From the end of the 70s to the mid-90s, the Canton Fair held twice a year in spring and autumn was the highlight of China's foreign export trade.

In the era when GATT was gradually marginalized and China had not yet joined the WTO, the search for business opportunities in international trade was very inefficient, and there was no Internet and e-commerce to help foreigners search for business opportunities.

Therefore, the vast majority of Chinese people, except for participating in the Canton Fair, rarely know which domestic industrial products are cost-competitive compared to the outside world.

Unless you're in the business of a high-tech business that doesn't sell well, you might consider going to a technology fair in a foreign country, such as the Frankfurt Industrial Show, to get a deal.

But how many high-tech enterprises could there be in China at that time?

The vast majority of other Chinese enterprises that take the route of "we can do it, foreigners can also do it, and our only advantage is that they are cheaper than foreign goods, cheap and good", there is no way out for spare tires.

At the same time, those foreign importers, if they didn't come to the Canton Fair to see, would not have known that "it turns out that this thing is sold so cheaply in China, and they would have imported Chinese goods if they knew it".

Therefore, every year, there will be some big news of making a fortune at the exhibition from time to time, which stimulates the nerves of all participants.

A large enterprise that is not a certain province has finally successfully discovered its comparative advantages, opened the market of an overseas country, and become an integral part of the world's factory.

It is an importer from a new country who makes a bargain, and then places a large order at one time, and makes a lot of money when he returns to China.

The era of information asymmetry is full of opportunities to pick up leaks.

Of course, this also means that there are just as many chances to lose money.

The pros and cons are always equal, just like Taobao in Panjiayuan antiques.

......

On this day, it was already March 25th, a Friday.

At the entrance of the White Swan Hotel, a bus stopped, and a group of people came down.

Looking at the number of people, the bus must have been overloaded, but fortunately, there were no traffic police in 94 to check whether the public car was overloaded.

"This is the White Swan Hotel, it's really magnificent. Finally, I can justifiably live for once. Wu Jingwei stepped off the bus, and his eyes were naturally attracted by the tallness of the building in front of him.

He had the urge to take out his camera and take pictures immediately, but considering the indecent number of people, he could only endure it. Wait for everyone to disperse after a while, and then one person will secretly come to shoot.

Wu Jingwei is the director of the Donghai Shipyard in Chuanshan City, Donghai Province. This year is the first time he has come to participate in the Canton Fair, and it is also the first time to live in Guangdong.

Most of the other people in the group have come several times, and of course they won't be as rare and strange as him.

In order not to show timidity, Wu Jingwei decided to pull a few members who came for the first time like him for a while, go out for a drink at night, step on something, and see the world.

Returning to the room to put down his luggage and pack up, Wu Jingwei already had a goal in mind, and he knocked on another guest room on the same floor according to the number he remembered when the leading official assigned the room number just now.

The man who came out to open the door was a 30-year-old skinny man with an indescribable appearance.

His name is Ma Feng, and he is a deputy section-level ordinary staff member of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, who was just seconded from Donghai Province to the Ministry of Commerce at the end of last year, so he has now been sent to coordinate some new export enterprises in Donghai Province and provide services for them to participate in the Canton Fair.

(Note: The foreign commerce department in China was called the "Ministry of Foreign Trade" and the "Foreign Investment Commission" before 82, and was merged into the "Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation" from 82 to 93, and was called the "Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation" from 93 to 03, and was renamed the Ministry of Commerce after 03.) Therefore, it is correct that the time point in the book is referred to as "Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economics". ）

The reason why Wu Jingwei was the first to think of asking Ma Feng to go out was of course because considering that Ma Feng and he were both in the first year of the Canton Fair - in this delegation, there were seven or eight public servants sent by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs and the Provincial Department of Foreign Trade to lead the group.

But the others are veterans and have come to Guangdong many times for business. If Wu Jingwei's invitation is light, people are not rare at all, and you will not move.

At the autumn fair last year, he was still an ordinary university teacher teaching at a university called "Fangzhou Electronic Engineering College" in Donghai Province, teaching English and international trade in the school. It was because of his good teaching performance that he was seconded to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Affairs by the foreign trade department of the province.

In other words, he is the most junior newcomer among the civil servants who lead the group, but his English is very good. If Wu Jingwei takes him to those foreign-related hospitality places, he can also help chat when he meets foreign businessmen.

Everyone is a person who has been mixed in the workplace for many years, and they know what kind of partner is the most cost-effective to collude.

Wu Jingwei bluntly invited: "Chief Ma, do you recognize foreign-related bars and cafes or something, let's sit and have fun at night? ”

Ma Feng is not the section chief, he is only treated according to the level of the deputy section level, and there is no need to set up a section below the general department in the ministry.

However, in the officialdom, they must shout as high as possible to show respect.

"Director Wu is too polite, and he won't be punished for nothing......" Ma Feng politely declined very self-disciplinedly.

"What kind of lud is this, and I bother you to take me to gain knowledge. ”

Under the repeated persuasion of Wu Jingwei, Ma Feng could only push the boat down the river.

