Chapter 273: The Establishment of Guangxi Tenglong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. [6000 Words]

Chapter 273: The Establishment of Guangxi Tenglong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. [6000 Words]



After dining and discussing the next year's cooperation with Zhou Shengli and the others, Deng Shirong didn't linger in the capital. The following day, he boarded a train back to Guangxi.

Traveling by train in this era, whether in summer or winter, was a grueling experience. In the summer, the stench of sweat and other unpleasant odors was overwhelming. Spending days and nights on the train, the smell alone was enough to make the journey unbearable. In the winter, while the odors were less intense, the low temperatures made it easy to catch a cold, which could be more uncomfortable than the smells.

Indeed, traveling long distances in this era was far more challenging compared to the modern world, where such journeys were much more comfortable and convenient.

The journey back was uneventful, and after several days and nights, Deng Shirong safely arrived in Nanning. As usual, he stayed at a guesthouse in Nanning for the night and took a bus back to Bobai the next day.

...

Afternoon

Sufeng Restaurant

As Deng Shirong approached the entrance of the restaurant, his granddaughter Xiaodong'er came running out, shouting, "Grandpa!"

Deng Shirong laughed and picked her up, asking, "Xiaodong'er, did you miss your grandpa?"

Xiaodong'er nodded her little head and said in a cute voice, "I missed you, Grandpa!"

Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "I missed you too. Have you been a good girl lately?"

Xiaodong'er said, "Auntie said I've been very good."

As they spoke, Deng Shirong carried his granddaughter into the restaurant.

"Father!"

Zhang Xiuping greeted him with a smile. She was six months pregnant, and her belly was already showing.

Deng Shirong nodded and asked, "How's your appetite? How are you feeling?"

Zhang Xiuping nodded and said, "I'm feeling good. I'm eating small, frequent meals, and my appetite is fine."

Deng Shirong advised, "Make sure to get plenty of rest. Let Yun Tai handle the restaurant."

Zhang Xiuping smiled and nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Deng Yuntao and Deng Yunzhen also came over to greet their father.

After exchanging a few words with them, Deng Shirong put his granddaughter down and said with a chuckle, "Xiaodong'er, go play by yourself. Grandpa is hungry and needs to eat."

Xiaodong'er nodded and went off to play, enjoying the spacious restaurant. As long as someone kept an eye on her to make sure she didn't wander off, she was fine.

Deng Yunzhen asked, "Father, what would you like to eat? I'll tell Chef Zhang."

Deng Shirong said, "Tell Chef Zhang to make some cucumber peel with extra chili, and a plate of braised pig's trotters."

Deng Yunzhen nodded and went to relay the order.

Deng Shirong walked over to Old Zhang Guangzong and greeted him, "Uncle Zhang, how have you been?"

Picking up his chopsticks, Zhang Guangzong smiled and said, "I'm doing well so far. If nothing unexpected happens, I can keep drinking with you for a few more years."

Deng Shirong laughed and said, "A few years isn't enough. We should aim for at least thirty more years."

Zhang Guangzong chuckled, "Thirty years is too much to ask. If I can stay healthy and drink for another ten years, I'll be content."

As they talked, Zhang Wenjuan, the waitress, brought over a bowl of congee. Having worked there for a long time, she knew the boss's habits. If it was hot, he would always drink a bowl of congee before drinking alcohol. If it was cold, he would eat half a bowl of rice first. He never drank on an empty stomach.

So, without asking, she brought the congee, knowing it was the right choice.

Zhang Wenjuan served the congee, and soon Zhang Wenying brought over the braised pig's trotters. A couple of minutes later, the cucumber peel arrived.

The crispy, refreshing, and spicy cucumber peel was the perfect accompaniment to the congee. Deng Shirong enjoyed a bowl of congee with the cucumber peel before pouring himself a drink and chatting with Zhang Guangzong.

Deng Shirong tasted a piece of the braised pig's trotters, savoring the familiar Bobai flavor. He put down his chopsticks and said, "Uncle Zhang, I recently heard a piece of inside information that I think you should know."

Zhang Guangzong asked, "What kind of inside information?"

Deng Shirong said, "Uncle Zhang, you know the current state of society. Things are getting out of hand, and some people are becoming too bold. The central government has decided to launch a nationwide campaign to crack down on criminal activities that severely disrupt social order."

Zhang Guangzong said, "That's a good thing. There are indeed a lot of scum in society right now. Tackling these bold criminals will be a relief for everyone."

Deng Shirong said, "For ordinary people like us, this is indeed a good thing. However, Uncle Zhang, having lived through those times, you should understand that even with good intentions, if the implementation goes wrong or if some people abuse their power, what should be a good thing could turn bad."

