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

"Xiaomin," Cai Shuisheng said with a smile as he ran from the office building to Yao Min, who was waiting at the supermarket entrance. He lowered his voice and whispered, "It's all settled. I've already talked to Brother Zaisheng, and he'll reserve one for me. Whenever you go home, I'll help you deliver it back."

Sitting on a bench at the supermarket entrance, Yao Min stood up embarrassedly and said to Cai Shuisheng, "Shuisheng, I can't take this TV for free. I... I'll pay you back slowly when I get my salary, okay?"

"Silly you, why are we still being so formal? We're not strangers anymore. You're my girlfriend. I'll get you a color TV so you can show off when we go home for Chinese New Year. I'll also visit my future father-in-law and mother-in-law then, hehe!"

"This isn't for you, it's a gift when I visit!"

Yao Min blushed deeply at Cai Shuisheng's words, lightly punched him, and said coquettishly, "Who agreed to marry you!"

"Hey! Don't go back on your word! You were with me in the woods that day..."

"Stop talking," Yao Min quickly reached out and covered Cai Shuisheng's mouth. At this moment, the workers coming and going at the supermarket entrance were already attracting the attention of the workers because the two of them were talking so intimately. If what Cai Shuisheng was about to say was overheard by someone, would she still be able to face people at the factory in the future?

Seeing Yao Min blush after his words, Cai Shuisheng skipped the elevator and ran straight up the stairs, calling out with a grin, "Xiao Min, you silly girl, you didn't even know to take the elevator to the fifth floor!"

"Hey! Master Cai, huh? Trying to flirt with a young girl here!"

With a screech of the air brakes, Chen Zaijun got out of the driver's seat, smiled at Cai Shuisheng who was still gazing towards the dormitory building, and teased, "You little rascal, going around in public like this, don't you know how to behave? I'll report you for indecent assault!"

"If I get reported, I'll beat you to death first," Cai Shuisheng said, grabbing Chen Zaijun by the neck as he approached, laughing and scolding, "Why are you so late today?"

"No, no, no, old man, spare my life!" Chen Zaijun hurriedly raised his hands in surrender. "I still have goods in my truck; I just came back from the port."

"What are you pooping on?"

Chen Zaijun looked at the container behind the tractor-trailer and showed the shipping manifest in his hand. "It came from Japan. When the port staff opened the container for inspection, I took a look. It's mostly electrical appliances and daily necessities."

"Is this some kind of New Year's gift for us?"

"You're overthinking it. These belong to Brother Zaixing's supermarket. It's just that the supermarket's warehouse isn't ready yet, so it's not convenient to store them there. That's why we brought them to the factory. When the supermarket opens, we'll have to move them back to the warehouse in the county town."

"Didn't I hear that Brother Zaixing went to Shanghai? The supermarket is about to open in the next few days, so why haven't I seen him come back?"

"Didi!"

As soon as you speak of the devil, he appears. Two beeps sounded outside the factory gate, and the security guard opened the gate. A black Mercedes-Benz 450 with its lights on drove in. Chen Zailong was driving, and Chen Zaixing and Li Renfa were in the back seat. The two had just returned from Shanghai by train.

"Brother Zailong, Brother Zaixing!"

After getting out of the car, Chen Zailong smiled and raised his hand in response to Cai Shuisheng and Chen Zaijun's greetings, then walked straight into the office building. Chen Zaixing took his luggage out of the trunk, and Cai Shuisheng and Chen Zaijun immediately ran over to help Chen Zaixing carry his bag.

"Brother Zaixing, let me help you carry it!"

"Brother, have you eaten? I'll go to the kitchen and have someone cook you some side dishes!"

"Okay, let my third brother cook some more. We've been eating instant noodles on the train to stave off hunger, and our stomachs are rumbling right now," Chen Zaixing said, carrying Cai Shuisheng's bag while taking out a pack of Huazi cigarettes and offering them to the two of them.

This trip to Shanghai left Chen Zaixing with many insights. He learned the importance of having connections when traveling, and treated acquaintances like Cai Shuisheng with politeness and warmth.

The group entered the office building. Chen Zaisheng glanced at Chen Zaixing and asked, "How's it going, Fifth Brother? How did the business in Shanghai go? How many television sets did you order?"

"Stop talking, damn it, not a single one," Chen Zaixing slumped onto the sofa, picked up his teacup and drank. "You were right, Second Brother. Those factory managers are all holding on tight, not giving out a single one."

Dai Lixin shook his head, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Your second brother and I told you not to go, but you wouldn't listen. Now you've hit a wall, haven't you? Now you know how hard it is to escape connections!"

"Okay, okay!"

Chen Zaixing was clamoring to go to Shanghai to discuss purchasing with television factories there, but Chen Zaisheng immediately poured cold water on his idea, saying, "You're daydreaming. You think you can get those scarce televisions from Shanghai?"

At the time, Chen Zaixing was basking in the joy of the supermarket's imminent opening, and he attributed the preferential treatment he received from various factories in Nanshan County to his own sharp tongue and persuasive skills.

He had no idea that the factory directors of these state-owned factories in Nanshan County were only giving him the face to talk to because of his cousin Chen Dong. If it weren't for the county party secretary Lin Deying and the city's Administration for Industry and Commerce giving word, Chen Zaixing wouldn't have been able to close any deals at all.

Chen Zailong leaned back on the sofa, puffing on his cigarette. "It's good that you blew a smear of ash into my nose. It'll teach you a lesson and show you that outside of Nanshan County, you're nothing. From now on, when we're talking business, you'd better be down-to-earth and stop spouting nonsense!"

Chen Zaixing, who had been scolded, didn't dare roll his eyes at his two older brothers, so he changed the subject and asked, "Okay, Fourth Brother, how's our supermarket going? When will it officially open?"

"It'll be soon, in four or five days at most. With the Lunar New Year approaching, we can open for business while everyone's busy shopping for holiday goods, and launch a grand opening promotion to promote Huaxingsheng Supermarket!"

"That's great," Chen Zaixing nodded with a grin. "Have all the appliances Dongzi ordered arrived yet?"

"We've arrived. Zaijun just brought them back from the port. The entire container on the truck outside is full of them. More will arrive later," Chen Zailong replied.

"Why isn't the supermarket's warehouse ready yet?"

"It's all ready, but the supermarket isn't open yet, and we're short-staffed, so I haven't dared to put anything in," Chen Zailong said meaningfully. "These are all color TVs I bought from Japan, each costing over a thousand. Money talks, I don't want the warehouse to be emptied out!"

Chen Zaixing nodded in realization, "Why don't we just ask a few militiamen from our village to go and guard it with guns? I don't trust the responsibility of guarding this warehouse to those newly recruited people. It's always better to have people from our own village looking after it than to have outsiders."

"Nonsense!"

Chen Zaisheng retorted angrily, "Do you think the village militia's guns are our own property, something we can just take out of the village whenever we want?"

"Even if you were willing, Secretary Tian wouldn't!"