Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1272 Abandoning Liu Yu and Joining Chu Qiaonan, Vietnamese Businessmen Arrive in Beijing (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
"After discussing the methods and conditions we proposed, Liu Yu believed they were feasible. However, there were still some risks involved. Therefore, she hoped that while we maintained confidentiality, we could also obtain assurances from government officials that the cooperation would be conducted under conditions of absolute secrecy."

That afternoon, after the contract with the Ministry of Public Security was signed, in Fang Yan's study, Lao Hu's assistant, Xiao Lin, relayed the news from Hong Kong.

"Absolutely confidential?" Fang Yan stroked his chin, pondering the word.

Old Hu said from the side:
"Where in the world can you find a business activity that is absolutely confidential? If someone is determined to cause trouble, they can definitely find out. They can confirm the suspicion by comparing the drugs on the Hong Kong market. Once there is suspicion, there is a lot of room for manipulation. Who knows if we leaked the secret or if they just have suspicions?"

"I don't think they can sell it there with 100% top secret status; that claim is definitely wrong!"

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Well, this is actually easy to understand. To put it bluntly, they don't want to take any risks at all. If anything goes wrong, it's our own problem."

"That woman's abacus beads are practically hitting my face..."

Old Hu slapped the armrest of his chair and said:

Where in the world can you find such an advantage?

“She’s not the only channel I have, so I’m not going to cooperate with her.”

Fang Yan looked up at him and asked:
"Are there other channels?"

Old Hu smiled and reminded him:
"You forgot, we are the largest shareholder of B shares!"

Fang Yan paused, then exclaimed, "That's right!"

Chu Qiaonan is from Taiwan, isn't he? His father still has a business in Taiwan.

“That woman Liu Yu has no vision; she’s unwilling to take any risks. I think it would be better to find Chu Qiaonan. That way, they’re family, and he has a famous doctor father there. Using that name, they might be able to do better business than Liu Yu did using Xiao Peng’s name to start a company,” Old Hu said to Fang Yan.

Fang Yan thought for a moment and said:
"Then let's inform Chu Qiaonan and ask him to come over and discuss it."

Then Fang Yan called Chu Qiaonan directly, briefly explaining that he wanted to discuss business matters. Chu Qiaonan responded quickly:

"Okay, I'll be right there."

Half an hour later, Chu Qiaonan arrived.

Fang Yan pointed to the chair next to the desk, gesturing for him to sit down. Lao Hu then got up and poured Chu Qiaonan a cup of cold tea, handing it to him: "Drink some water first to calm your nerves. It's about expanding our health product distribution channels... The cooperation we discussed with Liu Yu in Hong Kong has fallen through."

"It's fallen through?" Chu Qiaonan took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp, her smile fading. "Did something go wrong? I remember saying the day before yesterday that her channels were quite reliable."

Fang Yan explained in detail Liu Yu's requirement for "absolute confidentiality guaranteed by the government" and the two people's concerns. At the end, he added, "She wants to push all the risks onto us and reap the benefits herself. There's no need to continue this kind of short-sighted cooperation."

Upon hearing this, Chu Qiaonan slammed her teacup on the table in anger: "This is too much! So just because she's precious, we have to bear all the risks for her? Do you really think we have no other way to go without her?"

"That's why we asked you to come here." Old Hu chuckled and patted Chu Qiaonan on the shoulder. "Have you forgotten? You're the largest shareholder of our company's B shares, your family's business in Taiwan is thriving, and your mentor, Mr. Zhou Zuoyu, is a leading figure in the Taiwanese TCM community. Isn't this a ready-made channel?"

Chu Qiaonan nodded: "My father has businesses in Taipei and Kaohsiung, and my master also has two Chinese medicine clinics. He usually has dealings with local government agencies and businesses, and many people in the political and business circles seek his medical advice. Opening up the Taiwan market should not be a problem!"

“That’s what we think too.” Fang Yan nodded, took out several product brochures from the drawer and pushed them in front of Chu Qiaonan. “Take a look. These are some preliminary plans we’ve made for the Taiwan market. These products should have a market.”

Chu Qiaonan picked up the documents and carefully looked through them.

Then he said to the dialect:

“Brother Fang, there’s nothing wrong with the product, and there’s nothing wrong with our distribution channels, but I think there’s a big problem with this business model.”

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Okay, you know about the situation in Taiwan, tell me about it."

Chu Qiaonan put down the product brochure, his expression grave: "Brother Fang, the product's efficacy is absolutely top-notch, but my family's business in Taiwan and my master's clinic are both in the open. Taiwan is still under martial law, and mainland products are classified as 'bandit goods,' sold directly through my family's channels..." He made a throat-slitting gesture, "If we're discovered, my father's assets will be seized, my master's clinic's signboard will be smashed, and he might even be summoned to the police headquarters for questioning!"

Fang Yan nodded.

Chu Qiaonan continued:
“Look at this approval process,” he said, pointing to the production standards on the document. “Taiwan’s Department of Health requires imported drugs to provide an origin inspection report. Our mainland background makes it impossible to get through the official channels! Even if we force our way in, we can only operate on a small scale in the black market, and we could be reported at any time.”

