Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

Although it was still February, the heat in Guangzhou was already unbearable.

As soon as Fan Debiao landed at Baiyun Airport, a wave of heat hit him, and his jacket immediately became too tight. He stood at the door, pulled the zipper down a bit, and wondered if he should change his clothes.

Avi packed two white shirts into the suitcase, folded neatly, with paper linings at the collar.

He glanced at it and decided to forget it, and change it when he got to the hotel.

The young man from TCL, holding a sign, compared the man's features to those of someone with a large head and thick neck. Seeing that the man's appearance matched, he quickly walked a few steps forward: "Mr. Fan, are you? You must have had a long journey!"

Fan Debiao nodded and handed over the suitcase.

The young man was in his early twenties, dressed in a sharp suit, his hair neatly combed. He glanced at Fan Debiao's stand-up collar jacket, said nothing, and led the way.

"Mr. Fan, the temperature in Guangzhou has warmed up these past two days, reaching over 20 degrees Celsius."

"Yes, it's warmer than Kaiyuan."

As the car drove towards the city, both sides of the road were lined with banyan trees, their tendrils hanging down, a glossy green. Fan Debiao sat in the back seat, rolling down the window a crack, letting in a gust of hot air, carrying an indescribable smell.

7 p.m., Garden Hotel banquet hall.

Fan Debiao glanced around as he entered. The entire hall was filled with people in dark suits, the fabrics flowing smoothly, with gold badges pinned to their lapels. The group of men stood together, their hair slicked back, slicked with gel, so shiny that even a fly would have to do the splits if it landed on it.

He glanced down at himself—a stand-up collar jacket, black trousers, short stubble, and gleaming leather shoes. The northern man stood there, broad-shouldered and burly, exuding an air of authority, but compared to those around him, he seemed to be there to discuss a different kind of business.

The usher led him to table number 17. There were seven people sitting at the round table. When they saw him arrive, they all glanced at him but no one got up.

"From the Northeast," a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses said softly in Cantonese, but Fan Debiao understood him—he pronounced the words "Northeast" very clearly.

The woman next to me, who was getting her hair permed, laughed and replied in Cantonese, "I can tell."

Fan Debiao pretended not to hear, sat down, and pulled his jacket zipper down a bit.

The man with the gold-rimmed glasses handed over his business card, his tone neither warm nor cold: "Nice to meet you. Chen Yongfa, Chaozhou Huaqiang Communications."

Fan Debiao took it, pulled out his own from his inner pocket, and handed it over with both hands: "Kaiyuan Dexing Communications, Fan Debiao."

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"Kaiyuan?" Chen Yongfa took the business card, glanced at it, paused, and said, "Never heard of it. Is it from Northeast China?"

"right."

"Is Kaiyuan... a city or a county?"

"County-level city".

Chen Yongfa nodded, asked no more questions, put the business card on the table, and didn't put it in his pocket.

Several people nearby handed him their business cards, from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Foshan, which Fan Debiao returned one by one. The woman with the permed hair, surnamed He, glanced at the card as she took it: "Dexing Communications... just registered this year?"

"It opened in June."

"Oh," Ms. He smiled, "a new friend."

The dishes were served quickly. The poached chicken, roast goose, and steamed fish were all classic Cantonese dishes, typical of old Guangzhou cuisine. He picked up a piece of roast goose; the skin was crispy, but he didn't like it with the plum sauce.

Chen Yongfa chatted with Ms. He about this year's ordering policy in Cantonese, speaking very quickly. Fan Debiao half-listened and half-guessed, but the gist was that TCL was going to push inventory onto smaller distributors this year, making things difficult for them.

"In some places, selling a few dozen units is considered being an agent." Chen Yongfa picked up a piece of fish, his words carrying a hidden meaning.

Ms. He laughed: "They're agents too, so they're all customers, big or small."

Chen Yongfa put down his chopsticks, turned to Fan Debiao, and switched to Mandarin: "Mr. Fan, how many people leave Kaiyuan in a month?"

Fan Debiao spat the bones into the dish: "On average, it's a little over three hundred."

There was a two-second silence on the table.

Chen Yongfa's chopsticks froze in mid-air: "Three hundred? For a single store?"

"Hmm. All three machines combined."

Ms. He turned to look at him, and this time she looked him over properly.

"That's good." Chen Yongfa put the fish in his mouth, chewed it, and said, "Three hundred units in a county-level city, even our Chaozhou store doesn't have that many."

Fan Debiao didn't reply, but picked up his teacup and took a sip.

At 7:50, the host came on stage.

"The 2003 TCL Gold Distributor Award Ceremony now begins—"

The applause was sparse. Fan Debiao kept his head down, peeling an orange, without looking up.

"Dexing Communications, Kaiyuan City, Liaobei Region—"

He paused for a moment.

"General Manager Fan Debiao achieved sales of 2,100 units in six months and was awarded the title of Gold Medal Dealer!"

Everyone at the table turned to look at him.

The teacup in Chen Yongfa's hand froze in mid-air.

Ms. He opened her mouth, and after a long pause, uttered a single word: "...Wow."

Fan Debiao put the orange peel on the table, stood up, straightened his jacket, and walked onto the stage.

The spotlight was blinding. He accepted the heavy crystal trophy from the award presenter, its base engraved with words. The flashbulbs went off seven or eight times.

