Volume 5: The Age of Storms Chapter 0663 Bugs
"Pavlyuchenko contacted a person in the Ministry of Foreign Trade in Moscow named Potanin, who was engaged in the import and export of raw materials. Through him, Pavlyuchenko established relations with Magang [Magnitogorsk Steel], Kugang [Kuznetsk Steel Plant], Zagang [Zaporozhe Steel Plant], and Gorky Automobile Plant;
The next step is to establish relations with the Minsk Tractor Plant, Stalingrad Tractor Plant, Kharkov Tractor Plant, Irbit Motorcycle Plant and Ural Plant.
Nansheng, both the steel mill and the tractor factory have a lot of waste products in stock. If we want to get these waste products, we don’t need to pay any special price. We can just export them directly according to the price set by Moscow. The price is very cheap.”
“Isn’t that a big amount?”
"The figure in the catalog provided by Potanin is 47 million tons. Pavlyuchenko said this figure is very exaggerated and the actual amount of waste is at least twice this figure."
Nan Yi waved his hand. "Whether it doubles or not is a matter for the future. Let's first find a way to get these 47 million tons. You said the price is very cheap, how cheap is it?"
"Thirty dollars."
"ruble?"
"Dollar."
"It's so cheap, it can't be slag, right?"
Liang Huiwen didn't answer either. He just took out a piece of something wrapped in butter paper and put it next to Nan Yi.
When Nan Yi opened the butter paper, a piece of scrap iron with three cross sections and a rusty surface was revealed. He picked it up and looked at the cross section carefully...he couldn't see anything.
"Forget it, I won't pretend anymore." Nan Yi muttered, put down the scrap iron, and said directly to Liang Huiwen: "How much is the price difference?"
"According to the most conservative estimate, $1.7 billion."
"Hiss..." Nan Yi took a breath, stood up, and paced back and forth in the conference room. "Have you calculated all the costs?"
"Except for the political costs," said Liang Huiwen.
As for the political cost, not letting the Soviet revisionists have an easy life is what everyone wants, but giving money to the Soviet revisionists is a very dangerous thing.
Nan Yi stood up and continued pacing.
Ten minutes later, he didn't care about the time difference and called Scarlett directly. The two of them whispered and discussed back and forth for more than an hour.
After the call ended, Nan Yi continued pacing.
After a long while, he said, "Add a few more layers of shells, make secret deals, and first store the scrap iron in Zhdanov Port. Move it out like ants moving, within five years. Call Johnny and ask Sergei to bring a team back to Moscow. There are many soldiers returning from Afghan. Ask him to recruit 200 people and tell him to ensure the safety of the scrap iron."
Liang Huiwen reminded: "Nansheng, facing a national-level intelligence agency, adding more shells is meaningless."
"Of course it makes sense. Our allies need a decent excuse to shut up certain people." Nan Yi's eyes flashed, and he said, "The shell must be from Eastern Europe."
"clear."
"Huiwen, prepare another 20 million US dollars to buy all kinds of luxury goods, including food, clothing, cars, yachts, beauties, horses and dogs. No matter what, as long as there is demand, we must be prepared. Oh, yes, also bring some peanuts and walnuts from the farm. Maybe some people don't like gold or sex, but just like to eat some nuts."
When Nan Yi was speaking, an image of a middle-aged man with a big head, wearing glasses and a Zhongshan suit and throwing peanuts and walnuts at people suddenly popped up in his mind.
Liang Huiwen knew that her boss would occasionally go crazy, so she automatically ignored the second half of Nan Yi's sentence and responded with a "yes".
"What's the situation with Kang Xiuming?"
"The Begonia processing plant is already under construction and will be operational by the end of September if nothing goes wrong. We will produce the canned vegetables, fruits and juices that are not available on the mainland market ourselves," Liang Huiwen replied.
"Let Kang Xiuming and Ge Cuizhu coordinate. If there are vegetables in the mainland, we can find them there. If there are not, we can transfer them from our own farms. Do we grow red radish?"
