HPDBC Chapter 23: Mobile Phone
Chapter 23: Mobile Phone
The next morning, Zeng Jiahua took Huang Xiaochuan to Shanghai again. This time, Zeng Jiahua brought a sum of cash with him, as he wanted to fulfill his promise.
Zeng Jiahua is a pragmatic and trustworthy person; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to transform a small, workshop-style township factory into a legitimate factory with nearly a million yuan in profits and taxes in just a few short years.
Since I promised to buy my nephew a mobile phone, I might as well take advantage of this trip to Shanghai to get it done. After all, my nephew will be studying in Shanghai, and it will be easier to contact him with this.
When it comes to money, you should spend it when you need to, but you shouldn't touch a single penny that you shouldn't spend. Zeng Jiahua has always believed in this philosophy, which is why his friends jokingly call him a miser.
But who has ever seen a miser with so many friends? It's all because Zeng Jiahua is well-liked; the "miser" label is just a joke among his friends.
Because we left a little early, we arrived near the Shanghai Light Industry Foreign Trade Company about an hour before our workday started.
The uncle and nephew, along with their driver A Liang, found a small eatery nearby for breakfast. Huang Xiaochuan ordered three bowls of red soup noodles and a large pork chop. To be honest, this unassuming eatery, which didn't even have a sign, had really good noodles. No wonder there were so many customers; the place was overflowing with seats, and the customers were sitting on the side of the road.
Rows of bicycles of all styles were parked along the roadside, and many more people were hurrying to work on their bicycles, creating a veritable cyclist flood. The number of cars on the road was also gradually increasing, including some luxury sedans of imported brands, but most were still minivans and Santanas.
After all, China's automobile industry is still forging ahead. Even so, people have clearly felt that travel has become much more convenient, and the vehicles they ride in are becoming more and more comfortable.
When it was almost time, the uncle and nephew took all the materials to the foreign trade company.
Upon meeting again, Ge Changli warmly received the uncle and nephew. After exchanging pleasantries, Ge Changli arranged for staff from his department to take Zeng Jiahua to complete the relevant procedures.
Huang Xiaochuan stayed in the office and chatted idly with Ge Changli. Huang Xiaochuan initially made a perfunctory polite remark: "Section Chief Ge, will this interfere with your work?"
Ge Changli was pouring tea for Huang Xiaochuan when he heard this, and explained, "When you came last time, it was my turn to cover for you. Actually, there are usually people who are responsible for reviewing and handling these foreign trade applications. I'm not very busy today, so you can just relax and enjoy your tea." After saying that, he placed the teacup in front of Huang Xiaochuan.
Then Ge Changli added, "Don't call me Section Chief Ge. I'm only a few years older than you. Just call me Old Ge."
Knowing his friend's temperament, Huang Xiaochuan didn't stand on ceremony: "Alright, I'll accept your offer."
At this moment, Ge Changli specifically asked Huang Xiaochuan, "Xiaochuan, I reckon you're younger than me. How old are you?"
"I was born on February 10, 73. I am an Ox in the Chinese zodiac and am 2 years old by the traditional Chinese age reckoning."
Ge Changli was somewhat surprised, staring at Huang Xiaochuan for a while before exclaiming, "You're only eighteen? I thought you were in your early twenties."
Huang Xiaochuan joked, "I look a little older than my age, haha!"
Worried that Huang Xiaochuan might misunderstand, Ge Changli quickly waved his hand: "No, no, no, I wasn't talking about your appearance. I was saying you're very mature in your dealings with people, not at all like an eighteen-year-old. Are you working or...?"
"To be honest, I might be coming to Shanghai to study next month, and I'm waiting for my acceptance letter now."
Ge Changli asked in surprise, "Wow! That's impressive! Do you know your college entrance exam scores? Which university in Shanghai did you apply to?"
Huang Xiaochuan chuckled and said, "My score is alright, 599. I applied to Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, but I don't know if I'll be accepted!"
"Xiao Chuan, you're amazing! A college student! With your score, you'll definitely get in. Impressive! I didn't expect the kid I just met to be a college student!"
"When I come here to study and I keep coming to visit you, just don't find me annoying." Huang Xiaochuan seized the opportunity and climbed up the bar.
"No, no, I can tell now. You're a shrewd guy. Are you reminding me to treat you to dinner?" Ge Changli teased Huang Xiaochuan, but in his heart he felt that this kid was quite to his liking. A college student, yet mature in his dealings with others, he has a limitless future!
The two hit it off very well. During their conversation, Ge Changli mentioned some current events, and Huang Xiaochuan was able to chime in with his own opinions and insights. After listening, Ge Changli felt that Huang Xiaochuan was a man of great wisdom and thought even more highly of him.
Just as the two were having a lively conversation, Zeng Jiahua came in and said that everything had been taken care of and the contract had been signed.
Because he still needed to go to the Hongqiao Hotel to submit a copy of the foreign trade agency contract to Eric, the representative of Jiadao Company, Huang Xiaochuan exchanged pleasantries with Ge Changli and then took his leave.
Before leaving, Ge Changli handed Huang Xiaochuan a note: "Xiaochuan, I've arranged a place for you to stay. It's the guesthouse of our unit. It doesn't have many advantages, but it's clean. Go there on your own after you've finished your business. You're free to do whatever you want this afternoon. I'll come find you after I get off work tonight and treat you to dinner."
