that she had to report to her superiors.
If it were someone who cared, they would probably come over and ask about it every few days after hearing this.
As it turned out, Factory Director Taylor was incredibly bold. No one knew who gave him that confidence, but he actually assumed that the Chinese Chamber of Commerce had contacted him on its own initiative, so he waited patiently.
And so they waited, until the container market opened.
The factory workers were in an uproar; they never imagined that shipping containers could be used as kiosks.
Even if someone hasn't laid the foundation for their market yet, it doesn't stop them from openly and confidently doing business.
At this point, the factory's staff were truly panicked.
They belatedly realized that they seemed to have truly been abandoned.
People were even more distraught when they saw the market bustling with people and vehicles every day, and every vendor making a fortune.
Because they vaguely remembered that when the Chinese businessman first approached them in February, he said that in addition to paying $5,000 in rent each month, he would also hire people to do the work.
Look at those drivers, making a lot of money transporting goods to the train station and airport.
And those who walk around the market, cleaning, maintaining order, and leading the way, do very simple jobs, yet they can earn a hundred dollars a month.
Good heavens, these are jobs they could all have done.
Everyone regrets it, they really regret it.
If I had known this would happen, I would have rented the factory for five thousand US dollars.
They found another job at the market and earned $150 a month. Compared to others, they were living a pretty good life.
What do we do now? We need to go find the Chinese business community right away!
It's all the fault of Factory Manager Yotelle. If he hadn't refused to rent the factory to foreigners and insisted on making exorbitant demands, they wouldn't be in this predicament today.
Factory manager Yo Taylor, who was pushed to take the blame, had no choice but to bite the bullet and come to Wang Xiao again: "Miss Wang, our factory is really suitable. Look, there are so many people in the market, there are simply not enough spaces, you need to expand."
Wang Xiao looked helpless: "You're too late. If you had told me earlier, we could have developed in the direction of the factory. Now it's too late. Look, the whole direction is the opposite. The two sides are too far apart. Now, the factory really doesn't mean much to me."
Factory manager Yotelle said anxiously, "It's not far, only a kilometer away. It's a quick walk. Come with me and take a look; it'll only take a few minutes."
Wang Xiao seemed unable to withstand his persistent pestering. Being young and inexperienced, she was too embarrassed to refuse him directly, so she could only go with him again to appease him.
Compared to February, the factory was noticeably more deserted, with dust everywhere inside.
Factory manager Yotelle also planned for their future: "This area can be used as a warehouse, and this area can be used as a kiosk. I believe that many people will come here."
But Wang Xiao continued to stroll around casually until they reached the factory gates, where she remained relentlessly cold: "No, really no. To be honest, we've already acquired a lot of land. Just developing it will take a lot of time. This place, no no no, doesn't fit the plan. I'm so sorry, I thought you didn't want to rent it and just wanted to continue operating the factory."
As she spoke, she gave a slight bow and walked away swiftly and decisively.
It wasn't until they reached the main road that Factory Manager Wu exclaimed, "The location of this factory is alright, and the size is just right."
Looking up, you can see a wide river with long, wavy waves, big ships can sail in with their horns blaring.
With the transportation problem solved, factory production can at least reduce half of the troubles.
Whether it's importing raw materials or shipping goods, water transport is always the cheapest option.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "That's what I think too."
That's right, she didn't make this trip today out of pity for the difficulties faced by Factory Manager Yotelle.
Capitalists don't have that much compassion.
When their factory initially demanded an exorbitant rent of $20,000 a month, they didn't seem to sympathize with her for coming to a foreign country to start a business, or how difficult it must have been for her.
Let's put away our unnecessary sympathy and get down to business.
She brought Director Wu here so that he could conduct an on-site inspection and see if the factory could be acquired.
Factory Director Wu now feels that the conditions are acceptable.
Wang Xiao nodded: "Then stretch it a little more."
Commercial land and industrial land have different values.
For a factory, a monthly rent of five thousand US dollars is too expensive.
