Chapter 26: Unintended Consequences

"Exactly! We’ll follow all the proper procedures to minimize your risks. We can sign a contract stating that I’m only attached in name! If I can’t pay the remaining balance, the equipment belongs to the factory!"

If he couldn’t pay, the equipment would revert to the factory?

Perfect!

More than perfect!

He would pay the down payment, yet the equipment would be practically pledged to the factory.

What a deal!

In that case, he’d almost hope for default—those were production lines, after all. Each set was worth hundreds of thousands—a fixed asset! Even if he sold it for scrap, he’d never lose money.

"Mr. Wu, isn’t this a bit unfair to you?" Factory Director Pei, ever shrewd, didn’t let his delight show, even as he inwardly rejoiced. He still feigned concern for Wu Ya.

"Director Pei, just purchasing the equipment under the name of Chensi is already a huge advantage for me. A man ought to know contentment."

A man ought to know contentment.

Wu Ya gazed at Director Pei, his eyes deep, his words carrying a double meaning.

"Yes, yes, you’re right, one must be content," Director Pei replied with a smile.

Wu Ya completed all the formalities with Director Pei and soon left the office.

But instead of satisfaction over a smoothly concluded deal, a shadow of worry clouded his face.

He looked up at the sky.

"This perfectly clear sky... Why does it remind me so much of my empty pockets?"

No money.

He was practically penniless!

Sales had been booming these past days, but he’d only managed to earn little over ten thousand yuan. After all, limited production meant his profits were capped.

What to do?

The contract with Director Pei was already signed. Expanding production was now urgent. The market waits for no one.

Was he to just helplessly watch the grand prospect of earning tens of thousands daily slip away?

That was not Wu Ya’s style.

Nor was it the reason he’d been given a second chance at life.

"I’d better return to the tailor shop," he finally muttered, shaking his head. He climbed onto his battered bicycle and pedaled back.

The contract was signed. Everything had gone smoothly.

But—no money!

Even though he had more than twenty thousand in his pocket, that money was earmarked for buying fabric for the next production run.

If he didn’t settle with Director Pei, Chensi would have to halt production immediately, because he wouldn’t have funds to buy raw materials.

"How frustrating that banks don’t offer personal loans yet! Where can I get the money?" Wu Ya pedaled along, his face full of anxiety.

In those days, banks had no personal loan services—unless you had a business, and collateral to offer. Wu Ya had neither.

He was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Just one production line required a minimum down payment of a hundred thousand yuan—he had no idea where to get that money, yet he’d already signed the contract with Director Pei.

A rash decision.

If he couldn’t pay the down payment, his credibility would plummet.

What should he do?

He pondered as he rode, weighed down by worry.

Suddenly—

"Today is August 5th. The day when Treasury Bonds are allowed to be traded is almost here. I never thought life after my rebirth would move at such a breakneck pace!"

A spark lit in Wu Ya’s eyes. He broke into a broad grin.

His feet pumped furiously at the pedals, and soon, in a cloud of yellow dust, he disappeared down the road.

"Mom, how many more days of production can we sustain with our current fabric stock?" he called out as soon as he entered.

"At most two days! Why?" Zhang Caixia looked at her son, puzzled. Business had been booming recently, and her heart, which had been constantly anxious, had finally found some peace. So why was her son suddenly in such a rush, asking questions like that?

Could it be that there was a problem with the supply of raw materials? That would be disastrous! Any disruption in production meant a steep drop in profits.

"It’s nothing. I just wanted to temporarily use the fabric money to purchase some Treasury Bonds."

"Buy Treasury Bonds?" Zhang Caixia’s face fell immediately.

"Have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you up to now? If you tie up our working capital in Treasury Bonds, never mind whether you make or lose money in the end—right now, the tailor shop would have to halt production! I absolutely won’t allow it!"

Her tone left no room for argument.

In the 1990s, government bonds were still called Treasury Bonds. They came in two forms: one issued to work units as wage substitutes, known as collective Treasury Bonds, and the other sold by banks to individuals, called personal Treasury Bonds. But before 1990, private trading was strictly forbidden.

Later, as the economic reforms deepened, trading in such securities gradually became permitted. Treasury Bonds were set to begin open trading in early August 1990. For the launch to go smoothly, banks had already begun limited pilot transactions.

Wu Ya had set his sights on this opportunity—to use timing in his purchases to earn a large sum for his next expansion.

But clearly, his plan was about to fall through.

"Two days... but two days aren’t enough! The opening day for Treasury Bonds, if I recall, is August 10th! That’s five days from now! Stop production for three days, wait till I make a profit, and then resume? Impossible, absolutely not!"

Wu Ya was once again consumed by worry.

Give up on Treasury Bonds?

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Miss this chance, and it would be gone forever.

Based on his memory, if he played the Treasury Bond wave right, he could make at least ten times his investment—a tenfold return! His twenty thousand would become two hundred thousand—enough for two production lines.

But...

Was it worth risking a three-day production halt just to buy Treasury Bonds and two lines?

It hardly seemed so. Even running at full capacity, they couldn’t meet Auntie Chai’s sales needs. If they stopped production, she’d probably switch suppliers without a second thought.

What should he do?

Just then—

"Son, you should settle down and focus on the garment business. Look how well things are going! Just this morning, three different groups came to pick up goods. I had no choice but to split the stock among them," Zhang Caixia said, her face blooming with satisfaction.

Just a few days ago, the family had been impoverished, anxiously awaiting the tailor shop’s collapse and the creditors’ arrival. Every step had been a struggle.

Now, they stood in the sunshine, watching large shipments of clothing being loaded, and could see happiness within reach.

What more could they wish for?

Of course, she couldn’t stand to see Wu Ya taking risks.

But then—

"Customers came to pick up goods?" Wu Ya was taken aback, which made Zhang Caixia’s heart sink.

"What’s wrong, son? Is something amiss?"

"Mom, did you ask where those three groups came from? Auntie Chai is our primary agent in Weiling City. If these three groups are all locals, we’ve breached our agreement!"

Wu Ya took her hand, speaking as gently as he could, careful not to mention the possible consequences—market disruption.

But Zhang Caixia, hearing this, was filled with guilt.

She and her husband were honest folks. When people came to pick up goods, they didn’t want to see them go away empty-handed. They also thought they were helping their son win more customers.

They hadn’t realized that good intentions might have caused trouble.

For a moment, Zhang Caixia’s face was clouded with gloom.