Chapter 980: What Makes People Turn Back Is the Wall

Peace Hotel, British Suite.

Sunlight pierced through the glass, falling on the office desk overlooking the Huangpu River, where an old, withered hand placed the receiver back onto the telephone.

"Shenzhen is about to officially establish a stock exchange, but without approval, it can only be considered a trial. Shanghai has already confirmed that its Stock Exchange will be formally established at the end of December. Once listed, new shares will inevitably be issued. Those stocks you're holding now are about to take a huge dive."

Uncle leaned back relaxedly against the chair, hands resting on the armrests, fingers interlaced before his abdomen.

A-Bao stood by the window, wearing a vest with hands in his pockets: "Does Uncle mean we should bet on a rise later and get involved in Shenzhen? Why not Shanghai?"

"Do you have the advantages of that Heavenly Heavenly Qilin group? They are cunning and have more capital; you'd be lucky just to get a sip of the soup. Shenzhen is different; the market makers this time are doomed to die. I heard some overseas-returned students are manipulating the market; they hold too many stocks, the money isn't even their own, and with new shares being issued and stock prices diving, they are finished. If you go there to buy low, within half a year you're guaranteed to double your money at minimum."

"How much money do we have on hand?"

"Some treasury bonds haven't been sold yet, and some capital is tied up in that batch of goods from Little Ningbo. However, thanks to Wang Laoban's boldness in smashing in two hundred thousand, you also bought quite a bit; although it wasn't the lowest point, you still made a good profit. The liquid cash available now is 1.3 million."

"Smash it all in?"

"One million; keep three hundred thousand for other expenses. This isn't gambling; this is a certainty."

"Then I'll try to raise some more funds from Stamp Li and the others..." Pausing for a moment, A-Bao said, "Let's also ask Wang Laoban; this is carving flesh from the market makers and collecting their corpses, he will definitely be willing."

"How do you plan to settle with him?"

"Count it as a loan from me; borrow one million, double it in half a year, and pay him back two million. I don't think he'll mind."

"Why be so stingy at a time like this? Give him fifty percent!"

Uncle shook his head: "Do you think this money is easy to earn? Someone will come to settle accounts later. If you borrow money from Wang Laoban, even if you double it and give him three million, it's still just a loan. But if you help him make money, earning a million and giving him fifty percent as a guaranteed return, that's a completely different matter. Borrowing means he helps you; making money means you help him. You might not be able to bear the consequences of earning this money; when many people gather firewood the flame rises high, but profit outweighs human sentiment."

"Understood, Uncle. Wang Laoban's store on Nanjing Road opens in two days; I'll go chat with him. Do you want to take a look? You were so certain Wang Laoban would succeed, yet it's just one store selling expensive goods; I really want to see what tricks Wang Laoban has."

"What tricks? Just four words: down to earth!" Uncle shook his head...

Nanjing Road was usually bustling, but today it was even livelier. In the middle of the road stood a platform equipped with a loudspeaker, where the host was introducing 'Shanghai Hongyun' athletic shoes and clothing. He spoke about today's opening event: a launch promotion with everything at thirty percent off, receiving a lottery ticket upon checkout to win cash prizes, plus grand prizes like refrigerators, washing machines, and televisions. The items prepared for the lottery giveaway were piled on the platform, creating a powerful visual impact.

Even more impactful was a brand-new Santana parked beneath the platform, adorned with a red ribbon...

Next to this platform was the newly opened Shanghai Hongyun Clothing Store; its signboard matched Wang Yan's consistent aesthetic of simplicity and grandeur. On the far left was the black, minimalist logo of a crane with a single red dot, followed by the flowing, calligraphic characters 'Shanghai Hongyun' dancing across the white signboard. The remaining large area was simply left blank, which at night would become a clash of colors in neon lights.

"Oh my, Wang Laoban is truly generous, giving away so many things for the new store opening; won't he lose himself to death?" Tao Tao stood together with Teacher Ge and others, watching the commotion from afar.

