Starting from the second day, Feng Yu had people load the goods from the warehouse onto the trucks. Then, in front of Kirilenko, he argued with several suppliers, as if he was working hard to get a better price for Kirilenko. In reality, Feng Yu was negotiating with them to see if they could delay payment until the goods arrived in Moscow.
A few of them gritted their teeth and agreed, but most of them argued with Feng Yu. It was their first collaboration, and the contract was clear; they had to follow it, which led to some heated arguments.
Seeing this, Kirilenko thought Feng Yu was really a good guy, willing to offend his own countrymen for his sake. He even thought about bringing some gifts for Feng Yu next time, not knowing that he had been tricked again.
Feng Yu achieved two goals: he noted down those who agreed, planning to work with them more in the future, and for those who disagreed, he would kick them out once he found replacements.
On the third day, all the goods were loaded onto the trucks, and Kirilenko handed a large bag of cash to Feng Yu.
Kirilenko said that carrying so much money back and forth was inconvenient, but setting up an international account was too troublesome, and it was difficult for him to withdraw money in China. Feng Yu immediately offered to help, suggesting that in the future, Kirilenko could transfer the money to him, and he would help load the goods onto the trucks.
Kirilenko hesitated and said he needed to think about it and would come back next month. The amount of money involved was significant, and Kirilenko had to be cautious. Next time, he would bring some people who understood trade and would sign a contract if possible.
As soon as Kirilenko left, Feng Yu's office was filled with people. The goods were already loaded, and according to the contract, payment was due within one day. It was time to pay up.
Feng Yu waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the bank!" For their first collaboration, he didn't want to delay or owe anyone. In the future, it would depend on who had the foresight.
With 450,000 rubles, they arrived at the Industrial and Commercial Bank, and the branch manager was immediately alerted. This was a big client, able to produce so much foreign currency at once.
Without hesitation, the bank handled it as a special case. If the bank didn't have enough cash, it wasn't a problem. Some of the supplier representatives said the money could be directly transferred to their company accounts, while others said they could accept foreign currency directly.
Accepting foreign currency directly? The branch manager absolutely refused. Foreign currency was valuable in those days. He immediately borrowed some cash from the provincial bank and exchanged all the rubles.
After those people left, the branch manager grabbed Feng Yu's hand and inquired where he had obtained the foreign currency.
Upon learning that Feng Yu had only helped the Russians with a one-time deal, the branch manager's enthusiasm waned. He had hoped to find a stable source of foreign currency.
Feng Yu leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs. "Manager Zhu, a stable source of foreign currency isn't impossible, but I have some procedural issues."
Manager Zhu immediately called for someone to bring Feng Yu a better cup of tea. "Mr. Feng, tell me what difficulties you have, and I'll see if I can help."
"I set up a company to do import and export trade. I have the sources and the market, but there's a problem. My company can only get the export license, and the import license procedures are difficult to obtain."
"I know the Director of the Foreign Economic and Trade Department, Li. I can introduce you, but all your company's accounts must go through our bank, and the monthly export earnings must not be less than 400,000 rubles."
Manager Zhu understood that Feng Yu, who had just said he was only doing a one-time deal, now had a company, indicating he had some connections, but they weren't very strong.
If he could generate a few million in foreign currency annually, Manager Zhu might be promoted from the city branch to the provincial branch. Even if not, the potential for manipulation was significant.
"That's a bit difficult, Manager Zhu. I can only guarantee that whatever rubles are in my account, you can take and exchange for RMB." Feng Yu didn't want to make promises lightly, as Kirilenko hadn't agreed yet.
"Alright, let's settle it. I'll arrange a dinner with Director Li tomorrow. The place will be..."
"How about the Huamei Western Restaurant? I'll make the reservation."
Manager Zhu's eyes lit up. Huamei's dishes were expensive, and Feng Yu was very considerate.
"Alright, let's make it 5 PM tomorrow."
When Feng Yu arrived to pick up Manager Zhu in a Lada, Manager Zhu couldn't help but look at him with even more respect. In those days, anyone who could afford an imported car must be very capable.
At 5 PM, Director Li's car arrived at the Huamei Western Restaurant on time. Manager Zhu walked quickly, shaking Director Li's hand enthusiastically.
Feng Yu, however, only extended one hand for a brief shake. Director Li's eyebrows furrowed; this young man was quite arrogant.
Fortunately, the restaurant pleased Director Li, and Feng Yu ordered all the signature dishes, such as salmon, lamb chops, and grilled shrimp.
After a while, Manager Zhu said, "Director Li, we need your help with the approval for Feng's company."
Director Li put down his wine glass and slowly said, "That's not easy. For export trade, the state encourages it, and I can help with the procedures. But for imports, it's more difficult."
"Director Li, the state's open policy encourages imports and exports. Although I'm importing, I'm enriching domestic products and improving the living standards of our people."
"Do you mean you're making a great contribution?"
Director Li's words were harsh and sarcastic. Feng Yu didn't mind; Manager Zhu was even more anxious. He had heard that Manager Zhu's foreign currency task for the year was also heavy, and he didn't believe he couldn't handle Director Li.
"Director Li, look at this People's Daily. Our country and the Soviet Union are in a period of thawing and restoring friendly relations. My clients can transport goods to Moscow by the carload, showcasing our country's development. As for imports, we need some things that we can't produce yet. If we buy them from the Soviet Union and study them, isn't that contributing to the modernization of our country?"
Director Li looked at the People's Daily, which clearly encouraged imports and exports, especially with the Soviet Union and the United States, and many cooperation agreements had been signed.
The coastal areas were leading the way, while the inland areas were under national economic regulation. But their province, located on the border, was in a very awkward position.
At yesterday's meeting, the provincial leaders required the Foreign Economic and Trade Department to focus on border trade, encouraging it to improve people's living standards. They also needed to come up with plans to ensure that several import and export companies would reach a certain turnover this year.
He was actually quite worried. Few people were doing trade with the Soviet Union. In the minds of the Chinese, the Soviet Union was the older brother. What did they need from us? The prices of Soviet industrial products were very high; how could they make money?
Manager Zhu then leaned in and whispered, "Director Li, help the younger brother this time. His bank still has a lot of foreign currency tasks to complete."
Director Li's earlier remarks were actually a strategy. He was eager for someone to do import trade, as it would help him report to his superiors, and he also had tasks.
"If you put it that way, I can consider it. How about this, Xiao Feng, come to my office tomorrow, and I'll discuss it at the meeting."
PS1: Three updates today, this is the first one. I updated late yesterday, but I still did. Please click and vote for recommendations to help me climb the new book chart in the category!