Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1180 The Last Frenzy of the Fritillaria Season

Chen Hongjun can be considered another mentor to Li Long.

Chen Hongjun and Li Xiangqian played a crucial role in Li Long's own development.

He still remembers how Chen Hongjun, when he was the head of the state-owned purchasing station, bought his goods. The price was not low, and the evaluation was high.

When Chen Hongjun left after the purchasing station closed, he not only taught him some methods for grading materials, but also introduced him to purchasing agents like Jia Tianlong and Zhao Hui.

It's fair to say that without Chen Hongjun's help, Li Long's purchasing station wouldn't have been able to operate so smoothly, and he wouldn't be making so much money now.

Of course, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement, because one of the most important reasons Chen Hongjun was able to be promoted to station chief is that Li Long provides him with a lot of good stuff every year, enabling him to exceed his quota.

Of course, Li Long also witnessed Chen Hongjun's mundane and even somewhat impoverished life after he was transferred to Beiting. At that time, Chen Hongjun was no longer the cheerful and talkative man he had been in Ma County, and even his smiles seemed somewhat forced.

Of course, things are different now. Chen Hongjun now has a ruddy complexion and a loud voice, which shows that the purchasing station has been doing well recently.

"I've been wanting to come for a while now," Chen Hongjun said with a smile, sitting in the reception room. "But I've been just too busy lately, collecting hides and miscellaneous goods, and dealing with inspections and visits..."

"Visiting? You were used as a role model over there?" Li Long asked in surprise.

"Yeah, just like you thought. Since we're in this line of work, which is a supplement to the socialist public economy, and the country has given us such good conditions, we should pay our taxes properly when we make money."

Although my purchasing station isn't large, it pays relatively well in taxes compared to other stations in the city. So, the higher-ups use me as a model, and businesses and owners frequently come to visit.

Chen Hongjun said this with a hint of pride. As someone within the system, he naturally knew that having someone protecting him made things go smoothly.

"Are you done with your work now?" Li Long asked.

"Yeah, I took a break. Mainly because the fritillaria season has started, and I probably won't be able to rest for the next month. Although my scale can't compare to yours, I can still harvest three to five tons a month."

Listen to that, three to five tons!

Even at the unified purchase price, three to five tons of dried fritillaria bulbs would generate hundreds of thousands of yuan in income!
Think back to when Chen Hongjun first started his purchasing station last year, tens of thousands of yuan already felt like a lot of money.

It must have been during this winter that I underwent a transformation; I earned more money and became more confident.

“I have officially resigned.” Chen Hongjun told Li Long another piece of news: “Several people in our unit who were on unpaid leave went back to work at the beginning of this year. Their business failed, but at least they had the unit to support them.”

I was the only one who resigned directly. Actually, I had some conflicts with my colleagues and a few leaders in the past. You know, I was a leader before, and then suddenly I became a regular employee, so naturally there was a psychological gap.

Looking back now, I realize I was a bit naive before last year. When I was about to resign, my superiors and colleagues actually tried to persuade me to stay, saying that it wasn't really necessary, that the company would cover for me, and that I could come back if things didn't go well in the future.

But I know I like what I'm doing now, and I don't want to do anything ambiguous. Since I've started, I'll dedicate myself to it wholeheartedly…

Chen Hongjun took a sip of tea and smiled at Li Long, saying:
"Of course, it's also because I've made money. The money I've earned in this year is equivalent to my salary for several decades. I have the confidence to say that."

"But things might change in the future." Li Long, thinking about the current situation, couldn't help but pour some cold water on his enthusiasm. "Old Chen, you know about the Tiandong Forestry Bureau, right?"

"Forestry Bureau? You mean the Forestry Bureau that's about to be established?"

"Yes."

"What... is wrong?"

"The law enforcement powers that originally belonged to the forest rangers in the Forestry Bureau have been handed over to the newly established Forest Police," Li Long said. "In other words, forest rangers will no longer be able to confiscate medicinal herbs from illegal herb collectors."

The newly established forest police will crack down on illegal activities such as medicinal herb collection and poaching.

Li Long didn't continue speaking, but Chen Hongjun's expression changed slightly.

