MMB Chapter 1583 The Visitor is Not Friendly
Chapter 1583 The Visitor is Not Friendly
Chapter 1583 The Visitor is Not Friendly
"You're not being very sincere."
Li Xuewu smiled at her and said, "You want to treat me to dinner in front of President Wang? How can I agree to that?"
"Hahaha—" Wang Shengli laughed and waved his hand, saying, "No, I don't mind, you go ahead."
"Look, Mr. Wang is practically picking on your gift. You're really bad at handling things."
Li Xuewu smiled and nodded at Shangguan Qi, then gestured to the key cadres of the joint construction behind him, saying, "If you're going to invite them, then invite them all. Or come down and talk to me privately. Look at you, I'm stuck here, not knowing whether to go or not, aren't I?"
"It's all your fault—" Shangguan Qi knew he was joking, but she was still incredibly embarrassed and retorted, "President Wang knows I didn't mean that—"
"It's okay, it's okay," Wang Shengli said with a smile, waving his hand. "I'll get embarrassed if I keep talking about it."
"Alright, I'll treat you."
Li Xuewu glanced at Shangguan Qi with amusement, his eyes seeming to say: See? I'll have to come and save you.
Shangguan Qi was so angry she laughed. She wasn't stupid; of course she remembered who had dug the hole for her.
By the time we finished the market research, it was already past 5:30. We then spent almost an hour talking at the steel rolling mill's demolition site, by which time the workers had already finished their shift.
However, there are exceptions, such as the workers at United Construction, who work in three shifts to meet the deadline.
"It's more convenient for dump trucks to work at night."
Wang Shengli explained to him, "Especially on the factory road, there are too many employees coming and going during the day, so closing the road is not appropriate."
“But the difficulty and danger of construction increase at night.” Li Xuewu frowned slightly as he looked at the drivers who were taking naps in the dump trucks and reminded them, “You have to be careful. If an accident happens, it will be a big deal.”
"We considered this when we decided to implement the three-shift system." Wang Shengli nodded and assured, "We made a pledge from top to bottom and wrote a guarantee from bottom to top."
"Under the premise of ensuring safe operation, we will advance the construction period as much as possible." He pointed to the excavator and explained, "High-intensity special operations personnel are not restricted to working in three shifts of 8 hours. They take turns working in one shift, with a maximum of three hours."
He then pointed to the temporary command center not far away and explained, "Our project team command center is right next to it, on duty 24 hours a day. Any problems will be solved on-site."
“Yes, with this determination, there’s nothing that can’t be accomplished.” Li Xuewu nodded, turned around and walked back, emphasizing, “The production workshops in the Steel City Industrial Zone are all connected, and I think the light industry area will be the same sooner or later.”
"You need to consider this carefully when making your plans. The group's development will become faster and better in the future."
He looked at Wang Shengli and gave him one last piece of advice: "Engineering quality is just as important as safe operation."
***
"Secretary-General, I'm so sorry to have troubled you with the expense." As they left the guesthouse restaurant, Shangguan Qi said with an embarrassed smile, "I really wanted to treat you to a meal."
"Hey, you can't say that."
Li Xuewu gestured to Wang Shengli and the others who had followed him out and said, "You're making things difficult for President Wang and the others by saying that, as if they shouldn't have come."
"Boss, you haven't let me off the hook either."
Wang Shengli said with a smile, "We ate this meal with bated breath, how could we let the leader treat us?"
"Really?" Li Xuewu looked at him suspiciously and asked, "I didn't see you eat much less at the dinner table just now."
"Hahaha—" Several managers from United Construction laughed along in response, making the restaurant entrance quite lively.
They never expected that their boss would actually treat them to a meal. At that time, they thought their boss was just being polite and joking.
Not a single one was left out; even the driver sat at a table.
When the secretary-general smiled and said he would treat everyone, at least the clerks were aware that even if he really did treat everyone, it wouldn't be their turn.
Today they finally saw what it meant to say that the secretary-general was known for his generosity and righteousness.
With the relocation of the steel rolling mill and the large-scale transfer of employees, the original factory's guesthouse inevitably fell into disrepair.
