Chapter 1290: Applying for an interest-free loan

Li Shouquan and his crew were easy to talk to; once given a heads-up in advance, they had no objections. As long as they came over to collect the cargo promptly after their own holds were full, it was fine.

They came over to collect once a day. Their holds weren't actually full, but considering the number of fishing boats, having the fresh-catch collection boat come out once a day was just right to fill a boat and head back.

At first, they did it out of consideration for Ye Yaodong, fearing he would waste fuel going back and forth. They didn't mind, as the daytime catch volume couldn't compare to the night's, but now that they could save a bit of time and didn't have to weigh the cargo every single day, it was for the best.

After Ye Yaodong finished discussing things with Li Shouquan, he collected the cargo from their last remaining boat and immediately hurried back.

It had been over ten hours since he set sail last night, and he had made two round trips. By the time he got back and finished selling the cargo, it would be just the right time to go straight to sleep.

Tomorrow, after he woke up, he would go to the government to ask about that piece of trash-filled land—whether it would be approved, how much it would cost, and get a definitive answer.

All the fantasies he had just had were based on the premise that the land would be approved and he could secure an interest-free loan.

On the way back, his mind continued to polish the things he had just imagined.

If he really managed to lift up the boat hands and send them off to work independently, he wouldn't need to go to the deep sea for at least the next few years; he could earn money just by operating the fresh-catch collection boat in the fishing grounds.

However, this certainly wouldn't last for many years. Once everyone had worked for a year or two, or three, and had all earned money, they would probably be just as unwilling as Pei Fu to let him earn so much.

Don't look at how they were all standing on his side right now, indignantly condemning Pei Fu; when it came to their own turn, they might be even more distressed that all the money was being earned by him.

However, he wouldn't burn his bridges.

If these boat hands also wanted to get their own boats but lacked the capital, he would invest in them. He could say in advance that he would help invest in the early stages, and later, if they wanted to redeem the other shares of the fishing boat, they could do so at market price.

He could also set a time limit, for example, investing for three or five years. After three or five years, they could redeem all the shares of the fishing boat at market price, and after the redemption, he would no longer participate in the dividends.

This also gave people something to look forward to, so that a good act of support wouldn't end up with him being hated later on.

In this way, all the villagers in the entire village would benefit from him: the elderly would raise kelp at home, the young would earn money in the fishing grounds, and the women and girls would work in his workshop killing fish. Except for the children, the entire village's labor force would be working hard to earn money and get rich, with everyone becoming a ten-thousand-yuan household.

Their village would certainly become a model for the entire province, or even the entire country.

As for those who had invested previously, that was in the past. Like the Fengshou, when they joined at the time, there was no talk of withdrawing shares after earning enough money.

Moreover, after this whole scene, if he were to withdraw his shares, it would make him look like he was in the wrong and feeling guilty. Pei Fu might be even more smug, thinking that with one move, the whole boat would belong to them.

Ah Guang might also overthink it, wondering if he was keeping this matter in mind and had an opinion about their father and son.

No matter what, they were father and son. His father had raised him through thick and thin; even if he blamed his father for messing things up and complained about his father making the relationship awkward, he was still his own father.

If he directly withdrew his shares and returned the boat to them, it might just make the relationship even more awkward.

The best thing for everyone right now was to let this matter pass and turn the page, with the boat temporarily under Ah Guang's control.

At the same time, Ah Guang could get another boat that belonged to their own family, one that no one else was involved in. The Pei family would collect the money they earned themselves, and the Fengshou could be rented out. When the time came, the three parties would split the money, and everyone would be happy.

Then, in the next few years, with the boat hands helping him charge into battle, besides his reputation rising to a higher level, he could also accumulate a massive amount of wealth and continue to order several more fishing boats as good as the cargo ship to send to the deep sea.

By then, it would probably be the 90s. Fishing boat technology would be more mature, and there would be more fishing boats in the country exploring the deep sea.

