amaotonovel Chapter 1294 Don't be a slave to money
Chapter 1294 Don't be a slave to money
Chapter 1294 Don't be a slave to money
When the long-haul truck's muffled engine finally died down in a somewhat remote open-air freight yard on the outskirts of Guangzhou, Yang Xun and Zhang Hongbo both felt a temporary relief from their weariness. Dust billowed up under the beams of the truck's headlights.
Zhang Hongbo jumped off the train, stretched his stiff limbs, and pointed to a tin shed warehouse next to him with a small sign that read "Revitalization": "I'll just unload my goods here. I've already told the old man at the gate."
After unloading the goods, Zhang Hongbo wiped the sweat from his forehead. Although exhausted, his eyes shone with undisguised excitement. He hesitated for a moment, then took out a small notebook from his shirt pocket, quickly wrote down a number, tore it off, and handed it to Qin Hao.
"Brother Qin, this is my guesthouse room number and phone number. We're all in this together, who knows when we'll meet again."
Qin Hao glanced at the string of numbers, casually stuffed it into his pocket, and said calmly, "Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. Until we meet again."
The truck started again, carrying the remaining fifty color TVs and Qin Hao and Yang Xun, heading towards the warehouse in a residential house that Qin Hao had rented in another direction. That place was more secluded, and the storefront was even more inconspicuous. By the time Yang Xun had practically dragged and carried the last color TV into the warehouse, which was filled with a faint smell of mildew and dust, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
With a loud bang, Yang Xun slammed the heavy wooden door shut, and immediately collapsed onto the cold cement floor as if his bones had been removed.
"My God... Brother Hao, this... this is all money!" Yang Xun's voice trembled with barely suppressed joy, as if he was afraid that if he raised his voice, he would startle the pile of "gold ingots" in front of him.
"Alright, alright, stop grinning like an idiot." Qin Hao patted the cardboard box next to him. "Be careful your eyeballs don't fall into the box. Hurry up, find a place to lie down. We'll make do here for the night."
"Hey!" Yang Xun responded, happily moving over to make his "cardboard bed" next to Qin Hao.
Yang Xun licked his dry lips, his heart feeling like it was being scratched by cat claws. After holding it in for a long time, he finally couldn't help but whisper:
"Brother Hao? Brother Hao? Are you asleep?"
Qin Hao responded with a crisp eye roll: "Going to sleep!"
Yang Xun was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled awkwardly, but his curiosity, like fermenting dough, swelled even larger: "Hehe... Brother Hao, um... I'm just a little worried, I'm getting restless. Look at all these... so many color TVs, can we really... sell them all? Each one costs 1300 yuan! Are city people... really that rich, scrambling to buy them?"
His voice was filled with anxiety and uncertainty.
Qin Hao knew that unless Yang Xun's doubts were completely dispelled, the kid's head would keep buzzing until dawn.
"Don't worry, there's a gap in the market right now. Even if there are thousands or tens of thousands of units, we won't have trouble selling them."
Upon hearing Qin Hao's resolute tone, Yang Xun felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and in the darkness, he could feel his body relax considerably.
But then, a new question popped into my mind:
"So...Brother Hao, how do we sell them tomorrow? Should we stick to the old method and approach those watch retailers? Can they handle all this stock?"
"Ha!" Qin Hao chuckled, a hint of teasing in his voice. "Little Yang Xun, you're underestimating these bosses! Don't let their appearance fool you; they sit in front of their stalls selling cheap trinkets for a few cents, looking all poor. Their stalls are a gold mine! Every day, they're raking in cash, their net profit is much higher than you imagine, and their small capital has long since grown into a fortune."
He paused, his voice now carrying a more lecturing tone: "And do you know what the biggest difference is between how business owners in coastal areas do business and how we do it?"
"What is it?" Yang Xun asked blankly, shaking his head like a rattle in the darkness.
"It's about clan! It's about hometown ties! It's the power of blood connections! In this coastal area, if any family discovers a good opportunity, even without capital, they can just shout it out in the ancestral hall, or get a nod from an elder in the clan, and relatives will come out with money, contributing whatever they can! Everyone pitches in, and we all make money together! Color TVs are in short supply all over China right now; they're a sure-fire way to make money! Even if those bosses aren't flush with cash, they can just go home and ask around, and there are plenty of people willing to take out their life savings to join in!"
"What you should be worried about is whether this amount of color TV is enough for them to share."