Teacher Ge shook his head: "I've figured it out; he's deliberately aiming to lose money."

"What do you two know? Wang Laoban is building brand awareness. Look, the store is packed with people, how lively it is." Seeing Seeing Lingzi said with a look of disdain.

"I think something's wrong; what's the use of being lively?" Ling Hong shook her head, "With so many refrigerators, televisions, washing machines, and even a Santana, no matter how famous the brand becomes, what's the use if he doesn't make money? With just this one store, even if the reputation is loud, how much can he sell? This opening is purely losing money. Teacher Ge is right; Wang Laoban is intentionally aiming to lose money."

Seeing Seeing Lingzi shook her head; she did not believe Wang Yan was that foolish.

They had originally intended to bring some flower baskets; even though Wang Yan had said not to, they felt they couldn't just show up empty-handed. But upon arriving at the scene, they discovered it was so crowded that they simply couldn't get in.

Obviously, the attraction of directly raffling off a car was incredibly powerful.

On the other side, A-Bao was also looking at that car, wondering if he should buy one too. He knew the car Wang Yan drove was squeezed out of Du Du Honggen, but now Wang Yan was giving away cars in a lottery to sell clothes, while A-Bao still traveled by taxi, which wasn't good. Uncle had also said that doing business requires style; without a car, he lacked style.

Looking at Uncle standing beside him with hands behind his back watching the spectacle, A-Bao asked: "Uncle, what do you think?"

"Daring to invest, unafraid of losses, bold. In this era, doing business depends on who is bolder. With so many prizes, look, there are reporters from several newspapers over there; even if he only has this one direct-sale store, this commotion is enough for him to earn a month's worth of profit. Did you squeeze in to look? How are the clothes?"

"Not bad, no worse than Nike. Wang Laoban also said the prices would be cheap, but they aren't cheap at all; the listed prices are similar to Nike, though he's offering a thirty percent discount, so I suppose he intends to benchmark against Nike in the future. The shoe and clothing categories are complete, with menswear, womenswear, and children's wear all available, and I found the styles novel and quite good-looking, completely no worse than other clothes."

"However, the people buying clothes right now have no mind to pay attention to what the clothes or shoes are like; they only care about the car, the refrigerators, color TVs, and washing machines. The momentum is huge, but I don't see any staying power."

"Then we'll just watch slowly." Uncle stood with hands behind his back, smiling as he watched the commotion.

Of course, he didn't know how Wang Yan would develop, but he just felt Wang Yan would succeed...

Miss Wang had also come, but she was nowhere to be found, submerged in the sea of people. Fortunately, she spotted Wang Yan on the stage and waved vigorously.

Wang Yan was helping someone carry a refrigerator they had just won; seeing Miss Wang jumping high and waving, he finished moving the item, squeezed into the crowd, and led Miss Wang out of the throng.

The crowd right now could be described as crazy; everyone was rushing into the store to grab anything and then dash to checkout. Indeed, there was no room for them to pick and choose; they just bought whatever they saw. They just wanted a lottery ticket; even if they couldn't win the small sedan, there were still plenty of refrigerators, color TVs, and washing machines.

Fortunately, he had anticipated this situation. To prevent safety accidents, he had even asked the police officers to come maintain order. However, the police officers were also working hard; in just this short time, their throats were hoarse from shouting.

Reaching the perimeter and finding a less crowded spot, Wang Yan asked: "Why did you come?"

"We are all friends; your clothing store opening made such a huge commotion, I knew about it long ago, so of course I had to come take a look."

"Now that you've seen it, how is it?"

"Too many people." Miss Wang shook her head, "I really can't figure out what you're thinking; raffling off cars, refrigerators, color TVs, and washing machines, you're simply going to lose yourself to death. Look, all these people are here for the prizes; no one is looking at your clothes. Later, once the novelty wears off, the several hundred thousand you spent this time will all go down the drain."

