Chapter 19

Early the next morning, Uncle Li and his eldest cousin, Li Aizhong, rushed to the talent market that Li Shanshan had mentioned. It was the widely known Fengcheng Labor Market, located on the east bank of the Yellow River, marked by a massive iron ox statue, which is why it was also called the Iron Ox Market.

The two men had often squatted by the roadside waiting for odd jobs themselves. Lacking any specialized skills, they could only do manual labor, earning a mere eight or ten yuan a day. Now that they were the ones hiring, they sought men who frequently did loading and hauling work, aged between thirty-five and fifty—men who were more meticulous and steady than the younger laborers.

Upon bringing the group to the warehouse, they found that Li Shanshan had already ordered sixty baskets of meat buns and a bucket of spicy soup from a nearby shop. The meat buns, each the size of a fist, were plump and white, costing only two yuan per basket of ten.

"Uncles, please eat first. You'll need your strength for the work ahead," Li Shanshan said, handing out two baskets to each man, including her father, uncle, and cousins. "If anyone isn't full, just come back for more."

The men were overjoyed. As manual laborers who rarely got enough oil or meat in their diets, eating two baskets of meat buns was a treat. The tallest and sturdiest man devoured four baskets and two large bowls of spicy soup in one go, saying with satisfaction, "Little Boss, you are the most generous employer we've ever seen." Usually, other employers wouldn't care if they ate at all.

Although Li Shanshan was young, her appearance and temperament were exceptional, and her attire was incredibly fashionable. Everyone assumed she was the one in charge, rather than her father. And indeed, it was Li Shanshan who directed them.

Around eight o'clock, two cargo trucks arrived, each with two drivers. The lead driver verified the photos provided by John with Li Shanshan and presented the shipping manifest. Li Shanshan didn't rush to sign off with her father; instead, she greeted them and immediately had the laborers begin unloading. She had originally planned for one person per truck to prevent slacking, but with only two trucks, they all worked together.

The trucks had departed the factory at the same time, but their speeds varied, leading to different arrival times. Li Shanshan understood this, and it was actually better, as the space in front of the warehouse wasn't large enough to accommodate twenty big trucks at once.

During the unloading, the lead driver, Mr. Liu, told Li Shanshan, "Miss Shanshan, per orders from the top management, our factory director and managers were very diligent. For these hundreds of thousands of garments, they not only had workers categorize and pack them for you but also separated the defective items, marked the woven bags, and loaded them onto the same truck to save you the trouble."

Li Shanshan was overjoyed. "Please extend my gratitude to your director and managers on my way back." She had been planning to hire people to sort out the defects after unloading. This saved her not only money but precious time.

Mr. Liu was curious about Li Shanshan’s background but felt it wasn't his place to ask. He continued, "There is also a batch of surplus stock meant for foreign brands. A set of sportswear like this sells for 1,200 in the mall. Many buyers were eyeing it, but the factory didn't give it to them—they sent it all to you, Miss Shanshan. It’s not a large quantity, just over ten thousand pieces across all seasons, loaded into a separate truck."

Many were envious of Li Shanshan’s luck. In the history of the surplus stock business, few had ever received personal orders from the big bosses themselves. Moreover, there was no extra charge for the branded surplus. A single truckload of these branded items could easily sell for hundreds of thousands. Since the bosses hadn't brought it up, the drivers naturally kept quiet.

Li Shanshan immediately turned to her father and said, "Dad, go to the hotel where I'm staying and book twenty double rooms for the drivers. Let them rest for a night before heading back tomorrow. Also, buy some local Fengcheng specialties—plenty of them—to share with the drivers and for them to take back to their factory managers."

Her father and uncle were staying in a rented house, but it was inconvenient for her to stay with them, so she had checked into a nearby hotel for about sixty yuan a night on a monthly rate. Her father hurried off to handle it.

As the first two trucks were unloaded, four more arrived, all loaded with winter clothing. For long-distance haulers, traveling in groups was safer, so the twenty trucks arrived in intervals. The last few arrived at noon, and Li Shanshan arranged lunch for them as well, sparing no expense with chicken, fish, meat, and eggs.

Li Shanshan had her father accompany her while she inspected the cargo. Every truck was checked, and she found that they had indeed been sincere, not selling her damaged goods. It was clear that John had handled things seriously for her.

The total payment, including shipping, was 400,000 yuan. Li Shanshan and her father signed the agreement and faxed it over. By evening, the drivers had gone to the hotel, and the cargo was stored according to her plan: summer clothes in the back, winter clothes in the front, and spring/autumn items in the middle. The branded surplus and defects were kept separately. Li Shanshan opened a box of the branded items and was extremely satisfied. They were French brands; a single silk shirt retailed for 1,800, and a leather jacket for 3,000! There were seventy-eight leather jackets—a significant quantity.

