Chapter 49

Chapter 50

We finally made it to evening, and Third Brother took us to see the goods he had brought back.

Everything was hidden in the basement of a building in the suburbs. His father had built the place, and the basement had been converted from an air-raid shelter dating back to the war against Japan, so there was no worry about construction work exposing it or anything like that. Practically the entire building was used by members of the Industrial and Commercial United Democratic Party, so no one would come looking for trouble. Third Brother's father had given him the entire first floor, which he had turned into a branch office for his transport company. After walking around the first two floors, I could only applaud his ingenuity. If we still got caught with arrangements like these, we could only blame ourselves for choosing the wrong people.

Third Brother lifted the cover over the basement entrance and went first. We followed him inside.

Holy shit... Before this, the most I had ever seen was a few crates of AK-47s and Type 54 pistols with Guo Zhen. Standing here now, I felt like a little kid: rows of gleaming AK-74s, RPG-7 rocket launchers, the sort of DT Heavy Machine Guns used to shoot at American planes in movies, Italian-made fifteen-round Beretta pistols, German revolvers... Was he a professional arms dealer?

I had not brought Zhang Xiaotong this time. Girls were better off having as little to do with this stuff as possible. It was enough for me to shoulder this alone.

Standing in the middle of the armory, Third Brother said calmly, "Very few people know about this place. It should be safe."

I nodded. "Honestly, this scared me. Now that we have the goods, should we consider getting down to business?"

Third Brother looked at me with a smile. "How do you suggest we do that?"

I patted Guo Zhen's shoulder. "Third Brother, tell me honestly. Do you want this brother of mine going down this road?"

Third Brother raised his chin at Guo Zhen. "Guozi, what do you say?"

Guo Zhen looked at me and smiled. "After meeting Xingwen, I came to understand something."

"Oh?" Third Brother folded his arms and waited for him to continue.

"What you are doesn't matter. What matters is what you can do," Guo Zhen said. "Xingwen put it well: there's only so much one person can do, but with enough people willing to be practical, any situation can be changed."

Third Brother lowered his arms and nodded. "It's rare for you to understand these things at your age. Guozi, once you go down this road, you may never be able to turn back. Can you shoulder your responsibilities to your friends, your brothers, and your family? Never betray your friends, never abandon your brothers. As for family, you don't need to worry about that. Your Third Brother is already this sort of person."

Guo Zhen smiled. "Third Brother, I'm more optimistic than you."

Third Brother grinned too. "Well said, you little brat."

I stood before the two of them, watching them smile, and my fear of the dangers ahead faded little by little. Wasn't this how life ought to be lived? To have had one or two stirring moments, to have had people who shared your aspirations and stood by you through hardship-wasn't that already good enough? Most people spent their lives muddling along, with an extramarital affair being the greatest upheaval they ever experienced. If I had continued down that old path, I probably would have used up my youth in an office too. First I would have been frustrated until thirty, and then I would have gotten used to it.

Wasn't this precisely the life I had never had?

Wasn't this precisely the life I wanted to experience?

I steadied myself and told Third Brother, "Then let's begin. Take it slowly. Slip into the village quietly, no shooting. Have you seen the Old Master lately?"

Third Brother nodded. "Once. He's aged a lot." He was his father, after all, and there seemed to be a wistfulness in his voice, a reluctance to see him that way.

I sighed along with him. "What did he say?"

Third Brother glanced at the dark, gleaming weapons around us and said evenly, "He wants to hand things over. He supports me making a real go of it. All these years, one thing he's always resented is not being able to do good openly and honorably. Even donating money has to be done in secret. He got a little excited when he heard my ideas. Xingwen, you really are better than all of us. It's not that other people haven't thought of these things, but you can show them that those ideas can actually be put into practice."

I shook my head. "People proved that long ago. Everyone's just gotten used to living comfortably."

Third Brother smiled. "Yes. Bully a few kids, collect a little pocket money. Most people don't ask for much, really. As long as they can get by."

