The decision to go into business

  This Saturday, Jiang Zhihan and his mother received an invitation to have dinner at Shi Changzhang's home. The rumor that the Light Industry Bureau might adjust the leadership of the printing factory was finally proven true. After the salary adjustment and sulfuric acid incident, the Light Industry Bureau sent a survey team to understand the situation and solicit opinions. In the end, Shi Changzhang became the biggest winner in this adjustment. The old secretary reached retirement age and chose to retire. The old factory director was transferred away from the printing factory and had other uses at the Light Industry Bureau. Deputy Factory Director Shi was formally appointed as the new factory director and is now the real Shi Changzhang. The secretary was parachuted in and was not familiar with the situation in the factory. Moreover, the current reform direction emphasizes production taking command, rather than politics taking command, so Shi Changzhang is now the de facto leader. Chen Tuanzhang was formally appointed as the deputy secretary of the Light Industry Bureau Party Committee. After Shi Changzhang got Jiang Zhihan's words, he privately visited Deputy Secretary Chen and established a good personal relationship. Now Shi Changzhang has a solid foundation below him and someone above him, and the situation is vastly different from more than a month ago.

  In all these changes, Jiang Zhanchan played a very crucial role. He inspired Shi Changzhang to reform the wage grading system, resolved the sulfuric acid crisis and finally helped connect with Chen Deputy Secretary. Chen Deputy Secretary was new to the position and had a mutually beneficial relationship with Shi Changzhang. Therefore, Shi Changzhang formally invited him to dinner at his home.

  After dinner, everyone sat down to talk. Director Shi had gone through these things and no longer treated Jiang Zihan as a middle school student, but rather discussed some issues with him on an equal footing. Director Shi sighed: "I seem to be in the limelight now, but I'm actually being roasted over fire too. With increasingly fierce product competition, if we can't turn losses into profits within a short period of time, many people who are waiting for us to make mistakes will jump out eagerly." Jiang Zihan said: "I'm completely an outsider, but I often hear my mom say that only one workshop in the factory is making money, and the other three workshops are losing money. Is that true?" Director Shi said: "The situation is indeed so. The first workshop is doing trademark printing and has long-term cooperation with some clients such as cigarette factories, wine factories, and pharmaceutical factories. They have large orders and high profit margins, and sales are relatively stable. Many products of the other three workshops are directly facing individual consumers, and they're not selling well now. Firstly, our machines need to be started up, and most of them have a minimum quantity requirement; otherwise, the cost is too high. In this regard, we can't compete with some small private printing factories along the coast, which have small scales and quick turnaround times, and can also take on small-batch orders. On the other hand, imported products and joint ventures within the industrial system are starting to become our competitors, and we still have a significant gap in terms of quality. Additionally, with over 1,000 workers and more than 2,000 retired workers' welfare, it's also a big burden. Our state-owned enterprise can't lay off workers, so efficiency is relatively low." Jiang Zihan said: "When you reach the foot of the mountain, there will be a road ahead. With your leadership, if we work hard on cost control and sales channels, I think we should be able to get through this difficult time."

  After saying goodbye and returning home, his mother pulled Jiang Zhihan to sit on the sofa and talk. The things that happened to Jiang Zhihan in the past few months were not particularly big, but for this ordinary family, they were indeed a huge change. Li Juan had never thought that her family members would become hot topics in the newspaper, or become important pawns in the change of factory directors. All these changes, Li Juan saw with joy in her heart. Her husband was a kind and hardworking person, but Li Juan felt he stood in a narrow life path, never thinking about the scenery outside. In this family, Li Juan was usually the one who made decisions, and finally, her son, whom she had high hopes for, seemed to grow up overnight, with a deep understanding of things, even putting down his pride to frequently ask for advice from the factory director. In Li Juan's heart, her son had become someone trustworthy and reliable.

  Lijuan has never been happy with her job over the years. The tedious and extremely repetitive trivial matters, the complex relationships between superiors and subordinates, although she handled them quite well, but this job was basically just for a salary, so that her child could grow up stably. More importantly, making changes required too much courage, and she didn't have someone who could finally make decisions for her. But now, she feels different, thinking that her son is an object of consultation and dependence.