No matter how he calculated it, it was all benefits and no harm to him.

As for the people he trained, since he was supporting them to get their own fishing boats, he would have a shortage of manpower, but he didn't need to worry too much about that.

Once the surrounding villagers heard that everyone who followed him bought boats, lived in big houses, and became wealthy, there would be plenty of people from neighboring villages wanting to rely on him.

Besides, wasn't the next generation growing up? After the next generation in the village heard of his great achievements, they would only worship him and then follow him to work.

It was impossible for every single household to have a boat; production required time.

And he certainly wouldn't be drifting on the sea forever. Once the fleet was arranged and on the right track, he would definitely arrange for others to do the fishing and cargo collection. He just needed to collect the money on shore, reduce the risks, and enjoy life.

Just thinking about it felt perfect.

The more Ye Yaodong thought about it, the more feasible it felt. This interest-free loan was truly an opportunity to resolve internal troubles, increase his wealth, lift up the boat hands, and enhance his prestige in the village.

It could also lay the foundation for his future deep-sea fleet.

After all, paying out of his own pocket couldn't compare to the state paying for him to get things done. Paying out of his own pocket meant having to take it slow, but with state funding, there was no need for any hesitation.

Seeing that he was about to dock, he hurriedly pulled his thoughts back. He first set out the fish cargo he had brought back on the pier to sell. Once it was mostly sold, he called for a large truck to take a load of dried shrimp to the processing plant.

Although these fresh dried shrimp weren't as valuable as hairtail, there was a huge quantity, and there was the volume from eight boats.

Moreover, besides the dried shrimp, these eight boats had also caught other fish cargo, which they all sold to him together. Just from today's two round trips, he earned double what he had earned in one trip before.

Today, the total sales were quite high. One had to know that today, the Fengshou was missing, and those shrimp-catching boats only had one day's harvest.

His three boats had sold quite a bit, and his 30% cut alone was three or four thousand. Plus, the Dongsheng was his, and he had a 30% stake in the Shunfeng, so he could earn about nine thousand yuan on his side.

He could get half of the commission from the dried shrimp, which was about 8,000. Just from this one trip today, he earned 17,000 or 18,000.

A few days ago, he had paid back Ah Guang 20,000 yuan, and in the following days, he had saved another 10,000-plus. Now, in total, just his own money added up to about 30,000.

He still owed Ah Guang money. He could pay him back directly now, but he was still thinking about buying a house and land, so he would keep the money for now. Once he finished handling his affairs, he would pay him back if there was any left. Anyway, he already owed it.

Once the next batch of fishing boats returned, he would calculate the accounts for the several boats, and at the end of the month, he would also calculate the accounts for those dozen or so trawlers. That would be more than enough to pay back Ah Guang.

After Ye Yaodong calculated his savings, he had a good sleep. After he was fully rested, he went to find Ah Guang, and the two of them went to the government together.

Originally, it was the two of them who had been looking around and asking everywhere, and it was also the two of them who decided where they each wanted their land.

It had been three or four days since they made the proposal and came back again, so there was already a plan. As soon as he went over to ask, someone immediately received him.

Moreover, the price for the land each of them wanted was already set. His piece of trash-filled land had been measured, and it was 3.2 mu. Because of his status as the vice president of the Fisheries Association, he was given a discounted price of 20,000 yuan.

Ah Guang had his eye on a piece of empty land near the seaside. It was far from the pier and could be considered the edge of the fishing port, but it was close to the shore. The locals were worried about typhoons and waves, so no residents lived there. It was only 2.1 mu, and it also cost 20,000 yuan.

The two of them compared notes, and Ah Guang became a bit unhappy; the gap was too large.

He argued his case, but the reason the government gave was just that the land was different; that side was piled full of domestic trash and pier trash, so it was cheaper.

Their attitude was also "take it or leave it."

