Chapter 14#

After a night’s rest, Chen Yuanming got up early the next morning, figured out the driving route, and went out alone.

His first destination was the commercial district in the city center. He had been to Wuhan a few times in his previous life and was no stranger to the city, but that was almost 10 years later. The memories of the past were now a blank slate; the streets and buildings were not as they would be in the future. All he could do was to explore this unfamiliar city by following the established route.

In the early 1990s, the prosperity of Wuhan was not to be underestimated. The city’s construction had already taken shape, and state-owned enterprises were still confidently in the “big brother” position, boasting astonishing efficiency and profits. The well-developed railway network and port transportation brought a new vitality to the city. Compared to his hometown and Zhuhai, which only began to develop after becoming a special economic zone, Wuhan was full of charm, revealing a vitality unique to the new era from within its ancient shell.

After methodically wandering through several blocks and lingering for a long time in the department stores and main commercial areas, Chen Yuanming slowly confirmed one thing: whether then or in later generations, this city’s desire to consume was astonishing. The counters seemed to be perpetually crowded with people, and large sums of money were spent on shopping rather than being saved with trepidation. Because transportation was more convenient than in most cities, some non-daily necessities that could be considered luxuries were a notch cheaper than in the central and western regions, causing shoppers who looked like tourists to open their wallets generously.

It was only then that Chen Yuanming understood why Ma Lei and the others chose to stock up here instead of shipping goods out. In the present day, when the highway network was not yet complete, the importance of a transportation hub was self-evident. But was this big city really unable to accommodate small-scale operations? Chen Yuanming didn’t think so. Instead, a glimmer of hope rose in his heart.

After wandering around until the afternoon and learning the prices of the things he needed, he turned back. The hotel Scarface had booked was on the outskirts of the city, adjacent to the urban area, a typical urban-rural fringe. The price was low, and it didn’t feel like the real countryside, exuding an air of imitating “high-end” style. The cost-performance ratio was quite good.

Due to the infrequent bus service, it was already getting dark when he returned to the hotel. This time, Chen Yuanming did not choose to go directly upstairs to rest but sat down in the small dining hall below the hotel, ready to have dinner.

In those days, not many people chose to stay in hotels. Most were business travelers staying for one night, checking in late at night and leaving early in the morning. Therefore, although the hotel’s dining hall was open, its presence was very low, the food was mediocre, and there were basically no people at night. Chen Yuanming didn’t mind much and sat down directly at a relatively clean wooden table. Seeing that the dining hall had business, the proprietress came over cheerfully, wiping the table again with a rag.

“Room 304, right? It’s so late to eat. Young man, you should pay attention to eating three meals on time. You long-haul drivers are all wearing out your bodies. Sooner or later, you’ll ruin your stomach…”

The proprietress was a genuine Hubei woman, sharp and capable, with a crisp and loud local accent. She was quite a talker and often berated the drivers with unclean hands and feet. But she was kind, enthusiastic, and very diligent. Ninety-nine percent of the credit for this hotel’s cleanliness and tidiness, similar to a star-rated hotel, belonged to her.

Muttering a long string of words filled with warmth, Chen Yuanming smiled, picked up the yellowed menu on the table, and studied it carefully. A plate of seasonal vegetables was 2 yuan, a meat dish was 4 yuan, and rice was free. A one-night stay in a double room at this hotel was only 15 yuan, so the meal price was definitely not cheap. However, Chen Yuanming didn’t hesitate much and casually ordered one meat and one vegetable dish.

“Oh!” The proprietress did not take the order immediately but said directly, “Our dishes are very substantial. One dish is definitely enough for one person, you don’t need that much…”

Only in those days would a restaurant owner ask a customer to order less. Chen Yuanming grinned, handing the menu to the proprietress. “When you’re away from home, you can’t wrong your stomach. Just don’t make it too spicy.”

Seeing the young man’s indifferent expression, the proprietress was slightly taken aback, then her face broke into a smile. “That’s right. Do you want anything else? I see your roommate isn’t here today either. How about a little wine? That would be nice…” Her gaze flickered to the several bottles of wine of different heights on the counter, full of expectation. In the restaurant business, the profit from alcohol was always higher than anything else.

“I don’t drink.” Shaking his head gently, Chen Yuanming declined her recommendation. A trace of disappointment flashed in the proprietress’s eyes, but her face was still wreathed in smiles. Without further ado, she shouted the order to the kitchen.

The food would probably take a while. There was nothing to do, so to avoid the awkwardness of waiting, the proprietress started a conversation with Chen Yuanming. “This is the first time I’ve seen you. The young man in your room is a frequent guest, staying here 2 or 3 times a month. Are you his brother?”

“A cousin, following my brother on long-haul trips.”

“Long-haul is great! Freight is the most profitable business these days!” The proprietress slapped her thigh and said with a hint of envy, “Many of the drivers who stay here earn several hundred yuan a month. With truck after truck of goods, those bosses must be making at least ten thousand yuan! Many people here have made their fortunes in business. It’s so easy to do business.”

Chen Yuanming smoothly complimented her, “Your hotel is not bad either, sister. It’s as clean and comfortable as the hotels I’ve stayed in in the city.”

“Aiya~~ How can it compare to theirs!” Although she said that, the proprietress’s face was already blooming with a smile. “My husband used to work in a state-owned department store and had some savings. In the past two years, with the construction of department stores and shopping streets, the state-owned business has declined, so we thought about doing something else. It’s been less than two years, and we rely on our regular customers~~”

“Your husband is also in business?” Chen Yuanming asked, seemingly curious.

“How can you call that business? He used to run errands for the officials in the state-owned enterprises for a fixed salary.”

