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墨書 Inktalez
The summer of 1989 quietly arrived. The winds of reform and opening up had blown for a full decade, and the land of China was bursting with vitality, while also stirring with unprecedented currents of change. For Jiang Tao, these years were the most fruitful and transformative of his life.
His Jiang Hai Electronic Service Co., Ltd. was no longer the small stall in a market corner or the little shop in an alley it once was. With solid technology, reliable reputation, and an ever-expanding business scope, Jiang Ji had become a household name in the city and surrounding areas. He had even acquired land on the outskirts to build a small processing workshop and warehouse, specifically to handle the growing refurbishment business and to experiment with small-scale part manufacturing.
His second child with Lin Wei, a lively and adorable daughter named Jiang Xiaoya, was already over a year old. Their son, Jiang Xiaodong, was particularly mischievous, running around in their spacious and comfortable courtyard. Lin Wei devoted herself fully to family life while assisting Jiang Tao in managing the company’s finances and administration. Old Master Liu and Wang Hao, who had grown into a technical backbone of the business, efficiently managed the daily operations of both the shop and workshop. Jiang Tao himself played more of a role as the "helmsman" and "technical advisor," dealing with higher-end business matters and contemplating the long-term development of the company.
Everything seemed to be on a stable and promising track.
However, the market was never static, especially in such a tumultuous era. One day, Jiang Tao took Lin Wei and their two children to visit the largest department store in the city, which had just reopened after renovations, to buy new clothes and toys for the kids.
The mall was bustling with people, filled with a lively atmosphere. The most eye-catching area was undoubtedly the home appliance section on the first floor. Brand new Changhong color televisions, Haier double-door refrigerators, Little Swan fully automatic washing machines… these large items representing the latest trends and quality of life drew countless citizens to stop and gaze at them with longing eyes. The salespeople wore matching uniforms and enthusiastically introduced the features of their products, a stark contrast to the indifferent attitude seen in state-run stores just a few years prior.
As Jiang Tao observed the excited crowd and then glanced at his own shop still selling refurbished black-and-white televisions and single-tub washing machines, he felt a faint sense of crisis for the first time.
"The times have changed..." he mused inwardly. "People are no longer satisfied with just 'having'; they are starting to pursue 'better' and 'newer.' Relying solely on repairing old items might soon leave us behind."
Lin Wei seemed to sense his thoughts and gently nudged him: "What's wrong? Did you see something you liked? Should we buy a color TV to take home?" They were still using a 14-inch black-and-white TV that Jiang Tao had refurbished himself.
Jiang Tao smiled: "We do need to buy a color TV, but not right now. I'm thinking that our business needs to change too."
Just as Jiang Tao contemplated future directions for development, new challenges quietly approached.
The next day, Wang Hao came to Jiang Tao's office with a serious expression.
"Brother Jiang, something's happened!" Wang Hao said anxiously.
"What is it? Take your time; don’t rush," Jiang Tao gestured for him to sit down.
"A new electronics store just opened on Liberation Road—the busiest street downtown—called Southern Electric! I passed by yesterday; it’s quite impressive!" Wang Hao gestured animatedly. "It has two floors decorated like something out of Hong Kong—shiny! They’re stocked full of imported goods: Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi… every brand you can think of! They not only sell new products but also offer repairs! They’re advertising that their technicians are all from Guangdong—top-notch skills!"
Jiang Tao furrowed his brow slightly: "Southern Electric? From Shenzhen?" By the late 1980s, it was indeed remarkable how rapidly individual economies and export-oriented businesses were developing in the south; it wasn’t surprising that some powerful players were moving north to expand their markets.
"Most likely!" Wang Hao nodded. "The key point is that they’re having an opening promotion—repair fees are 20% off! They’re specifically targeting imported appliances! I heard from Old Master Liu that there’s been a noticeable drop in customers coming in for repairs on imported goods or inquiries about high-end refurbishment services lately; they’ve probably all been drawn over there!"
"Oh?" Jiang Tao lightly tapped his fingers on the desk, lost in thought.
He wasn’t afraid of competition; in fact, he welcomed it because competition fosters progress. But this rival had come out swinging right away, directly entering his most profitable area—the repair of imported appliances and high-end refurbishment—where technical barriers were relatively high. This was clearly aimed at him or rather at this market segment.
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