Chapter 346: Establishment of the Food Company

Chapter 346: Establishment of the Food Company

  10:00 AM.

  In front of the old ancestral hall, the Ye Deng Clan was holding its annual assistance meeting.

  Since Deng Shirong took over as the clan head, these assistance meetings have been held every summer and winter break. The clan members are already very familiar with the entire process.

  The preparatory work had been completed long ago, and the meeting today was simply to commend and reward clan members who had been admitted to high school, vocational school, college, or university, as well as those who ranked in the top ten of their class in the final exams.

  The meeting quickly went through the necessary procedures, and all the deserving clan members had been commended and rewarded.

  After the outstanding students received their rewards and stepped down from the stage, the clan members looked at the clan head with eager anticipation.

  Seeing the expectant gazes of the clan members, Deng Shirong got straight to the point: "Today's assistance meeting, in addition to commending the outstanding students of the clan, has another extremely important matter that everyone has been looking forward to, which is the establishment of a food company through collective investment."

  "Finally, I can't wait any longer!"

  "The money has been ready for a long time, just waiting for this day."

  "We missed out on the passenger transport company, only investing in two shares. This time, we will go all out, putting all our savings into the food company to secure a larger share."

  "..."

  The clan members who had tasted the benefits of the passenger transport company were now excited.

  Ever since the clan head announced the establishment of the food company at the passenger transport company's dividend meeting, they had been waiting for this day. In the meantime, most of the clan members had done everything they could to raise funds, even borrowing from the credit union.

  As for borrowing from relatives and friends, that was the most common approach.

  On the stage, Deng Shirong paused slightly and continued, "I said before that the shares of the food company, like the passenger transport company, are 1000 yuan per share. The number of shares to be subscribed to is up to each individual based on their own situation.

  You can start reporting your numbers now, and the money must be paid within a week."

  "Deng Changsheng, 18 shares."

  "Deng Changbo, 16 shares."

  "Deng Yunsong, 20 shares."

  "..."

  As soon as Deng Shirong finished speaking, the clan members eagerly began reporting their numbers, with dedicated personnel on the stage responsible for recording them.

  When the passenger transport company was established, many clan members, although impressed by the clan head's ability to make money, did not have high hopes for the collective investment, so many of them invested based on their economic capabilities. Some clan members, who had several thousand yuan, ultimately only invested in one or two shares, using the rest of the money to build houses or arrange marriages for their children.

  Once the passenger transport company started operating and generating substantial daily profits, these clan members regretted their decisions, even slapping their thighs in frustration.

  If they had invested that money in the passenger transport company, they could have earned an additional two thousand yuan per year, and the dividends would have increased year by year. The loss was truly significant.

  Now, with this opportunity arising again, most of the clan members had learned their lesson and were willing to invest all their savings into the food company.

  As a result, as the numbers were reported, almost everyone was subscribing to more than ten shares. The more educated clan members couldn't help but smile bitterly at this situation.

  With most clan members subscribing to more shares, the value of each share was diluted. Except for a few who didn't keep up, the share percentages of other clan members were similar to those in the passenger transport company.

  After most clan members had reported their numbers, the wealthy clan members from various villages, who had consistently ranked high on the rich list, also began reporting their numbers. Their investments, without a doubt, overshadowed the majority of the clan members.

  The first to report his number was Deng Yunqiang from Naye Village. His family's economic conditions were second only to the clan head and Deng YunGui. They had also inquired about the clan head's intentions, and their investment was undoubtedly extraordinary. He loudly declared, "Deng Yunqiang, 120 shares."

  This statement immediately caused a stir among the crowd.

  "My goodness, Uncle Yunqiang's financial strength is really impressive!"

  "How much is 120 shares?"

  "120 shares are 120,000 yuan."

  "Amazing, 120,000 yuan in one go. Where did Uncle Yunqiang get so much money?"

  "From the credit union, of course. If not for the credit union, how many in our Ye Deng Clan could come up with 120,000 yuan?"

  "Ah? You mean he borrowed from the credit union?"

  "Didn't you know?"

  "I really didn't know. How could I not think of this? This time, I've lost big."

  "..."

  Hearing the clan members' discussions, Deng Yunqiang couldn't help but smile.

  Raising 120,000 yuan wasn't easy. He and his in-laws had gone to the credit union to borrow money, each taking out a loan of 40,000 yuan. They added the cash from both families and borrowed some more from relatives and friends to barely make up the 120,000 yuan.

