NOVPUB
Chapter 504: Chapter 494 Determined to Gnaw on This Tough Bone
Shen Yunfang was peacefully attending school at the university, completely unaware that back in her hometown, someone had her on their mind again.
Since the beginning of the semester, there had been some restlessness among the students, because next semester they would be seniors, and all seniors would have to deal with internships. Those who had connections were already inquiring around, hoping to land a position at a reputable organization to boost their future job placement.
Shen Yunfang was the type to go with the flow. The school’s principle was to send students back to where they came from for internships, so being sent back to her hometown would be fine by her. As for where she’d end up after graduation, she hadn’t thought about it much, mainly it would depend on where Li Hongjun was stationed in the military. Being a military wife meant being the one to make sacrifices.
Speaking of Li Hongjun, Shen Yunfang couldn’t help but worry. Since Li Hongjun had written her a letter over the New Year, there had been no news from him. She was concerned, but every time she comforted herself thinking, no news is good news, and that man, devoted to their child, would surely crawl back no matter what.
In order not to constantly dwell on these matters, Shen Yunfang had settled the business plan for the upcoming New Year with Ma Liguo as soon as the term began.
Continuing with the New Year couplets was a given, but this year there would inevitably be more competition, so they were prepared to focus their attention on wholesale. They were aiming for victory by volume, by selling in large numbers.
Besides that, Shen Yunfang wanted to try her hand at selling fireworks this year. It was more difficult than selling couplets, but it was definitely more profitable.
Zfirecrackers were something the general public could only purchase from supply and marketing cooperatives during the New Year period; she had never seen anyone selling them on the streets. Shen Yunfang saw the uniqueness of this opportunity and believed that if she could get a batch of firecrackers, they would sell like hotcakes.
Shen Yunfang had the idea, but as for how to make it happen, she was clueless. She truly didn’t know if there were any fireworks factories in the Capital.
"Yes, there is one in the suburbs, it’s quite far from here, right at the terminal stop of bus number 28," said Ma Liguo, true to his role as a community director, knew quite a bit about the entire Capital.
"That’s fantastic, do you know any people inside? See if you can get in touch with their leaders and pull some strings to secure us a batch of fireworks," said Shen Yunfang, her spirits lifted by Ma Liguo’s knowledge.
"Cut it out, it’s not that easy. A place like that isn’t where ordinary folks like us can just cozy up to. You’d better drop the idea," said Ma Liguo immediately shaking his head. That place was under government control. If you were often seen loitering around there, you could even be suspected of being a spy and get arrested. The thought of handling things like they did with Factory Manager Shi last year was out of the question.
Moreover, he had heard that although the fireworks factory outwardly seemed normal, there were whispers that it was involved in some munitions manufacturing as well. This was just hearsay, and at his level, he couldn’t confirm such classified information. But as the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire, so he believed there might be some truth to it.
Shen Yunfang hadn’t considered all that, but she did understand that the government always had strict control over fireworks and firecrackers. After all, these contained gunpowder, albeit in small amounts, but it adds up. Shen Yunfang recalled seeing in a movie where agents from a certain country took some firecrackers, modified them, and turned them into powerful bombs. Although the scenarios depicted on TV were obviously dramatized, it is often said that art imitates life. Therefore, she thoroughly understood the government’s vigilance in this area.
But even the hardest bones can be gnawed by a dog that’s up to the task, and she believed in Ma Liguo’s strength.
Stirred by her words, Ma Liguo’s ambitions soared. He was clean and honest, unafraid of investigation. Was it so wrong to want to start a business to earn some extra money and improve his life?
He had to go, he simply had to bite down on this tough bone.
So the very next day, Ma Liguo headed straight for the fireworks factory, only to be stopped at the gatekeeper’s office. They checked his work permit, introduction letter (which Ma Liguo had crafted leveraging his position), and after finding out his intentions, they promptly kicked him out. They made it clear to him that the fireworks factory was a state enterprise, too busy with national tasks to possibly sell fireworks to an individual.
Damn, he didn’t even make it through the door on his first visit, let alone see the factory director.
After learning of Ma Liguo’s experience, Shen Yunfang felt great sympathy for him, but if they wanted to do business, they still needed someone with Ma Liguo’s shamelessness. So he had to keep at it.
"Reporting," a crisp voice of a young man sounded from outside.
"Come in," a steady male voice called from the office.
A young man in military uniform walked in with a document, first saluted the elderly man behind the desk, and then stepped forward to place the file on the desk.
"Commander, Comrade Shen Yunfang has been trying to get close to Director Wan Haihan of the second division recently, and Comrade Ma Liguo has been loitering outside the second division repeatedly. Despite numerous warnings, he continues to act willfully. What do you think we should do?" the young man succinctly reported the situation.
"What is Shen Yunfang up to now?" The old commander felt a headache coming on. He had paid attention to the military wife Shen Yunfang because of Li Hongjun, and thought she had become a model among military spouses by getting into university. But ever since she started college, she had never ceased to cause trouble.
He had only intended to watch from the sidelines, thinking she would run out of steam and eventually settle into the role of a competent military wife, honoring Li Hongjun’s parents in his stead, raising their child, taking care of the home, letting Li Hongjun develop his military career without worries. The old commander had high hopes for Li Hongjun; he was promising military talent.
But who could have anticipated Shen Yunfang truly making a name for herself? She collaborated with a German publishing house to release a comic book which sold quite well abroad. He personally read the adapted version of the "Thirty-Six Strategies," excellent, very suitable for children to read, and it promoted China’s cultural history overseas—an endeavor of great significance. Then came the "Transformers." He read it too, and well, perhaps because of his age, he could not understand it, had even thought she would surely fail. But that "Transformers" turned out to be a huge hit abroad, earning her more money than others could in several lifetimes. It could only mean that foreigners had a weird way of thinking—or maybe as an author, Shen Yunfang was just as odd. Recalling the foreign currency Shen Yunfang had in the bank, the old commander nodded, unable to deny that this military wife was indeed talented and lucky. 𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑝𝘶𝘣.𝑐𝘰𝘮
He thought, now that she had so much money, she would finally settle down, but before the Chinese New Year last year, she started selling couplets with the retired soldier Ma Liguo. He had someone investigate; those couplets were all authored by Shen Yunfang herself. The old commander even had someone discreetly buy a pair to take back. Hmm, indeed she had a way with words, not bad at all.
