"Selling clothes? What the hell?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, looking at Tan Jincheng with a puzzled expression.
Tan's thought process is really something, isn't it?
How did he even think of selling clothes?
"Hmm, to be precise, selling clothes overseas,"
Tan Jincheng said, nodding.
Aside from illicit activities, most ventures aiming to make big money these days are inseparable from foreign trade.
In the foreign trade industry, apparel and electronics are two major players.
Setting aside electronics for now, the apparel industry, with its lower entry barriers and technology requirements, is the best way to enter the foreign trade sector.
Monopoly industries and those requiring significant investment are not for Tan Jincheng.
As for the other relatively profitable financial industry, with his past life's experience of Zhongguo Pingan at a cost of 85 yuan, does he even have the ability for that?
"Zhongguo Pingan at a cost of 80 yuan, and he dares to call himself a stock trader?"
Besides, it's 2004 now.
Apart from remembering Kweichow Moutai, Tan Jincheng knows absolutely nothing else, not even the rules of stock trading in those days.
Oh, by the way, Tan Jincheng just checked Kweichow Moutai online; it's already listed, and yesterday's closing price was 34.93 yuan.
With his current net worth, he could buy approximately 3400 shares if he went all-in.
Calculated based on Moutai's ultimate stock price of over 2000 yuan in his previous life, and accounting for dividends over the years, it would be roughly just under ten million yuan.
Actually, if he had listened to his dad, retaken the exams, got into a university, then returned home to become a civil servant and live a comfortable life, and then used his funds to buy Moutai, he could also live comfortably for the rest of his life.
But this is clearly impossible; moreover, where would he find any high school knowledge now?
Since the formal establishment of permanent normal trade relations between the two countries in 2000 and China's official entry into the WTO in 2001, the foreign trade industry has become a vital pillar of our country's economy.
With a broader scope for business, demand naturally increased.
Even with the impact of SARS last year, there was no negative growth as expected, and the annual GDP reached a growth rate of 10%.
In the first half of this year, the color TV dumping case also reached its final conclusion.
Although the four giants received significant penalties, it did not affect the normal development of trade between the two sides.
Furthermore, with the RMB to USD exchange rate still in the 8s during these years, it's a good time to engage in export business, earn more USD, and convert it to RMB.
And when the exchange rate enters the 6s era, either engaging in import business or converting USD would be excellent choices.
Tan Jincheng had also done business in his previous life and frequently dealt with USD.
He remembered that after the exchange rate broke 7 in 2008, it remained at the 6-handle level for a long time, even reaching as low as around 6.1 at its lowest point.
Although his stock trading skills were not good, Tan Jincheng still understood such simple numerical comparisons; one dollar in and one dollar out, these were ready profits.
Given his knowledge of general trends, engaging in import and export business now is most suitable for Tan Jincheng.
Additionally, regarding his maritime life after rebirth, Tan Jincheng wasn't just focused on accumulating capital.
Whenever there was an opportunity, he would try every means to get to know some of the passengers on the ship.
Whether they are useful or not, it's always good for a businessman to make more friends.
Tan Jincheng's words completely baffled Zhang Xupeng.
In his opinion, opening a restaurant was already quite bold; he never expected his good friend to want to play such a big game.
In those days, foreign trade was considered a relatively fashionable and high-end industry.
"Selling clothes overseas? Can we do that?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, a little doubtfully.
However, it must be said that Tan's idea was indeed somewhat appealing.
Even if he received the lowest wage standard on the cruise ship, it would still be a considerable sum after currency exchange.
One US dollar could be exchanged for over eight yuan.
As for the two going their separate ways, Zhang Xupeng hadn't considered it; since Tan wasn't going to school, they definitely had to stay together.
"What's not possible? At worst, we'll have worked for nothing this year. Aren't you tired of doing odd jobs in the ship's galley?"
"You have a point. So, we're not opening a restaurant?"
Good heavens, he has absolutely no persistence; if I had known in my previous life, I wouldn't have listened to him, working early and late making fast food at the construction site, it was exhausting.
Tan Jincheng finished the last sip of soda, stood up, and said,
"What restaurant? Listen to me, go to Zhejiang Province and open a factory. There are many factory girls making clothes there, and you can manage the workshop then."
"Oh, oh, seriously? Haha, you said it! But why Zhejiang Province?"
"Didn't we dock in Ningbo when we came back? There's a port there, so it must be more convenient."
"That's true, having a port is indeed more convenient, but do we have to wait until your younger siblings are born?"
At this point, Zhang Xupeng looked at Tan Jincheng somewhat teasingly; a good friend hadn't been home for over a year, and now there was an extra younger brother or sister – that would be unusual for anyone.
Tan Jincheng just smiled, not taking up the topic; there wasn't much expression on his face, which somewhat disappointed Zhang Xupeng, who was watching for a reaction.
Opening a factory in Ningbo was something Tan Jincheng had already planned.
While there were naturally more opportunities in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, for him, Ningbo was the best choice.
As one of the top manufacturing cluster cities in the country, Tan Jincheng was far more familiar with Ningbo than with his hometown.
Beyond foreign trade during the initial capital accumulation phase, even if he wanted to do something else in the future, Ningbo's vast manufacturing industry chain was a major advantage.
Furthermore, both now and in the future, Zhejiang Province's business environment would be far superior to Yicheng, the birthplace of modern industry.
Even five years later, it would be much harder for two young people without connections to successfully establish a factory in their hometown than in Ningbo.
In his previous life, a classmate of his, after making a fortune in children's clothing business in Huzhou, decided to return home and open a factory to give back to his hometown, full of excitement.
He was happy when he started it, but less than two years later, he had no choice but to close the factory and run.
Tan Jincheng knew the current environment.
Although things might not go perfectly smoothly in Ningbo, developed coastal cities would generally be better.
This is an undeniable fact, whether now or 20 years from now.
Before high-speed rail reached Yicheng and society entered the internet era, Tan Jincheng had no plans to start a business or buy property in his hometown.
Unless by then his scale was so large that people wouldn't dare to easily lay a hand on him.
In the night, Tan Jincheng and Zhang Xupeng walked side by side, chatting about their entrepreneurial plans.
Streetlights and the moon above cast their silhouettes on the road; crowds occasionally stopped at roadside snack stalls.
Before long, the two returned to the family quarters and walked towards their respective gatehouses.
Tan Jincheng's first day back in Yicheng ended like this.
(End of Chapter)
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