Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 553 - 536: Money is Hard to Earn

Lu Jiajie, although he had suffered quite a bit, was lucky to have Luo Guangyuan and Sun Qi take care of him; his body was not fundamentally harmed, and after a little over three months, he had almost fully recovered.

Thinking about his dwindling savings, Lu Jiajie became restless and, after informing Lu Jiaguang, he took Sun Qi with him to Peng City.

Once in Peng City, he went to seek out Su Heming, expressing his desire to buy a batch of electrical appliances to resell.

Now that the economy was liberalized, many people who had money were willing to invest in home appliances for their homes; televisions were the first choice, and both electric fans and refrigerators were selling well. Therefore, home appliance factories were working non-stop, twenty-four hours a day, and even then, supply could not keep up with demand.

Su Heming looked at him and asked, "Every day, countless people beg me for supplies. Lu Jiajie, tell me, why should I supply goods to you?"

Having the goods meant being able to make money, so he was highly sought after, and sometimes, when he was truly fed up, he would escape to Hong Kong for some peace and quiet.

Lu Jiajie was taken aback, "Brother Ming, we’ve been friends for so many years..."

Su Heming gestured for him to stop, "Lu Jiajie, we have never been friends. The reason I looked after you in the past was that you are Jiaxin’s cousin."

"Lu Jiajie, over the years, you and your Lu family members have reaped so many benefits at the expense of Jiaxin, but what have you ever done for Jiaxin?"

Of the Lu family members, only Lu Jiaguang was decent; he looked down on the rest. It was only because Jiaxin was tolerant; if it were up to him, he wouldn’t bother with any of them. As for his old hometown and friends, apart from those who had helped his family back in the day, anyone else looking to curry favor was dreaming!

Lu Jiajie was rendered speechless by the question, and after a long while, he said, "Brother Ming, Jiaxin has made something of herself; she doesn’t need our help."

Su Heming thought Lu Jiajie was foolish when he learned that Lu Jiajie had gone missing trading in msk. "Jiaxin is my god-sister, and I can’t stand seeing you take advantage of her under the guise of family. Lu Jiajie, you’re a grown man, how can you shamelessly rely on your younger cousin? And don’t forget, Jiaxin is also only twenty years old this year."

Lu Jiajie’s face turned beet red.

Su Heming said, "All you know is that she has money, but have you ever thought about how hard it is for her, a young woman alone in Hong Kong? Constantly on guard against the He Family’s schemes, afraid to let anyone know even if she makes a little money in business. Where were you at that time?"

"Lu Jiajie, don’t even think about getting supplies from me. If you’re a man, stand on your own two feet and get your business up and running, and then repay all the money you owe Jiaxin. Otherwise, I have no respect for you."

Lu Jiajie, having been scolded, left without achieving anything.

Sun Qi asked in confusion, "You said before that this Mr. Su has a good relationship with your sister, and he himself said that Miss Lu is his god-sister. Now he refuses to supply you, isn’t he afraid your sister will be upset?"

Lu Jiajie fell silent and then said, "It must be my sister’s intention. She no longer wishes to help me, wanting me to earn my own money to pay off my debts."

His original plan was to get the goods on credit from Su Heming, sell them, and then pay him back. Electrical appliances were very easy to sell now, and getting more on credit would surely make a good profit. Unfortunately, his plans were sound, but reality was harsh. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Sun Qi felt a clutch at his heart, realizing that if Jiaxin stopped providing help, they would have to start from scratch. He had done business himself and knew the importance of connections; with Jiaxin, they could take many shortcuts.

"So what do we do now?"

What can we do? We’ll just have to give up this money-making scheme. Right now, electrical appliances are in high demand, and you simply can’t get the stock without connections.

Lu Jiajie said, "Let’s bring back a shipment of clothing!"

Having been involved in the clothing business for three years, he’d also established connections. He went to Gao Di Street and found several friends who had become major wholesalers, and secured the goods at a discounted price. His initial thought was to use the train for transportation, but Lu Jiaguang explained that the control was very strict. He could get reported if he tried to pull strings, so Jiajie had to figure it out on his own.

With no other choice, Lu Jiajie hired a big truck to transport the goods. On the way, they encountered robbers, but they were prepared and, after a skirmish, managed to drive them off. With his heart in his throat, he returned to the Forty-nine City and stored the shipment in a warehouse before looking for buyers.

A year out of the clothing trade meant his former partners, including Xiao Qiu, had found other sources. Of course, in business, you naturally go with whichever supplier offers lower prices.

Lu Jiajie still had a good eye for quality; the clothes he brought in were of high quality and the latest styles. But after selling off the stock, he realized he’d only made five thousand yuan.

Back when he started in the clothing business, he’d make two to three times as much. The profit margin narrowed as more people got involved, but he was still making seventy to eighty percent. This time, however, his profit was only 40%. And out of that five thousand yuan, he had to give two thousand to Sun Qi. At this rate, it would take an eternity to pay off the eight hundred thousand yuan he owed.

After some deliberation, Lu Jiajie went to see Luo Guangyuan to ask if he could partner up with him, "Guangyuan, I can source goods for them and then deliver them to the border."

While the border areas were not exactly peaceful, as long as they kept a low profile and were cautious, there shouldn’t be any problems. But with an eight hundred thousand yuan debt hanging over him, he couldn’t speak with any confidence until it was settled.

Luo Guangyuan asked with some concern, "Jiajie, you still have money to go back to your old trade and make a living, why take the risk?"

Lu Jiajie revealed the debt of eight hundred thousand yuan and said, "My sister said that I can see her again when I’ve paid off the debt. I know she’s angry with me."

Upon hearing this, Luo Guangyuan was even more reluctant to involve him, saying, "Even getting the goods to the border carries risks. If something happens to you, I wouldn’t know how to face your sister. Jiajie, please don’t put me in a difficult position."

Miss Lu had told him to repay the money, but she hadn’t set a deadline. It could take three years or ten. If Luo Guangyuan were to involve him in border trade now, a misstep would surely bring his wrath upon himself, and that was not an offense he could afford against someone so influential.

Rejected once more, a listless Lu Jiajie returned home. After much thought, it seemed that sticking to the clothing trade was his only option, given his expertise and connections in that area.

Meanwhile, Luo Guangyuan had also spoken with Old Geng about Lu Jiajie’s desire to join them but mentioned he had already refused, "Miss Lu is probably furious right now. Once she cools down, he can make money doing almost anything. Why should he risk it with us?"

Old Geng, feeling that Jiajie was loyal and sharp-witted, saw the opportunity as Luo Guangyuan was short on money, and decided to bring him into the fold. Firstly, they truly needed more hands, and secondly, it would serve as a check on his friend. Having navigated various circles over the years, he knew that nothing tested a person’s character like adversity.

After some consideration, Old Geng said, "Go see him tomorrow and tell him I’ve agreed to let him join. He’ll be responsible for getting the goods to the border from now on."

Luo Guangyuan was taken aback and shook his head, "Brother, if something happens to him, what do we do if Miss Lu takes her anger out on us?"

Old Geng’s face broke into a sly grin and he said, "Don’t worry, Miss Lu is clear about debts of gratitude. It’s his own decision to join us; even if something happens, she won’t blame us."

He had his reasons for wanting Lu Jiajie to join the team.

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