Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

On the seventh day after Old Scar was imprisoned, the magnificent Golden Palace closed down.

It wasn't a complete closure, just "renovation and upgrades." A big red notice was posted at the entrance saying it would be closed for half a month. But everyone in Kaiyuan knew that Old Qian was chickening out and was laying low.

The day Zhou was fired, Lao Qian gave him a thorough dressing-down in the office.

"You good-for-nothing wretch!" Old Qian hurled an ashtray at Zhou, who dodged it quickly, and it shattered against the wall. "I asked you for advice, and what kind of advice did you come up with? Trying to get rid of Fan Debiao, and in the end, you got Old Scar in jail! Now the police are always patrolling the door. How am I supposed to keep this business running?"

Planner Zhou, with a mournful face, said, "President Qian, I didn't expect Fan Debiao to be so ruthless, calling the police directly..."

"I never expected this! All you ever do is say 'I never expected this'!" Old Qian pointed to the door. "Get out! Get out now! Don't let me see you in Kaiyuan again!"

Zhou, the planner, scrambled away.

Li, with the gap in his teeth, asked in a low voice, "Mr. Qian, are we really just going to admit it like this?"

"So what if you don't admit it?" Old Qian slumped on the sofa. "Old Scar is a drug addict, at least ten years in prison. Did he not confess before he went in? The police are watching me like the back of their hand. If I cause any more trouble, I'll be next."

"So, our karaoke bar..."

"Lock him up for a few days to lay low for a while," Old Qian sighed. "We'll talk about it after this period passes. Tell everyone to behave themselves; anyone who causes trouble again will be fired."

Dexing Communications' business is booming.

TCL and Xiamen have completely opened up the market in Kaiyuan. Now, not only city dwellers buy their products, but people in the countryside also recognize the brand. Liu Qiang and Wang Fang have developed five more township outlets, bringing the total to seventeen. Their combined monthly sales are equivalent to two Dexing Communications outlets.

Fan Debiao doesn't keep an eye on things in the store much anymore; he spends most of his time in Victoria.

Victoria is a place where all sorts of people come from. There are business owners, bosses from various organizations, and people from the streets. Fan Debiao's status is different now—he's the owner of Dexing Communications, Wu Derong's partner, and he even has connections with Captain Zhang of the Public Security Bureau.

That evening, Victoria had a few guests from the south, friends of Wu Derong, who were in the clothing business. After a few rounds of drinks, one of the owners, surnamed Chen, pulled out his phone—a Motorola V70, the latest model, with a very cool and stylish design.

"Mr. Wu, look at this phone of mine. I just had someone bring it back from Hong Kong," Boss Chen boasted. "It's not even available in mainland China yet."

Everyone at the table crowded around to look, marveling at the sight. Fan Debiao glanced at it but didn't say anything.

Wu Derong asked, "Debiao, can you get your hands on this machine?"

Fan Debiao thought for a moment: "Yes, but we'll have to wait. It has to come from Hong Kong through special channels, and the price is higher."

Mr. Chen became interested: "Mr. Fan, do you have connections? How much is one unit?"

"The market price is around 12,000 now," Fan Debiao said. "If Boss Chen really wants it, I'll ask a friend to inquire; I think we can get a discount."

"Sure! Get me two!" Boss Chen made the decision. "Twelve thousand it is, money is no object."

After word got out, more and more people sought to buy the in-demand mobile phones from Fan Debiao. Some wanted the Nokia 8910, others wanted the Sony Ericsson T68, both models that hadn't yet been officially released in mainland China.

Fan Debiao accepted all orders, but set the following rules: First, full payment was required before ordering; second, delivery time was not guaranteed; and third, prices were subject to market fluctuations.

Even so, orders have started to pile up.

Section Chief Wang from the Industry and Commerce Bureau approached him once, wanting to buy a V70 for his superior. Fan Debiao refused the money, saying he would give the machine to his superior for trial use and feedback upon delivery. Section Chief Wang understood the implication and later spoke highly of Dexing Communications on many occasions.

Captain Zhang from the Public Security Bureau also approached him, but not to buy a phone; he was asking about something.

"Boss Fan, Old Scar's case is almost decided," Captain Zhang said in the Victoria private room. "He left a lot of evidence, but he couldn't get any leverage against Old Qian—Old Qian is too slippery, he didn't leave any evidence."

Fan Debiao poured him a drink: "Team Leader Zhang, someone like Lao Qian will get into trouble sooner or later. No rush."

"There's no rush, but we have to be careful." Captain Zhang lowered his voice. "I heard that Lao Qian has been trying to get in touch with a certain leader in the province. Be careful, if he really manages to get on his good side, he'll be very arrogant."

"Thank you for the reminder, Captain Zhang." Fan Debiao raised his glass. "I'd like to toast you."