Hearing this, Zhang Guangzong's face instantly changed. Anyone who had lived through those times would never forget the madness.

Deng Shirong then smiled and said, "Of course, this might not happen, but it's always better to be prepared. You should warn the young people in your village who are making a lot of noise to be more low-key in the coming days. They shouldn't do anything to attract unwanted attention."

Zhang Guangzong listened intently, raised his glass to toast with Deng Shirong, and said, "I'll speak on behalf of the young men in the village and thank you for your warning. Tonight, I'll gather them and explain the situation, so they don't act rashly and become prime targets, which would be a terrible injustice."

Deng Shirong clinked glasses with him and took a sip, then they moved on from the topic.

...

A few days later, a county-wide campaign to crack down on serious criminal activities that threatened public safety was indeed launched.

This campaign, guided by the central government's policy of "severe and swift punishment, eliminating all criminal elements," saw the county police, prosecution, judiciary, and other departments working closely together. It lasted for over three years, divided into three major phases and ten operations.

The intensity of this crackdown was unprecedented.

Formerly rampant and audacious criminals were all apprehended by the police, and numerous criminal gangs were dismantled. This significantly curbed the rampant criminal activities and restored a sense of order.

Thanks to Deng Shirong's warning, the young men in the new village who had been acting arrogantly but had not committed serious crimes became very cautious. They stayed low and rarely ventured out to Bobai Street, thus avoiding the fate of being arrested.

Deng Shirong's timely advice had indeed paid off.

...

Near the Bobai Bus Station, the Guangxi Tenglong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. officially opened its doors.

Deng Shirong came to see the company's sign and nodded in satisfaction.

"Clan Head!"

"Grandpa!"

Seeing Deng Shirong enter, several people in the company greeted him warmly.

This Tenglong Passenger Transport Co. was the new transportation company established by the Ye Deng clan. The company's management team consisted of selected clan elites, with Deng Changyu, a 24-year-old graduate from Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, serving as the general manager. He was the first person from the Ye Deng clan to be admitted to a key university after the restoration of the college entrance examination.

Previously, Deng Shirong had found the role of company head too troublesome and declined. The clan then collectively nominated the capable Deng Changyu for the position.

Deng Changyu's father was present at the time. Initially, he was reluctant to let his son, who had a guaranteed job from the state, give up such a secure position. However, Deng Shirong offered a high salary of 300 yuan per month and, with the urging of the clan elders, finally convinced his father. His father then persuaded him to take the position.

After exchanging greetings, Deng Changyu respectfully reported on the company's progress to Deng Shirong.

As a graduate from a key university, Deng Changyu would have been proud and confident if he were reporting to anyone else in the clan. After all, university graduates in this era were highly respected. However, in front of Deng Shirong, he dared not be anything but respectful.

By seniority, Deng Shirong was his grandfather's generation.

By capability, Deng Shirong was the wealthiest man in Shuangwang, and his business acumen was well-known in the clan. He had also proposed the idea for the passenger transport company.

Moreover, Deng Shirong's second son had been admitted to Peking University.

Considering all these factors, Deng Changyu could only be a compliant junior in front of Deng Shirong.

After Deng Changyu gave a detailed report on the company's recent activities, Deng Shirong nodded in approval and said, "The company's progress has been excellent, and you are doing a great job as the general manager. Moving forward, follow the plan we discussed: purchase ten large buses and establish routes to Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Foshan, Zhuhai, Zhongshan, Huizhou, and Jiangmen.

"Ensure that there is at least one daily service to Shenzhen and Guangzhou.

"Currently, Shenzhen is a special economic zone, and you need a border pass to enter and exit. Make sure to prepare for this in advance."

In this era, Guangdong Province was at the forefront of China's reform and opening-up, so focusing on the passenger transport market in Guangdong was the right strategy.

Bobai, at the time, did not even have inter-provincial bus routes, let alone routes to other cities within the province.

Thus, the routes from Bobai to the major cities in Guangdong were an untapped market. As the first to venture into this market, Guangxi Tenglong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd. was destined to soar, provided they didn't make any fatal mistakes.

Deng Changyu nodded in agreement, saying, "Understood, Grandpa. I know what to do!"

With everything settled, Deng Shirong didn't linger. He toured the company and then left.

...

In the Bobai County area, there were five state-run farms: Maqing Farm in the Maoshi Brigade of Wendizhen Commune, Changchun Farm in the Changchun Brigade of Ningtan Commune, Dongping Farm in the Fushan Brigade of Dongping Commune, Wangmao Farm in the Wangmao Brigade of Wangmao Commune, and Baping Farm in the Tanlian Brigade of Songshan Commune.