  Li Jiongjiong asked Jiang Zihan: "Do you think the factory has a future?"

  Jiang Zhan said, "I don't dare to say that. However, the notebooks, playing cards and other cultural products you printed are compared with many outside sales, the colors are old-fashioned, and the quality is not good either. As Shigong said, if you compare it with the high-end, you can't beat the quality, and if you compare it with the low-end, you can't beat the price cheaply. Generally speaking, being sandwiched in between like this is actually very dangerous."

  "Li Jiong asked: 'Do you think this job has a future?'"

  Jiang Zhihan didn't know what to say. His mother's job was just a stable one, and at her age with those skills, it was hard to talk about future prospects for development.

  Li Jiongjiong asked, "If the factory is going to lay off people, those of us around this age are probably the easiest to let go, right? No diplomas, not young anymore, and it's harder for us to learn new things compared to younger people. Do you think state-owned factories will also lay off people?"

  "State-owned factories may have to lay off workers, but I don't know when that will happen. You don't need to worry too much, with Shi Changlong there, it should be okay."

  "I've been thinking about something and I want to discuss it with you, but I'm not entirely sure yet. When your grandfather passed away, he left behind some money that we had planned to use for your university education. However, I've been considering using a part of that money to start my own small business. A former colleague of mine quit her job and started selling at the Linjiang market, and she says she's earning three or four times what she used to make. To be honest, I'm really tired of this job and don't want to spend the rest of my life like this. But quitting is a big risk. Conveniently, I had an old illness flare up recently, so I went to see a doctor and also asked your uncle for help. He said that if we can get a certificate from the hospital, he can guarantee that they'll approve my early retirement."

  Jiang Zihan was delighted when he heard the news. He didn't know about this move of retiring due to illness before. If it's a retirement due to illness, although the bonus is gone, other retirement benefits and medical insurance remain unchanged. This way, his mother can try what she wants to do while still enjoying the welfare treatment of a state-owned enterprise retiree, isn't that a win-win situation? Jiang Zihan's only concern was his mother's health, but Li Rongrong said: "Don't worry. The doctor said that as long as it's not extremely heavy physical labor combined with depression, the possibility of relapse is very small, almost negligible. Besides, although there are many idle people in the factory, my current job is not easy either, let alone depression."

  Jiang Zihan knew that his mother had indeed been unfulfilled in her life, and she must have had big ambitions when she was young. However, she ended up struggling for 20 years in a poorly performing factory without seeing any prospects. Moreover, Jiang Zihan deeply understood that his mother was very capable in interpersonal relationships and had great charisma in doing things, so he thought he should encourage her to give it a try.

  Recently, Jiang Zihan was still studying with Mingming, but now the small business industry in Zhongzhou has just started, and many fields are blank or not very competitive. Many people who have come out to do business don't necessarily have high skills or business vision; they just have the courage to take risks. Those who dare to take risks and start early can easily get a share of the first pot of gold. Money is always harder to earn as time goes on.

  As for his own family's situation, Jiang Zihan was still in school, and if he were to drop out to do business, his parents would never agree. He also thought it wasn't necessary to rush into things, as there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. Now that his mother was willing to start her own small business, Jiang Zihan wholeheartedly supported her.

  Li Jingjing said: "My only concern is that we used the money left by my father, which he specifically wanted to leave for you to go to college. What if the business loses money, how will you go to college?" Jiang Zihan interrupted her and said: "Mom, money isn't made by saving it, it's made by earning it. There's nothing that can be 100% successful, but being timid and hesitant means you'll never accomplish anything." Li Jingjing said: "Your father probably won't agree either." Jiang Zihan said: "I'll help persuade him. Besides, our family is a democratic dictatorship, 2 votes against 1 vote, it's definitely going to pass." He knew that even if his father was not pleased, he had never been the dominant one and couldn't stop his mother's plans.