"There's nothing wrong with making life a little better." I sat down on a gun crate. "Third Brother, let's do it. Fewer casualties, more maneuvering. Our goal isn't just North Gate, or one province. Look ahead. A whole world of opportunities and challenges is waiting for us."

Third Brother nodded with a smile and patted Guo Zhen's shoulder. "Guozi, this friend of yours has his eyes on the whole world. I hope you can too. In this life, with brothers and friends together, whatever road you take can't be wrong."

Guo Zhen looked at me and said slowly, "I've always thought I made the right choice not robbing him when we first met."

That one remark made us all laugh. Guo Zhen and I both remembered that first meeting, when he had stood behind me like a ghost, and our fight in the pool hall.

Just like that, the three of us casually settled something that would take years of upheaval over the course of an evening. It felt like an ordinary chat, and I liked that feeling. After all, people had to be practical. Every casually spoken word meant taking responsibility for it.

Responsible people were easier to trust. That was an iron rule at any time.

The next day, Third Brother began making arrangements for expansion. Since he had already discussed it with the Old Master, this had the Old Master's tacit approval. In effect, it was another way of passing on his position, so there would not be much opposition in the short term. Third Brother promised these people nothing more than generous financial returns. Most of those accustomed to poverty responded enthusiastically, while some who had businesses of their own outside remained rather quiet. In Third Brother's words, they needed time to digest it.

Third Brother's return also strengthened my intelligence network. Since I took intelligence seriously myself, I could hardly ignore the other side's information gathering. To improve Zhang Xiaotong's security, I had Cai Qing register two offshore companies in the Virgin Islands. As everyone knew, most offshore jurisdictions based their laws on British law. The Virgin Islands were naturally among the most famous, practically a paradise for offshore companies: everything could be kept confidential, most of the documents we did not want to submit were unnecessary, annual shareholders' meetings were not required, and even the taxes were minimal. Generally, all such a company needed was someone commissioned to write up meeting minutes and the like. A single director had the final say, there was no need to go there or invest locally, and it could trade in currencies worldwide... I figured plenty of people in China already knew Zhang Xiaotong owned Sun Group. The way so many people had simply shut their mouths after Crimson Youth resumed publication made that clear. Nobody wanted to offend such a major advertiser. Of course, this information was probably circulating within certain business groups; Zhang Xiaotong's parents were unlikely to know yet.

But that day was coming. With a secret that was no secret like this, the whole family would probably know in another year or two.

Just thinking about it gave me a headache... Could I hand everyone some money to keep quiet?

Headache or not, the Roundtable Meeting still had to be held. On the fourth day after meeting Third Brother, I gathered everyone for a meeting, chiefly to introduce Zhou Shichang.

Everyone present was now a seasoned hand who had fought their way up. They were familiar with the industry's personalities and stories, which saved me some explaining.

Sun Changlu reacted most strongly. He was practically startled when he saw Zhou Shichang. "You, you... Aren't you Zhou Shichang?"

I smiled. "Uncle Sun has been so busy preparing for the opening lately that we never see him. Let me make the formal introduction. Mr. Zhou has joined our company as sales manager. At present, he'll be focusing on the Sun Red Tea and Sun Chicken Essence product lines."

Xu Jun and Yu Chunrong were factory directors who had spent years dealing with supply and sales. The way they looked at Zhou Shichang was like a pair of thirsty eighteen- or nineteen-year-old boys seeing a gorgeous woman stripped naked. All they lacked were little hands reaching out of their mouths shouting, "I want her!"

Their excitement made Liu Mingyao a little embarrassed. "Heh... Mr. Zhou has been here a while. Well... I borrowed him to give Sun Group some guidance for a few days. Now I'm returning him to you."

After all, Zhou Shichang was only twenty-four, and all this praise left him looking a little embarrassed too. Compared with the barbed remarks he had endured during his final days at the health supplement company, this moved him somewhat. He stood and cupped his hands to everyone. "I'm a junior here. President Liu and President Cai were willing to take me in, and I don't know what I can say to express my gratitude. Some people used to say I knew how to sell a few little things. That's true, but I'm still just a kid who can sell things. There's a great deal I need all of you to teach me, so please accept my respects."

