Chapter 1488: Reaching New Heights

Two months flew by, and it was once again the autumn of 1971, time for the Canton Fair.

It was still at Haizhu Square, but this time, unlike before, Wang Yan was not carrying a catalog around outside to peddle his goods; instead, he sat smiling in a remote corner inside the venue, having secured his own product exhibition hall.

Setting up an exhibition hall required some thought; the principle was simply to attract people directly.

Since Wang Yan dealt in furniture and home textiles, he naturally arranged the space to look like a home.

Everything consisted of high-end rosewood furniture that he had personally crafted: cabinets of various sizes, sofas, tables and chairs, beds, and even vanity boxes; all sorts of items were arranged together, with solid wood flooring laid beneath them, creating a harmonious and unified atmosphere that truly resembled a lived-in home.

Various cushions produced by the home textile factory were also put to use: soft and comfortable sofa cushions, mattresses, throw pillows, regular pillows, four-piece bedding sets, curtains, gauze drapes, and more were all fully equipped, featuring simple and aesthetically pleasing designs.

One glance from the outside made people unable to resist looking several times longer, evoking a sense of grandeur and beauty that blended traditional Chinese style with modern minimalism.

This stemmed from Wang Yan's own realization of beauty; his aesthetic sense was exceptionally sharp.

Li Kui lounged lazily on the sofa: "Brother Yan, with such a fine sofa, when will we ever get to enjoy one like this ourselves?"

"Aren't you enjoying it right now?" Wang Yan replied with a smile, adjusting the photographs he had taken on the wall, which documented the furniture factory from its construction up to the present.

"No, I mean moving one into our own home. We can afford to buy one now, but my place is only fourteen square meters; there's simply no room to put it."

Li Kui glanced at Tian Fang beside him: "Xiao Fang has suffered so much following me."

Tian Fang cast a coquettish, chiding glance at him: "Why bring that up? Here in Jingcheng, no one's home is particularly large; none of us have enough space. Isn't Brother Yan also living in just ten square meters? It's not much bigger."

Wang Yan said: "You two talk about your own situation; why drag me into it? I feed myself and no one else goes hungry. My partner's father is a high official; I can just move into my future father-in-law's house, which is spacious enough."

"That's true; speaking of which, you are truly formidable. My little sister-in-law is utterly devoted to you; did she send you money again?"

"What's this? It sounds like you're talking about me?" Tian Fang glared unhappily at Li Kui.

"If you insist on taking it personally, can you blame me?" Li Kui replied helplessly. "I'm being serious here. I've told you about Zhou Xiaobai; that person is truly excellent, beyond reproach. Take me, for instance; even Zhong Yuemin looks down on me somewhat, but from the moment my sister-in-law first met me, her gaze was purely innocent. Isn't that right, Brother Yan?"

"It's not exactly that Zhong Yuemin looks down on us, but he certainly holds a certain degree of light disregard."

"Don't say 'us'; just say 'me'. Give Zhong Yuemin eight times his courage, and he still wouldn't dare bare his teeth at you, sir," Li Kui said with a grin. "On the day Li Yuan Yuan organized that beating, both Zhong Yuemin and Zheng Tong were there; I don't even bother mentioning them."

"What is there to say? They didn't lay a hand on us; is watching the spectacle not allowed? As for giving advance warning, our friendship hadn't reached that level, so they weren't obligated to. They've gotten along fairly well with us these past two years without too many complications, and that's enough."

"Yes, I'm just mentioning it to you, sir," Li Kui nodded, then changed the subject. "Brother Yan, are we just going to wait here? This location is too remote."

"I'll go out for a stroll in a bit; when customers arrive, tell Translator Lv to handle the negotiations with the foreign devils."

"Got it; I guarantee to complete the mission," Li Kui answered readily.

Many people had come along on this trip, including clerks from the commune, the county, and the city, though they were all here to conduct inspections on the side, observing what the top domestic factories were doing, how well they were performing, and understanding what the foreign devils liked.

Wang Yan was also using his position for personal gain, granting Li Kui a favor by bringing the couple along to broaden their horizons; the extra expenses were negligible, costing very little, and Li Kui could have even afforded it himself.

After arranging the photographs on the wall, Wang Yan found Li Kui and the translator to give a few instructions on the order of introductions, then took his large catalog and went out to peddle his goods on his own.

Just as Li Kui had said, although they were inside the venue, the location was remote, so naturally, not many foreign devils wandered over; it was certainly much better than being outside, but still insufficient, so proactive sales efforts were still necessary, since one could never complain about earning more.

Thus, in the following period, Wang Yan fully exercised his subjective initiative, actively promoting his products, successfully attracting quite a few foreign devils to place orders.

