"Young boss Zhang, truly remarkable. A top student, excelling in studies and thriving in business. You have a bright future after graduation."
"Naturally. Young boss Zhang is only missing an official title."
"That's not entirely accurate. Young boss Zhang is also the president of the Crayfish Association, so how can you say he lacks an official title? Moreover, President Zhang has even published a book. While not a literary masterpiece, it certainly makes him half a writer."
Hearing the praise, Zhang Tianxing smiled and expressed his gratitude to those around him. People deferring to him meant he couldn't afford to be impolite; that was the minimum requirement of a person.
Li Fang walked up to Zhang Tianxing. "Tianxing, I won't say much. Thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have been able to attend university."
"Hey, what's there to thank? It's like Zhuge Liang fighting Huang Gai, one willing to strike, the other willing to be struck. You came to work, I paid you; it's a matter of course. We're classmates and neighbors, so let's not dwell on it."
Zhang Tianxing felt immense sympathy for the plight of the campus beauty, but he also had his limits. After all, he didn't intend to marry Li Fang. They were too familiar, like brother and sister.
Besides, he was still young, with plenty of "sea kings" and "sea queens" yet to conquer. To settle down so soon felt inherently unwilling.
"I'd rather betray the world than let the world betray me" was the ambition of a tyrant. Zhang Tianxing's aspirations were simpler: to change his family's destiny was enough.
However, as Zhang Tianxing grew wealthier, he discovered a truth: money is something you can never earn enough of.
Yet, he didn't want a life of idleness. He simply wanted to perfect the art of crayfish. But even now, he had only written "A Complete Guide to Crayfish Recipes" and registered a few trademarks.
The Zhang Ji Barbecue flagship store hadn't even been built yet, and the franchise plan hadn't begun. He regretted only being a university student.
Should he learn from Bill Gates and drop out of college to start a company? Thinking of this, Zhang Tianxing couldn't help but laugh. He didn't have Bill's family background. Everything he had now originated from crayfish; he was merely a prospective university student.
It was only 1999. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future. A few years earlier or later wouldn't matter much. His little matter of getting rich was definitely not a problem.
But his eighteenth birthday was only once, and his university years would also pass quickly.
He should probably focus on his studies at university.
Otherwise, if he knew nothing but making money, wouldn't he become a ruthless money-making machine? The thought of such a life was terrifying.
It seemed he had too much free time during the day, thinking about so many things. He remembered how well he slept when he was busy with the barbecue stall not long ago.
He could say, without exaggeration, that he could fall asleep the moment he lay down. He was truly exhausted, but fortunately, he was young and had good physical health.
He had also mastered a divine knife skill, able to chop anything he pointed at without any problem; he could even shave his head with a kitchen knife.
While eating, Zhang Tianxing discussed the exchange of grain for canned goods with Liang Cheng. Liang Cheng thought about it and agreed.
"The exchange method is simple: one jin of wheat for one bottle, one and a half jin of corn for one bottle. It's roughly this ratio. You can contact Director Ma at the grain depot and ask about their purchase price."
"Alright, I'll go ask tomorrow. We also need to find a few fruit orchards to supply us with pears, apples, and other fruits."
"For that, find the Ma Family Orchard. Their entire family cultivates orchards. As long as one of them agrees, your cannery will have as much as you need."
"Okay, I'm just afraid of not having enough supply. We'll take as much as they have."
Zhang Tianxing was pleased. He had three production lines, and currently, only one was operational. If all three were running, he would be even busier.
But there was no rush. It was better to get familiar with the market first. A small boat could turn around easily.
With only one production line running, he could adjust his flavors at any time according to market demand to cater to consumers.
If he operated at full capacity, production would naturally increase. But if the canned goods ended up unsold, it would be a huge worry.
He was a newcomer to the canned food industry, with nothing to his name. He couldn't rely solely on selling canned goods to Belarus.
The procedures for going abroad would take some time to be approved; you couldn't just send them out.
There was nothing he could do; these were the realities.
...
The next day, Zhang Tianxing first found Director Ma at the grain depot and went to the depot. He offered a cigarette to the old man at the entrance.
"Uncle, have a cigarette. Is Director Ma in?"
"Who are you, and what do you need Director Ma for?" Hearing the tone, Zhang Tianxing felt a sense of helplessness. This was the legendary situation where the king was easy to see, but the minor officials were difficult to deal with. More importantly, without the minor officials' consent, you couldn't reach the king, which was a headache.
But these were not problems. He offered another cigarette. "Uncle, I'm from the Crayfish Association. This is my identification. I need to discuss something important with Director Ma."
Presenting his most valuable identity as the President of the Crayfish Association, indeed, this status impressed the old man.
"From the Crayfish Association? Your president is truly amazing. As young as you are, truly formidable. Director Ma is here; his office is the first one to the east of the third building."
After looking at Zhang Tianxing's identification, the old man casually revealed Director Ma's office. Crayfish were now the pride of Yangcheng.
Even the first Crayfish Festival was something people in Yangcheng couldn't have imagined. Just a few months ago, crayfish were considered animal feed.
Who would have thought that in just over two months, the status of crayfish would undergo a sky-high transformation, from being ignored to attracting crowds?
This was all thanks to President Zhang. He was the first to propose the spicy crayfish recipe, opened Yangcheng's first barbecue crayfish restaurant, and then sold crayfish to the general public.
From Yangcheng, crayfish spread to Zhonghai City, then appeared in the Zhonghai Daily, and finally the People's Daily of China. With such a journey, it would be a violation of natural principles if crayfish weren't popular.
Now, rumors were circulating that Yangcheng's main focus for next year's work would be the crayfish industry, including crayfish farming.
If things continued to develop this way, Yangcheng could become a "Crayfish City" in no time.
With crayfish farming, other upstream and downstream industries would have to keep pace, creating countless job opportunities. The Crayfish Association, consequently, would rise in status and become highly respected in the eyes of the people.
Zhang Tianxing arrived at Director Ma's office and immediately stated his purpose. "Director Ma, I am Zhang Tianxing from the Crayfish Association. I've come to ask for your help with something."