The familiar coal-fired bus, belching black smoke, with a gaggle of kids trailing behind, inhaling exhaust fumes.
Scientific research indicates that about three out of every hundred people like the smell of gasoline and cars; it’s true.
“Daddy, I want a hug.”
The little one scrambled from Shen Xue’s arms into Chen Yang’s. This kid, relying on not getting carsick, bounced around relentlessly.
Compared to her, Chen Hao was much more well-behaved. He was almost asleep in Chen Yang’s arms, but her energetic antics woke him up.
There was nothing he could do; Chen Hao had to turn over and snuggle back into Shen Xue’s embrace, mother and son dozing off again.
Chen Yang watched his daughter climb all over him. He couldn't help it; she was his little darling. No matter how helpless he felt, he had to indulge her, so he played with her the entire way.
Chen Yang was very familiar with Qinghe City, so he headed straight for his own shop with his wife and children.
“Brother Yang, you and sister-in-law have finally arrived. Weiyang has been waiting for you like he’s been waiting for the stars and the moon. Last time, he asked Great Aunt to pass on a message. If you didn’t come again, he was planning to come find you in Liuhe County.”
“Weiyang, Weiyang, Brother Yang and sister-in-law are here!”
As soon as Chen Yang arrived at the shop, Lin Erdi excitedly called out to Zhang Weiyang. The moment she finished speaking, Zhang Weiyang emerged from the back warehouse.
He was carrying a welding torch; the guy was working overtime, helping to repair radios.
“Brother, you’ve finally come. If you didn’t, I really would have gone to Liuhe County to find you.”
Zhang Weiyang quickly put down the welding torch and came over to greet Chen Yang.
“How is it? How are the shops doing in Yingzhou Prefecture and the surrounding counties?”
Chen Yang gave Zhang Weiyang a hearty hug. This kid had truly endured hardships; he’d lost weight from all the work.
“Brother, brace yourself. Don’t be too shocked.”
Zhang Weiyang straightened his back with great confidence, clearly not underestimating the achievements he’d made.
“Spit it out, you brat. Why are you being so mysterious?”
Chen Yang glared at Zhang Weiyang good-naturedly. Only with him could Chen Yang be so uninhibited.
“Brother, since last week, the Meng Hui Radio shops have opened in all the counties and districts in the entire Anhui province.”
“Anhui province has over seventy counties and more than thirty urban districts. We’ve opened a total of one hundred and twenty-one stores!”
It was no wonder Zhang Weiyang was excited. This achievement was likely unparalleled in the country!
In this era, besides state-run department stores and supply and marketing cooperatives, no one else could achieve having at least one store in every county and district like Meng Hui Radio.
“Weiyang, you’ve worked hard.”
Chen Yang had been prepared for good news, but hearing the numbers still made him incredibly excited.
Over a hundred stores; these would be the primary channels for his and Zhang Weiyang’s future e-commerce sales.
In a few years, when home appliances became popular, even televisions from obscure factories would sell out. If he had first-hand sales channels and still couldn't outperform others, he might as well not do business.
Chen Yang gave Zhang Weiyang a fierce hug. This achievement had not come easily.
“Brother, why are we being so formal?”
“Guess what? How much working capital do we have on hand now!”
Zhang Weiyang’s face was filled with excitement; this was what truly made him happy.
Opening so many branches required a significant upfront investment. They not only had to open stores but also establish repair centers in each region or city.
The cost of acquiring old radios and repairs were substantial initial investments. The funds Chen Yang brought, plus the profits he’d accumulated, were barely enough.
Only after the shops in Qinghe and Feishi opened and gradually accumulated profits could they open all the subsequent stores. These past two months had been exhausting for him.
Fortunately, before Chen Yang returned, he had specifically hired several professional accountants in Feishi to help with the bookkeeping. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to plan how to allocate profits to open more stores while maintaining the normal operation of each branch.
“It should be no less than this amount.”
Chen Yang held up two hands.
In Qinghe alone, Zhang Weiyang had generated nearly twenty thousand in cash flow in less than a month. Even if other regions had some differences compared to Qinghe City, they wouldn’t be too large.
Not to mention provincial capitals like Feishi. Even after deducting initial investments, one hundred thousand yuan in over two months shouldn’t be a problem. Su Dan Novel Network.
In the same era, if ‘Silly’s Nuts’ could earn a million a year just selling food items, then it wasn’t impossible for him to earn a hundred thousand in two months selling highly profitable radios, even if it seemed exaggerated.
“Brother, your vision is too limited.”
Zhang Weiyang chuckled upon hearing Chen Yang’s guess, smug that he had not only met his target before the New Year but also earned so much profit.
“Stop playing games with me. Just say it.”
Chen Yang felt like a cat was scratching his heart; he had no patience for guessing.
“Brother, this amount, a full two hundred and thirty thousand, more than double what you guessed.”
“This is the ledger. The accountants have recorded everything. When I received this ledger the day before yesterday, I was almost scared silly.”
Zhang Weiyang took out several thick ledgers from a cabinet. They were divided by region, detailing investments and profit margins, with comprehensive income and expenditure records.
Chen Yang, having graduated from the East China University of Finance and Economics in his previous life, not to mention further studies in finance abroad, could understand these ledgers.
The old accountant had done his job steadily, recording income and expenses in great detail and clarity.
“The money is now basically consolidated at the main stores in each region and city. Although our scale has grown and we’re earning more money.”
“But if this money isn’t managed by us directly, I’m worried…”
This was the real problem that Zhang Weiyang wanted to discuss with Chen Yang. He was naturally happy to have made so much money.
But he couldn’t possibly collect the money from each location every day. If the money remained in the stores for extended periods, he feared that people at the local level might develop selfish intentions.
“Weiyang, I understand your concerns.”
“I need to think carefully about this.”
Chen Yang had never imagined that one day he would be troubled by making too much money.
There was no choice. In this era, banks weren’t as numerous, nor was there a nationwide network.
There weren't even corporate accounts then, and cross-regional cash deposits and withdrawals weren't supported. This meant that businessmen had to carry cash everywhere, which led to the existence of numerous highway robbers and bandits later on.
The direct sales model through stores only gradually became popular in the 21st century for a reason. It was impossible to guarantee the normal collection of operating revenue at this time; the concept was simply too far ahead of its time.
In the 1970s and 1980s, with the reform and opening up, opportunities were everywhere. Many people fantasized about being reborn and making a fortune.
But only through practical operation would they realize that things were not as simple as they imagined.
Putting aside other issues, even how to collect money was a problem.
Everyone thought it was as simple as providing an account number for people to transfer money, as in later times. It was nowhere near that simple.