The purchasing station can make money, and two major sources of raw materials are indispensable: hides and medicinal herbs.

Now that the forest police have entered the area, even a fool knows what that means.

Herb gatherers' activities were officially declared illegal, and hunting was also strictly controlled. Of course, at present they were only being advised, but later they could go to jail.

"So we need to take advantage of this last hurrah season to collect as many fritillaria bulbs as possible, save up some funds, and then look for the next more profitable commodity," Li Long said. "This year, we need to build up a solid foundation at least."

Chen Hongjun was initially a little disappointed, but after Li Long said that, he realized that worrying and being afraid were useless. Only by making money could he have the confidence to continue operating the purchasing station.

Of course, it's not that we can't get fritillaria bulbs anymore, but rather that there are fewer of them. There will definitely still be herb gatherers; there are so many resources in the mountains and so many mountain passes that the police can't possibly shut them all down. But these will be considered gray market activities from now on.

Li Long is expanding overseas, importing leather from abroad, which is also a continuation of this business.

But even so, it cannot continue in the long term, because in about ten years, the leather market will shrink drastically.

By then, there will still be a market for mid-to-high-end leathers, but in the low-end market, sheepskins will no longer be available.

Therefore, there is a specific focus of acquisitions in each period. Li Long was not in this industry in his previous life and was not very clear about it. He only understood it after he came into contact with it in this life.

Although he was not an expert in the field before, he was able to guess some market trends from market changes, which served as a reference for his next steps.

Fortunately, he can still continue to acquire antelope horns. China began restricting import and export volumes in 1990, and only officially banned their use in 2008, along with pangolin scales and other items.

In other words, he can stockpile more over the next two years. As for selling, he can take his time and gradually unload the stock.

He planned to stockpile as long as he could buy it from Liu Shanmin. As for the customs controlling the import and export volume two years later—it was just a control, not a ban on imports.

As long as you submit a legal customs declaration, it's worth it, even if you have to pay high tariffs.

Li Long was thinking here, while Chen Hongjun was frowning with some worry.

Having run a state-owned purchasing station for so many years, he was adept at handling the quality, grading, and pricing of all sorts of goods.

However, he really wasn't sure about the market prospects and policy control.

After all, he had only worked at the private purchasing station for a year, and during that year he mostly acted as the manager at the counter. Unlike Li Long, who had an easy job and could even study policies.
Over the course of the year, he realized that fritillaria and leather were the main products, while other miscellaneous items were merely icing on the cake.

If fritillaria and leather become difficult to purchase, how can this purchasing station continue to develop?

However, Chen Hongjun only worried for a moment before smiling and saying:

"There's always a way out! Our northern Xinjiang is so vast, there's bound to be something good that the people here will want. To be honest, if I hadn't partnered with you to open a purchasing station, I wouldn't have known that fritillaria could rise so much in price."

So, things will always take a turn for the better. Let's all think about it, explore different avenues, and see what's easy to buy and sell. When we're in business, things can't always go smoothly, right?

“Yes, yes, Old Chen, you’re really optimistic,” Li Long said with a smile. “That’s exactly right. We have plenty of good things in Northern Xinjiang; we’ll always find something suitable to sell.”

Besides, we can contact the forestry police. They'll need to find a place to put the confiscated fritillaria bulbs; they can't just destroy them, can they?

Chen Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "I understand. I know some people in Beiting. Okay, I know how to handle this."

With that topic over, Li Long started talking about cars.

He told Chen Hongjun that the fritillaria season was over, which was also a reminder that he had his own plans. Kazakhstan would not start protecting it until the beginning of the next century, so he could get his hands on furs and antelope horns by the end of this century.

The closer the relationship with Liu Shanmin, the easier it will be to obtain these resources.

Moreover, Li Long himself wasn't that greedy. As long as he could use the US dollars he had to hoard a large amount of resources after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he could live off his savings until they ran out—oh, that's not the right idiom, but that's roughly the idea.

“I spend more time in Beiting City, so I think I'll drive this Moskva. Actually, I quite like the Volga, even a slightly used one is fine.”

