Chapter 390: A Request for Help from the South

Chen Yang, I heard you stockpiled a batch of masks; how many are left now?

After returning from the city government, Chen Yang suddenly received a call from Hu Shiyou.

"Uncle, I stockpiled a batch of masks for a promotional event on our e‑commerce platform. If you need them urgently over there, you can take them first."

In his previous life, Chen Yang personally experienced the S virus outbreak in Deep City. Not to mention masks, even condiments like salt and vinegar that were rumored to kill the virus were snapped up by citizens.

If the government departments hadn't promptly stepped forward to clarify the rumors, even more people would have been deceived.

After the epidemic ended, it is said that many households' stockpiled salt would last them over ten years.

Of course, compared with salt and vinegar, masks are the true necessities for preventing S virus infection.

Deep City has over seven million people; each person uses one mask a day, so over seven million masks are needed daily.

Moreover, in a state of panic, citizens easily lose rationality; masks that originally met market demand could be completely bought up by some people.

Hu Shiyou called Chen Yang; it is likely that the mask supply in Deep City has temporarily run short.

"Chen Yang, how many masks do you have in stock in Deep City?"

"There should be thirty million; if that's not enough, we can transport some more from Xingcheng."

"Thirty million is enough; the government here has already ordered the mask factories in the jurisdiction to work overtime overnight."

"All right, I'll have Su Mingyue contact you; she'll be in charge of the mask stock in Deep City."

"Good! Then I'll wait for her call."

After hanging up, Chen Yang immediately called Su Mingyue, asking her to send the Deep City mask stock to Hu Shiyou's place, and instructed her not to accept payment, but to donate it in the name of the Common People Agricultural Products Trading Company to the citizens of Deep City.

After finishing the call with Su Mingyue, Chen Yang thought for a moment and then called Hu Qingwan.

"Mom, I just heard from my uncle that the mask supply in Deep City is very tight. I have already donated thirty million masks in the company's name. Ask our uncle whether Goat City needs them; if so, I still have fifty million masks in stock in Xingcheng and can ship some over overnight."

Hu Qingwan had Chen Yang wait a moment; about ten minutes later she called back. "Chen Yang, your uncle said he is willing to purchase thirty million masks from your company in the name of the Goat City Government."

Chen Yang said: "Mom, tell our uncle that this batch of masks is donated by our company; the government doesn't need to pay."

Hu Qingwan sighed: "Now the price of masks in the south has been driven up to over two yuan each, some even selling for five yuan. You donated sixty million masks at once—don't you feel the pinch?"

Chen Yang said: "Mom, as long as we can control the epidemic in the south, this money is well spent. Let the people of Goat City and Deep City remember our company's goodwill; doing business there later will go more smoothly."

"All right, I'll call your uncle back as you said!" Although Hu Qingwan felt a bit sorry for the money, she still supported Chen Yang's charitable act. Thirty million masks would greatly ease the workload of her brother in Goat City.

After Hu Qingwan hung up, Chen Yang immediately called Shen Anna and told her about his plan to donate thirty million masks each to Deep City and Goat City in the company's name.

"Boss, if you donate that many masks at once, will our e‑commerce platform's sales keep up?" Shen Anna did not oppose Chen Yang's charitable act, but now is the most critical moment for the platform's promotion.

Because of the promotion that gives masks with purchases, the platform's daily sales have already exceeded five million; as new users keep increasing, this number will continue to rise.

If the mask supply cannot keep up, the painstakingly accumulated credit of the platform will be wiped out, and all their efforts over these months will go to waste.

Chen Yang told Shen Anna: "After donating those masks, Xingcheng should still have over ten million in stock, plus the twenty million masks we have here in Qingshui City; that's actually enough to meet the platform's product supply. Even if something unexpected happens, we can also have the East Jiang Textile Mill expand production."

"All right! I'll immediately arrange for people to send the masks to Goat City." Seeing that Chen Yang had already made preparations, Shen Anna said no more.

After all, the money for the masks came entirely from Chen Yang's own pocket; he didn't spend a cent of company funds, and he even gave the company charitable publicity. What more could one ask of such a boss?

After settling the mask issue, Chen Yang turned into a model husband at home and went to the kitchen to cook for Lin Wei.

Since he returned to Qingshui, Lin Wei, no matter how busy, would drive back home to stay overnight.

Besides studying the human reproduction program, she also discusses with Chen Yang the various problems facing township economic development.

As a Reborn Person, Chen Yang will share with her his understanding of future township development directions, hoping to help her integrate more quickly into township management work.

This harmonious, loving life continued for more than a week.

In mid‑March, due to the epidemic, the work of the Provincial State‑Owned Enterprise Reform Group was severely hampered, and Chen Yang was urgently summoned by Liu Jianghua to attend a meeting in Xingcheng.

"Chen Yang, many areas are now under strict epidemic control, and many of our enterprises have been affected. Not only are raw material supplies cut off, but even the products we produce cannot be sold. What can you do?"

Chen Yang thought and said: "Only a few provinces and regions with severe epidemics are under lockdown. For imports and exports, we just need to detour around those areas, and the problem becomes simple."

"That's unrealistic!" Liu Jianghua frowned and told Chen Yang: "The places you're avoiding are exactly the nation's most information‑active areas and the easiest regions to reach trade agreements. Having our companies go elsewhere to develop business would entail unpredictable time and costs, possibly even higher than trading in those locked‑down areas."

Chen Yang said: "Governor Liu, with the internet so advanced now, we can directly conclude deals online!"

Liu Jianghua looked at Chen Yang, bewildered, and said: "Business‑to‑business transactions are not like buying vegetables on our e‑commerce platform; they usually involve tens of millions or even hundreds of millions. If just chatting a few words online with strangers counted as a deal, wouldn't that be child's play?"

Chen Yang said: "As far as I know, there is a domestic e‑commerce platform dedicated to business‑to‑business trade. We can contact the corresponding suppliers and customers on that platform, reach an agreement, and then send people for on‑site inspection; that would save a lot of time and cost."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jianghua's face instantly lit up with delight. "Chen Yang, what platform is this? Can it really solve our problems?"

Chen Yang nodded and said: "This platform is called Alibaba. You can first visit their website to learn about it, then consider whether to use it to solve our problems."