MMB Chapter 1466 Building a Large Airplane?
Chapter 1466 Building a Large Airplane?
Chapter 1466 Building a Large Airplane?
The bottle of red wine that Zhou Yamei hid had a really strong aftereffect. I don't know if it was too strong or what, but I started hallucinating.
Why did Zhou Xiaoling go out naked?
Li Xuewu quickly closed his eyes and waited a while before opening them again. He then realized that he hadn't drunk too much, because she had returned naked.
"Second brother, I have no clothes to wear..."
"Wait a minute, let me sort this out."
Li Xuewu raised his hand to his brow and asked, "Did you not have any clothes to wear this morning, or have you been like this since last night...?"
"Second Brother..." Zhou Xiaoling glanced weakly at the scattered pajamas on the ground, wanting to explain something.
Need I explain? There are only three people in this house, so the culprit couldn't possibly be the silly kid downstairs.
"My clothes are in the walk-in closet."
Li Xuewu sighed helplessly and pointed in the direction of the dressing room.
As Lu Xun once said, "Handsome men are exhausted, beautiful women suffer." Sometimes he truly feels weary of his own irresistible charm, wondering when it will all end.
He's already this old and people still take the initiative to him. Can you blame him for this?
"Second brother, I'm wearing your shirt."
Zhou Xiaoling came out of the dressing room, her large shirt unable to conceal her two slender legs.
Not too coarse, not too fine; healthy and beautiful.
She looked somewhat awkwardly at Li Xuewu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed scrutinizing her, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
To say I'm scared, that's Li Xuewu; to say I'm secretly pleased, I'm afraid he'll deny it; to say my back aches...
"Where are your clothes? Did you wash them?"
Li Xuewu composed himself, stood up, went to the restroom, and asked, "Are we flying today?"
"It'll be evening soon, I can leave this morning." Afraid that Li Xuewu would kick her out, Zhou Xiaoling proactively added, "I didn't bring a change of clothes, but the clothes I washed yesterday will be dry this morning..."
"Okay, I'll pick you up at noon today."
Li Xuewu was brushing his teeth, and his voice was a little muffled, but Zhou Xiaoling still understood him quite well.
She wanted to ask him where he was taking her when he picked her up at noon, but she opened her mouth and didn't dare to ask.
What if? What if...
She glanced at the clothes on the ground, blushed, and squatted down to pick them up one by one.
Just then, Li Xuewu came out of the bathroom after washing up and saw her squatting on the ground; her shirt was a little too small.
Downstairs, Mr. Jia, who had rested all night, was full of energy and prepared a hearty breakfast.
Seeing Li Xuewu come downstairs, he nodded and greeted him, "Good morning, Uncle Wu."
"Good morning. What time did you get up?"
Li Xuewu didn't go to the living room; instead, he stood in the entryway and changed into the rubber-soled shoes he usually wore for running.
This was bought for him by Zhou Yamei from Gangcheng Department Store. She said it was a special model for athletes, and it was especially comfortable.
White sneakers, a fashion item that was later popularized by non-mainstream trends, are now the most fashionable outfit of our time.
However, natural rubber does have irreplaceable advantages, so can it be considered purely natural?
Wearing a blue and white tracksuit and white sneakers, he finally looked like a young man.
"I got up at 6:30 and already went for a run." Banggeng came out of the kitchen and, seeing him about to go for a run, quickly explained, "I went to the market."
"You went for a run? That's great."
Li Xuewu glanced at him and saw that he was indeed in good spirits, so he nodded and said, "Don't wait for me for breakfast, you guys eat first."
After saying that, without waiting for Banggeng's reply, he pushed open the door and walked out of the yard. He stretched his arms and legs at the yard gate to loosen up his joints before starting to jog.
Zhou Xiaoling stood by the window of her second-floor bedroom, watching him run away before turning around and going downstairs.
Bang Geng was about to speak when he saw her come down, but he couldn't help but frown when he saw her dressed like that.
"How old are you? Don't you know how to wear pants?"
"None of your business—" Zhou Xiaoling glared at him, then retorted, "Did I show it to you?—"
"Tch—" Banggeng turned his head away disdainfully, muttering with a smirk, "Who cares about you?"