However, the group's headquarters are still in Beijing, in the Liangmahe Industrial Zone. In recent years, the light industry has developed rapidly, and the original tertiary industries have started up one after another, gradually expanding and becoming independent, and establishing specialized factories.
Overall, the number of employees who rely on the group for their livelihood has not decreased much; rather, they have been dispersed to various units.
However, the existence of the guesthouse is also coming to an end, as a new guesthouse hotel is about to be built.
The group has increased the budget for two projects in addition to the existing budget to raise funds for the construction of the new international hotel.
One is the Honggang Group's guesthouse, and the other is the Riverside Garden residential area, which is only for cadres at the deputy division level and above.
Both projects cost at least two or three million yuan, and it was precisely because of the ample funding that the projects progressed very quickly.
At the riverside park, the guesthouse, which is located on the same line as the group's headquarters, has been topped out and is currently undergoing interior decoration.
There's no need to check the progress; it changes every day, you can see it just by walking down the street.
After the new hotel is completed, the original guesthouse will be allocated to the 721 College of Vocational Education.
The 721 Academy, also known as the Group Cadre Academy, is a professional institution established in 68 in response to the call from higher authorities to provide continuing education and training for enterprise cadres.
The 721 Academy was not created by Honggang Group, but the difference lies in the fact that Honggang Group has always adhered to the original intent of the policy and trained cadres.
This time, Cheng Kaiyuan was unlucky, but some people gave themselves a way out by sending him to the 721 Academy for further studies.
Of course, to get Honggang Group and Lao Li to accept this result, it cannot be sent to other units; it can only be sent to Honggang.
Yes, they "forgived" Old Li by giving him face, just waiting for him to accept it with gratitude.
At this time, Lao Li had a kind of "being invincible because of being free from desires" mentality. No matter how these people messed things up, he always put the overall situation first.
He has stated on several public occasions that he will prioritize the hard-won development and economic achievements of the group.
This perspective and this magnanimity are completely different from his previous attitude of clamoring to grab weapons and fight.
Others didn't know what was going on, but Liu Bin, the group's general manager's secretary, did, but even he couldn't say anything.
Some things are better left unsaid than uttered, otherwise it would be a fatal blow to him.
After all, leaders also need to save face.
***
"Didn't you say you had social engagements?"
Gu Ning was reading in the study when he heard the sound downstairs and was startled. A moment later, he saw him walk into the small living room.
"It was just a meal, we didn't drink any alcohol."
Li Xuewu flipped open the teacup, took the thermos from the table, poured a glass of water, turned to look at her, and asked, "What are you looking at?"
There's an exam coming up in the department soon.
Gu Ning flipped through the book without paying much attention and said, "I thought you would be back later."
"Too lazy to socialize, a time of many troubles."
Li Xuewu unbuttoned his shirt and walked into the master bedroom's walk-in closet, explaining, "If I hadn't made it in time, I wouldn't have wanted to eat this dinner tonight."
"Er Ya has packed all your luggage." Gu Ning didn't get up, but said to him across the small living room, "Take a look and see if there's anything else you need to bring."
"It's okay, as long as it's enough to wear."
Li Xuewu took out his underwear and pajamas and, as he passed the master bedroom door, replied, "I might have to come back around the middle of the month."
"Isn't it coming soon?"
Gu Ning wasn't indifferent to him; looking at the materials in her hand, she asked, "Are you leaving by train or plane?"
"There's a plane going to Fengcheng."
Li Xuewu's muffled voice came from the bathroom, mixed with the sound of running water; he often didn't close the door when he showered.
He came out after a while, wiping himself as he explained, "There's an economic construction work conference in the middle of the month."
"I might have two days off after my exams."
Gu Ning tidied her hair behind her ear and said, "Because I didn't rest on Labor Day, so..."
"Come to Liaodong or go to Nanjing?"
Li Xuewu walked into the small living room with a smile and said, "If you want to come to Liaodong, then take a few more days off and come with me."
"If you want to go to Nanjing, I'll see if there are any convenient flights available. You and the children can go and have a few days of fun."
"We're not going to Nanjing; they just got back."
Gu Ning flipped through the pages of the book and said, "I don't want to go to Liaodong either; it's too much trouble to travel back and forth."
