Chapter 1300: The Canton Fair

The full name of the Canton Fair is the Chinese Import and Export Commodities Fair, held in both spring and autumn with different focuses; located in Guangzhou and bearing an auspicious name, it is abbreviated as "Guangjiao."

Numerous countries come to exhibit, making the scale massive; especially since the normalization of relations between China and the US, and between China and Japan, many nations from Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea have come to exhibit, along with many other African and Asian countries.

Whenever this time arrives, Guangzhou becomes exceptionally lively, with streets full of running foreign devils.

Accommodations for foreign guests are naturally excellent; the Dongfang Hotel, Guangzhou Hotel, Overseas Chinese Hotel, Aiqun Mansion, and others house foreign guests and overseas merchants from Europe, America, Japan, South Korea, and other nations.

Since those who pay are the masters, they must naturally be well taken care of; moreover, foreign guests' spending is indeed high, with lodging expenses alone constituting no small sum.

In comparison, the treatment for various domestic exhibiting companies is not so good; especially this year, with foreign trade reform, multiple departments merged into the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, while foreign trade authority was delegated to the provinces, replacing the previous planned system with provincial self-allocation for exhibition participation.

There are also more domestic people, so accommodation conditions are much worse, or rather, having a place to sleep is already quite good.

At the same time, as the forefront of opening up, the staff here have become arrogant, looking down on country folk in several ways; the feeling of being given the cold shoulder is not pleasant, but fortunately, things have become pragmatic here, and spending money can solve many problems...

Of course, all this applies to unknown small enterprises; since Jin Ling Group first participated in the Canton Fair in 1979, it has enjoyed favorable treatment as a domestic exhibitor, with spacious rooms and booth locations at the venue that are far from poor.

Because at that time, Jin Ling relied on water-jet looms to become a leader in domestic textile machinery, and combined with jeans, denim jackets, and sports shoes, earned ten million in foreign exchange that very year.

By the time they came to exhibit again in 1980, Jin Ling represented the highest standard.

When Wang Yan and his group arrived, they stayed at the Dongfang Hotel, which housed European and American foreign guests, surrounded entirely by foreign devils coming and going.

"... Overall, our treatment is still quite good."

Old Li, who had once been scolded by Wang Yan, was introducing the situation; he had led the team at the first Canton Fair, and since then, all matters related to foreign trade had been his responsibility; over these years, he had worked diligently with only minor oversights and no major errors, strictly demanding of himself and actively engaging in ideological study.

"You've worked hard these past few years too, Old Li."

"It's all for us, the people of Jin Ling; it's what I should do. As long as no errors or oversights occur, I'm content. Actually, to speak truly, we people of Jin Ling haven't suffered too much hardship when abroad; we manufacture good products, our subsidies while traveling are sufficient, it's just that the travel back and forth is a bit tiring."

"Grasp the spirit; I'm not saying you're bearing the burden of foreign trade alone with heavy tasks and great pressure."

Seeing Old Li's somewhat uneasy expression, Wang Yan shook his head with a smile, patted his shoulder, and said, "I have no intention of stripping you of your position; you've done good work, you still have several years before retirement, and you are an old comrade who has walked this path with us; since you're doing well, why would I make things difficult for you? Don't overthink it; I'm just thanking you for the work you've done for our factory and our people."

"You gave me a scare; I thought I had made some mistake."

"Old Li, that's the heart of a petty person; when have I ever dealt with people anything but openly and honorably? You are an old comrade; getting to today hasn't been easy; look at those people from the beginning—how many are left now?"

"Don't mention it; I went to check on the construction site last time; it's not easy. Wang Yan, how about letting them off the hook? Let them just serve time in prison; they're all getting on in years, how can they handle the labor?"

"Old Li, your thinking is wrong." Wang Yan shook his head. "These shameless old fellows didn't claim to be old when they used tricks to harass women and Misses, or manipulated power to scoop up money; now that it's time to work, they're old? There's no such argument. If they die from exhaustion, it's what they deserve; if they don't, consider them lucky. In my opinion, they should be executed; letting them work now is already letting them off cheap."