Everyone hurriedly clattered to their feet. Yu Chunrong and Xu Jun, who were nearest, firmly pushed him back into his seat. The next half hour turned into everyone berating his former employer on his behalf. Those present were all people who spoke from the heart, and Sun Group deliberately avoided certain pitfalls such as power struggles, so everyone was especially informal. Zhou Shichang must have been nursing some frustration lately, because their words actually smoothed the tension from his face and made him smile.

Once we finished badmouthing people behind their backs, we turned to business. Each person in charge gave the usual report on profits and losses. Liu Mingyao's Sun Electronics brought in the most spectacular returns. In the two months before the 1995 summer vacation alone, its wholesale sales to computer assembly shops on Sanhao Street generated nearly a hundred million in profit-daily transactions on Sanhao Street at the time generally exceeded ten million. It truly was the golden age when everyone in the country wanted a computer. Add up distribution across the country, and we really were raking in money every day.

That was good too. In another two years or so, profits in the computer business would be comparable to selling fake leather shoes or autumn cabbages, and making money would depend on fleecing regular customers. Our purpose in using it as a transitional business would basically have been fulfilled. My advice to Liu Mingyao was to develop proprietary core technology. We had been raising this issue since 1994 with little progress so far. This year, we really needed to take it seriously.

On the software side, the recent games required substantial investment, with programming and artwork largely outsourced. The little money With You had made was not even enough to cover development costs for the new games, so that division was currently losing money.

Red tea sales had declined, and profits were lower than before. There was no helping that. Uni-President and Ting Hsin were now spending almost forty percent of their profits on publicity, pushing harder than anyone ever had. In China, only the liquor groups had the resources to compete with them on that front. Sun Red Tea's existing sales network was already well established. It had been shaken slightly, but suffered no serious damage. After all, once people grew accustomed to a flavor, a new product would attract a certain number of curious customers, but a large proportion would stick with the old taste.

Everyone remembered what had happened when Coca-Cola changed its formula, so there were still plenty of people attached to the familiar.

Competition in chicken essence had appeared long ago, but it posed little resistance. There was still room for the domestic market to grow. The pitch about caring for young people's health worked throughout the country. Parents these days would rather eat coarse corn buns themselves than deny their children the best, so sales would not be a concern in the short term.

The Chinese fast-food chain was basically ready to begin operating. Sun Changlu really was capable: he had used his connections to find fifteen franchisees within the province without neglecting Snow Fate's business at all.

In Sichuan, the processing plant had begun operating. The school continued to lose money, but because it was a public welfare school, it had actually raised some funds and received quite a few outside donations.

I objected to that. "Starting next year, we won't accept any outside donations."

Cai Qing was puzzled. "Why?"

I imitated the way she had rolled her eyes outside the hotel that time. "We have money. We don't need it. Taking people's money for nothing isn't that simple. Better to avoid unnecessary complications."

Everyone generally accepted my opinions, and since I had said so, they all agreed.

Lu Wei reported next. I already knew her situation pretty well, so I merely listened. We had sold all our domestic stocks, several real estate projects were proceeding simultaneously, the Malaysian's supermarket had opened in phase one of Sun Garden, and the renovation of the school buildings in Yulin County was nearly complete. They were preparing to recruit students through the provincial television station.

Cai Qing added another matter concerning our Venture Capital Fund. The first pair at Stanford had begun providing search engine services online, but their service was not very polished. After discussing it with another pair we had invested in, they planned to outsource the search component to those other two students.

I smiled as I listened. Because of me, two future internet giants had actually joined forces ahead of time. This was really amusing.

The final matter was that Microsoft's new operating system was about to go on sale, and its share price was climbing across the board. We had bought a large quantity of Microsoft shares earlier, and everyone smiled particularly brightly at the mention of this.

