"Traitors" in Putian"

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Some of Putian's businessmen are mysterious and curious. In many people's eyes, they are closed, unruly, unruly, and calculating. They behave in a manner that gives them the envy of the surrounding city, but it is difficult to gain respect for the value of wealth. The 45 year old Putian shoe business in Chen Yinghong resolved to break this situation, this is called "fake shoes" of the city, he insisted on R & D and production of genuine outdoor shoes, hoping to build for the honor of the family business, in order to obtain recognition and respect, make Putian change.

To some extent, Chen Yinghong is a traitor to Putian's traditional values". At the age of more than 20, his desire for freedom and independence, serious conflict with the "family above all" the Putian clan rule, fled the family industry and parents arranged marriage, leaving alone looking for life a new path, the hometown of despair. More than ten years later, he returned to Putian with the wealth of his foreign trade business, and the situation of being out of place with him continued, and even more violently. He challenged the paranoid seat positioning shoes business and pattern, however, 11 years of persistence, for not only is the clan of alienation, peer out, he was even more depleted of wealth accumulated over the years, mired in huge debt.

Chen Yinghong's tragic fate is not only a story of "real shoes" in the shoes of "false shoes", but also the result of collision between modern social values and traditional clan ethics. He tried to bring new ideas and new methods into the Putian society, but at the same time, it was hard to completely shake off the shackles of Putian's traditional destiny. Two forces in a collision, pull, so that he was in pain and struggle. It is too early to draw a conclusion about Chen Yinghong's life in the present state. For the spectator, worth thinking about not only his momentary success, can see his shadow from the body: a stick, is the way in which the environment and get along with my heart.

One

During the Spring Festival, the roads of many villages in Putian are filled with all kinds of luxury cars. They are specially checked back from all parts of the country. For Putian businessmen who work hard on weekdays, it is not only to visit their parents, but also to show their strength every year. The Spring Festival is an arena, according to Rong, a 31 year old jewelry dealer. As long as the banquet, bigger than the palm of fresh abalone, table, pot, pangolin, table one. "Whereas the car is very common, the car is full of more than about one million, in a complete mess. "

Usually, it doesn't matter how much bitterness you eat outside. Once you return to Putian village, you must have a face. In addition to displaying luxury cars, the way to win faces includes building tall buildings for elders staying in the village. In the rural areas of Putian, villas on the seven or eight floor are not uncommon, but tenants often have only one pair of elderly people. Putian people relish a story is that a thief in a single storey area of six hundred square metres of seventeen storey villa, lived for a month, was living downstairs to find the old couple. "You guys build houses and build houses. We build houses. They're built in small communities.". "

The 45 year old Chen Yinghong is no winner in this wealth comparison game. Two years ago, he still remembered it as a nightmare. Big year thirty, the village other people get together to talk about how much money earned this year, and what big business, but he was home to deal with the debt of the mortgage lenders. He felt that the other person knew he would not pay for it, and that it was time for him to come and humiliate him.

When he returned to Putian in 2006, he did not expect this situation to happen in the future. The former Nike factory worker was full of enthusiasm, earning fifty million of his foreign trade business in Guangdong and returning home to his desperate hometown, hoping to make a career and even change an industry.

What do you think of Putian first? "He asked me.

"...... False shoes. "Hesitated for a few seconds, I said it.". An article in a sentence suddenly came to mind: "in Putian, so that the world can afford designer shoes, never an empty talk.". "

"It's obviously a problem," he said. "We have the most developed industry cluster in the world. Why do you remember the fake shoes when you mention Putian?" We should make the best shoes! I want the world to respect our Putian shoes! "

This is a man in "fake shoes city" who insists on producing high quality genuine shoes. His brand is called "Luo Chi", English name Clorts, Clothes and Sports each take half. He felt that other people, whether for international brands to do foundry work, or do high imitation, are short-sighted, "earn quick money", "no future."". He was a "visionary," "telling people what I think, they don't understand.". "

Said these words, Chen Yinghong tone of certainty, but the fifty million year cash has become a nearly billion debt. For new debt, three years ago, tens of thousands of square meters of factory buildings have been demolished, hundreds of workers had been disbanded, he is now the plant with friends borrowed, hundreds of square meters of space empty, only a dozen people. And just downstairs, a high imitation shoe factory is making its way into the world.

Many of his colleagues thought he was a different person, even a joke. A small number of people approve of his value, but in a way that he doesn't like. Different from the other two hundred do not return the money to the creditor, a sole production boss moved Chen Yinghong shoe factory in the computer, he closed the door of the warehouse, and hope to cooperate with him, the debt can be written off, but accounted for 15% of the shares.

For Chen Yinghong, who had fallen into a hopeless situation, it was a back to life choice. But he refused on the spot. "I don't like a man who rapes me and marries me as my wife.". He just wants to make money, and I want to do business. Different ideas, how to do things together? "

The night market is Chinese Anfu high imitation shoes trading market frenzy

Chen Yinghong repeatedly stressed that since he returned to Putian to open a shoe factory on the first day, making money has never been his most important thing. He wanted to make the "real brand", to the honor of the family business. "This way, get ready to go bankrupt, head broken and bleeding. If I want to make money, I have hundreds of methods, such as copy. But what does copy mean? Life must be a bit of pursuit. "

The reality is that the production of high imitation shoes is a big business in Putian. A week after I came to Putian, I met a man who sold fake shoes in Putian dialect. He told me excitedly, want a taste of Putian fake shoes prosperous business and to what extent, you must go to the market to go in the evening and ALF.