Nan Yi asked while taking stock of the current situation of Shennong Nanliang's farms and ranches in his mind. It seemed that he had no memory of growing red cabbage, but it was hard to say. If the area was less than 10,000 acres, he would not even remember it unless it was an experimental field.
"The country has several hundred acres of land planted."
"Then just ignore it. Farmers in the northeast region have more land, so we can cooperate with them. We provide seeds, they plant them for us, and we buy all of them when they are ripe."
"Not through the Reclamation Group?"
"Of course it has to be approved. A purchase contract must be signed between Haitang Processing Plant and Kenzhi Group." Nan Yi said, and suddenly shook his head and muttered: "Oh, Haitang said it is exporting to earn foreign exchange, but in another two years, the country may not be willing to accept rubles anymore."
After discussing the details of the Moscow strategy with Liang Huiwen for another two hours, Nan Yi returned to Deep Water Bay at around four o'clock in the afternoon.
In the manor, Nan Wuwei, who has fallen in love with water, is playing in the swimming pool.
Nan Yi took a stack of newspapers, sat on a lounge chair by the swimming pool, and read the news in the newspapers during that period.
There are a lot of news in the newspapers about Li Fuyi, the first chairman of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, nicknamed "Principal".
Recently, Hong Kong's stock market has been booming. All investors are united in expecting the Hang Seng Index to break through 4,000 points. Even the illiterate garbage collector would discuss with her peers which stock has a better prospect while rummaging through the garbage.
Not only the trash woman, but also the Young and Dangerous have been very quiet recently. They don't attack anyone or talk about numbers. They read financial reports every day, smoke, hug girls, drink, and talk about the US dollar economy and oil prices.
Hong Kong Electric Light, Kowloon Motor Bus, Hong Kong Gas, Cheung Kong Holdings, Hutchison Whampoa, United Overseas Bank, Chinese Estates Holdings and others announced share issuances to raise funds one after another. Bigwigs like Fang Mengyin, Li Tongban and Guan Erfu were at the peak of their powers and took the opportunity to seek expansion.
Among them, four companies under Li Tongban raised a total of 10.3 billion yuan, which can be regarded as the largest deal in history. It’s just a bit strange that there is a force majeure clause in his share fundraising agreement, and the share issuance cannot be withdrawn.
Not only is the stock market thriving, but so is the film and television industry and real estate.
In the 1950s and 1960s, hundreds of thousands of people came to Xiangkeng through various channels to settle down. After a period of hard work, they were able to gain a foothold and had some property. Although this property might be just a wooden hut, it was still a house after all.
Once you have a house, you have to think about getting married and having children. So, in the 1950s and 1960s, Xiangkeng welcomed a peak period of marriage registration, followed by a peak period of childbirth. Xiangkeng welcomed hundreds of thousands of people born in the 1950s and 1960s.
Those who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s are different from their parents. They have not experienced the precariousness of life, nor have they experienced displacement. Although most of them grew up in wooden houses and resettlement buildings, and their food and accommodation may not be very good, they have the foundation for pursuing spiritual enjoyment - stability.
This group of people born in the 1950s and 1960s, the oldest of whom are in their early thirties and the youngest have already entered young adulthood, have become the main force in box office sales and also the main force in mortgage payments.
In the 1960s and 1960s, there were also many sports events in Xianggang, and the citizens of Xianggang became athletes voluntarily or involuntarily. Perhaps because they had watched their parents being too tired from sports since childhood, those born in the 1950s and 1960s became more averse to sports when they grew up. They shifted their interests to movies and television, and to making money, especially making quick money.
In order to meet the urgent need of "buying a house", people born in the 1950s and 1960s are forced to enter the stock market to make quick money. Without making quick money, most young people in Hong Kong may not be able to save enough for a down payment in 20 years just by working honestly and without other external income.
Everyone has the right to pursue happiness, everyone has the right to pursue living in a luxury house. My fate is in my own hands, so what kind of people are Mid-Levels homeowners? Why should I live in public housing? Why should I squeeze into the bus?
Kill, kill into the stock market, create a miracle, cut the leeks of Li Tongban, cut the leeks of Zheng Shadan, cut the leeks of Li Laosi, cut the leeks of Fang Mengyin... Meng Jiachan, an old witch of an age, is still called "Mengyin", and I am still "Menglang".