This year differed from last year; with the addition of home textiles, the furniture had reached a higher tier, and simultaneously, Wang Yan's craftsmanship had become even more superb, instantly elevating the overall grade.

The prices of the most high-end products had increased by forty percent compared to last year, crossing the threshold into high-end luxury; coupled with the visual impact provided by the exhibition, sales this year proceeded even more smoothly.

Besides the large orders for mid-to-low-end products intended for procurement and distribution, which surged from over two hundred thousand last year to seven hundred thousand this year, the volume of high-end products personally ordered by foreign merchants attending the fair also increased; due to the higher unit prices, the sales revenue looked very impressive.

Such results were quite excellent, more than enough to fill the furniture factory's coffers to the brim.

In fact, the furniture factory itself was already very profitable.

Thanks to the opening of a shop in Yan City, combined with the boost from Wang Yan's reputation, curious residents of Yan City flocked there immediately upon opening; those who originally came just to watch the excitement discovered that the products were indeed excellent, and soon placed numerous orders, a significant portion of which were for home textile products.

Even though northern Shaanxi was not wealthy, urban dwellers undoubtedly possessed greater purchasing power than those in the counties and communes below them.

Capitalizing on this surge, the furniture and home textile factories in Hechuan Commune expanded significantly, with many young men and women joining the workforce.

As mentioned before, for every villager who left to find work, the village saved a share of grain, while the worker earned additional income, allowing the people of the entire Hechuan Commune to live increasingly better lives with greater hope for the future.

The factory's profits were not hoarded; part was set aside as reserve funds, part was allocated for expansion costs, part was used to build roads, and part was dedicated to planting fruit trees.

After two years, Baidian Brigade had identified fruit tree varieties suitable for planting; since conditions across the commune were largely similar, a batch of saplings was specially purchased, and currently, the task of planting fruit trees on wasteland had been basically completed throughout Hechuan Commune.

Furthermore, the commune consulted geographical experts on how to improve the local environment, focusing on windbreaks and sand fixation to reduce soil erosion and restore the ecological balance.

The experts advised reducing grazing while planting trees, shrubs, grasslands, and other vegetation types, adapting to different terrains and soils to ensure plant survival, thereby effectively achieving windbreaks, sand fixation, and reduced soil erosion.

This was certainly sound advice, but for the present times, implementing it faced numerous difficulties; taking grazing alone, every brigade raised sheep, as wool and mutton represented money, and people would rather eat less themselves than neglect these livestock.

However, planting trees and shrubs remained an excellent initiative, a benefit for generations to come; thus, Hechuan Commune held another grand meeting, establishing a grand plan to plant more trees and provide a better living environment for future descendants.

A specific sum was allocated from the factory's profits to drill wells for brigades under the commune that lacked them and to purchase saplings for each brigade to plant trees.

The specific locations for planting were determined by inviting experts; this was a promising project, and it was rare for the masses at the grassroots level to show such enthusiasm and long-term vision, with the experts even displaying more passion than the commune members themselves.

They not only walked tirelessly but also provided full-process guidance and long-term observation, with the experts stating that this was a great undertaking benefiting both the nation and its people.

Afterwards, Wang Yan compiled these matters into a report, receiving further affirmation and praise; Wang Yan was recognized as a new socialist youth with absolutely firm ideology, proactive action, innovative ideas, and the courage to practice, as well as a good Party member.

Wang Yan had already joined the Party, and by the end of the year, he would receive commendations as an Outstanding Party Member at both the provincial and municipal levels, adding honors to his name.

Simultaneously, he received a recommendation quota to attend a Worker-Peasant-Soldier University to study Marxist-Leninist thought research at Northwestern Polytechnical University; this was because his report was well-written and his ideological implementation was remarkably thorough, so anyone with insight could see he had his own set of understandings.

Therefore, assigning him to this field was a perfect match of specialization; he would enroll after the New Year, essentially going through the motions to add a distinguished credential to his resume; given his writing ability, producing a new elaboration of theory would be no problem at all, ensuring his smooth graduation...

The herbal tea factory in the New Territories had been operating for some time; from production to distribution, it employed over five thousand people, producing more than one hundred thousand packs of various herbal teas daily.

Meanwhile, the canned herbal tea factory had been completed, with production lines purchased from Japan currently in transit, expected to begin production before the end of the year.

Wang Yan, accompanied by Li Kui and Tian Fang, strolled around with his hands behind his back, taking a look.

"Peng Sheng, you folks move quickly."

Peng Yunliang offered a cigarette and eagerly lit it for him: "Wang Sheng, when it comes to making money, how can one not be proactive? Look at these people; they are so happy. Having work means earning money, and earning money means a happy life."