"Why?" "You order on the Internet during the day, and we pack the goods at night.". "

Nine pm, take a lead me to the Anfu market. Have supper with the food stalls from Anfu about two kilometers, he told me to walk past, don't take a taxi, because there is too blocking". As he said, five or six minutes walk, dozens of cars passing from the side, the back seat is placed on a meter high kraft carton. Take a say is just finished goods from Anfu, cartons are fake shoes.

In a moment, "red lights, China Anfu electric mall" appeared in front of. Standing under the light board, I asked, "what do you think of the people who insist on producing their own brands in Putian?". He laughed: "it would be suicide. The same production line made out of Nike adidas shoes, posted for four hundred or five hundred, hanging his own brand is not necessarily one hundred and fifty sell out, crazy ah? "

Two

Anfu market is a place upside down day and night. The District, converted from a crematorium, is now a hub for high imitation shoes in Putian. Enter from the "China, Anfu power mall doors is a more than 200 metre commercial street. Shop signs look very familiar, but look under some different places. "New 100-lun international", "the new balance", "Asia Pacific new 100-lun", only "every kind of new 100-lun" is more than 20.

But Chen Yinghong didn't want to live like this. He feels that his greatest pain lies in the excessive pursuit of spiritual pursuits in an environment where he is willing to pursue circumstances. As early as seventeen years old, he became a member of the Putian footwear industry, entered the Nike factory, working shoes, the monthly income of six hundred or seven hundred yuan, in the late 80s, that is a considerable figure. But he felt it was not a pleasant experience - he hated the standardized production process of Nike foundries, hated the strict management of toilet calls, and even disliked the smell of shoemaking raw materials.

What disgusted him more was the habit of some people in Putian, "conservative myopia" and "love making quick money"". He became a rebel in Putian and went to Guangdong to earn his first pot of gold. "At that time, I felt I hated making shoes and hated dealing with people in Putian.". "

A part of the merchant of Putian often brings hidden, complex feelings. They love to do business Baotuan, a town in a nationwide business, Xianyou, Hanjiang, farmers do mahogany wood, engage in Zhongmen engage in medical treatment, north high in Dongzhuang gold. What makes Putian proud is that they are good at making "nothing out of nothing", such as the door of wood that does not produce wood, but it controls more than 90% of the timber trade in china.

High imitation shoes is a local industry in Putian. On the surface, and most of the residential district is not what an Fu, but behind in anti-theft door has many sellers is imitation shoes. During the day the Anfu was deserted, shops closed the door, at eight or nine o'clock, the lights gradually lit, it began to wake up, trading until after midnight. Vans, motorcycles, electric vehicles, busy during the day to pick up the seller came to pick up the goods, after inspection on the spot to the delivery point. Into the courier zone, dozens of stores on-site transceiver, full ears are tearing tape.

"Do you think sea Amoy is true?" Innocent. "A o take to me in the best of spirits, than now crackdown Putian shoes Taobao, is selling the sea Amoy disaster area. Many Taobao buyers know fake, buy fake, and the sea Amoy buyers are genuine goods, buy fake prices, and therefore higher profits. The popular Adidas Yeezy350, the price to take goods, according to the simulation of different degrees, high is six hundred or seven hundred yuan, low is more than 100, but buyers usually pay more than three thousand yuan.

In the vicinity of Anfu exports, I saw a few pieces of "express remote on-line" signs. Shoes shipped from Putian, but if the Internet inquires the logistics information, indicating that the delivery may be Shenzhen, Shanghai, Xiamen, or Hongkong, New York, Losangeles. A more than 60 year old woman offered to sell me shopping small ticket, transparent plastic bag containing a single credit card, shopping receipts, a 19 Fen Hongkong, a 35 Fen American, if one-time buy a bag of twenty-five yuan (one hundred copies).

Such behavior makes Putian people have the envy of the surrounding city, but it is difficult to obtain the respect that matches the value of wealth. People in other parts of Fujian feel that they are closed, xenophobic, unruly and calculating. "The gods cannot make money in Putian."". A Zhangzhou building owners think Putian people will do business all over the country, but did not really open eyes to see the outside world, had only one obsession, home building. "Dongzhuang big bosses do a marble wall maintenance, tens of thousands of dollars, but he also lived a few days a year. "

Traders are trading in the market

But Chen Yinghong thinks he is different from other Putian people. When he was in his twenties, he chose to flee in the face of unpleasant people and things. And more than a decade later, the wealth earned in a foreign land makes him grow a vibrant self-confidence - I do not like you, then I change you.