The five major agricultural reclamation fields primarily focused on producing rubber.

However, in addition to the main rubber trees, these reclamation fields also cultivated economic crops such as sisal, tea, and fruit.

Apart from these five autonomous region reclamation fields, Bobai County also had six county-operated farms. These included the Bobai County Farm located about 100 meters from the southern entrance of the county town, the Longtan Pepper Field in the Nanshan Brigade of Longtan Commune, the Wendi Pepper Field in the Pingwang Brigade of Wendi Commune, the Bobai County Horticulture Field in the Lvtian Brigade of Wangmao Commune, the Dongping Seed Propagation Field to the east of Dongping Street, and the Bobai Seedling Field near the White Dove Nest in the northeast corner of the county town.

With so many farms, Deng Shirong wasn’t sure which one grew pineapple, but he knew that information was definitely shared among the farms. If he inquired at one of them, he should be able to find out.

Since he was already in the county town, he decided to go directly to the Bobai County Farm to gather information.

As expected, he found the information he needed without much effort. The only farm currently growing pineapple was the Dongping Farm.

After confirming this, Deng Shirong took a bus to Dongping Farm.

Dongping Commune was 38 kilometers from the county town, situated along the Bolong Highway. Whenever Deng Shirong went to Bobai or returned to his hometown, he would pass through Dongping.

After arriving at Dongping Street, he had to walk to the Dongping Farm.

At this moment, Deng Shirong felt that he should buy a motorcycle as soon as possible; otherwise, traveling would be too inconvenient.

However, to walk to the Dongping Farm, he first needed to find someone to ask for directions. Just then, a young man on a bicycle passed by. Deng Shirong waved and called out, "Aibiao, hello! Could you tell me how to get to Dongping Farm?"

The young man stopped and smiled, "What a coincidence, I’m heading back to the farm right now. Why don’t you hop on, and I’ll take you there!"

Deng Shirong hadn’t expected such good luck and laughed, "That’s great, saves me the walk!"

The young man smiled, "Uncle, hop on!"

Deng Shirong said, "Just start pedaling, and I’ll jump on."

Anyone who had ridden a bicycle with a passenger knew that if the passenger got on first, the combined weight would make it very difficult to start moving. So, it was common for the rider to start pedaling first, and the passenger would run a few steps before jumping on, making it easier for the rider.

The young man nodded and started pedaling, while Deng Shirong ran a few steps and smoothly jumped on.

Once Deng Shirong was seated, the young man asked, "What’s your surname, Uncle? Are you here to visit someone at our farm?"

Deng Shirong replied, "I’m surnamed Deng. I’m here to talk business with the farm manager. What’s your name, young man? You sound like you work at the farm?"

The young man said, "I’m surnamed Qin. You can call me Xiao Qin. Yes, I work at the farm."

Deng Shirong asked, "You don’t seem very old. It’s impressive that you’ve managed to get a job at the farm."

Xiao Qin replied, "I’m not that young; I’m 22 this year. I got the job through some connections. Uncle Deng, you’re really impressive, able to talk business with the farm manager. Your business must be quite big, right?"

Deng Shirong said, "Just a small business to make ends meet. Xiao Qin, where are you from? Do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Xiao Qin said, "I’m from the Fushan Brigade in Dongping Commune. No, I don’t have a girlfriend yet."

Deng Shirong said, "You look like a fine young man, and you’re a regular employee at the farm. It shouldn’t be hard to find a girlfriend. Why haven’t you found one yet? Are you too picky?"

Xiao Qin said, "Not really, I just haven’t met the right person yet, so I’m not in a rush."

Deng Shirong said, "It’s good for young people to get married early. That way, when your children are born, your parents can help take care of them. If you wait until your parents are older, you’ll have to do it all yourself, which can be very challenging."

Xiao Qin said, "You’re right, Uncle Deng. If I find the right person, I’ll get married soon."

Deng Shirong didn’t continue on this topic. Since he had met a farm employee, he decided to ask about the pineapple. "Xiao Qin, I heard your farm grows hundreds of acres of pineapple, right?"

Xiao Qin nodded, "Yes, our farm does grow hundreds of acres of pineapple. Uncle Deng, are you here to do business with our pineapple?"

Deng Shirong nodded and said, "Yes, that’s the idea. Does your farm sign direct purchase contracts with the supply and marketing cooperative for the pineapple?"

Xiao Qin said, "Yes, most of our produce is bought by the supply and marketing cooperative."

