Chapter 84

Chapter 40: The Rush to Buy

Fang Mingyuan's first installment of royalties was not brought by Kōmoto Osei, as privately holding large amounts of foreign currency was still not allowed in 1988. Moreover, investing this money overseas would naturally be more valuable. Therefore, Fang Mingyuan asked Kōmoto Osei to open an account for him in Japan, where the royalties were temporarily stored. As his cooperation with *Shonen Weekly* and Aoni Production Co., Ltd. became increasingly close, this fund would continue to grow. Unfortunately, the state had always strictly controlled the manga, animation, and gaming industries, and even in the next century, these industries in the country did not see much improvement.

Fang Mingyuan was considering when to find a trustworthy agent in Japan to manage his overseas assets.

"Mingyuan, you're a rich man now! How about bleeding a little tonight and treating us? We should also share the wealth and distribute the assets, right?" Su Aijun put an arm around Fang Mingyuan's shoulder and winked. After all these years, Su Aijun had come to treat Fang Mingyuan more like an adult. His words naturally sounded like he was talking to a peer, but in his heart, he still treated this child he had watched grow up like his own younger relative.

"Exactly, now his monthly income is equivalent to what I earn in several months of hard work at the restaurant. Old Su, isn't this making me, as an uncle, lose face?" Fang Bin chimed in.

"Forget it, I can see you're not losing face but rather taking pride in it!" Su Aijun bluntly pointed out, "When Kōmoto Osei was speaking, you were so happy that your back teeth were showing!"

"Old Su, we may be close, but if you talk nonsense, I'll sue you for defamation!" Fang Bin, who had spent a lot of time with Fang Mingyuan, could now use modern slang effortlessly.

"Heh, I didn't realize, Fang Bin, that your tongue has improved? It seems the two years as a shopkeeper weren't in vain." Su Aijun laughed.

"Of course, 'near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black.' Being close to Mingyuan, how could I not improve?" Fang Bin said proudly. Getting praise from Su Aijun, the university department head, made him feel very honored.

"Uncle Su, let's invite Auntie, and we'll go to a restaurant today to try Fengyuan's cuisine. Later, we'll invite my uncle, and we'll have a good gathering!" Over the past few years, he had troubled Su Aijun a lot. This time, the Fang family restaurant had safely passed through the crisis, thanks to Su Aijun's help in contacting Li Dongxing.

Su Aijun smiled and ruffled Fang Mingyuan's hair. "Forget it, I was just saying. You've earned a lot, but your family is large, and there are many places where you need money. Save it for your future wife. I've heard that you have several arranged marriages." Fang Mingyuan couldn't help but scratch his head awkwardly; how did this news reach Su Aijun?

"Right, my Mingyuan is now a hot commodity in the factory compound. Those with eligible daughters always come to my brother and sister-in-law. If we can bring down that successful deputy mayor, hehe, even more people will come knocking!" Fang Bin said proudly. This time, the Fang family had made a big splash in the town, and he believed that no one would dare to have any ulterior motives against the Fang family.

Su Aijun nodded and whispered to Fang Mingyuan, "Stay in touch with Li Dongxing. His old superior has a good relationship with my father. Out of respect for my father, he will definitely welcome you. If he has any requests, as long as they are not excessive and do not involve personal interests, you can pass them on. As for the results, that's not your responsibility."

Fang Mingyuan nodded gratefully. With Su Aijun's words, Li Dongxing would definitely treat him like a VIP. Su Huan Dong was now a sure bet to become the next Minister of Railways, with significant influence over local governments. If he spoke up, as long as it wasn't excessive, the leaders of Shaanxi Province would definitely give him this face, which would be a significant boost to Li Dongxing's career.

"Uncle Su, what kind of person is Li Dongxing?" Fang Mingyuan also whispered. One's character and temperament cannot be seen from a resume alone. Fang Mingyuan needed more information about him to better understand the new county magistrate's style and temper.

"Hmm, he's a decent person, with no major blemishes. He just has a short temper and sometimes can't control his anger. He works efficiently and has a bit of a pioneering spirit. He's quite well-known in the Shaanxi railway system. Ha, are you thinking of something again?" Su Aijun patted Fang Mingyuan's shoulder and laughed.

"Uncle Su, your insight is like a thousand-mile view, and your eyes are as sharp as lightning. How could I hide my thoughts from you?" Fang Mingyuan smiled bitterly. Su Aijun's grip was quite strong, and it hurt his shoulder a bit.

"The little guy has grown up and knows how to build his own network." Su Aijun said with satisfaction, "Hmm, I think you should interact more with him. When you're older..." Su Aijun didn't continue, but Fang Mingyuan understood his meaning.

The two shared a knowing smile. Since Li Dongxing was not a corrupt official, Fang Mingyuan could interact with him more confidently. With the support of a county magistrate, many things would be easier.

"Let's go, buy some good ingredients at the market, and we'll cook at home. Sigh, the prices in Fengyuan City have been rising recently. Eggs and pork have gone up by ten cents." Su Aijun sighed. Only when one is in charge does one realize the cost of living. After getting married, he realized he had been quite extravagant.

Fang Mingyuan's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly remembered that 1988 was a significant year, as the state decided to gradually liberalize commodity prices!

He remembered reading a document that in 1988, the general direction of the price reform was to liberalize the prices of most commodities, allowing the market to regulate them, to transform the price formation mechanism, and to gradually achieve the goal of "the state regulating the market, and the market guiding enterprises." The state's overall requirement for wage reform was to ensure that the actual living standards of most workers would not decline and would improve with economic development, while further implementing the principle of distribution according to work and addressing some prominent unreasonable issues in wage distribution. However, once the news of the impending price reform spread, people across the country believed that a new round of significant price increases was imminent, leading to a rush to buy in urban areas, and even to the withdrawal of unexpired fixed deposits to buy goods, which had a very negative impact on the country's economic development.

Fang Mingyuan even remembered that his family had bought enough household items to last for more than a year, including no less than ten bottles of soy sauce. If the shelves in Hai Zhuang Town's stores hadn't been empty, his parents would have continued to buy more.

"What month was that again?" Fang Mingyuan frowned slightly.

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