Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

Chen Zaixing smiled wryly, carrying the thermos and the remaining bowl of seafood noodles, and walked back to his room. Li Renfa, who was cleaning, noticed that Chen Zaixing had only brought back one bowl and asked curiously, "Zaixing, why is there only one bowl? Where's the other one?"

"I sold it to the saleswoman at the counter, hehe! I made 50 cents," Chen Zaixing said with a grin, putting down the thermos and taking out the 50 cents the saleswoman had given him from his pocket.

Li Renfa was speechless. "I'm truly impressed that you can actually make a deal out of this!"

"That's why I say, if I had you following me, I could have tricked a cripple into willingly buying a bicycle," Chen Zaixing boasted.

"Okay, okay, you're awesome. Alright, hurry up, I'm starving," Li Renfa said, taking the instant noodles and starting to eat them.

Chen Zaixing took another bowl from his bag, opened it, and started soaking it in hot water. While eating, Li Renfa asked Chen Zaixing, "Zaixing, we've arrived in Shanghai. Which factory should we ask about first?"

"What question? We're here on behalf of the company for this inspection. You're now the purchasing manager's assistant at Huaxingsheng Supermarket, and I'm the purchasing manager," Chen Zaixing corrected the mistake in his childhood friend's words.

They are officially sending letters to three state-owned electronics factories in Shanghai, representing Huaxingsheng Supermarket to discuss specific procurement issues. This is not the kind of casual relationship they had before the supermarket even existed.

They're a regular army now!

Li Renfa slurped up a mouthful of seafood noodles and nodded, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Now I'm a legitimate worker with a job, hehe!"

"Look at you, so silly. You're happy with just an assistant. Let me tell you, the reason I'm keeping you around is so you can quickly get familiar with the company's business. If the supermarket opens branches in other cities in the future, you'll be the first choice for branch manager, you know that!"

"Me! Can I do it?"

"Get rid of that, be confident, Ah Fa!"

After finishing their noodles and washing up, the two went straight to bed in their guesthouse room and slept until the next day. Then, they got up, put on their suits and leather shoes, and Chen Zaixing and Li Renfa, each carrying a briefcase, strode downstairs.

The female clerk who registered Chen Zaixing and Li Renfa downstairs yesterday couldn't help but glance at them when she saw their outfits.

Chen Zaixing raised his left hand and greeted the female sales assistant behind the counter, deliberately showing off the large gold watch on his wrist.

The waitress stared blankly as Chen Zaixing and his companion walked out the door. At that moment, a Shanghai-plated car parked in front of the guesthouse honked its horn. Chen Zaixing immediately waved to the waiting driver and walked over with Li Renfa.

In those days, taxis were available for citizens to travel in Shanghai, but the price was too expensive. Unless it was for a wedding or funeral, ordinary citizens would not take taxis that cost three or four yuan. They would travel by bicycle or bus.

But Chen Zaixing is different. He is now very wealthy and powerful. When he travels to Shanghai for business, taking a taxi is a piece of cake for him.

Chen Zaixing came to Shanghai on a business trip and even applied for a mobile phone from his company. Yesterday, he made a phone reservation with a taxi company to charter a car.

The two sat in the back seat of the car. The taxi driver in the front politely smiled and nodded at Chen Dong, asking, "Hello comrade, where are you going now?"

"Let's go to the Shanghai TV Factory No. 1 first," Chen Dong said, taking out a Hua Zi lighter, flicking open the cap, and starting to smoke.

The driver nodded to indicate that he understood, started the car and drove off. After about half an hour of driving, making several turns, they finally arrived at the gate of Shanghai TV Factory No. 1.

The security guard at the gate, seeing the car with an unfamiliar license plate, curiously came out to ask, "Which unit are you from? Who are you looking for?"

Chen Zaixing rolled down the car window and leaned out toward the guard, "I am Chen Zaixing, the purchasing manager of Huaxingsheng Company in Tuocheng, Guangdong Province. This is my assistant, Li Renfa. This is your factory's reply. I'm here to talk to your factory director, Zuo, about purchasing television sets."

The security guard took the reply letter and letter of introduction from Chen Zaixing. After looking at the official seal of the Nanshan County Administration for Industry and Commerce in Tuocheng on the letter of introduction, he handed the letter back to Chen Zaixing. "So you are a comrade from Guangdong Province. I'll have to trouble you to wait a moment while I call the factory office to see if the factory director is here."

"Okay, thank you for your help, comrade!"

Just as Factory Director Zuo Zhenbang returned to his office after finishing an internal meeting, his secretary knocked on the door. "Factory, there's a man named Chen Zaixing at the factory gate. He says he's from Tuocheng in Guangdong Province and wants to discuss purchasing with you. Security is asking if we should let him in?"

Zuo Zhenbang frowned. He had never heard of Chen Zaixing. He was here to discuss purchasing. Then he thought about it carefully and remembered that half a month ago, a letter from the Tuocheng City Bureau of Industry and Commerce had indeed been sent to the factory office.

Zuo Zhenbang originally thought that since they had come all this way from so far away, what was the point of discussing procurement? The factory's television sets were already in short supply, with demand exceeding supply in Shanghai and the surrounding areas. Where would they find any extra television sets to give to their Guangdong province?

"Let him in!"

Zuo Zhenbang waved casually, and his secretary turned and went out to reply to the security guards at the factory gate. Only then did the car drive into Shanghai TV Factory No. 1.

The two got out of the car, and Chen Zaixing offered a cigarette to the driver. "Sir, please wait here for a while. We're going up to talk to their factory manager about the procurement."

"OK!"

There wasn't a single person to welcome them downstairs at the factory office building, so Chen Zaixing had no choice but to lead his childhood friend into the building. After asking around, they finally arrived at the floor where the factory director's office was located.

As they approached the factory director's office, a young man sat at his desk inside. Seeing Chen Zaixing and his companion, he smiled and stood up, asking, "You're comrades from Tuocheng in Guangdong Province, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am Chen Zaixing, the purchasing manager of Huaxingsheng Company, and this is my assistant, Li Renfa."

"Director Zuo is already waiting for you in his office. Just come in with me."

After knocking on the door, Chen Zaixing followed his secretary inside. When Zuo Zhenbang saw him arrive, he remained seated behind his desk, still looking at the documents. He merely glanced up at Chen Zaixing and said, "Please make yourself at home. Let me finish reading this document."

"No rush, Director Zuo, you go ahead with your work," Chen Zaixing said as he sat down on the sofa. After the secretary made tea for the two of them, he left the office, leaving Chen Zaixing and Li Renfa sitting on the sofa, staring at each other and waiting.

Zuo Zhenbang seemed to have forgotten about Chen Zaixing's arrival. He looked at the documents for half an hour without seeing him come over. Chen Zaixing had almost finished his tea by now. He picked up the thermos and refilled his cup with hot water, then asked his childhood friend if he wanted some.

Zuo Zhenbang glanced at the two of them, then stood up with a smile. "Oh dear, look at me, I got so busy I forgot about the important matter!"