1994: Vegetable farmers strike back

Chapter 484 Jiang Yongqiang

Shanghai Stock Exchange.

A cold wind blew by, and Wang Xiaodong, who was unemployed, hunched his shoulders, his gaze still fixed on the vegetable patch in front of him, where bok choy and kale swayed in the cold wind.

The existence of the bustling vegetable market proves that Cantonese cuisine can be grown in Shanghai, and even thrived there.

However, he was too late.

Of course he can plant it too, just following the trend, so he can at least get some meat and soup.

However, he hesitates when he thinks about the development history of Kaopu Fresh in Huacheng.

In addition to the bustling vegetable market, Wang Xiaodong also went to Xuanqiao in Pudong and Pujiang in Minhang. Although the latter two bases have only been open for a short time, they are also producing vegetables.

With reliable fresh produce suppliers in Shanghai, growing your own produce is at best a small-scale operation and it's difficult to scale it up significantly.

He remembered the man's invitation that night, his image lingering in his mind.

Wang Xiaodong unfolded the newspaper in his hand, which contained a job posting from Kaopu Fresh. One of the positions seemed to be a good fit.

"How about giving it a try?"

He walked to the office with the newspaper in his hand, knocked on the door, and said, "Hello, I'm here for a job interview."

Ao Dehai scrutinized the man before him. His face was resolute, and his skin was dark, clearly indicating that he had worked the land.

"Introduce yourself."

"My name is Wang Xiaodong. I have worked in several Hong Kong-funded vegetable markets in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. My last job was in Conghua, Guangzhou, where I was the manager of a 2,000-mu (approximately 133 hectares) vegetable market..."

"Alright, no need for introductions."

"what?"

Wang Xiaodong thought he had been rejected and was about to leave when he heard the person in front of him ask, "When can I start working?"

Wang Xiaodong stood there, stunned.

Ao Dehai added, "Our boss gave us advance notice that if you apply, he will let you start working first. He will come to Shanghai in a while to discuss your salary and benefits in person."

How did he know I was coming?

Ao Dehai pointed to the newspaper, "This job posting was basically written by the boss based on your qualifications, but he's not sure if you'll definitely come, it's just a possibility."

No wonder he felt this job was perfect for him. Wang Xiaodong suddenly felt a chill, as if he had been completely seen through.

the other side.

Yan Cong drove smoothly on the highway, while Chen Jiazhi sat in the back seat, still deep in thought with his eyes closed.

He received word that Japan had already made it public that it was lifting import restrictions on leafy vegetables, and most companies in the industry knew about it.

This also means that the honeymoon period for Kaopu Fresh's exports to Japan has officially ended, and it will face more competition in the future.

Kaopu Fresh is not afraid of competition.

This also allows for the supply of more goods to Hong Kong and the mainland, with stalls in Shenzhen being one example.

Chen Jiazhi believes that as long as Reliable Fresh increases its supply of goods to its stalls in Shenzhen, the stalls in Shenzhen will eventually succeed.

When it comes to the hard power of vegetable market production, Chen Jiazhi is not afraid of any competitors.

The worst thing is when your opponent doesn't compete with you on sheer strength.

For example, Yiyuan and Guangjia, especially Guangjia. According to Chen Zhengxu, Guangjia Vegetable Trading Company is very domineering, and the possibility of violence cannot be ruled out.

Chen Jiazhi was thinking about whether there were other ways to deal with the situation, or how to make Guangjia wary and not dare to act recklessly.

His first thought was of Chen Daguan, but it would be difficult for officials in Huacheng to extend their reach into Shenzhen.

"This is really a tricky situation. If only I had connections in the Public Security Bureau."

"Huh... the police?"

A long-buried matter suddenly resurfaced: the Panyu robbery two years ago.

Chen Jiazhi wondered if the two main culprits who escaped were hiding in Ruili by now.

If you can make friends with one or two people in the public security department through this, your safety should be better guaranteed. Even if you can't make friends, it's still a good thing.

Who should we contact first?

Chen Jiazhi thought of Chen Daguan again, but quickly shook his head, thinking it wasn't worth it.

He remembered that Huang Jianyuan seemed to know someone, so he called him and found out that Huang did indeed know someone in the criminal investigation team.