Ma Dashuai is feeling increasingly frustrated at Victoria.

Back when Fan Debiao was the security captain, he was Fan Debiao's brother-in-law, so he had some influence. Now that Fan Debiao is a boss, he's still just a floor sweeper, always bowing down to everyone.

What's even more infuriating is that Yu Fen is doing quite well in the kitchen, and Chef Wang values ​​her highly, saying he'll promote her to deputy manager in two months. Ma Xiao Cui has also become proficient at the trading company and can now prepare reports independently.

Even Commander Ma is just a floor sweeper.

That afternoon, Ma Dashuai was mopping the corridor when he saw Fan Debiao and Wu Derong walking over, chatting and laughing. Behind them were several men in suits and ties, who looked like big bosses.

Fan Debiao saw him and nodded: "Brother-in-law, busy?"

General Ma forced a smile: "Ah, mopping the floor."

After those people had gone far away, Ma Dashuai threw down the mop and squatted in the corridor to smoke.

"What are you doing? Squatting here smoking instead of working?" The logistics supervisor came over.

"What's wrong with having a smoke?" Ma Dashuai said irritably.

"No smoking during work hours, didn't you know that?" The supervisor pointed to the rule on the wall. "If I see you smoking again, you'll have your pay docked!"

Ma Dashuai, seething with anger, went to find Yufen after get off work.

"I quit," he said.

Yu Fen was tidying up in the kitchen when she was taken aback: "Why?"

"What's the point of working? Six hundred yuan a month, and I get bullied every day," Ma Dashuai said. "Look at Biaozi, how successful he is now? Eating and drinking with this manager and that manager. And me? I have to bow and scrape to everyone I meet."

Yu Fen put down her work: "General, Biaozi is Biaozi, and we are us. Can you compare to Biaozi? He won over a million in the lottery, do you?"

"So what if he won the lottery? He was just lucky!" Ma Dashuai retorted. "If I had that kind of luck, I could be a boss too!"

"If you don't have that luck, just keep working," Yufen said. "At least working at Victoria is stable. If you quit, what will you do?"

Ma Dashuai got excited: "I'll do business too! If Biaozi can sell cell phones, so can I! I refuse to believe that what Fan Debiao can do, I, Ma Dashuai, can't do!"

Yu Fen panicked: "Are you crazy? Do you know how much money Biaozi invested? Do you know how much risk he took? Do you even know how to sell mobile phones?"

"I just can't learn!" Ma Dashuai said. "Anyway, I'm not working at Victoria anymore; I'm quitting tomorrow!"

The next day, Ma Dashuai really did resign.

The logistics supervisor was a little surprised: "You were doing so well, why did you quit?"

"I don't want to work here anymore," Ma Dashuai said. "Give me my wages."

The supervisor didn't try to persuade him much and paid him half a month's salary, three hundred yuan.

Ma Dashuai took the three hundred yuan and went directly to Dexing Communications.

Fan Debiao wasn't there; Gangzi was keeping watch in the shop. Seeing Ma Dashuai come in, Gangzi greeted him, "Uncle Ma, you're here? Looking for Brother Biao?"

"I'm not going to look for him." Ma Dashuai walked around the store. "Gangzi, how much do you earn this month?"

Gangzi was taken aback: "Me? I don't have much money. They're all friends, it's just a voluntary contribution!"

"A voluntary act of service!" Ma Dashuai sneered twice. "What a high level of dedication. I worked in Victoria for three months and only earned 1,800. If I came here, how much would they pay me a month?"

Gangzi smiled and said, "Uncle Ma, this job is tiring; we're running around all day."

"What's the big deal about being tired? As long as I can make money." Ma Dashuai leaned closer. "Gangzi, why don't you talk to Biaozi about working at the store too? I don't need 1,500, 1,200 is fine with me."

Gangzi was in a dilemma: "Uncle Ma, I can't make this decision myself; it requires Brother Biao's approval."

"Then call him."

Gangzi had no choice but to call Fan Debiao. Fan Debiao was in Victoria with guests, and after listening, he said, "Have him wait for me at the shop, I'll be back in a bit."

When Fan Debiao returned, Ma Dashuai had already been sitting in the shop for over an hour.

"Brother-in-law, are you really not working at Victoria anymore?" Fan Debiao asked.

"I quit, it's boring," Ma Dashuai said. "Biaozi, let me work for you. I can do anything, sweeping, moving goods, selling cell phones, anything."

Fan Debiao lit a cigarette: "Brother-in-law, it's not that I didn't want you to come. The store is already well-staffed, and besides, your personality isn't suited to selling mobile phones."

"What's wrong with my personality?" Ma Dashuai retorted, displeased. "I'm quite the smooth talker, back in the village..."