  Jiang Zihan asked his mother, "Do you have any specific plans? What do you want to do?" Li Rongrong said, "I want to open a small bookstore and sell some cultural goods." Jiang Zihan thought to himself that since he didn't finish college, it was an unfillable regret in his mother's heart. So, choosing to open a store, even if unconsciously, she chose a bookstore. Jiang Zihan said, "I think opening a bookstore is a good idea. In such a big city district, except for two Xinhua bookstores and some street vendors, I don't remember any decent bookstores." Li Rongrong said, "I'm telling you this to get your opinion." Jiang Zihan held his mother's hand and said, "Since we've decided to do it, even if it's not a bookstore in the end, we'll definitely find something to do. We can't be timid. Why don't you speed up the process of handling your retirement procedures during this time? At the same time, go ask about the application for an individual business license and find someone who can help us get the license as soon as possible once it's settled."

  The following week, Jiang Zhihan began to think deeply about opening a store. In addition to the basic practice and classes that could not be missed, he adjusted his schedule and reading plan, putting all his energy into planning the store. He knew that although he had some new ideas, he lacked practical experience, so he also sought advice from many people and encouraged his mother to consult with people who had relevant experience. For example, someone like Shi Changzhang, who had not run a personal business but had been in production for many years and was now leading a factory of over 1,000 people, had unique insights into inventory management, marketing, and other aspects. For example, someone like Lin Suo, who did not do business himself but had experience managing small businesses and dealing with government agencies in his jurisdiction. For example, someone like Yang Lao Yezi, whom Jiang Zhihan went to consult, waved his hand and said he didn't understand this, but if the funds were really tight, he could help out a bit.

  Jiang Zhihan thought for a week and met with his mother over the weekend to discuss it. Li Rongrong told Jiang Zhihan that the matter of resigning from work had basically been settled, the hospital certificate was ready, and the procedures at the factory were quickly completed by Director Shi, but it seemed that there was still a need for final approval from the bureau or government, in short, it was just a formality and a matter of time. Director Shi had already told Li Rongrong that if she wanted to, she could not go to work starting next Monday. Both Deputy Director Qi and Director Shi had helped a lot with this matter, which is why it was handled so quickly. As for the application for the business license, Li Rongrong also found a friend of a friend who worked in the relevant department, saying that there would be no problem, and when the time came, handing it over to him could speed up the process much faster than going through the normal procedures.

  Jiang Zihan couldn't help but look at his mother with new eyes. Perhaps Li Rongrong wasn't a particularly farsighted person, but she was decisive and willing to work hard, and she was good at interpersonal relationships and had strong execution skills. Jiang Zihan felt more and more that his mother's chances of success were great. He said to Li Rongrong, "Mom, you don't have to go to work next Monday. If we're going to do this, we need to have the determination to burn our bridges." At dinner time, Jiang Zihan had a heated debate with his parents, and in the end, although his father was somewhat reluctant, he compromised as Jiang Zihan had hoped.

  After dinner, Jiang Zihan and his mother sat on the sofa to discuss some details. Jiang Zihan said: "In general, we can't prepare everything perfectly before starting. We have to feel our way as we go, and learn how to improve and what to pay attention to along the way. I've consulted with many people and thought about it carefully for a long time, and there are four most important things. The first is location. A business's location is very important, if you find a good one, it's like entering a treasure trove. If you don't find a suitable one, you'll have to move later, which is too costly for our small business. The second is how to position ourselves. What kind of goods should we sell? Of course, this needs to be figured out as we go along, but if we set a clear goal from the start, it will have twice the effect with half the effort. The third is to establish relationships with various parties, most importantly, the urban management bureau, industry and commerce administration, tax bureau, and police station. The fourth is that we need to hire at least one person, and if business is good in the future, we may need to hire more. Think about it, you'll have to spend time eating out and going out to purchase goods, and since our capital is small, we can't buy a lot of goods at once, so we'll need someone to watch the store. The salary for the hired person cannot be too high, and we also need to prevent internal theft. There's also the issue of procurement channels, but for now, the quantity is not large, so we don't need to think about it too much, just go directly to the wholesale market."

  Jiang Zihan took a sip of water and continued: "Firstly, my initial consideration is to find a place with a rent that's not too expensive. After all, we don't have much cash on hand. Then, it should be a place with high foot traffic. I think nowadays most are only children, spoiled very much, can't afford to lose out on the kids, so students can be one of our main consumer groups. So, ideally, there should be schools nearby, not just one. Further thinking, the local security shouldn't be too bad either. Regarding this, I plan to go out and take a look around next week."