"Mr. Fan, would you like to say a few words?" The host handed over the microphone.

Fan Debiao took the microphone and remained silent for two seconds.

"Thank you, TCL. Thank you, Director Li of the Liaoning Provincial Office," he said. "Kaiyuan is a small place, and we don't have any special abilities. We just sell them one by one. If we sell honestly, the people will accept it."

He returned the microphone and stepped down from the stage.

Back in his seat, Chen Yongfa's business card had been moved from the edge of the table to his hand.

"Mr. Fan," Chen Yongfa raised his glass, "I apologize for my rudeness earlier. This glass is for you."

Fan Debiao picked up his teacup: "Let's use tea instead of wine."

"Mr. Fan, being from Northeast China, doesn't drink?"

"I'll drink, but I have things to do tonight."

Chen Yongfa finished his drink, sat down, and leaned closer: "President Fan, how did you achieve this sales volume in Kaiyuan?"

Ms. He also moved her chair this way.

Fan Debiao put down his teacup and watched the turntable on the table slowly spin.

"There's no secret," he said. "Just be honest with ordinary people, offer fair prices, and provide good after-sales service. When people buy a machine from you, they have to feel it's worth it."

"That's all?"

That's all.

Chen Yongfa and Ms. He exchanged a glance, somewhat disbelieving, but not daring to ask any further questions.

Several people came over to offer toasts and hand out business cards, addressing Fan Debiao as "General Manager Fan" repeatedly. Fan Debiao refilled his teacup three times.

Before leaving, Chen Yongfa chased after him to the elevator entrance.

"Mr. Fan," he said, handing the business card to Fan Debiao with both hands this time, "I will definitely pay you a visit when I go to the Northeast."

Fan Debiao took the business card and put it directly into his inner pocket.

"Winter is cold in Northeast China," he said. "Call me before you come, and I'll have someone pick you up."

The next morning at nine o'clock, Director Li of the Provincial Office arranged to meet Fan Debiao at the coffee shop on the second floor of the hotel.

As soon as we sat down, we shook hands, both hands clasped together, and shook them several times.

"President Fan! Last night's awards ceremony was so inspiring! I sat there watching you go on stage, and I was so proud of you, coming from Liaoning Province!"

Fan Debiao chuckled, "It's all thanks to the support of company policies."

Director Li was in his late forties, with his hair slicked back and gleaming. He took out a cigarette from his briefcase and offered one to Fan Debiao, but Fan waved it off and lit it himself.

"President Fan, I don't like beating around the bush," Director Li took a deep breath, "The company has introduced a new policy this year, and I thought I should let you know in advance so you won't be caught off guard when we officially sign the contract later."

Fan Debiao remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"As you know, TCL products sold incredibly well last year, resulting in a nationwide shortage for three months." Director Li flicked his cigarette ash. "The company was also under immense pressure; production couldn't keep up, distribution channels were chaotic, and dealers were fiercely undercutting each other..."

He paused, glancing at Fan Debiao.

Fan Debiao picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.

"So this year," Director Li stubbed out his cigarette, "the company has decided to adjust prices. The purchase price will be increased by 5% to 8%."

Fan Debiao put down his teacup without looking up.

"The retail price remains unchanged; it's the company's unified guideline price, and no one can raise it," Director Li said quickly. "At the same time, we're raising the ordering threshold. To get the base price, you have to sign a large order. Small orders are also possible, but the price will be the increased amount."

He glanced at Fan Debiao again: "There's also the quarterly assessment, the sales target, and if you don't meet it, your commission will be deducted. Mr. Fan, this is national policy, it's not that I, Old Li, am making things difficult for you..."

Fan Debiao looked up at him.

Director Li's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile: "Of course, General Manager Fan's capabilities speak for themselves. A top-tier distributor, 2,100 units in six months. What's difficult for others is just a matter of a word for General Manager Fan. A piece of cake!"

He pushed the tea towards Fan Debiao: "Brother, I have no choice. Headquarters has imposed pressure, and each branch office has its own quotas. In Liaoning Province, you, General Manager Fan, are the first person I thought of..."

After listening, Fan Debiao picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"I understand, Director Li," he said. "You mean this policy is the same nationwide?"

"Yes, yes, the whole country is a unified entity."

"So, Liaoning and Guangdong have the same policy?"

Director Li was taken aback for a moment: "Well... the policy is the same."

Fan Debiao nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

Director Li waited for a while, but received no further response. He chuckled twice, pulled a piece of paper from his briefcase—a letter of intent to place an order—and pushed it over.

"Mr. Fan, look at this amount... could we sign a framework agreement first?"

Fan Debiao glanced down. The number had doubled compared to last year.

He pushed the letter of intent back.

"Director Li," he stood up, "I'll think about it."

Director Li's expression changed slightly, but he quickly put on a smile again: "Of course, of course, such a big matter should be considered."

Fan Debiao picked up his jacket from the back of the chair and walked out. He paused at the coffee shop entrance.

"Director Li, at your banquet last night, table number 17," he said, "the people sitting next to me, from Chaozhou, Guangzhou, and Foshan, didn't have as high sales as me last year."

Director Li did not respond.

"They've signed the policy? Director Li, let's discuss it in detail at the formal meeting."