Anyway, they have more than one option.
"There are also ready-made factory buildings available at the agricultural and industrial center in the suburbs. The transportation conditions are definitely worse than here, but the place is not small either."
Wang Xiao had to admit that although the previous Romanian government had ended up in a very bad way, they must have genuinely wanted to make the agricultural and industrial center a success.
Look at the residential area here. The newly built buildings are neatly spaced, and large green lawns, tall trees, and colorful flowers directly separate the living area from the production area.
The store was quite large, with huge glass windows that shimmered in the sunlight, and marble floors that were so clean they reflected light.
If it weren't for the empty shelves, it wouldn't look bad at all.
Unfortunately, timing and fate are the same; doing something well is never that simple.
In the end, all we could do was watch him build a tall building, watch him entertain guests, and watch his building collapse.
The rural population is decreasing, and villages are gradually becoming desolate.
Looking at the empty factory buildings, Director Wu couldn't help but sigh, "What a pity."
His assistant regained his liveliness and boldly chimed in, "Just like our third-tier factories, they cost so much money to build back then, but now they're all abandoned."
However, he had to admit that although the factory buildings here were large, the transportation was inconvenient.
The poor transportation infrastructure not only makes it inconvenient to transport goods, but the biggest problem is the inability to recruit suitable workers.
As they walked along, they noticed that there were hardly any young people, especially young men, in the Romanian countryside.
Those who remain in the countryside are mostly elderly people and women.
If the factory is located here, where will they find workers?
It's unrealistic to expect people to live in the city and spend several hours commuting to the countryside for work every day.
Wang Xiao was also aware of this and stated bluntly: "So, this is the alternative plan."
As they walked out of the factory, the head of the agricultural and industrial center came over to ask them if they wanted to rent a factory.
Although Romania has long claimed to be pushing forward with privatization, the privatization process of factories has not been smooth so far.
Therefore, the agricultural and industrial center is now rushing to rent out its factory buildings.
Firstly, a house needs people to maintain it, otherwise it will collapse over time.
Secondly, they also need money now. Without government funding, the schools and hospitals at the agricultural and industrial center are struggling to stay afloat.
Unfortunately, Wang Xiao didn't give her a definite answer, only saying, "We need to think about it some more."
The office manager of the agricultural and industrial center looked disappointed and muttered under his breath, "Okay, if you've made up your mind, call me as soon as possible."
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."
As the group walked out of the factory, she invited Director Wu, "Would you like to take a look at our garment factory?"
Factory Director Wu said with great interest, "Yes, we definitely have to see it."
He was incredibly curious; how well could she run a garment factory on European soil?
Oh dear, this factory isn't very big. Before he even reached the entrance, he could hear the clattering of sewing machines inside.
It was pitch black inside; you could barely see any black hair peeking out from the edge of the white hat.
At first glance, it looks like a township enterprise in China.
but--
If a garment factory in China does foreign trade, its orders are mostly from Japan, and there are no blond-haired, blue-eyed foreigners.
The guy standing outside the factory really looks like Casanova with the big nose.
Wang Xiao was quite surprised to see Ruan Xiaomei: "Oh, what brings you here?"
Ruan Xiaomei pointed to the white man next to her and introduced him: "This is Mr. Habermas, who wants to have clothes made by us."
There are many German businessmen in Hungary, and Hammarbys would go to Budapest almost every summer to do business.
While working for Mr. Fang, a Taiwanese businessman, Ruan Xiaomei met Hamabes.
This time, they finally got her phone number after seeing Fang Jie's batch of goods, and then they found out the information and went directly to the source factory.
He provides the samples, and the garment factory produces them for him.
Factory Director Wu couldn't help but widen his eyes. These German devils were just like the Japanese devils; they were really clever.
They were attracted by the low labor costs.
However, Brother Ren's wife, Sister Ning, could only shake her head, saying with difficulty, "We probably can't handle this order."
Why? Because we don't have enough manpower.
