Rebirth: Seven Years in a Great Dream

Chapter 5: Keep It a Secret

Time passed slowly like this. Every day, Xiao Xiao cooked, went out to buy groceries, prepared medicine and applied dressings for Mu Dong, and bustled back and forth. Mu Dong spent his days eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. When he wasn’t sleeping or eating, he would slowly recall the important information from that other timeline, trying to sort out what was useful, hoping that in the near future, he could record it and put it to good use. Three days later, the company’s boss, Han Yong, came to visit Mu Dong along with Cheng Qiang. The swelling on Mu Dong’s face had gone down considerably, but he still gave Han Yong quite a start. When asked again about the knife wound, Han Yong sighed, “Dongzi, you’re one lucky guy. Thank goodness it was on your butt—if it had been anywhere else, it would’ve been a real problem. Those who survive a great calamity are bound to have good fortune ahead, brother!” Cheng Qiang, as was his habit, added his trademark zinger: “If it had been stabbed in the butt, that would’ve been a big problem too! It would’ve ruined your butt!” Mu Dong was speechless and glared at him. Xiao Xiao glared at Cheng Qiang, then walked out, her face flushed. After about seven days, the bruises on his face had mostly healed. The wound on his butt didn’t hurt much anymore, and Mu Dong was already able to move around freely. During that time, he received two calls from the police station asking for some details. They told him that someone had found his bag, which contained his ID and bank cards, and asked him to come in to claim them and give a follow-up statement once he’d recovered. After hanging up, Mu Dong thought to himself that this part of the story was exactly the same as in the other timeline. By the tenth day, Mu Dong’s face had fully recovered. Even the dark circles under his eyes had completely vanished. Whether it was due to the ointment or Xiao Xiao’s well-planned meals, Mu Dong’s complexion had become much rosier. On the fifteenth day, he went to the hospital for a checkup. The wound had healed well; the doctor removed the stitches and then updated his medical record and issued a sick leave note. On the sixteenth day after the injury, August 28, Mu Dong and Xiao Xiao went to the police station together that morning. They gave their statements and retrieved the ID cards and bank cards that had survived the robbery. Mu Dong checked his bank balance and found that no money was missing. Bank ATMs are equipped with cameras these days, and without the PIN, the robbers wouldn’t dare to try guessing it. In fact, the police had actually hoped the robber would try to access the account at an ATM, as that would have helped solve the case. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Mu Dong’s bank card only held small amounts of money. His only significant savings were the 50,000-yuan certificate of deposit tucked inside his copy of *A Collection of the Finest Classical Prose*, which he had painstakingly saved up over two years of work. At noon, the two of them had a simple lunch out. Then Mu Dong took Xiao Xiao to Digital Plaza, where he spent 2,000 yuan on a used IBM laptop in good condition and a genuine Kingston USB flash drive. Xiao Xiao was a bit puzzled and asked, “Don’t you already have a computer? Why are you buying this?” Mu Dong replied, “A laptop is convenient to carry around. It’ll come in handy when I’m occasionally traveling for work.” In the afternoon, Mu Dong went to work. Mu Dong’s company was officially known as the Ludong Branch of Northern Electronics. Northern Electronics was a state-owned enterprise directly under the Ministry of Information Industry. It primarily acted as a distributor for mobile phone products. The company served as the domestic distributor for Samsung and Motorola phones and also led the production of its own CTT-branded mobile phones. The Ludong Branch was a wholly-owned subsidiary of the parent company, responsible for the company’s mobile phone distribution operations throughout Ludong Province. By 2008, the domestic mobile phone sales market had shifted from a tiered agency system dominated by distributors to a flattened distribution channel led by manufacturers. For agency-based sales companies like Northern Electronics, business conditions were already on the decline, getting worse by the day. That was why the company placed such great importance on the large order signed with the provincial China Unicom branch. Walking through the familiar yet unfamiliar hallways, Mu Dong felt a flood of memories suddenly wash over him. The sensation was both wondrous and unsettling. Having been away for so many years, returning to the past and facing colleagues from several years ago felt as though he were facing the very day before yesterday. The vast gap in time and space left Mu Dong feeling somewhat dizzy, and those once-familiar faces seemed to grow blurry. Sitting at the desk from his memories, Mu Dong struggled to adjust, but gradually managed to convince himself that everything