"Enough, Old Li; let's not talk about these useless things. You've been here several times; find a nice place so we can eat and drink; we're all tired from the journey and need to relax."

"The restaurant in this hotel will do; they have old master chefs covering every cuisine; I'm not speaking nonsense—there are loads better than the chefs in Jin Ling, and many have prepared state banquets, so we can share in some of that glory."

"What do you mean 'share in glory'? As if we haven't paid for it."

So after the group settled in, they ate at the Dongfang Hotel's restaurant, where the taste was indeed authentic.

The Canton Fair is a major event every year; on one hand, it earns foreign exchange, and on the other, it serves as a window for exchange with foreign countries; during this time, departments such as Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Foreign Economic Relations and Trade focus all their energy here, with many senior leaders present to observe during the exhibition; given such importance, resources are naturally mobilized to provide support.

Clothing, food, housing, and transportation must all be resolved; thus, chefs with excellent skills are brought in from various regions, translators are transferred from foreign language colleges across the country, taxis are dispatched from various locations, and reliable drivers capable of operating vehicles are assigned.

Of course, the prices are not cheap, and consumption levels remain very high.

However, Jin Ling Group naturally does not mind these costs; eating well and drinking well, everyone is very happy.

No one came slapping faces to cause trouble or give Wang Yan a chance to show off; foreign devils may look down on people but don't say it, and our own people looking down on their own also don't say it; as for the contempt in the eyes of a few individuals, there is absolutely no need to distinguish or address it...

"Wang Sang!"

Just as the members of the Jin Ling Foreign Trade Group were feasting heartily, a distinctly Japanese voice rang out; everyone turned to look and saw a little Japanese man bowing.

"Hello." Wang Yan nodded but did not stand up, his face showing recollection. "You're the one from Toyota..."

"Hai, Wang Sang's memory is truly excellent; I am Yamada Keiji, representative of Toyota Machinery. I truly never expected you to come personally to this Canton Fair; it is a great honor to see you again."

"Still just a representative? Yamada Sang, it's been four years; you should have been promoted." Without waiting for his modesty, Wang Yan immediately said, "I hear your looms have made new breakthroughs?"

"Only some small breakthroughs; we added some automated programs, but there is still a long way to go. As for Jin Ling Machinery, you newly launched air-jet looms, also adding automated control units; at this year's Canton Fair, Jin Ling Machinery will surely earn even more."

"I borrow your kind words; I won't keep you from your meal."

"Very well, Wang Sang; I shall take my leave."

The little Japanese devil bowed again, turned around, and left.

"Factory Director, what do you think that little Japanese devil meant?"

"Does the Factory Director even need to say it? One glance tells you they're up to no good; in recent years, our textile machinery has become comparable to theirs, even holding certain advantages in specific parameters, plus our prices are lower; now that we've launched air-jet looms with automation added, they certainly can't sit still."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "That makes sense, but there's nothing to fear; there are only two paths: either they lower prices and engage in a price war with us, or they send spies or bribe our relevant personnel to steal our secrets; more likely, they will do both; everyone must respond cautiously."

"I truly never imagined that one day we in Jin Ling would encounter espionage warfare," Old Li said with a sigh of emotion.

"As we open up further, competition will intensify; this is all normal," Wang Yan said while eating and drinking heartily. "There is such a thing as a thief acting for a thousand days, but not guarding against thieves for a thousand days; yet since various thieves are pervasive, we have no perfect solution; we can only continuously strengthen security management, conduct ideological education, and minimize losses; as long as the overall situation isn't affected, slight losses are within an acceptable range; just stay vigilant."

"How about we go back and request support from higher authorities, asking the security department to conduct security training for our factory?" Old Li proposed a feasible suggestion.

"That works; this matter should be put on the agenda; our factory has a confidentiality system, but we've never paid it much attention; now that the little Japanese devils have jumped right in our faces, we must definitely guard against them; no amount of emphasis is excessive."

With Wang Yan's cheat-like advantage boosting it, Jin Ling's development exceeded everyone's expectations.

Not to mention the level of wealth, the technological accumulation is already very deep; in the textile machinery field where it started, Jin Ling is now quite competitive internationally, with order backlogs never less than a year; even after expanding production scale and increasing output, customers place even more orders, so back and forth, the delivery cycle has still stretched to over a year.

