Purchasing navel oranges

After the instructions of the two elders, Chen Yu no longer expressed his gratitude openly.

Deep within, his respect for the two elders grew stronger.

He was unaware of the potential impact of their words on his future, and he couldn't say for certain whether their opinions were correct.

But he knew one thing for sure: he would remember the words of the two elders today.

As time passed, the three of them enjoyed their drinks and engaged in casual conversation.

They discussed the current state of education in Xinfeng, the prominent industrialists in the region, and even the development path Xinfeng was following.

Though Chen Yu was just a high school student, he had experienced two lifetimes. Furthermore, in his previous life, Xinfeng had charted a clearer course for itself over several decades. Whenever he mentioned this, it caught the attention of the two elders.

"Ah, if only Xinfeng had followed the path of Nankang, focused on wood processing and development towards the furniture industry, it would have been so much better," sighed Qiu Guoqing.

Nankang was originally just a county in Jiangxi, but it was later promoted to a county-level city. The reason for this change was to boost the local economy, mainly through the furniture industry.

However, Xinfeng, which was close to Nankang, had not fully found its direction and had only seen mediocre development. If not for its favorable location with national highways, the Taojiang River, and the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, Xinfeng might have remained a poverty-stricken county.

"Yes, Xinfeng was not inferior to Nankang in wood processing years ago. But Nankang managed to consolidate its resources and forge its own path. Meanwhile, Xinfeng has lost its way," Li Yan nodded in agreement.

"Chen Yu, what do you think about Xinfeng developing the electronics industry?" Qiu Guoqing inquired, looking at Chen Yu.

Despite Chen Yu being a high school student, his previous discussions had widened Qiu Guoqing's perspective. When the topic of Xinfeng's development came up, he couldn't help but ask for Chen Yu's opinion.

Chen Yu chuckled, "Uncle Qiu, I'm just a high school student. How could I evaluate the county's development path?"

"Come on, you were speaking eloquently just now, and you left both me and your Uncle Li amazed," Qiu Guoqing retorted.

"I was just talking in theory. In reality, I don't have the ability to influence Xinfeng," Chen Yu replied.

"Even theoretical discussions require vision. Without vision, you can't discuss them on paper. Come on, tell us. You're no county chief, but that shouldn't stop you from sharing your thoughts on Xinfeng," Qiu Guoqing said.

"Haha, Uncle Qiu is right. I can share my thoughts," Chen Yu laughed heartily. "Let me share my perspective."

After a moment of thought, Chen Yu continued, "Recently, the county has attracted a number of electronic companies to the northern industrial park, suggesting an interest in developing the electronic processing industry. However, while electronic processing is promising, Xinfeng currently lacks a significant advantage compared to coastal areas."

Please note that this translation is a creative interpretation of the original text, aimed at capturing the literary style while preserving the third-person past tense narrative.

Chen Yu continued, "Of course, that's not to say we have no advantages. Labor costs in Xinfeng are much lower than in coastal areas. However, our transportation infrastructure isn't particularly convenient. We only have a national highway and the railway is too slow for most large enterprises. If we're serious about this, we'll have to wait until the G45 expressway is completed."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Guoqing nodded, "Transportation indeed constrains Xinfeng's development. The G45 expressway is still in the planning stage, and it will take several years to be opened. So, where do you think Xinfeng should focus on for development now?"

"I think we can tap into Xinfeng's navel oranges," Chen Yu suggested.

"Navel oranges? Do you have confidence in navel oranges?" Qiu Guoqing asked.

"I have a lot of confidence," Chen Yu replied.

Navel oranges are what we commonly call oranges.

"Please elaborate," Qiu Guoqing requested.

"Sure, it's quite simple," Chen Yu explained. "First, while navel oranges are not exclusive to Xinfeng, the region is known as the homeland of Chinese navel oranges. They were already exported worldwide in the 1980s, so they do have some reputation."

"Second, not only does Xinfeng have a long history of navel orange cultivation, but the soil here is rich in rare earth elements, which is highly conducive to navel orange growth. In terms of taste, Xinfeng navel oranges are among the best in the country."