"How is the promotion going in Hong Kong and Macau?"

"Thanks to your blessing, Wang Sheng, no one is competing with our business, and no triads are causing trouble; everything has proceeded very smoothly. Currently, we have basically monopolized both markets, and business is booming. The daily production of one hundred thousand packs is already insufficient. Once the canned herbal tea factory is completed this year, we should be able to distribute the first dividend to you, Wang Sheng, by the middle of next year."

Wang Yan took a puff of his cigarette and asked: "How is the development planning on your end progressing?"

"We invited you, Wang Sheng, not only to inspect the factory but also to ask for your help in reviewing our planning."

"I don't understand these matters; what could I possibly assess? Professional tasks should be left to professionals; experts from the University of Hong Kong are the ones qualified to handle this."

"They are exactly who we're looking for, but we still need Wang Sheng to review everything before we can feel at ease. After all, this is such a massive undertaking; once confirmed, we'll pour in all our manpower, resources, and capital, leaving absolutely no room for second thoughts later."

"That's not quite right; development is dynamic—there's no fixed formula. It's not as if everything will be fine just because you've made plans and proceed step by step with construction. Many things do not shift according to human will."

Wang Yan said, "To carry out construction and promote development, we only need to coordinate two aspects: living and production. Making factories more convenient to operate and harnessing the effects of industrial clusters gives rise to the concepts of industrial zones and industrial districts. Once we have industrial zones, we must address the problems faced by the workers, namely, their livelihood issues."

"Commute distances, modes of transportation, medical care, children's education, elderly care, consumption, and entertainment—in short, birth, aging, sickness, death, clothing, food, shelter, and travel. How we arrange these so people can live well and work well is what matters."

"Guided by the idea of putting people first and solving the problems people face, any plan will be a good plan. Once construction gets underway, money will start circulating, popularity will gather, and your area will heat up."

"By then, the capitalists from Hong Island will all come pouring in. One will want land for development, another will want to open a bank, yet another to build a hotel. At that point, you simply follow the plan, let them carry out targeted construction, and then thoroughly bleed them dry of their money."

"As for the plans, I won't even look at them. This is your territory; if I meddle too much and problems arise later, you won't dare confront me directly but will resent me in private, ruining our friendship. That would be far too costly."

"The great development of the New Territories hinges on development itself. Regardless of whether it's reasonable or not, get it started first, and make the commotion as loud as possible."

"What Wang Sheng says is true; these are profound insights. No wonder they say in Jingcheng that you, Wang Sheng, are a capable man..." Peng Yunliang nodded repeatedly, flattering him shamelessly, then added with a solemn expression, "However, there is one thing Wang Sheng said that isn't right. You are the benefactor of our New Territories; no matter when, we will never harbor any resentment toward Wang Sheng."

Wang Yan smiled noncommittally: "Then let our friendship last forever, and let us make fortunes together."

Peng Yunliang also knew Wang Yan didn't believe him; he didn't even believe it himself, but saying beautiful words never hurts.

He then continued, "Wang Sheng's furniture is also selling very well; the furniture factory needs to expand, Wang Sheng. Otherwise, our stores will run out of stock to sell."

"It has been expanding continuously, but training workers still takes time. At this Canton Fair alone, we secured orders totaling a million, and combined with previous orders from the city, we'll be busy for a long time."

"Wang Sheng is truly formidable; in just two years, you've grown the furniture factory to such a size."

Wang Yan shook his head with amusement: "It's not that I'm formidable; it's our people who have struggled hard, and our leading cadres who have offered support. Otherwise, where would the timber come from? Where would the grain come from? Where would the trains for transport come from? Without any one of them, nothing could be done. Alright, go attend to your affairs; just leave a car for us and don't worry about anything else. I'm going out for a stroll to see if I can pick up some money."

Peng Yunliang's face twitched violently. What the f*** did he mean by picking up money...

But he didn't dawdle; he dispatched two cars to serve Wang Yan and his two companions as they toured Hong Island.

That day, every triad society in Hong Island was in a state of panic. Oh, heaven help us! That damn devil has come to Hong Island again...

At the same time, countless young thugs were beaten by their bosses for talking too much or being dismissive. "It's just some mainland guy; what's the big deal?"

They all knew Wang Yan's story; after all, the uproar recently had been tremendous, and nearly every notable triad had suffered losses. It was impossible not to know. Wang Yan had truly shaken all of Hong Kong and Kowloon with his might.

But since the fists hadn't landed on the lowlife thugs below, hadn't broken their hands or feet, they remained unconvinced and had to be suppressed by their bosses.

Otherwise, Wang Yan wouldn't have slapped the faces of so many triads previously; it was all instigated by those lowlife thugs from below...

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