"Just staying home?" Li Xuewu asked with a smile as he walked to the desk. "Have you decided which day to take a break?"
He looked Gu Ning up and down and said, "Shall we go take a family photo?"
“We already took pictures in winter.” Gu Ning looked up, glanced at him with amusement, and said, “If you want, there’s a camera and film in the cabinet, take as many pictures as you like.”
"How can they be the same?!"
Li Xuewu pulled up a chair and sat down opposite the desk, saying while still wearing his pajamas, "I want to take you to the Summer Palace to take a family photo there."
"Go to the Summer Palace?" Gu Ning raised her head, rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, and said, "We'll see when the time comes."
"Barbecue is probably not available."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and teased her, saying, "Guodong said those gates have all been repaired, but cars can't get in."
"Hmm." Gu Ning followed his words and recalled that year when he took her and many other people to the Summer Palace for a barbecue and spring outing, and many bicycles were lost into the lake.
"What? You really want some barbecue?"
Li Xuewu put on his pajamas and saw that she had a blank look in her eyes, as if she was thinking about something. He said with a smile, "If you really want to eat it, we can just bake it at home. It's not that much trouble."
"No—" Gu Ning shook her head slightly and looked at him, saying, "I was thinking about the past."
"That time at the Summer Palace?" Li Xuewu picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and asked with a smile, "What comes to mind?"
Gu Ning simply looked him over without saying a word, and after a while, she smiled and said, "You've changed a lot."
"Is that so?" Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow, put down his teacup and said, "I think it's because I've been busy with work and haven't had much time to spend with you. Actually, I'm still the same person."
"Heh—" Gu Ning chuckled softly, a smile playing on her lips. After savoring the moment for a moment, she said, "Time flies so fast."
"That's right, I'm already twenty-four." He rested his arm on the desk and said with emotion, "Five years have passed in the blink of an eye. I was only nineteen when I first met you."
Hearing him mention his age, Gu Ning raised an eyebrow, somewhat concerned. He was twenty-four, so she would be twenty-seven.
Although what he said was true, it was still infuriating to hear. What's wrong with being twenty-four? What's wrong with being twenty-seven?
"Go to sleep, don't disturb me while I'm reading."
"Huh?" Li Xuewu was still immersed in the感慨 of the passage of time when he heard that he was being disliked.
He looked at Gu Ning with amusement and said, "Did I say something wrong? You seem unhappy."
"No, I'm preparing for an exam."
Gu Ning glanced at the pages of the book in her hand and said calmly, "You have to catch a flight tomorrow, so get some rest."
“You—” Li Xuewu smiled, looked her up and down and said, “You wear your emotions on your sleeve.”
Gu Ning looked up at him, her eyes full of resentment.
Li Xuewu leisurely picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and said, "I didn't say anything."
Gu Ning stared at him for a while, then rolled her eyes and said, "You're young, okay—"
"Hehe—hahaha—"
Li Xuewu suddenly laughed and turned to look at Gu Ning, saying, "Li Shu doesn't play age-comparison games in kindergarten anymore."
"Are you saying I'm naive?" Gu Ning narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice already carrying a threat.
“No, I just think you’re cute,” Li Xuewu said, looking at her gently. “Just like when I first met you.”
“Hypocritical—” Gu Ning lowered her head, pursed her lips, and said, “The first time you saw me, you wanted to eat me alive.”
"I don't even remember, but you do."
Li Xuewu shook his head with amusement and said, "If I hadn't been given anesthesia, I wouldn't have had such a strong reaction."
These words silenced Gu Ning, who murmured after a long while, "She doesn't have two years left."
"Hmm, childish words?" Li Xuewu knew who she was talking about, and slowly nodded, saying, "Fate is cruel."
"Do you hate her?" Gu Ning looked up at him calmly and asked, "If she were still alive."
“You know what? I hate her attitude at the roast duck restaurant more than the mistakes she made on the operating table.”
Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning very seriously and said, "He has poor character, lacks professional ethics, and looks down on ordinary people."
Gu Ning listened with her eyes downcast to his evaluation of her former best friend, and after thinking for a while, she said, "Perhaps, I used to be that kind of person too."