In the darkness, Yang Xun listened, his mouth agape and his eyes wide. The scene Qin Hao described was like a golden door, something he had never imagined, being pushed open before him! Using the power of the clan to raise funds for business? This method was simply unheard of for him, having grown up in a state-owned, closed-off rural environment!
"So... this is how you do business? Everyone bands together, pools their money, and goes all in?"
"Alright." Qin Hao yawned. "Go and get some sleep. There are only two hours left until dawn."
"Sleep, sleep! I'm going to sleep now!" Yang Xun responded repeatedly.
Just as dawn was breaking, Yang Xun was kicked awake by Qin Hao. Still half asleep, he washed up, ate some soy milk and fried dough sticks from a roadside stall, and then headed to various commodity trading markets with the warehouse key in his pocket.
Yang Xun stood in front of Old Chen's stall, which was only the size of an old school desk, his tone still carrying a hint of nervousness from his first experience with large-scale transactions: "Mr. Chen, color TVs, imported 'Sanyo' brand, genuine products! Would you...would you like to take a look?"
Old Chen was fiddling with the small goods on his stall when he heard this. He stopped abruptly, looked up, and his eyes widened instantly: "Young man, are you telling the truth or not? What kind of color TV is that? Where did it come from?"
"Really!" Yang Xun knew there was hope from his reaction, and his voice rose a few decibels: "It's a genuine Sanyo product imported directly from Japan, it just arrived yesterday! It's right there in the warehouse, the goods are in order! Why don't you come with me to take a look?"
"Look! I'm off right now!" Old Chen didn't even bother to pack up his stall. He grabbed all the odds and ends from the table and swept them into a cardboard box at his feet. He then called out to the familiar stall owner next door, "Ah Ming! Watch my stall for me!"
Ignoring whether they agreed or not, he grabbed Yang Xun's arm and pulled him outside, saying, "Young man, hurry up! Lead the way!"
Emboldened by Old Chen's eager attitude, Yang Xun became even bolder. He rushed to the second house and found a lean, middle-aged man named A Biao.
"Great stuff! A real gem!" Yang Xun leaned closer: "Sanyo color TV! Original import, interested?"
"Really?" Ah Biao's eyes lit up when he heard the words "color TV": "Where? Show me!"
A-Biao was even more anxious than Lao Chen. He ignored all the odds and ends on the stall, picked up the old bicycle parked next to him, and was about to run after Yang Xing.
Yang Xun quickly said there were other bosses who could come along. A Biao, in a panic, slapped his thigh: "What are we waiting for, bosses! Young man, quickly call a rickshaw! Let's go together!"
And so, Yang Xun, along with Lao Chen and A Biao, hailed a three-wheeled taxi, and the three of them headed towards the warehouse.
The news spread like wildfire among acquaintances. By the time Yang Xun led Lao Chen, Abiao, and several other "small business owners" who had joined along the way to his secluded little warehouse, the situation was completely out of control.
The moment the warehouse door was opened, the sight of the fortress-like stacks of color TV boxes gave the small business owners an unprecedented visual shock! Like a pack of wolves who had found a treasure, they all rushed inside.
Ah Biao was the fastest; he rushed to a cardboard box, tore open a corner of the sealing tape, and peered inside by the light of his flashlight. Although the packaging wasn't opened, the corner of the brand-new fluorescent screen still gleamed alluringly in the dim light.
"It's true! It's an original import, it's awesome!" Ah Biao was so excited that his face turned red, and spittle flew everywhere.
Old Chen squeezed forward, carefully examined the markings and seals on the box, and slammed his hand on a color TV box next to him: "I want five of them!"
"I want three!"
"Please keep two of them! I'll go back and raise the money right away!"
"Hey, I got here first! I want six! Old Chen, move aside!" another boss, who looked younger and was wearing a gray shirt, shouted impatiently, afraid that he would miss out if he was too slow.
The warehouse erupted in chaos. Haggling? Absolutely not!
There are only two things that matter to everyone: First, the goods are right in front of you, and they are definitely genuine and of high quality; second, if you're too slow, they might be gone!
Some bosses, after inspecting the goods with their own eyes, immediately rushed to the nearest cardboard box, spreading their arms wide like mother hens protecting their chicks to "occupy" several machines;
Some would count the money on the spot, stuff it directly into Yang Xun's hand, and then rush out to call for people to bring a cart to haul it away later.
