Chapter 10: Adding a Little Extra

Chapter 10: Adding Some Flavor

Chen Jianghai wasted no time and went straight to the point with a smile. “Brother Dong, I want to buy some spare parts.”

“If you want to buy spare parts, go to the sales department. Why come to me?” Xu Dong replied, his tone all business, completely different from his attitude yesterday.

Chen Jianghai seemed to catch on and said, “The sales department is swamped right now, too busy to pay attention to me.”

Xu Dong glanced at Chen Jianghai, his voice indifferent. “That has nothing to do with me!”

With that, he lowered his head and resumed reading the newspaper.

Seeing this, Chen Jianghai grew a little anxious.

If he couldn’t persuade Xu Dong to pull some strings, there was no way to get the parts.

Buying from the market would be expensive, squeezing profit margins and wasting time.

Although there was an electronic components factory nearby, it lacked a dedicated sales outlet.

To buy parts, one had to travel to the neighboring city.

“Brother Dong, have a cigarette!” Chen Jianghai quickly stepped forward, offering a cigarette and placing an opened pack of Ashima cigarettes on the table.

Xu Dong hesitated briefly but ultimately accepted the cigarette.

As the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face that reaches out.

Chen Jianghai’s humble approach, coupled with their brief interaction yesterday, made Xu Dong reluctant to turn hostile.

There was hope.

Seizing the moment, Chen Jianghai lit Xu Dong’s cigarette and smiled. “Brother Dong, the factory’s performance doesn’t look too good.”

Xu Dong sighed, putting down the newspaper he had lost interest in and took a drag before beginning to vent.

“You’re right! Nowadays, so many private enterprises flood the electrical market, and foreign factories have squeezed in too. Small local factories like ours can’t compete. If we price high, no one buys; if we price low, we lose money. It’s a tough spot!”

It was clear the components factory was in dire straits.

No wonder it was soon to be liquidated.

And the fact that there wasn’t even a sales point in the county town showed how rigid the leadership’s mindset was.

You can’t just refuse to set up a sales outlet because local demand is limited.

But for now, Chen Jianghai didn’t want to meddle or offer unsolicited advice.

Better to quietly build his own assembly business and earn money low-key.

With a slight smile, Chen Jianghai continued, “Brother Dong, let’s put the factory’s issues aside for now. Tell me, have you thought about a backup plan for yourself?”

Xu Dong looked surprised and glanced at him before falling silent.

State-owned enterprises were undergoing reforms, and many factories with better profits had collapsed suddenly.

This factory was already in crisis; if things dragged on, it wouldn’t last long.

If it truly went under, he’d lose his job.

At the thought, Xu Dong sighed deeply.

Unconsciously, the cigarette in his hand was finished.

Only now did he realize how Chen Jianghai had taken control of the conversation.

This guy was no ordinary person.

“What exactly are you trying to say?” Xu Dong squinted, scrutinizing Chen Jianghai.

Chen Jianghai smiled. “Hey, what else could I want? Just to make some money.”

He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, mimicking counting money.

“Make money?”

Xu Dong’s lips twitched with a mix of teasing and curiosity. “You buy one or two heating elements at a time. How much money can you make?”

Here it comes!

Chen Jianghai immediately straightened up. “Brother Dong, this time I’m ordering a large quantity.”

Xu Dong wasn’t overly concerned. After sipping tea, he gave a half-smile. “Large? How large? Turning some components, how much can you really make?”

“Brother Dong, to be honest, I plan to assemble and sell electrical appliances myself soon,” Chen Jianghai said calmly.

“What?” Xu Dong’s eyes widened in shock.

Chen Jianghai seemed to have anticipated this reaction and said with calm certainty, “I said I’m going to assemble electrical appliances to sell.”

“You assemble? Can you do that?”

Xu Dong studied Chen Jianghai for a few seconds, emphasizing his question.

Chen Jianghai smiled confidently. “Brother Dong, if I say it, I have confidence. I have the skills; you have the resources. Together, we’ll definitely make money.”

Xu Dong’s expression turned conflicted—obviously tempted.

Chen Jianghai knew it was time to sweeten the deal.

“Brother Dong, the factory’s profits always stay with the factory. The money that ends up in your pocket is what counts.”

Saying this, Chen Jianghai spoke earnestly, genuinely thinking of Xu Dong’s benefit.

Xu Dong said nothing. He walked to the door, checked no one was outside, and shut it firmly.

“Tell me exactly how you plan to do this.”

Returning, Xu Dong lowered his voice and asked.

“Simple! I get the components from you, you guarantee my supply, and we settle cash on delivery.”

Chen Jianghai laid out his plan.

Xu Dong took a deep breath.

If this worked, there was considerable room for maneuver.

As long as the volume was large enough, even selling below market price would still be a sure profit.

The warehouse was stuffed with parts, gathering rust, and they were desperate to turn them into cash.

He didn’t expect Chen Jianghai to take all of it, just to make a quick profit before the factory folded.

Of course, small quantities could be written off as losses, but for large amounts, he’d inform his brother-in-law. Even if he had to buy them low and resell to Chen Jianghai, that was fine.

“What do you want? I’ll get it for you now.”

Xu Dong, having come to this realization, didn’t hesitate.

Chen Jianghai listed about thirty parts he needed.

Xu Dong took out a pen and paper to note them down. “Alright, wait here.”

Ten minutes later, Xu Dong hurried back with a bag.

“Here are your parts. Give me thirty yuan, and get going quickly. Don’t let anyone see.”

Without hesitation, Chen Jianghai pulled four new 10-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them to Xu Dong.

“Thanks, Brother Dong!”

After Chen Jianghai left, Xu Dong looked at the crisp bills still smelling of ink and nodded approvingly. This Chen Jianghai was something else!

Riding his bicycle with his newly acquired parts, Chen Jianghai happily returned to the street and energetically repaired the remaining appliances.

“Master Chen, it’s a pity you don’t open a shop with your skills!” someone remarked.

“Exactly! If Master Chen opens a shop, I’ll definitely be a regular customer!”

“Regular customer? Lao Liu, how many appliances do you have? He doesn’t even fix flashlights!”

“But seriously, if Master Chen opens a repair shop, it’ll be so convenient for us!”

…

Watching everyone talk and joke, teasing one another, Chen Jianghai couldn’t help but feel touched.

The old saying was true: distant relatives are not as helpful as nearby neighbors.

(End of chapter)