“There is a little bit of that—” Li Xuewu gestured with his fingers, “The first time I met you, I mean after you sobered up, I knew you didn’t come from an ordinary family.”
"Why?" Gu Ning looked up at him and asked, "Is there anything special about me?"
“That look in his eyes.” Li Xuewu opened his eyes and said bluntly, “Indifference, and inexplicable pride.”
He nodded and said definitively, "One of the reasons I didn't like you back then was the way you looked at me."
“At that time, I had just come down from the battlefield and was used to the mutual trust and equal treatment of my comrades, but you…”
Li Xuewu did not continue speaking, but nodded slowly, signifying that he had said everything he wanted to say.
Gu Ning was stunned for a while, opened her mouth, not knowing how to explain.
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the memory of her from the past.
Even though he is now her lover, and even though she can face her past self, she never imagined that in his world, she used to be so despicable and hateful.
"Maybe—" Gu Ning gently leaned on the table, resting her face on the back of her hand, and said softly, "Back then, we were all very proud... and very naive."
"He's a chosen one of heaven." Li Xuewu doesn't seem to care that past anymore.
He said casually, "Professional medical school graduates dared to go to the front line. This experience should make you proud back then."
“But doesn’t that only highlight our naivety?” Gu Ning looked at him and said, “Compared to you who came from the front lines, what do we have to be proud of?”
"No, that's your current understanding."
Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, "You can't compare your present self with your past self, and you certainly can't use your current mindset to evaluate your past self."
He frankly stated, "Everyone has an embarrassing past, and everyone has made decisions they regret. At some point, when you think back on them, you do feel quite regretful."
"And then?" Gu Ning looked at him.
"Don't expect me to coax you into thinking that it's all in the past and you don't need to blame yourself—" Li Xuewu teased her with a change of tone, then looked at her seriously and said, "There is no 'then,' just like there are no 'what ifs' in life."
Gu Ning looked at him for a while before propping herself up and saying calmly, "I was just about to ask you, what if... you and that woman at the roast duck restaurant..."
"Yes, her name is Lin Tingting." Li Xuewu said her name frankly, his gaze becoming more thoughtful.
“I met her at the local supply and marketing cooperative.” He recalled as he spoke, “The first time we met was when I went to buy a bicycle, and she was the saleswoman.”
"I've heard you mention it before." Gu Ning nodded, picked up her teacup, and said, "Your first love?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu couldn't help but laugh out loud, and nodded at her, saying, "If we're talking about after you transferred back to civilian life... that's certainly true."
Gu Ning raised an eyebrow, lowered her head, took a sip of warm tea, and made no other comment.
"Just look at this half of my face and you'll know how charming I was when I was young."
He deliberately teased Gu Ning, covering the scarred side of his face with his hand and gesturing to Gu Ning, saying, "Tell me yourself, if you had met me earlier, would you have also fallen for me when I was fifteen or sixteen?"
"..." Gu Ning looked up, her gaze strange as she retorted, "Back then... I was already in college—"
After saying that last sentence, a blush appeared on her face. She lowered her head and thought about how embarrassing it would be for a college student to be captivated by a boy in his late teens.
However, thinking back to his handsome appearance back then, being a favored son of heaven was a source of pride for her at the time, and his handsome appearance was probably also a source of pride for him.
Thinking about these things, she felt a pang of guilt. Even though they were already lovers, she couldn't help but feel this way.
"What's wrong with going to college? Back then, there were still people who liked me..."
Li Xuewu almost blurted it out, but when he saw Gu Ning looking up at him, his lips twitched again.
"...and there are even high school students."
For some reason, Gu Ning's guilt lessened a bit at this moment. Anyway, she had already married him, so it didn't matter how handsome he was, right?
Tell me about you and her—
"You want to hear this so late at night?"
Li Xuewu glanced at her amusedly and said, "Why don't we go to bed and listen? I'll tell you slowly."
"I want to hear what if," Gu Ning said, looking at him meaningfully. "What if you hadn't met me that day...?"
“Didn’t I say, there are no ‘what ifs’ in life?” Li Xuewu drank some water and said, “I don’t know what will happen either, after all, you know her identity.”
At this point, he couldn't help but sigh. Life is unpredictable; who could have imagined that the first girlfriend he met after returning would have such a complicated background?
