Chapter 315 The development of events at the factory office window gradually became strange...
Who knew that "procrastination" could actually be effective?
"The Special Administrative Region just issued a new temporary regulation today to crack down on financial fraud using foreign trade contracts... We only found out about this after we went out to inquire."
State-owned factories in inland areas, like Feiyan Textile Factory, used to operate honestly and diligently in China. But when they came to the special economic zone, they were all naive and clueless, unaware of the various "tricks" that existed there.
There are countless opportunities here, but also countless pitfalls. Hong Kong businessman Shao Yunliang gave them a vivid lesson.
Wang Youyou was filled with lingering fear, but at the same time he greatly admired his factory manager: "Factory manager, did you see through this trap all along?"
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
Who knows? Anyway, someone like her, who's a lazy bum, never seems to have the advantage of being easy.
After spending a few days in Shenzhen, Qin Xiangxiang realized that the special economic zone was actually not easy to navigate. It was difficult for outsiders to get by, while people from Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hunan were more likely to succeed. They came directly here, but they were still somewhat on their own.
In addition, there are many processing and assembly factories in Shenzhen. The factory managers of these factories have been in the special economic zone for two years and have long been shrewd and experienced. They have thoroughly understood the special economic zone policies, the unspoken rules, and the networks of connections.
As for Qin Xiangxiang and the others, they were isolated and helpless, unfamiliar with the special economic zone policies, and faced with pitfalls everywhere.
Qin Xiangxiang felt a bit exhausted and had already given up.
For a salted fish, giving up is not a problem at all. Nothing in the world is difficult if you are willing to give up.
She bought all the imported cosmetics, and even if she developed her own cosmetics production line, returning to Shanghai, to her own territory, would be much more convenient and faster.
Instead of struggling in this murky water.
Having prepared to "go home," our Factory Director Qin felt completely relieved and finally had a free moment to call the naval base and contact that deadbeat man.
"Li Jianzhi, it's so hot here, the sun is so strong, I want to go home..." Qin Xiangxiang complained, "And there are so many scammers, I almost got scammed. They made us sign a sales contract, but actually they wanted to scam us out of loans."
"Yes, you've worked hard. Don't be afraid of making mistakes; these are all learning opportunities."
Study? Study my ass!
“Li Jianzhi, I want to go home. This kind of life, sitting in a food stall wearing flip-flops and a floral shirt, drinking beer, doesn’t suit me.”
Li Jianzhi was taken aback: "Pfft—"
I never expected this.
He had imagined his wife Qin Xiangxiang with an afro, smoky makeup, and a crop top, but he never imagined her wearing flip-flops, beach shorts, and a floral shirt.
“Then come back.” Li Jianzhi smiled slightly. Shanghai’s development is a bit slower than Shenzhen’s. After all, the special economic zones are pioneering demonstration zones. With various successful experiences, megacities like Shanghai can formulate better development plans. It will be almost the 1990s before Shanghai develops rapidly.
Anyway, there's no rush.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "I want to go back and eat the cakes from the factory."
"I still miss your cooking skills, you're a twenty-year veteran of the navy."
Qin Xiang packed up and prepared to head home. She had gained a lot from this trip. At least she obtained a lot of samples of imported cosmetics. She also personally observed how imported fabrics cleared customs at the Shekou Port. In Chung Ying Street, she also recorded the characteristics of the clothing fabrics worn by many fashionable Hong Kong customers, such as "matte texture" and "drape".
She also visited some "processing trade" garment factories, especially some Hong Kong-funded factories, which broadened her horizons and made her understand what a black-hearted factory is. "It's the capitalist's trick!"
Those Hong Kong craftsmen actually use some cheap fabrics from the mainland, and after some post-processing, they create a so-called "retro and fashionable feel".
After that, Qin Xiangxiang was deeply impressed by the term "retro chic".
—A sophisticated term for scavenging.
After preparing to return to Shanghai, before even buying a ferry ticket, Qin Xiangxiang unexpectedly learned of some unusual news:
"As long as a formal factory office is established in the special economic zone and operates stably, there is an opportunity to obtain an import quota for passenger cars."
Imported car quota?!
It has to be admitted that the policies of the special economic zone are really good! They come up with all sorts of tricks to lure you in to set up factories and open shops here.
Qin Xiangxiang was tempted by the quota for the imported car.
Having served as a "factory director" for so many years, her official vehicle used to be a "sidecar." If she could obtain a quota for an imported sedan, then the future of her being equipped with an imported sedan as the factory director would be just around the corner.
"Factory office window? It's just a window..." Qin Xiang thought about making do with it, purely for the sake of the car. "We'll just find a cheap place, put up a sign, and say it's our factory office window. That should be enough to pass inspections."
Currently, many mainland factories have set up "factory offices" in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, which means setting up a factory office in the zone to take on foreign trade orders and contact mainland factories.
Shenzhen has built many beautiful office buildings, which are available for rent by a large number of companies and factories.
The offices in those office buildings were densely packed like a honeycomb. Qin Xiang had been to the office buildings and felt like she was in a beehive. There were firecrackers and ribbon-cutting ceremonies almost every day downstairs, and a new company moved into the office buildings every day.
Qin Xiangxiang didn't like such crowded places, and renting office space in this kind of building was too troublesome, requiring a lot of applications and trips to various offices.
Anyway, their factory office window is purely for obtaining car license plates...
So Qin Xiangxiang set his sights on a desolate old warehouse area by the river and planned to set up a "factory office window" there.
"This place is alright. At least it's spacious, the rent is cheap, it's convenient for drying fabrics, and it's close to the dock, so transporting samples is easy."
Despite intending to set up a window perfunctorily, Qin still had to consider the issue of order taking and transportation. He thought the old warehouse was quite good, cheap and convenient, with "affordability" as its main selling point.