"The more troublesome issue is money! Taiwan keeps a close eye on cross-border capital flows. Even if you do make money, to launder it and remit it back to the mainland, you have to go through several underground banks. If you're lucky, you'll get a 30% cut in the process; more likely, you'll lose your principal!"

He said in dialect:

"We can do it the way we planned before."

Chu Qiaonan didn't know many of the details, so he asked:
"how to do?"

He said in dialect:

"First, register a shell company called 'Baozhitang Pharmaceutical' in Hong Kong, and print traditional Chinese characters and label all product packaging as 'Made in Hong Kong'; second, have your father's trading company apply for imports from Taiwan under the name of 'Hong Kong-funded enterprise'; third—have your master claim to the outside world that this is his improved 'Zhou Family Ancient Formula'!"

“Your family is responsible for the channel risk, so you can take more of the profits. Your mentor provides credit endorsement, so he can also take a portion. We’ll discuss and decide on this ratio.” After saying this, Fang Yan looked at Lao Hu, who nodded in agreement with Fang Yan’s method.

He said:
"We will definitely need to appease various forces in this process. We can offer more concessions in the early stages as a form of payment for our efforts. Later, as more products are introduced, we will increase our profits and start making money then."

Hearing Fang Yan and Lao Hu say this, Chu Qiaonan had nothing more to say and nodded in agreement.

Said:

“I’ll contact my dad now. As for my master… we’ll have to have someone contact him from somewhere else.”

Fang Yan and the others knew there must be some nuance involved, so they nodded in agreement.

"What did Liu Yu say?" Chu Qiaonan asked Fang Yan and the others as she left.

"What if she doesn't end up working with us and then tries to sabotage us by betraying us? That would be..."

Fang Yan waved his hand and said:
"Don't worry, I'll send a telegram to Old Tang, and he'll handle things for us."

Fang Yan believed that Liu Yu wouldn't want to cause trouble given the methods of Fifth Senior Brother and Elder Tang.

After the matter was discussed, everyone went back to doing their own thing.

At 4 p.m. that day, Fang Yan received a phone call informing him that the plane carrying overseas Chinese from Vietnam had landed at the Capital Airport and that a welcoming party would be held that evening, but not at the Yanjing Hotel, but at the Minzu Hotel.

Fang Yan, as a member of the hosting team, went to attend the party.

After receiving the notification, he set off immediately. It would take at least forty minutes to drive from here to the Minzu Hotel. He was accompanied by Cui Jingyi, the dean of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Xiao Maozi Anton, acting as the driver and secretary of the dialect group, traveled together.

The three of them drove towards the Minzu Hotel.

Upon arriving at the hotel, we found that red lanterns had been hung up early in the evening. Under the setting sun, a banner reading "Warmly Welcome Overseas Chinese Compatriots Returning from Vietnam" was displayed. Unlike the previous welcomes for other overseas Chinese businessmen, this one exuded a simple yet sincere warmth.

The staff in the reception team immediately came over to greet Fang Yan and Dean Cui when they saw them.

"Director Liao has made all the arrangements. Please wait here for a while. The overseas Chinese businessmen from Vietnam will arrive by car. After our people present the flowers, they will come over in a row. Please shake hands here, and we have someone to introduce them to you..."

The staff explained the details of the day to Fang Yan and the others. At that moment, they saw that photographers were already being set up next to them, and CCTV cameras were also being prepared there.

Well, I'm going to be on TV today!
About twenty minutes later, the bus adorned with red ribbons stopped in front of the red carpet at the entrance.

The sound of gongs and drums began, and the staff of the Minzu Hotel started shouting, "Welcome, welcome! A warm welcome!"

Overseas Chinese businessmen began to get off the bus. Most of them were dressed fairly well, but they looked tired. Many of them were clutching bulging cloth bags tightly in their hands, and their eyes showed bewilderment at the unfamiliar environment.

Amidst the lively welcome, they seemed more nervous and clearly at a loss.

Dean Cui, standing to the side, said to Fang Yan:

"These people are obviously terrified over there. I heard that many people have been robbed before."

Fang Yan nodded and said:

"Yes, I've seen reports about that place in the newspapers..."

The first car had fewer people, and Director Liao and his entourage accompanied them. The second car had more people, and as soon as the car stopped, Fang Yan could see a sea of ​​heads.

When these people came down, their clothes were clearly quite worn.

It's highly likely that they are among the people who suffered even more.

Then the welcoming ceremony began. Director Liao led a group of people inside and shook hands with Fang Yan and the others in the welcoming team.

CCTV photographers carried their equipment and followed behind the crowd, filming these scenes.

By the time the last returned overseas Chinese entered the Minzu Hotel, the setting sun had already sunk behind the distant buildings, and the streetlights were turning on one by one.

They followed Fang Yan into the ethnic restaurant.

At this moment, Director Liao inside has begun to recount the disasters experienced by these overseas Chinese businessmen to the camera.

PS: I've gained another 200 monthly votes, so I still owe you 30000 words after finishing this chapter.

That's all for this month, let's continue next month.

(End of this chapter)