Having participated in the Canton Fair four consecutive times, the number of customers continues to grow, with many being referred by locals who actively sought out Jin Ling; currently, Jin Ling's loom exports show steady performance growth.

Under massive manufacturing and continuous research and development, Jin Ling's looms iterate rapidly; the water-jet looms from four years ago and today's water-jet looms differ even in their internal screw structures.

As the little Japanese said, Jin Ling has developed air-jet looms with automated programs, and naturally, the water-jet looms that started it all have been simultaneously upgraded with automation.

Of course, automation is not yet very reliable at this stage, belonging to the preliminary development phase, but everyone knows automation is the future; therefore, major textile machinery enterprises are investing resources and conducting research in this area, with frequent reports recently of various small breakthroughs.

Jin Ling's textile machinery has directly and rapidly overtaken others, standing on the same starting line as textile machinery enterprises worldwide, with greatly increased technological content.

As for other fields such as metallurgy, materials, and chemical fibers, Jin Ling has achieved results in all; while not claiming to lead internationally, it certainly does not lag behind; therefore, comprehensively speaking, Jin Ling has indeed reached the point where confidentiality matters require attention.

However, to speak truly, attempting to steal information in Jin Ling still carries some difficulty.

Even not speaking of Jin Ling, in this current era, anywhere across the country, if a stranger is loitering, they will surely be reported by the masses within a few hours.

In Jin Ling, this is even more so; streets are filled with police and militia on patrol, non-local residents must carry permits, and if patrol police check permits and someone lacks one, they will be politely taken away.

As for internal issues, it ultimately rests on the factory's supervision and reporting systems.

Various domestic and foreign forces seeking to bribe or infiltrate will certainly offer benefits; but in Jin Ling, wages are transparent; any person of Jin Ling wishing to know someone's wage can directly go to the Finance Department to check the details; for workers employed within the factory themselves, pay slips are shared, so everyone knows clearly how much each person earns.

Under these circumstances, discrepancies in consumption are highly suspicious. Moreover, Jin Ling isn't large; with a population of just over two hundred thousand, nearly everyone is related somehow—who doesn't know whom?

Furthermore, during the process of stealing secrets, one's conscience would surely be troubled. The vast majority of people in the factory possess a strong sense of justice; if they noticed something amiss, the culprit would certainly not escape...

The Canton Fair was held at the newly constructed China Import and Export Commodities Fair Complex, marking the fair's third relocation; the venue is located at 117 Liuhua Road. Construction began in October 1972 and was completed in April 1974, with the venue's plaque calligraphed by Guo Moruo.

This complex covers an area of 98,000 square meters, with a floor space of 110,500 square meters; after multiple expansions over many years, it would eventually reach 170,000 square meters.

The Jin Ling Group's booth occupied a prominent position, covering a large area and displaying a huge array of machinery, including textile machines, lathes, agricultural equipment, motorcycles, and more.

There were also several small display tables holding various materials produced by Jin Ling, such as fibers, alloys, and plastics, alongside finished products machined on lathes to demonstrate precision.

Additionally, walls had been decorated, hanging the not-yet-lengthy history of the Jin Ling Group through numerous photographs: smiling workers, production workshops, and focused research and development efforts, all showcasing Jin Ling's spirit and demeanor.

This was Wang Yan's suggestion, which Old Li implemented during their first year of exhibition. By now, any enterprise of significant size at the Canton Fair adopted this approach; it could be considered standard equipment.

There were also several other walls hung with dense rows of clothing and shelves lined with pairs of shoes, categorized by various functions: sports, off-road, hiking, and water activities. Another large set of racks held daily chemical products, face masks, gauze, tents, waterproof tarps, toilet paper, sanitary pads, beverages, and so on, resembling a huge hodgepodge; they had even brought gas cylinders.

In short, anything produced by Jin Ling was brought out for display, fully demonstrating Jin Ling's comprehensive and powerful production capabilities—they could manufacture everything and lacked nothing.

At the booth, Jin Ling's foreign trade personnel, product interpreters, receptionists, and service staff were either sitting, standing, or walking about within the exhibit space.

