All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

In this day and age, don't think that foreign money is easy to earn. Foreigners are not stupid. On the contrary, they have always regarded Chinese people as fools. Various raw materials are converted into US dollars at domestic prices and exported abroad. In the eyes of those foreigners, this is like picking up money. Once in their own countries, these raw materials can be processed and their prices can be increased tenfold or even dozens of times.

When China needed their technology and equipment, most of what they offered were antiques and junk that had long been obsolete on the market. They would then sell these items back to China at several times the price. This buying and selling made them treat the Chinese like fools!

Even if they treat us like fools, we have to accept it, because even if their outdated technology and equipment are the most advanced in our country, you have to grit your teeth and swallow it down!

Decades later, when China has gradually caught up with the US and other developed countries in many industries, they will get anxious and resort to all sorts of underhanded tactics. But they still won't be able to stop China from selling its products all over the world. At that time, they can only try to wage a trade war against China, and various sanctions will be as common as eating diarrhea!

Since they treat us like fools, then we should treat them like fools too, and make some money off them. Isn't that the right thing to do?

So what kind of products can you use to make money off foreigners?

Lei Dongbao had been thinking about this problem since May. Electric fans are not yet widespread in China, while refrigerators, air conditioners, and color TVs are already commonplace in Europe and America.

What electrical appliances do foreigners find novel?

How can they profit from their gullibility?

Lei Dongbao finally remembered a novel he had read before, in which someone made a fortune from foreigners using that thing. However, Lei Dongbao still had some doubts about that thing, but he had already asked the research and development department to start developing it. That thing was actually not complicated.

Since the future development direction of Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory has been defined as an electrical appliance factory, it will eventually have to produce refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. The introduction of these production lines will probably require a lot of capital, and even a large amount of foreign exchange. Naturally, this money will have to be obtained from foreigners.

Lei Dongbao specifically looked for Yang Xun's name from Licheng on the sales figures for July from other provinces, but the sales figures made Lei Dongbao frown.

He remembered that Yang Xun had called him in mid-July. Yang Xun seemed to want to say something, but in the end, he didn't say it. Lei Dongbao was too busy at the time and didn't notice it. Now, seeing the dismal sales in Licheng in July, he suddenly remembered this incident, quickly flipped through his phone book, found Yang Xun's number in Licheng, and dialed it.

Chapter 63: Dealing with Rotten Fish and Shrimp

The Heavens Begin with Love in the Courtyard, Chapter 63: Cleaning Up the Rotten Fish and Shrimp. Yang Xun's phone rang for a long time without being answered. Lei Dongbao frowned and tapped his desk with his fingers, wondering what had happened in Licheng.

Just as Lei Dongbao was about to hang up, the call was suddenly answered, and a panting voice came through.

"Hello! This is the Peak Electric Fan Sales Department!"

Lei Dongbao pondered for a moment before speaking.

"It's me! Lei Dongbao!"

Upon hearing that it was Lei Dongbao, Yang Xun on the other end paused for a moment before speaking somewhat embarrassedly.

"Brother Lei, what brings you here to call me?"

Lei Dongbao didn't waste any more words with Yang Xun and went straight to asking the question.

"Tell me, what was the situation in July?"

Yang Xun clearly hadn't expected Lei Dongbao to be so direct. He paused for a moment before speaking cautiously.

"Brother Lei, actually this is a private matter, and I don't really want to talk about it...!"

Lei Dongbao scolded impatiently.

"You're still working for my factory. Since your personal matters are affecting your work, then it's related to me. What do you want to say? Hurry up! I'm very busy right now!"

Yang Xun paused on the phone for a moment before finally explaining the whole story.

A young man surnamed Yang took a fancy to Yang Xun's girlfriend, who was wearing a high-end hair accessory. This young man played hard to get, first introducing Yang Xun to a sales channel, then threatening him. After Yang Xun turned against him, the young man quickly had the sales channel remove his counter, resulting in Yang Xun's dismal sales performance of only 103 units in July.

Because of the opponent's strength, no department store in Licheng, big or small, accepted the Peak brand electric fans. Even the most popular Hongyun fan in July was not sold in any department store in the entire Licheng!

Yang Xun sold 103 units in July, all by going to rural markets and selling them one by one to the general stores. That's how he ended up selling them!

After hearing the whole story, Lei Dongbao was furious. What kind of nonsense is this?!

What era are we living in? How can such garbage still exist?

Lei Dongbao asked Yang Shao what his identity was and what he did now.

Yang Xun had inquired about Yang Shao's background over the past month, but he still didn't know what Yang Shao did. He only knew that the other party had great power, but he had considered begging for mercy.

However, one time, Dai Jiaofeng secretly went to Yang Shao without telling him and begged him to let Yang Xun go. When Yang Xun found out about this, he gave up on the idea!

A man's pride would never allow him to admit defeat to Yang Shao, so he took Dai Jiaofeng and spent the entire month of July running around the rural markets, all for the sake of a man's pride!