As soon as Ye Yaodong saw this price, he thought of the 13 mu of land he had bought in the city last year for only 10,000 yuan, and he wanted to secretly slap his thigh—he had picked up a huge bargain.

Although one port was different from another, and his land in the city was already in a village on the edge of the suburbs, there was a market there.

This side was on the edge of the fishing port, but the gap was truly huge—ten times over.

There were really too many outsiders and fishing boats here. It was probably common knowledge that those boat captains were rich, right?

Ah Guang also thought of the land Ye Yaodong bought in the city. Comparing the two, it was practically cabbage-price. Thinking of this, he was even less willing to spend this 20,000 yuan.

In order to get a loan of 50,000 yuan, he had to spend 20,000 yuan first, and he was a bit reluctant. Originally, he had thought of getting something for nothing, but now the gap was too big.

If it hadn't cost much, he would have spent it.

He started to have second thoughts.

But Ye Yaodong immediately agreed. In his plan, this land had to be secured.

Besides, being able to buy it at this price was also cabbage-price. In 10 years, it would be worth hundreds of times more. This was more worthwhile than any investment.

Land near the port—one could tell with their butt that it was worth it. Not to mention that this was a fishing ground; this piece of land would be worth it even if bought for 100,000 yuan now, let alone just 20,000.

Moreover, he could use this piece of land to leverage another 100,000 yuan. This trash pile—surely no one would want to occupy it, right?

Worth it!

When Ye Yaodong spoke up and said he wanted it, Ah Guang hurriedly stopped him.

"Won't you reconsider? This is too expensive. You bought 13 mu of land before; how much did that cost?"

"You can't compare them. The locations are different, so the value is naturally different. Moreover, this is a fishing port. More people naturally means higher value. The number of people surviving based on this fishing port will only increase, so the local land will only become more valuable."

"This is too different from before. We haven't even started doing anything and we have to spend 20,000 yuan. What if we can't get the loan?"

Ye Yaodong thought that since it had reached this point, he had to persuade him no matter what.

"Regardless of whether we can get the loan or not, being able to buy the land is worth it. In the future, when living standards improve, everyone will definitely have higher pursuits, and the land will naturally become more valuable."

"I don't know what else to say. Anyway, being able to buy a piece of land for 20,000 yuan and then getting a loan is so worth it."

"That interest-free loan is practically the state giving away money, and Shen Ming'e has also clearly said she would walk us through the back door to arrange the fishing boat. For me, there's nothing to hesitate about."

"If I keep 20,000 yuan in my hand, it won't increase, but by utilizing it like this, it can multiply I don't know how many times."

"If you trust me, buy it if you can listen to me. But I have to say the ugly things first: if you buy the land and aren't there locally, it's easy to be encroached upon. Don't blame me when that happens."

"If you buy this piece of land you're looking at now, you'd better spread the word that it's been mortgaged to the government. Only then will people be afraid to mess with it."

"I'm buying a trash dump, so I don't have to worry too much."

After Ye Yaodong finished speaking, he let him think about it alone. He followed the person to handle the procedures first. After finishing the procedures, he still had to bring the money home to pay, and then go to register.

After hearing this, Ah Guang didn't make a decision and only said he wanted to think about it.

Ye Yaodong didn't bother him either. 20,000 yuan wasn't a small amount; he had to think it through himself before making a decision.

That day, he ran back and forth several times. After finishing the land registration procedures, he also received the stamped document, which had the government's seal and the Land Bureau's seal.

Right now, these were all very rudimentary. Once there were improvements in the future, he would come back to exchange them for a booklet.

This piece of paper was also of utmost importance. He folded it again and again and locked it securely in a password box. When Shen Ming'e needed it, he would take it out.

The matter of the house hadn't been settled yet, but he wasn't worried. If he couldn't buy it, he couldn't buy it. Anyway, he already had the land. He would go find Shen Ming'e the next day to ask.