When he returned to Putian, the Putian shoes that had bored him had changed compared to when they left. After ten years of evolution, it's no empty talk in Putian. Chen Yinghong's product development director Xiong Xiaojian in Guangdong for more than ten years sports shoes, "five meters away to see true and false" is a pet phrase. But ever since he came to Putian, he has to put it away. Not long ago, he looked for a shoe factory to talk about cooperation, the other took out two Yeezy350, let him guess the true and false, and then talk about business. After a few minutes of observation, he gave the correct answer. Such "top high imitation" on Taobao sold more than three thousand, while the price of take delivery of goods is about seven hundred.

In Chen Yinghong's view, too much attention to immediate interests and love and quick money are the limitations of many businessmen in Putian. But he also smelled the chance. Family members unanimously opposed his return to Putian to make shoes, which was considered a nerve. But in his eyes, the shoe is every one of the world's necessities, "sun industry". He felt that Putian, sitting on the world's most advanced footwear industry chain, there is no reason not to produce their own brands, only the lack of vision, enterprising entrepreneurs. And he's going to be the part. In order to show the determination of independent R & D production, he deliberately added the word "technology" in the company's name "two words".

In Putian, many shoe factories start making imitation shoes, because it is difficult for them to get large orders. And Chen Yinghong not only resolutely do not do imitation shoes, but also to do outdoor shoes directly. Compared with ordinary sports shoes, outdoor shoes are more complicated, more expensive and more risky. An intuitive contrast is that the number of general sports shoes factories is far more than that of outdoor shoes factories. But Chen Yinghong didn't care. He felt that the outdoor shoes are sports shoes "king of shoes", the outdoor shoes, others are "trifle".

Brand building is a slow effort, and Chen Yinghong has prepared for five years or more without making a profit. In the eyes of his peers, this is madness. His initial idea is to focus on product design, concentrate on the product to the acme, outsourcing the specific production, just like big brands looking for oem. Soon after returning to Putian, he visited a big shoe factory to seek cooperation. The other party refused: "I have a large list of hands now. I can't finish it. Why do I have to pick you up?"

After searching for half a year, no one was willing to take his order. After many snags, he decided to build his own factory. This means that both the cost of capital and the risk factor are rising linearly. Others disagree, think he is too aggressive, unrealistic, but he insisted that everyone does not know his thoughts. The Putian people have one of the biggest faults and lack of foresight. What if the production process is completely intelligent in the future and does not require human production? What a disaster! A brand is not afraid. "

In Putian, few people would like to listen to him. People are more used to making money than to think about the future. A description I heard repeatedly in Putian, if the two vehicles to Anfora goods vehicle rub, both sides will have a tacit head to apologize, even the brakes are not on, because can not afford to delay the time to make money.

Vendors are modifying vamp labels so that fake shoes look more realistic

In the upcoming market looked up, it is easy to find that the surveillance cameras are installed to take a proactive, Industrial and Commercial Bureau raids against. The exit signs of blue and white hanging above a row of the room, "Chengxiang District, counterfeit brand sports shoes office of the leading group, ten meters, transactions carried out in full swing. Out of the woods just across the Anfu, hanging on the sale of Taobao brand shop, "Anfu the safest, most durable, cooperation a lifelong friend".

"He's thinking too far away. For us, doing a single is a single, money into the pocket, the heart of the most practical.". "When talking about Chen Yinghong," said a shoe shop owner.

"But have you ever considered that being a high copy is not always right?". "I asked him.

"The man who buys it knows it's imitation."! A pair of Nike more than 200, everybody knows it can't be true. He is willing. As he spoke, he picked up a pear from the table. "If you make a fake pear, toxic, eat human life, it is terrible. What's wrong with fake shoes? Kill another man! And save money. You save money, I make money, the best of both worlds. "

Three

"Chen Zong, who is a typical ignorant man, is fearless and knows nothing about shoes at that time. "Xiong Xiaojian gave up the invitation of CONVERSE in 2007 and came to Putian from Guangzhou to take charge of product development. The reason for this choice is because he learned that Chen Yinghong is willing to spend 3 million yuan a year design fees, hire Korean designers to design fifty shoes, and the design of a shoe on the market is mostly thousands of dollars.

Xiong Xiaojian thought Chen Yinghong had such courage, must have straightened out each link. But that's not the case.

Before returning to Putian, in Guangzhou for more than ten years, Chen Yinghong made most of the difference in the foreign trade business, and for a long time, he felt that after all, to have their own industries, so there are two failed attempts. Once a computer bag is produced, and a pearl jewelry is made at once. A similar mistake is made: when making a computer bag, he mainly focuses on the product design, and thinks the production process is not difficult. But with the design to find people foundry, but found that good processing plants are Taiwanese monopoly, not willing to pick up, but willing to pick up a single factory, but it can not be created.

But he did not want to give up his desire to make a product, so he turned his eyes to the once rejected hometown. He feels backed by Putian's huge industrial clusters, and as long as a good product is polished, everything is not a problem.

However, he made the same mistake third times. From more than ten years, Putian has become and his imagination are not the same.

In Fujian, the city famous for shoes, except Putian, and Jinjiang. Two cities, 110 kilometers apart, used to be the OEM base for international sports shoes brands, but the Asian financial crisis in the late 90s made them both hit. The shoe factory bosses, who have fallen heavily on orders, have run away, leaving factories, production lines, shoe making materials, and tens of thousands of shoe-making workers.

