I'm reborn and I'm an international student again?

But soon, Chen Xi realized that the two sides were definitely working against each other, and he had become a victim.

But why didn’t Shen Lang tell him such an important thing?
"What did the customs say?"

"They said that this was an untested hazardous substance and that there might be unknown items in it that are dangerous to the country."

"That's all bullshit! Someone from above must have given a heads up." Chen Xi snorted coldly.

"I know that too, but my dad went to negotiate, and they said the leader was not there." Chen Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"What do you mean the leader is not here? He is just deliberately not meeting me. Don't worry, I will call the consul and ask him when the time comes. By the way, what did Yang Qing say?"

"She seems to be very anxious. She has already gone to inform her father."

"Forget it. With Yang Dingtian's limited ability, it's unlikely he can survive." Chen Xi shook his head.

Official matters need to be resolved by official people.

"We have to get this done quickly. If we can't unload the garbage, the ship won't wait for us forever. Besides, Australia is still shipping garbage continuously. If it accumulates too much, we'll be finished."

"I know."

Chen Xu was anxious, and so was Chen Xi, but being anxious was not the solution, they still had to communicate with the official people first.

After going to the toilet, Chen Xi walked to the lobby on the first floor to find a vending machine to buy a bottle of drink.

"I finally invested some money, and you actually took me to the police station. Are you kidding me? This is my second time in prison."

"Hey, I've learned a lesson this time. I'll pay you back when the time comes."

"Forget it, forget it, we are all friends, let's talk about it later, I know your situation too."

Chen Xi was attracted by the conversation between the two people. When he turned around, he saw Ouyang Ming frowning and waving his hands.

"What's the matter, Brother Ou? This investment is risky. You'd better be more careful next time and discuss it more with Liya." Chen Xi walked over with a drink and patted the other person on the shoulder.

"Chen Xi, you're here. I plan to invest my money in China. There's a trade war going on now. I heard that my wine can't be shipped over."

"No way."

Chen Xi was shocked when he heard Ouyang Ming's words. According to his memory from his previous life, the situation shouldn't be so serious at this time.

In the past, only resources such as minerals were included in the banned list, and other items were subject to a tax increase at most.

"Of course not. There are a lot of fake foreign liquors in domestic clubs. For some liquors, only the bottles are real. Even if they are out of stock, they have other channels to buy liquor."

"Then what if the guests find out?"

"Hey, most of the clubs are informal, especially in coastal areas. Their venues may be open today, but not tomorrow. Do you think they care about selling fake liquor and causing a bad reputation?"

"Ah."

Ouyang Ming's words made some sense, and Chen Xi agreed after thinking about it.

"As for me, I've made quite a bit of money now. My family runs a clothing factory, and it used to be very profitable. People would think a product was a foreign brand if you just gave it an English name and packaged it. But times have changed. Consumers are savvy, and foreign brands have lost their appeal to many people. With the continued growth of e-commerce, the platforms have negotiated cooperation with factories and pushed prices very low, so we have no profit at all. My family doesn't want to be in the clothing business anymore, so we're planning to change careers."

"Then what should we do?" Chen Xi also felt that the clothing industry was really hopeless, and many of the big brands in the past were gradually closing down.

"A friend of mine said that recycling is very profitable now."

"Recycling? Isn't that the same as me?"

Chen Xi was delighted when he heard it.

"It's not your recycling. The types of recycling items here are relatively simple, that is, recycling old smartphones."

"An old cell phone? Do you want to extract the precious metals from it to make money? I advise you not to..."

This was Chen Xi’s first reaction when he heard about Ouyang Ming’s new business.

Although it is possible to extract precious metals from smartphones or disassemble components to make money, this is completely pointless.

Recycling old mobile phones requires a certain amount of manpower, material and financial resources, including the establishment of recycling channels, disassembly of mobile phones, and refining of precious metals. These costs will cause a certain compression of profit margins.

Moreover, the refining of precious metals requires professional technology and equipment to ensure the refining efficiency and the purity of precious metals. If the technical level is insufficient, it may lead to problems such as low refining efficiency and loss of precious metals.

It is generally difficult to find places to recycle old mobile phones in developed countries. Most of them are mobile phone stores that exchange old mobile phones for new ones so that consumers can make another purchase.

Because in the process of refining precious metals, harmful waste and wastewater may be generated, causing environmental pollution. Therefore, recycling old mobile phones for gold refining needs to strictly abide by environmental protection laws and regulations to ensure that environmental protection standards are met. This will increase certain operating costs and time costs.

For environmentally conscious countries like Australia, the cost of this type of refining far outweighs the benefits.

Besides, with Ouyang Ming's family background, it would be a bit of a waste to do this kind of business.

Moreover, although there are many smart phones in China, there are still many people using old non-smart phones.

In the eyes of some people, the three most practical functions are resistance to falling, ability to make calls and send text messages.

"Of course not. I'm not an alchemist. My friend didn't tell me how he makes money. Anyway, I'm responsible for getting old mobile phones from home and abroad for him. I don't worry about other things..."