According to the driver, these weren't defects but items produced as backups, a common factory practice. If there was fabric left over after the order was completed, they would sometimes make extra. Li Shanshan had only one thought: if she didn't get rich, who would? Fate had practically put the food directly into her mouth.

The next day, after seeing the drivers off, she took a dozen of the branded pieces and went straight to Lu Shan, the General Manager of the Department Store. She got straight to the point: "Mr. Lu, I have a batch of high-end, fashionable French brand items. They are absolutely original. Shirts for 600, leather jackets for 1,000, jeans for 300, and sportswear for 400. Everything is about one-third of the retail price. Are you interested?"

To her knowledge, retail stores couldn't get these prices for branded clothing. Lu Shan didn't know her, but he was struck by her beauty and poise. He asked, "Who are you?"

Li Shanshan smiled. "I am in the foreign trade surplus business with the support of our Fengcheng leadership. Through my acquaintance with Mr. Bush, a senior executive at Kylin Technology, I gained access to the source at the Hailin Garment Factory. I happened to have a batch of high-quality branded surplus arrive yesterday. If you aren't interested, I’ll take it elsewhere."

Honestly, these goods would sell without effort. In an era before people were obsessed with buying houses, regardless of their salary, most families spent their money on clothing and electronics. *Hmm, opening an electronics store would also be lucrative,* she noted to herself.

Lu Shan became interested. "You have original goods? I must inspect them personally."

"No problem." Li Shanshan took him to the warehouse. After checking dozens of pieces, they were all flawless and genuine. Lu Shan’s eyes lit up.

Li Shanshan saw this and smiled even more sweetly. "Mr. Lu, the New Year is approaching. People in Fengcheng like to prepare for the holidays and buy new clothes. You know better than I do how much foot traffic the Department Store gets. I don't need to tell you how the Ronghua Shopping Plaza has impacted the Department Store since it opened."

"Many of the newly wealthy have gone to Ronghua," Lu Shan sighed. "International and domestic brands have opened boutiques there, and business is booming." He had bought a shirt there last summer—the same brand Li Shanshan was selling—and it had cost 1,300!

Li Shanshan chuckled. "If you buy my branded goods and offer them at a slightly lower price, I believe you can attract many customers."

There were over 15,000 pieces in total across all four seasons, with a total value of several million. Even the Department Store couldn't take it all. After careful consideration, Lu Shan bought over 4,000 pieces in the name of the Department Store, clearing out all the leather jackets. With the popularity of Hong Kong dramas, leather jackets were especially in demand.

From this single deal, Li Shanshan received two million yuan! It was transferred from the Department Store’s account to hers instantly.

Li Shanshan immediately wired the 400,000 for the goods and shipping to the Hailin Garment Factory. She still had 1.6 million left. She then wired another 500,000 at the factory price for the branded surplus and called John to inform him. She wasn't unaware of how business worked; one had to be mindful of others.

John was surprised, and his tone was full of admiration. "I will tell Josephine. If there are similar goods in the factory, you will be the first to know."

"Thank you, thank you." That was exactly what Li Shanshan wanted.

Her father was shocked. He had truly thought his daughter was just bragging about making millions! Returning to the warehouse as if in a dream, he decided to guard it with his brother until everything was sold. These weren't just clothes; they were gold and silver mountains!

With the payment settled, she had already cleared 1.1 million in profit. Everything else sold would be pure gain. Li Shanshan printed many flyers for her five cousins to distribute to wholesalers and ordered a massive sign to be placed at the entrance of the wholesale market, pointing directly to her stall.

After giving her instructions, she took the bus to Huaihua Senior High School. It was report card day, and she needed to collect her winter break assignments.

Teacher Liu smiled when she saw her. "Although you were away for a long time, your grades have improved significantly—from 368th place in the midterm exams to 107th. Keep working hard, your future is bright."

"It is all thanks to the teachers' guidance," Li Shanshan said, satisfied with her progress. She had just returned and still needed to adjust, as the curriculum in the mainland differed from that in Hong Kong.

She took the opportunity to ask Teacher Liu for leave, saying she had an urgent matter, and left with her report card and homework. The teacher didn't stop her; the pre-holiday class meetings were always the same old thing anyway.

Li Shanshan rushed back to Fengcheng to prepare for the grand opening tomorrow. Money was so easy to make; the sooner she opened, the sooner she would earn more.