The two seat shoe crisis, destiny bifurcation. Jinjiang shoe companies have begun to rise crazy advertising brand made movement, Anta in 1999 as a small workshop compared with today, but the annual profit three million yuan, but took eight hundred thousand please Kong Linghui in the CCTV sports channel shouted "I choose, I love", from the rapid rise. And Putian, then embarked on the production of high imitation shoes road. For people in Putian engaged in decades of industry and commerce, equipment, technology, materials, everything is not a problem. Large and small high imitation factories quickly breed, compared to regular foundries, they do not invoice, do not pay taxes, you can get the same raw material at lower prices, and then earn higher profits.

Such a development path, making Putian has more than 4000 shoe factories, but there is no one listed company, not a well-known brand, but also lack the ability to produce high-end products. Chen Yinghong found that he could not find the right designer in Putian. After several searches, he hired a Korean designer for $three million a year. His colleagues saw the design and couldn't help lamenting: "we're building boats. You're building an aircraft carrier.".

Chen Yinghong, who returned to Putian, is quite different from his peers. For example, although he dropped out early in the second year, followed his father out of business, he was very fond of reading. He studied EMBA at Zhongshan University and Xiamen University and studied abroad every year. His favorite books include Michael Porter's "national competitive advantage", Kevin Kelly's "out of control" and "inevitable", and almost every day in QQ space and WeChat circle of friends published reading experience.

But Putian shoe manufacturers do not think this is any great, can make money is the last word. Making shoes is a complicated and systematic project, and the difficulty of the following links is far beyond Chen Yinghong's imagination. Not only do not want to OEM, and even difficult to procure raw materials. In Xiong Xiaojian's words, if in the production of low-end sports shoes, Putian does not have the material, but elsewhere have high-end outdoor shoes in Putian at that time is still blank, want to buy local materials "is simply Arabian Nights".

In the face of difficulties, Chen Yinghong often adopts the attitude of other people that he is too paranoid. The Korean people think that the design drawings, mesh cloth color is too much, it is best to unify into one, otherwise the cost is too high. But he forbid to make any modification, feel that the valve once opened, sooner or later and other manufacturers homogenization. He visited Putian's largest cloth processing factory with a design. The other party held a calculator for a while, asking for three million. He thought it was only a few thousand dollars and almost fainted.

He had to turn his attention to overseas in order to solve the difficult problem of raw materials. Once went to Italy to participate in the exhibition of shoes, the staff responsible for the translation of visa before, he had to stand on one hand and shoes, a hand jerked his thumb, repeating several learning words: high quality, good design, very good.

Not only Putian counterparts, foreign counterparts also think he is an alien. For more than ten years, he has participated in hundreds of international shoes exhibition, about Putian shoes, he heard the most frequent two words are "copy" and "cheap". "A lot of people can't believe my shoes were made in Putian. "

He interpreted the surprise of his foreign counterparts as a respect for the quality of luo. But winning respect is one thing. Business deals are another story. Due to the low brand awareness, small orders, he had to purchase raw materials at a premium, the price rose by thirty or forty. The design of high manufacturing cost teellow relaxation pricing also go high line, each pair of price eight hundred to one thousand yuan.

This is a bet in the short run that is not expected to pay off, and few people are willing to pay a high price for an unfamiliar brand. In the eyes of colleagues, this is the survival of the road with Putian shoes against dry. One has tried to do their own brand, but also returned to imitation shoes business shoes, this view is that Putian shoes cheap fake overall image has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, high priced goods destined to have no way out. "If the shoe of good quality can have a way out." he said, "that Putian already is everywhere brand. "And Chen Yinghong's idea is:" Chinese products are always considered low prices, what is the reason? It's impossible to sell anything good! "

For a long time, colleagues and he gradually drifting away. He who is disgusted with him keeps the distance from him, but spreads the news in the trade, saying that he is mad and cheats. Even the edge of people are often disagreement with him, once in the seaside for dinner, Xiong Xiaojian could not help but sigh with Chen Yinghong: you really don't understand the shoes, you know you never dare to do this brand.

But Chen Yinghong didn't care. When leaving Putian ten years ago, he had tasted the taste of the destitute. He tried second more times to prove he was the right one.

Four

Chen Yinghong kept a photo taken in Tiananmen square, which was taken to the northeast during the teen years by collecting honey from the primeval forest. What does not appear in the picture is the patched pants, the shoes that are always the largest. Feet grow too fast in adolescence, but the father doesn't pay for them and always buys them shoes. Read the first two days, at the age of 16, he would follow his father's command, along with the family jishihaoren zounanchuangbei honey do business.

Then business was not about getting rich, just for survival. I asked a lot of people in Putian, why Putian people can let business spread all over the country, so that there is "Oriental Jews", the answer is "poor", "forced out", "living at home" can not go on".