Fangjie had just taken the goods when she gave them another large order. They are now working hard to meet the order, and the female workers have basically stopped caring about the mushrooms. They are working overtime every day, but they are still struggling to make ends meet.
As for hiring more Romanian workers, she really didn't dare to count on it. They would leave on time and leave, and no matter how urgent the orders were, they had nothing to do with them.
Mr. Hammarbys actively offered them advice: "You should hire more workers, really, it's a very good business."
Wang Xiao bluntly stated, "Orders come and go. When there are orders, of course we need more people, but when there are no orders, everyone needs to make money. We can't just hire people rashly for the sake of temporary orders. What will we do when there's no work to do?"
Hamabes replied without hesitation, "Then let them rest."
Due to historical reasons, many Romanians can speak Hungarian and German.
Upon hearing the news, the head of the agricultural and industrial center rushed over and understood his words, instinctively retorting, "Do you think they're asparagus seasonal workers?"
Instead of getting angry, Hammarby's eyes lit up, and with a whimsical idea that defied the common Chinese perception of Germans, he enthusiastically offered a suggestion: "You can recruit more farmers to grow asparagus, just like you grow mushrooms."
His logic was very simple: since farmers can work as garment workers in their spare time while growing mushrooms, they can also grow asparagus and make clothes at the same time.
Asparagus holds a very special place in Germany.
Every year from April to June, during the asparagus harvest season, farms need a large number of workers to help harvest the asparagus.
Because labor costs are too high in Germany, in recent years, following the changes in Eastern Europe, a large number of Erntehelfer (German for "acquiring helpers") from Poland, Bulgaria, and Romania have entered Germany in April and left in June.
Hamabes had learned a lot about the situation here from Ruan Xiaomei, so he spoke fluently and knowledgeably: "Don't you have a lot of abandoned greenhouses here? They're perfect for growing asparagus."
Knowing that Wang Xiao was Ruan Xiaomei's new boss, he racked his brains to try and persuade her, "Miss Wang, now is a great time to develop, you will get a lot of orders. It would be a pity if we missed out because of a shortage of manpower."
It's true, Eastern Europe's light industry is underdeveloped; otherwise, everyone would definitely come to Eastern Europe to buy goods.
Labor costs are too high in Germany, or even in Western Europe as a whole.
Apart from underground illegal factories that evade government oversight, legitimate factories must adhere to the minimum hourly wage requirement.
This increases factory costs, preventing commodity prices from coming down.
Having cheap labor is the biggest competitive advantage.
Hammarbes made a special trip to Romania because he smelled the scent of money and the promise of huge profits.
Whether it's importing asparagus from Romania or selling cheap and fashionable clothing, there's profit to be made.
Wang Xiao was naturally aware of the profits involved.
If there weren't enough profits, how could Western European merchants possibly come knocking on your door?
She pondered for a moment and then made her request: "I don't know how to grow asparagus, and I don't know who does. We need technical support."
Hamabes readily agreed: "No problem, my cousin's family has an asparagus farm. So—when will the garment factory workers be able to arrive?"
Wang Xiao couldn't guarantee anything, and could only say, "I'll try to find workers as soon as possible."
In fact, even without Hammabes's request, she planned to expand the garment factory, or more specifically, to open a branch factory.
Currently, the OEM factories are fulfilling orders for small and medium-sized cities and rural areas in Western Europe, and there are no blockbuster products for Eastern Europe yet.
Since she already has a factory in Romania, how could she possibly give up such a large market?
However, to be honest, recruiting is indeed a big problem.
The economic situation in Eastern Europe means that workers here earn less than a third of what they do in Western Europe, making it less attractive to them.
Ruan Xiaomei gave her an idea: "Actually, there should be people willing to come and work here."
Who is it?
Chinese people who are blacklisted in Western Europe but can't make it there.
Because they lack legal status, they can only work in illegal factories or in Chinese restaurants owned by their relatives in Western Europe.
Not only is the income low, but money is also frequently deducted from my pay.