"In the village it's the village, now it's the present," Fan Debiao interrupted him. "To sell mobile phones, you need to understand the product, know how to do the math, and be able to put up with things. With your temper, if a customer says something unpleasant, you'll start arguing with them."

Ma Dashuai's face flushed red: "Biaozi, are you looking down on me?"

"It's not that I look down on you, it's that I understand you," Fan Debiao said directly. "Brother-in-law, here's the deal. If you really want to do something, I'll lend you 20,000 yuan. You can find a suitable small business to start. If you lose money, I'll cover it; if you make a profit, you just need to pay me back the principal."

Ma Dashuai's eyes lit up: "You really want to lend me 20,000?"

"I'll lend it to you," Fan Debiao said, "but you need to think carefully about what you're going to do with it. Don't just do it on a whim, or you'll lose money and Yufen will start nagging me again."

"I've made up my mind!" Ma Dashuai slapped his thigh. "I'll sell mobile phones too! I'll open a shop right across from yours. You sell TCL and Amoi, I'll sell Nokia and Motorola. There won't be any conflict between us!"

Fan Debiao was taken aback: "You want to open a shop across from Dexing Communications?"

"Yeah! Your business is doing well, isn't it? If I open a shop across the street from you, I can benefit from your business too."

Fan Debiao stared at Ma Dashuai for a long time before finally nodding: "Alright, go ahead and open it if you want. But let's make it clear first, we'll each do our own thing, and you can't take anything from my shop."

"Absolutely not!" Commander Ma patted his chest. "I, Commander Ma, am meticulous in my work!"

With the 20,000 yuan given to him by Fan Debiao, Ma Dashuai actually rented a shop across the street. The shop wasn't big, only about 30 square meters; it used to be a photocopying shop, but it went out of business.

During the renovation, Ma Dashuai would loiter around the entrance of Dexing Communications every day, observing how they set up their counters, decorated, and arranged their displays. After observing enough, he copied their designs and also installed a glass counter and put up mobile phone posters on the walls.

But he didn't have the money to buy big-brand products, so he could only buy some no-name brand phones from Sanhao Street in Shenyang, as well as refurbished second-hand Nokia and Motorola phones.

On the opening day, Ma Dashuai set off a string of firecrackers, which attracted a lot of onlookers.

"Newly opened mobile phone store, everything 20% ​​off!" Ma Dashuai shouted from the doorway. "Nokia, Motorola, genuine products, ten times the price back if fake!"

Some people actually went in to take a look. But when they saw the price, it was much cheaper than Dexing Communications, and when they looked at the machine, its condition didn't seem quite right.

"Boss, why is your Nokia 8250 so cheap? Only 1,800?" a customer asked.

"We get our goods directly from Shenyang, which saves us from the middlemen, so it's cheaper," Ma Dashuai said logically.

The customer was skeptical and ultimately didn't buy anything, instead turning around and entering Dexing Communications.

On his first day of business, Ma Dashuai sold three machines: two generic brands and one refurbished Motorola. He earned over four hundred yuan.

After closing time that night, Ma Dashuai took the money to Yufen to show off: "Look, I made four hundred a day! At this rate, I can make twelve thousand a month!"

Looking at the crumpled banknotes, Yu Fen asked worriedly, "General, is your machine... alright?"

"What's the problem? They're all great machines!" Ma Dashuai said. "Just wait and see, in less than six months, I'll be driving a car and living in an apartment!"

Yu Fen hesitated, but ultimately said nothing.

At Dexing Communications, Fan Debiao stood by the window, looking at Ma Dashuai's shop across the street.

Gangzi walked over: "Brother Biao, Uncle Ma's shop... seems to sell mostly refurbished phones."

"I know," Fan Debiao said. "Let him do it. He'll see in a couple of days that business isn't so easy."

"But he lives right across from us, which is bad for our reputation. What if someone buys a defective machine from him and thinks it was sold by Dexing Communications?"

Fan Debiao thought for a moment: "Tomorrow, put up a notice at the door, clearly stating that Dexing Communications only sells genuine TCL and Xiaxin products, and that other stores are not affiliated with this store."

"OK."

Just then, the phone rang. It was Wu Derong.

"De Biao, are you free tonight? I'd like to introduce you to someone." Wu Derong's voice was tinged with laughter. "He's from the city, the director in charge of investment promotion. He's quite interested in your business."

"Are you free? What time?"

"Six o'clock, third floor of Victoria."

After hanging up the phone, Fan Debiao checked his watch and then looked at the light shining from Ma Dashuai's shop across the street.

People strive for higher positions.

General Ma wanted to climb the ranks, but he went astray.

Fan Debiao also wants to move up the social ladder, but he must do so on the right path.

The sixty-two years of hard work in my past life cannot be wasted; in this life, I must take every step steadily and practically.

"Gangzi, pack your things, we're going to Victoria tonight."

"Okay, Brother Biao."