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The first batch of pagers produced by Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics has rolled off the production line.

The sample test results were excellent...

It has a stable signal, clear sound, and a stylish appearance, and it's only 1,500 yuan, which is 500 yuan cheaper than the cheapest domestic pager on the market.

Sales Director Li Xiao led his sales team to take immediate action, taking samples to various office buildings in Shenzhen to promote their products.

The results were surprisingly good.

In 1992, the average salary for white-collar workers in Shenzhen was between 500 and 1,000 yuan.

Imported BP motors cost four or five thousand yuan, while domestically produced ones cost two or three thousand yuan, making them a luxury for most people.

But at 1,500, it's affordable if you grit your teeth and buy it.

More importantly, the quality of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics' pagers is comparable to imported products, and they even have more comprehensive functions...

In addition to the regular number display, it also has a Chinese character display function, which can display simple Chinese character information.

In just half a month, the first batch of 1,000 pagers sold out.

The company suddenly had an extra 150 million yuan in cash.

Suning immediately ordered an expansion of production.

The number of production lines increased from one to three, and the number of workers increased from fifty to one hundred and fifty.

Production increased from fifty units per day to two hundred units per day.

Even so, demand still exceeds supply.

Orders came in like snowflakes, not only from local Shenzhen distributors, but also from Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan and other places, who came to us asking to become our distributors.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics' pagers are a hit.

Every day, trucks line up at the factory gate in Lanyuan Village, waiting to pick up goods.

The young people in the village are all proud to work at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics...

The salary is high and the benefits are good. I can earn four or five hundred yuan a month, which is much better than working in other places.

Huang Renfa was overjoyed.

The more successful Suning's factory is, the more tax revenue the village generates, the better the employment opportunities, and the more outstanding his political achievements become.

Huang Renfa now treats Suning like a god of wealth, giving them whatever they want and providing full support.

But some people were unhappy.

Huang Tianba.

In the office, Huang Tianba stared at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics pager in his hand, his face so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water.

This is something Awei just bought from the market; it cost him 1,500.

“Mr. Huang, this thing is selling like hotcakes.” Awei said cautiously, “Now almost every white-collar worker in Shenzhen has one. I heard that Shengang Electronics can sell five thousand units a month, with a gross profit of more than three million yuan.”

"More than three million a month?" Huang Tianba's eyes turned red.

He runs a building materials business, and after a year of hard work, he only earns a few million.

Suning, a mere upstart, can earn three million a month?

He couldn't swallow this insult.

"That piece of trash, Huang Xiaohu!" Huang Tianba slammed his pager to the ground. "He took 20,000 yuan, did absolutely nothing, and even got fired. Trash! They're all fucking trash!"

Awei dared not speak.

Huang Tianba paced back and forth in the office, panting heavily.

This time we lost both the wife and the army.

They paid a high price to snatch the equipment, but Suning turned around and got an even better one.

They tried to bribe Huang Xiaohu, but Huang Xiaohu was dismissed and the money wasn't returned...

Huang Xiaohu said the money was all spent and couldn't be refunded. Huang Tianba couldn't possibly cause trouble in Lanyuan Village over 20,000 yuan.

What's most infuriating is that Suning's business is booming.

This was even more painful for him than losing to Su Dahai back then.

Su Dahai was, after all, his old rival who had fought with him for more than ten years. Although he was unwilling to lose to Su Dahai, he could still accept it.

But what is Suning? A recent college graduate, barely out of school, has actually built up a business right under his nose.

If this gets out, where will Huang Tianba put his face?
"Mr. Huang, should we... think of another way?" Awei asked tentatively.

"What can you do?" Huang Tianba glared. "Now that their business is booming and their products are selling like hotcakes, what can you do? Smash their factory? That's illegal! Report them? They have all the necessary permits, what can you report?"

Awei shrank back, not daring to say anything more.

Huang Tianba calmed down, stared at the pager on the ground, and suddenly asked, "Is this thing technologically advanced?"

“Not high,” Awei said. “I had someone take it apart and look at it. It’s just a collection of electronic components assembled together. The chips are imported, but the other parts can be bought domestically. It’s mainly about design and assembly.”

"How much does it cost?"

"I heard it's seven or eight hundred," Awei said. "If it sells for 1,500, you can make 700 profit per unit."

Huang Tianba's eyes lit up.

Earning 700 per unit, selling 5,000 units a month would be 3.5 million, and over 40 million a year.

Why should Suning be the only one to reap such huge profits?
"Let's do it too!" Huang Tianba slammed his hand on the table.

"Making pagers?" Awei was taken aback. "Mr. Huang, we've never made electronic products before..."

“If we haven’t done it before, we’ll learn!” Huang Tianba said. “If Suning can do it, why can’t we? They have the equipment, and so do we—aren’t those equipment we bought from Hong Kong still sitting in the warehouse?”

"But... what about the technology?"

"Poach them!" Huang Tianba said. "Go to Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics. Offer them high salaries to poach their technicians and workers. Poach their sales staff too. A generous reward will surely attract brave men. I don't believe no one will come."

Awei hesitated, "Mr. Huang, this...this isn't quite right, is it? Openly poaching people, wouldn't that..."

"What do you mean, 'maybe'?" Huang Tianba sneered. "The business world is like a battlefield; everyone relies on their own abilities. If he can make pagers, so can we. If he can sell them for 1,500, we'll sell them for 1,300. Let's see who can outsell whom!"

"But we have no experience..."

"If you don't have experience, learn it!" Huang Tianba said impatiently. "Awei, go and do a few things right now: First, register a company called... Tianba Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. Second, organize all the equipment in the warehouse and find a place to build a factory. Third, poach people from Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics—technicians, workers, salespeople, we need them all. Offer double the salary, and we're not afraid they won't come."

“Yes…” Awei could only agree.

"And another thing," Huang Tianba added, "find a few engineers who understand electronics and hire them at high salaries. I refuse to believe that our business plan will be worse than Suning's."

"it is good."

After Awei left, Huang Tianba picked up the pager from the ground, wiped it, and put it on the table.

He looked at the little gadget with a cold gaze.

Suning, do you think you've won?
This is just the beginning.

If you can make pagers, so can I.

If you can sell it for 1,500, I'll sell it for 1,300.

If you can open up the market, I'll take your market.

Shenzhen is so big, there's no way you can eat the cake all by yourself.

Let's see who has the last laugh.

……

Huang Tianba moved very quickly.

A week later, Tianba Electronics Technology Co., Ltd. was registered with a registered capital of three million yuan, and Huang Tianba was the legal representative.

The factory was located in Longgang District, which is a bit far from Lanyuan Village, but the transportation is still relatively convenient.

The equipment is the same batch we bought from Hong Kong before: three pick-and-place machines, two testers, and one assembly line.

The next step is to poach talent.

Awei personally went to Lanyuan Village to poach talent, promising high salaries.

Workers at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics earn between 400 and 500 yuan a month.

Tianba Electronics offered high salaries ranging from 800 to 1,000 yuan, and promised to provide meals and accommodation, as well as year-end bonuses.

With such a generous reward, some people were indeed tempted.

The first person poached was a technician named Xiao Li, 25 years old, a vocational school graduate, who was responsible for equipment debugging at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics.

Tianba Electronics offered him a monthly salary of 1,200 yuan and promised to make him a technical supervisor.

Xiao Li couldn't resist the temptation and resigned to go to Tianba Electronics.

Then several skilled workers also switched jobs.

Two people from the sales team were also poached; Tianba Electronics offered them 10% higher commissions than Shengang Electronics.

When the news reached Suning, he was looking at the sales report.

"Master, that bastard Huang Tianba has started making his move," Afu reported. "He registered Tianba Electronics and is also making pagers. He poached five people from us, including one technician and four workers. Two people from our sales team have also been poached."

Su Ning put down the report and smiled, "Quickly. It seems Huang Tianba is determined to challenge me."

"Should we take measures?" Afu asked. "For example, raise wages to retain employees. Or, sue them for unfair competition."

“No need.” Su Ning shook his head. “People strive for better opportunities, and water flows downhill. It’s normal for workers to change jobs; there’s no need to stop them. As for unfair competition… there’s not enough evidence right now, so a lawsuit wouldn’t be of any use.”

“But Master, Huang Tianba is clearly targeting us. He’s poaching people, building factories, and making the same products, all to steal our market share.”

“I know,” Suning said, “but this is business competition, it’s normal. Shenzhen isn’t the only city making pagers; more manufacturers will come in the future. What we need to do is not to stop others from entering, but to make ourselves stronger.”

“Afu, remember this: true competitiveness doesn’t come from monopolies or suppressing competitors, but from products, technology, and service. As long as our products are better than others, our prices are more reasonable, and our services are better, we have nothing to fear from competition.”

"I understand," Afu nodded. "So what do we do next?"

"First, we need to accelerate the research and development of new products," Suning said. "Our current pagers are version 1.0; we need to launch version 2.0 as soon as possible, with more powerful functions and a more stylish appearance. Second, we need to expand production scale and reduce production costs. Third, we need to improve after-sales service and establish a repair network. Fourth, we need to explore new markets; we can't just focus on Shenzhen, we need to distribute our products nationwide. Fifth, we need to strengthen anti-counterfeiting measures to prevent counterfeit products from Huang Tianba."

“Yes,” Afu said. “New product development is already underway, and samples are expected to be available next month. In terms of production scale, I plan to add two more production lines to increase daily output to 500 units. For after-sales service outlets, we plan to set up three in Shenzhen and two in Guangzhou. As for the national market, we have already sent a sales team to Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and other places for inspection.”

"Very good," Su Ning said with satisfaction. "Proceed according to this plan. As for Huang Tianba... ignore him. Let him do whatever he wants."

Afu asked, puzzled, "Master, aren't you worried that Huang Tianba will steal our market share?"

“What’s the use of worrying?” Su Ning laughed. “The market is so big that no single company can dominate it. If Huang Tianba wants to do it, let him do it. But if he thinks that making pagers is as simple as buying equipment, poaching workers, and assembling parts, then he is sorely mistaken.”

"what do you mean……"

"The pager industry may not have a high technical threshold, but it's not easy to do well," Suning said. "Quality, cost, channels, after-sales service... every aspect is important. Huang Tianba thought he could replicate our success by poaching a few people, but he was too naive."

He then picked up a pager sample on the table. “Our products have custom-made chips, independently developed software, and optimized manufacturing processes. These are not things that can be learned by poaching a few people. If Huang Tianba really thinks he can defeat us by poaching people with high salaries, then he can just wait to lose money.”

Afu understood. "Master, you deliberately let him jump in?"

“We can’t say it was intentional,” Suning said. “But if he wants to jump, we can’t stop him. It’s good that he helps us educate the market. Once consumers have compared the two products, they will naturally know which one is better.”

"Brilliant." Afu sincerely admired him.

“However,” Su Ning changed the subject, “Huang Tianba is not a clean man. You still need to keep an eye on him, especially his assistant Awei. If they resort to dirty tricks, we need to be prepared.”

"clear."

After Afu left, Suning walked to the window and looked out at Shenzhen.

This city has new stories every day.

Huang Tianba's entry into the game is not a threat to Suning, but an opportunity.

An opportunity to make Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics stronger.

Competition drives progress.

He wanted to see what tricks Huang Tianba, this old fox, could pull.

And this pager war has only just begun.

……

As Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics grew larger, Huang Renfa also began to value Suning more and more.

That day, Huang Renfa personally came to the factory to find Su Ning and invited Su Ning to dinner at Huang's home. "Mr. Su, are you free tomorrow evening? I would like to invite you to my home for a casual meal." Huang Renfa's attitude was very polite. "My three sons all want to meet you and thank you in person for the opportunities you have brought to the village."

Su Ning initially wanted to decline, but seeing Huang Renfa's sincere eyes, she agreed, "Okay, then I'll trouble you."

"No trouble at all!" Huang Renfa said happily, "It's an honor for our family to have you here."

The following evening, Su Ning personally drove to Huang Renfa's house.

The Huang family is considered a prominent family in Lanyuan Village. They live in a three-story house they built themselves, with a large courtyard, and the house is decorated quite grandly.

When Su Ning arrived, Huang Renfa and his three sons were already waiting at the door.

"President Su, welcome, welcome!" Huang Renfa greeted him. "This is my eldest son, Huang Da. This is my second son, Huang Er. This is my third son, Huang San. They have been in charge of managing the Huang family business."

All three sons greeted Su Ning warmly, saying, "Hello, President Su."

"Hello everyone, no need to be so polite," Su Ning said. "Just call me Xiao Su."

"That won't do!" Huang Renfa said. "You are a distinguished guest, and we cannot be impolite. Please come in, the food is all prepared."

The group entered the house.

The living room was large, with a big round table set out, which was already laden with dishes—chicken, duck, fish, meat, and delicacies from land and sea—a very lavish spread.

Huang Renfa invited Su Ning to sit in the main seat, and Su Ning, unable to refuse, had no choice but to sit down.

Huang Renfa sat to his left, and his three sons sat down in turn.

"Mr. Su, let me toast you first." Huang Renfa raised his glass. "Thank you for investing in Lanyuan Village and bringing such great changes to the village. I'll drink this one, please feel free to drink as you like."

After saying that, drink it all in one gulp.

Su Ning also drank half a glass. "Village Chief Huang is too kind. We're mutually beneficial. I invest, and the village supports me. It's a win-win situation."

“Yes, yes, yes, a win-win situation!” Huang Renfa said. “But in the end, it’s our village that’s benefited from your help. Before you came, our village only had a dozen or so small workshops making clothes and toys, and we couldn’t make much money. As soon as you came, you invested several million yuan to build such a big factory and hired so many workers. Now the young people in the village don’t have to go out to work anymore. They can earn money right at their doorstep and still take care of their families. It’s all thanks to you.”

Huang Daye raised his glass, "President Su, I toast you. Thank you for the changes you've brought to Lanyuan Village."

"Brother Huang, you're too kind," Su Ning said.

Then Huang Er and Huang San took turns toasting Su Ning. Knowing that Su Ning was from the north, they specially spoke to Su Ning in Mandarin.

Even their conversations among the four of them, father and sons, were not conducted in Cantonese, which clearly demonstrates the respect that comes with power and status.

Everyone ate and chatted, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

As they chatted, Huang Renfa suddenly remembered something, "By the way, where's Yunyun? Why hasn't she come down yet?"

Huang Da said, "My little sister is upstairs. She said she'll come down in a bit."

“This girl is getting more and more immature,” Huang Renfa said to Su Ning. “President Su, I have another daughter named Huang Yunyun, who is nineteen years old this year. She had a high fever when she was little, which damaged her brain. She doesn’t speak very clearly and is shy around people. Please don’t mind her.”

"No," Su Ning said.

Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.

A girl in a floral dress walked down the street. She looked about eighteen or nineteen years old and was quite pretty, but her eyes were a little timid, and she didn't dare to look people in the eye.

"Yunyun, come here quickly." Huang Renfa waved, "This is President Su Ning, a benefactor of our village."

Huang Yunyun walked to the table, lowered her head, and said softly, "Hello, Mr. Su... Mr. Su."

His voice was indeed somewhat stuttering and very soft; it was almost inaudible unless you listened carefully.

"Hello." Su Ning nodded.

Huang Yunyun raised her head, glanced quickly at Su Ning, then lowered her head again, blushing.

Huang Renfa had his daughter sit to his right and explained to Su Ning, "President Su, please don't laugh at me. Yunyun has had a hard life. When she was three, she had a high fever and was taken to the hospital too late. The fever damaged her nerves, which is why she speaks like this. She's not unintelligent, but she's timid and afraid of strangers."

"It's alright," Su Ning said. "She's a very nice girl."

When Huang Yunyun heard Su Ning praise her, she lowered her head even further.

Huang Renfa sighed, "It's because of this problem that she hasn't been able to find a partner. People in the village have introduced her to a few men, but they all turned them down as soon as they heard her stutter. She's nineteen now and still staying at home. As her father, I'm so worried!"

Huang Da chimed in, "Dad, don't worry. My little sister is such a good person, she'll eventually meet someone who won't mind."

"You don't mind?" Huang Renfa smiled wryly. "People these days are very pragmatic. Who would want to marry a wife who stutters? Besides, even if someone were willing, they would only be after our family's wealth, not genuinely care about Yunyun. I'm just afraid she'll suffer after marrying into our family, so I've been considering finding her a son-in-law who will live with us."

As he spoke, Huang Renfa's eyes reddened slightly.

Seeing this, Su Ning understood.

Huang Renfa invited him to dinner today not only to express his gratitude, but there may be other reasons behind it.

Did you want him to help Huang Yunyun find a partner?

still is……

Sure enough, Huang Renfa then looked at Su Ning and said, "President Su, you know a lot of people in Shenzhen. If you know any suitable young men, please keep an eye out for Yunyun. We don't need them to be rich or powerful, just honest and good to Yunyun. Although our Huang family isn't a wealthy family, we still have some influence in Lanyuan Village. Whoever marries Yunyun will not be treated unfairly."

Su Ning nodded, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out for any men willing to become live-in sons-in-law."

But in my heart I was thinking, Huang Yunyun... that name sounds familiar.

In the original series, Chen Qiming's wife was named Huang Yunyun, I think?
She has a stutter and is Huang Renfa's daughter. Chen Qiming is Huang's son-in-law who married into the family.

Yes, it's her.

In the original drama, Huang Yunyun couldn't get married because of her stutter.

Later, Huang Renfa took a liking to Chen Qiming because he was honest and a college graduate, so he recruited him as his son-in-law.

Chen Qiming was initially unwilling, but after things didn't go well for him in Shenzhen, he eventually agreed.

After marriage, Chen Qiming treated Huang Yunyun very badly, and their lives were a complete mess.

However, Huang Yunyun lived a very repressed life because of her low self-esteem.

Because of his status as a son-in-law who married into the Huang family, Chen Qiming couldn't hold his head high in the Huang family.

So Chen Qiming vented all his anger on Huang Yunyun, who was a pitiful woman.

Now, I have arrived at Lanyuan Village ahead of schedule, met Huang Renfa, and also met Huang Yunyun.

Should we change her fate?
After thinking about it, Suning decided to let things take their course.

When it comes to matters of the heart, you can't force them.

Moreover, Chen Qiming is currently working at the Grain Bureau, which, although not ideal, is at least stable.

If things proceed as originally planned, Chen Qiming will come to Shenzhen and marry Huang Yunyun; there's no need for me to force a change.

"President Su, have some food." Huang Renfa served food to Su Ning. "These are all from our own chickens and vegetables, no pesticides, healthy."

"Thank you," Su Ning said. "Village Chief Huang, are there any difficulties in the village right now? If so, please let me know, and I will help if I can."

Huang Renfa thought for a moment, "There are no difficulties, it's just... Mr. Su, could your factory hire a few more people? There are still dozens of young people in the village who are unemployed and want to work at your factory."

“Okay,” Su Ning said. “Next month we plan to expand two more production lines, which will require about fifty workers. Village Chief Huang, please help us screen them. They need to be hardworking and diligent, not lazy or slackers. Anyone who makes a mistake will definitely be dealt with and fired.”

"That's great!" Huang Renfa said happily. "Don't worry, Mr. Su, I will definitely send you the best young man in the village."

Huang Daye also said, "President Su, if your factory needs security guards, the militia from our village can go. They are all veterans, of good quality, and responsible."

"Okay, I'll have Mr. Fu connect with you later."

The meal took more than two hours.

Before leaving, Huang Renfa asked Huang Yunyun to escort Su Ning to the door.

Huang Yunyun lowered her head and said softly, "Mr. Su... take care."

"Thank you." Su Ning looked at her. "You should go out more often, don't always stay at home. The world outside is vast, and there are many interesting things to do."

Huang Yunyun raised her head, glanced at Su Ning, and then quickly lowered her head again. "I...I'm scared."

“What are you afraid of?” Su Ning said. “You haven’t done anything wrong, so why are you afraid? So what if you stutter? Many people don’t speak clearly either. You need to be more confident.”

Huang Yunyun bit her lip and didn't say anything.

Suning knew that this kind of inferiority complex couldn't be changed with just a few words.

He didn't say much, just nodded, got in the car, and left.

……

On the way back, Su Ning thought about Huang Yunyun.

This girl is actually quite good-looking and has a gentle personality, typical of Chaoshan girls. However, because of her stutter, she has always lived with low self-esteem.

In the original drama, she married Chen Qiming. Although she wasn't happy, at least she had a place to belong, and in the end, Chen Qiming turned over a new leaf.

Chen Qiming is still working at the Grain Bureau, and the two haven't crossed paths yet.

Should we try to bring them together?
After thinking about it, Suning decided it was best to let things take their course.

If Chen Qiming is truly destined for that, he will naturally come to Shenzhen and meet Huang Yunyun.

If you're not destined for it, a forced relationship won't be sweet.

However, there is something I can do to help Huang Yunyun.

For example, could we have her work at Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics?

Working in an electronics factory allows you to meet more people, build your courage, and perhaps gradually become more confident.

Also, should I help Huang Yunyun get treatment?

After all, it's a small matter in my own hands.

Thinking of this, Su Ning made a phone call to Afu.

“Master.” Afu’s voice came through the phone immediately.

"Ah Fu, have you met Huang Renfa's daughter, Huang Yunyun?"

"I've met her a few times. She's a very introverted girl who stutters a little when she speaks."

“Okay,” Su Ning said. “Make arrangements for her to come work at the factory. Give her an easy job, like quality control or warehouse management. Pay her the normal salary.”

“Master, this…” Afu hesitated, “Is Huang Yunyun capable of handling these tasks?”

“Give it a try,” Su Ning said. “Consider it a chance. Tell her that stuttering is not a disability, and as long as she is willing to work hard, she can still do a good job.”

“I understand,” Afu said. “I’ll go talk to Village Chief Huang tomorrow. But Huang Renfa might not be willing. After all, his family is so rich, they might not want their daughter to show her face in public.”

"That's true."

"Master, how about we arrange for Huang Yunyun to be your personal assistant?"

"Is this...appropriate?"

"The assistant's job is very broad, and it can be done without any specific tasks, which I believe the Huang family can accept more."

"Alright! You make the arrangements."

After hanging up the phone, Suning looked out the window at the Shenzhen night view.

I'll help in any way I can.

A girl like Huang Yunyun shouldn't live her whole life in inferiority.

As for her relationship with Chen Qiming...

It's up to fate.

If Chen Qiming really came to Shenzhen and really met Huang Yunyun, then it means they were destined to be together.

If you haven't met them, it means you're not meant to be.

As an observer, this is all I can do.

In Shenzhen, a city where all sorts of stories unfold every day.

The story of Huang Yunyun, the story of Chen Qiming, the story of Xiao Ran, the story of Han Ling, the story of Liu Yuan...

These stories intertwine to form a microcosm of this era.

I am both an observer and a participant.

Actually, this feeling is quite interesting.

...(End of chapter)