"Factory manager, really? Our factory office window is located here?"
Not only Wang Youyou, a young cadre in the factory, but also other people in the factory, including Chen Lu, a military wife who came with them, did not understand at all, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads.
They are Feiyan United Textile Factory! The factory director, Qin Xiangxiang, is the nationally renowned Director Qin!
They didn't apply for a factory office window in a high-end office building, but came to this old warehouse—it's so shameful! I can't hold my head up high!
"Factory manager, this place is acceptable as a temporary warehouse, but as a factory office window, well, we'll become a laughing stock. When foreign businessmen come to place orders, they'll see us huddled here. That's just too much."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Can face put food on the table? Practicality is the most important thing, and we should avoid trouble whenever possible."
Qin Xiangxiang also had her own considerations. She didn't like going to the "Honeycomb" office building. Although the warehouse here was a bit old, it was spacious, cheap, and large. What else could she choose?
High-end office buildings are naturally luxurious and beautiful, but they're crowded! Plus, with her reputation as "Factory Director Qin," she'd be stared at like a gorilla whenever she went to an office building.
The old warehouse can at least be renovated by the owner, and the surrounding area can be developed into their own property.
“Let’s rent this warehouse. If it’s suitable, let’s just buy it. Let’s buy this dilapidated warehouse.”
Feiyan Textile Factory rented this old warehouse area by the river at a very low price, and Qin Xiangxiang led more than a dozen people from the factory to renovate the warehouse, making it look quite presentable.
The warehouse area has a very spacious cement yard, which faces a dirt road that is gradually becoming more popular. There are many construction sites nearby, and many truck drivers come and go to transport goods.
Qin Xiangxiang and her group of more than a dozen people left the guesthouse and stayed in the temporary, simple warehouse area, where they set up a dormitory for employees.
Since it was in the middle of nowhere, and getting food was inconvenient, they simply started cooking over a fire in the yard and built a new stove.
I bought a freezer, meat, and an air conditioner...
It's not easy for twelve people to eat and drink together, so Qin Xiangxiang decided to restore the meals they used to have at the factory. Even if it meant shortchanging others, she couldn't shortchange herself, so she made braised pork in a hot pot.
Chen Lu, a military wife who came with the army, is very good at cooking. The small kitchen she used to cook at the base was highly praised by many officers and soldiers.
"After making braised pork, there's still a lot of pork left... Let's make steamed buns, that's easy."
...
They started making braised meat and steamed buns on the stove again, and the aroma wafted through the dilapidated courtyard. After a while, workers started peeking around outside the courtyard, and passing drivers got out of their cars to ask, "Can we have a meal together here?"
"This is the special economic zone office of the textile factory, not just a place for us to eat and work..."
...
"Factory manager, this is the twentieth person to ask!"
"This is the office window of a textile factory, not a roadside restaurant!" Young cadre Wang Youyou was both amused and exasperated. After being asked so many questions by passing workers, he felt like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Because almost every driver and worker who came to inquire said, "Huh? The factory office window? Why don't you go to the office building?"
"It's getting too annoying if this continues. People come to ask me questions every day, and they're all just passing by."
Qin Xiangxiang also felt annoyed. Her main task at the moment was to make this temporary factory office window look decent enough to pass the special zone's inspection. She still had a lot of procedures to go through. After that, she would go home and wait for a while to obtain the import car quota.
“We can’t become a restaurant, and it would be too much trouble to share meals. How about, Sister-in-law Chen Lu, you take a few people and set up a stall near the entrance. We can sell some food and earn enough to cover our food expenses.”
Thus, the "Special Economic Zone Factory-Run Snack Stall" of Feiyan Textile Factory was born, mainly selling Feiyan Textile Factory's "Kindness Braised Meat", Qin Xiangxiang's specially improved recipe for large meat buns and Feiyan Textile Factory's seaweed crisps.
In just a day or two, their food stall became famous, especially for their braised pork and large meat buns. The braised pork was very fragrant, and the large meat buns were filled with plenty of filling. One bun was enough to fill you up. Soon, word of mouth spread among drivers and construction workers.
Truck drivers, in particular, would go to great lengths to come and buy large meat buns, sometimes ten or twenty at a time.
These days, drivers in the Special Administrative Region are all wealthy, especially those who travel between the Special Administrative Region and Hong Kong. Some can even earn several thousand or tens of thousands a month. They are often on the road, yet they still can't afford a few meat buns and braised meat.
"It smells so good! Dude, where did you buy these meat buns? And your braised meat... could you share some with me?"
"It's not far, just over there. There's an old warehouse by the river, on that piece of land. You can drive there yourself. These buns are really delicious!"
"And this braised pork is delicious too."
...
"Give me ten big steamed buns!"
"I'll have ten too."
...
"Just steamed buns aren't enough, boss, could you add some soup as well?"
Qin Xiangxiang felt a bit annoyed. Why were there so many "troublemakers" making so many demands, and why were they all coming to her door to ask questions? "I've already told them we're the office window of the textile factory!"
Indeed, Qin Xiangxiang, who already had extensive experience in running a cafeteria, immediately came up with a solution.
"Make some fresh broth, bean sprout soup, seafood ball soup, and some sweet mung bean soup, and also sell some noodles and wontons."
"Let's just sell them all together. It'll save us trouble and prevent people from constantly coming over to ask about them."
Qin Xiangxiang just wanted to get the paperwork done quickly; she was in a hurry to return to Shanghai and get a car license plate quota.
However, things gradually took a strange turn.
Within just a few days, a "mini-market" had formed near their factory office window.
Some small vendors who came to the special economic zone to make a living saw the popularity of this place and moved here one after another. Fruit sellers, shoe repairmen, tailors... they all came.
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