"Just mind your own business."
Zhou Xiaoling walked to her suitcase, tidied up her torn pajamas, ignored the change of clothes in the suitcase, and continued to wear her second brother's white shirt.
"Hey, don't say I'm just bullying you."
Thinking of Banggeng who was making breakfast, she couldn't just sit idly by while she was eating and drinking for free.
For my second brother? He wouldn't accept anything. There happened to be a water cup from his workplace in the box, so I picked it up, walked to the kitchen door, and handed it to Banggeng, who was cooking.
Banggeng rolled his eyes and snorted, "When have you ever bullied me? Don't take advantage of me."
"Okay, so you're the leader, right?"
Zhou Xiaoling placed the water glass on the cabinet, raised her eyebrows, and said, "The most successful people in Beijing all have one; it's a rare find."
"Do you want it or not? If not, I can give it to someone else."
She deliberately teased the staff, pretending to take back the stainless steel water cup that she had just placed on the cabinet.
Bang Geng was honest; how could he refuse a freebie? He snatched it before she could.
"Tch, pretending to be reserved—"
Zhou Xiaoling noticed the smug look on his face and chuckled.
Bang Geng didn't care at all, and raised the water glass in his hand to her, saying, "Don't think that I'll like you just because of this."
"Thank you, but please don't fall in love with me."
Zhou Xiaoling raised her eyebrows and said in an even more arrogant tone than him, "I have so many suitors, someone like you would be way out of the running."
"Who said I like you!" Banggeng retorted, annoyed. "That's not the kind of 'like' I meant!"
"Okay, okay, I understand if you don't dare to admit it."
As if she had caught him, Zhou Xiaoling turned around nonchalantly and said, "He's just a little boy."
Bang Geng in the kitchen was furious; a boy his age cares most about his reputation.
If his younger brother found out that he actually liked an old woman, wouldn't he lose all face?
"Don't think I don't know your evil intentions!" Bang Geng glared at Zhou Xiaoling, who was fiddling with the radio in the living room, and said.
Zhou Xiaoling stopped turning the knob when she heard the Red Star United Broadcasting Station program coming from the radio.
She pretended to ignore Bang Geng, packing her things while listening to the morning news.
Just as the announcer from the United Broadcasting Station mentioned the completion of the First Steel Rolling Mill in Beijing, Li Xuewu jogged to the gate of the compound.
Banggeng wanted to hand over the towel, but when he came out of the kitchen, he saw that the old woman was already waiting in the entryway.
"Hmph—lackey—"
"Who are you calling a lackey?" Zhou Xiaoling was also a bad person, deliberately setting a trap.
Ke Banggeng didn't notice; he was used to bickering with her and blurted out, "I'm talking about you, you lackey!"
"Oh—" Zhou Xiaoling drawled, "So it was that lackey talking about me—"
***
"According to the demolition schedule, all work in Beijing will be suspended by the end of the month, while in the steel city, production must resume at the latest by the end of November."
Zhang Jing flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray and reported to the secretary-general sitting on the sofa: "We have a general idea of the situation at Beijing No. 1 Factory. They say the equipment and facilities transferred from the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill are almost ready for commissioning."
"Much worse—"
Li Xuewu flipped through the documents in his hand and said calmly, "The organizational structure and personnel structure of Beijing No. 1 Factory are equally complex. Just sorting them out would take more than half a year."
"Wasn't it said that Beijing's industries would be directly managed?"
Zhang Jing asked, "What direct impact does their progress have on us? Do they need technical support?"
"Not only that, there are also production tasks."
Li Xuewu sighed, looked up at him and explained, "I handled this matter myself. In order to allow Beijing Industrial to accept the employees who stayed in Beijing, the group agreed to support the production work of Beijing No. 1 Factory."
"How exactly will this support be provided?" Zhang Jing raised an eyebrow and asked, "Could it be contract manufacturing?"
"That's pretty much what it means."
Li Xuewu put down the documents in his hand, scratched his head, and said, "The steel rolling mill in Gangcheng will be under a lot of pressure this year and next year."
"No wonder Director Kuang was so angry."
