"Director Liu, if you have this kind of initiative, the aquatic products station will definitely not fall behind. Regarding the procurement, I only have one request: it must be fresh."
Liu Fuchun dared to take responsibility, so Wang Jianguo had no reason not to accept this favor.
The money for purchasing fish was directly allocated by the municipal aquatic products company, so he wasn't worried about not being able to pay.
Pork was scarce, and they even had to support the third world. That kid Zhou Xiangyang was only proud that others had to beg him for meat. Now, if Wang Jianguo could increase the volume of aquatic product procurement, it wasn't a certainty who would become the deputy factory director.
So what if he became the station manager later? He had worked in the food factory for over twenty years, his seniority was no less than Zhou Xiangyang's.
"Chen Yang, Director Wang and I are entrusting our future to you."
"What are your plans to handle this matter well going forward?"
"I heard that Station Manager Wang offered you 6.2 mao for large fish and 4.2 mao for small fish, but your purchase price is only 2 mao."
Liu Fuchun narrowed his eyes. As expected of an old fox, if Chen Yang and Wang Jianguo were just casual acquaintances, Liu Fuchun's words could have broken their relationship.
"Director Liu, you only see my purchase price, but you don't know the cost of doing business. The fish won't be lively all the way on the road."
"Half of the fish I collect every day will probably go bad on the road. These less active ones, I'll just discard them. I, Chen Yang, promised Station Manager Wang that if any fish I deliver to the aquatic products station is dead, he can whip me with his shoe sole."
However, Chen Yang had seen all sorts of business dealings in his previous life and couldn't be easily cornered by Liu Fuchun.
Upon hearing his words, Wang Jianguo's originally furrowed brows immediately relaxed.
"There's bound to be some loss in fish collection. Even with the fish Chen Yang delivers to the aquatic products station lively, many will still flip belly up after I put them in the pond and carefully tend to them."
Wang Jianguo quickly spoke up to help Chen Yang. After all, Chen Yang was now somewhat his man, and he had to protect him.
"Speaking of which, it seems I was too hasty."
"Comrade Chen Yang, please don't take offense. I was just worried that you might be like the capitalists of the past, exploiting our people, which is not a good thing."
Liu Fuchun smiled faintly. He had also inquired with others who were collecting fish with Chen Yang about this matter, and Chen Yang wasn't wrong; there were indeed losses in fish collection.
However, he didn't know that because Chen Yang was the closest, his losses were actually less.
"Director Liu is dedicated to the people, how dare I be angry."
"I'm thinking that from now on, I'll collect fish every day starting at four in the morning from Liuhewan Brigade, Zhenfang Brigade, Gangshang Brigade, and then to our Shenjiadui Brigade. We'll cover all four brigades in the commune."
"I'll go to my own brigade with my father-in-law's help. For the other brigades, I'll go to one, and the other two will be managed by the educated youths who came down to the countryside with me and my second uncle."
"The price will be the same, 2.2 mao per jin for large fish and 1.2 mao per jin for small fish. I'll just have to trouble Director Liu to gather the brigade leaders of the other brigades and inform them, so they don't overturn my donkey cart carrying fish."
Chen Yang was internally overjoyed. He hadn't even planned to expand his aquatic product business initially. First, the increased distance made the fish more likely to die. Second, going to other brigades to compete for business back then could easily lead to him being surrounded and beaten.
Shang Dabiao's tragic experience in Shenjiaba was the best example.
Therefore, he had let others secretly collect fish along with him. But now, with Liu Fuchun's backing, he didn't have to worry about these things. He could openly go and collect fish.
Even if the survival rate of the fish on the road was lower than in Shenjiaba, he would still make money.
This was money falling from the sky, so why not earn it!
"You're quite good at seizing opportunities, kid."
"However, those young people in the other brigades aren't very capable. They can't collect fish effectively even after learning from you. Those villagers are afraid to bring them fish, and they don't settle payments promptly."
"As long as you can help the villagers in several brigades of our commune earn money, I will make this introduction for you, and no one will dare to make things difficult for you."
Liu Fuchun waved his hand. If one wanted to get things done, one had to use capable people.
He, Liu Fuchun, looked down on hooligans like Shang Dabiao.
As for the fish collectors in the other brigades, Chen Yang was the one who started this business. If they couldn't compete with Chen Yang, they had no one to blame but themselves.
"Then I, Chen Yang, will also give you two leaders a pledge of honor. I dare not say more, but I guarantee one thousand jin of fish per day."
"It's currently the slack farming season. The villagers can catch about ten jin of fish every day, which is one or two yuan. This is not a small sum for farmers who earn work points."
"This money is not a small amount for our farmers who earn work points. Everyone should be grateful to Director Liu and Station Manager Wang in their hearts."
Chen Yang patted his chest. He could collect four thousand jin from Shenjiaba Village alone. With four brigades in the commune located by the river, he, Chen Yang, could definitely collect ten thousand jin.
After settling the fish collection matter, Chen Yang originally wanted to invite the two leaders to a state-run hotel in the county for a meal.
Unexpectedly, one was busy reporting to the municipal aquatic products company, and the other was busy notifying the surrounding brigades to hold meetings, so neither paid him any attention.
Chen Yang was both amused and frustrated. In this era, not only the people but even the leaders were simple and honest.
When it came to doing things, they really did things.
Chen Yang continued to ride back to the food factory on Wang Jianguo's bicycle. He settled accounts with Accountant Hu and received over two thousand yuan.
Calculated together, he had accumulated four to five thousand yuan in his hands over the past few days. Chen Yang decided that from now on, he would exchange fish for cash on the spot.
After all, he had to travel to several brigades, and the back and forth of collecting fish and delivering money would be exhausting.
Previously, he had to use an accounting system because he didn't have enough money. Now that he had funds, there was no need for that. This way, he would receive money immediately after selling the fish, which would also motivate the villagers to catch more fish.
"Chen Yang, did Director Liu really say this?"
Along the way, Shen Futang couldn't believe his ears.
He had already prepared to take the blame for his eldest son-in-law. However, not only did the commune not punish him, but they even allowed his eldest son-in-law to continue collecting fish in other brigades.
Had the world truly changed?
"Dad, how could this be fake."
"Dad, I've decided. Starting tomorrow, you and Xue'er will collect at home."
"I'll go to Liuhewan myself. I'll have my second uncle take Uncle Laifu to Zhenfang Brigade. Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo will go to Gangshang Brigade. All fish will be paid for on the spot and then delivered to the aquatic products station together."
Chen Yang had already made his plans. Liu Maosheng and Zheng Weiguo were trustworthy as they had come down to the countryside with him. Chen Yang planned to give them a share of the profits.
He would give them 20% of the net profit, with each getting 10%.
His second uncle and Shen Laifu, one was his wife's uncle, and Shen Laifu had even knelt for Chen Yang, showing that he was also honest and sentimental. Chen Yang trusted them, and they could also get 10% each.
Even if they collected two thousand jin of fish per day, there would be six to seven hundred yuan in profit. Each of them would get sixty to seventy yuan, which was no worse than catching fish themselves.
The most important thing was that they were trustworthy. Although he gave each of them 10%, Chen Yang would still get 80% of the profit, so he definitely wouldn't lose money.
Thinking of this, Chen Yang became excited. If the business went smoothly tomorrow, perhaps before August, he could become a ten-thousand-yuan household!
This was the 1970s, and what did a ten-thousand-yuan household mean in the 1970s!
It was absolutely comparable to a billionaire in later generations!