When it comes to cars, Chen Hongjun doesn't know much about them; he just felt that the Lada didn't quite suit his taste based on its appearance.

As for the GAZ truck, he didn't go up the mountain often, and felt that a sedan suited his taste better. "Ten thousand yuan, you can drive it," Li Long said. "All the paperwork is in the car. You can drive, right?"

"I can drive, I can drive. How could I not know how to drive?" Chen Hongjun said with a smile. "Actually, before I came, I practiced driving with someone after get off work, otherwise I wouldn't have dared to come like this. Ten thousand yuan, isn't that cheap?"

“We’re practically family, aren’t we? It’s just that you missed the first batch. Otherwise, if you had bought them as scrap cars in the first batch, I would have given you the five thousand yuan. But those cars don’t have the paperwork, so you’ll have to figure out how to get it yourself.”

"Then forget it, this one is fine. I'll try it out first..." Chen Hongjun rubbed his hands together, eager to give it a go.

"Try driving it around the yard. If you think it's okay, you can drive it back after lunch."

“Sure,” Chen Hongjun said. “By the way, I also called Lao Zhong. He’ll treat us. It’s been a long time since the three of us got together.”

"Hey, to be honest, it's been a long time since I sat with him. I've eaten at his place quite a few times, though; it's much less risky there than here."

"That's right, no matter how things change, we still have to eat." Chen Hongjun said this before unlocking the car door and getting in.

Although they've been busy cleaning fritillaria bulbs lately, Sun Jiaqiang and Liang Shuangcheng still clean the cars parked in the yard every day.

This way, at least people who come to buy a car will feel better seeing a clean vehicle.

Chen Hongjun originally planned to drive around the backyard a couple of times, but he found the racks for drying fritillaria bulbs in the backyard to be in the way, so he simply drove out.

Li Long was worried that something might happen to him while driving, so he hurriedly followed him out, only to find that there were more than twenty people lined up in the front yard.

During this season, the purchasing station becomes very lively, with people carrying large and small bags, riding bicycles or driving tractors.

Fan Mingcheng was also there; his GAZ truck was parked outside, and he was chatting with a familiar dealer.

Seeing Li Long rush out, he asked:
"Mr. Li, was that Station Master Chen driving just now?"

Fan Mingcheng was a middleman who knew Chen Hongjun even earlier than Li Long.

“Yeah,” Li Long replied casually.

"He bought a car too? That's impressive! Did he open a car recycling station in Beiting as well?"

"Yes, that's right." Li Long said and then went out.

The peddler who was chatting with Chen Hongjun started late and didn't know who Station Chief Chen was, so he asked Fan Mingcheng.

"Old stationmaster, you guys don't know this, do you? This yard of Boss Li's purchasing station used to belong to the county state-owned purchasing station. Back then, Stationmaster Chen, who was driving the car just now, was the stationmaster here..."

Fan Mingcheng recounted the local anecdotes, intentionally or unintentionally showcasing his seniority.

Of course he has the right to do so. As the first and currently only person among the middlemen who frequent this place to buy a car, he certainly does.

Li Long strode out of the purchasing station, watched the Muscovites slowly driving along the road, and suddenly smiled.

What's wrong with me? Old Chen is so much older than me. When I was still a young man, he was already the manager of the recycling station.

In terms of composure, I can't even come close to him. Even if it were my first time driving on the road, I certainly wouldn't be so impatient.

I don't even know what I'm worried about.

The main streets and roads in Ma County are generally square. Chen Hongjun circled around Tuanjie Road and Wenhua Road, forming a grid, and then returned.

Chen Hongjun drove to the entrance of the purchasing station but didn't go in. He turned off the engine, got out of the car, locked the doors, and said to Li Long, who was waiting at the door:
“There are too many people in the yard, so I won’t drive in. I’ll take this car. Hey, you’ve made this purchasing station quite successful. There’s no such long queue when I was doing this.”

“Things weren’t this expensive back then,” Li Long chuckled. “Now the price of fritillaria has increased several times over, so everyone must be going crazy for it.”

He guessed that some people must have heard the news, which is why they rushed to do more this year, so that next year the people patrolling the mountains will not be forest rangers but forest police.

