Chapter 60: Unsellable Agricultural Products
Day after day.
Chen Yiyang originally wanted to call his drinking buddy Zhao Qiankun to ask what happened.
But these days have been intense work.
He even played ball for half a day yesterday.
Chen Yiyang was feeling lazy.
So he decided to put the matter aside for now and drove to find Xu Xiaosheng.
"The exhibition hall is already set up and will open tomorrow. Master Zhang Jiuqian will also be there then." Xu Xiaosheng happily told Chen Yiyang about the recent work progress.
Setting up the exhibition hall in such a short time is indeed a matter of pride.
However, this is also related to the small scale of the exhibition this time.
Since this art exhibition only showcases Zhang Jiuqian’s personal paintings, those attending will be people from the local art and literary groups or political and business circles. The traffic won’t be too large, making it easier to arrange.
"By the way." Xu Xiaosheng suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "My senior sister even gave me my salary, so now I have money to buy a second book. I’ll transfer the money to you, hurry up and give me the book."
"Sure, then let’s go to my house." Chen Yiyang suggested.
"Okay, that works too. I’ll go to the convenience store to buy a drink later."
In fact, Chen Yiyang underestimated Xu Xiaosheng.
When reaching his home, as Chen Yiyang grabbed the drink wrapped in a plastic bag, he discovered not only snacks and drinks inside, but also a box of umbrellas.
Chen Yiyang felt his back protesting.
The liver also gave a tiny prick expressing discontent.
Chen Yiyang could only reassure these two organs that after the exhibition, Xu Xiaosheng would return to West Capital to sift through the earth, and he couldn’t see her for a while.
Thankfully, Xu Xiaosheng’s stamina wasn’t high, unlike Chang Yuning, who demanded four full quarters.
It’s just a poem.
Chen Yiyang recited it for over twenty minutes, and the two concluded their poetic appreciation, sweetly embraced while beginning their study of ancient literature. Most times, it was Xu Xiaosheng talking, and Chen Yiyang listening.
Thus, the day went by.
Afterwards, when Xu Xiaosheng was called away by Zhang Yuling, he phoned Zhao Qiankun to arrange a meeting.
"Why are you suddenly interested in our factory?"
Chen Yiyang and Zhao Qiankun were chatting while eating hot pot.
The hot pot place was in Zhao Qiankun’s office, where he had set up an electric pot. Plugging it in and tossing in pre-prepared ingredients was all it took to eat.
Quite convenient.
"Recently heard some news, just curious to ask." Chen Yiyang didn’t mention Zhang Fu’s watermelon situation.
"This news even reached you, huh." Zhao Qiankun said with a pout, "My family is just unlucky. We’ve gotten through the toughest couple of years, then right as it’s time to earn money, we encounter the intruder."
"Are you saying the Southeast Asian Chinese businessperson investing in that factory in Jin City?" Mentioning the intruder, Chen Yiyang immediately thought of Huang Yuqiu.
This Southeast Asian Chinese businessperson came to Jin City, surely investing heavily, even giving incentives to Jin City’s government. That’s why the investment was so smooth, and the people behind Yang He sent him to serve them.
Yang He used garbage info to delay Chen Yiyang from selling his China Merchants Steam Navigation Company stocks, aiming to use these stocks to trade with Huang Yuqiu.
"Yes, it’s that person." Zhao Qiankun clapped his hands and said, "This person invested in a dried fruits and vegetables factory in Jin City a few years ago, which did quite well. Not only did they sell outside the region, but they also supplied locally with low prices, allowing the local union to give out as welfare to workers."
This time, coming to Jin City, they’ve discussed several projects, including a juice factory. Just for this project alone, the investment is two to three times our family’s juice factory. Our family’s juice factory used to have main customers that were all local institutions, units, and unions. Now, with this intruder, shareholders are already clamoring to cut production, fearing that goods won’t sell next year."
Listening to Zhao Qiankun’s description, Chen Yiyang slowly processed the information.
Many ordinary consumers have a question.
Which is, nowadays, large manufacturers dominate the market with very low prices and relatively high quality. How do those brands, which they’ve never heard of and are wildly expensive, survive?
Zhao Qiankun’s family’s Linghui Juice is in this situation.
Just relying on the market is unsustainable.
But Linghui Juice is a local enterprise in Jin City. During holidays, local unions, enterprises, institutions give out benefits; if they don’t support local companies, then which companies would they support?
No matter how good products are from other provinces, Jin City won’t collect taxes from them.
Hence, Linghui Juice has always been thriving in Jin City, with high factory equipment utilization rates.
Yet now Huang Yuqiu imposes, using large investments to establish a juice factory here. Once this juice factory begins formally producing products.
Next year, when local unions give out benefits, they surely will prioritize supporting Huang Yuqiu’s foreign investment.
Because it represents new achievements, new developments, new work results.
As for Linghui Juice, they have to fend for themselves.
For this reason, Linghui Juice’s shareholders began strongly demanding that the factory reduces production.
Reducing production is to idle some factory equipment and lay off some workers to cut costs. Whether sold or abandoned, this part of the equipment can’t be operated anymore.
Not operating means no costs and no production of excess products. Otherwise, if Linghui Juice’s products fail to sell next year, and then stops production, the products already made will be a burden.
A sheer waste of labor costs and material expenses.
At this point, Zhao Qiankun understood why Zhang Fu’s watermelon couldn’t sell.
They were caught by the market’s timing gap.
Next year, when Huang Yuqiu’s factory functions, this batch of watermelons surely won’t struggle to sell.
But unfortunately, this year, although Huang Yuqiu’s factory is yet to get started, Zhao Qiankun’s factory must reduce production to confront next year’s impacts.
Therefore, Zhang Fu’s watermelon, painstakingly cultivated, is unwanted.
Chen Yiyang figured saying these things to Zhang Fu might not make sense to him.
Why, with a new local juice factory planned, would watermelon still struggle to sell?
Actually, it affects not only Zhang Fu but many local fruit farmers dependent on the Linghui Juice factory might face bankruptcy this year.
This is an artificially manufactured disaster.
However, why does the intel suggest this batch of watermelon could be a stroke of luck?
Still possible to sell to Linghui Juice?
Isn’t Linghui Juice planning to reduce production?
Unless.
Chen Yiyang realized how to handle this situation.
He took out his phone for a glance; it was already late. So he sent Huang Yuqiu several messages on WeChat.
Huang Yuqiu replied quickly.
"Are you busy tomorrow?" Chen Yiyang put away his phone and asked Zhao Qiankun.
"No, what’s up, you inviting me to go get a massage?"
"No, inviting you to meet someone."
The next morning.
Chen Yiyang woke at home, glancing at his phone.
Today’s intel, surplus apples: Jin City’s Shihe Village’s apples are encountering excess sales. Go buy this batch of apples at a low price and sell them to Linghui Juice for a quick profit.
Relevant contact information is attached on the second page.