So the two went out to find a restaurant with a lot of foreigners, and first drank coffee and ate Western food.

At the coffee table, the two chatted with each other about the reason why they came to the Canton Fair.

Ma Feng asked curiously: "Director Wu, with all due respect, this is the first time I have heard that shipyards have come to participate in the Canton Fair. Boats are all large-scale engineering projects, so how can they be sold at this kind of exhibition? ”

Wu Jingwei was not accustomed to taking a sip of coffee, endured the bitterness, and sighed bitterly: "Our factory is mainly to build medium-sized ships, hundreds of tons to thousands of tons, originally mainly facing fishery customers, only a large dock can build 10,000 tons of ocean passenger/cargo ships, but the orders are often dissatisfied.

You don't know if you're not engaged in fishing, the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is discussing a document this year, although it has not been officially issued, but everyone in the circle knows the content of the discussion draft. It is said that starting from May 1, 1995, there will be a two- or three-month fishing ban every spring and summer every year. Starting next year, the total registered power of motorized fishing vessels in the four provinces and one municipality along the East China Sea will be limited to prevent overfishing from harming sustainable development.

As soon as the news of this document came out, how many fishing boats in our Donghai Province could still be sold? There are not a few orders that have already been placed, and people would rather break the contract and lose part of the deposit. I am also a dead horse as a live horse doctor, and I will take a look at the Canton Fair.

Even if foreign companies don't buy it, it would be good if they could grab business with local shipyards in the South China Sea – the state document has already rejected it, and there will be no fishing ban and cap policy in the South China Sea for the next three years.

In addition, even if the whole ship can't be sold, it is good to sell some inventory of marine equipment, such as various professional trawls, winches, as well as marine cold storage, fish tank pressurization and ventilation equipment. These equipment should be of interest to foreign chambers of commerce at the Canton Fair. ”

"It turns out that there are so many doorways, I am a newcomer, listening to the words of Director Wu, I have really gained a lot of knowledge. After Ma Feng listened, he appropriately expressed his compliments and sympathy.

Wu Jingwei sneered: "Chief Ma, this is polite, I heard that you are a high-achieving student and a university teacher." ”

Ma Feng: "Don't mind, I know my own situation, I won't tell you, if I go back half a year, I will be a minion who can't go on - at that time, I was teaching English at the School of Electronic Engineering, and I also opened a translation agency by myself to take on some private work." I also want to see if I have the ability to engage in business.

As a result, well, the translation agency has been losing money, and I have to go to Yiwu to pour nylon stockings and small commodities back to the Ark City to sell, and make a little difference to subsidize the deficit of the translation agency. I can see clearly, I am not a business material in my life, and it would be good to be able to provide services to those of you who are capable of doing business.

This time, the department found a staff member from the East China Sea to accompany the East China Sea exhibition group to serve, but also to see that I have been crawling and rolling, and I am familiar with the market, so give me a chance to mix up. ”

The two of them each talked about their own difficulties, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Don't talk about what you don't have, you're almost done, so let's go find some foreign businessmen to talk to." Ma Feng wiped his mouth and decided to cheer up.

Wu Jingwei was about to answer, but suddenly heard his mobile phone ringing.

Ma Feng immediately showed an envious expression.

That's a big brother with a small 20,000 units! In the end, he is the director of a large state-owned enterprise, and he really has face, and even the big brother is worthy of it.

"In my life, I will struggle for another two years...... Three years! I also want to be able to afford my own big brother!" Ma Feng secretly determined in his heart.

Wu Jingwei picked up the phone and said a few words, and then hung up.

He wiped his mouth and said to Ma Feng: "I have a friend from Guangdong who said hello to me a few days ago. Knowing that I am here today, ask me to go back to get together, there may really be a foreign order to do, they are in the white swan. ”

Ma Feng said curiously: "There are foreign businessmen coming to the door, Director Wu, you can, your shipyard in Chuanshan, this reputation has spread to foreign countries." ”

Wu Jingwei smiled proudly and disguisedly: "It's a guest from a small country in the South Seas, from the Lanfang Islands, to be honest, there are not as many people as in our county, so you don't have to take it too seriously." ”

Ma Feng: "Director of the Wu factory, you go back to get down to business first, and I won't delay you." ”

Wu Jingwei grabbed it: "Eh, don't worry, I don't know if the other party speaks Chinese or English, Brother Ma, you will meet with me, if the other party speaks Chinese is no problem, then you will drink tea and eat next to you, anyway, it's okay at night."

If the other person speaks English, then I have to rely on you for help, and I will thank you for it. Although I heard that the Lanfang Islands were mainly Chinese, after all, they were still semi-colonial protectorates more than ten years ago. In case of a fake foreign devil, I don't know how to deal with it. ”

Ma Feng: "Then let's go back together, I will also follow the rise and insight." ”

Wu Jingwei and Ma Feng took a taxi, quickly turned back to the White Swan Hotel, found Xu Fengding's box number, and then went in to greet him.