"Additionally, the factory will lose money; if the clothes don't sell, every day of closure is a day of loss. With so much upfront investment, you won't be able to sustain it. I told you long ago not to do it, not to do it, but you wouldn't listen."

"It is the wall that makes people turn back, Miss Wang; I have to crash into it. Moreover, this is just the beginning; who knows what will happen in the future? If I don't crash into it and lose myself to death, then I won't be convinced."

Wang Yan smiled and patted her arm, "Go back; there are too many people, it's noisy and there's nothing much to see, plus the police officer just caught a thief a moment ago, so it's not very safe. Oh right, Boss Bao came; I saw him squeeze in and walk around earlier, don't know where he is now, but he should still be nearby."

"Just go crash into your wall then; I'm leaving." Miss Wang pursed her lips, turned around arrogantly, and left.

Watching her retreating figure, Wang Yan shook his head, took a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and smoked right there in the corner.

He saw Seeing Seeing Lingzi, Teacher Ge, and the others gathered over there watching the spectacle, but he didn't go over. These people mostly shared the same thoughts as Miss Wang, feeling that his losing money wasn't worth it.

This is a very compromising mindset; one can only earn, not lose. Building a brand means losing money; neither is very good. Of course, Wang Yan wouldn't argue with them, nor could he make them understand.

There was Seeing Seeing Lingzi, who ran a restaurant that lost money every day; Ling Hong, who cut friends' leeks; Teacher Ge, who collected rent; Tao Tao, who sold loose seafood with major business introduced by A-Bao; and then there was Miss Wang, who worked at a state unit, Number 27.

These people were all players unwilling to engage in money-losing businesses; of course, they were also doing this for Wang Yan's own good, so one couldn't say they were wrong, after all, Wang Yan really was losing money, and would be losing money for a long time.

But in the long run, to make clothing, he bought a large commercial property on Nanjing Road and leased land in Pudong for the long term. Even if he sold clothes every day from now until the real estate reform, it wouldn't be as valuable as the real estate itself. Seeing Seeing Lingzi and the others said he was losing money, but from the very start, he had already earned a fortune. Making clothes was entirely an additional activity. Of course, he had also put some effort into it...

His momentum this time was indeed significant; half a month ago, he started distributing flyers on Nanjing Road, and a week ago, various prizes began arriving one after another, piled up right here, with the car parked here as well, guarded by dedicated personnel twenty-four hours a day. He also gathered a bunch of reporters, who started various reports a week ago.

What he wanted to do was make the name 'Shanghai Hongyun' known. Let people know there is a store here selling clothes as expensive as foreign goods, a store crazy for money. Moreover, the clothes are novel, good-looking, and the material is no worse than foreign clothing.

Making money will take a very long time; after all, in this era, the public believes foreign goods are superior, and no matter how expensive they are, people can reconcile themselves to it; there is no way around this. Of course, domestic technology really isn't very good right now; the accumulation hasn't reached the level it will be at thirty years later.

The development of domestic products has gone through several stages. Right now, it is doing OEM work; most parts are bought abroad, doing the hardest and most tiring work, yet only receiving ten percent of the profit. Later, there will be a gradual increase in the proportion of domestically produced parts, and finally, the breakthrough of various core technologies, achieving ownership of core components, complete autonomy, and thereby competing in the international market with those foreigners who used to lie down and make money.

Therefore, the thoughts of many people right now are understandable. Ultimately, it stems from the nation's comprehensive lack of strength; there is still a need for arduous struggle.

With the entire general environment being this way, when applied to something like clothing which doesn't have much technical content, the influence is naturally powerful. Therefore, he was not in a hurry and had prepared for long-term losses.

After finishing one cigarette, the crowd gathered over there suddenly burst into a chorus of exclamations.

Wang Yan walked over to take a look; it turned out someone had won that Santana. He didn't play fake tricks, not even teasing to build suspense.