around him was real. “I’d better get down to business,” Mu Dong told himself, forcing himself to get busy. First, he took his leave request form and medical records to the General Affairs Department to cancel his leave. It was only then that most of his coworkers gradually learned the real reason behind Mu Dong’s absence. However, seeing how energetic and lively he looked, it seemed the issue wasn’t too serious. Then, Mu Dong returned to his desk, turned on his computer—thankfully, the work computer didn’t have a password or anything like that. He glanced through the files on the computer and reviewed some recent sales data. He then asked Wang Fei about a few sales-related matters, focusing particularly on the progress of the provincial China Unicom order. Overall, business in the Marketing Department was proceeding fairly smoothly. Mu Dong then went to the general manager’s office and knocked lightly on the door. Hearing a “Come in,” he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Han Yong was tall and burly, the quintessential image of a northern Chinese man. His face, however, was quite pale, round, and plump. He was about thirty-two or thirty-three years old—seven or eight years older than Mu Dong. Well, Mu Dong was currently 25 years old. The Ludong Branch was established by Northern Electronics in 2001 to expand its SD business. The first general manager was sent directly from headquarters and was transferred back after a five-year term. In May 2006, Han Yong was promoted from deputy general manager of Northern Electronics’ Guangnan Provincial Branch to general manager of the Ludong Branch. In June 2006, just one month into his new role, Han Yong organized a recruitment drive and hired three recent college graduates, Mu Dong being one of them. He had applied for the position of cashier in the company’s finance department. A month later, Mu Dong requested a transfer to work as a sales representative in the marketing department. Han Yong personally spoke with Mu Dong for an hour and approved the transfer. From then on, Mu Dong came to Han Yong’s attention. After the transfer, Mu Dong made rapid progress. Three months later, he had already begun independently managing prefectural-level market operations; half a year later, he was promoted to Sales Manager. A year later, he was promoted to Regional Manager, responsible for overseeing five prefectural-level markets in the southwestern region of Ludong Province, where his business volume accounted for nearly half of the entire Ludong Branch’s total. In December 2007, the Marketing Manager of the Ludong Branch left to take another job. Nominated by Han Yong and approved by headquarters, Mu Dong officially assumed the position of Marketing Manager at Ludong Company. In reality, promotions like this are nothing out of the ordinary in private companies. It was only because of Northern Company’s state-owned structure that the process appeared somewhat more formal. Han Yong played a crucial role in Mu Dong’s professional development. Han Yong had joined the Ludong Branch just one month before Mu Dong. He personally recruited Mu Dong into the company and personally approved his job transfer. As a result, Han Yong took a special interest in Mu Dong. As Mu Dong gradually began to make a name for himself, Han Yong seemed to see a reflection of his own early years of blazing a trail in the Guangnan market. He aptly helped Mu Dong secure an opportunity to attend training at the Beijing headquarters—a gesture that carried the spirit of “helping him get started and then seeing him on his way.” In Mu Dong’s eyes, Han Yong had not only recognized his talent but also actively mentored him; he felt as though Han Yong were his own older brother. Their relationship wasn’t defined by the rigid hierarchy of a boss and subordinate, but rather by the warm camaraderie of friends. That’s why, after his injury, Mu Dong called Han Yong and explained the details of his condition in full. It was an expression of both trust and respect. Han Yong was sitting at his desk looking at his computer. When he saw Mu Dong, he smiled and said, “Come on in, Mu Dong. You’re recovering well—you look healthy.” Mu Dong replied, “Thanks, boss. I’ve been away for a while and let a lot of things slide—I’ll take care of them as soon as possible.” Han Yong replied, “No problem. You did a great job on the initial phase of that Provincial Unicom order last time. Lately, it’s just been routine maintenance—nothing major.” Mu Dong replied, “I’ll be heading over to Provincial Unicom soon. It’s been over half a month since I’ve been there to coordinate, so I need to drop by and explain the situation. There isn’t much work left to do, and I’ll make sure to wrap everything up properly.” Han Yong said, “You’ve worked hard. If everyone at the company were as dedicated as you, I’d have a lot less to worry about.” Mu Dong smiled but didn’t reply. Noticing that Han Yong’s cup was half empty, he stood up, picked it up, and went to the water cooler to refill it. After setting the cup down, Mu Dong sat back in his chair at the