Return To 1990

Abundant Profits 

The job market was crowded as always. Now, the city employment has not yet fully opened, but the rural population is slowly beginning to converge towards the city, where there is never a lack of labor.

Lu Feng circled the area, looking for a platform. Finding one, he stood up and shouted, “Cannery Recruitment! Two shifts, male workers seventy dollars! Female workers fifty dollars!”

As the words came out of his mouth, people turned towards Lu Feng. He was swarmed the next second, the reason being the high wage; it was high even for some skilled people.

Not far away, a middle-aged man was smoking a cigarette. The expression on his face indicated he was very not pleased by something. He gazed at Lu Feng for a while, then turned towards the market’s snakehead(A criminal involved in illegal transportation of Chinese citizens to other parts of the world) and asked, “Who is that man ah? Last time I came to recruit, I saw him.”

“I heard that a small factory just opened, recently quite hot; selling to the countryside.”

“The countryside? Rural areas don’t have much money, who buys ah? I also do rural supplies and marketing agencies; the sales are below average.”

“You don’t know; people exchange grain for cans. They sell the grain directly to the Grain Station. The last time he came to recruit workers, the factory’s income was tiny, but nowadays, income is massive ah!

The middle-aged man screwed his cigarette butt on the ground, and his face grew ugly; the snakehead looked at him and smiled, “Wei, he is not in the same line with you; let him recruit first.”

“I’ll go over and get to know him,” Wei said the words walked over.

In Less than ten minutes, Lu Feng had recruited more than thirty people and was ready to take them to the workshop. 

The middle-aged man came over.

The two pairs of eyes clashed; there were a few sparks; Lu Feng knew him. The outfit had not changed, suit, leather shoes, bb machine, peers are ingrates; This cannot be.

“Hello, I am the Wanyuan food processing plant’s owner, surnamed Ren.” Mr. Ren said, pulling out a business card.

“I am a canner called Lu Feng, no business card.” Lu Feng looked at the business card; Ren Qianbo, a fancy name.

“Mr. Lu’s business is not bad. Just a few days ago, you came to recruit workers, and now expanding ah!” Ren Qianbo’s face had a congratulatory smile, but the words left a hint of sour taste.

” You have come to recruit workers; certainly, Mr. Ren’s business must also be booming.” Lu Feng knew what these actions meant and said, “Mr. Ren, our businesses do not offend each other. I hope you do well in your path: commissary, supply, and marketing agency route; I will do well in the wholesale grain route!”

“Mr. Lu, don’t think about it too much. I’m just here to make your acquaintance.” Ren Qianbo replied, full of smiles, extending his hand for a handshake.

Lu Feng walked out with his face cold as Ren Qianbo stared at his back with narrowed eyes. Ren then continued his recruitment.

Where there is a market, there is competition. Lu Feng knew the idea well but did not expect competition to come so quickly; he understood this gesture very well as a businessman. 

Back at the workshop: Zhou Hao took another car. Before the end of the day, a few people were squatting outside, smoking. Datou was at a loss; he saw Lu Feng returning and rushed over.

“Brother Feng, they are too tired. They need to rest for a while.”

Lu Feng nodded; he paused Datou by waving his hand towards the most recently recruited workers. He entered the workshop and shouted, “Everyone stop!”

Everyone stopped the work at hand to look at Lu Feng. Those smoking outside rushed in.

“Today, we have worked hard, and our business is as good. I hope we can work harder. Everyone present gets a wage increase: Preparing contents and moving goods: twenty-five dollars a month; encapsulation workers: twenty dollars a month. Two shifts for everyone!”

Everyone’s face was full of smiles; Lu Feng then said, “No smoking During working hours, and I let you go if you cannot keep up with speed. Such high wages are not for you to play; you can try if you do not believe me. Go smoking during working hours and see what happens.”

Lu Feng’s gaze swept down on each worker, and no one dared to look at him. The few men who had just gone out to smoke didn’t even dare to raise their heads!

“You get off work in forty minutes, do some work till then!”

Everyone was busy; they were fully motivated. A world of difference was observable. The workers worked fast enough to rush out half a truckload in the next forty minutes.

As usual, the workers went about their business; Lu Feng called Datou over and inquired, “How many cars today?”

“Nine cars, four cars are back. Here is the money,” Datou handed over a pile of money and the account book.

Lu Feng examined the account book and the money, a total of $1,349 profit. Two to three thousand dollars profit a day is easily manageable with two shifts.

“Brother Feng is rich!” Datou grinned widely.

“It’s still early, the machine is five thousand, and it has yet to be paid. There’s still enough money for workers’ wages and glass bottles, but we’re not far from getting rich.” Lu Feng looked at his new partner and asked, “Have you eaten?”

“Had a bite last night!”

Lu Feng took out ten dollars and handed it to him, “Take this money and eat something, don’t worry your parents. I don’t see it every day, but you use our own money to eat out regularly.”

“Brother Feng, there’s no need. You said you will give me a salary; that is good enough.” Datou pushed Lu Feng’s hand back.

Lu Feng did not say more; he just slid the money back into his pocket; he looked at Datou in his eyes and promised, “Do a good job, I will not treat you poorly.”

The night shift had begun; initially, the multiple rooms in the bungalow appeared very spacious, but now they were crowded. Lu Feng rode the motorcycle home and told Jiang Xiaoyan he would not come back tonight.

He returned the motorcycle and headed back to the workshop on foot to work the night shift.

The machines roared all night; pot after pot of canned food came out of the oven and got loaded in the stall-cars at a dizzying pace.

Eleven o’clock in the night, Wu Hongyu tossed and turned, not being able to sleep. He kept thinking about He Yanli’s attitude towards him during the day, and his heart was suffering to the extreme. Not able to bear the pain, he climbed up the stairs and ran to He Yanli’s door, and knocked.

“Who is it?”

“Me, open the door!”

“You’re sick, knocking on a widow’s door at night!” He Yanli retorted.

“What, can’t you see it? What is Lu Feng? Your mind is not clear; is he better than me? Besides, he has a wife.” Wu Hongyu argued, getting irritated.

“None of your business! I can like whoever I want; I’m not your f**king wife!” He Yanli snapped angrily. I can’t sleep like this. Capable men don’t look at me; moreover, Useless waste comes to knock on my door every night.

The two of them disagreed, resulting in a fight.

5:30 a.m.: First light of the day, Lu Feng yawned and sent away the last car, looking at the account book in his hand; his heart unutterably happy.

Shipment of fourteen cars in one night, the net profit of more than four thousand! With several more carloads of fruit and increased daytime workers, the efficiency should be similar in the day.

Eight thousand dollars of profit per day!

After a deep breath, Lu Feng calculates with a smile on his face. 

Only one month; a month later, holding $240,000, Ren will be shit compared to me! Yeah!

“Brother Feng!” Datou jumped out of the rickshaw and called out.

“Come ah, take account book and get a few carloads of fruit. Settle the account; from today onwards, the purchase of goods will not be done on credit.” Lu Feng explained.

“Yes, Brother Feng. You should have a nap.”

Lu Feng explained some things to Datou and was ready to go back, only to find that he had to walk all the way home. He turned around and said, “Datou, if you have time, go buy a motorcycle with some money from the account. We will drive a Big Ben when we get rich.”

Datou grinned, nodding excitedly. In the middle and lower class citizens, riding a motorcycle depicts a successful person.