However, the purchasing power of rural towns in those days was generally low, and with so many locally produced electric fans, Yang Xun only managed to sell 103 units after a month of running around.

The last time he called Lei Dongbao, he originally wanted to ask Lei Dongbao to change his location. He thought that if he couldn't afford to offend Young Master Yang, he could at least avoid him.

But the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't say them in the end. Yang Xun was a small man, and although he often bowed and scraped to others and was extremely humble, he actually had a very strong sense of self-respect. He really didn't want Lei Dongbao to look down on him!

Now that Lei Dongbao has strongly backed him up, he finally voiced all the grievances he had been holding in!

Yang Xun slowly recounted Yang Shao's background and his current actions. Upon hearing this, Lei Dongbao immediately fell into deep thought.

Let's not talk about Yang Shao's background. He's a local bigwig or something. But this guy drives luxury cars, lives in a villa, and has a lot of influence in the area. Yet Yang Xun has never heard of him having any big businesses!

Lei Dongbao pondered for a while, recalling the geographical location of Licheng, and made some guesses about this Young Master Yang. He then calmed down. This guy was really not easy to mess with. Lei Dongbao had a hundred ways to kill this kind of person, but he was worried about 404 (censored). After thinking for a while, he still spoke to Yang Xun.

"Find out that young master Yang's phone number for me, give me his number, I want to have a heart-to-heart talk with him!"

Yang Xun paused for a moment, then spoke.

"I still have his phone number, Brother Lei. I think it's best not to mess with this kind of person. I can't afford to offend him!"

Lei Dongbao got angry when he heard Yang Xun's words and scolded him.

“We’re doing business legitimately. What are you afraid of, those scoundrels? Give me his number, I’ll have a word with him!”

Yang Xun finally hesitated and handed the phone to Lei Dongbao!

Lei Dongbao reassured Yang Xun that he would handle this kind of person himself!

After hanging up Yang Xun's call, Lei Dongbao picked up the phone again and dialed the number of this person named Yang Shaodong.

The call was quickly answered, and a middle-aged man's voice came from the other end, though his tone was somewhat lazy. He even yawned before asking.

"I am Yang Shaodong, who is this?"

Lei Dongbao tapped the table. He had originally wanted to have a good talk with this bastard, but hearing his lazy words made him angry. He picked up the phone and angrily rebuked him.

"I am your father!"

The person on the other end paused for a moment, then seemed to sit up straight, before asking angrily.

"You little brat, who are you calling names? Who do you even know?"

Lei Dongbao, too lazy to waste words, spoke directly.

“Yang Shaodong, remember what I said. My name is Lei Dongbao, and I am the executive deputy director of Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory. The Yang Xun you threatened last month is our factory’s agent in Licheng. You son of a bitch, I’m warning you this time. You can play in the mud in your local little pond, but don’t try to show your face like a cuckold. Otherwise, I will kill you sooner or later. Got it?”

Yang Shaodong was both angry and ashamed by Lei Dongbao's words. In his more than forty years of life, he had never met anyone more arrogant than him. This made him laugh in anger. He held the phone, listened to Lei Dongbao's threat, and then said with a playful smile.

"Lei Dongbao, is it? I'll remember you. Threatening me, is that it? I, Yang Shaodong, have never been threatened in my life. That Peak brand electric fan is from your factory, right? Very well, I think you can forget about selling Peak brand electric fans in Licheng from now on. I, Yang Shaodong, am putting my words here: no one can protect Peak brand! But I'm a little curious. Judging from your arrogant tone, tell me, how are you going to kill me?"

Lei Dongbao tapped the table and said in a very calm tone.

"It's easy to kill a nobody like you. I'll put your name, Yang Shaodong, on the front page of the Anyun Provincial Daily. You're a smuggler who's threatening the development of state-owned enterprises and seriously disrupting the local business environment. I'll also find a way to get this report published in the internal reports so that people at the top can discuss whether or not Yang Shaodong, these harmful elements, should be punished. Tell me, will anyone kill you then?"

After listening to Lei Dongbao's calm narration, the sneer on Yang Shaodong's lips gradually faded, and a layer of cold sweat began to appear on his forehead. He coughed lightly to ease his embarrassment. For a moment, he realized that he had overdone it and didn't know how to respond to Lei Dongbao.

When Lei Dongbao saw that there was no sound from the other end, he obviously knew that the other party was weighing the pros and cons. However, in Lei Dongbao's view, this was a seasoned veteran in his forties who had only recently entered the business world. Such a person obviously knew what Lei Dongbao's words meant, but was obviously guessing whether Lei Dongbao really had that much power.

Lei Dongbao stopped wasting words and continued to speak forcefully.

"I'll give you a day to think it over. You can use this day to find out who I, Lei Dongbao, am. Let me say this last thing: you little brat, just play in the mud in your little pond. Don't show off too much. I don't have that much free time to offend people. But if people don't offend me, I won't offend them. Do you understand what I mean? Think it over, then go and apologize to Yang Xun and have a good talk with him!"

