Chapter 13: Securing the Supply

Seeing Chen Xie, who was dressed in ordinary clothes, get out of a taxi, Zhang Haisheng's heart sank. This doesn't look like someone who can do a two million yuan business, does it? Looking at his face, he seemed fair and clean, with a tall and robust build, and he would have a promising future as a gigolo.

Zhang Haisheng became more cautious, deciding to play along and see him off after a while. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they entered the office. Chen Xie, now with money in his pocket, sat confidently on the sofa and took out a pre-drafted contract from his courier bag, handing it to Zhang Haisheng and saying, "Take a look at this first, and then we can continue talking."

Zhang Haisheng didn't look at the contract but placed it gently on the table, smiling, "I see. Nowadays, no matter what chemical product it is, it's all the same. All components must be clearly labeled, and what's sold is just a brand. My factory is small, but producing similar products isn't a big deal. The hard part is that the economy is not good, and raw material suppliers are unwilling to extend credit. If Mr. Chen is willing to pay a deposit, I have an 80% chance of producing an exact replica of any brand on the market."

Chen Xie, lacking business experience, didn't catch the implications and followed Zhang Haisheng's lead, "I don't need you to copy other brands; I don't do illegal things. I want to create my own brand, and the trademark design is clearly stated in the contract. As for the payment method, just wait a moment."

Zhang Haisheng watched Chen Xie "perform" without showing any emotion, thinking to himself that without seeing the money, all his talk was useless. Since there was nothing else to do, he decided to waste some time for entertainment. He flipped through the contract and pointed to a page, saying, "It's clearly stated here that half of the payment is to be made upfront, and the remaining half is to be paid in three installments, with the last 20% to be paid six months after delivery."

"Ah!" Zhang Haisheng, who had been lounging in his recliner, suddenly sat up straight and picked up the contract to examine it carefully. "Oh, really! Mr. Chen, you are truly a young and capable man! To do such a big business and be so generous."

Chen Xie maintained a calm expression, "You should still read the contract carefully before we continue."

"Alright, I'll read it carefully." Zhang Haisheng secretly rejoiced that he hadn't immediately driven this young man away. They say rich second-generation kids have many quirks, and this one was no exception. This young man was dressed in cheap clothes, with a T-shirt costing no more than 100 yuan, a pair of shorts at most 150 yuan, and ordinary Anta sports shoes.

Dressed like this and taking a taxi, how could he not be suspicious? And that courier bag with the X-Express logo, what a peculiar habit. After carefully reading the contract, Zhang Haisheng found no issues. It just said that there should be no factory information, and the packaging should use traditional Chinese characters. As long as you were willing, using oracle bone script would be fine. If they could counterfeit famous brands, producing a product with just a trademark would be no problem at all.

"The contract is fine, and all of this can be done. The only difficulty is that I can produce shampoo and soap, but toothpaste and flower water are a bit tricky. I don't have the relevant equipment, and the factory is small, so there's a lack of personnel," Zhang Haisheng said honestly, knowing that being clever at this point would only cause trouble.

"I see. I looked at your factory's online information, and it says you can produce hotel daily necessities," Chen Xie said, slightly dissatisfied. This guy's information was inaccurate, which made things more complicated.

"Hey, isn't it normal for companies to exaggerate a bit? Besides, I'm not lying. If I can't do it, other factories can, right? It's just a matter of finding someone to do it. Nowadays, many small chemical factories are about to close down. They can counterfeit any brand on the market, not just specific brands of flower water and toothpaste. Hehe, I can do it too," Zhang Haisheng said, a bit embarrassed at the end.

"Since that's the case, I'll give you the entire order. I don't care how you do it, but I want to see the products in no more than half a month."

"No problem, I'll take care of it!" Zhang Haisheng patted his chest, guaranteeing it. In a bad economy, it was foolish to be picky about business.

"Alright, then let's sign the contract. Then we'll go to the bank to transfer the money." Chen Xie was straightforward, knowing he was an outsider and had some concerns, but there weren't many other options.

After a busy afternoon, everything was settled. Chen Xie was about to leave, but Zhang Haisheng, seeing the money in his account, insisted on taking Chen Xie out for a drink. Chen Xie eventually agreed but refused to go to a fancy restaurant, choosing a small one near the factory instead. They ordered a few dishes and a case of beer and drank together.

"Mr. Chen, your style is truly unique! Nowadays, anyone in business dresses well and drives a nice car to show off their wealth. You, however, dress in clothes worth less than 800 yuan and take a taxi," Zhang Haisheng said, his words flowing freely after a few beers.