Putian is surrounded by the sea, surrounded on three sides by mountains, separated from the surrounding terrain, and has fewer people. Geographical isolation also acts on language. Putian dialect is different from other parts of Fujian. Special pronunciation is called "sweet potato cavity"". In the vicinity of the city's view, Putian people poor and will not speak, "good women do not marry Putian men."". In desperation, the Putian people had to go out of Fujian and make a living.

The jeweler Rongfa father from Putian to Beijing in 90s with eight hundred dollars, lived in the train station, bridge, shelter, walk around at the goldsmith. At that time, gold and silver are state controlled items, can not flow freely in the market, private trading gold on suspicion of "crime of speculation". His gold instruments will soon be confiscated, but he was squatting in front of the police station, the police please eat and drink three drinks, going back to the things, address each other as brothers, has been acquiescence.

Rongfa think this is typical of the merchant of Putian: "fight, psychological ability, is good at the flexibility of the traditional code of conduct. "The other side of his Putian peers summed up is: Putian people bold, as long as you can earn money, legal and illegal, in addition to it.".

Putian people do business, like to hold together, and if someone leaves the clan members to do it alone, it must have been abandoned. In 1995, Rong's father brought more than a dozen of his family to Beijing. Because gold is so noisy and easy to check, they live in the basement of the three floor underground in Daxing, Xihongmen. In a few years, the underground gold workshop, lived dozens of people, all their relatives. A few years later, the gold business gradually bigger, he became the richest man in the North Town, in the village, the first to build six villas.

Follow a similar pattern, North Town hundreds of thousands across the country, occupy the top ten China jewelry brand to join the store 70%. Strictly speaking, it is not lawful to start an underground gold business, but in the Putian people's credit system, it is not affecting a person's reputation as long as he does not deceive his family and do improper things outside. If you can be respected, the key depends on how much you can spend for your family. Rong Fu donated to build the ancestral temple, the cost of twenty million. The motivation for making money comes from this. How much can you spend to survive alone? No, just earn money and go back to buy face? "

For the people of Putian, clan order was higher than all, but all the rules made Chen Yinghong, a young man, feel suppressed and fettered. It was hard to go out to pick up honey. Father not only gave him the most important task, but also made him buy food, cook dishes and wash dishes. He was responsible for the diet of dozens of people in his family. In his father's eyes, this was the cultivation of the eldest son, but he felt his father controlling his life.

In an uncle after his father took him back, beaten up, calling him a "treason and heresy". Reprimanded for a fierce resistance, after a new year home, Chen Yinghong stayed in Putian, go to Nike behalf of the factory work, and since then do not want to speak with his father. "At that time, as long as you leave my dad, I can do anything.". "

From then on, in the eyes of others, he became a habit against the traditional order of Putian. According to the regulations of Nike foundries, everyone can only concentrate on the processes at hand and must not cross the border. But he was not satisfied with this, less than a year, he found out the whole process of athletic shoes, and encouraged the two companions in the factory together and he set up the portal, the production of imitation shoes.

Different from today's skilled "Arab Israeli", the imitation process was very bad. Three people put all sorts of things together more than ten million, hired more than a dozen workers, but can not afford to buy advanced equipment, the day can only produce twenty two. Can not buy high-quality raw materials, had to use Nike foundries waste, the results of the whole batch of shoes degumming, loss of hundreds of thousands of.

Father let him do the dubious business, but more intense contradictions are still behind. He met a girl at the Nike factory who wanted to marry her, but his father vetoed him and arranged another marriage.

Today, some villages and towns in Putian still retain the old customs. They rarely and foreigners marriage, think it is useless, and even unfilial, family face damage. Even if the year round hard work, but also must go home to marry a daughter-in-law in Putian, business is good to pass on from generation to generation, so as not to fall into the hands of outsiders.

Dongzhuang, Zhongmen, north town a few do business outside the young people, the first task is to go home during the Chinese new year to date. A dozen girls often see every day, but also often have to queue up at the girl home. The amount of dowry wuliushiwan is common, more than one million is not rare. The most valuable is a 18 year old bride, some of the town's rules are the girls over the age of 18, each one year old bride price twenty thousand less.

A vendor who is filling out the express number

Under the government intervention, on New Year's day, several town will hang "bride price is not worth, marriage is not for sale", "high risk high fee being married feelings", "daughter is married to marry happiness is not money" slogan, but the dowry money still rising. I heard a story in ZHONGMEN Town: the two sides will amount to 800 thousand price, but when the man went home for cash when her parents call him not to come back again, because has to accept another 1 million dowry.

The idea of Putian people is that it is not important for them to live together and cultivate their feelings. It is important for them to know each other when they are married. Divorce is not tolerable, enough to make a person ruin. But Chen Yinghong was reluctant to accept his father's plans. He wanted to give him some Tuiqin, uncle, son without marriage, the whole family will get married with.

The next three or four years were a dark part of Chen Yinghong's life. Imitation shoes business failed, he worked in several shoe factories when the director, director, are not smooth, marriage is also a red light. He felt that his wife is a typical tall and virtuous, but is not feeling as an understanding wife and loving mother. The woman took away furniture, appliances, and her soon to be born daughter. He became the first man in the village to divorce.

Business and marriage both collapsed, and Chen Yinghong could not bear the look of rejection around him and went to Guangdong alone.