"Mr. Chen, have you encountered any trouble?"

"No," Chen Jiazhi explained the situation facing the stall in Buji.

"We should be on guard." Huang Jianyuan agreed wholeheartedly and said, "I'm going to Huacheng tomorrow. I'd like to invite him out for dinner. Mr. Chen, is that convenient for you?"

"That's convenient, thank you for your help, Mr. Huang."

"You're too kind, Mr. Chen. It's what I should do."

Thinking about the upcoming dividends, Huang Jianyuan quickly contacted his friends and then went to the jewelry store. Last time he gave them supplements, so this time he should give them some jewelry.

Having confirmed that Huang Jianyuan could arrange a meeting, Chen Jiazhi then pondered how to reveal the information that the main culprit might be in Ruili.

What if the main culprit hasn't fled to Ruili yet?
He had watched the adapted TV series and also seen short videos of him. He knew that he was hiding in a building materials market in Ruili and that he later got married and had children, but he was not sure of the exact time.

If the police go and fail to catch them, it will not only be embarrassing, but it will also easily alert the suspect.

"At least we need to confirm that the person is there, and it's not good to hand it over to someone else. It seems we need to find a reason to go to Ruili. We can stop by on the way to Yuanmou."

What's in Ruili again?

He remembered that there seemed to be jade; in the adapted TV series, the main culprit had gone to mine it.

Go gambling on jade?
Chen Jiazhi laughed at himself, but it didn't seem like it was impossible.

"I've arrived at the company, boss."

"Ouk, take a couple of days off. You're going on a long trip in a few days, so get ready."

"it is good."

Yan Cong still followed him into the office.

As soon as Chen Jiazhi went up to the second floor, Li Xiu greeted him with a smile in her eyes, "How was your stay in the countryside?"

"You've rested up and are ready to go." Chen Jiazhi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I'll deal with you tonight."

Li Xiu glanced sideways with a slightly flushed face and said, "Dehai just called and said that Wang Xiaodong, whom you were looking for, applied for a job at Fanrong Vegetable Market, and Dehai has already let him start working."

"Hey, they actually came."

"Look how happy you are."

"This person is very useful!" Chen Jiazhi noticed Li Xiu's dissatisfaction and said, "Of course, he's far inferior to you."

"I do not believe."

"You'll believe it tonight."

"Pah~ I'm not talking to you anymore, you go ahead and do your own thing."

After Li Xiu left, Chen Jiazhi habitually made some tea and then quickly dealt with his work.

One is a compilation of notes from the inspection of Heli and Shenzhen, which will be used for subsequent planting planning;

Secondly, contact Fang Shaohua again to learn more about the situation in Japan and ask him to pay attention to the Southeast Asian market. Also, find someone to learn about durian imports and plantations.
Third, ensure that the distribution centers, Jiangnan and Yuexiu stalls are ready for the late-season cabbage to be available on the market;

Fourth, contact Xia Youche and ask Tongxingtai to prepare for expanding competition with Hexing Yonglong;

Fifth, the next part of the itinerary.

After finishing each task, Chen Jiazhi checked the recent sales figures and then looked at the account balance.

Compared to the previous 7866, the balance has increased to 8561.2 million yuan in just over ten days.

The more they sell, the more money they make.

It was also mainly contributed by the Japanese.

With the domestic market recovering and late-season cabbage hitting the market, and mustard greens entering their peak production period, the company hopes to reach 100 million yuan by the end of December.

dong dong dong.

"Time to go home, Jiazhi."

While Chen Jiazhi was engrossed in his work, Li Xiulai knocked on the door to announce that it was time to leave work. Chen Jiazhi had also finished dealing with most of his tasks, so he went downstairs and drove home.

Along the way, we also made sure to visit a vegetable shop and a fruit shop.

"Business has been pretty good, with each store making a net profit of one or two hundred yuan a day," Li Xiu said. "Basically, it takes three to five years to earn back the cost of the shop and opening it."

"Is it really that profitable?"

Chen Jiazhi was a little surprised. He didn't have much retail experience and didn't know that this small shop was actually quite good.

"Hmm," Li Xiu said again, "Jiazhi, is it possible to buy a few more shops?"

"Of course I want to buy, but the economy is not good right now and housing prices have been falling. There is no need to rush. I'll wait until they are cheaper before buying."

The Southeast Asian financial crisis has evolved into the Asian financial crisis, affecting many countries.

Chen Jiazhi has been following economic news closely and knows that it's difficult for the country to remain unaffected, and next year will be even more challenging. Therefore, he thinks it's best to wait before buying the shop.

"By the way, Xiu, I'll have someone inquire about durians in Southeast Asia. If there's an opportunity, how about we invest in a durian plantation?"

When they arrived at the fruit shop, Chen Jiazhi suddenly remembered durian.

"Sure, I'll do whatever you say."

"Okay, let's do it!"

He knew that durians would be very profitable in the future, and his family liked them, so he was definitely going to pursue it.

After observing the flow of people at the fruit shop from the car for a while, Chen Jiazhi drove straight home.

As he entered the residential area, he saw a somewhat familiar Audi 100 driving out, honked the horn twice, and rolled down the window.

"Mr. Xu, what a coincidence, going to a hotel?"

Xu Wenxiang turned her head to look, "Hmm, you're off work and going home?"

Chen Jiazhi noticed that she didn't look well and said, "The company will be distributing bonuses at the end of this month. President Xu, please remember to attend. Also, could you do me another favor and make an appointment with President Xue Chenglin? I haven't been able to get in touch with him lately."

"OK, see you later."

Xu Wenxiang nodded faintly. She had already heard about the dividends, which was a rare piece of good news recently, but the psychological gap between her expectations and reality was getting bigger and bigger.

The small vegetable farmer she once looked down on is now someone she has to look up to.

"Jiazhi, is there any hope for Yunshan?" Li Xiu suddenly asked after parking the car.

Chen Jiazhi shook his head.

Li Xiu exclaimed in surprise: "Is it hopeless?!"

"I didn't know."

"You're teasing me again~"

"Ha, you guessed wrong."

Chen Jiazhi dashed home, and as soon as he opened the door, his son came running over excitedly.

"Daddy's home!"

"You're back?!" Peng Guozhen, wearing an apron, came out and glanced at them, then said, "Dinner's ready!"

Chen Jiazhi felt pretty good that he could eat as soon as he got home.

After resting in the countryside for two days, he returned with greatly increased fighting spirit and worked hard all night.

Li Xiu then stopped mentioning that he should take any more tonics.

The next day.

In the afternoon.

Just as Chen Jiazhi was considering the planting plan, he heard Huang Jianyuan's cheerful voice coming from outside the door.

"Mr. Chen, I'm here again."

Chen Jiazhi looked up and saw Huang Jianyuan walking in carrying large and small bags.

"Mr. Huang, what did you bring this time?"

"Hey, I just bought a few things, nothing special." Huang Jianyuan introduced what he bought one by one. This time there were no health supplements, but he did buy more expensive jewelry and watches.

Chen Jiazhi couldn't refuse, so he had no choice but to accept. "Mr. Huang, have you made the appointment?"

“It’s arranged,” Huang Jianyuan said. “However, my friend recommended a seafood stall in Haizhu District, saying that their Shunde-style raw fish is very good. He said he would take me there to try it, so we don’t need to go to a restaurant.”

"Uh... I don't eat raw fish."

"It's okay, it's just a seafood stall, you can still eat seafood. My friend is a policeman, he's not that picky."

“Okay, he wants to drink, I’ll bring two bottles over.”

"Yes, eating raw fish must be paired with strong liquor."

"OK, I'll bring a few bottles of Wuliangye over."

Chen Jiazhi always kept alcohol in his office, mostly Wuliangye liquor. He had some tea with Huang Jianyuan for a while before setting off.

Near Jiefang Middle Road, the two met Jiang Yongqiang, who looked to be about fifty years old, but was actually only in his early forties.

After he got into the car, Huang Jianyuan exclaimed, "Qiang, you need to get more rest. There are always criminals to catch. Look at you, you've even got gray hair."

"I can't compare to your prosperous appearance."

As Jiang Yongqiang spoke, he patted Huang Jianyuan's stomach; the two had a good relationship.

