When Li Long said he had come to buy leather clothing, the people who had come out to greet him grew noticeably warmer.
"Hello, I'm Zhang Xiangdong, director of the Hongguang Leather Factory. What should I call you?"
"My name's Li Long. I'm from Ma County. I'd like to buy a batch of sheepskin overcoats. Do you have any in stock?"
"Sheepskin overcoats? Yes, yes, we do." Director Zhang paused at that, then someone beside him nudged him, and he immediately added, "What kind of sheepskin overcoats do you need, Comrade Li Long?"
"As long as they're warm, the style doesn't matter." Li Long's requirements were simple. "Of course, the cheaper the better... but I do want sheepskin overcoats. Even the straight-cut kind the pastoralists wear would be fine."
"You mean you don't need the current leather-jacket style, just the kind made entirely of sheepskin with the wool on?" Someone beside him brightened. "What about the kind with army-green fabric outside and sheepskin inside?"
"Those would certainly do." Li Long smiled. "Like I said, the warmer the better... and I need a large quantity. As you can see, I came in a truck. If the goods and the price are right, buying several hundred or a thousand would be no problem!"
"Hey, you really have come to the right place. Come on, let's talk in the office!"
Once they entered the office, Zhang Xiangdong poured Li Long some tea, sat down, and said:
"Comrade Li Long, if you really want warm coats like those, let me tell you, you've come to exactly the right place. Our factory started as a small regimental farm enterprise, barely more than a workshop. We started it because the farm had so many hides left over every year. We thought we could put them to