Ouyang Ming's words were vague. Given his personality, Chen Xi felt that he could not persuade him. He could only ask him to discuss with Liya before making a decision.

"What's wrong? You look so bitter." Chen Xi looked at the dog again.

"I've been on the news. Today at school I felt like people were looking at me strangely. Do you think these purchasing agents think I've ruined their business?"

"What's there to worry about? Purchasing on behalf of others is illegal. How dare they blame you?"

"That's true." After being reminded by Chen Xi, Gou Zi instantly came to his senses.

"Okay, don't think too much and go to class." Looking at the time, Chen Xi patted their arms.

Gouzi should have learned his lesson after this incident, but Ouyang Ming...

In the second half of the class, the teacher was still explaining psychology issues on the stage.

Chen Xi thought about it and raised his hand and asked, "Teacher, you said that Australia's average wage is already the highest in the world, why are there so many people going on strike because of low wages?"

The teacher was stunned for a moment, then explained: "This is a very profound and complex question, which touches on a core concept in human psychology - the multi-level nature of relative deprivation and human dissatisfaction. First of all, from the perspective of social psychology, people's satisfaction is often not based solely on absolute income levels, but is more affected by relative status. Even though Australia's average salary is at the top of the world, individuals tend to compare themselves with people around them, people in the same social class, or "successful people" they know through the media. When this comparison shows that one is in a relatively disadvantaged position, even if the objective income is not low, dissatisfaction and deprivation may arise. This psychological phenomenon is called "relative deprivation."

Secondly, according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, human needs are hierarchical, from basic physiological needs (such as food, water, sleep) to safety needs, social needs, respect needs, and finally self-actualization needs. In developed countries such as Australia, although most people's basic physiological needs and safety needs are met, people's pursuit of higher-level needs - such as social status, respect, personal achievement and self-worth realization - is endless. Therefore, even if the salary level is high, if an individual feels that his social status, professional achievements or self-worth are not fully recognized or improved, he will still feel dissatisfied and disappointed.

Next is the theory of expectations. People form expectations about future income based on past experiences, current social environment, and personal goals and aspirations. When actual income fails to meet or exceed these expectations, even if the income is objectively considerable, it can lead to dissatisfaction and frustration. When this dissatisfaction accumulates to a certain extent, it may prompt people to take action, such as going on strike, to express their demands.

Social identity and cultural factors are also key factors. In some cultures and social groups, job and income satisfaction is not only determined by economic factors, but also influenced by group norms, values, and social expectations. If a culture emphasizes continuous progress and personal achievement, then even if an individual is quite successful financially, he or she may feel dissatisfied because he or she fails to meet the higher standards set by himself or the group.

So, although the average wage in Australia is relatively high, people’s dissatisfaction with wages and strike behavior are the result of the interaction of multiple psychological and social factors, reflecting the complex pursuit of satisfaction and the never-satisfied nature of human nature…”

"Teacher, are you satisfied with your current income?" Li Yuqing found an opportunity to take revenge.

"Of course I'm not satisfied. I usually go to some institutions to provide psychological counseling and earn a lot of money. I also participated in the last teachers' strike."

"Hahaha."

The teacher's words made all the students present burst into laughter.

Australian teachers are so real. They won’t put on a false front to maintain their unique image as teachers.

Chen Xi asked again: "Teacher, if a company already pays its employees high wages, and the employees still ask for a pay raise, and the boss doesn't give them a pay raise, they will make trouble, just like the strike in Australia, then won't the company go bankrupt sooner or later?"

The teacher glanced at Chen Xi and continued to explain: "This question touches on the core issues of organizational behavior and labor economics, especially employee motivation, labor relations and cost-benefit analysis.

First, from the perspective of organizational behavior, employee satisfaction and loyalty are crucial to the long-term success of a company. Although high wages are an important motivating factor, they are not the only means of motivation. According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, wages and benefits belong to hygiene factors, that is, if they are not satisfied, they will lead to employee dissatisfaction; but if they are satisfied, they will not necessarily lead to high satisfaction or high performance. What can truly stimulate employees' intrinsic motivation and creativity are those motivational factors related to achievement, recognition, work itself and career development, that is, motivational factors. Therefore, even if the company offers high wages, if employees feel insufficient in other motivational factors, they may still demand more rewards, including salary increases.

Secondly, the dynamics of the labor market is also a key factor. In a highly competitive labor market, employees have more choices. They may compare the salaries, benefits, working environment and career development opportunities of different companies to make the most favorable choice for themselves. If the company cannot meet the reasonable salary expectations of employees, employees may choose to leave, causing the company to face the risk of talent loss. This risk may force the company to consider increasing salaries to retain key talents.

From a cost-benefit analysis perspective, companies need to weigh the cost of increasing salaries against the potential benefits that come with it. Although increasing salaries may increase a company's operating costs in the short term, if this can improve employee satisfaction, loyalty and performance, leading to higher productivity, lower employee turnover and a better customer experience, then this investment may be worthwhile. Companies can also offset the pressure of salary increases by optimizing costs in other areas (such as improving efficiency through technological innovation and optimizing supply chain management to reduce costs).