desk and said to Han Yong, “Boss, there’s one more thing I need to run by you.” Han Yong laughed, “Go ahead, what is it?” Mu Dong said, “Boss, the provincial China Unicom order is expected to wrap up in a week to ten days. Once this order is finished, I’d like to submit my resignation.” Han Yong was taken by surprise, and his expression suddenly became quite telling. He asked in confusion, “Resigning? Are you dissatisfied with something at the company? Is it the compensation?” Mu Dong waved his hand and said, “No, no—the pay is actually pretty good.” But inwardly, he grumbled to himself: How good could the pay be at a state-owned company? It’s still nowhere near as good as at a private mobile phone sales company. That was certainly true. Mu Dong’s current salary was 3,500 yuan per month, with little to no commission. In contrast, a private company offering a similar position paid around 4,000 yuan plus commission, for a total income of over 5,000 yuan. Aside from the salary, Northern Company’s advantages included shorter working hours, good benefits, and comprehensive insurance coverage. They work 9-to-5 every day, with weekends off and time off on statutory holidays. The company distributes gifts during festivals, provides a high-temperature allowance in the summer, and even on International Women’s Day, they hand out toilet paper and laundry detergent—to both men and women. Insurance coverage includes all five social insurances plus a housing provident fund. Private companies aren’t nearly as comfortable. Work hours are irregular, weekends usually mean only one day off, and employees have to work overtime during holiday sales promotions. Insurance coverage is typically limited to three types, or sometimes only pension insurance is provided. Once, a colleague from a private company vented to Mu Dong, saying, “Your company has it so easy. We have to work overtime on May Day and National Day for sales promotions, while your company gets the day off. I’m so jealous!” Mu Dong replied, “You guys make more money.” “You get the full five social insurances and housing provident fund, while we only get three social insurances.” “You make more money.” “You get holiday perks.” “You make more money.” “There are a lot of pretty women at your company.” “You make more money” “Your company has great office facilities” “You make a lot of money” Finally, the guy was at a loss for words and snapped, “Can we just have a normal conversation here?” In the general manager’s office, the conversation continued. Han Yong said, “Our company’s compensation is a bit lower, and my salary is also significantly lower than in other companies in the industry, but there’s nothing we can do about it—that’s just the standard set by headquarters.” Mu Dong replied, “Boss, it really isn’t about the compensation. I’ve been with the company for nearly two years now—if I were dissatisfied with the pay, I would’ve left long ago. Our systems and processes are very professional, and I’ve learned a lot over these two years—things I wouldn’t have been able to experience at other companies.” That was the truth. Mu Dong had spent a long time thinking about these words at his desk earlier, which was why he was able to deliver them so smoothly. Han Yong asked, “Then why are you resigning?” Mu Dong was Han Yong’s right-hand man, so naturally, Han Yong was reluctant to let him go. Mu Dong leaned forward slightly and said earnestly, “Boss, the main reason is that I was injured this time—I barely escaped with my life. I’ve thought about it a lot lately. I don’t want to keep working a nine-to-five job anymore; I want to start my own business.” Han Yong was silent for a long while, as if deep in thought. After a few minutes, he said slowly, “Hmm, I understand. It’s good to strike out on your own. I support you.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “Here’s what we’ll do: don’t quit just yet. You know the current market conditions—things are generally on the decline, and headquarters is under immense financial pressure. They’re currently drafting a layoff plan, and I’ve heard it will be announced in the middle of next month. Hold off for now. If the plan is announced and each branch office is allocated a quota for layoffs, I’ll arrange for you to leave as part of the layoffs. That way, you’ll be eligible for a severance package. Well, you’ve been with the company for nearly two years, so under the ‘n+1’ compensation standard, you’ll receive three months’ salary.” Mu Dong was instantly moved. His mouth fell open, his eyes wide, and he didn’t say a word for quite a while. Three months’ salary—that’s over 10,000 yuan! His boss had really gone out of his way for him. Han Yong glanced at Mu Dong and said, “Keep this under wraps. If word gets out, it could cause panic among the staff—a lot of people are too attached to this job to let it go.” He burst out laughing and continued, “I just kept your injury a secret for you—now it’s your turn to keep mine! Hahaha!” Mu Dong laughed too, his expression relaxing. “Thanks, boss! How about I bribe you tonight—treat you to dinner?” Han