He hadn't gone out to sea for the past two days, so he wanted to seize the time to get this matter implemented. Getting it done early meant he could settle the boat early, and then he could deliver the cargo early.

When he went to find Shen Ming'e the next day, Ah Guang didn't accompany him because he was still struggling with whether or not to buy the land.

Rationally, he knew Ye Yaodong wouldn't lie to him, but it still exceeded his expectations. 20,000 wasn't a small amount, so he still had to consider it.

Ye Yaodong didn't bother him either and went to handle his own affairs.

Shen Ming'e was also very happy to see him come over.

"If you didn't come, I would have gone to find you tomorrow. It's been several days; how are things going with your house and land?"

"I spent 20,000 yuan to buy a piece of land. There's no news about the house yet, so I came over to ask first. Is it okay to have land to tidy up?"

"It should be no problem. You are the vice president of the two-city Fisheries Association, have an identity recognized by the Ocean Bureau, the certificate also has the Ocean Bureau's seal, and you are also an activist for joining the Party. There are preferential treatments for this. I asked; it's okay even without land, but if you have land, it's estimated that you can be loaned more."

Ye Yaodong's eyes lit up. "Can I be loaned even more?"

"Yes, I asked for you before. Didn't you ask me to ask if you could guarantee for your other friends? The leader said no; since they are all from out of town, they won't be approved for loans."

"But if you want to borrow more, that's fine because you have proof of identity and proof of assets, like that land purchase contract, fishing boat purchase contract, etc. These are all proofs of assets."

Ye Yaodong was expectant. "Then how much can I be loaned at most?"

"200,000, at most. If you have a factory supported by the government, then you can add more."

"Damn, I have that too!" he said excitedly.

This time, it was Shen Ming'e's turn to widen her eyes. "Ah?"

She was just saying it casually.

"You also have a factory supported by the government?"

"I have a lighter factory in Wenzhou that I partnered with a friend on, and I also have a 13-mu factory in my hometown city."

"13 mu of land!" Shen Ming'e's voice rose, startling everyone in the entire bank.

She immediately smiled awkwardly at the others and waved her hand to indicate she was fine.

"Really or fake? This can't be faked, you know. The bank has to audit the proof; you have to have actual stamped proof."

Ye Yaodong frowned silently. "Need actual stamped proof? Then I really can't get it right now. I can't fly back."

If he asked someone to handle it, it probably wouldn't be that easy. That 13-mu land of his could only be considered a workshop; he didn't dare to make it big. Just now, he was just blurting out a boast.

He didn't know if Fang Jingfu's side could work.

Shen Ming'e looked at him with bright eyes. "How are you so capable? Comparing you to them, my brothers are all useless."

"Hehe... can't say it like that."

Ye Yaodong didn't make any more pretentious rebuttals; his mind was already thinking about the arrangements after getting the 200,000.

Spending 100,000 to order a fresh-catch collection boat of about 40 meters should be more than enough.

The remaining 100,000 could be utilized to invest in the boat hands ordering boats, or he could simply order them himself.

Order 5 more like the Dongsheng, and from the 20-plus workers he had on hand, pick 5 who were honest and a bit older to give 10% of the shares as boat captains.

As for the other boat hands who wanted to get their own fishing boats after the new year, those who had ideas could go ahead. He would persuade Lin Xiuqing to take money from home to support them in buying shares, just like the plan he thought of on the boat when he came back the night before last.

Anyway, there were hundreds of thousands of yuan at home, and he could earn at least 100,000 to 200,000 in the next two months.

So much money definitely had to be utilized.

And besides buying boats, he didn't have any better ideas. Now wasn't the best time to buy houses or land.

Buying a little when encountering an opportunity was fine, but the general market didn't support him using all his money to buy.

Buying boats didn't have an impact, and they were value-preserving and could create more value, allowing him to multiply several times in the short term.

He just liked this feeling of steadily earning money. If he bought a large amount of land, it would be useless if he couldn't guard it.