After hearing all this, I let out a long breath. The money-catching nets I had laid over so many years were finally ready to be hauled in.

Once everyone had finished speaking in turn, I asked Zhou Shichang, "Mr. Zhou, do you have anything to add?"

Zhou Shichang looked at me with an expression that could only be described as dumbstruck. At my question, he thought for a moment before answering, "I think... perhaps we could meet somewhere else next time. Once we get thirteen people together, an affair is bound to crop up..."

Everyone knew the legend about King Arthur's wife cheating on him, and Zhou Shichang's remark brought a burst of laughter.

After everyone had laughed, Zhou Shichang had composed himself too. He smiled at me. "Listening to everyone's reports, I kept wondering what I'd come here for. Now I finally understand. I came here to learn."

That made everyone laugh again. Our meetings were relaxed to begin with, everyone chatting as though at home. Perhaps it was because Zhang Xiaotong and I looked particularly unintimidating?

Zhou Shichang continued, "I'm told my first assignment here is to take on the Taiwanese. As you all know, Taiwanese businesses are everywhere in China now, and they enjoy better policies than we do. President Zhou previously suggested using sham joint ventures to secure equal competitive conditions. I think that's a good tactic. But something President Zhou discussed with me when we first met recently gave me a great deal of inspiration."

Everyone listened, drawn in as he spoke confidently. "I asked President Zhou what his dream actually was. He asked me whether I would believe him if he said he wanted to revitalize domestic industry. I didn't. I suspect President Zhou himself didn't either."

Everyone laughed again. They all knew that story. I was the prime example of someone who shouted the loftiest slogans and used the most underhanded methods. They had all experienced my various exploits in that regard.

"President Zhou's thinking represents most of us: be practical, don't spout slogans," Zhou Shichang said. "But what do people like hearing? Slogans. We certainly can't make the mistake of sowing division with our Taiwanese compatriots, but surely we can say a couple of things people like to hear? 'National industry, national tea.' I think that approach would be better. On a related note, we could also immediately subdivide our tea drinks by customer type, separating health-oriented products from fashionable ones, for example. After all, this is no longer the seller's market it used to be."

Since the start of 1995, many businesspeople had watched the gradual transition from a planned economy to a market economy with growing anxiety. That was how the rules worked: they forced you to change. Our tea drinks had enjoyed such a strong start and such promising returns that everyone had developed a habitual inertia. Zhou Shichang's words now gave Yu Chunrong a sudden sense of understanding.

Fruit juice drinks could only be sold in a few places with higher spending levels, and the various arrangements and procedures for exporting were still being handled. He had forgotten to consider segmenting the target market for tea drinks.

Seeing Yu Chunrong's thoughtful expression, Zhou Shichang went no further. I clapped my hands and summed up. "Mr. Zhou-no, we should call him Manager Zhou now-will initially be responsible for Director Yu's tea drinks." Seeing Xu Jun look a little disappointed, I added unhurriedly, "Of course, the capable must do more. Manager Zhou will also need to devote some attention to Director Xu's side."

Zhou Shichang looked at the two factory directors on either side and nodded with a smile. This somewhat old-fashioned young man had a natural air of trustworthiness about him, honed through years of battling in business.

Afterward, Zhang Xiaotong announced everyone's dividends through July. As usual, we found somewhere to eat and drink. Zhou Shichang went straight back to Yulin County with the two factory directors, while the rest dispersed their separate ways, like a banquet in a Gu Long novel.

On the way home, Zhang Xiaotong asked me, "How are you planning to spend summer vacation?"

Leaning against her, I murmured drowsily, "With you..."

The little beauty happily brushed my hair.

The next day was Sunday. I had planned to sleep in at home, but the phone rang. Only after answering did I realize it was Shao Ke. "Is Zhou Xingwen there?"

"Speaking. You're Shao Ke, right?"

"Good memory. You still remember me," Shao Ke said over the phone. "We're at the Secondhand Market. Want to come take a look?"

"Sure." I perked up immediately. "None of you leave. Lunch is on me today."