Ah Biao went even further, directly stopping a boss who had just finished counting his money and was about to move his goods: "Boss, you only need two? Give me two!" He said this while stuffing money into the other person's hand.
Qin Hao stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the warehouse door, a faint smile on his lips, coldly observing the frenzy of the "buying spree." He occasionally whispered a few words of advice to Yang Xun: "Cash on delivery, goods in hand, count them carefully."
"Hey you... don't hug me like that, you'll fall! Find a mat to cushion it when you move it..."
Yang Xun was as busy as a spinning top, counting money and issuing cash. He was so tired that he was covered in sweat and his voice was hoarse, but his face was flushed with extreme excitement.
For the first time, he truly witnessed what a seller's market was like, and the madness caused by too many monks and too little porridge!
The warehouse, which was originally full, vanished as quickly as ice and snow within just over an hour of opening!
When Old Chen, who arrived first, called over the helpers he had called, and carefully lifted his last two color TVs onto the rented cart, the warehouse was already empty, with only packaging plastic and a few flattened pieces of paper left on the ground.
"Young man! Are you kidding me?! How come it's all gone so quickly?!" A boss, who had rushed over covered in dust and sweat, was dumbfounded when he saw the bare warehouse floor. He jumped up and down at Yang Xun in a panic: "I heard about it and rushed over, but I didn't even do any business! You're telling me it's sold out? No way!"
He looked heartbroken and regretted that his legs were half a length shorter.
The other two bosses who arrived late also sighed and complained to Yang Xun, "Boss Yang, next time you have goods like this, you must let us know in advance!"
"Yes, I rushed as fast as I could, but I was still a step too late!"
Qin Hao stepped forward, patted the most frustrated shop owner on the shoulder, and said in Cantonese, "Boss, don't worry. I have plenty of color TVs here. Another batch is arriving tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll definitely let you know first next time!"
"Really?" The dejected boss's eyes immediately lit up, as if he had grasped a lifeline: "It's a deal! Mr. Qin! Next time, you absolutely have to reserve two for me! Hmm, three! At least three!"
"No problem!" Qin Hao nodded with a smile.
The other two bosses also gathered around, chiming in with their own words of advice: "Remember, Boss Qin!"
"Make sure you give me the phone number!"
"Okay, okay, everyone gets a share!" Qin Hao agreed repeatedly, finally managing to persuade the bosses to leave.
The warehouse door was closed, shutting out the noise from outside. Yang Xun leaned against the cold door panel, his body slowly sliding down to the ground.
He stared blankly at the large open space in the center of the warehouse. An hour ago, there were color TVs worth tens of thousands of yuan piled up there, but now only a clear outline of dust remained.
Everything happened so fast! So fast that it felt like he was in a bizarre, unreal dream.
"Stop resting, let's count the money!"
Qin Hao's voice rang out above him, tinged with a hint of teasing.
With a thud, the canvas bag was tossed at Yang Xun's feet. He then sat down on the ground and unzipped the bag.
As the zipper was unzipped, it revealed a bulging, tightly packed stack of banknotes!
Most of them were ten-yuan notes, with some five-yuan notes and a small number of one-yuan and two-yuan notes mixed in.
The sight of brand-new, slightly worn, and even oil-stained banknotes mixed together created a powerful visual impact that instantly cleared Yang Xun's mind, which had been in a daze just moments before!
One or two...
One, ten, twenty...
For the first time in his life, Yang Xun felt that counting money was a painful thing. His hands were almost cramping from counting, and there was still a huge stack left.
It took half an hour to finally count the number.
"Here, this is your 6500. Count it carefully, or I might deny it later."
Yang Xun instinctively hugged the stacks of banknotes, feeling a sense of unreality, but the real touch in his hands told him that he was not dreaming.
In just two days, he actually earned 1500 yuan, which is even faster than robbing someone.
Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "Look at you, so pathetic. This is nothing. Take a rest tonight, we still have to go buy more goods tomorrow."
Yang Xun, however, was a little impatient: "Brother Hao, why don't we go get the goods today? There's still plenty of time."
Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder: "Alright, we've been making money fast enough. You need to give our distributors some time to digest this. Also, Xiao Yangxun, there's something I want you to remember: making money is to give yourself and your family a better life, not to turn yourself into a slave to money, understand?"
Yang Xun scratched his head: "Brother Hao, although I don't quite understand what you mean by 'slaves to money,' since it's what you said, it must make sense. I'll listen to you."