How can one not be nervous when investing all one's belongings, even borrowing high-interest loans, into the stock market? As soon as the stock market is closed, the "leek slaughterers" need to go to the theater to watch a comedy or go to the newsstand to buy a comic book or magazine to relax.
Precisely because of this demand from the potential consumer group, movies, comics, and magazines often do not have excessive depth, nor do they explore human nature, the meaning of life, or suffering. Everything is for the purpose of relieving stress and venting.
As early as July last year, Nan Guo Bank launched a special interest rate loan for second-hand housing transactions, with a down payment as low as 10% and a loan interest rate lower than the market price in Hong Kong. However, this loan is difficult to apply for, and Nan Guo Bank will conduct a very detailed investigation of the borrower's information.
Moreover, people who want to apply for loans cannot understand the review criteria. Their income is obviously more stable than that of someone else, so why did he pass while they didn’t?
The reason why it is difficult to figure out the rules is that there are too few reference points. If there are enough reference points and you can spend more time comparing the common points of "lenders", you can easily find that these people are housewives and legal advisors. They usually either hang out in the stock market or in the horse racing field. Some of them even cross the sea to stay up all night every now and then.
Also in July last year, many high-quality properties appeared in the hands of real estate agents on Xiangkeng Street. They were in good locations, affordable, and many of them had never been lived in. Of course, these houses would be sold very quickly, and the real estate agents made a lot of money.
Among the real estate agents, there is one who has just entered the industry but has already a net worth of tens of millions. This person is Luo Zhaohui, who is only 23 years old this year. He is smart and capable, and has met many wealthy people and is also highly regarded by them.
Now he no longer builds ordinary residences, but only high-rise luxury homes and villas. Not only does he earn commission from the sales, he also hoards houses himself.
…
In the living room.
Nan Yi and Lai Biao sat opposite each other, and Nan Yi placed a bank card next to Lai Biao.
"There's 100 million Hong Kong dollars in it. I'm not being polite with you about the commission. I'll deduct it according to the market price. You still have houses worth about 90 million. Don't rush to sell them. Rent them out first and wait for the house prices to go up again."
Lai Biao picked up the bank card and played with it for a while, then threw it back to Nan Yi, "It's useless for me to hold so much money. Give me 5 million, and for the rest, deduct the 80 million I owe you, and you can help me invest the remaining 15 million."
In 1985, Nan Yi injected another sum of money into Nanchen Liquor Industry, of which 80 million was injected in the name of Lai Biao. Lai Biao has become the third largest shareholder of Nanchen Liquor Industry.
"You have two choices. One, I will help you invest in the real estate market. Two, I will help you find a fund with a relatively stable rate of return to invest in." Nan Yi said after thinking for a while.
Lai Biao waved his hand and said, "I'm too lazy to choose, you decide for me."
"Okay, I'll have someone invest for you. The money isn't much, so try something high-risk. If you win, you'll double your money, but if you lose, you won't have any money left. If you really lose, you won't feel bad, right?"
"Why should I feel sorry for anything? You made all the money for me." Lai Biao spat, picked up a few peanuts and threw them into his mouth, chewed and took a sip of beer from the can, "Xiang is a bit boring, I'm trying to find a way to transfer back."
"Which subsidiary will I be transferred to?"
"Like Liu Zhen, I will work in a bank in the future."
"You're not just thinking of a solution, you've already got one, right? Why are you pretending to be so rude to me? Tell me, when you go to Industrial Bank, which hole will you be responsible for?"
"Foreign exchange trading." Lai Biao said.
"Okay, it will be easy for me to exchange foreign currency in the future. We have relatives in the bank." Nan Yi said teasingly.
Lai Biao glanced at Nan Yi and shook the can in his hand.
Nan Yi picked up the can and clinked it with Lai Biao, then turned around and clinked it with Nan Wuwei's soy milk bottle, "Cheers."
"cheers."
Nan Wuwei clinked cups with Nan Yi in a serious manner, took a sip through the straw, then smacked his lips and made an "ah" sound.
