Printing

The four of them spent a day comparing handwriting and drew up fairly complete lists of those in favor and those opposed. Yang Rui planned to keep the dozen or so names they could not identify in the reserve group for further observation.

With that, the preparations were essentially complete. Yang Rui took the manuscript for Book One of New Concept English and headed straight down the mountain to find his cousin.

In the eighties, printing books was highly profitable, especially pirated books. Profits often exceeded 50 percent of costs, with some reaching 200 percent.

Several domestic publishers had printed New Concept English on a massive scale without authorization. The money they earned had not only given their employees several prosperous New Years, but also paid for new office buildings and brand-new equipment. Even after their extremely high administrative costs were deducted, profits still ran into the millions or tens of millions.

Yang Rui did not aspire to match such major publishers. He only had his eye on the small patch of territory around Xi County. Considering the fates of earlier pirates such as Huo Laosi, Yang Rui chose Shi Gui as his intermediary this time, leaving all dealings with outsiders to him.

Although Shi Gui was clever himself, he did not think as far ahead as Yang Rui. Instead, he was secretly delighted, hoping that once he established contact with the printing factory, he would gain a connection of his own.

Each had his own considerations, yet they worked quite well together.

Duan Hang took Shi Gui to the factory to introduce him. After sharing two drinking sessions with the director of the Liberation Printing Factory, Shi Gui learned what he wanted.

When Shi Gui returned to report, he was still tipsy. Sounding as though he had a walnut stuffed in his mouth, he said, "That bastard wants a thousand."

"What?" Yang Rui was staying temporarily in Duan Hang's dorm room. The figure startled him too. "A thousand yuan?"

"Yes. Greedy, isn't he?" When Shi Gui heard that figure at the drinking table, he had downed two whole cups of liquor to steady his nerves.

A thousand yuan was not all that much, really. It was only half a month's profit for the Rui Study Group, just one-fifth of Yang Rui's projected profit from Book One of New Concept English. In terms of the director's salary, it amounted to a year or two's pay.

But products had different prices in different eras, and bribery was no exception. In 1982, officials who openly demanded bribes did exist, but they were few. What people called pulling strings generally involved bringing two bottles of liquor and two cartons of cigarettes, costing anywhere from a dozen or so yuan to several dozen.

Even at the highest standard, two bottles of Moutai and two cartons of Zhonghua would not reach a hundred yuan. Their value came from their scarcity; the ration coupons were simply harder to find.

On the other hand, in a Chinese society where even a commodity economy had yet to begin, people had little ready cash. A thousand yuan was easily enough to hold a wedding or tour mainland China for two months.

Before businessmen had begun waving renminbi around to corrupt Party cadres, someone daring to ask for a thousand yuan truly took Yang Rui by surprise.

"Do we pay?" Shi Gui asked with a faint glimmer of hope. He could not afford to establish such an expensive connection himself. Only Yang Rui could give it a try.

Yang Rui kept smiling ruefully. "Even if I were willing to pay, I wouldn't dare."

Shi Gui did not understand. "Why?"

Yang Rui shook his head. "This guy's far too bold. Sooner or later, he'll get into trouble. A bribe this large would definitely drag us into it, and then we'd have a problem."

The Strike Hard campaign would end in 1987. In other words, any criminal act before then carried a high risk. Although bribery was not considered a serious crime, once the judicial authorities needed criminals to fill their quotas, whether a crime was serious became hard to say.

If it were a few dozen or a hundred yuan in cash, Yang Rui felt there would be no danger. The recipient might even forget about it. But a thousand-yuan bribe would be rather difficult to forget.

Shi Gui was frightened too, and let out a long sigh.

"Is the Liberation Printing Factory that much in demand?" Yang Rui found it hard to believe.

"In demand? Its machines are older than the director, and it often can't even finish the assignments handed down from above. The director spends all day running around outside, and the workers only turn up when they feel like it."

"But it's still a printing factory."

"Yes. However lousy it is, it's still a printing factory." Shi Gui was even more disappointed than Yang Rui. He himself would not have to bear any risk, and commissions on book sales would earn him far more than test papers did. The quantities would be much larger too.

Yang Rui considered it for a long time, but still could not bear to give up. There were only so many printing factories in the province, and every one was difficult to negotiate with. It would be hard to find another director this straightforward. At least the man had stated his demands.

As Yang Rui saw it, his own ability to work social connections still fell short of Huo Laosi's. Since Huo Laosi had chosen this printing factory, he must have had a reason...

A thought suddenly struck Yang Rui. Would a hardened thug like Huo Laosi be willing to spend a thousand yuan on a bribe?

That would make him far too idealistic.

These days, a thousand yuan could buy twenty broken arms or legs.

Perhaps Huo Laosi had gotten some leverage over this director?

Yang Rui could not figure it out. After pondering for a moment, he asked, "Shi, this director wants money? Did he say what for?"