Having understood the situation, Zhang Jing gently reminded him, "Shenfei is still waiting for your reply. If the steel mill's production capacity can't keep up, and the parts production capacity is affected, then this cooperation between the two parties..."
"Let's see how things go."
Li Xuewu stood up, walked to his desk, picked up a manuscript, looked at it, and put it aside.
"That's all the assistance I can provide regarding the application for help from the Liaodong branch of the research institute."
He instructed, "Go over there in a bit and see what practical difficulties they have. Try to resolve them if you can, and don't let the problems get passed around to the group."
"Wang Xin from Shenfei invited me to lunch. If you have time, you can join me."
"Going to Fengcheng? At this time?"
Zhang Jing looked at his watch in surprise. It was almost ten o'clock. It would take three or four hours to get to Fengcheng.
"He's come to Steel City for a meeting."
Li Xuewu tapped the manuscript on the table with his fingers, then turned around and sat down behind his desk.
"The vice president of Capital Automobile Company is coming to Gangcheng this afternoon. Go pick him up and we'll discuss business with them."
"Then I won't go over at noon."
Zhang Jing stood up, picked up the documents on his desk, and said, "I'll ask Comrade Enyuan in a bit. If he's free, let him go with you."
"I'll take care of this matter first in the morning, and then prepare for the reception at noon, otherwise I won't be able to handle it."
"Okay, no need for it to be too lively."
Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip, and explained, "The group has already finalized the specific cooperation plan. It was Mr. Li who discussed it with their CEO."
"What is the direction of the cooperation...?"
Zhang Jing raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "Are you selling or buying a car?"
"We neither buy nor sell them; they are operational vehicles."
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and explained simply, "They want to introduce several models from our Steel Automobile to be used as city taxis to improve their service image."
"Taxi operation?" Zhang Jing's eyes widened, and he said with a smile, "That's something new."
"What's so new about it?"
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and said, "Taxis have been around in Beijing for a long time, and they've been around in Guangzhou for a while too."
If you asked Li Xuewu to say when taxis first appeared in Beijing, he really wouldn't be able to say for sure.
It is said that taxis existed before the liberation, that is, right after the fall of the Qing Dynasty. However, the car dealership called Feiyan was run by the French, and it was the ancestor of taxis in Beijing.
Back then, car rentals were mostly for foreigners and upper-class people in China, and the prices were so high that ordinary people couldn't afford them.
Further on, Li Xuewu only knew about the Capital Automobile Company, which was also mentioned in a document from the group. Only then did he carefully investigate the company's history.
Established in April 1951, the initial operating vehicles were requisitioned from various departments.
In his memory, the Russian cars like the ZIM and ZIS running on the streets all bore the license plates of the Capital Automobile Company.
Later, private individuals were also allowed to operate taxis. Those with the ability brought in new models such as Tatra and Skoda, and the taxi industry in Beijing became very popular for a while.
Li Xuewu remembers that these taxis used to be called "wildcat taxis" because they didn't have fixed stops or a dedicated management agency.
It wasn't until after the public-private partnership, starting in the 1950s, that the taxi industry began to decline.
In the first ten years, how many ordinary people could afford to take a taxi? They even thought taking the bus was too expensive.
At that time, taxis mainly served important meetings and foreign affairs activities; ordinary people could see them but couldn't get a ride in them.
Anyway, Li Xuewu has never taken a taxi since he was a child, or even to this day, for fear that people will think he is showing off.
At that time, taxi fares were calculated based on distance, and drivers received a fixed salary, so their income was not high and not as glamorous as people might imagine.
In the first ten years, when our relationship with Northern Russia was still relatively good, most of the taxis in Beijing were Russian or Eastern European, such as those from Warsaw and Volga.
Lou Yu also bought imported Volga around that time, feeling that since she had money to burn, she should enjoy it.
In recent years, import and export trade has been constrained. Although some individuals can continue to enjoy high-end imported cars, it is not easy for the Capital Automobile Company to upgrade its taxi fleet.
Even if the number of taxis in operation is not large at this time, it is not easy to replace the vehicles given the current scale.
The more restricted something is, the more expensive it is to import, since it doesn't come from legitimate channels.
It's said that taxi drivers in Beijing generally have average income and benefits, but taxi drivers in Guangzhou are different.