  "This second one, as I said, can be slowly explored, but before starting, there should also be a rough idea. Now what's popular, what books everyone is willing to spend money on, you have so many friends and colleagues who can ask around, and get an idea. I can also ask around at school. You can also ask about cultural supplies."

  "Other things can be put on hold for now. You can go to the places where goods are sold, take a look around, compare prices, and get familiar with people. Once the location is confirmed, while renovating, you also need to consider sorting out relationships in all aspects, and then start recruiting."

  The following week, Jiang Zihan made full use of all the lunch breaks and after-school hours to wander around the small city area, looking for an ideal location. At the same time, he wanted to conduct a market survey on book buying in school, but there were not many familiar people, and there was not much time. After thinking about it, he finally asked Ni Xiang for help. Briefly explaining the situation to Ni Xiang, Jiang Zihan said: "I don't have much free time lately, and I know far fewer people than you do. So, would you mind helping me survey everyone's book-buying preferences?" In fact, Jiang Zihan had designed two simple questions:

  1. What are the three books you and your family have bought recently?

  2. What are the three books you most want to buy in the future according to your plan?

  Jiang Zhi Han's simplicity is because it's too complicated and nobody wants to bother answering you. Jiang Zhi Han told Ni Xiang, it doesn't have to be too formal, for example, casually asking while chatting, having a rough answer is fine.

  The whole week, Jiang Zhihan was nowhere to be seen except in class. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, after the last bell rang, Jiang Zhihan packed up his bag and prepared to leave. Ni Xiang called out to him, "Wait two minutes." She took out a stack of papers from her desk drawer and handed them to Jiang Zhihan. He took a look and his mouth fell open. It was a questionnaire with two questions about himself on top and answers from different people below. Flipping through it casually, there were at least over a hundred people.

  Ni Xiang's family wasn't particularly wealthy or powerful, but they were better off than Jiang Zhihan's. Her father was a cadre in the education bureau, and her mother worked in an office at some government agency. When Jiang Zhihan told her about this, she couldn't help but admire the boy. Not only did he take care of himself, but he also helped his mother with business decisions, running around here and there, and was essentially the backbone of the family.

  Ni Xiang had a wide network of acquaintances in school. She thought for a moment, then designed a simple form, found people she knew in each class, and asked them to pass it around, asking those who were willing to help fill one out. Ni Xiang thought it was just a small effort on her part, but in reality, it was actually quite difficult. Because it wasn't an official school thing, there was no way to force everyone to respond, so she had to rely entirely on her own social connections.

  For someone else, collecting thirty or forty responses would be a very difficult task, but for Ni Xiang, it was relatively easy. Several boys were eager to please her and took the form to their own classes, finding friends and acquaintances to fill it out one by one, and then came back to report their progress. Someone asked Ni Xiang if this was some new social survey project from the student council? Ni Xiang just smiled ambiguously.

  Jiang Zhan thought that Ni Xiang would help him if he spoke up, but he never expected her to do it with such dedication. He looked at Ni Xiang, his eyes filled with gratitude, and his heart was overwhelmed with emotions. This girl, who many people said was cunning, ruthless, strong-willed, and could manipulate boys at will, was actually the kindest girl in Jiang Zhan's eyes - a hardworking and humble girl, a girl who occasionally felt she wasn't smart enough, a beautiful girl whose eyes curved when she smiled. In his heart, Jiang Zhan said, "You all don't understand the real Ni Xiang; but I do, I know what kind of person she is deep down."

  For a while, Jiang Zhan didn't know what to say. But in the end, he half-jokingly said: "How can I repay the kindness of Yuquan? Today, let me treat you to ice cream first. When we make a lot of money, I'll definitely give you a share." Ni Xiang shook her head and said: "You'd better go busy yourself. The mid-term exams are coming soon, so don't delay any further."

  Jiang Zhihan nodded, said okay, and turned around to walk out of the classroom. He tightly grasped a stack of papers in his hand, as if holding onto a treasure, afraid that it would slip from his fingertips.