"It seemed to be for his son. What exactly for, I'm not sure."

"How old is his son?"

"Around twenty, I think. He mentioned it at the time. Let me think..." Shi Gui assumed the contemplative air of a middle-aged or elderly man.

Yang Rui speculated along with him. A thousand yuan wasn't enough to study abroad. Fees for crossing school districts or choosing schools were rare these days, and even under some other pretext, no one would dare charge a thousand yuan... Medical treatment? A factory director might lack other powers, but getting medical expenses reimbursed would be child's play... The amount was neither large nor small, and truly puzzling.

Shi Gui thought for a long time, practically reenacting his movements at the drinking table. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead. "I've got it. He's sending money to his son to buy a room."

"Buy a room? There are homes for sale now?" Yang Rui realized his mistake as soon as he spoke and hastily corrected himself. "Does policy allow him to buy a home?"

"Not a room to live in," Shi Gui corrected him, lowering his voice. "A prison cell."

"What do you mean?"

"It sounded like his son went to prison and keeps getting beaten up inside, so he's asking someone to move him to another cell. That's why he needs money in a hurry. Something like that." Shi Gui sighed a couple of times. "Once you're in prison, they don't treat you like a human being. No amount of money is enough. That bastard's probably nearly been bled dry."

"Which prison?" Yang Rui guessed that Huo Laosi had used the same method. As a hardened thug who had been in and out of prison several times, he could have found a couple of people to protect the boy. He might even have added a threat to have him beaten instead if the director refused to print.

Shi Gui shook his head. "I don't know."

"Is it nearby?"

"Of course it's nearby. Otherwise, how would he find anyone he knew?"

Yang Rui searched his memory. "If it isn't the provincial capital prison, then it's Shaping Prison. If he can find connections there, it's probably Shaping Prison."

The provincial capital prison held serious offenders, with a larger number of violent criminals. Not only was management strict, but its administrative rank was higher too. Compared with a regional prison, finding connections there was far more difficult.

Shi Gui's eyes widened. "You have a way?"

"I'll give it a try. You head back first."

"Then... I'll head back." With no other choice, Shi Gui left, repeatedly looking back as he went.

That very evening, Yang Rui went to ask his cousin Duan Hang about it. Although the prison administration and the police belonged to separate systems, both were part of judicial circles. Through a few twists and turns, there were bound to be a couple of people who knew each other.

If money had to be spent, it would be safer to spend it here.

By comparison, the director of the Liberation Printing Factory was far too reckless. To put it as foreigners might, he could even have self-destructive tendencies. Yang Rui had no desire to get caught in his blast radius.

Naturally, Duan Hang had to ask around too. After making the rounds, he settled the matter with six bottles of liquor and four cartons of cigarettes.

Only then did Yang Rui have Shi Gui approach the director again to finalize the printing arrangements.

It was only with this connection in place that the director agreed to Yang Rui's terms: a deposit of two thousand yuan and an initial print run of ten thousand copies.

However, the Liberation Printing Factory held back five thousand copies and would not release them until Yang Rui paid the balance.

Yang Rui agreed without any particular objection.

The cost of printing ten thousand copies was considerably lower than that of printing five thousand. In the country's current circumstances, both students and parents counted every penny. Unless he drove costs low enough, once he made money, some bold publisher or printing factory might follow his example, leaving the market for Books Two and Three uncertain.

By comparison, Yang Rui did not care whether he took back five thousand copies or ten thousand.

"This time, we'll start distributing in the provincial capital..." Once again, Yang Rui called Shi Gui over alone. After a brief explanation, he brought out an enormous box. "There are two hundred wallets in here for you to use as giveaways."

"Giveaways?" Unable to understand, Shi Gui opened the box. Sure enough, it was filled with little palm-sized wallets.

The wallets were made of cloth, but had a surprising little zipper. Yang Rui had bought them from Guangzhou through Shao Liang's supplier. Their wholesale price was twenty-five fen each. Sold on the market, they would probably be priced above fifty fen.

Yang Rui nodded. "If someone buys ten books at once, give them a wallet."

"A wallet for buying ten books? Is that worthwhile?" Shi Gui rubbed the cloth surface.

"It is. Also, the books are priced at one yuan eighty. That has to be consistent. There need to be receipts for the giveaways too."

"The problem is, there won't be many people buying ten books at once, will there?"

"There will be more once you have giveaways. Remember, it's one wallet for ten books. Nine won't do. Also, the wallets aren't for sale, even if someone offers money..."

Shi Gui understood. "That way, if they want a wallet, they have to get ten people together. Some who didn't want to buy one will get pulled in too."

"Yes. At first, many people may not know about New Concept English, so we'll need this sort of promotion. Once they've read the books, selling them will actually be easier." Yang Rui grew a little more serious as he spoke. "This time, you must send me telegrams promptly."

"Absolutely." Shi Gui grew solemn, and his hand stopped stroking the little wallet.