In 1955 and 1956, to support the booming commerce, foreign trade, and tourism of Guangzhou and to prepare for the first China International Import and Export Fair to be held in Guangzhou, the city established the Guangzhou City Automobile Company based on recommendations from higher authorities. This was one of the earliest taxi companies in China, following the Capital Automobile Company in Beijing.
I can understand talking about commerce and foreign trade, but why is there tourism? Did the tourism industry even exist back then?
The answer is yes, just like the distinctive tourist attractions of the Northern Dynasties in later times, except that there are not as many NPCs and no artificial scenery.
When "Yangqi" was first established, it only had more than 60 operating vehicles, similar to the start of "Shouqi". However, while the number of vehicles was similar, the quality was much higher.
All of the more than sixty cars owned by "Yangqi" were imported from abroad, including famous European brands such as Volga and Moritz. The most luxurious of them was the only Mercedes-Benz in Guangzhou at the time, which was only qualified to be ridden by distinguished guests of a certain rank.
After dropping off passengers at hotels or restaurants, drivers can enjoy a meal of 40 cents each, including one dish and one soup, and unlimited rice. They can also receive a 30-cent meal allowance from the company each time.
Therefore, in this era, taxi drivers are a respected and desirable profession, and are known as one of the "Three Treasures" of Gangdong (driver, doctor, and pork seller).
Why did Li Xuewu need to know so much about the taxi market and operations in Beijing and Guangzhou?
The deputy general manager of Shouqi came here this time, but he was actually there for Li Huaide. Li Huaide had discussed the surface of the cooperation with Shouqi, but the rest of the details were up to Li Huaide to implement.
This matter should have been Gao Yaqin's responsibility, but she had an important cooperation meeting in Hong Kong a week ago and was not at home.
He never fights a battle unprepared; the other side had already made it clear that they wanted to learn from him.
In Beijing's industrial circles, everyone knows that Hongxing Steel Group has a youngest leader named Li Xuewu.
Besides the joke about him being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, there's also the legendary story of how he supported and helped Li Huaide establish the Hongxing Steel Group that it is today.
Using the term "myth" here is not an exaggeration at all. It's not a formal conclusion, and like the idea of being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, it all came up in casual conversation.
If Shouqi wants to operate taxis, Gangqi is the best partner for them because Gangqi has a lot of vehicles.
Look, if you want a Jeep, there's the Red Star Antelope and Gemini; if you want a sedan, there's the Aries; if you want a motorcycle, there's the Red Bull and Comet; if you want a minivan, there's the Hongyun; if you want a bus, there's the Hongtu and Honghai. There are just too many models to choose from.
Hongyun minivans come in three models: 7-seater, 9-seater, and 12-seater, not to mention special vehicles.
The joint operation of taxis is actually quite simple: Steelworks provides the vehicles, Shouqi provides the personnel, and the cooperation is mutually beneficial, aiming to grow the business bigger and stronger. The remaining issues are simply personnel and financial allocation in the joint operation management, which are all negotiable.
This time, however, he waited for the other party in the steel city not only to discuss the delivery of the car, but also to provide personnel.
-
"Second brother——"
Although Li Xuewu had told her in the morning that he would pick her up at noon, Zhou Xiaoling was still very uneasy when she received his call. She was afraid that he would arrange for her to "fly away" and never come back.
The car was parked at the entrance of the courtyard. Li Xuewu rolled down the window and waved to her as she ran out, saying, "Get in the car."
"Won't this cause you any trouble?"
After getting into the car, Zhou Xiaoling carefully said, "I'll just have something simple for lunch."
Banggeng wasn't home; I don't know where he went. He left after Li Xuewu went to work this morning.
Zhou Xiaoling and he were sworn enemies; they would start arguing after only a few words, so they could never see eye to eye.
Actually, Li Xuewu gave Banggeng a holiday, didn't ask him to stay home and read books, and didn't force him to go to work at the dock. He came back from Yingcheng to give him time to think things through.
Ultimately, it's up to him to choose which path to take.
Don't let Qin Huairu complain that he doesn't cherish their past relationship, or let Bang Geng resent that he led her down the wrong path.