"Third, navel oranges can be cultivated in various townships within Xinfeng, and many farmers are already engaged in their cultivation. This not only boosts farmers' income but also greatly contributes to the development of the entire navel orange industry."

Chen Yu's words were not mere speculations.

Xinfeng's navel oranges were like a calling card for the region and even for Ganzhou.

In the era of the Internet+, Xinfeng's navel oranges gained widespread fame and sold out within days of hitting the market.

"However, developing navel oranges won't be easy. While they have a historical reputation, they aren't particularly well-known among domestic consumers. This presents a challenge in terms of marketing. If we can turn Xinfeng navel oranges into a recognizable brand, then the navel orange industry chain can mature," Chen Yu added, speaking with the insights of someone who had seen how this played out in the future.

In reality, in the future, Xinfeng had already followed this path, and it had been quite successful.

Qiu Guoqing smiled, "Chen Yu, you're just sharing your thoughts. We're listening."

Chen Yu noticed Qiu Guoqing's gaze remained fixed on him and asked, "Uncle Qiu, why are you staring at me?"

Qiu Guoqing hesitated, "Well..."

Chen Yu touched his face, thinking he might have some food residue on it.

Qiu Guoqing chuckled, "You've got quite a way with words."

After a while, Qiu Guoqing shifted his gaze away from Chen Yu.

"What do you mean by 'a way with words'? I was just chatting casually. Just as you said, Uncle Qiu, I'm no county chief, and I'm not responsible for the county's development. Chatting casually isn't against the law, and it's not some dubious scheme."

"Haha, you, kid."

Qiu Guoqing and Li Yan both found Chen Yu's words amusing.

"You make a valid point, but building Xinfeng navel oranges into a brand won't be a walk in the park."

Qiu Guoqing furrowed his brows and said, "Do you know the current wholesale price for navel oranges here per catty?"

"How much is it per catty?" Chen Yu asked.

"It's one cent a catty," Qiu Guoqing replied.

"My goodness," Chen Yu exclaimed, tears welling up in his eyes.

Just a moment ago, he was considering a price of one yuan per catty.

In the future, the wholesale price for Xinfeng navel oranges had already reached 3.5-4 yuan a catty, and that was just for the regular grade. Some premium varieties, especially navel oranges from Anxi Town in Xinfeng, had a wholesale price of 7 or 8 yuan per catty.

But that wasn't even the highest.

The highest price went to Nongfu Spring's 17.5-Degree Oranges. In the future, Nongfu Spring also recognized the value of Xinfeng navel oranges and set up a factory in Xinfeng to launch a brand called "17.5-Degree".

This "17.5-Degree" referred to the sugar-to-acid ratio.

At the time, Nongfu Spring released their 17.5-Degree Golden Oranges for 10 yuan a catty, 17.5-Degree Diamond Oranges for 20 yuan a catty, and 17.5-Degree King Oranges for 30 yuan a catty.

One would be mistaken to think that no one bought them; when they were introduced in November in the future, they sold out within minutes.

However, Chen Yu was surprised to hear that in 2001, Xinfeng navel oranges were being sold for just one cent a catty. Even though the money in 2001 was more valuable compared to the future, he couldn't believe how cheap it was.

Despite his shock, he felt a spark of interest. "Uncle Qiu, don't tease me. Navel oranges for one cent a catty?"

Qiu Guoqing replied, "Why would I tease you?"

"It's just so unbelievably cheap. If they're really that inexpensive, I'm thinking about buying some to sell."

"If you're serious, then sure. I have many farmers here with navel oranges they can't sell. How about I talk to them and offer you a 10% discount on the wholesale price?"

"That sounds good."

"You're serious?"

"Uncle Qiu, I wouldn't lie to you."

"Alright, how much do you want?"

Chen Yu thought for a moment. His current liquid assets were around 4 million yuan, and he could allocate 2 million yuan for purchasing navel oranges. With the current price of one cent a catty, that would be 20 million catties.

After thinking it over, Chen Yu said, "I can't buy too much. Let's go with about 20 million catties."

"What..."

Clank...

Qiu Guoqing's wine glass slipped from his hand at just the right moment.