Chapter 513 – Third Brother-in-law
Third brother-in-law shook his head when he heard it, “I don’t know either. My colleague, after resigning, started his own restaurant. Business is good at the moment, but I don’t have that skill. Even if I were to open a shop, I wouldn’t know what to sell. I don’t have much expertise in anything else.”
Lu Xia nodded, “Doing business and making money inevitably involves focusing on clothing, food, shelter, and transportation. After all, these are essential for everyone, and most businesses outside are related to this.
But it doesn’t have to be limited to this. Third Brother-in-law used to work in transportation, which is an advantage. You could actually start a logistics company, specializing in transporting goods. The initial investment is substantial, so it needs careful consideration.”
“A logistics company? You mean doing the same work as the current transportation stations? Wouldn’t that be the same as them? How can I compete with state-owned transportation stations?” Third Brother-in-law said.
Lu Xia smiled upon hearing this, “The transportation stations now mainly handle state-owned enterprise tasks, assigned from above. However, logistics companies can take on private jobs. There are more and more private enterprises now, and anyone selling things needs goods to be transported.
Take Qi Xiao’s electronics store, for instance. Because it’s a private enterprise, transporting goods is always a challenge. Regardless of using trains or hiring vehicles, it’s costly, driving up the expenses.
If there’s a dedicated logistics company to handle this, it would be very convenient, and I believe they would be willing.”
Third Brother-in-law was intrigued but then hesitated, “The investment is indeed significant, and there aren’t many individuals starting companies now. What if we can’t secure jobs later?”
“So, it depends on how Third Brother-in-law views this. We all know that businesses are in a development stage currently, and large enterprises will certainly increase in the future, with logistics companies being indispensable.
Furthermore, as the development progresses, logistics companies won’t just transport goods; they might even handle deliveries. Similar to ancient courier stations, if it expands to logistics stations across the country, it would be an irreplaceable presence.
But if we wait until that time to start, it might be too late,” Lu Xia explained.
Even Third Brother-in-law felt excited upon hearing this prospect, but soon he felt a bit deflated. He knew that achieving this would be very challenging, but as Lu Xia said, this industry is indispensable. If not him, it would be someone else in the future. Now, hearing about the prospects of this industry, it was a bit difficult for him to abandon the idea.
However, Lu Xia poured cold water on his enthusiasm, “Although the future prospects are very good, as I said, the initial investment will be substantial. Not to mention other things, just purchasing vehicles is a significant cost.
Furthermore, in the transportation sector, as you know, there are many uncontrollable factors. If something goes wrong with the goods, various issues can arise. It’s a tough business.
Of course, if Third brother-in-law wants to open a shop, I have other suggestions as well—something that doesn’t require specialized skills and guarantees no losses, although it may not make huge profits.”
Third Sister was quite interested in this suggestion, but Third Brother-in-law was already captivated by the vision Lu Xia had presented earlier. His mind was filled with images of logistics companies spreading across the nation.
Seeing him like this, Lu Xia didn’t push him to make a decision and allowed them to consider it on their own.
After they left, she asked Jiang Junmo, “What do you think the third brother-in-law will do in the end?”
Jiang Junmo smiled, “Didn’t you already guess?”
Indeed, Lu Xia had guessed. There’s no man without ambitions. She just hoped that her third brother-in-law would succeed.
However, this was destined to be an extremely challenging path.
*
Chapter 514 – Third Sister’s Idea
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Before going to bed that night, Jiang Junmo hugged her tightly.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Xia asked in confusion.
Jiang Junmo sighed after a while, “What should I do? My Xia Xia is too excellent. I have to work even harder, or else I won’t be worthy of you…”
Lu Xia chuckled upon hearing this, “You’re overthinking again. I’m just offering a suggestion; there’s no such thing as being exceptionally excellent. Don’t belittle yourself.”
However, Jiang Junmo still held her tightly, playfully nudging her face with his head. “My Xia Xia is indeed exceptional!”
Lu Xia chuckled, finding joy in these moments when they were alone, seeing the playful and not-so-serious side of Jiang Junmo.
After playing around for a while, Jiang Junmo asked, “Are you going to intern at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the summer vacation?”
Lu Xia nodded.
In this era, there was no talk of internships in the final year, and there were quite a few courses. However, due to her connections at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu Xia was asked to help out there along with Chu Liangchen.
But they probably wouldn’t be assigned very important tasks, likely just organizing documents and the like, but it was still a rare opportunity.
When Teacher Li informed her, the students in the class were envious.
“So, do you plan to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after graduation?”
Lu Xia nodded, “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, that’s the plan.”
The career direction Teacher Li suggested for her was also related to that area, and she had been studying international relations seriously in that course.
Jiang Junmo hugged her again upon hearing this, “My wife will be a diplomat in the future! That’s great, I bet others will envy me to death.”
Lu Xia smiled at his words, but she was also looking forward to it. She never thought she would become a diplomat one day; it was something her foreign language classmates used to look up to!
There was still a year left, and she was about to step into a new stage of life…
But it was too early to think about these things now.
After the final exams, Lu Xia heard the news that her third brother-in-law finally chose to open a logistics company. Because of insufficient funds, he also persuaded another colleague to resign and join him.
The two of them partnered and bought a large truck. With Qi Xiao’s help, they had already started taking on jobs.
They were currently in the initial stages, and the early stages were bound to be difficult, but once they got past that, it would be better.
On the other hand, Third Sister suddenly came to her after Lu Xia returned home from her exams, asking about the business that didn’t make much but wouldn’t incur losses.
Lu Xia was surprised upon hearing this, “Why is Third Sister asking about this? Is someone planning to start a business?”
Third Sister nodded, “It’s me. I want to see if this business is really as good as you said. I’m thinking of resigning if it is!”
Lu Xia was astonished at these words, “Why? Isn’t working at the department store a good job?”
Third Sister sighed, “That was in the past. Nowadays, there are more and more stores outside, and the department store’s performance is getting worse. Although the salary hasn’t changed, it’s not easy.
Moreover, consumer spending is increasing, and relying solely on the fixed salary is definitely not enough. Also, with your brother-in-law’s business taking some time to break even, I think I should try to find another way to earn money.
Of course, I won’t quit directly; I plan to take unpaid leave.”
Lu Xia admired Third Sister for making such decisions. In the coming years, the development of state-owned enterprises would indeed decline, and many workers would face layoffs.
It was impressive that Third Sister could see this, and it was good that she was already finding an alternative.
So, Lu Xia asked, “But the business I mentioned, although the investment is small, it’s quite laborious, and the earnings aren’t much. It’s all about accumulating small gains. I wonder if Third Sister can handle it.”