  There was no way around it; credit control was much stricter now than before. In the past, it was easy to borrow 400,000 yuan per person, but now, with various reviews and lower loan limits, it was much more difficult.

Of course, it wasn't just him who found it difficult to get a loan; other clan members faced the same issue. This was the main reason why, apart from Deng Yunqiang, no other clan member had invested more than 100 shares.

The atmosphere grew more lively as Deng YunGui joined the fray, proudly announcing his ownership of 130 shares.

Deng YunGui was one of the wealthiest members of the Naye Ye Deng Clan, so it wasn't surprising that he could invest such a large amount of money.

Next, the wealthy members from various villages began to announce their investments, with the lowest being 80 shares. Leading the pack was Deng Changbao from Jimaoling, who directly invested 280 shares, earning him widespread admiration from the clan members. Truly, as the second wealthiest member after the clan head, he was indeed impressive.

Following him was Deng Changxiong from Bangba, who ran a bamboo weaving factory. His financial strength was also far beyond that of the average clan member, and he invested 260 shares, not far behind Deng Changbao.

"Spokesman Deng Changyuan, 100 shares."

This announcement also drew attention from the clan members.

"Wow, Changyuan has really made it!"

"It looks like the clothing store he runs with Ah Dong is really making a lot of money!"

"Ever since the family split, his life has been getting better and better."

"..."

In the crowd, Deng Changyuan's older brother and sister-in-law looked rather unhappy.

Since the family split, the gap between the two brothers had grown wider. They had managed to gather only 10,000 yuan, enough for 10 shares, while Deng Changyuan had managed to gather 100,000 yuan, enough for 100 shares, which was ten times more.

The gap was truly too large, almost impossible to bridge.

Now, their mindset could be best described by a phrase from the future: "Afraid that their brother will suffer, but also afraid that their brother will drive a luxury car." They wouldn't have been upset if other clan members invested 1,000 shares, but their own brother's 100 shares left them feeling gloomy.

...

As the announcements were nearing the end, Deng Changyu from Shanggaoxing stood up and loudly declared, "Deng Changyu, 120 shares."

This number, while not comparable to the well-known wealthy members like Deng Changbao and Deng Changxiong, was still far better than 99% of the clan members, naturally drawing much discussion.

"What's going on? Which village is this Deng Changyu from, and why haven't we heard of his wealth before?"

"I haven't heard of him either. Does anyone know which village he's from?"

"He's from our Shanggaoxing village. His wealth was only average in the village before, so how did he manage to gather so much money?"

"..."

The Naye Ye Deng Clan consisted of over 3,000 members spread across more than 20 villages, and many members didn't know each other. Only well-known members like Deng Changbao, Deng Changxiong, and Deng YunGui were recognized by most of the clan.

Deng Changyu was only known in his village and the neighboring two or three villages, and few members from farther away knew him.

Soon, no one else was announcing their numbers, indicating that everyone who was going to report had done so.

After briefly discussing Deng Changyu, the clan members turned their attention to the clan head, Deng Shirong, eager to know how many shares he would invest.

Under the watchful eyes of the clan members, Deng Shirong stood up and said, "Deng Shirong, 2000 shares."

This announcement left the clan members stunned!

The scene was silent for several seconds before suddenly erupting in excitement.

"Good grief, how much is 2000 shares?"

"I'm not sure either. Can someone quickly calculate how much 2000 shares would be?"

"2000 shares is 2 million yuan."

"The clan head is truly impressive, 2 million yuan!"

"The clan head's wealth is unfathomable!"

"I thought the clan head would invest at most 700,000 to 800,000 yuan, but he invested 2 million yuan, which is truly shocking!"

"..."

Not just ordinary clan members, even wealthy members like Deng Changbao, Deng Changxiong, and Deng YunGui were deeply impressed. In this era, being able to invest 2 million yuan privately was indeed impressive.

Deng Shirong ignored the clan members' shock and turned to the person responsible for the statistics, asking, "How many shares in total?"

"Nine Gong, the total is 14,588 shares."

Deng Shirong nodded. The clan members' enthusiasm was somewhat unexpected. Apart from his 2 million yuan investment, they still managed to raise over 12 million yuan, a truly impressive amount. This also demonstrated the clan members' extreme trust in him.

He knew that many clan members had taken loans from the credit union. Even wealthy members like Deng Changbao and Deng Changxiong had taken loans, otherwise, with their current financial status, it would have been impossible for them to gather 200,000 to 300,000 yuan.

