Chapter 243
Qin Xiang paused when he heard this, and his mind turned over and over again. Thinking about the current situation faced by enterprises in the capital, Qin Xiang had a rough guess.
But she's not a philanthropist; she's a businesswoman. Her primary concern is her own self-interest. If she can contribute to the country on that basis, that's great, but otherwise, she's powerless. Furthermore, the problems facing state-owned enterprises today aren't something she can solve alone; they need to address the fundamental issue of "breaking down, building up."
She nodded and said, "Please go ahead."
The deputy mayor said, "State-owned factories are struggling these days. There's a third garment factory in Xicheng, near the western suburbs. It's quite large and has around 500 skilled workers. I wonder if you'd be interested in taking it over."
Qin Xiang was not surprised, but asked, "Public-private partnership?"
The deputy mayor didn't deny it. "We have existing machinery and factory buildings, and the workers are all highly skilled, which are in short supply for you. This method is the fastest way to solve your problem, and at least it saves a lot of time. Rezoning the land, building the factory buildings, recruiting workers and a leadership team are no easy tasks and would take a very long time."
The deputy mayor then listed many benefits of public-private partnerships, and even suggested that Qin Xiang could operate under the Third Garment Factory so that it could also use the factory's workers and machines.
Qin Xiang refused without even thinking, "Deputy Mayor, I think this approach might be good, but it's not suitable for me."
The deputy mayor raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me about it."
Qin Xiang pondered for a moment and said, "Although I don't know much about the Third Garment Factory, I do know a lot about the current situation of many state-owned factories in China. This includes the Xiangyanghong Garment Factory I'm currently working with. They had major problems before they even started manufacturing for me. The management is either corrupt and only cares about amassing wealth, or they feel they're nearing retirement and don't want to take on any responsibilities, just muddling through. If even the leaders are like this, what about the lower-level leaders and workers? Take the workers, for example. There are indeed many skilled workers, but how many of them would retire before the age of fifty so their children can attend classes? Are the young people who step up truly skilled workers?"
She paused and continued, "The workers are diverse, and many entire families work at the factory. Once something happens, they flock to the factory. They believe in the principle of not punishing the masses, and if the leadership can't satisfy them, they'll all riot. The leadership is rigidly minded and inflexible, looking down on individual entrepreneurs. But the market today is no longer the same as it was ten years ago; it's now diversified. If I were to take over as a public-private partnership with this kind of leadership, do you think the workers would listen to me? Who would be responsible for management, me or the original leadership? If it were them, what's the point of me spending money? If it were us, would the original leadership still listen to me?"
Qin Xiang didn't even need to answer such a question; the answer was obvious. Not all large state-owned factories were in decline. Some, under the leadership of their leaders, were able to adapt to market trends and gradually embark on a path of marketization. Those that declined did so because their leaders were limited to their own small businesses, their thinking was stuck in the past decade, and bureaucracy was prevalent.
The decline is not groundless, there are traces to follow.
If she took over a factory like this, she would be exhausted just by dealing with the personnel issues.
Does she have time?
Of course not, she is still a sophomore.
The deputy mayor obviously knew this and asked, "What about the Third Garment Factory?"
After the affiliation, all output and sales will be counted as those of the third garment factory, which will at least allow the factory to operate and pay wages with profits. The huge factory will not go bankrupt and workers will not be laid off.
Qin Xiang still shook her head. "Deputy Mayor, I still refuse. The reason it's affiliated is that it's actually still owned by the Third Garment Factory. If I become successful one day, the leaders of the Third Garment Factory want to reap the benefits and can easily kick me out. Besides, a large factory like this is bound to have problems. Will they shift the blame onto me? If they make demands on me and I refuse, will they hold up my production requirements and threaten me?"
Hearing this, the deputy mayor sighed slightly, "It's indeed a bit troublesome."
While most of the state-owned factories in the capital were still doing well, many in other areas were experiencing problems. As the mayor of the capital, he naturally wanted to reverse this decline.
He was actually just suggesting it to see if it could be implemented, but he didn't expect the other party to be so thoughtful at such a young age.
Looking at Meng Huaiqing, who said nothing and did not participate, the deputy mayor finally understood how two people who had nothing in common came together.
This is a type of people who are smart, sharp, and have a different perspective on the market.
