Chapter 16#

In May, the southern coast of China is full of rainstorms and typhoons. Just after passing Shaoguan, the rain poured down. The provincial roads were not as straight and smooth as the highways. Beaten by the rain curtain, even the road ahead was not clear. Worried about the goods on the truck, Scarface did not force Chen Yuanming to continue on the road but found a place to shelter from the rain. Of course, he didn’t notice the other’s pale face.

Stopping and going along the way, the journey that should have taken three or four days took them six days in one go. It wasn’t until mid-May that they returned to the small hotel on the outskirts of Wuhan. Scarface settled down and rushed to pick up the goods anxiously, leaving Chen Yuanming alone in the hotel again.

It had been more than half a month since the last visit to this small hotel, so when she saw Chen Yuanming again, the surprise on the proprietress’s face was undisguised. That afternoon, the dining table was set up in the living room, but this time there were no steaming meals, but a pile of brand-new electronic watches wrapped in waterproof film, neatly stacked on the table.

“This is… pretty good…”

Su Xiao looked at the table full of watches, her voice stuttering a little. The electronic watches Chen Yuanming brought back this time were of outstanding quality, looking a few points more refined than the ones her husband got, especially the cartoon-styled ones, which were brightly colored, smooth in shape, and extremely attractive. It was just that… she suddenly remembered what her husband had said last time, and her face turned a little pale again. This young man had a good eye, but at what price would he sell them? Really only giving a 5 yuan profit?

Wang Haitao remained calm, picking them up one by one to inspect carefully, adjusting the time, checking the seams of the straps and buckles, and seeing if the display screen was flat. It took him a full half hour to look through everything on the table. Putting down the last watch in his hand, he pushed up his glasses and smiled at the young man in front of him.

“Yuanming is very good at picking things. The watches are all good. How do we calculate the price?”

Chen Yuanming smiled, looking a little listless, but his expression was relaxed. “According to the price you mentioned, Brother Wang, the watches in Zhuhai are quite cheap. So how about this: 10 yuan for an ordinary electronic watch without decoration, 17 yuan for a cartoon one. The waterproof watches are too expensive, so I didn’t dare to buy too many. I’ll give them to you for 30 yuan each.”

Su Xiao showed a look of surprise and immediately turned to look at her husband, only to be swept back by a glance from him. Wang Haitao patted the table twice gently, revealing a genuine smile. “Okay, then I’ll take this whole batch. It seems there is still profit in this line…”

Chen Yuanming also smiled. “Isn’t this just the beginning? Brother Wang, you sell these first, and when I have money next time, I’ll buy more stock.”

The couple had no objection to this answer and laughed together. Taking out a stack of banknotes and putting away the electronic watches on the table, Su Xiao insisted on dragging Chen Yuanming to have a simple meal at home. After the meal, seeing that he was really not in good spirits, she helplessly let him leave. This time Chen Yuanming didn’t go anywhere, but went directly upstairs and locked himself in the guest room. Outside the window, it began to drizzle again. He lay stiffly on the bed, feeling helpless inside.

He had the first start-up capital. This business netted a profit of 980 yuan, almost reaching a 100% profit margin. Including the principal, he could continue to expand the purchase volume and pave the way for further development. However, while that memory gave him opportunities and possibilities, it also tormented him endlessly.

The bed board under him was still as hard as ever. Chen Yuanming closed his eyes and listened to the rustling rain outside the window.

At noon the next day, the sky cleared. Chen Yuanming was bored waiting for Scarface to return when the door was knocked on again. It was the proprietress.

Su Xiao smiled at him apologetically. “Ah Ming, I discussed it with your Brother Wang. How about we don’t buy those ordinary wristwatches next time? There are too many on the street, and they are really not easy to sell. Cartoon watches are more trendy, and it’s best to buy more waterproof watches. The people your Brother Wang knows are all big leaders in the factory. These high-end watches sell better and make more money, don’t they…”

She rambled on, but there was only one central idea, and Chen Yuanming understood it perfectly. According to his observation, the price of electronic watches in Wuhan was relatively transparent, and the selling price Wang Haitao quoted last time was not significantly wrong. However, his sales channel was through connections within state-owned enterprises, so he must be selling them cheaper than in the malls. The profit margin for the most ordinary wristwatches was too low; earning 1 or 2 yuan per watch was considered good. Cartoon watches could fetch at least 4-5 yuan in profit, and waterproof watches had a larger profit margin due to their good quality.

At the same time, his sales were not constrained by capital. He might have even greeted his connections beforehand. The money would arrive as soon as the electronic watches changed hands. Why would he care about the supplier’s profit margin? Maybe he was hoping that Chen Yuanming would be dazzled by the high profits and only import the waterproof watches that were most beneficial to him.

However, none of these thoughts showed on his face. Chen Yuanming revealed an agreeing smile. “Yes, I was also thinking of buying more good watches when I have money.”

Smilingly sending away the increasingly enthusiastic proprietress, Chen Yuanming sneered softly. The initiative was not in his hands yet, but it would be back soon…

After the rainy season, Chen Yuanming came to the outskirts of Wuhan for the third time at the end of May. This time, the principal of 2,000 yuan brought more watches. Wang Haitao and his wife did not choose to continue hosting him at home but invited him to the city to eat at all the time-honored brands in Wuhan.