If a forest ranger catches a herb gatherer, at most they will confiscate the herbs; unless the circumstances are serious, they will not take the person back.

But the forest police are different; they have law enforcement power. They can arrest people and confiscate their belongings, and the lightest punishment is a fine, while a more serious offense could result in detention.

They can't be compared.

So some people plan to make a fortune this year, and then see how things go next year. If the situation is dire, they won't go into the mountains anymore.

We ate lunch at Zhong Guoqiang's large meat canteen. Zhong Guoqiang pretended to say that Li Long had become successful now and didn't come to visit him as often.

“Who said I wouldn’t come? Whenever my friends from Yili come over, I’ll come over here. It’s just that you’re busy and often not around.” Li Long smiled. “Come on, let’s have a drink.”

Zhong Guoqiang was just saying it casually; in reality, he was quite satisfied with Li Long. There are many privately owned restaurants now, but whenever Li Long's friends come over, he still brings them along, which makes Zhong Guoqiang very happy.

Don't think that state-owned enterprises don't care about performance at this time; they care a lot. Every now and then, Li Long would bring a group of people over for dinner, which was frankly like helping him boost his performance, so he was naturally happy.

The three of them reminisced about the past. Back then, Li Long was just a young lad, supplying meat to the canteen and the purchasing station, earning a meager living through hard work.

Now, Li Long has made a name for himself and has even started selling cars!

Li Long thought to himself, "It's only because you don't know the price of those two high-horsepower tractors that you're surprised."

After dinner, Chen Hongjun rested for a while, then drove back to Beiting, while Li Long received two more people in the afternoon.

Aili, the captain of the forestry team in Ma County, and Abulaiti, the captain of the forestry team in Hu County.

The two men who came to see Li Long had the same purpose as Chen Hongjun: to buy a car.

"Why is there only one left?" Ellie looked at the GAZ truck in the yard, somewhat unhappy—not specifically targeting Li Long, of course.

"Do you both want this car?" Li Long asked.

"Of course, we work in the forestry team. When a forestry station is established in the future, we might work there. We often have to go into the mountains, and this car is the only convenient option. If we used a sedan, the undercarriage would get scratched."

"Then we'll just have to wait for the next trip." Li Long had no choice. "Several jeeps came by ahead, but they were all bought by people from the Production and Construction Corps. They're like you, living on the northern sand dunes. They said the road conditions are bad, so driving a jeep would be more convenient."

"How long until the next trip?" Abu asked.

His relationship with Li Long wasn't as good as Ai Li's, so he didn't talk to him much. There was only one machine available, and it was obvious Ai Li would get it anyway, so he just waited.

“A week at most,” Li Long said. “Very quickly.”

“Then I’ll wait.” Ablat said with a smile when he heard it was only a week. “I’m quite busy in the mountains lately. A week should be enough.”

"Is something happening in the mountains?" Li Long had some guesses, but he couldn't be sure.

Beside the GAZ truck, with no one else around, Airi said:
“What else could it be? Collecting fritillaria bulbs from those people. After the forestry station is established, we definitely won't be able to do this anymore. If we don't make a big profit this year, we won't earn this much next year. By the way, how much is your car? I heard the good ones cost 20,000? This one is pretty new…”

“Others pay this price, but yours is different. Let’s make it 15,000,” Li Long said. “You guys have been so generous to me before, I can’t be stingy, right?”

"Li Long, you are our true friend!" A price reduction of five thousand at once—that's the price of a small four-wheeled tractor!
Moreover, this wasn't just Li Long making empty promises to gain an advantage; Ellie had inquired about it before coming over.

Airi was quite touched. He patted Li Long's arm and said, "When we go to the forestry station in the future, we might not have as much stock as before. But in this area of ​​the Northern Tianshan Mountains, our word still carries weight. If you need anything, come to me!"

“Me too!” Ablat quickly chimed in.

His net worth wasn't as much as Ai Li's, mainly because he had been heavily pressured to lower the price earlier, and by the time Li Long took over, the good times had already passed.

Li Long didn't care much. These two men had brought him a lot of wealth, so it was only right to sell them the car at a discount.

(End of this chapter)