Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

At 7:30 a.m. on Lunar New Year's Eve, Fan Debiao was woken up by his cell phone ringing.

His head throbbed as if it were about to split open, and his eyelids were so heavy he could barely keep them open. He reached for his phone, squinted at it, and glanced at it—Wu Derong.

"Feed..." Her voice was terribly hoarse.

"De Biao, still hungover?" Wu Derong laughed on the other end of the phone. "Come to Victoria, I made some good tea to help you sober up."

Fan Debiao struggled to sit up and glanced out the window. It was already broad daylight, and the streets were nearly deserted; everyone was at home preparing for the New Year.

"Mr. Wu, what time is it...?"

"You have to be here sometime, it's important." Wu Derong paused, "I'll be waiting for you on the third floor."

The phone hangs up.

Fan Debiao rubbed his temples and staggered to the bathroom to wash his face. The person in the mirror had puffy eyes and a stubble of stubble. He grinned, "Fan Debiao, oh Fan Debiao, forty-two and still drinking like this? At this rate, you're unlikely to live to sixty-two!"

I put on my clothes and went downstairs. The cold wind made me feel a little clearer-headed.

The main entrance to Victoria was closed, but the side door was ajar. Fan Debiao pushed the door open and went inside. The lobby was empty; the employees had all gone on holiday, but there was still a faint smell of alcohol in the building.

On the third floor, Wu Derong's office door was ajar.

Pushing open the door, I saw Wu Derong sitting in front of the tea table boiling water. Steam was rising from the purple clay teapot, and the aroma of tea was already wafting out.

"Sit down." Wu Derong didn't look up, focusing on arranging the tea set.

Fan Debiao sat down in the rattan chair opposite him, watching Wu Derong scald the cups, rinse the tea, and brew it. His movements were slow and methodical, completely different from the decisive Boss Wu he usually was.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't go yesterday." Wu Derong poured two cups of tea, pushing one towards me. "Two tables of guests came, from the city's Federation of Industry and Commerce, and several leaders from other units. I really couldn't get away."

"I understand." Fan Debiao picked up his teacup, blew on it, and took a small sip. The tea was piping hot, and as it went down his throat, his stomach felt instantly warm.

Wu Derong took a sip of tea, put down his cup, and looked at Fan Debiao: "What's up? I heard you're going to pay for your employees' insurance?"

"Yes. Starting from New Year's Day."

"Full coverage? Retirement? Medical care?"

"All handed over."

Wu Derong tapped his fingers on the table: "Debiao, we're brothers, so let me be honest—this expense is considerable. We have over twenty full-time employees now, each earning at least three or four hundred a month, which is close to ten thousand a month, and over a hundred thousand a year. Are you willing to part with this money?"

Fan Debiao lit a cigarette and took a deep drag: "Mr. Wu, it's not that I'm reluctant, it's that I have to spend this money."

"How so?"

"What's the biggest shortage for our company to grow and thrive? It's not money, it's people." Fan Debiao flicked his cigarette ash. "Now, let's talk about what's most important in the 21st century—talent, good people, capable people, and people we can retain. How do we retain them? Just raising salaries isn't enough. If you can raise them, others can too. If I offer 8,000 today, someone else can offer 9,000 tomorrow, and they'll be poached."

Wu Derong nodded: "That's the truth."

"But insurance is different." Fan Debiao leaned forward. "Let alone in Kaiyuan, even in big cities like Tieling, how many private business owners pay insurance for their employees? Very few. When we pay, our employees feel secure—they'll have a pension when they're old and reimbursement for medical expenses. It's not just about money; it's about security."

He paused for a moment, then added, "And I've inquired about it; you can get tax deductions for insurance. You pay all the taxes you're supposed to, but you can get a tax credit for the insurance. So, the actual expenses aren't as high as you might think."

Wu Derong was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Not bad, Debiao, you've figured this out."

"This is nothing," Fan Debiao said, stubbing out his cigarette. "Mr. Wu, I have even more ambitious plans."

Tell me about it.

"On the engineering side, we're short of people right now. We don't need manual laborers, we need certified people." Fan Debiao counted on his fingers, "Network engineers, electromechanical engineers, certified public accountants, certified budgeters... We need to recruit these talents. Even if we can't recruit full-time, we need to have them register their certificates with our company."

Wu Derong frowned: "Affiliation? Is this thing reliable?"

"That's reliable," Fan Debiao said. "They've been doing this in the South for a long time. They pay 10,000 to 20,000 yuan a year for an engineer's certificate to be used for bidding, even though the person doesn't have to come to work."

"What do you need so many certificates for?"

"Get the qualifications." Fan Debiao's eyes lit up. "General contracting for telecommunications engineering construction, information and communication network system integration capabilities, professional contracting for electronic and intelligent engineering... We need all these qualifications. And we need to aim for the highest level: Class I, Class A, Class II, the higher the better."

Wu Derong put down his teacup, sat up straight, and said slowly, "Debiao, aren't you taking too big a step? We've only built a few base stations, and you're already going to do all this?"

"Mr. Wu, times have changed," Fan Debiao said earnestly. "I've heard that bidding and tendering in the south are becoming increasingly standardized; without the necessary qualifications, you're not even eligible to register. If we don't prepare now, we'll be at a disadvantage once the policies are implemented."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "General Manager Zhang from China Netcom told me that starting next year, engineering bidding will be standardized. Small companies without qualifications will gradually be eliminated."

