He’s ruthless, loyal, and generous. This is how Su Ping Nan sees himself, the foundation of his success. Otherwise, how could he, a man without roots, command such unwavering loyalty from others?
Real estate development in Wu City was practically nonexistent in this era. Bihai Residence was a whim of several wealthy Wu City residents who had made a fortune flipping property in Hainan.
It wasn’t selling well. The price of 50,000 yuan for a 100 square meter apartment was beyond the reach of most people.
Su Ping Nan, however, thought it was ridiculously cheap. The property was in a great location, right next to Wu City’s No. 1 High School. In the future, it would be a prime location for educational property. A sudden idea struck him, and he bought ten units – five as a reward and five as a backup.
He only had a vague memory of the stock market and real estate from another time. He played it safe and gradually established himself in Tiannan Province, avoiding any rash moves. He remembered that prices in Hainan had already skyrocketed, and the bubble would burst in June the following year. Many people would suffer.
Feeling the gratitude in everyone’s eyes, Su Ping Nan smiled and said, “No need for words of appreciation, show me what you can do.”
“Get your driver’s licenses as soon as possible. I’ll provide a car for Ertai Town and for the company as well. Cars are a status symbol nowadays. It’s not just about convenience; they’ll also make things easier when you’re out and about.”
Su Wen Wen and the others were completely stunned. The shock of being gifted an apartment hadn’t even settled in, and now they were getting cars. In this era, even owning a motorcycle was a sign of wealth. The thought of them driving cars was overwhelming. They felt a surge of emotion welling up inside them, but they didn’t know what to say. They simply bowed their heads, feeling as if they owed Su Ping Nan their lives.
Su Ping Nan turned to Zhang Tong, whose face was flushed, and said, “Call Wei Lao San at Nan Station. He has connections with the Gao brothers in Tiandushi. Tell him I’m looking for his help to order some vehicles.”
Many people had already gotten rich in the 1990s, mostly through businesses along the coast. As more inland cities prospered, cars with questionable origins started appearing in the interior.
The Gao brothers had extensive connections along the coast. They were both car enthusiasts, especially the elder brother, who loved modified vehicles. After a few years of building a fortune on the coast, the brothers returned to Tiandushi and opened a car modification shop on the X03 highway. They had become the largest private car dealers in Tiannan Province.
Their vehicles were marked up, but the quality was solid. In this era, car registration wasn’t strictly regulated. With a bit of money and some connections, you could get a license plate. The Gao brothers were sharp, especially the older one. In the years to come, he would cleverly retire from the business and move into brand distribution. By the time Su Ping Nan was reborn, he had essentially monopolized the sales of several top automotive brands in Tiannan.
The staff at Jinxiu Foods were working frantically. They were all determined to deliver a satisfactory outcome for Su Ping Nan. As for Su Ping Nan, he was greedy, wanting to accumulate more capital because he knew of the many lucrative industries in this era.
Gao Cheng Feng and his brother usually relied on word-of-mouth and didn’t require deposits for orders.
When he received the call from Wei Lao San in Wu City, he was perplexed. When had Wu City produced such a formidable newcomer? The other party had immediately agreed to his 700,000 yuan price.
He was sure the three black Toyota SUVs would be easy to sell, but the two refrigerated vans were a risky investment. If the order fell through, he would definitely lose money.
After careful consideration, he decided to trust Wei San, who was quite a figure in Wu City, and reluctantly agreed to the deal without a deposit.
Once the cars arrived, Gao Cheng Feng immediately notified Wei Lao San. After receiving the call, Wei Lao San said he was going to notify someone called “Little Red Robe” and then went silent.
The Gao brothers exchanged worried glances. This was a big deal. If the order fell through, it would be a substantial loss for them.
Wei San was a cripple, but he was an old hand in the business. He was careful, cautious, and a man of his word, which had earned him a reputation in Wu City.
He made ten phone calls, each of which was busy. In a rush, he limped toward Su Ping Nan’s food factory, his pace surprisingly brisk.
Su Ping Nan was practically running himself ragged. It had been twenty days since the factory opened, and things were going so smoothly that he started to doubt the reality of the situation.
Li Zhi Yu had gone completely mad. He had placed orders for three trainloads of pine nuts. The supply of pine nuts within a hundred miles of Ertai Town had been wiped out. Su Wen Wen’s efficiency was also terrifying. He had signed contracts with several other townships, and mountains of pine nuts were flowing into Ertai Town.
Guo Guangyao’s negotiations had been even smoother. The impoverished government was eager for investment and tax revenue. When they learned about the plans to build the largest storage facility, their eyes lit up. All the permits were issued quickly. Su Ping Nan only had to sign a few documents to acquire 500 acres of land. It was like buying vegetables. The price was incredibly low – one million yuan. The land was now in the hands of Jinxiu Company. The foundation had been laid, and the walls were still under construction, but Su Wen Wen had already managed to pile up a mountain of pine nuts inside the site.
Zhang Li Hua saw that everyone else was working hard, while her progress was lagging. With the deadline looming, she decided to go all out and stuck with Yang Qianli and the officials at a drinking session.
Su Ping Nan was so busy fulfilling orders in Wu City that he had no one to help him. He had to take over himself. The factory phone was ringing constantly with new orders. He was too swamped to answer Wei San’s call.
As he walked, Wei San cursed himself for letting the hefty commission cloud his judgment. Neither the Gao brothers nor Little Red Robe were saints. If something went wrong, he would be the one to suffer. Little Red Robe had heard about the big money, but these people could go from penniless to wealthy overnight. He didn’t want anything to go wrong.
But when he arrived at Little Red Robe’s food factory and saw the man’s appearance, he was dumbfounded by what he saw.