When he returned to Putian, he demolished the old house where his parents lived and spent about one million of the three storey villas. Rebellious and stubborn in youth, become more intense. The failure of the year's experience made it possible to build a good shoe, not just a business, but an obsession with his mind. He would like to prove himself, wash away the humiliation of the year.

Five

The prosperity of the fake shoes industry has made a large number of young people in Putian enjoy the thrill of wealth. Putian University distance Anfu market less than 1 kilometers, the birth of many classes during the day, night delivery students, open shop selling fake shoes get rich quick. After they left school, they continued to make a living. Therefore, Putian University had the nickname "a college of learning". "You don't see, we ride an electric car in the evening, pull goods, very hard to force, during the day I can drive Land Rover.". "A bull is full of pride.".

It was suggested that Chen Yinghong side do brand, while doing high imitation. In Putian, a lot of people do. A man named Song Zonghu's shoe business for a dozen years, foreign trade in the northeast, the Putian shoes sold to Russia in 2005, back to Putian footwear factories, not only do OEM, do imitation shoes, so there is two before a nickname, called "tiger", later called "Biao careless".

But Chen Yinghong never set foot in high imitation shoes. One is for the backlog of obsession, to prove to people that do have a legitimate business, the two is that high imitation shoes risk threshold is low, not the Red Sea, is the sea of blood.

Lured by the lure of interest, young people with strong sense of smell flocked to Putian from all over the country to participate in the high imitation business. The 26 year old Asoka Shaanxi three years ago in Post Bar saw several posts at a mood excited, bought a train ticket to Simon Anfu market next to the District, rented a Yishiyiting house, monthly rent of 1200 yuan, spent 2600 yuan to buy a second-hand notebook, registered the Taobao shop, then became a risk o.

In the vicinity of Anfu market, poles, trees and even the van rear window can be seen everywhere, "Taobao micro business training" advertisement. "Education with" benefit "describe the feelings of the class," are Taobao great God for more than ten years experience". After groping for a few months, his daily profit can be stabilized at more than one thousand yuan.

But last year, he felt more and more difficult to do business, the previous night out at eight points up the goods to call it a day, now ten out of twelve points to end. One reason is that Taobao is cracking down on fake shoes in Putian, shops are always closed, and two people are coming to Putian to buy gold. More and more people are able to hear the dialects all over the country. The more intense the competition, the thinner the profit. "If you do Taobao still need a little technology, do micro business, really even mentally retarded will, the threshold is too low.". "

Chen Yinghong did not like these phenomena, unlike the Putian businessman who was used to making a sound noise. He was willing to take the initiative to express his views. On various occasions, he repeatedly expressed concern about the future of Putian footwear industry, saying that many OEM orders are in the manufacture of garbage, and even dare to take the table with the city leaders at the industry meeting.

Xiong Xiaojian believes that Chen Yinghong's advantage is very good learning, but the disadvantage is not eager to learn through the performance, say too much. "People will think that I have a successful case here, you suddenly took a big horn to tell me that's not good, and you haven't made any money yet.". How can you hear me? "Xiong Xiaojian once represented Luo chi to attend an industry meeting, in the bus to the meeting place, some people commented:" Chen Yinghong this person, only can brag. He warned Chen Yinghong a little attention, but Chen unmoved, but specially founded a book called "Luo Chihong" magazine, wrote a long article discuss their views.

For a long time, in addition to their own raw materials suppliers, Chen Yinghong do not like to deal with peers, worried about stealing his ideas. The biggest thief is the one who steals your brains. Originality is worth a thousand pieces of gold, but if you say it, it is nothing. "For these years, the gradual establishment of brand image of Jinjiang counterparts, his view is that excessive capitalization, all in order to packaging listed, the shoes themselves do in general. "My idea has been very simple, that is, concentrate on specific production, make the best shoes. "

Despite careful attention, but the market still appeared "Luo relaxation" imitation. He initially tried to restrain anger, consolation: being copied that shoes respected brands, which not be copied? But over time, he gradually found something wrong: the outdoor footwear industry, the top two brands have begun to copy Luo Luo's design, and even copy promotional posters, but also copied his best-selling style. He showed me the contrast drawings of both products excitedly, except for logo, almost the same. "He is such a propaganda, do not understand people think I copied him.". How far do you say the industry is rogue? "

Merchants who ship large quantities at night

Business is going hard, and his relationship with his family becomes tricky. What makes him feel complicated is that he tries to prove to the family that he can make good shoes, but his family and relatives have started the imitation shoes business. Two different paths: a stark contrast to the third grade primary school only cousin began when the shoe is not smooth, more than half a year went bankrupt. Chen Yinghong felt that he does not have the ability to operate a plant, but for family friendship, or to help him. My cousin later nearly 1000 workers, a profit for the year about ten million, imitation shoes business is getting better and better, and the about fifty million Chen Yinghong back from Guangzhou but less.