Because all the goods produced since the factory was built were stored here, his factory occupied a vast area, yet he did not have that many workers, nor was the output that high. Today's stock was enough to cover the cost of this lottery draw; that alone constituted success.

The winner shouted in such a loud voice that it had cracked; he kept pushing forward through the crowd until he reached the stage. Under the host's interview, his trembling words, filled with excitement, were more inspiring than anything else. Of course, to dispel suspicions of a plant, a reporter took a full-face photograph of this lucky man for skeptics to verify. Furthermore, Wang Yan had contacted the television station to record the entire license plate hanging ceremony and conduct an interview at the man's home later.

For the winner, this was naturally a trouble, but compared to a free small sedan worth over a hundred thousand, it seemed negligible. If possible, he probably wished for even more such troubles.

Although the grand prize had already been claimed, people's enthusiasm did not wane, as there were still many refrigerators, color TVs, and washing machines on the stage. Newcomers scrambled to squeeze into the store, and even those who had already participated without winning squeezed back in to buy something else at random.

The situation inside the store was not particularly good; all the clothes and shoes hanging outside had sold out, and the items piled in the makeshift warehouse were also cleared. Finally, amidst the staff shouting "Sold out!", this lively event came to an end.

Nanjing Road remained the same Nanjing Road, unchanged in any way, except for the addition of a store called 'Shanghai Hongyun'; their logo was a dot of red, and they had given away a car worth over a hundred thousand during their opening...

Night fell over Tokyo; Wang Yan parked his car by the roadside, lit a cigarette, and then swaggered across the street to enter the store.

As soon as he entered, he was met with a barrage of stares from everyone.

"Oh my, everyone is here; please don't look at me like that, okay?" Wang Yan found a seat, casually extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray, and said, "I know what you're concerned about. Actually, my business is fine; I've basically earned back the value of everything I gave away. After tallying the accounts, I lost over twenty thousand today, which is still acceptable."

Miss Wang pursed her lips: "With a brand name like 'Shanghai Hongyun,' you lose twenty thousand right out of the gate!"

"That's true, Little Northeast. You came here alone to struggle, and with great difficulty, you've built up such a situation with a house, a car, and money; isn't that wonderful? We all feel you didn't need to make such a fuss."

"Exactly, exactly, Wang Laoban, you might as well have given the car to me. Good heavens, someone just buys some clothes, and you give it away to a stranger; oh my, over a hundred thousand, my heart aches to death." Tao Tao clutched his chest; he was truly in pain.

Hearing such shameless words and seeing such shameless actions from him, Seeing Seeing Lingzi, Ling Hong, and Miss Wang rolled their eyes so high they nearly reached the sky.

It was Ah Bao who looked out for his brother: "Stop daydreaming; Wang Laoban needs to make a name for himself. If you had actually won the prize, Wang Laoban's reputation would have stunk up the entire street later."

"Little Monk, serve the dishes," Wang Yan called out, then addressed the group, "I know you are doing this for my own good. Let me simply explain why I am not afraid of losing money, so you won't worry about me going bankrupt and coming to you begging for food. As I mentioned before, regarding future real estate..."

"Therefore, as long as we extend the timeline, the current losses seem insignificant. Besides, you all assume I must make cheap clothes and engage in wholesale to make money, believing that high prices mean no buyers and that the brand cannot be built; this is incorrect. You keep saying I will fail and lose money, which really dampens my enthusiasm, you know. Success depends on human effort; I must try before I speak. How can I know if it will work without trying?"

"Listen to this; I told you all along that Wang Laoban had a plan," Tao Tao nodded repeatedly. "It is precisely this spirit that is right. Speaking broadly, since the clothes are the same, why should we sell them for ten yuan while foreign goods sell for a hundred? That makes no sense. We must establish a... uh..."

"National brand," Ah Bao tactfully finished the sentence.

"Oh my, good brother, only you understand me." Tao Tao stepped forward, grabbed Ah Bao's hands with both of his, and shook them vigorously. "That is exactly what I meant; my boss has spirit!"