Yong replied, “We’ll talk about dinner later. You’ve just recovered, so drinking isn’t a good idea—and what’s the point of just eating? Let’s wait until everything’s settled. I’ll treat you to a proper send-off then. Actually, I should be thanking you. Layoffs are a headache for any company, but now that you’re willing to leave, it takes some pressure off me. Thanks, thanks!” Mu Dong chuckled without saying a word. The two exchanged a few more casual remarks. Mu Dong stood up to leave. As he reached the door, he finally made up his mind, paused for a moment, turned back, and sat down again. Han Yong looked at Mu Dong in confusion and said, “What’s the matter now? Have you changed your mind? You’re not quitting after all?” Mu Dong rested his elbows on the table, interlaced his fingers, leaned forward slightly, and said in a low voice, “Boss, the reason I’m quitting is because I’ve got an opportunity to make some money. I don’t know if you’d be interested?” “Oh? What kind of opportunity?” Han Yong was, as expected, very interested in making money. After all, even a boss has to make a living. “The sand and gravel business—the kind of sand commonly used in the construction industry,” Mu Dong said. Han Yong said, “That’s an industry with a huge market. How much investment does it require? What are the expected returns?” Mu Dong replied, “Boss, the investment can be as large or as small as you like—you can start with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions. As for returns, within six months to a year, you should be able to make over 30 percent.” Han Yong was taken aback and asked, “That high? How did you calculate that return? Is it reliable?” Mu Dong thought to himself: That’s high? The actual returns are several times higher than that. If I told you they’d double, I’d probably scare you—you might even think I’m talking nonsense. Though he thought this, he had to phrase it differently. Mu Dong gathered his thoughts and said slowly, “Boss, here’s the situation. In my hometown of Lunan City, an economic development zone was established in 2003. I have a high school classmate who works there. Recently, word got out that the zone is set to expand, incorporating several townships into its territory. After the expansion, there will inevitably be large-scale construction of many factory buildings, as well as paving of numerous roads and factory grounds, so the price of building materials is bound to rise. We have a river in our area that has always produced river sand, so the price of sand has always been relatively low, and many out-of-town trucks come to our area to haul sand. This construction boom is expected to drive the price of local sand up to a reasonable level.” Han Yong said, “Since your area produces river sand and has a geographical advantage, shouldn’t the price be very low? How can you achieve such a high rate of return?” Mu Dong said, “Boss, I have another piece of news: our city of Lunan is currently applying to become a national-level river scenic area.” Han Yong immediately understood. River sand is extracted from the riverbed using dredgers, then transported to the shore for screening and storage. If the river becomes a scenic area, would they still allow dredgers to roam freely in the river? Han Yong couldn’t help but fall deep in thought. Seeing that Han Yong wasn’t speaking, Mu Dong said softly, “Boss, I’ve been doing some research recently. The current price of sand in our area is about 10 yuan per cubic meter. In Quancheng, sand costs about 25 yuan per cubic meter, and sand sold in small bags is even more expensive. Factoring in our local advantage and transportation costs, I think it’s very likely that the price of our local sand will rise to over 15 yuan per cubic meter. After deducting storage and management costs, a 30% profit margin should be achievable.” Han Yong asked, “How exactly do we go about this? How do we manage the risks?” Mu Dong replied, “My plan is to buy up large quantities of sand in my hometown in southern Shandong, store it locally, and wait for prices to rise. Once prices go up, we’ll sell it quickly. Storage costs are very low—all we need to do is rent a plot of land—and management costs aren’t high either. The main expense will be renting a front-end loader to maintain the stockpile during storage and load the sand onto trucks for sale. As for risks, the worst-case scenario is that prices don’t rise, but they definitely won’t fall. In that case, we might lose the cost of renting the land, the loader fees, and the labor costs for the guards.” Han Yong asked again, “How confident are you in this?” Mu Dong thought to himself, I’m 120 percent confident, but would I dare tell you that? He said aloud, “Over 80 percent.” Hearing this, Han Yong exhaled, leaned back, and settled comfortably against the chair’s backrest. “It’s worth a try. I’ll look into it and discuss it with my wife. I’ll give you an answer in a few days.” He paused for a moment before adding, “Dongzi, thanks!” Mu Dong smiled and said, “Keep this under wraps!” The two of them burst out laughing together.