If Banggeng were his own son, he would have been willing to toughen him up as much as possible. He wouldn't be so casual about it. Boys need to experience more things, otherwise he will never know what the second and third floors of Honglangman are for.
Someone invited me to lunch.
Li Xuewu crossed his legs, rested his hands on his knees, and looked at the girl beside him, explaining, "You don't need to worry about him, just focus on eating your fill."
"Alright, I'll do as you say."
Zhou Xiaoling returned to her usual lively self in front of him, showing no concern whatsoever about what happened last night.
She had thought it all through. She didn't have the ability to take her second brother for herself; she would be content to be good friends with him.
Seeing Zhou Miaomiao's meteoric rise to fame and Han Lu's haughty favor, she felt no envy or jealousy whatsoever.
Zhou Miaomiao loves power, Han Lu loves money, and she only likes to follow her second brother to broaden her horizons and see his powerful presence.
These are her true feelings at this moment, but don't call her love-struck; she also has a realistic side.
Considering my second brother's living conditions, a careful calculation of his expenses would reveal that he must have other sources of income.
Several leaders in the group have higher salaries and better benefits than my second brother, so why don't the others live as carefree as him? Is it just because their partners are more outstanding?
How could that be? My second brother's wife is outstanding. What does she have to do with the Li family? She's very close to Li Xue.
If we ignore Li Xuewu and only look at Li Xue's life, she used to have suitors, but now no one dares to.
Most people couldn't name the clothes, shoes, backpack, and pen that Li Xue wore.
A young woman who has only been working for a few years already owns a watch on her wrist and a bicycle for commuting to get off work.
If people didn't know who her second brother was, they might have spread rumors that she was marrying into a wealthy family.
Although Zhou Xiaoling hadn't heard Li Xue mention her second brother's source of income during their interactions, she had gathered a general idea from the names of Shen Guodong and others that Li Xue mentioned.
Who is Shen Guodong?
Not many people in the group may know him, but almost everyone wears clothing and equipment he manages.
Zhou Xiaoling is a smart woman; otherwise, she wouldn't have resorted to a roundabout approach, choosing to win over Li Xue instead of Li Xuewu.
This success cannot be called a coincidence, but rather a matter of chance; her second brother lowered his guard against her.
If she makes any demands at this point, or becomes arrogant and spoiled, then she's not far from running away.
You can't ask for things, you can't make demands, and you can't use this relationship as an excuse. The simpler the relationship, the better.
The smarter she is, the longer she will last.
Li Xuewu could see through her little schemes and cleverness. She said she didn't bring any change of clothes, so where did she get the outfit she was wearing? She said she didn't need to be taken out to eat, so who was she wearing that light makeup for?
However, he wouldn't reveal these things to her; he simply liked intelligent people, especially girls who weren't overly intelligent.
In the car, Zhou Xiaoling secretly sized him up and also looked at the driver, as if she had done something wrong.
What if her second brother takes her hand?
In fact, she was overthinking it. Li Xuewu barely spoke the whole way, and the driver was practically mute.
The car entered the city and stopped in front of a guesthouse, where people were already waiting.
"Secretary-General Li, it's been a long time."
Wang Xin was very enthusiastic; he gave Li Xuewu a hug as soon as he got out of the car.
As expected of students trained by the Russians, they not only learned how to build airplanes, but also how to maintain social etiquette.
Li Xuewu was not used to the way the Russians greeted him; he preferred the politeness of the young devils.
Of course, he appreciated the politeness of the other person bowing like a little devil, but he himself would never do that.
"Saying it will take a long time is a bit of a stretch."
Li Xuewu chuckled and shook hands with him, saying, "It's not even fifteen days at most."
"Hahaha—" Wang Xin didn't mind being accused of hypocrisy by Li Xuewu. He laughed and patted Li Xuewu's arm, saying, "A day apart feels like three autumns."
"If you put it that way, I can't argue with you."
Li Xuewu released his hand, beckoned Zhou Xiaoling to come closer, and introduced her: "This is our best flight attendant, Comrade Zhou Xiaoling."
He then gestured to Wang Xin and introduced him, saying, "This is Wang Xin, the deputy director of Shenyang Aircraft Corporation. You can call him Director Wang."
"Just call me Brother Wang. Today is a reunion of old friends, don't be so serious."