In spite of the difficulties, Chen Yinghong persisted in his efforts. In addition to thinking about shoes, he has almost no spare time life and describes himself as "very mentally retarded from business."". Because the output has been little, the number of workers in Los Angeles has remained at two or three, and in Putian it is only a small factory. His frequency of describing grand ideas began to decline in the family, saying too much that they could not understand. "

But he occasionally still tempted to express the desire. He felt a cousin of an upstart like, but the other side is to earn money, not directly said what, he pretended to be careful not to forget the magazine in my cousin's house on the couch, "let him feel I was thinking about what kind of problem. "

Hard to support, by the end of 2013, a chain of shopping malls and Luochi Group signed an agreement, plans to open more than 100 stores counters in the northeast. Chen Yinghong was so excited that he thought the chance came at last. He has about forty million loans, covering tens of thousands of square meters of plant, plans to increase the workers to three thousand people.

At that time he did not expect, waiting for him will be a disaster.

Six

The first time I heard Chen Yinghong talking about divorce, I thought it was the result of his courageous struggle against the old rules, but the reverse was the case. After the divorce, he never joined the other members of the family because of his guilt. If I had my life over again, I would never have divorced. In any one thing, I can be their teacher, but marriage is not OK, not qualified. Divorce is not moral, no sense of responsibility, marriage can run in, I did not do. "

Two forces pulled him. On the one hand, he felt the pain was difficult for years because of the incompatibility with his surroundings and the idea of being too advanced. But on the other hand, he is unable to completely break the traditional etiquette in Putian.

At the divorce, the court awarded the daughter to her ex-wife. Later, after many setbacks, he brought his daughter back to bring up the adult. After sending his daughter to study in America, he began to think about his new marriage. He wanted a son, and it was a big deal for the Putian people who attached great importance to the lineage.

In 2014, according to the customs of Putian, he met his wife by blind date. The other is a high school teacher, 12 years younger than him, and eight brothers and sisters in the family, she is the youngest. When Chen Yinghong drove to the woman's village to meet her, she was wearing a dress and sitting on a rock at the entrance to the village. Chen Yinghong felt the scene moved him deeply. "She is very simple, but in spirit she has some pursuit. It's like me. Two people fall in love at first sight.

At the same time, large orders in the north-east have also made him feel at ease. Career and love go hand in hand, and he feels he has finally come up with a chance to prove himself.

A few months later, the situation worsened.

To expand production scale, Chen Yinghong has applied to the bank for nearly forty million yuan loan. And a lot of light assets of small and medium-sized private enterprises, Luochi through mutual bank lending to the different enterprises to provide a guarantee for each other, if one is not the money, the other party has the responsibility for the repayment guarantee. When the economic boom, business owners feel mutual insurance is just cover a chapter. But as the economy slows, industry suffers from bottlenecks and troubles arise.

Luochi mutual party is a production enterprise of LED, Chen Yinghong's cousin, as the financial manager here. Chen Yinghong believes her sympathy, not stocks not real, hard to focus on business, to create good products. But the company failed to withstand the recession and went bankrupt.

Chen Yinghong was not too worried at first. He believed that he was a responsible man and would try to pay his debts. But the news that made him uneasy came quickly: creditors rushed to the bank, the other party could not bear the pressure, went to Shanghai on foot, was caught back. According to the law, the burden of debt service has been passed on to him.

The bigger trouble is yet to come. In the mutual chain, the crisis will spread quickly, once a business problem, other security easy to be the bank that there is a risk in advance loan. Chen Yinghong quickly received the loan notice, requiring him to repay nearly 40 million yuan in advance loans.

"At that time, the mood is really an old blood gush out.". "The moment of crisis is catching up with the construction of his plant and the mass employment of workers.". He later assumed repeatedly that new orders could generate revenue and things could still spiral if a few months later.

But if the hypothesis is only hypothetical, the situation is out of control like an avalanche. There are financial transactions and Luochi suppliers have to pay the rent, there are people who wielded fist, is going to be hanged, someone pulled out a knife. The most difficult moment, hundreds of people containment at the factory gate, according to Chen Yinghong after the statistics, creditors up to more than 190. The bank listed him on the credit card list, and could not live in a star rated hotel. In order not to trouble their wives, although they did the wedding, but has not done the marriage formalities, the new son did not register.

Compared to him, the days of their lives were not better than usual, but they continued to earn fortunes in a more flexible and light way. I saw a man named "make shoes". "Signature" is a typical example of cock wire counter attack". He declined to be named and asked me to call him the Yellow Sea. His WeChat circle of friends forwarded a business owner crying to do industry difficult articles, forwarding language is: "or big Putian lucky, shoes do so, the outside has been a cold winter.". "

Vendors are modifying vamp labels so that fake shoes look more realistic

The Yellow Sea, 34 years old, from Fuzhou, a two university graduation, stay in the local for two years sales, feel low income, no future, back to Putian joined the ranks of the Arab Israeli adventure. Ten years later, he felt he had lived a good life on the basis of his intelligence. "Now people always feel that there is a relationship, there are doorways, very forced.". Why can't you think Putian people make money on their own brains? "

Unlike most of them, the Yellow Sea has never opened a Taobao store or a micro dealer. It feels that the threshold is low and the competition is fierce. We should make use of our advantages and differentiate ourselves. He knows English, programming, and now the main attack Alibaba, Facebook, Youtube, instgram and other channels, the shoes sold to the world's pursuit of trends, but also want to save money buyers.