The boss wasn't afraid of them causing trouble at all, because they were undocumented and would be immediately deported if the police were called.
Their insistence on staying abroad and refusing to return to China isn't because they genuinely find the air in foreign countries particularly fragrant or sweet.
Instead, it's very expensive to go abroad now. Almost every household has to borrow money to send someone abroad.
Now that you're out here, even if you don't become rich and powerful, you should at least pay off your family's debts.
If someone goes back to China penniless, won't that just make their family's financial situation even worse?
So they could only endure it in pain.
Besides them, there are quite a few other Chinese who can't make a living in Hungary.
Although Hungary has relaxed its policies and no longer directly prohibits Chinese people from entering the country, it is still not easy to stay legally.
Instead of living in fear and not making any money in these places, it's better to come to Romania, where at least you'll have a stable income every month.
Wang Xiao was quite skeptical: "Can they really concentrate on operating the sewing machine?"
Ruan Xiaomei sighed, "After suffering many losses, one can naturally calm down."
“Alright,” Wang Xiao agreed. “You’ll be in charge of the recruitment.”
She certainly couldn't rely entirely on the Chinese people living in Europe, so she also planned to recruit people from China.
At the very least, the factory needs to be managed by someone.
She checked the time; it was roughly dinnertime in China. She went directly to the agricultural and industrial center to make an international call back home.
Who is she looking for? Her aunt, Qian Xuemei.
She began by asking about her uncle's family's attitude: "Are you genuinely interested in obtaining Romanian citizenship?"
Without hesitation, Qian Xuemei replied, "Of course, we'll do it, we definitely have to do it."
After discussing this matter during the Chinese New Year, the couple didn't have much time to deal with the immigration issues because they were busy with work and focused on Jingjing's upcoming high school entrance exam.
But as their daughter's exam pressure increased, they became even more determined to obtain foreign citizenship.
Oh my god, I don't care about anything else, I just want my child to not have to work so hard.
Jingjing is still very young, she hasn't even started high school yet, and she's already having trouble sleeping at night.
If this goes on for too long, the child's health will definitely suffer.
But would you dare let your child relax? The starting lines are completely different. What else can rural children do but strive to move forward?
Once Wang Xiao received their confirmation, he could proceed with the arrangements.
"If you want to obtain permanent residency, it can't be a temporary residence permit; it has to be at least a long-term residence permit."
Wang Xiao explained, "In that case, you can't stay in China forever; you'll have to come and live in Romania."
Qian Xuemei said with a worry, "I can't let go of any of these things."
They are adults, and unlike their daughter, they can't go abroad during winter and summer vacations.
Wang Xiao asked bluntly, "Do you want to come to Romania to develop your career?"
She got straight to the point: "I'm planning to set up another garment factory here in Romania, and I need someone to manage it."
Although many people criticize family businesses for having various drawbacks.
But when it comes to actually doing business, especially in this era, family businesses have a natural advantage.
At the very least, you know your family members inside and out, so the chances of them running off with your money are much lower than with others.
Why?
Humans are social animals.
Look at those corrupt officials, their morality has degenerated to the point of having no bottom line, but how many of them didn't first send their wives and children abroad to settle down?
After all, only a minority of people can truly detach themselves from their families.
From Wang Xiao's perspective, Qian Xuemei is currently the best candidate to manage the factory.
First of all, Qian Xuemei herself came from a garment factory, so she knew all too well the ins and outs of the garment factory.
Secondly, Qian Xuemei has been selling clothes for almost a year, so her understanding of clothing is deeper than that of the average person.
Most importantly, with the decline of Zhouzhen Garment Factory's self-produced clothing, Qian Xuemei's clothing sales work had actually reached a turning point.
Simply put, there are no results.
For the garment factory, her significance lies only in maintaining the connection between the factory and the commercial city.
With Wang Xiao deciding to continue using Zhouzhen Garment Factory for OEM production, whether or not Qian Xuemei had money was completely irrelevant.
In that case, let's change tracks.
She gives money to people, but she also expects them to generate economic benefits for her.