Wang Xin didn't notice that Li Xuewu had brought a pretty girl to the banquet, knowing that the other party was on guard.
He smiled and shook hands with Zhou Xiaoling, saying, "We should have met before. When we visited Beijing, you were the one who did the service work, right?"
Thank you for remembering me.
Zhou Xiaoling has received professional training and is able to handle people and situations with remarkable adaptability.
Her smile and demeanor weren't exactly grand, but they weren't demure like a girl from a modest family either; they were very pleasant to be around.
Wang Xin smiled and nodded, inviting the two inside. He introduced, "This is the Air Force Construction's guesthouse. I always stay here when I come here. The food is very good."
He walked with Li Xuewu to the restaurant and emphasized, "You can try it. If you like it, come here often to support their work."
Are the restaurants here open to the public?
Looking around, Li Xuewu realized that the place was too isolated. Only employees of his own unit and people with connections like Wang Xin could come here to eat.
Actually, calling him a "connected person" isn't quite accurate. Wang Xin was a cadre under the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry, and wherever he went, he could stay in guesthouses that were practically empty, which was considered a work requirement.
"To the outside world, it's just that ordinary people can't find it."
Wang Xin turned his head and glanced at him; his smile explained everything.
People of Li Xuewu's status are naturally welcome, but others... may not be able to get in.
Wang Xin was clearly treating them, and even prepared a table for the meal. As soon as they came in, the dishes were served.
To be honest, I haven't tasted the food yet, but the service is definitely good.
It can't be compared to the Red Star Hotel and the International Hotel, but it's still far superior to most hotels.
At least he had a smile on his face and spoke in a gentle tone, unlike a debtor.
"How about some white food for lunch? Is that appropriate?"
Wang Xin gestured to the liquor on the table and asked Li Xuewu for his opinion.
Li Xuewu waved his hand dismissively and said, "I'm free this afternoon, so it's up to you."
"Then let's have a few drinks."
Seeing that he accepted the challenge, Wang Xin smiled and picked up the wine bottle, saying, "I know your drinking capacity. Let's just catch up and have a chat."
This was the first time he had spoken a conciliatory word that day; he was genuinely afraid that Li Xuewu would misunderstand and try to kill him.
No matter how much he drinks, Li Xuewu won't die, but he's doomed.
"Would you like something to drink, Comrade Xiaoling?"
Wang Xin not only took care of Li Xuewu, but also took the initiative to care for Zhou Xiaoling, who was sitting next to him.
Li Xuewu said he had nothing to do in the afternoon, but that was to avoid offending him; he intended to have a talk with him.
But Zhou Xiaoling was also brought along, indicating that she didn't want him to talk in a too official or hypocritical way.
Since we're meeting in private, let's talk about things we can talk about, neither too high nor too low.
Saying it too high would be impolite to Zhou Xiaoling, while saying it too low would make Zhou Xiaoling understand.
So now you know why some leaders like to bring female colleagues when they go out for social events—they all have ulterior motives.
Of course, there are more with malicious intentions.
"I'll be fine with tea."
Zhou Xiaoling smiled politely and said, "You don't need to be so polite, I don't drink alcohol."
"Then let's have some fruit wine. Their fruit wine is all produced in Liaodong, and it's sweet."
Before she could be polite again, Wang Xin asked the waiter who came in to serve the dishes for a bottle of fruit wine.
"Thank you, Director Wang!"
"No need to be polite, just call me Brother Wang."
Hearing Zhou Xiaoling's sweet politeness, Wang Xin smiled and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "Is it alright to call me that?"
"I don't need to call you."
Seeing his meaningful smile, Li Xuewu knew he was doing it on purpose, and casually made a joke.
Regardless of whether Li Xuewu and this girl had that kind of relationship, Wang Xin would use ambiguous glances to get closer to each other so that they could begin today's topic.
There was no extravagance; the three of them only ordered four dishes and a soup, which was a generous portion, with both meat and vegetables.
Zhou Xiaoling kept her second brother's instructions in mind. When they started talking, she just ate her meal quietly and didn't say anything unless asked.
Li Xuewu knew what he wanted to talk about, and didn't keep him hanging on; there was absolutely no need for that between him and Shen Fei.