Nan Yi laughed, turned back and said to Lai Biao: "Will the bank help you with your housing problem when you go to Beijing?"
"Yes, but I don't plan to live there. I don't plan to move into the house at home either. Please help me look for a house. Forget about a courtyard house. I'm not used to living there. An old western-style house would be best."
"It's hard to find an old house nowadays. When I return to Beijing, I will find a house hunter to help you find one."
Lai Biao asked curiously, "What is a house bug? Is it similar to a real estate agent?"
"Almost. The old saying in the capital city is that if a person cannot become a dragon, he will become a bug. Hence, the saying that a bug represents an expert in a certain field, that is, a master in a certain field.
What Fang Chong'er does is patchwork business, that is, intermediary. There were people doing this business before liberation, but it was different from now. There was no need to be sneaky back then. After liberation, many people wanted to secretly sell their private houses, some sold them, and some exchanged them.
Some homeowners are in a hurry to sell, some have no channels to sell, and some are not convenient to come forward, so they will tell the house worm that they are going to sell the house;
House bugs have a lot of information and clients, so they can often close deals faster. It is a virtuous cycle, and they will accumulate more and more information, and close deals faster. Over time, this becomes a good business.
I tell you, in 1976, I wanted to be a house bug. I waited for several days in the area where they were infested. I finally got a chance to approach them, but when they saw that I was a stranger, they all left in a swarm..."
"And then, you're not someone who gives up easily."
Nan Yi chewed a few more peanuts and then continued, "I didn't give up. I went to watch it again the next day, but I didn't find any. I went again on the third day, but I didn't see any house bugs. Instead, I saw a few buggers holding three-edged scrapers.
I was so scared at that time that I ran for my life. Fortunately, when I was in elementary school, I ran 100 meters in 6.8 seconds, which was the best in the world. They couldn't catch up with me when I ran. But later, I didn't dare to go to that place again.
I failed to become a housekeeper, so I went to the rural area in the suburbs, found a pretty widow in the village, bought five kilograms of sorghum flour on credit from her, and started my grain business.
Lai Biao laughed loudly and said, "Why would that pretty widow trust you? Did you give her some collateral?"
Nan Yi took a sip of wine, frowned, shook his head, and said, "Don't mention it. She tied a rope around my neck for three days. She locked me up for three days without any rest. I was fed less than 1.7 jin of sorghum flour a day. It's hard to do business and be a human being."
"Hahaha, you idiot, I'm not a pretty girl, don't brag to me..."
"Shut up, my son is here." Nan Yi scolded Lai Biao and continued speaking, then turned to Nan Wuwei and said, "Are you full?"
"Uh-huh."
"Let's go play games. As usual, you're only allowed to play for half an hour."
"Uh-oh."
Nan Wuwei pressed the chair surface with his small hands, slid his buttocks down, and as soon as he stepped on solid ground, he walked towards his room.
"What I told you before was half true and half false . At that time, I really did meet a widow, but there was nothing dirty about it. We were just business partners. She collected things in the village, and I was responsible for selling them on the black market. We worked together for three months."
"Is she pretty?"
"It's not quite accurate to say she's a widow. Her husband was from there. He died on the road. Or it's hard to say in Taichung. She got married in 1949. She was 17 when she got married. Do you still want to know what she looks like?"
"She was 17 in 1949. So when you met her, she was 44, which means she was a middle-aged lady. Was she pretty?"
"She's so beautiful. You're only 55 this year. How about I be your matchmaker?" Nan Yi said unhappily.
"Forget it. I can still get some benefits from being associated with you. You should continue to tell me about house bugs. Make it a little artistic, but don't be too exaggerated. Make it more exciting."
“Fuck, do you think I’m telling you a story?” Nan Yi spat, but continued, “There’s nothing much to say, it’s just a way of making a living, but after all, it is a tradition, and they have their own jargon and jargon.
For example, goods are houses, land is buying houses, which is easy to understand, looking at houses is viewing houses, planting crops is doing business, storing food is living, a few acres of land is asking about quantity or area, which should be judged according to the context of the conversation, and urine is capital. "
"You're talking too vaguely. Just give me a paragraph."
