July 1, 2005, Friday.
The ten-day procurement trip, spanning two provinces and four cities, officially concluded.
Tan Jincheng and his group of four embarked on their journey back to Yongcheng, with Wu Zhenping driving today.
Along the way, Tan Jincheng, Sun Yuming, Lin Yumin, and Wu Zhenping took turns driving, so the driving experience wasn't too tiring.
"Everyone has worked hard this time, but we still need to work hard for a while longer. We must strive to get products to market as soon as possible, starting with the terminals around the Beicang Factory."
Tan Jincheng, sitting in the back seat next to Lin Yumin, rubbed his forehead and said.
Although that supplier's company was set up in Sunan last night, the boss was from Subei and could really drink.
Tan Jincheng still had a headache now; if he hadn't cleverly dodged, he'd probably still be lying in the hotel.
"It was a bit tough, but also very happy. I haven't worked with such passion in a long time,"
Lin Yumin said with a smile.
After traveling together for 10 days, Lin Yumin gained a better understanding of Tan Jincheng's personality.
He was a young man who clearly separated work and personal life, and he had a strong presence at work.
You could offer opinions, but whether he listened was up to him.
Moreover, the main direction and big decisions had to be made by him; people like himself merely played a supporting role.
Lin Yumin understood this, as procurement orders often ran into the millions, and controlling financial power was something every boss had to do.
In his personal life, however, this young boss was a very easygoing person.
As long as work wasn't discussed, he was genuinely like a junior, treating people gently and politely, and he was also very thoughtful.
After 10 days, in both work and life, Tan Jincheng gave Lin Yumin the feeling of "someone else's child."
"I wonder how Old Tan and his wife raised him. I should ask him for advice if I get the chance,"
Lin Yumin thought to himself.
After a long journey back to Yongcheng, Tan Jincheng let Lin Yumin and Wu Zhenping rest first, keeping Sun Yuming behind.
"Brother Sun, you'll be responsible for overseeing the procurement side from now on. If there are any issues or things that need signing, come to me. The pricing system already has a standard, and we'll strive to lower costs again next year."
"Also, for smaller parts, like screws and such, you can arrange those. Just come to me for a signature when needed."
Give a carrot after the stick; the main part of procurement, controlling price and quality, he would handle himself.
It didn't matter if a small share was given to those below; it was just letting a little slip through his fingers, but it gave people something to strive for.
As long as it wasn't too excessive, for example, if a screw with a market price of 0.2 yuan was purchased at 0.25 yuan, and the procurement volume was 10% to 20% higher than expected, Tan Jincheng could accept it.
But if you quoted 0.4 or 0.5 yuan, or significantly increased the procurement volume and company inventory, that would definitely not be acceptable.
Sun Yuming was stunned upon hearing this.
The boss was openly saying that he could skim a little from small parts with low order volumes.
How was he supposed to respond to that?
"Okay, boss, don't worry, I'll control it well."
Sun Yuming didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he could only nod robotically.
"Hmm, it really needs to be controlled. The quality absolutely has to be up to standard. We must build a reputation for cost-effectiveness with our first batch of products."
"Understood."
"Alright, you go get some rest too. We all have to work this weekend, it'll be a bit tough, but things will ease up after these two busy months."
The words had been spoken, the line drawn, and the opportunity given.
Whether he could do a good job was up to him.
If Sun Yuming couldn't grasp it, Tan Jincheng wouldn't do anything drastic; he would just continue to run errands and be a driver for him.
Whether he would head the core procurement department of a large factory in the future, or remain a small follower, depended on Sun Yuming himself.
There might be many opportunities in life, but seizing them depended on one's own ability.
If Shanchi Vehicle Industry could successfully get through September, and Sun Yuming could seize this opportunity well, then Tan Jincheng would definitely be considered a benefactor in his life.
His subordinates went to rest, but Tan Jincheng was not in the mood nor had the time.
Just as he wrote in his space log, sailing against the current means moving forward or falling back.
Tan Jincheng had no retreat.
Giving up now, the liquidated damages for the supplier orders alone would be enough to cause Tan Jincheng trouble.
The reason suppliers agreed to this "delivery first, payment later" method, besides large orders, was also due to the liquidated damages system.
If procurement was interrupted, Shanchi Vehicle Industry would have to pay liquidated damages ranging from 5% to 10% of the total amount to all parties.
"Old Zhang, how much money does Jinpeng Trading have in its account now?"
Tan Jincheng dialed Zhang Xupeng's number.
He had to get money, at least another 5 million yuan.
Jinyi Industry had just started, and its current cash flow wasn't abundant, but it was already operating at a break-even point.
He could get some loans using Jinyi Industry.
Additionally, Shanchi Vehicle Industry could also get some loan concessions.
If all else failed, he could pull strings and appeal to higher-ups about their financial difficulties, and somehow manage to get some funds from the bank.
Secondly, he could borrow a sum from Jinpeng Trading.