Seeing his reaction, Wang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and gradually steered the conversation toward serious matters.
"After returning from Beijing last time, our Director Zhou spent two whole days thinking about it and summarizing the trip and what he saw and heard in detail."
He raised his glass and took a sip with Li Xuewu before continuing, "He told us that it's no good to be narrow-minded. They used to say that Northeast China was the big brother, with top-notch industrial technology, but now their management capabilities are lagging far behind, and their industrial technology can't catch up..."
"That's a generalization," Li Xuewu said with a smile, putting down his wine glass and looking at him. "When I say something good about Hongxing Steel Group, don't accuse me of self-promotion."
Seeing him shake his head, Li Xuewu continued, "We just shed our burdens and, with the permission and support of the policies above, moved forward for a while."
"This section does not represent the overall strength of Beijing's industry; the Northeast is still the leading industrial region."
He placed his finger on the side of the wine glass, letting the other person fill it up, and said, "Otherwise, we wouldn't have moved all our industrial enterprises to Liaodong, wouldn't you agree?"
"That also provides fertile ground for cultivating excellence."
Wang Xinzhen was good at talking. After filling his glass of wine, he smiled and said, "We've also been thinking, if a company like Hongxing Steel Group can be nurtured, will companies like Hongxing Steel Group spring up like mushrooms after rain in the South, where management capabilities are even better?"
"Times are changing, and society is progressing," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "You can't expect the national industrial layout to stay the same forever."
"How could I even dare to think about that—"
Wang Xin said with a wry smile, "You should have received the notice by now. Liaodong Industry is worried about where to start in supporting the Third Front construction."
"No one can bear the pain of having their flesh cut off."
He shook his head with a sigh, took a bite of food, and then continued, "We also want to take advantage of this opportunity to develop as quickly as possible without leaving."
"Are you still trying to sell our airport?"
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and asked, "So you want to sell the airport to raise funds for development?"
"I really want to, and this is the only way."
Wang Xin nodded at him and said, "We have the technology and the production capacity, but we can't monetize them."
"This is because we've cooperated with you. I never would have dared to imagine such cooperation before."
He smiled and said, "But opportunities wait for no one, and technology transfer takes time. We can't wait any longer, so we have to sell the land to make money first."
"Let me put it bluntly," Li Xuewu nodded at him and said, "Although I've never been to that airport, I can tell from the information that, given the current domestic aviation market, it's definitely going to lose money."
"Whether this airport belongs to the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry or Liaodong, we cannot compare with them. This is determined by their size. If the funding is not in place, it cannot be left undeveloped."
"You can cooperate too."
Wang Xin genuinely wanted to facilitate this cooperation, patiently explaining, "Just like United Energy Corporation."
It's clear that Wang Xin has a thorough understanding of Hongxing Steel Group, something Li Xuewu has to admit.
"We can cooperate in the energy sector, we can cooperate in the construction sector, and we can even cooperate in the manufacturing sector."
Li Xuewu spread his hands and looked at him, saying, "Can an airport cooperate with outsiders? At least I've never heard of an airport operation allowing the introduction of external forces."
Wang Xin was stumped by his question, because it was a real problem. In this day and age, who would dare to bring in foreign investment to operate an airport?
Besides, foreign investors aren't fools; they wouldn't throw money into the domestic shipping market.
This isn't something that can be accomplished in a year or two; it might take ten or twenty years to turn a profit.
Airport operations in that era were not as closely linked as they are in later years. Now, airports are responsible for the operation of aircraft, and the management system is still the same as that of companies.
Airports need their own aircraft to operate; relying solely on passenger planes on routes would lead to huge losses.
"What about cooperation? Have you considered it?"
Li Xuewu's eyebrows twitched, and he looked at him and said softly, "You can use the airport as a condition for cooperation, and we can provide a management and service team. Let's discuss it together. It's always easier to negotiate than a one-off deal, right?"
"We're using the airport as a condition for cooperation?" Wang Xin pondered. "Doesn't that mean we'll have to buy more planes?"
"That's for sure."
Li Xuewu tilted his head and said, "It can also be decided based on the outcome of the negotiations. If you take the money, you take the shares. Whoever has more shares gets to decide."