And because he only supported buying boats as big as the Dongsheng, he wouldn't support small trawlers. He had enough of those. In this way, there would be fewer boat hands buying boats to work independently next year.

His manpower could also be connected—the old leading the new.

After all, that boat would cost 20,000 to 30,000. Even if he injected half the capital, they would still have to find brothers or relatives to partner with.

But the speed at which the Dongsheng earned money couldn't be compared to ordinary fishing boats. Everyone was here, and they could all understand how much money small boats could sell every day.

They would all compare in their hearts how big a boat was worth buying, and big boats weren't easily phased out.

Then, he would take money to order fishing boats here in Zhoushan. The workers would definitely have to go back at the end of the year to discuss with their families. At that time, they would definitely order them in the county or city.

If the quantity wasn't large, they could all be delivered in the second half of the year, and they wouldn't be unable to be built.

Or the cousins who rented his boats might be more able to come up with money. After all, they split half, while boat hands only had a fixed salary, and that boat cost 20,000 to 30,000.

The cousins had more hope, and his capital injection could also be considered helping relatives.

He thought this was the best plan. He could fully utilize the interest-free loan funds to create the greatest benefits for himself.

After a few years, when the fishing boats with his capital injection were redeemed by them one after another, he would have earned enough, and it would be just the right time to order 40-meter boats again to build a team.

By then, for him, there would be no pressure on funds, and shipbuilding technology would be on a higher level.

Right now, letting him pay to build 40-meter boats still had a certain amount of pressure, and he couldn't build many. It wouldn't be cost-effective if it wasn't enough for a fleet.

It was better to just collect cargo with the fresh-catch collection boat here; it was more profitable.

Ye Yaodong lowered his head and thought for a long time. Shen Ming'e saw that he was thinking about things, so she didn't make a sound and waited quietly for him to finish thinking.

Just seeing that he seemed immersed in his thoughts and wouldn't be able to come back to his senses easily, she went to get him a copy of the interest-free loan contract first to help him write the application.

Anyway, he was definitely going to borrow, and the leader had no problem with his loan. Now, she would write the contract first and let him bring the proof later. Once the leader looked at it and there was no problem, the loan could be released.

Ye Yaodong sorted out the thoughts in his mind. After he was roughly clear, he wanted to tell Shen Ming'e to borrow 200,000 first.

After all, the current idea was like this; who knew if it would change in a while, or if there would be a better plan? Plans couldn't keep up with changes.

Anyway, being able to get an interest-free loan of 200,000 first, get it in hand first.

Maybe this loan would still be available next year?

Or after he returned home, maybe there would be an interest-free loan there too?

This policy promulgated by the state should be unified across the country, right?

Then after he went back, he could fleece the interest-free loan there again. Don't take this kind of welfare if you don't take it; anyway, as long as he paid it back.

It didn't have to be just staring at this side to fleece; doing an interest-free loan there might be even simpler.

Just as he turned his head to speak, she was already writing the application form.

"Hey, already writing?"

"Yes, seeing you thinking about things, I didn't disturb you. Anyway, this is definitely okay for you, and you are going to borrow, so I'll write it for you first. You sign it first, and later bring the proof of land purchase, the proof of the fishing boat, and your ID card for me to copy. I'll submit it for audit together."

"Okay, thank you."

She was quite understanding, knowing he was thinking about things and not disturbing him. However, he didn't praise her out loud, lest she think he was flirting.

He was so handsome; what if she really had ideas about him?

Ye Yaodong looked at the application form she pushed over and read it very carefully from beginning to end. Fortunately, he wasn't illiterate, otherwise, it would be a joke.

After there was no problem, he signed his big name and pressed his handprint.

"Is that it? I'll go back later to bring all the proof materials to copy?"

"Yes, bring them over to copy later. The identity proof issued by your village is also needed, and the certificate of the two-province Fisheries Association is also needed, so I can submit them together. After the audit is passed, I'll go to your house to find you to sign, and then just wait for the loan to be released."