The deputy mayor sighed and asked, "So how do you plan to develop your factory?"
Qin Xiang took out the agreement he had written in advance and said, "Please take a look."
The general content of the plan is similar to what Meng Huaiqing said. The government only provides land. During the period of Qin Xiang's use of the factory, in addition to paying taxes, an additional 10% of the profit will be given to the government each year as feedback for the use of the land.
As for the construction of the factory, the recruitment of workers, and the purchase of machines, these all need to be solved by Qin Xiang himself.
Although this costs a little more, it allows you to keep management rights firmly in your own hands.
At first glance, a 10% profit may not seem like much, but this is a long-term process. In the future, land will indeed be valuable, but at this stage, especially the land in the suburbs of the city, it is not that valuable. Moreover, the piece of land that Qin Xiang liked was once a dilapidated brick kiln factory. After it was abandoned, it was not reclaimed into arable land, nor was any construction carried out on the original basis. It was just left abandoned. Qin Xiang didn't want it, and it might continue to be abandoned for a while before it could be used.
Now, thanks to advertising, her more than a dozen branches have very impressive sales, which seems to be a huge fortune to ordinary people.
Especially when state-owned factories are on the decline, many workers will be laid off in two years, so private factories that can accept workers are particularly important.
Qin Xiang said, "Also, if feasible, I hope to leave enough space for me on the land over there, because my area may be small at the beginning, but I will definitely expand it later. So in terms of location, you can reserve a space to the west of the original location, so that it will not affect the urban planning."
The capital's urban area is still much smaller than it will be in a few decades, and will certainly develop in the future, but it won't develop all at once into the suburbs.
Qin Xiang had already made up her mind. If the city didn't approve, she'd build a factory in Pengcheng. The policies there were more favorable, the government offered various supportive policies, and it was easier to recruit female workers. In recent years, many people had flocked to places like Yangcheng and Pengcheng for work, which kept costs down. Even if she didn't go to Pengcheng, building a factory in one of the counties surrounding the capital would still be advantageous.
She was willing to build a factory in the capital because it was close to her branch and shipping was convenient, otherwise she would not be happy.
As she spoke, the deputy mayor was looking at the plan. Then his secretary knocked on the door and said, "Deputy Mayor, you have a meeting soon."
The deputy mayor nodded and said to Qin Xiang, "Leave this with me for now. I'll give you a reply later."
Although Qin Xiang was disappointed that she didn't get an answer on the spot, she still nodded and said goodbye and left with Meng Huaiqing.
When leaving, some city government leaders were heading to the conference room. The deputy mayor is in charge of economic development. Standing in the position of deputy mayor of the capital, the responsibilities he bears will be even greater.
The two of them came out in silence and got into the car. Qin Xiang asked Meng Huaiqing, "Do you think there's a chance?"
Meng Huaiqing shook his head, "It's hard to say."
He paused and said, "After all, building a factory is different from building a residence. It may involve issues with the government's future development plans. I'm worried that the location will be divided further west, or even east."
Qin Xiang frowned. That was a bit far away, and it would be difficult to recruit workers.
Meng Huaiqing said, "Let's go back first."
When they got home, Meng Huaiqing took out a map of the capital city. Besides the capital, the map also showed the surrounding counties and cities. He pointed to one and said, "What do you think?"
The place he was talking about was a county around the capital city, some distance away from the capital, but the advantage was that there was a national highway passing through the county.
Meng Huaiqing chose this place only based on distance, transportation and other considerations, but Qin Xiang knew that this county called Yong'an would be incorporated into the capital city in the next few decades and serve as an industrial park to attract many companies to settle in.
Later, a highway was built nearby. Although it is not a large transportation hub, it is well connected and convenient for going anywhere. It is also close to the branch in Jinshi.
The most crucial thing is that this is just a county town now, and its economic development cannot compare with the capital. As long as she comes here to build a factory and proposes the same plan as the capital city, the Yong'an County Government has no reason not to agree, and may even be able to give her a more favorable price.
As for the workers, they could build single-person dormitories within the factory complex. Those who wanted to come to work could live there, but they couldn't bring their families. The salary was high, and it wasn't far from the capital. She didn't believe anyone wouldn't be interested. At the very least, Yong'an County and surrounding counties also had garment factories that could absorb some workers.
After analyzing the situation, the two men concluded that the long-term benefits of building a factory here were no worse than those in the capital city.
The advantage of the capital city is that the market is larger and closer to the city center.
Qin Xiang sighed, "Let's wait for the city government's notice. If that doesn't work, I'll go to Yong'an. If that doesn't work, I'll go directly to Pengcheng."
There is no doubt that Pengcheng will develop rapidly in the future. Before the New Year, she asked Zhao Ping to take advantage of his free time to go around there and buy some old houses, but unfortunately they were not easy to find.
This year, she looked at the map and recalled the development plan of Pengcheng in her previous life. She asked Zhao Ping to go there again and bought two small courtyards. The location of the courtyards is relatively remote and the price is not expensive. After buying them, she specially asked Foreman Ma to demolish them and build a storefront. It is estimated that it is almost completed now. When she has time, she plans to go and take a look.
But Qin Xiang didn't plan to open a branch there. There were so many factories there, the quality varied, and the prices were all very cheap. Even good products couldn't be sold at a high price there.
The place is still under construction and the infrastructure has not yet developed. She plans to rent it out and she won't lose money no matter what she does.
After Qin Xiang finished speaking, Meng Huaiqing also agreed, "Pengcheng is closer to Gangcheng, and I plan to build my next real estate project there."
Qin Xiang was surprised. "Have you found the land?"
"It's basically confirmed. I went out after the Chinese New Year to discuss this matter. It will probably be confirmed in a few days."
What Meng Huaiqing didn't say was that the piece of land he had his eyes on was originally chosen by Jiang Licheng and his son, but he got the news in advance and snatched it away.
The Jiang Group had been in Hong Kong for too many years, and the good times had made the Jiang family father and son forget that there were people out there. Qin Xiang had previously vented his anger for him, only to ruin the Jiang Group's reputation and cause problems within the company. But a lean camel is bigger than a horse, and the reason they can still jump is because they are too kind.
Qin Xiang is a kind person, but he will never forget the stupid things that the father and son did years ago.
Want to come to the mainland to harm the people of the motherland?
Forget it, I’d rather just live in Hong Kong.
Meng Huaiqing added, "If nothing unexpected happens, we can basically start work during the summer vacation."
He looked at Qin Xiang, who couldn't help but laugh, "I suspect you've thought about this in advance. I'll probably go over there during the summer vacation."
Meng Huaiqing smiled, "Isn't that just right?"
The two couldn't help laughing.
After putting the map away, Qin Xiang went on to perfect her plan.
Since you are going to build a factory, you should have a plan whether you start with only one acre of land or ten acres.
Fortunately, garment factories are no different from other heavy industries, so the functional departments can be simpler.
There must be a workshop for workers to work, a warehouse for storing goods, an office building, and dormitories for employees to stay.
Each item had to be broken down into its specific dimensions, with the decision on how big it should be and how many people it could accommodate. Warehouses had to consider the shelving, and dormitories could only accommodate six or eight people, forget about single rooms.
In addition, there are equipment for making clothes. Sewing machines are indispensable. If you want to make sweaters, you must have jacquard machines, etc. There are also tables for cutting clothes, and some miscellaneous items. It is very troublesome to purchase them.
Once the decision is made, there must be purchasing personnel.
Mao Yuxiang is a ready-made talent. She has been following Xiang Yanghong's purchasing department for nearly a year and has become very familiar with it. With Miao Xiaofeng and He Shengnan watching over her, there will be no problem for the time being. It is a good opportunity to transfer Mao Yuxiang back to be in charge of purchasing.
They worked until noon, and after they had lunch, Meng Huaiqing went out. Qin Xiang had a class at around three o'clock, so she had to go out as well.
The spring breeze has already blown across the entire capital, and the air in the capital is warm. Wearing a thin sweater and a coat outside is enough to make you comfortable.
When Qin Xiang was in class, she noticed that her classmates had all dressed a lot lighter, and some of the styles were quite familiar.
Meilin said excitedly, "Are we really going to have a clothing exhibition? Then can we go shopping for clothes?"
"Of course." Qin Xiang said with a smile, "As long as guests come to the door, will they be chased out?"