Huang Jianyuan introduced Chen Jiazhi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, "This is the Mr. Chen I told you about, he's in the vegetable business, Mr. Chen. This is my childhood friend Jiang Yongqiang, he works in the criminal investigation team."

"Officer Jiang, want one?"

Chen Jiazhi turned around and smiled, then took out his cigarette case. Jiang Yongqiang and Huang Jianyuan lit them naturally. Men don't need to say much, and Chen Jiazhi didn't try to be pretentious.

Not long after crossing the Haizhu Bridge, they arrived at the seafood stall that Jiang Yongqiang wanted to eat at, a place that Chen Jiazhi was somewhat familiar with.

"Bing Sheng Seafood Stall, interesting."

Chen Jiazhi smiled when he saw the sign. He hadn't expected to be able to eat at Bing Sheng Restaurant before he could eat at Lei Garden.

"Mr. Chen, you've been here before?"

Huang Jianyuan asked curiously.

After getting off the bus, Chen Jiazhi turned around and looked at his surroundings, his mind filled with memories. He pointed in one direction.

"There used to be a spontaneously formed vegetable wholesale market there. I sold vegetables there for a year or two. Back then, I would ride my bicycle there every night in the middle of the night, climbing the Luopu Bridge and panting heavily. I never imagined that things would change so much now; the market is all gone."

"There used to be a vegetable wholesale market here. I didn't expect that Mr. Chen used to sell vegetables here."

Jiang Yongqiang confirmed that what Chen Jiazhi said was true.

Huang Jianyuan looked back and forth several times, exclaiming, "This is where Boss Chen made his fortune!"

"It's just a vegetable market. Let's go find a place to drink and eat first. Bing Sheng's business is doing quite well."

It wasn't long after the workday ended, but the food stalls were already almost full.

Judging from the booming business, Chen Jiazhi estimated that this Bing Sheng restaurant was likely to become the famous Cantonese restaurant Bing Sheng in the future.

It seems this place has good feng shui.

After finding seats, ordering food, and opening drinks, everyone started chatting.

Huang Jianyuan had already made it clear to Jiang Yongqiang that Chen Jiazhi was there to make friends, so that if there was any need in the wholesale market in the future, they could find someone to help them.

So at the dinner table, it was all just a bunch of boasting and rambling.

Huang Jianyuan and Jiang Yongqiang both enjoyed listening to him talk about his past experiences selling vegetables by bicycle.

Chen Jiazhi was quite adept at boasting, convincingly portraying the image of a small vegetable farmer climbing the social ladder step by step.

"Haha, come on, Mr. Chen, let me toast you."

"This drink was really enjoyable!"

As the wine flowed freely, Chen Jiazhi took the opportunity to talk about the Panyu robbery that occurred two years prior.

"During that period, the market was selling vegetables very well, which scared me so much that I had to have someone go to the bank to deposit money every day."

To date, five of the main perpetrators have been executed, and two others are still at large. Jiang Yongqiang did not shy away from the case, but instead talked about more details.

It was only then that Chen Jiazhi learned that Jiang Yongqiang was also a member of the task force.

They are still investigating the case, but haven't found any leads yet.

Upon learning this, Chen Jiazhi immediately felt reassured.

Coincidentally.

If he could help capture these two fugitives, it would certainly be a great achievement for Jiang Yongqiang.

After so many years as a criminal investigator, he may be just missing this one achievement.

After a satisfying meal, Chen Jiazhi paid the bill and had Yan Cong drive Jiang Yongqiang home. Before parting, he gave him two bottles of wine and an envelope in the bag containing the money.

"Mr. Huang, this is a problem."

"Mr. Chen, there's no need to keep saying 'I'm sorry to bother you.'"

Huang Jianyuan stood at the entrance of the Spruce Hotel and said with a smile, "This is because you think highly of me. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."

"Row."

Chen Jiazhi waved, and the car disappeared into the night.

Old Huang is indeed quite sensible now, and he said a lot of good things about Jiang Yongqiang when they talked.

Chen Jiazhi could tell that Jiang Yongqiang had accepted him, and that Jiang would probably lend a hand if Jiang had any minor conflicts with others in Huacheng in the future.

He also planned to give him another gift.

(End of this chapter)