"Understood."

Anyway, anything that could add weight to him and prove his identity, just bring it all over to copy.

"By the way, why are you the only one here today? Where is your friend? Is he not borrowing?"

"Didn't we think at first that we could just apply? Now, because he's from out of town, he needs proof of assets, land and house mortgage, and has to spend his own capital first, so he's a bit hesitant."

"That can't be helped. Who told him to be from out of town? He doesn't have as many identities as you to prove, nor as many assets. Just that cargo ship of yours is worth more than 100,000. This is the capital that allows you to borrow 200,000."

"Hmm, anyway, let him consider."

"It's a pity. I think this is quite good. Your thinking is too backward. Loans abroad are too normal, and they all require interest. Here, we don't need interest now; it's interest-free. It's just thinking too much. Just getting the real benefits is enough. It will definitely be very common in the future."

"Yes, I think so too. Just getting the real benefits is enough. They are just too backward in their thinking. Once this village is passed, maybe there won't be this shop."

"Definitely. How can it always be interest-free? But not many people listen to me. They all think I'm young and what I say can't be listened to. Everyone is just too feudal."

Ye Yaodong laughed.

There were many uneducated people in the older generation, and their thinking was backward. How could the young people in the new generation have the confidence to take out loans?

Now, news spread slowly and wasn't that well-informed.

Otherwise, how could only a small number of people with flexible brains soar with this interest-free loan?

Shen Ming'e had studied abroad, so it was normal for her thinking to be more open.

She smiled at him again and said, "Okay, hurry home to get the materials to copy. I'll handle it for you today and submit it."

"Okay, then you wait here for a while. I ride a bicycle very fast."

At first, he didn't know if it could be handled immediately, so he didn't bring them. Anyway, going back and forth wasn't troublesome.

He ran back and forth, and by the time it was noon and time to get off work, he had just finished handling the application matters. It could be considered efficient.

He bought the land yesterday and applied for the interest-free loan today. Next, he had to wait for the application to be passed, sign to confirm there were no errors, and then wait for the loan to be released.

When he hummed a song and went home, everyone could see he was in a good mood.

"Brother Dong, in such a good mood, did you pick up money?"

"You even know that." Ye Yaodong said with a smile.

Wasn't it picking up money? And picking up 200,000 at once! Converted to fishing boats, that was one 40-meter one, and four 24-meter ones!

So cool!

Taking advantage of having time in the afternoon, after eating, he would go to the shipyard to order the fishing boats, letting Captain Shen arrange the earliest possible delivery date that could be managed in advance.

Then, once the bank released the loan, he would immediately let the bank remit it to the shipyard's public account.

He didn't know if there was a public account number. State-run shipyards like this should have one, right?

He didn't have this experience. In the county shipyard back home, they all carried cash back and forth.

He could go ask in the afternoon, which would also save him from carrying the money in his hand; the risk was too great.

Now the largest denomination was still 10 yuan. The 100-yuan bill hadn't been issued yet; it wouldn't be officially issued until 1988, and then it would be widely circulated in the market.

If this were 200,000 in "Big Unity" notes, he didn't know if a password box could hold it.

The original 30,000-plus yuan at home already filled a whole box, with Big Unity notes and a pile of small change.

Yesterday, he counted 20,000 in Big Unity notes to buy land, taking all the large notes out directly. Now, there were mostly small denominations, which also looked like a big box.

He estimated that when the New Year came, he would have to use a sack to carry the money back.

"Really picked up money? Then shouldn't you add a meal?"

"Do I usually feed you less?"

"The meaning of windfall is different. People all say that if you pick up money, you should spend it immediately so you can continue to pick it up in the future."

"Makes sense. Fortunately, I can spend it all immediately after picking it up."

"Haha, so you were joking."

"Time to eat!" ===== CHAPTER 1291 =====