After saying that, Lei Dongbao hung up the phone. Yang Shaodong held the phone to his ear for a long time before putting it down. He then stood up, thought for a moment, and sat down again. He took out a phone book from the drawer and began to search.

He searched for a while before finding a phone number and dialing it. The call was quickly answered, and Yang Shaodong's tone had long since lost its lazy attitude; instead, he spoke in a very sincere tone.

"Secretary Wang, hello, hello, I am Yang Shaodong from Licheng. My father is Yang Dayang. Um, um, Secretary Wang, I have something to ask you. Is there a Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory in your province, and a factory director named Lei Dongbao?"

Upon hearing Lei Dongbao's name on the phone, the person on the other end thought for a moment before speaking.

"Is it Lei Dongbao from the Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory?"

Yang Shaodong recalled what Lei Dongbao had said and quickly nodded in agreement.

The other party smiled and said.

"Lei Dongbao is a big celebrity in our Anyun Province. He's a representative to the Provincial People's Congress, and he was just nominated this year. Besides, he's a very capable person. Let me tell you, many leaders at the top are paying attention to his affairs. This guy is very good at running businesses!"

Yang Shaodong felt a jolt in his heart, and his attitude became even more humble. After talking to the other party for more than ten minutes, he put down the phone, sat in the chair for a long time in a daze, and finally took out his phone book again and dialed a number again!

Lei Dongbao felt much better after hanging up the phone. He didn't really think Yang Xun's matter was a big deal. However, for Yang Xun, Yang Shaodong, that local tyrant, was someone he couldn't afford to offend, so he naturally avoided him.

However, for Lei Dongbao, while he could also use underhanded methods to kill someone like Yang Shaodong who couldn't be brought to the table, he could also use better methods to deal with him given his current status.

Their identities are different, and so are their ways of thinking. If he were still Lei Dongbao from Xiao Lei Village, there really wouldn't be any legitimate way to deal with him.

However, given his current status, there are countless ways to make Yang Shaodong bow his head and admit his mistake. It's not that Lei Dongbao has a wide network of connections, but rather that he is now leading Jinzhou Second Machinery Factory to new heights, which attracts more attention. At this point, all he needs is a point of public opinion, and someone will naturally help him deal with Yang Shaodong.

I won't go into detail about Yang Shaodong's rise to wealth. Anyway, in the coastal areas, starting in the 1980s, countless people made their fortunes on small speedboats. I won't go into the shady dealings behind it. Yang Shaodong's methods obviously hadn't really taken off yet. It wasn't until the 1990s that a certain Dream of the Red Chamber enthusiast really stirred up a storm.

Lei Dongbao's guess was indeed correct. In less than a day, Yang Xun called again that evening, sounding very excited, saying that Yang Shaodong had personally invited him and Dai Jiaofeng to dinner, and his attitude was very sincere.

Yang Shaodong said he would contact Yang Xun through the previous channels and sincerely apologized. After the meal, Yang Shaodong asked Yang Xun to convey a message to Lei Dongbao, which had only one meaning.

From now on, we'll keep to ourselves!

Chapter 64: Family, let's give it our all!

Chapter 64 of "From Love in the Courtyard": Family, let's give it our all! Lei Dongbao laughed heartily and asked Yang Xun to pass on a message to Yang Shaodong, saying that he had agreed to keep to himself and that they would not interfere with each other. He also told him to watch the news more often!

Yang Xun was somewhat puzzled, but he still agreed to pass on the message. After hanging up the phone, Lei Dongbao sat in his office chair and pondered.

Looking ahead to the next forty years, starting with the reform and opening up, the changes in China will be greater than those in the past four thousand years, gradually transforming it from an agrarian society into an urban industrial society.

Countless people have changed their identities and even earned more money than they could spend in several lifetimes over the past forty years.

There are countless paths to this opportunity, including the right path and the wrong path. For people like Yang Shaodong, the 1980s and 90s were their golden age. As for whether they will go bankrupt or end up in jail, nobody knows. It all depends on their own fate.

Lei Dongbao looked out the window at the already dark sky, glanced at his watch, and saw it was already 10 p.m. He quickly got up, ready to leave work.

Since Song Yunping gave birth, Lei Dongbao promised her that he would try his best to come home on time every day. However, when he gets busy with work, he can't always be on time. He can only try his best to come home every day to have a meal with his family.

Song Yunping has been taken care of, but Gao Shengnan has been calling him less and less since she gave birth to Gao Jin, as if Gao Shengnan has now found her own support.

Lei Dongbao could only sigh. Gao Shengnan was too strong-willed. She had once said that she would not disturb Lei Dongbao's family, and she had indeed kept her word.

But Lei Dongbao knew that although she didn't say it on the surface, she was very bothered by it. However, Lei Dongbao spent nine-tenths of his time on work, and the remaining one-tenth was really not enough for two women to share!

But she was still his woman and his child. Lei Dongbao took time to go to Jinling County twice this week, even keeping it a secret. He stayed for an hour each time before leaving.

Lei Dongbao sighed, walked to the factory gate, and looked at the brightly lit factory. His disappointment eased a little.