"Okay, I'll simulate a conversation for you, between two people, the handsome Nan and the scoundrel San." Nan Yi said, wiping his mouth, and started after a moment of preparation.
"Hey, Master Nan, good luck, do you have any goods today?"
"You rascal, you're not dead yet. Didn't I hear that someone raped you a few days ago?"
"Oh, Master Nan, you don't know who I am. I can bend and stretch. A few people wanted to take advantage of me that day, but I couldn't give them that chance. I knelt down before them and called them grandpa..."
"Yan Jiachan, if you want to talk, just say it nicely and don't take advantage of me." Lai Biao cursed.
"Okay, okay, I'll explain it to you." Nan Yi waved his hand and began to give Lai Biao a serious lecture.
"Master Nan, do you have any goods?"
"I have a lover who wants to buy a piece of land."
"Does she want to store food or grow crops?"
“Growing crops.”
"How many acres do you want?"
"The more the better, at least three hundred, and here we are talking about three hundred square meters." Nan Yi explained while acting.
"Which pit does she want to find?"
"Inside the city, a busy area."
"How big is your girlfriend's urine?"
"Five figures."
"Who is the guarantor? The guarantor is the one who helps."
"Your Nan Ye." Nan Yi stopped talking here, "The discussion is basically over here. Both parties know that the other party is in the same industry and knows the rules. Then we can talk in detail.
Fang Chong'er is the same as other patchwork businesses. He adheres to the principle of 30% to the commission and 20% to the loss. That is, 5% of the transaction amount must be given to Fang Chong'er as compensation, 20% to the seller and 30% to the buyer.
Of course, there is no fixed number and there is room for bargaining. Sometimes it doesn't have to be a 2:3 ratio. Instead, it can be 3:2 or other numbers. It depends on whether the house is easy to sell.
In addition to buying and selling, there is also house changing.
Most people in Beijing still live in government-owned houses. After all, few people own private houses. Some people live too far from their workplaces, so they would think of exchanging houses with others for ones that are closer. Some people may also spend some money to exchange houses with others for bigger ones because their homes are too small to accommodate them.
For example, when changing rooms, the compensation for a roommate cannot be three times the original amount, but needs to be negotiated specifically.
There is also renting a house, which I will not go into detail about, it is similar to selling a house, generally one or two years of rent is used to make three-tenths of the house and break two-tenths of the house. "
Lai Biao chatted with interest and said, "It's quite interesting. Are all the agents called Chong'er?"
"That's about the same. There were ticket bugs, people who traded all kinds of tickets in the past. Now people who trade stamps can also be called ticket bugs, but most people call them stamp bugs. Anyway, if you trade anything, just use the name of the item plus the word 'bug'."
"Is that group of house bugs doing big business now?"
"It's not bad. I won't lose money. There are millionaires among the house bugs."
"It's easy to make money as a millionaire." Lai Biao said with a bit of disdain.
"Don't be so sarcastic. As a rich man first, Comrade Lai Biao, you should be humble. Tell me, what is your budget? Many people are selling their houses to go abroad. If you are lucky, you may find a good house." Nan Yi patted Lai Biao's hand on the table and scratched it.
"Two hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars. This is the maximum amount I can take out."
"It's a lot. If you can find a very nice house, you can pay this amount. I'll have someone find you some nice things."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you."
That night, Lai Biao did not leave. Nan Yi chatted and drank with him. When they were done, they sat in front of the TV to watch Serie A.
the next day.
Nan Yi took Nan Wuwei to wander around Manxiangkeng, and with the piety of a pilgrim, they went to tea restaurants, vegetable markets, fruit stalls, and fishing boat docks, and listened to various stock gurus talk about their stock experiences, and listened to them brag about who bought which stock, how much money they made, and how they picked up beautiful girls, drove a luxury car, and lived in a mansion.
After going through this whole process, Nan Yi completely got rid of his fear of the "butterfly effect".
This butterfly changed the details, but failed to change people's hearts.