"I'll find the orders, I'll provide the raw materials, and if the clothes aren't made, I'll arrange for someone to pick them up."
Wang Xiao had only one request: "You help me manage the factory and ensure quality control."
Qian Xuemei was stunned. She turned her head and stared at her husband, speechless for a long time.
She...she just wanted to get her daughter a foreign identity, how did she actually go abroad? She speaks Russian so haltingly, all she knows are those business-related phrases.
Wang Xiao didn't force her to make a choice on the spot, only asking, "Think about it and give me an answer as soon as possible. By the way, where's my uncle? Do you know anyone who wants to come to Romania to grow vegetables?"
She mentally estimated, "If the two of them come together, they can each earn about a thousand yuan a month."
It can't go any higher; this is the maximum salary in Romania.
Distracted, Chen Yidong could only say, "Let me ask."
His mind was truly in turmoil; he had never actually considered going abroad.
It's not that I'm worried about my daughter.
These days, it's normal for high school students to board at school, and with his sister and brother-in-law there too, he's not worried about his daughter being bullied.
He was bewildered: what could he do abroad?
Well, the clothes from Zhouzhen Garment Factory aren't selling well anymore, and actually, the shoes from the leather shoe factory are also selling worse and worse.
The Russians are very picky. They were buying large quantities of goods one day, but then they started nitpicking and finding fault with everything.
A batch of goods from Leshui County can sell 10,000 pairs, but if it were from Zhouzhen, even 5,000 pairs would be difficult to sell, and the price would be reduced to almost half of what the other brands were selling.
If this continues, I doubt their factory's shoes will sell for more than a few days.
well--
When it comes to sales, you can really make money. You can earn in a month what you'd earn in several years of working.
But if you can't sell your goods, then life will be really tough.
Forget it, I might as well go work in a factory; at least it'll be stable.
After the couple discussed it, they were able to relax and wait for their daughter to come home from evening self-study.
Factory Director Wu was once again dumbfounded.
He truly believed that if he had acted any slower, President Wang would have kicked Longhua TV out of the game without hesitation and found another partner.
Look how efficient they are at doing things; they can do everything in a flash.
Seeing his thoughtful expression, Wang Xiao reminded him, "Let's eat. After we finish eating, we can walk around some more."
They ate a traditional Romanian meal: cabbage rolls, bread, and potatoes.
Sarmale, a type of cabbage bun, is made with pickled sauerkraut as the bun wrapper, filled with rice and minced meat, and seasoned with onions, salt, pepper, and other spices.
If Wang Xiao were to describe it, it would feel a bit like shumai.
Because it's pickled cabbage skin, people don't steam it; instead, they boil it directly in a pot, boiling a whole pot at once.
Line the bottom of the pot with pickled cabbage leaves, then layer cabbage rolls on top one by one, layering them again and again, and finally layering another layer of cabbage leaves. Cover the pot with aluminum foil, add water, and bring it to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over low heat.
A big pot of this, served with bread and potatoes, plus a cold salad of shredded lettuce, makes up a lunch for the garment factory workers.
Factory Director Wu took a bite of the boiled potato and his eyes lit up: "Wow, this black soil is really something else, even the potatoes taste different."
How can I describe the difference between this potato and the ones he ate in the country?
It was the first time he had ever eaten rice from Northeast China, and he felt like he had been eating rice for so many years without realizing it.
They're clearly the same variety, yet the difference between the buyer's review and the seller's review is striking.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "That's why they say black soil is fertile."
She prefers cabbage buns to potatoes. She really thinks they go well with rice.
After dinner, everyone started talking about serious matters.
The two parties have formed a joint venture to produce color TVs in Romania.
Longhua TV Factory holds a 49% stake and provides production lines and manufacturing technology, as well as key components such as color picture tubes.
Wang Xiao's main responsibility is marketing and sales.
Factory Director Wu sighed, "I wonder how long Factory Director Taylor can hold on."