Meilin was immediately excited. Qin Xiang added, "But you have to know that the price of buying one piece is different from buying ten pieces, and the price of buying ten pieces is also different from buying a hundred pieces. One or two pieces can only be considered retail, so the price will definitely be higher, unless you go wholesale and resell them. That way, not only do you get cheap clothes, but you can also make money."
This was a good idea to make money, but Meilin was overwhelmed by it. These students were really poor before, but they were lucky in their major. Their good designs no longer had to be hidden in their own drawers like before, but could be sold to Qin Xiang for money.
In other words, they are not short of money nowadays, at least their life is not a problem, and they would rather spend their time on studying rather than making money.
Meilin's head was spinning. "What a hassle! I thought I could take this opportunity to buy some clothes."
Ming Chuanxiu was at a loss for words, "Aren't the clothes at Qin Xiang's place enough for you to buy?"
Qin Xiang nodded, "Yes, yes, I'm so sad."
Seeing this, Meilin hurriedly explained, "I actually want to buy some clothes for my mother and her family. The clothes you have there are not suitable for my mother."
Qin Xiang couldn't help but laugh, "That's just a little bit short. If it doesn't work, you can buy a few more and mail them back so she can change into them. If she doesn't want to change into them, just sell them."
"That's a good idea." Meilin said happily, "Then my mom will definitely sell it."
Several people were talking about this and planned to go over and take a look when the time comes.
As time approaches, more and more manufacturers are coming to the capital.
There were also a lot more people at the wholesale market than before. When Qin Xiang went there, Mi Hongjun whispered to her, "There are a lot more people at the wholesale market lately. They just look and don't buy. Sometimes they just ask and forget it."
Qin Xiang looked at him, "What do you think?"
"What else can I think? They must want to see what clothes are available in our wholesale market. I heard that many factories from Guangzhou, Hangzhou and other places have also come here this time, all of them have their eyes on the northern market."
Qin Xiang nodded. "You're right. There are only seven or eight days left. The clothes for the exhibition have arrived, right? Also, each branch needs to get the new merchandise on the shelves in time, and the advertising department needs to keep up as well."
Some daily necessities advertisements can be used once every one or two years, but this is not the case for clothing, as the updates are too fast. The advertisement shot before the New Year was for winter styles, and it would be inappropriate to broadcast a winter style today when it is warmer. She has already asked Li Xiu Lian to reshoot the advertisement. As for "Xiangsi", no filming has been done yet.
Cui Xueer's previous advertisement received a very good response after it was broadcast. Later, she met Cui Xueer once and was told that someone from a film studio wanted to invite her to make a movie. Since she was still a student, she had not made up her mind whether to go or not.
Qin Xiang has been very busy recently and hasn't been in contact with Cui Xueer much, so she's not sure if she can continue to help shoot commercials.
Mi Hongjun took out a small notebook and glanced at it. He said, "Li Xiulian just came back from out of town yesterday. She's taking care of some school matters today and will be here for the shoot tomorrow. She's made great progress now, so the shoot won't be difficult. We should be able to finish it in a day."
Then he turned to another page, "The goods from Xiangyanghong are nearby, so there's no rush. The goods from Yangcheng Yimei Garment Factory are already on the way, but there's a problem now."
Qin Xiang said, "You say."
Mi Hongjun said, "This morning, the driver from Yangcheng told me that they hadn't received the goods at Hangzhou No. 2 Garment Factory. They said the factory said the goods you ordered haven't been produced yet, so you have to wait a little longer. They don't know when they'll be shipped."
Qin Xiang couldn't help but frown when she heard this. It would take at least two or three days to drive here from Hangzhou, and it would take more time to move the goods to the branch on the way. The products haven't been produced yet, so how could they arrive before the trade fair?
She was suddenly stunned and couldn't help but understand what the Second Garment Factory meant.
She didn't want Xiang Yanghong and Yi Mei to take her clothes to the trade fair, and the Hangzhou Second Garment Factory didn't want her to take their clothes to the fair either.
But in fact, she didn't have this idea. At such a good time as the trade fair, she would of course promote her own clothes. Why would she make wedding dresses for others?
It was also for this reason that He Shengnan and Wu Gang did not react much when she brought up this matter.