The immense trust placed in him brought a tremendous amount of pressure, but luckily, Deng Shirong had a clear plan, so he wasn't overly worried.

Deng Shirong looked at the clan members and said, "Fellow clan members, the fundraising is now complete. For the position of General Manager of the food company, I plan to appoint Deng Changyu. I know many of you have only just met him today and don't know much about him, but I can assure you that he is the most suitable candidate for this role."

This statement came as a surprise to the clan members, who hadn't expected the clan head to choose Deng Changyu as the General Manager of the food company.

However, it must be said that Deng Shirong's prestige in the clan was indeed very high. Even though most clan members had only just met Deng Changyu, they had no objections once the clan head stated he was the best candidate.

Deng YunGui was the first to voice his support, saying, "Uncle Nine, your judgment in choosing people is beyond question. If you think Deng Changyu is suitable, then we all support him."

Deng Changbao also nodded and said, "That's right. We all trust your judgment, Uncle Nine. With you steering the company's development, everything will surely go smoothly."

Following Deng YunGui and Deng Changbao's support, the other clan members also expressed their agreement, all in favor.

Deng Shirong then turned to Deng Changyu and said, "Changyu, say a few words to everyone!"

Deng Changyu nodded and stood up, saying, "First of all, I want to thank Uncle Nine for placing his trust in me to be the General Manager of the food company. I'm not familiar with most of the clan members, and I know you are supporting me because of Uncle Nine's trust.

For now, I don't have much to say. Time will tell, and I hope you will judge me by my future performance."

This statement left a good impression on the clan members.

With that, the clan meeting came to an end.

...

The next day.

At the first bend of Dapuling Ridge, a bus accident occurred. A bus traveling from Hepu County to Bobai County overturned due to excessive speed while turning. The accident resulted in seven people with serious injuries and thirty with minor injuries.

The fact that no one died was considered a stroke of luck.

News of the accident quickly spread throughout the Naye Ye Deng Clan, causing everyone to feel a sense of unease.

Deng Shirong took the matter very seriously. He immediately went to the county and convened a meeting with all the staff of the passenger transport company.

At the meeting, Deng Shirong asked, "Everyone, what are your thoughts on today's bus accident at Dapuling Ridge?"

Deng Changyu, the General Manager, solemnly said, "We must take this as a lesson. In addition to ensuring we don't exceed the passenger limit, we must also avoid speeding. Safety is paramount."

The other managers and drivers also shared their thoughts. Their safety awareness was much stronger compared to drivers of this era, thanks to Deng Shirong's strict policy against overloading and the company's emphasis on safe driving from the start.

This was the main reason why the passenger transport company had never experienced any safety incidents since its establishment.

Deng Shirong nodded and emphasized, "I've already said what needs to be said, and everyone has been doing a good job so far. However, I want to add that it's better to stop for three minutes than to rush for one second. Our company is doing well, and I hope all drivers will always remember the safety regulations and pay close attention to driving safety.

This isn't just about your personal safety; it's about the safety of all the passengers. You are responsible for dozens of lives, and those dozens of lives affect dozens of families. If an accident happens due to your negligence, not only will your life be in danger, but the lives of the other passengers will also be at risk. It's crucial to be as cautious as possible.

Therefore, every time you drive, you must be fully aware of the safety risks. If you feel your attention is waning or if you are feeling drowsy, immediately switch drivers. Never take risks in this regard."

"Uncle Nine, rest assured. We always prioritize driving safety."

"Uncle Nine, you're absolutely right. We've been driving for years, and we've seen and heard about many accidents. Most of them happened because the drivers didn't take safety seriously enough. We must learn from these examples."

"I always remember what Uncle Nine says."

"..."

After the meeting, Deng Shirong gave Deng Changyu additional instructions, telling him to hold regular meetings to emphasize the importance of safe driving. He wanted to ensure that the clan's passenger transport company would never experience an accident.

Deng Changyu took this very seriously.

For a passenger transport company, the worst thing that could happen is a safety incident. For individual operators, even one accident could mean the end of their business. Even if they managed to survive, it would take a long time to recover.

Although the passenger transport company was more resilient than individual operators, an accident would still be a significant problem.

...

With nearly 15 million yuan in startup capital, Deng Shirong had already made all the necessary preparations. Now that the company was established and the funds were in place, the company's progress could be described as rapid and steady.

First, of course, was the registration of the company. Deng Shirong had already communicated with the relevant personnel, so all that was needed was to submit the necessary documents, and the approval would be granted quickly.