A fixed salary couldn’t afford a hotel. The corners of Chen Yuanming’s mouth lifted, but he didn’t argue. When he first checked into this hotel, he had quietly observed it. There were not many bottles of wine behind the counter, but there were quite a few varieties. Although the hotel only had three floors, it was small but complete. Not to mention the water room, parking spaces, and restaurant, it even had a trendy shower room that supplied water for bathing in the summer.

Such an advanced sense of service would inevitably bring in more customers, and behind it lay the owner’s understanding and respect for the customer’s psychology, which meant a master with a considerable business mind. Now, hearing that the male owner was actually in sales was an unexpected surprise. In the early days, state-owned stores had no sense of sales; there weren’t enough goods to sell, and it was normal for people to beg for them. But this man had started contacting officials for unified procurement in that era and had even earned enough to open a hotel. His business acumen was truly remarkable.

If possible, this would be an excellent distribution channel.

Having made up his mind, Chen Yuanming did not take the initiative but continued to chat with the proprietress, slowly guiding the topic in the direction he needed. By the time the dishes were served, they had been talking for almost half an hour. Seeing the heaping plates of food, Chen Yuanming showed a look of surprise.

“The portions are really generous. It looks like I really can’t finish it all,” Chen Yuanming muttered to himself, scratching his head with a smile. In later generations, you couldn’t get this much for 4 yuan, maybe not even for 40 yuan a plate.

The proprietress laughed. “Young people have big eyes and small stomachs. It’s not easy to make money away from home. You should be frugal.”

“How much can you save by being frugal? You still have to make money…” Chen Yuanming picked up his bowl nonchalantly and took a bite of food. “Following my brother on long-haul trips has shown me how profitable this business is. I really want to start a side business. There are so many things in Zhuhai, I don’t believe I can’t make money selling them in the mainland…”

After speaking, he began to eat heartily, as if he had just casually expressed a thought. The proprietress opposite him was stunned for a moment, as if she had suddenly thought of something. Seeing Chen Yuanming devour more than half of the meat dish and let out a burp, the proprietress suddenly came to her senses. After a moment’s hesitation, she asked.

“Is long-haul really that profitable?”

Chen Yuanming looked up in surprise, glanced at her, and forced down the food in his mouth. “Of course! I went to the department store today and saw that electronic watches that cost about ten yuan in Zhuhai sell for twenty or thirty here. If you count shipping and other costs, you might not make much, but if I sneak some in when I’m driving for my brother, there’s no cost, right? Pure profit! Small items are easy to carry. I’ll go back to Zhuhai to check things out first…”

This time, the proprietress’s expression really changed. Her lips trembled, and she suddenly asked, “It sounds very profitable, but have you thought about how to sell the goods? It’s not easy to get by without a buyer these days…”

“The department store, I guess? I don’t think their purchase price is very low. Maybe I can sell directly to the department store…” Chen Yuanming tapped the edge of his bowl with his chopsticks and answered nonchalantly.

“Oh, my dear brother!” The proprietress suddenly became animated. “The department stores deal in bulk. What good are a few dozen watches? This kind of business needs a regular buyer. You can only get your money back if someone sells for you, right? I see your brother only stays for 2 or 3 days each time he comes. Will he wait for you to sell the goods slowly?”

Chen Yuanming was stunned for a moment and asked with some uncertainty, “So this won’t work?”

“Why won’t it work!” The proprietress slapped the table. “If you trust me, let me help you sell the goods! As long as the goods are popular, I can have my husband sell them slowly. They will always be sold.”

A hint of doubt appeared in Chen Yuanming’s eyes, as if he didn’t quite believe her enthusiasm. Seeing this, the proprietress immediately added, “Of course, I’ll pay you in cash for the goods, don’t worry about that. You just need to bring them here. Oh, look at me, I’m not good with words. Aren’t you leaving tomorrow? If not, I’ll ask my husband to talk to you. This kind of thing is harmless and beneficial. You don’t have to worry about your brother. Our small-scale operation probably won’t catch the eye of a big boss. Just think of it as earning some pocket money.”

This speech seemed quite persuasive. Chen Yuanming put down his bowl and chopsticks, lowered his head in thought for a moment, and said hesitantly, “Then I’ll meet the boss tomorrow? I still need to think about this carefully. And I don’t have much capital, so I probably can’t start big. Just some simple little things…”

“Simple is good!” The proprietress smiled mysteriously. “Don’t look down on small things, the most profitable ones are among them. A bottle of wine doesn’t take up much space, but selling it doubles the profit. In these times, the amount of capital is not important, profit is the key.”

The atmosphere became heated after these quiet words. Chen Yuanming’s eyes lit up. After thinking for a moment, he finally nodded vigorously. “That’s right. I’ll talk to the boss tomorrow when he comes. I’m not sure what sells well yet…”

“That’s great!” The proprietress was beaming. The young man in front of her seemed carefree and simple-minded, but he had a real go-getter spirit. With a little guidance, he might really be a new source of wealth. And to be honest, of all the drivers who had stayed at her hotel, he was the only one who thought of running his own business instead of just driving for others. He was really not stupid. It was like getting a pillow when you’re sleepy!

The atmosphere between the two immediately became harmonious. Chen Yuanming took a few more bites of rice, wiped his mouth, and was about to take out money. The proprietress quickly stopped him. “Look at you, you haven’t even finished half of the food. Why waste money? Besides, we’ll be seeing each other often in the future. What’s one meal? Consider it my treat.”

“How can I do that!”

Of course, Chen Yuanming couldn’t agree. The two of them pushed back and forth at the table, almost knocking over the dishes. After arguing for a long time, the young man was finally persuaded by the proprietress to go back. Under her eager gaze, Chen Yuanming turned and walked up the narrow staircase. In the darkness, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips.