Carrying a Jurassic on me
Chapter 802 - 432: A Big Tree Attracts the Wind

Chapter 802: Chapter 432: A Big Tree Attracts the Wind

"Brother Fei, this guy says he’s buying cowhides, offering three hundred and fifty for each..." Yan Fei was lounging in the shade, cradling a Japanese language textbook and listening to the crackling Japanese from his tape player when Old Ou came running in with someone.

Yan Fei took off his headphones and glanced up at the man Old Ou had brought over, "What’s the highest price you can decide on your own?"

The man was taken aback, probably because he didn’t expect the boss to be so young or so direct. After hesitating, he said, "This price is already the highest..."

"Then forget it, we have buyers for cowhides now, maybe some other time! Or, you can leave your phone number when you go, and call me if you can offer a higher price. If the price is right, I’ll supply the hides, and you won’t need to waste money coming back and forth." Yan Fei said and was about to put on his headphones and continue his studies. "Oh, and Old Ou, if he wants to have a look, take him to see the bulls we’re about to slaughter."

"Sure thing, Brother Fei!" Old Ou agreed in a drawn-out tone, whispering to hustle the man, who seemed to want to say more, out the door.

Generally, when someone comes to buy cowhides, if Heizi had been in charge, he would have sent them packing immediately. It’s because most of those who come around to buy cowhides are traders, or legwork guys sent by some factories to source goods. They can’t offer three hundred or four hundred yuan per hide.

The reason Old Ou brought this individual today was that the offer was comparatively high. Yet it was clear that this man, like those before him, was likely a legwork person dispatched by an upper-level boss, incapable of offering a higher price.

So, Yan Fei didn’t bother wasting more words.

An old craftsman from the Provincial City leather factory had sent a message, inviting him to visit sometime. The factory wanted to discuss a long-term supply agreement for cowhides. Yan Fei could only say, today’s people really were no fools.

In terms of stable supply and quality, the hides from the cattle farm were definitely in the top three, if not the best. Right after slaughtering, the hides were packed and thrown onto the delivery trucks heading to Provincial City, reaching the leather factory promptly—the quality unquestionable. The detour made by the beef delivery trucks en route to Provincial City was slight, and the inconvenience was negligible for the restaurant run by foreigners.

Competition was growing fiercer by the day. If the Provincial City leather factory didn’t want to collapse, they had to adapt. It was common knowledge, even among kids, that sticking to old ways meant certain death.

The message implied they wanted Yan Fei to sign a contract where the cattle farm would supply hides solely to their factory — this had been the norm years ago when supplying state-owned factories meant groveling desperately, hoping they wouldn’t reject your products, begging to sign contracts. Some still did, but only if their products lacked market competitiveness.

But that era had passed, and Yan Fei had zero interest in such outdated contracts. Inside, the Provincial City factory was still bloated with red tape and clung to its state-owned roots, not even daring to broach the subject of a price increase. If it weren’t such a hassle, Yan Fei would already be seeking better sales channels down south.

No one was a fool; signing the contract or otherwise made no difference. As long as those folks at the factory weren’t brain-dead, they wouldn’t stop buying his hides just because he didn’t sign. This was precisely the case; Yan Fei could ignore them, but the moment hides were delivered, they’d promptly pay up without shortchanging a cent.

On the contrary, if he signed that contract, which locked him into a fixed price and exclusive supply to one factory, they might even use it as an excuse to delay payments to him.

The domestic market this year had been exceptionally good, private enterprises rising one after another, many seeking reliable suppliers. It was simply that the information wasn’t developed enough, buyers couldn’t find sellers. If one was diligent enough to go out and run around, these issues could be ironed out.

Yan Fei had just started to get back into his studies when another person came over to greet him, "Xiao Fei, I’ve measured everything. I’ll deliver the goods within a week at most. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out now."

Yan Fei took off his earphones and said with a smile, "Uncle Tong, while you’re at it, calculate the money and settle it with finance. Otherwise, your stock purchases..."

"No need, no need." Boss Tong was very polite. "I still have the funds, you carry on with your work. It’s not urgent, not urgent..."

With that, he hurried off.

This was Yan Fei who, while on his way to deliver gifts that morning, passed by Uncle Tong’s clothing store and remembered to ask him to make a few sets of work clothes for the people at the farm. Sure enough, after lunch, Uncle Tong came over with a young helper to take measurements for everyone at the farm.

As for the design of the work clothes, it was very simple; just copy the county’s fertilizer factory work uniform, only removing the name of the factory from the back. They were just for work, nothing fancy.

That was why his entire afternoon of studying turned out to be for nothing; he hadn’t been at it long when Ma Chao’s wife came running over: "Boss Xiao Fei, that phone call from the Provincial City last time called again, still talking about wanting us to supply them with beef."

Yan Fei took off his earphones once more, "Why not just tell him we’re out of stock and that’s that?"

Ma Chao’s wife hesitated, "The man on the phone said their boss’ family is involved with tax matters and advised us to think it over carefully."

"Nonsense!" Yan Fei muttered, then remembering that he was speaking to Ma Chao’s wife, he smiled apologetically and continued. "Next time some nutcase calls like that, just hang up. Who do they think they are in Provincial City? If they’re capable, let them come audit my taxes..."

Just as he was saying people weren’t fools, a complete fool popped up, confirming it really takes all sorts to make a world. Why don’t these people who exist purely to waste food dig a hole and bury themselves early, at least they could serve as fertilizer, right?

This fool’s phone call was also part of the unwanted attention drawn by the fame of the cattle farm, ’to attract the wind by being tall’ indeed...

But Yan Fei wasn’t worried; it’s a long way to the Provincial City from Sancha River, and no matter how powerful they were, it didn’t scare him. Speaking of tax matters, it reminded him of something. Once Ma Chao’s wife left, he checked the time, packed up his books, and stood up.

He made a phone call from the office at the front, then took off on his motorbike to the county town.

It was the same small restaurant next to the county committee, and the same four people were present: him and Xiao Zhao, Secretary Jiao’s secretary, but now there was no reporter from the city—a young man from the county tax bureau had replaced him.

Before the dishes were served, Secretary Zhao introduced them: "This is Boss Yan and his girlfriend Xu Xing. This here is Li Rui, a college graduate who joined our tax bureau last year. His professional knowledge is unquestionable. He’s the one who knows best about the matter you need handled..."

Li Rui modestly said, "Brother Zhao is too kind. Actually, I’m just a theorist; I haven’t handled the practical side yet. I know the general procedures, but I lack experience with the actual handling."

Yan Fei smiled, "Knowing the procedure is enough; we’ll run around ourselves. Right now, we just don’t know how to proceed or we wouldn’t have troubled you."