Next, the company secured the land where the future treasure site "Baizhongbao" was located, to build the factory.

Of course, Deng Shirong didn't need to handle these matters personally. He simply explained the preliminary development plan for the food company to General Manager Deng Changyu and instructed him to handle the operations. If additional manpower was needed, he was to prioritize hiring from the clan.

Meanwhile, Deng Shirong focused on his own tasks, such as acquiring the wood pineapple and ground pineapple, and completing the purchase of longans. Once that was done, he could set out to sell the goods.

During this period, the towns of Yashan, Santan, Wangmao, Ningtan, Yingqiao, Shabi, Songwang, Shuiming, and Nalin in Bobai County, which had seen significant development, were upgraded from townships to towns.

Among this batch of townships upgraded to towns, Shuangwang Township was not included.

Despite the influence of Deng Shirong in this life, which had brought about considerable changes compared to his previous life, the Ye Deng Clan's passenger transport company was located in the county town, not in Shuangwang. Without a prominent enterprise to support it, Shuangwang's influence was indeed less than that of the aforementioned townships, making it unsurprising that it did not get upgraded to a town.

It's worth noting that recently, Bobai County added seven more townships: Kemu, Dali, Yongan, Hejiang, Jingkou, Sanyu, and Huangling.

As a result, the county now had a total of 17 townships and 15 towns, making a total of 32 townships and towns, truly living up to its reputation as one of the top three most populous counties in the country.

...

In the afternoon.

At Suifeng Restaurant.

Deng Shirong was having dinner with his son, daughter-in-law, daughter, son-in-law, and in-laws.

Since Deng Shirong had given the restaurant to his eldest daughter as a dowry, his in-laws no longer cooked at the police department's family compound. They ate breakfast outside but had lunch and dinner at the restaurant.

After finishing dinner, Deng Shirong took his pipe and walked towards the door. As he passed the cash register, the phone rang, and he picked it up, saying, "Hello!"

On the other end, his second son, Deng Yunheng, said, "Dad, it's me. Have you eaten?"

Deng Shirong smiled and replied, "Just finished. Have you eaten?"

Deng Yunheng said, "I just finished as well."

After a few casual exchanges, Deng Yunheng said, "Dad, I have some good news. I'm no longer working in the capital; I'm now in Fucheng County, XX Province."

Deng Shirong's eyes lit up. "There's a suitable position there?"

Deng Yunheng affirmed, "Deputy County Magistrate, the second-in-command of the county government."

Deng Shirong was delighted. "That's great! When did this happen?"

Deng Yunheng said, "It's been over a month. I wanted to tell you earlier, but things were hectic when I first arrived, so I decided to wait until everything settled down before letting you know."

Deng Shirong said, "As a local leader, each of your decisions affects hundreds of thousands of people. You must be cautious and not rush for results. Always take a steady and pragmatic approach, making decisions that benefit the people."

Deng Yunheng said, "I understand, Dad. After a month of sorting things out, I have a clear plan in mind."

Deng Shirong said, "Good, as long as you have a plan. I'm currently leading the establishment of a food company in the clan, and we're setting up a factory to produce instant noodles. Once it grows, we will need to establish branches in other cities. See if this can help you. If it does, we can prioritize setting up a branch in Fucheng County."

Deng Yunheng said, "That would definitely help. It can create jobs and benefit the local community by purchasing raw materials. However, the primary concern is the company's profit. We shouldn't establish a branch just to help me."

Deng Shirong said, "Don't worry about that. I have it under control. Once the instant noodles gain a good reputation, we can discuss this further."

Deng Yunheng was very impressed by his father's business acumen. Since his father said so, it meant that establishing a branch in Fucheng County would not significantly impact the food company. He smiled and said, "Alright, let's discuss it once the instant noodles become popular."

They chatted for a while longer, and then Deng Shirong noted down his second son's office phone number before hanging up.

Because Deng Shirong spoke loudly, his family and in-laws nearby could hear the conversation.

Zhu Junjie, being the police chief, had a higher political sensitivity than others. He guessed what was happening from his father-in-law's words. Seeing his father-in-law hang up, he asked, "Dad, was that Yunheng calling? Has he been transferred to a local position?"

Deng Shirong nodded and smiled. "Yes, he's now in Fucheng County, XX Province, and he's a Deputy County Magistrate!"

As soon as he said this, the entire room erupted in excitement!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end