Chapter 102: Winning the Fair’s Allotment Through Strength

After returning home, a flood of matters came one after another.

First were the bills piled high as mountains. Because the former finance manager had run off, before leaving for Harbor City, Zhang Tianfeng had urgently hired three accountants at Qin Yuelan’s request, placing them under mutual supervision and making backup copies of every ledger and transaction record.

Next was the matter of expanding the toy factory’s sales channels, which could wait until tomorrow.

Lastly, there were family concerns.

He had been away for nearly a month. Though Zhang Tianfeng called home every Saturday, his parents’ longing for him could not be eased so easily.

Before coming back, his Fourth Uncle had said that his parents missed him and wanted him to call home as soon as possible, as if there were something important they wished to tell him.

After writing all these appointments into his notebook and sticking it to the bathroom door, Zhang Tianfeng collapsed into sleep.

The next morning, summoned by his body clock, Zhang Tianfeng woke exactly at seven.

He washed up, ate breakfast, and arrived at the toy factory.

“Morning, boss.”

“Morning. Go home and get some rest.”

“Understood, thank you, boss.”

He greeted the night-shift workers as he walked toward the office. Not three minutes after sitting down, someone knocked at the door.

Seeing that it was Zhong Xiaoyi, Zhang Tianfeng asked, “What is it?”

“Boss, these are the matters you need to handle today. Please take a look.” She spoke softly.

“Who arranged this job for you?”

“Supervisor Qin. She said the boss needed an assistant, so he wouldn’t be too tired.”

Zhong Xiaoyi lowered her head. “Supervisor Qin said this job would add thirty yuan to my monthly pay, so I fought for it.”

“Are you short on money?”

“Yes. My parents are ill, my younger brother is still in school, and our family really needs the money.”

“All right. Bring it here, and then make me a cup of tea.”

A thick stack of bills was placed on the desk, and Zhang Tianfeng began counting through them one by one.

The large expense for raw materials had already been handled by Old Ding, who was so “enthusiastic and generous” that there was nothing left to worry about there. What remained were all small expenditures.

Factory maintenance, vehicle upkeep, and the public-relations expenses needed to develop sales channels—every payment trail was itemized in careful detail.

Half an hour later, Zhong Xiaoyi knocked and came in. “Boss, Mayor Ji Heng called. He said he wants you to come discuss the Canton Fair allocation.”

“So this has already started the moment I got back, huh.”

Muttering to himself, Zhang Tianfeng looked up and said, “All right. Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour.”

After finishing everything at hand and arranging to meet Wang Tiancai and the others for a meeting in the afternoon, Zhang Tianfeng left the factory and headed to the village chief’s home at the east end of the village.

Under the lychee trees in the courtyard, a group of slick middle-aged men with receding hairlines sat in wicker chairs drinking tea and chatting. Mayor Ji Heng wore a white T-shirt and shorts, fanning himself as he lounged in an armchair.

When they saw Zhang Tianfeng come in, the faces of those factory owners changed, and they said in a mocking tone:

“Zhang Tianfeng, you finally showed up. We’ve been waiting for you so long.”

“Isn’t that the truth? Making your elders wait, and you’re still just a youngster. Who knows how your family taught you manners.”

“What are you lot, eunuchs or transvestites? Why does every one of you talk like you’ve got your throats pinched?”

“Brat, watch your mouth!” one hot-tempered man slapped the table and roared.

Zhang Tianfeng smiled faintly, dragged over a wicker chair, and sat opposite him. “However you talk, I’ll talk that way.”

“Besides, no one told me when the meeting was. Picking a fight with me over that is going too far.”

“So what if the elders say a few words to you?”

“Who the hell are you? Do I know you?” Zhang Tianfeng cast him a sidelong glance and asked loudly.

No one had expected the atmosphere to turn so explosive the moment they met, not the many factory owners, and not even Ji Heng.

Standing up, he said, “Zhang Tianfeng, young people shouldn’t be too sharp-tempered. If your elders say you a word or two, just bear with it.”

“I’ll bear your ass. If you’re not sharp-tempered, what kind of young person are you?” Zhang Tianfeng rose as well. “You called me here to make trouble for me. I’m not here to serve you.”

“Enough, enough. Let this matter go. No one mention it again.”

Since Zhang Tianfeng refused to yield, Ji Heng did not dare let the group keep pressing him, fearing the two sides might come to blows.

“This time, we’re here to discuss the Canton Fair allotment and finalize the rules of competition.”

“In all of Tangwan Town, there are now 152 factories, and 28 of them meet the entry requirements.”

“On top of that, because the rules for the second half of this year’s Canton Fair have changed, each township can send three factories to exhibit.”

“Three slots. But for you, it is still very difficult—every one of you has at least nine competitors.”

“In order to improve the business environment of Tangwan Town, I’ve adjusted the rules according to the requirements from above.”

“The factories that get to attend will be determined by three criteria: turnover, taxes paid, and influence.”

Turnover meant turnover—no matter gross profit or net profit, as long as you sold enough, you were guaranteed a slot.

Taxes were easy enough to understand. The last criterion, influence, was not limited to how many people knew of you; it also measured how many cities your products had reached.

In Ji Heng’s words, the greater the influence, the larger the consumer base, and that meant the product was better.

These three measures complemented one another. None could be missing.

“That is the selection standard for the Canton Fair slots in the second half of this year. Any objections?”

“I do.” Zhang Tianfeng raised his hand and asked, “If a factory can dominate all three criteria, does that mean it can freely control the remaining two slots?”

“If you really have that ability, what’s so wrong with letting you control the other two slots?”

What Ji Heng wanted was results. He had been the mayor of Tangwan Town for so many years that he had seen every sort of person. He had been deceived, had made mistakes, and had also taken advantage where he could.

Now all he wanted was to develop Tangwan Town and leave behind a brilliant mark on his retirement.

“Fine. I have no objection.”

“You’d think, hearing you talk, that your toy factory was already number one in the whole country.”

Zhang Tianfeng looked at the man across from him and asked with narrowed eyes, “Do you and I have a grudge? Why do you keep singling me out?”

“No grudge. I just can’t stand an outsider who loves bragging!”

“Prejudice against outsiders, is it? Fine. Just wait.” Zhang Tianfeng stood and said, “Once I secure these three slots, the first one I’ll kick out will be you.”

“Fine. I’ll be watching to see whether you’ve got that kind of ability.”

With a cold snort, Zhang Tianfeng strode away. The grudge had already been made; saying more would be useless.

The factory owners remained seated in the courtyard, waiting until Zhang Tianfeng’s figure disappeared completely.

“Old Wan, should we report this to Mr. Xu?”

“Of course. That kid is no easy nut to crack.”

Ji Heng, who had been resting with his eyes half-closed nearby, said, “Business competition is one thing, but don’t you go doing anything foolish. Otherwise, don’t blame me for being harsh.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Ji. I know the rules.”

Wan Xiong, owner of the Xiongwan Toy Factory in Tangwan Town, was also the first person to pledge allegiance to Xu Kuangdao.

Now that Xu Kuangdao had returned to Deep City, Wan Xiong remained here as an informant, collecting information for him about Zhang Tianfeng.