"Get away, get away, you hindsight prophet," Ling Hong waved her hand in disgust. "Weren't you the one arguing the loudest, saying Wang Laoban was going to lose everything to death..."

"Oh my, didn't you say it? The old boy said it too. I have little education and no insight or experience; is that a crime?"

This time, without Waiting for Seeing Seeing Lingzi to speak, Wang Yan waved his hand: "Enough, enough, quiet, quiet. I've been noisy all day outside; my head is buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. Let me have some peace for a while."

Seeing Seeing Lingzi got up, peeked into the kitchen, brought out a plate of peanuts, and carried over a bottle of Moutai: "It will still be a while; drink this first."

"Have you all finished eating?"

Miss Wang said: "We finished long ago; we were just curious about how much you lost today."

"Miss Wang always speaks so directly; care for some more?"

"I'm not hungry; you'd better pray that real estate really reaches the heights you predicted. You all chat; I'm leaving. President Bao, Sister Seeing Lingzi." Miss Wang bade farewell to everyone, and Ah Bao walked her out to hail a taxi.

Miss Wang had come purely to check on Wang Yan's situation because she believed his current endeavors were related to their several conversations over pork ribs and rice cakes. She felt a sense of responsibility, thinking she could not watch Wang Yan jump into a fire pit; it was quite interesting.

Wang Yan drank his wine and ate peanuts, saying with amusement, "If you have nothing to do, find something to do; don't just sit here watching me, okay? The pressure is huge, and I feel very uncomfortable."

Everyone looked at each other; then Ah Bao sat opposite Wang Yan: "I actually do have something; to be honest, I came specifically today to wait for you, Wang Laoban."

"Oh my, we are all friends; if there's an issue, just call. President Bao, why so polite? Speak up if there's something." Wang Yan tilted his head.

"I am heading south to Shenzhen; the more capital, the better. I want to pull you in as a partner. You contribute one million, and within half a year, I will take forty percent of the profits from this capital."

"President Bao is very confident?"

"I have some information; doubling the investment is the minimum guarantee," Ah Bao nodded decisively, staring straight into Wang Yan's deep eyes to emphasize the credibility of his words.

Ah Bao was not Bai Hun; this combination of actions and speech was handled quite adeptly.

"Agreed." Wang Yan nodded with a smile, pulled a room key from his pocket, and placed it on the table. "The one million you brought back for me last time hasn't been touched; it's under the bed. Tao Tao, go run an errand."

Tao Tao was still staring blankly along with the others; after all, the dialogue between the two was too simple, and the key point was that Wang Yan was ready to hand over one million after speaking only a few sentences, which was too shocking for the others.

Hearing his name called, Tao Tao jolted; since Wang Laoban had ordered him to run an errand, he dared not refuse. He came over, took the key, and slowly walked toward the door, only to suddenly turn back and sit down beside Ah Bao.

"Good brother, is what you said really that accurate?"

"You want to join the partnership too?" Ah Bao asked in surprise. "All the money is in Fang Mei's hands; I wouldn't dare use it even if you brought it out. Later, Fang Mei would hunt me down to kill me!"

"Oh my, Ah Bao, have you forgotten when you first followed Uncle Ah? I stole all my family assets to give to you. Did Fang Mei hunt you down back then? Later, when you doubled the money and paid it back, didn't I tell you that Fang Mei laughed all night?"

Tao Tao continued, "I've always wanted to buy a van, but Fang Mei refuses to let go of the money. Usually, I'd let it slide, but this time you sound so certain, and Wang Laoban didn't even blink before handing you one million; I cannot miss this. Ah Bao, tell me, is it certain?"

"I'm going to Shenzhen to trade stocks; how dare I guarantee anything to you? Winning and losing is perfectly normal."

"Fine, I'm in. My family passbook has one hundred thousand; tomorrow I'll secretly withdraw it and give it to you. Good brother, you must hold strong. I feel this is the closest I've ever been to a van."