Wu Derong fell silent. He picked up his teacup, sipped slowly, and stared out the window, lost in thought.

The office was quiet, with only the sound of tea being poured into a cup.

After a while, Wu Derong put down his cup: "Is there any more?"

"Yes," Fan Debiao said. "The company's registered capital also needs to be increased. It's one million now, and I plan to increase it to three million. The money doesn't need to be actually in place; we can just find an agency to handle it, it won't cost much. But once the registered capital is higher, it will carry more weight when bidding."

Wu Derong stared at Fan Debiao for a full half minute.

Then he suddenly laughed and shook his head: "De Biao, De Biao, I'm truly impressed. Where did you learn all these tricks of the trade?"

"A friend told me about it, I figured it out myself, I even dreamed about it!" Fan Debiao mumbled. "Mr. Wu, what do you think?"

Wu Derong didn't answer immediately. He boiled water again, made tea, and poured more for the two of them.

Amidst the fragrant aroma of tea, he slowly spoke: "De Biao, I've thought carefully about what you just said—it makes sense, and it's a profound truth."

He picked up his teacup: "Paying insurance for employees helps retain their loyalty. Engaging in license lending helps lay a solid foundation. Increasing registered capital enhances our image. By following these three steps, Dexing Communications will no longer be a small-time operation, but a legitimate company."

Fan Debiao nodded.

"You don't need to worry about the money," Wu Derong said. "I'm a shareholder, so I'll cover my share. I'll pay the insurance, get the necessary qualifications, and increase the registered capital. I'll fully support you."

"Thank you, Mr. Wu."

"Don't thank me yet." Wu Derong waved his hand. "I also have an idea. Listen to it."

"Please speak."

Wu Derong leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Debiao, have you ever thought about expanding the business?"

"for example?"

"Let's build a 'Kaiyuan Communications City'," Wu Derong said, his eyes gleaming. "Find a good location, rent a large space of two or three thousand square meters. The first floor will sell mobile phones and accessories, the second floor will have repair and customer service facilities, and the third floor will be offices and a training center. We'll bring in all the major brands, and also bring in the business halls of China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Netcom. One-stop service, whatever you need, we'll have it all."

Fan Debiao's heart skipped a beat. This thought was so similar to something he had seen in his previous life.

"Where's the money?" he asked.

"I'll handle the money," Wu Derong said. "I have connections at the bank, so getting a loan of one or two million shouldn't be a problem. I've also looked at a few locations. The old department store in Tiexi District is a good one—three floors, 2,800 square meters, with an annual rent of 200,000. Your work over the past six months has given me confidence, so we'll expand our company significantly. Even if a dollar falls from the sky in Kaiyuan, we'll get a share."

Fan Debiao didn't agree immediately; he quickly calculated in his mind.

Once the telecommunications city is completed, it will become the distribution center for mobile phones in Kaiyuan and even northern Liaoning. Controlling the distribution channels means controlling the bargaining power. At that point, it won't be him begging manufacturers for goods; it will be the manufacturers begging him for prime locations.

However, the risks are also high—the investment is large, the cycle is long, and if it fails, it may wipe out all the savings you have accumulated. Moreover, most importantly, the "macroeconomic environment" in the first half of next year will not be very good.

"Mr. Wu," Fan Debiao said slowly, "this is a big matter, I need to think about it carefully."

"Of course," Wu Derong nodded. "No rush, we can talk about it after the New Year. But I have something else to say first."

"Please speak."

"If we're going to do it, I'd like to invest more money, but regarding shares..." Wu Derong paused, "I can take a smaller share. You built Dexing Communications from scratch, so I can't take a larger share just because I invest more money. You can have 70% and I can have 30%, or you can have 80% and I can have 20%, either way is fine."

Fan Debiao was stunned.

This doesn't make sense. It's only natural that those who invest more money should own more shares.

"Mr. Wu, you..."

"De Biao, let's not mince words," Wu Derong waved his hand. "What I value isn't your current business, but you as a person. You're smart, insightful, and daring. Working with you, we won't lose money. It doesn't matter if we have a smaller share; as the business grows, the profits will naturally increase."

Fan Debiao felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He raised his teacup: "Mr. Wu, I'd like to offer you this tea instead of wine."

The two clinked glasses.

After finishing his tea, Wu Derong glanced at his watch: "It's past ten o'clock. Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. You're a bachelor, and I'm still unmarried, so let's not go home to a cold house. Let's celebrate the New Year together in Victoria. I'll have the kitchen prepare a few dishes, and we can have some drinks to celebrate the Spring Festival."

Fan Debiao laughed: "Sure. But drink less, I haven't recovered from yesterday yet."

"No, that won't do. Just a moderate amount." Wu Derong stood up. "You sit down first, I'll make the arrangements."

He walked out of the office, his footsteps echoing in the corridor.

Fan Debiao sat alone at the tea table, looking out the window. The sound of sporadic firecrackers drifted from afar; the festive atmosphere of the New Year was growing stronger.

He recalled the New Years he spent alone in his past life. Cheap liquor, frozen dumplings…

Things are different now. I have a career, partners, and something to look forward to.