Lao Cheng Tong’s three-delicacy bean curd skin, Tan Yan Ji’s dumplings, Fu Qing He’s beef rice noodles… This was the early 1990s, and the time-honored brands had not yet deteriorated due to the pressure of the market economy. The ingredients were genuine, the bean curd skin was chewy, the fillings were delicious, and the soup was authentic old soup that had been boiling for who knows how many days, delicious enough to make one swallow their tongue. Squeezing into the crowded shop heartily, the taste of the food was ten times more wonderful than in his memory. The three of them ate and drank until dark before returning to the hotel.

Brewing a pot of digestive tea, the smile on Wang Haitao’s face never faded. Chen Yuanming touched his slightly bloated belly and grinned at him.

“Brother Wang, just say whatever you want to say. There’s no need for these formalities between us.”

Wang Haitao smiled gently. “Look at what you’re saying. How can you come to Wuhan without trying the time-honored brands? We are just doing our duty as hosts. As for future business…”

After pondering for a moment, he decided to speak frankly. “Brother, to be honest, this electronic watch business won’t last long. The time for electronic watches to be popular has long passed. With such a tiny profit to be split between two parties, no matter how wide my customer base is, there will be a day of saturation, right? So I want to do some real money-making business. I’ve asked around in the malls, and quartz watches are becoming popular recently. They are high-end and atmospheric, looking impressive, unlike electronic watches which are toys for children. Several leaders I know are starting to consider buying quartz watches, like Orient, Citizen…”

“Oh, Japanese watches?” Chen Yuanming smiled casually. “What models do you want? There are quite a few models of these two brands. There are also Casio, Tissot, Longines… There are many world-famous watches.”

Choked by these words, Wang Haitao inevitably paused awkwardly. He had somewhat misjudged the other party. He originally wanted to lead him to another more profitable direction, but who knew that the other party was more proficient than him and might have even inquired about the quartz watch business. If he hadn’t spoken up, would this young man have found an opportunity to drag him into it?

However, in just an instant, Wang Haitao’s expression returned to normal, and he put on that standard instructor smile again. “Look at what you’re saying. We aren’t rich people. Japanese watches are enough; we can’t afford the too expensive ones. I wrote down two models here. One has a date on the dial, and the other doesn’t. The women’s watch of the same style is out of stock in the mall, so I really don’t know what model they are talking about. Look…”

Facing the man who suddenly became a few degrees more polite, the expression on Chen Yuanming’s face did not change at all. He just flicked the list. “Brother Wang, you also know the market for quartz watches now. The ordinary model of Orient costs at least 1,500 yuan, and Citizen is even more expensive, 2,000 is common. And these watches can’t be imitations. If you want high profits, you must get smuggled goods from Hong Kong. The risk is high, and the capital is also high. Look at my small frame…”

Understanding the other party’s subtext, Wang Haitao laughed heartily. “If we really do this business, I won’t let you bear the risk alone, brother. I think smuggled goods must be cheaper than those sold in the market. How about this: I’ll advance half of the original price as a deposit. When the goods arrive, I’ll make up the difference. Do you think that will work?”

“Well…” Chen Yuanming thought for a moment. “The investment is quite large, but it’s worth a try. It’s just that my main job is still long-haul driving, and I have to look at my cousin’s schedule. Moreover, these smuggled goods have to be communicated with the boss on the spot, and I may not be able to get the goods immediately. With such a large deposit, aren’t you afraid I’ll run away, Brother Wang?”

“Haha, I’m really not afraid of that.” Laughing twice, Wang Haitao patted the other’s shoulder. “The deposit is just small money. How can it compare to the profits after the road is paved? Brother, you are so smart, don’t make fun of me.”

Chen Yuanming also laughed. “Then I’ll accept with respect.”

Because it was the first attempt, Wang Haitao only gave Chen Yuanming a deposit of more than 4,000 yuan the next day. Calculated at 700 yuan each, there were a total of 6 watches: 4 men’s watches and 2 women’s watches. Holding the bag that had doubled in size, Chen Yuanming leaned comfortably back in the driver’s seat.

How could he not be prepared? As early as before the second purchase, he had inquired with the watch shop owner. Nowadays, the selling price of a smuggled watch was between 650 and 730 yuan. With this deposit, he didn’t even need any capital, and he could make a net profit of 200 or 300 yuan per watch. More importantly, high-end watches would only be a start.

This was the early 1990s, a critical moment when China had just opened its doors and was facing the world again. The gap between the rich and the poor began to widen, and vanity and the desire to show off urgently needed money to affirm. Perhaps many people still couldn’t afford cars or luxury goods worth tens of thousands, but watches and cameras costing a few thousand yuan were not a problem. How could they let go of such symbols of status? In addition, such small items had always been good props for bribery and were in short supply in certain circles.

And this kind of purchase channel was not something that an inland city could easily touch. It not only meant status but would also slowly become an indispensable part of the network of relationships. For someone like Wang Haitao, it was probably something he could only dream of. Now that there was a deposit and strong demand, the rest was to open the money bag and wait to collect the money.

“Yo, Ah Ming, you seem to be in a good mood!” Scarface on the side saw Chen Yuanming’s rare smile and couldn’t help joking, “Did you meet a pretty girl? Hubei girls are fierce, you have to be careful~”

“Brother Qiang, what are you talking about? No matter how beautiful a girl is, she’s not as good as a sunny day. It would be great if it were sunny all the way.” Chen Yuanming turned the steering wheel and answered with a smile.

“That’s right, sunny days are the best!”

A few days later, a postal money order left the Zhuhai Post Office and drifted towards the interior.

At this time, only a month and a half had passed since Chen Yuanming left his hometown.