Others held stacks of flyers, distributing them one by one to passersby, while translators continuously hailed wandering foreigners, offering explanations.

Wang Yan wore Jin Ling-brand trousers and leather shoes, a long-sleeved shirt with rolled-up sleeves exposing his bare arms, and on his wrist, a Jin Ling perpetual calendar mechanical watch manufactured by a Shanghai subcontractor.

The watch's overall design was simple and clean; aside from the date and day of the week, it bore only the two characters 'Jin Ling.' It was custom-made and issued exclusively to Jin Ling's leadership cadres, worker representatives, and other outstanding employees.

Moreover, it was limited edition, with one batch produced annually, entirely handmade, an absolute masterpiece of Chinese craftsmanship, and very costly. This year marked the first trial run; worker feedback was positive, fostering a sense of honor.

Smoking a cigarette and sipping tea, listening to the various noises around him, Wang Yan observed the foreigners in the hall, searching for a target.

He was searching for a target that could enable a breakthrough for Jin Ling's foreign trade.

Jin Ling's production capacity was growing higher day by day, especially in clothing, footwear, hats, and daily chemicals. Although Jin Ling's products always maintained the highest prestige domestically, with decent sales and even greater revenue, a group of shameless bastards within the country were following trends and fighting price wars; despite Jin Ling's quality, they could not withstand the siege of low-price dumping and chaotic competition.

While those with money would certainly buy Jin Ling's products, once those without money purchased cheaper goods from other brands, they would save their pennies and no longer covet Jin Ling's items; this was the impact of the low-price chaotic battle on Jin Ling. They fought until their brains were battered, yet they gnawed away at the secondary consumer market that should have belonged to Jin Ling.

Jin Ling, of course, could not lower its prices, so Wang Yan carried out a series of refined classifications for Jin Ling's products, most importantly in the apparel industry, dividing them into sports, business, and light-luxury casual categories for men and women to conduct more targeted marketing and promotion.

Especially in the sports category, Jin Ling had already begun sponsoring the national sports team, specifically developing various sportswear and even sports equipment. By the time the Olympic Games arrived, a massive explosion of popularity would directly wipe out all domestic sportswear manufacturers...

Of course, that was two years away, but simultaneously, he also had to consider the present. The main issues were brand dissemination and the general national mindset of preferring 'foreign style.'

First, push the brand overseas, and then conduct extensive marketing domestically, which would also bring a huge boost to domestic sales.

As for other machinery, materials, and the like, it didn't matter much. Heavy industry of a great nation—we are simply awesome; whether foreigners buy or not is up to them. Jin Ling's industry now possessed this confidence. Their products might not be the absolute best, but they were certainly not inferior, and they also held a certain price advantage, fearing no competition.

It was precisely the fast-moving consumer goods—clothing, footwear, hats, and daily chemicals—where opening the assembly lines meant silver flowing in torrents, that required Wang Yan to personally step in and operate.

This was the fundamental reason Wang Yan came to the Canton Fair; he was waiting for a destined person.

He did not wait for a destined person, but instead encountered a warlord from Africa.

Looking at the dark-skinned, white-toothed black comrade, Wang Yan raised an eyebrow: "Mr. Galka, as far as I know, your country is at war; purchasing equipment for seamless steel pipes implies an intention to produce weapons, which is entirely unnecessary. You should approach our Ministry of Foreign Affairs directly to state that you wish to purchase weapons; they will give you an answer on whether it can be sold."

"Moreover, producing seamless steel pipes requires an entire industrial chain, starting from metallurgy. Given your country's situation, I imagine you won't have time to invest steadily in production. It would be more cost-effective to simply buy military equipment directly."

"Oh no, Wang, you misunderstand; I am just here to see things, to inquire, not to make purchases. I do not have the authority to decide on this matter. Furthermore, arms procurement is a major issue, and your country has many concerns regarding exporting weapons to us."

"Understood."

Wang Yan nodded, then fell into thought for a moment, his gaze landing on the round, plump gas cylinder over at the shelving unit.

Oh no, why does it look cuter and cuter the more I look at it...