May and June had already ended, the second quarter was over, and Jinpeng Trading should have a good amount of money in its account.
Although orders in April were not many, they amounted to 200,000 US dollars, and May and June saw a surge in orders.
After deducting payments to OEM factories and other suppliers, and operating costs, there should be a significant amount of cash in the account.
"You're back from your business trip? Should be over 6 million, right? Not entirely sure, what's up?"
Zhang Xupeng's voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Borrowing money, what else could it be? Calculate it, see how much you can lend me through a bridge loan,"
Tan Jincheng said with a laugh.
"Bridge loan? What does that mean?"
Zhang Xupeng asked, puzzled.
"A bridge loan is a type of short-term loan, lasting anywhere from a few months to half a year. From Jinpeng Trading to Shanchi Vehicle Industry, as for the interest, we can discuss it."
"Oh, why make it so complicated? Isn't Sister Liu in charge of Jinpeng Trading's finances? Couldn't you just ask her how much she can lend at most?"
"Nonsense, aren't you the boss? Of course, I have to ask you about this! And, how is the children's clothing business developing?"
"I can't explain that clearly over the phone, let's talk about it when you get back tonight. Regarding the loan, I'll discuss it with Sister Liu in a bit. Don't worry, I'll ensure you get the maximum loan amount while guaranteeing operations."
"Okay, thank you, Boss Zhang. Dinner's on me tonight."
"Get out of here."
Hanging up the phone, Tan Jincheng let out a long sigh of relief.
It had to be this good childhood friend; anyone else wouldn't be so easy to talk to.
Also, it was his contented nature that often left millions in cash lying in the account, without him thinking about what to do with it.
It should be known that since Zhang Xupeng took over, banks had been eyeing the funds in the account for a long time.
Sales representatives from large banks often approached Zhang Xupeng, either trying to persuade him to invest in wealth management products or to take out loans for expansion.
---
Saturday, Tan Jincheng arrived at Shanchi Vehicle Industry bright and early, feeling refreshed.
After a night's rest and a good sleep, Tan Jincheng regained his former gentle and refined image.
Well, except for his slightly darker skin, especially the part exposed by his short sleeves, which was even more noticeable.
"Come to the office with me, I have something to tell you,"
Tan Jincheng said with a smile to Gu Qingqing.
He arrived so early partly because Gu Qingqing and her friends were coming today.
Ever since Gu Qingqing sparked Tan Jincheng's idea of promoting Shanchi and the Fengchi series in QQ Space that day, Tan Jincheng increasingly felt that this plan was highly feasible.
Isn't this just the WeChat official accounts, big influencers, and self-media approach of later generations?
This strategy is completely viable now; what's missing are content writers.
"What is it?"
Gu Qingqing took the water Tan Jincheng handed her, asking somewhat curiously.
Tan Jincheng looked at Gu Qingqing with a smile and said,
"First, I want to thank you. That day when you mentioned QQ Space, it gave me an idea for brand promotion."
"Huh? Thank me? Why thank me?"
"Let me explain..."
As Tan Jincheng eloquently explained, Gu Qingqing generally understood his idea and her eyes lit up.
This was indeed a good method: clear thinking, low input costs, and it could also extend to the entire internet, such as Sina Blog, Baidu Tieba, and so on.
Gu Qingqing looked at Tan Jincheng with sparkling eyes.
"So, you really do have to thank me. Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Do you dare to take it on? Help me write a project proposal, and then find a group of content writers from among your classmates. If you dare, I'll give this task to you,"
Tan Jincheng said with a smile.
"But I don't know anything about this? I'm not even in this major."
"I'm still a high school student, what is there to understand or not understand? The internet is the future trend, start getting involved now, and there will be great business opportunities later."
Content marketing was one plan.
There was another aspect Tan Jincheng didn't mention: after QQ copied "Steal the Dishes," there would be games like QQ Speed, which was also very popular back then.
At that time, leveraging his status as a QQ shareholder, he could make contact and get them to push it earlier.
Invest some advertising fees, create a dedicated Shanchi event, that's quite reasonable, right?
Advertising and marketing are essential for every brand.
While QQ is still relatively small, they can get cheaper advertising fees, which can be seen as another way to "milk the system."
They can't just focus on Taobao alone, right?
"Then I'll try. Let me use your computer. I'll apply for a few QQ accounts first, and then write a project proposal for you to review."
Gu Qingqing no longer hesitated.
She had originally wanted more interaction with Boss Tan, and this was an excellent opportunity.
Creating a project proposal, a PPT, and so on, even if not professional and not necessarily perfect, wouldn't be too difficult for Gu Qingqing.
In fact, she had to thank Boss Tan for the previous translation work, which had allowed her to quickly catch up on a lot of computer knowledge.
"Alright then, go ahead. The renderings for the e-scooter are in the Shanchi folder on my desktop. If you need them, you can open them yourself."
(End of Chapter)
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