Huang Xiaochuan took the note and smiled, "Okay, I'll be going now."
"Be careful on the road, see you tonight." Ge Changli waved goodbye to the uncle and nephew.
After leaving the light industry and foreign trade company, Zeng Jiahua looked at his nephew with suspicion and asked, "Why is Section Chief Ge so nice to you? He even invited you to dinner?"
Huang Xiaochuan said smugly, "You wouldn't understand things like what happens to us young people!"
Seeing that this kid still dared to put on airs in front of him, Zeng Jiahua immediately wanted to give this precious nephew a few slaps on the head. However, since Zeng Jiahua was sitting in the passenger seat and couldn't reach Huang Xiaochuan sitting in the back, he gave up for the time being. But he would remember this debt for now and settle old scores with him later.
Everything went smoothly from there. After handing over a copy of the contract to Eric, the contract became effective. According to the contract, Jiadao Company was to pay Zeng Jiahua's flange factory US$920,000 within a week. However, Zeng Jiahua would definitely not receive the US dollars; this foreign exchange would be forcibly converted into RMB by the government and transferred to the flange factory's account, amounting to approximately RMB 4,416,000.
Furthermore, Eric promised to apply for the transfer at the bank next Monday, which would bring the payment to Huang Xiaochuan's account sooner and greatly benefit Huang Xiaochuan's next plan. Huang Xiaochuan didn't hesitate to flatter Eric, since it wouldn't cost him a penny anyway.
To reward Huang Xiaochuan for his great contribution and to fulfill his promise to give Huang Xiaochuan the gift he received for getting into university, Zeng Jiahua decided to go and buy Huang Xiaochuan a wireless mobile phone that could supposedly be carried in a bag that afternoon.
Huang Xiaochuan feigned reluctance, saying, "Uncle, let's forget about it! That thing is very expensive; even if we could afford to buy it, we wouldn't be able to afford to use it."
However, Zeng Jiahua had already made up his mind and insisted on buying it: "I have to keep my promise. If I, as your brother-in-law, don't keep my word, how will I put my face if others find out? Besides, I'm going to use it. I'll reimburse your phone bill. You can find me a few more similar services in the future." This last sentence revealed Zeng Jiahua's true thoughts.
Zeng Jiahua knew that Huang Xiaochuan had played a crucial role in making this business deal go so smoothly. With the first payment about to arrive, Zeng Jiahua was genuinely happy. Buying a gift for his nephew was only right, especially since it was something his nephew had specifically requested; he would buy it no matter how expensive it was.
Besides, the benefits shouldn't go to outsiders; what's the big deal about buying it for my nephew?
Zeng Jiahua is not actually a stingy person; it's just that he developed some frugal habits from living a hard life for so long. However, he always unconditionally meets the needs of his children and family.
......
At that time, postal and telecommunications services were not yet separated. To buy a mobile phone, commonly known as a "big brother" phone, you had to go to a dedicated post office branch.
When the uncle and nephew arrived at the sales office, they found it deserted, with not a single customer inside. Moreover, the interior decoration was simple and empty, without even a telephone sample or a GG (gift card). Zeng Jiahua, puzzled, asked a middle-aged woman with curly hair sitting behind the counter reading a newspaper.
"Hello, comrade. Is this a place that sells mobile phones?"
Unexpectedly, the other party didn't even look up, simply tossed over a notebook, and said, "The prices and numbers are all in here. Choose a number first, pay, and come back here in an hour to pick up your phone."
This was the first time Zeng Jiahua had ever encountered a vendor selling things like this, so he picked up the notebook and started reading. He was shocked by what he found.
The Motorola 3200 costs 21,000 yuan, with a 6,000 yuan network fee and a 1,000 yuan prepaid phone credit, making a total of 28,000 yuan for a mobile phone. That's more expensive than gold! Gold is currently 55 yuan per gram, so 28,000 yuan can buy a full 509 grams of gold.
This is practically robbery!
However, since Zeng Jiahua had decided to buy it, he wouldn't be intimidated by the price. After all, he was an entrepreneur with an annual income of over 100,000 yuan, and he had seen a bit of the world. Besides, he had already promised his nephew that he would buy it even if the price doubled. Money could be earned again, but he couldn't lose face as the uncle.
He handed the notebook to Huang Xiaochuan: "Choose a number."
Huang Xiaochuan specifically reminded him, "Uncle, this thing costs twenty or thirty thousand, doesn't it?"
Zeng Jiahua waved his hand dismissively, saying, "What does money matter as long as you can use it?"
Zeng Jiahua was thinking that Huang Xiaochuan was about to come to Shanghai to study, and having a phone would make it easier to contact him. Although a pager was more cost-effective, it didn't quite express his feelings. After all, his nephew had brought him a huge amount of business, so a reward was appropriate.
The middle-aged woman with permed hair looked up and stared at the uncle and nephew when she heard that Zeng Jiahua was buying a mobile phone for the young Huang Xiaochuan. Her eyes lit up when she saw Huang Xiaochuan's appearance, and she looked at him a few more times. Then she looked at Zeng Jiahua with a puzzled expression; the two looked quite different.