Chen Xie, hearing this, felt a cold sweat. He was inexperienced and had forgotten about this aspect.

"Well, to be honest, we're not that different. We both earn and spend our own money, so I don't pay much attention to this. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Zhang. I'll have to be more careful in the future, or I might miss out on good business," Chen Xie explained. Zhang Haisheng, who enjoyed this, slapped his thigh and said, "So you're also a self-made man. It seems we're the same kind of people."

With this, the two began to call each other brother, and their relationship grew closer. After a satisfying meal and drinks, they parted ways. Chen Xie still took a taxi back. Zhang Haisheng's words had indeed given him a reminder. In this era, appearances matter, and many people judge by looks. This is a realistic society, and he still hadn't shaken off the mentality of a poor person.

While Zhang Haisheng was busy with production, Chen Xie found a furniture factory in a nearby town online. This time, he was prepared. He dressed in Versace, rented a Mercedes, and then confidently went to the factory.

Yunsheng Furniture Factory mainly served the nearby small and medium-sized cities and had its own brand. The owner, Yunsheng, a man in his fifties, was told that a Mercedes had arrived and someone wanted to see him. He quickly came out of the workshop and saw a young man standing on the ground, gently fanning the air in front of his nose. There was no way around it; the factory had a strong smell, and workers usually wore masks.

Yunsheng hurriedly greeted him. Chen Xie, looking impatient, waved his hand and said, "Let's not go to the office. I want to order a thousand antique-style vanity boxes. Here are the design drawings, and the material must be redwood. Can you do it? Here's the contract; read it carefully."

In Yunsheng's eyes, Chen Xie was a completely different person from how Zhang Haisheng saw him. This guy looked like a wastrel. Yunsheng took the contract and examined it carefully, finding no issues. Prepaying half the amount and paying the rest upon delivery was a good deal.

"Everything else is fine, but the carved decorations are a bit tricky. If you want it done quickly, we can use molds and synthetic materials, then glue them on. Otherwise, it can't be done in half a month," Yunsheng said, not wanting to miss this business. This looked like a large factory that was too busy and was outsourcing, which could be a long-term deal.

"Alright, then get started as soon as possible. Do as many as you can, but they must all be made of redwood. It's still an order for a thousand boxes, and I'll pay half upfront. How much per box do you think is reasonable?"

Yunsheng, eager to close the deal, had no issues. They quickly agreed that he could produce fifty boxes in half a month, each costing 1,800 yuan. Chen Xie didn't mind the price and agreed immediately. He also changed the payment method, leaving the money for a hundred boxes and planning to discuss the next batch when he came back.

With these two deals settled, Chen Xie could only wait. There were many business opportunities, but doing too much at once wasn't practical. He needed to start small and see if he should establish his own company. There was also the matter of a driver's license!

Getting a driver's license was a hassle, and it was said to be very strict. After enrolling in a driving school, Chen Xie complained to his instructor about being busy and not having time to come to the school. The instructor, with a half-smile, watched as Chen Xie slipped him two packs of soft Zhonghua cigarettes. The instructor understood and nodded, saying, "This isn't a problem. I'll introduce you to someone. It will cost more, but it can be done. However, the waiting list for the exam is still six months."

While waiting for the goods, Chen Xie practiced driving at the driving school during the day and studied Ming history at night, making his life quite fulfilling. As he delved deeper into the history of the late Ming dynasty, especially the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, his mood became heavy. Most of China experienced the ravages of war during this period.

Externally, there was the Manchu, and internally, there were bandits. In the wars against the Manchu, there were almost no records of victory. The only bright spot during Emperor Chongzhen's reign was Sun Chengzong. The court was rife with factional struggles, and Emperor Chongzhen was hasty and impatient. The few capable generals were directly or indirectly killed by Chongzhen.

In the end, Chongzhen even said, "All the officials can be killed," not realizing that from the mid-Ming dynasty, no emperor truly cared about the Ming dynasty. The only diligent emperor, Chongzhen, was also hasty. He had fifty cabinet ministers, killed seven governors, and one out of ten provincial governors was executed by the emperor.

No wonder Meng Sen said, "The emperor was aimless and fond of cleverness, quick to execute, and there was not a single capable person who could handle the affairs, only the corrupt could flatter the emperor and prolong the last thread of life. The so-called 'the emperor is not a ruler who brings about the fall of the country' is like this."

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