He turned on the WhatsApp on his phone and showed me a chat record with overseas buyers. "You see, this is Czech, and this is Chile, and this is France.". In his spare time, he will read the Wall Street journal, the financial times and some foreign fashion information websites, and grasp the latest trends in the world. "You don't look down upon me. After all, I'm a small intellectual, too.". "

I talked to him about Chen Yinghong. He said he had heard the man, admired his spirit, but felt that he was not clever, thought too much and had too much to pursue. Five years ago, he had a similar idea with Chen: "Lao Zi has money, and can not do this on the top of the table.". He spent about one million in a shopping mall opened a women's shoes store, did three years, lost hundreds of thousands of. "Who don't want to do regular business, the economic downturn, the store did die, who dare to do? "

He is very satisfied with life now, think if this is in the Qing Dynasty, prince princess can enjoy the day: waking up at noon every day, playing games in the afternoon, pick up the kids from school, evening chat with buyer delivery, earn a higher income than first-tier cities, enjoying the clean air and leisurely life. "So many students from Peking University and Qinghua University in Beijing can afford to buy a house?" Putian, a lot of three rotten schools graduating from Afghanistan, and have not been to school, several suites, why? Because we have the brain, will choose, seize the business opportunities. "

Before leaving, he patted me on the shoulder: "Xiao Ho, think about the way of life, how to go?". It is still too late to change now when you are young. "

Seven

The sudden outbreak of mutual chain crisis for Chen Yinghong, like a sudden death. In desperation, he dismantled the factory building, sold the equipment, closed the store, and hundreds of workers stopped working. More than two years later, he was still beset by huge debts. In order to clean up inventory debt, shoes prices from nearly 1000 yuan dropped to two hundred or three hundred yuan, which means that the past ten years to create a high price boutique line failed.

After the crisis, left behind in addition to hundreds of thousands of pairs of inventory, there are a pair of nearly five meters high, printed with Luo logo blue shoes. This pair of shoes has become the people posed the goal in many exhibitions, but now, it stood alone in the office downstairs Chen Yinghong borrowed an abandoned basketball court, behind a piece of rubbish piled Huangcaotan.

More than 20 years ago, he left Putian, in the foreign trade business in Guangdong is getting better and better. Although he left the family did not have a good face, but he still follow the Putian people's code, the family of more than a dozen people have brought to Guangzhou, together to become rich. "You don't support them, you have to find the three kinds of nuns. You may not mix at home. "

More than 20 years later, he suffered a debt crisis, the cousin of the third grade primary school dropout lent him four million in addition, few people support his family. The elder sister suggested that he take the initiative to ask for help, he would not like to.

After returning to Putian for more than ten years, he still failed to gain the respect he had long wanted. But he still can not be reconciled, still believe that it can create a brand of generations. "I am a man who has strayed into shoes, and this is my life to make shoes."! He even had to let the son will inherit, develop his interest in shoes since childhood, "unless I die out now". Now, he is seeking in combination with other interested shoe, to create a "Internet plus" industry vertical supply chain management services platform ", to stage a comeback. In his description, this would trigger "a terrible fission reaction", "a few billion dollars of big business."".

One evening, he drove me to downtown Putian for dinner. On the road, he chatted again about the idea of a supply chain platform. On the morning of the second day, he was going to the city for a conference on the transformation and upgrading of the footwear industry, and he prayed that the city leaders could support his ideas. After a while, he showed a feeling of worry, afraid that the meeting would be a mere formality.

What he is discussing now has become quite different since he returned to Putian more than a decade ago - even to the opposite side. Once he did not like to work with people in Putian, nor was there any interest in enterprise capitalization.

"Is that what you really want to do?" "I can't help asking him.

"I can't help it. I have to live first.". "He became excited and said loudly:" I want to dream of concrete production, but I was dragged into the mud, I have to draw up! "

A week after returning to Beijing from Putian, I contacted the Yellow Sea again. Meet in Putian, he excitedly asked me if I can contact some nets big V, help him write soft Wen promotion shoes. But when he got back in touch, he looked like a different man. He sent me two videos in the upcoming market door -- police stopped a van, a car all away. On the second day I left Putian at night, industry and commerce, quality inspection, public security departments to carry out joint action in the upcoming market entrance card check, found fake shoes will be seized. The crackdown will continue for a long time, according to the news circulating in the ring.

The Yellow Sea's tone is somewhat helpless: "the vast majority of the working people at the bottom, it is not easy to earn some money.". "

Should interview requirements, Rong FA, the Yellow Sea pseudonym.

Wu Chengjie and Wu Yaochi also contributed to this article.

The operation process of Fujian University of Technology Mr. Zheng Shuxiang enthusiastic help generously.

Editor: Zeng Tao, interview: what Zhao Han wrote: what Tao, Zhao Han

Photograph: Jia Rui vision: Liang Shuang part of the picture: Oriental IC

The original page has been transcoding from ZAKER for viewing on mobile devices

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