Regarding employees expressing their dissatisfaction through strikes, this usually happens when other communication channels fail and employees feel ignored or exploited. From a psychological perspective, this is a form of collective action aimed at fighting for better treatment or improving the working environment through collective strength. Companies need to establish an effective communication mechanism, listen to employees' voices, and promptly address employees' concerns to avoid such extreme behavior.

A company will not necessarily go bankrupt because of employees' demands for salary increases. The key lies in how the company balances employees' salary expectations with the company's cost-effectiveness, and how to stimulate employees' intrinsic motivation and loyalty through effective incentives and communication mechanisms. By comprehensively using a variety of incentives, optimizing cost structures, and establishing effective communication mechanisms, the company can achieve sustainable development while meeting employees' reasonable needs.

We teachers went on strike before because teaching is a high-paid profession in Australia, with similar treatment to lawyers and doctors.

However, now other professions have increased their salaries. In recent years, there are more and more international students in Australia, but our salaries have not increased. Teachers have long been dissatisfied...

So… the operation of a company is similar to that of a country. From a human perspective, if you don’t want employees to ask for a raise every day, you have to let them know the company’s general profit. For example, if the company only makes 100,000 yuan a year and the employee’s annual salary is 100,000 yuan, do you think he will still ask for a raise? If he asks for a raise, the company will go bankrupt and he will not get any salary. ”

Chen Xi was amused after hearing this, and he looked at the teacher without disguising it and asked, "Are you saying that bosses should just pretend to be poor?"

"Well, I never said that. But every time we go on strike, the Australian officials pretend to be poor and say every day that they have financial problems..." The teacher coughed lightly and changed the way he answered Chen Xi's question while complaining about his dissatisfaction with the Australian officials.

If Australian teachers want to go on strike, they will most likely not go to the school to cause trouble, but will directly suspend classes to show the authorities. This is because a lot of teachers' salaries are paid by government subsidies.

There's no point making trouble in front of the school. A school is actually just a company. If you make trouble in front of the board of directors, most of them will ignore you.

"Ha, in the first half of the class he was talking a lot about how to relieve anxiety due to lack of money, but it turns out that he usually relies on going on strike to vent his emotions..." Li Yuqing covered her mouth and mocked the teacher in private.

"Hahaha, this teacher is so interesting!"

"But what he said makes sense. How can employees ask for a raise when they see that their bosses are not making any money?"

"No wonder I always see domestic bosses crying poor at home but pretending to be rich outside. It turns out this is the reason."

"A professor is a professor. If you don't have the skills, you can't teach at a university!"

The class ended with everyone's discussion.

After class, Chen Xi hurriedly called Shen Lang.

"Hey, Mr. Consul. The country has stopped accepting my garbage..."

"Oh? Is there such a thing?" Shen Lang's somewhat surprised voice came from the phone.

"Don't pretend, we are all old acquaintances, don't tell me you don't know about this."

"I really don't know. Do you think I'm practicing Tai Chi with you?"

"Let's not discuss this issue first, let's talk about what to do. The garbage is now on the ship and cannot be unloaded. The ship cannot stay in the port forever, so we must think of a solution. I know the efficiency of your official communication. We can't contact the leaders of the customs in China..."

"Wait a minute, I'll ask first and then let you know."

"Don't fool me, my business makes hundreds of millions of dollars a year."

"You kid, I'm a consul after all, how can you talk to me like this..." Shen Lang scolded jokingly.

After hanging up the phone with Chen Xi, Shen Lang sighed.

How could he not know why the customs refused to unload the goods?

They simply want to use this method to force Australia to compromise.

Think about it, if Australia's garbage cannot be transported out, the sanitation problem will definitely arouse public resentment, and Australia will not be able to find other places to dispose of the garbage in a short period of time, which has become one of the bargaining chips.

Many small bargaining chips add up to a lot, and you will have the confidence to speak at the negotiation table. Diplomacy is about who has the bigger fist and who has the more powerful words.

Thinking of how much help Chen Xi had given, Shen Lang hesitated for a moment before silently picking up the phone on the table and calling back home.

At this time, Yang Dingtian, who was far away in China, was not idle either. The recycling business was very profitable and had become one of his important sources of income.

Faced with the temptation of huge profits, Yang Dingtian spent a lot of effort to build relationships this time.

However, in the confrontation between the two countries, his little money was like a sesame seed and seemed insignificant.

Yang Dingtian was rejected several times in a row, which made him doubt his development direction.

He has always been the local emperor of Qilin City. Outside of Jianghuai Province, his ability is incomparable to other famous entrepreneurs.

Chen Yifeng, the Xu family, and Shi Danai are now cooperating with the official authorities. He was not qualified to attend the last meeting, which has made Yang Dingtian feel shaken.

In his opinion, if he wants to have a good relationship with the authorities, he needs to pay more money.

Unconsciously, Yang Dingtian's thoughts led him further and further down the wrong path... (End of this chapter)