However, she could not agree with the practices of Hangzhou No. 2 Garment Factory.
She likes to say things to people's faces instead of letting them guess behind their backs.
Qin Xiang immediately picked up the phone to call Yao Yufeng, but Yao Yufeng was nowhere to be found, saying that she was on a business trip.
Qin Xiang didn't know whether this was meant to fool her or if he was really on a business trip, so she could only find the deputy director in charge of sales in the factory, but he said that the deputy director was not there either.
After such a reaction, if Qin Xiang still doesn’t understand what the other party means, then her life would be in vain.
But Qin Xiang was not worried because she had signed the contract.
Although the laws and regulations in various aspects these days are not perfect and the contract is just a constraint, Qin Xiang felt that the Second Garment Factory would not be stupid enough to deliberately make things difficult for her, unless they no longer cared about her as a customer.
Qin Xiang had just called Liu Xiaocao and asked her to go to the Second Garment Factory to inquire about the situation. Mi Hongjun over there discovered something new, "There are a lot of goods from the Hangzhou Second Garment Factory at Naqiang's place."
Qin Xiang couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. The contract clearly stated that she didn't care about other places, but the capital was only supplied to her family. Now it was openly supplied to Na Qiang. Was this intentional, or did Na Qiang get it from somewhere else?
Qin Xiang wouldn't believe that there was no trick.
Qin Xiang tapped her fingers lightly on the table, and after a long pause, she said, "Since they don't want to cooperate, then ask them for a refund. Go borrow a good camera from Assistant Liu, and have someone take some photos from Na Qiang. Then take the photos to the Second Garment Factory for a refund. You must also bring the contract and demand compensation. If they don't pay according to the contract, we will sue them."
Without a lawyer, they have to do it on their own. Even if the case is not perfect, we have to scare them a little. In short, we can't let them get away with it so easily.
Mi Hongjun was also unhappy. "Although the styles are a little less than ours, it's still disgusting."
"It doesn't matter. If they can do it, so can we." After Qin Xiang finished speaking, Mi Hongjun was stunned and immediately laughed, "I understand."
Mi Hongjun went out to make arrangements, while Qin Xiang was thinking about this matter. That Qiang had been obedient for so long, but he didn't expect to start showing up again now. He was really an indestructible cockroach.
But Qiang must have become desperate.
Before, Na Qiang had been following them to make imitations, but in order to beat Qin Xiang in terms of price, he set a low price. However, he still wanted to make a profit. Even though the styles were similar, the fabrics were different. People always came to him, and gradually his business became not so good.
This time he probably did it on purpose, thinking he could make a profit if he got the goods before them.
That’s okay, just do it.
Since she is planning to open her own factory, the second garment factory is no longer necessary.
Although it is a pity, it is not unacceptable.
After making the arrangements, Qin Xiang returned to the courtyard. Meng Huaiqing was digging a hole at the foot of the south wall. Qin Xiang was amused and asked, "What are you planting?"
Meng Huaiqing pointed to a large tree root nearby and said, "Wisteria."
"Wisteria?" Qin Xiang couldn't help but think of the wisteria rack in Professor Tan's house. It must be very beautiful when it is full of flowers in spring.
She glanced at the yard and said, "Don't we need to build a scaffold?"
"Yeah." Meng Huaiqing pointed to where she was standing. "Just use pillars to build a shed without a roof here. When the vines grow up, they can climb up along the pillars and then cover the roof. It will be nice to cool down in the summer."
Qin Xiang nodded and said, "Let's get another stone table so we can eat outside."
Meng Huaiqing thought it seemed like a good idea. He could fry some steaks and pour a glass of red wine. It would be a wonderful candlelight dinner.
Meng Huaiqing had never done farm work before. Even though he learned from the flower farmer how to do it, he still didn't know how deep the pit should be dug. After digging for a while, he wanted to put the wisteria in.
Qin Xiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly stopped him, "The pit is too shallow."
Meng Huaiqing was stunned. He looked at the blisters on his hands and regretted it. "I should have asked Miao Sheng to come and dig them out."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door and Miao Sheng came over.
Meng Huaiqing said, "Miao Sheng, you come and continue digging, at least dig half of it."
Miao Sheng looked serious as he came over and said, "Sir, there's a small problem in Pengcheng."
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