After speaking, Tao Tao turned and ran out to Wang Yan's room to get the money, then ran back. One million was quite heavy, and he was very afraid. What if someone snatched the money halfway? How could he explain that? So he could only run fast. In this regard, Tao Tao was very pure.

Watching Tao Tao gasping for breath, Wang Yan shook his head with amusement, then looked at Teacher Ge and the others, saying, "Are you not going to participate? President Bao is leading us to fortune. If everything goes smoothly, the profit President Bao makes from this trip will be enough to cover my clothing business losses for a long time."

Teacher Ge was the first to shake his head, shaking it firmly: "If I don't make money, I won't lose money. Little Northeast, let me tell you, I am afraid that if I do make money, I won't be able to control myself when I get old, eventually going bankrupt and ending my days in misery. Oh my, just thinking about it breaks my heart. Look at me, an old skeleton; what can I do? I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to beg for food."

"Things are quite good now; every day I drink some old wine, eat some small dishes, and chat and laugh with friends. I have no places where I need to spend money; only contentment brings constant joy."

To be honest, the old boy was quite clear-headed and sober, controlling his desires.

"Oh my, don't look at me, Wang Laoban. Where would I get money? I rely entirely on Seeing Lingzi's support." Ling Hong also shook her head. "I didn't expect Tao Tao to be so wealthy, able to produce one hundred thousand. Then how do you have the nerve to eat and drink here for free every day?"

"What kind of talk is that? With Ah Bao and Wang Laoban here, and Seeing Lingzi here, and Teacher Ge here, how can I be considered wealthy? Really." Tao Tao waved his hand. "Seeing Lingzi, you should provide the capital and let Ah Bao help you make money; that would make up for Night Tokyo's deficit. Every day hearing you say Night Tokyo is losing money makes my heart ache."

"Get away, get away; haven't you eaten or drunk? You eat the most, fish one meal, meat the next, picky and choosy, selecting only the fat and rejecting the lean; do you have the nerve?"

Seeing Seeing Lingzi glared furiously at Tao Tao, causing him to shrink his neck in fear; then, with a look of embarrassment, she said to Ah Bao, "I have to rely on President Bao's care. If he makes money, he surely won't stand by and watch Night Tokyo go bankrupt and close, right, President Bao~"

Ah Bao shook his head helplessly: "You have me cornered."

"Then you shouldn't have called me back from Japan. If I hadn't returned, wouldn't you have one less trouble? But since I am back, you must take responsibility to the end, President Bao."

Ah Bao sensed the atmosphere turning awkward; the crowd's eyes, watching the spectacle, made his scalp tingle, so he chose to withdraw: "Alright, alright, I'll take the money, Wang Laoban. Barring any accidents, I should be able to cash out around June next year."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "I await your good news."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

"Make a fortune, President Bao."

The people bid farewell to A-Bao all talking over one another.

A-Bao's single "see you again" meant they would not meet for some time.

Regarding A-Bao's trip to Shenzhen, Wang Yan was naturally very clear; the later story began right here. The story of the mysterious Mr. A in the drama might be long, but it ended at this moment. A-Bao's future did not escape the influence of this event either.

He wanted to get involved personally, not for any other reason than that putting up money allowed him to participate slightly in the plot, and he would also earn quite a bit of money. A-Bao was very generous, giving him a sixty percent share; this was a guaranteed profit with no risk of loss, so why not do it?

As for whether he would be resented later or targeted by that Sha Qiang Qiang Mujie, the latter would primarily be targeting A-Bao anyway, since A-Bao had made off with his white moonlight, a humiliation beyond compare. It had little to do with him, Wang Mou; he was just making money. Sha Qiang Qiang Mujie had not sought revenge against those who earned more than A-Bao, but instead went after A-Bao first precisely because of Seeing Lingzi.

Wang Yan smiled, drank wine, and ate the dishes served by the little monk, watching this group of people who, for some reason, had started arguing again...