"I see—" Wang Xin took a sip of wine and said, "I've never done it like this before."
"The future belongs to the era of cooperation and win-win results."
Li Xuewu patted his arm with a smile and said, "From the perspective of industrial enterprises alone, who can live more comfortably without the supply chain?"
"The supply chain controls a company's operating costs and greatly increases product competitiveness..."
“I understand that. I’m thinking about the money.” Wang Xin looked at him and said, “So, you mean after the cooperation, we have to pay for the plane and hand over the airport management rights to you, right?”
"If we calculate it this way, even after we've given up the land, we still have to come up with a sum of money..."
He looked at Li Xuewu and asked, "Are you trying to mislead me? What I just said was about opportunities. We're waiting for money to catch up with this wave of opportunities."
"If you ask us to throw money at the airport now, what about the opportunities?"
"Isn't an airport an opportunity?"
Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "Instead of developing in other unfamiliar fields, we should be down-to-earth and cultivate our technology to build large aircraft."
"You just said that you have the technology and production capacity, and you can even build fighter jets, so why don't you study passenger plane manufacturing?"
He moved his wine glass aside, looked at Wang Xin, and emphasized, "With the advantages of the airport and the advantages of aircraft manufacturing, combined with our operational and management capabilities, isn't this a win-win situation and a way to seize opportunities?"
"You mean, our opportunity lies in airports, in passenger planes?" Wang Xin frowned and asked him, "But the shipping market isn't taking off right now. Even if we can build passenger planes, what good will it do? We can't sell them, and even if we do, few people can afford to fly on them. It's a vicious cycle."
"Two points," Li Xuewu said earnestly, looking at him seriously. "First, airport operations rely on government funding, which has given you time and opportunities for development."
"Secondly, who says that passenger planes can only be sold to domestic airports and can't be sold abroad?"
He waved his hand, signaling Wang Xin to be quiet, and continued, "Even if the passenger planes you build can't compare to those of developed Western countries, don't countries in Southeast Asia like good quality, inexpensive goods?"
"I'm not afraid of bad products, I'm afraid of bad sales."
Li Xuewu looked at him seriously and said, "You can go back and think about my opinion. This is just a discussion we had at the dinner table today, and it has no other significance."
"I'm already very content—"
Once Wang Xin calmed down, he realized this wasn't the time to dwell on things. Now that the topic had been settled, he also started urging people to drink.
Li Xuewu didn't really go for it, and he himself was fine, but he really got Wang Xin drunk. Wang Xin wouldn't remember what they talked about today, so he'd have to drink with him again later.
Zhou Xiaoling had already finished eating and sat obediently to the side watching their conversation, though she could no longer understand what they were saying.
Don't say it's simple. It's all in Chinese, what's there to not understand? Look at Qian Xuesen's deciphered manuscripts and formulas. They're just numbers and symbols. Can you say they're simple and easy to understand?
Her gaze would occasionally drift to her second brother, who was speaking eloquently, her eyes filled with admiration and pride.
He always manages to simplify complex problems and find the most suitable path in complex environments.
She could see the respect that Shen Fei, the deputy factory director, had for her second brother from his words and eyes.
What is the purpose of going out to broaden one's horizons?
Of course, it's not about listening to them talk about how complicated their work is, but rather observing their attitude during the conversation.
"That's it for today?"
Li Xuewu finished speaking, glanced at Zhou Xiaoling, and then stood up and said to Wang Xin, "Comrade Xiaoling has to go to work this afternoon and fly to Beijing. I also have a guest coming from Beijing. Let's talk again next time we have time."
"Okay, let's go to Fengcheng next time."
Wang Xin also stood up with them and said enthusiastically, "Our factory is not as big as your group, but we still have plenty of facilities to entertain distinguished guests."
"If you have time to go to Fengcheng, be sure to call me, and I'll show you around."
"Then it's a deal."
Li Xuewu knew he wasn't talking about some fun place, but rather the airport.
The only thing they can offer, that they can decide for themselves, and that they can sell, is that airport.
Li Xuewu also wanted to see what their secret airport was like.
Having an airport means being able to establish international routes, which is extremely important for Hongxing Steel Group.
(End of this chapter)