Now, Wang Xiao has most likely chosen this alternative factory to continue operating the garment factory.
What's left for him is just a factory in the city.
To be honest, the people at that factory really didn't have any business sense.
If it were him, he wouldn't rent out the factory; he would do it himself.
It's not about production; if they could continue production, they wouldn't be renting it out.
Instead, they directly changed it to catering and accommodation.
Just think about it, the container wholesale market is so bustling, with so many wholesalers coming and going every day.
Can they all come and go on the same day? Dream on, that's impossible.
There are hundreds of containers, each filled with so much cargo. You think you can inspect them all in a day? Even a god couldn't do that.
If there's no time to leave, then there's a need for food and lodging.
If this were placed in Jiangzhimen, the villagers would all know to open family restaurants and family hotels.
It turns out that with such a large factory so close by, they're still begging for food while holding a golden rice bowl.
You can make a few minor changes and still sit back and collect money.
Seeing his heartbroken expression, Wang Xiao couldn't help but laugh: "So, you have to be able to hold onto even the greatest fortune."
She comforted him, saying, "Don't worry too much. There are quite a few factories that have stopped operating here. If you keep looking, you might find something more suitable."
Negotiations are all about who can hold out the longest.
She wasn't in a hurry at all, but the factory over there couldn't hold on any longer and offered to lower the price; the annual rent was $50,000.
Wang Xiao wanted to stretch it a little more, but Director Wu couldn't wait.
He plans to set up a production line here with an annual output of one million color TVs, and will produce at least 100,000 units this year, as he can't afford to wait any longer.
He was afraid that once the factory realized what was happening, it would actually switch to the catering and accommodation business.
Wang Xiao had no choice but to agree. "Fine, fine, fifty thousand US dollars it is."
It's because of its good location, with many factories and warehouses.
The production line needs time to be shipped from China.
The warehouse is currently empty.
She certainly couldn't just leave it there to gather dust, so she decided to use it as a storage room for the time being.
This also allows the construction company to catch its breath a little.
They've been busy building warehouses since March, but they still can't meet the demands of large wholesalers; they simply can't keep up.
But Ivanov was very dissatisfied with the $50,000 rent, and complained directly: "Romanians are just too greedy and obsessed with money."
This is such a run-down factory, yet the rent is so expensive.
Fortunately, it's okay, he found a new project to make money.
"Salmon, shipping salmon from the Baltic Sea to Xiaozhou for sale, what do you think?"
He came up with this idea because the news of Vladivostok's king crabs being exported to China had already spread in his social circle.
Everyone felt they had missed out on a hundred million dollars, and that the Pacific Fleet guys had gotten a good deal.
Seafood? Why would Russians care about seafood? They have so much seafood to offer.
His friend in Lithuania couldn't wait to find him and strongly recommended Baltic salmon.
His reasoning was that he had thoroughly investigated and found that Chinese people eat salmon.
As early as 1985, Chinese people were importing Norwegian salmon.
Now, the Baltic salmon they offer will only be of even higher quality.
This way, after the planes transport a large quantity of light industrial goods into the Baltic states, they don't have to return empty; they can transport seafood instead.
"How was it?" Ivanov asked with great interest. "I've tried the salmon there, and it's definitely not bad."
Wang Xiao felt—
Haha, how would she know? How could she possibly know if salmon even has a market in Xiaozhou?
————————
The history of salmon imports: In 1985, Norwegian salmon entered the Chinese market. At that time, due to its extreme scarcity and high price, salmon only appeared on the menus of high-end restaurants and five-star hotels. In those days, enjoying salmon was a luxury, and only a very few people had the opportunity to taste its deliciousness.
Also, early-ripening apricot varieties from Romania can be available in mid-May ^O^. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-01-07 20:17:55 and 2024-01-09 01:01:09!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Cindy122120 bottles; Affirmation, Tianshang Baiyun 5 bottles; 206558082 bottles; Hui, Pangpangxiong, fei, Nie Ningning, Muhuotongming, and jiuwoleyi 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