Deng Shirong asked, "Do you know what price the supply and marketing cooperative offers for the pineapple?"

Xiao Qin said, "Of course, I know. The Supply and Marketing Cooperative's purchase price is 9 cents per pound." This was public information, so Xiao Qin said it without any hesitation.

Hearing this, Deng Shirong had a clear idea. The price was roughly what he had expected.

As they continued chatting, it took them about ten minutes to finally arrive at Dongping Farm.

After getting out of the car, Xiao Qin said without waiting for Deng Shirong to ask, "Uncle Deng, let me take you to meet our farm manager!"

Deng Shirong didn't hesitate and replied, "Sure, thank you for the trouble."

Xiao Qin laughed, "No trouble at all."

With that, Xiao Qin parked his bicycle and led Deng Shirong to the farm manager's office.

Xiao Qin addressed a middle-aged man, "Manager Feng, this is Uncle Deng. He's here to discuss the pineapple business."

Earlier, Deng Shirong had already learned the manager's name from Xiao Qin, so he greeted him, "Manager Feng, hello!"

Manager Feng stood up, shook Deng Shirong's hand, and said, "Mr. Deng, hello!"

Seeing that they were getting along, Xiao Qin said, "Manager Feng, Uncle Deng, I'll leave you two to chat. I'll be off now!"

Deng Shirong thanked him, and after he left, he got straight to the point, "Manager Feng, I heard that your farm grows a lot of pineapples. I'm planning to get into this business, so I'd like to purchase some from your farm."

Manager Feng asked, "Mr. Deng, how much do you plan to buy?"

Deng Shirong countered, "Manager Feng, may I ask, what is your farm's estimated pineapple yield for the summer?"

Pineapples are available year-round, but the summer yield is usually the highest and the best in quality, so Deng Shirong directly asked about the summer yield.

Manager Feng, who knew the farm's operations inside and out, answered without hesitation, "During the summer, our pineapple yield is around 1,200 tons."

Deng Shirong did a quick mental calculation and said, "Manager Feng, I know the Supply and Marketing Cooperative offers 9 cents per pound. I'm willing to pay 10 cents per pound for all of your farm's pineapples next summer."

Although he and Zhou Shengli had initially planned to transport 30 tons of pineapples to test the waters, with his system space, he didn't need to stick to that plan. He could buy all 1,200 tons, store them in his space, and sell them gradually.

This had many advantages. If the pineapples sold well in the capital, he could replenish his stock at any time without the hassle of repeated trips. Pineapples have a long shelf life, so even if a large quantity appeared in the market, there wouldn't be any concerns about scrutiny, unlike with lychees.

Moreover, if he remembered correctly, prices were expected to rise in 1985. Buying in bulk in 1984 would save him a lot of costs.

In short, with the system space, buying more was definitely the right move.

Manager Feng's eyes lit up. Don't underestimate those extra 1 cent per pound; with a total of 1,200 tons, the difference would be 24,000 yuan, a significant amount. He immediately agreed, "Mr. Deng, if you offer that price, we can sign the contract right away."

Deng Shirong was equally straightforward, "Manager Feng, let's not delay. Have someone prepare the contract!"

This was a good deal for the farm, and Manager Feng didn't hesitate. He had someone prepare the contract, and after some discussion, Deng Shirong paid a 3,000 yuan deposit in advance.

After signing the contract, which would bring at least 24,000 yuan to the farm, Manager Feng was delighted. He warmly said, "Mr. Deng, I've already arranged for lunch. Let's go and have a meal together. I hope you will continue to support our farm's business in the future."

It was no wonder Manager Feng was so enthusiastic. In the early 1980s, it was rare to see an individual business as large as Deng Shirong's. Such a capable person was definitely worth getting to know.

Deng Shirong also wanted to build a good relationship with the farm manager. They would likely continue to work together in the coming years, and maintaining a strong relationship would only benefit him.

Thus, with both parties eager to form a connection, the lunch was a pleasant and harmonious affair.

After the meal, Deng Shirong said his goodbyes, "Manager Feng, I'll be on my way. See you next year."

Manager Feng replied, "Mr. Deng, wait a moment. I'll have one of our farm drivers take you back in a car."

The five autonomous regions' agricultural farms were all large-scale operations, equipped with various vehicles, including cars.

Deng Shirong politely said, "Manager Feng, that's quite a bit of trouble, isn't it?"

Manager Feng laughed, "No trouble at all. You're now one of our major clients, so it's only right that our driver takes you back."

Deng Shirong, hearing this, didn't refuse and said with a smile, "Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome. See you next year."

"Sure, see you next year."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end