After signing the contract, Zhang Tianxing paid the deposit, then arranged a time for the transfer and rushed back.
"You still know how to come back?" Wen Qing said grumpily.
Without Zhang Tianxing, the four of them were swamped.
There was no choice, business was too good.
Zhang Tianxing didn't have time to talk, he put on his chef's uniform and started another busy evening.
Wu Li came to Zhang Ji Barbecue at this time.
"Tianxing, I have something to tell you."
"Aunt, what good news, you can't stop smiling." Zhang Tianxing glanced at Wu Li, who was beaming.
Could it be that the candy sold? Zhang Tianxing looked at Wu Li with a questioning gaze.
"The foreign candy has sold out. It's all thanks to the tourists these past two days. Besides crayfish, this candy is a rarity here. Most importantly, it's delicious and not expensive."
"That's good," Zhang Tianxing had been wondering if he'd have to lower the price if the crayfish festival didn't sell out, but Wu Li clearly didn't give him that chance.
The development of the crayfish industry was going very smoothly, with crayfish now enjoying various accolades.
The first crayfish festival had a tremendous impact, especially with its impressive lineup of performers.
Now, the daily output of crayfish was reaching new heights. Liang Cheng and the others were thinking how fortunate it was that Zhang Tianxing had the foresight to suggest artificial cultivation of crayfish.
Otherwise, wild crayfish would not be able to meet the current booming market. The most troublesome issue was the quality of wild crayfish products.
Zhang Tianxing pondered that he couldn't rely solely on crayfish. Once autumn passed, crayfish would be scarce. It wouldn't be as convenient to make money then.
However, Zhang Tianxing frowned, and an idea struck him. He could process fruits into canned goods. He could then sell the finished products directly to Belarus, and he would find his old friend Tofvsky again.
After all, they had worked together before, so he was reliable!
The more Zhang Tianxing thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. This fruit canning business would be seasonal. Now was the perfect time to produce assorted canned fruits.
However, the production line would require money, which was a bit tricky. Building a factory was a huge investment, and he was reluctant.
But there were ways to manage without a lot of money. The canning production process involved only a few fixed steps.
Washing, peeling, precooking, syrup boiling, sterilization, and cooling.
It seemed he needed to find a used machine to get the job done. Small money for big things.
Then he could be a hands-off boss, which sounded good. But he would have to rely on his uncle and mother.
After all, he still had to prioritize his studies.
Learning was a major life event and could not be delayed.
This plan was perfect, but Zhang Tianxing felt a bit like a bear.
Once one industry was on the right track, he wanted to start a new one, just like with crayfish.
As it was becoming popular, he wanted to make canned goods. Convincing his uncle would be a challenge, and his mother, he figured, wouldn't agree.
Last time, it was thanks to Mr. Zhang's help that he was able to open this barbecue and crayfish restaurant. But he doubted Mr. Zhang would help him with the canning factory.
This was a dilemma, but Zhang Tianxing didn't dwell on it. Nothing in the world is impossible for a willing heart. He would find a way to locate used equipment.
Furthermore, he wasn't looking for a fully automated production line right now, just a sealing machine. The rest could be done manually.
At this time, labor was cheap, and if they were paid a little more, they could meet higher demands without any issues.
Besides, with Wu Shengnan at the barbecue restaurant, someone who could be trained, she could be groomed as a branch manager. He liked to use ambitious people.
Only ambitious people would go to extremes to get things done. He would make her feel that she could gain things here that she couldn't get anywhere else.
At this moment, Zhou Fuqing came to see Zhang Tianxing. "President Zhang, so many people have been looking for me these past two days, all through connections. They all want to join our crayfish association."
Zhang Tianxing was taken aback. "Didn't we agree not to take new members for now? We'll talk about it in a couple of days."
"This is difficult to handle. There are many people I can't afford to offend," Zhou Fuqing said with a bitter smile.
All these influential figures, why didn't any of them use their connections to reach Zhang Tianxing? Why did they all come to him? He couldn't understand. Could it be that one of Zhang Tianxing's classmates was a powerful figure?
It must be. He heard that Zhang Tianxing paid his classmates very high salaries. Li Fang's parents even went to Zhang Tianxing's restaurant to make a fuss, but Zhang Tianxing dealt with them quickly.
It seems you shouldn't look down on a poor young man. Zhang Tianxing was a prime example. It had only been a little over two months since he graduated from high school.
Zhang Tianxing had probably earned a lifetime's income for an ordinary person. The barbecue restaurant, crayfish, and even exporting crayfish abroad, he had made a fortune. Old Zhou had to admit defeat.
He had also tried long-distance transportation, but it was no use. The survival rate of crayfish was too low, and it wasn't worth the cost for long trips, so he abandoned that idea.
"By the way, President Zhang, how can we improve the survival rate of crayfish during long-distance transport? I tried it once, and the survival rate was only fifty percent. I lost so much money that time."
"That depends mainly on luck, and the time shouldn't be too long. Water transport is best. Refrigeration is also possible, but the time shouldn't be too long," Zhang Tianxing could only briefly explain the key points.
"And what about the crayfish association?" Zhou Fuqing asked pitifully. It was difficult for him, a middle-aged man in his forties, to ask such questions to a young man.
Zhang Tianxing thought for a moment. "How about this? Let them each pay a deposit of 100,000 yuan. The membership fee will be the same as before."
"A deposit of 100,000 yuan?" This figure shocked Zhou Fuqing. He wasn't inexperienced with money, but this was the first time he had seen a deposit of 100,000 yuan just to join an association.
Zhang Tianxing nodded. "Yes, 100,000 yuan. This is a threshold. We prefer quality over quantity. Furthermore, the next steps for crayfish will basically be through the association, so it's an opportunity for those who want to join. This deposit can also be used to purchase crayfish seedlings next year."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Fuqing nodded. Since Zhang Tianxing was the president, he would follow the rules Zhang Tianxing set. This way, he would have an explanation.
If you want to join the association, you can. We'll make an exception for you, with a 100,000 yuan deposit that can be used to buy crayfish seedlings next year.
This way, he wouldn't offend anyone and would give them a way out. Otherwise, they could wait until the crayfish association officially recruited new members.
Boss Zhang's level was high. Young people were driven and not afraid of offending people. He was just a messenger and didn't need to think too much; he just needed to do as he was told.