I saw her a few more times after that.
Li Xuewu put down his cup and looked at Gu Ning frankly, saying, "Once I went to the supply and marketing cooperative to find their leader, and the other time I happened to run into them while buying something."
"Another time, there was a case at the branch office that involved her, and I saw her a few more times after that."
"Is she...is she alright?" Gu Ning asked tentatively. "I mean, what is her current condition?"
"I'm not too sure about that." Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and explained, "We haven't talked about our lives during our several meetings. She's married."
"Oh." Gu Ning nodded and said, "That's alright."
“It’s inevitable that she’ll be affected.” Li Xuewu knew what she was worried about, pursed his lips, and said slowly, “But as long as she’s ordinary enough.”
To be honest, given the situation the Lin family was in, it was truly fortunate that Lin Tingting was able to return to work and continue her life unscathed.
Of course, if it weren't for Li Xuewu's involvement, all parties would have given way to his near-sacrifice, since at the time no one had considered whether the two would continue their relationship.
“Actually, we’re all the same, just ordinary people.” Li Xuewu looked at Gu Ning and said with a smile, “If you see yourself as ordinary, you’ll be better able to accept reality.”
"You always make such a good point."
Gu Ning smiled with relief and looked at him, saying, "Always let me believe in you."
-
After flying from Beijing to Fengcheng and spending two days conducting research there, Li Xuewu took a train to Yingcheng to continue his research on the construction of Yingcheng Port and the production of ships in Yingcheng.
On his first day in Yingcheng, Xu Sinian gave him a big gift.
"You think this thing can make money?"
He pointed to the toy boat in Li Xuewu's hand and asked suspiciously, "How can this thing make money?"
"Who gave you permission to tinker with this thing?"
Li Xuewu placed the model in his hand on the booth, and it actually looked quite convincing.
"Catherine of Geely Star Ships".
Xu Sinian shrugged and said helplessly, "She said if we don't do it, then we'll find a domestic toy manufacturer to place an order for her. She ordered 100,000 pieces in one go."
"Do you think she's lost her mind?"
Seeing that Li Xuewu was also frowning, he became even more certain that the Italian woman had gone mad and dared to place such a reckless order.
"This is a marketing tactic."
Li Xuewu saw through Catherine's intentions at a glance, pointed to the mark on the ship model, and said, "Look at this."
"Oh, the logo of Geely Star Ships?"
Xu Sinian hadn't reacted yet when he looked up at him and asked, "Marketing what? Are they going to switch to selling toys?"
“No—” Li Xuewu glanced at him and explained to Dong Ang, “There are two directions, one is like you said, selling toys.”
"However, they don't sell them as toy boats, but rather as scale models, sold as part of a yacht."
He pointed to the model and asked, "Did Catherine say how much they plan to sell this for?"
"I don't know, she didn't say."
Xu Sinian was somewhat stunned, and still asked skeptically, "You mean, people actually buy this thing?"
"Of course, it can not only be used by children to play with, but also placed on the office desk as a decoration."
Li Xuewu curled his lip and continued to explain: "When their brand has a certain influence, this thing becomes a symbol of status and value."
He looked at Xu Sinian and said, "For example, you buy a yacht from Geely Star Shipbuilding, but if the yacht is docked and you're sitting in your office, who knows how much you brag?"
"Ah—" Xu Sinian nodded as if suddenly realizing something, and said, "So it's for buyers to show off!"
"Hehehe—you can think of it that way." Li Xuewu chuckled, turned the model around, examined it carefully, and then asked, "Can this thing really float in water?"
"Yes, it can not only float, but it can also move." Xu Sinian introduced the functions of the iron boat to him. The propeller under the boat could actually turn, but it needed to be wound up.
These days, toys manufactured in mainland China can forget about electric motors; even if the technology exists, the cost is prohibitive.
However, the production of wind-up toys is definitely on a certain scale and with a certain level of technological accumulation. After all, the country that uses and produces the most wind-up toys in the world is North America, and China is basically just copying their work.
"This thing is sold in two different ways."
Li Xuewu sat down on the sofa, crossed his right leg, and said, "Make it more exquisite and realistic, and then sell it through the yacht sales channels, either as a gift or at a higher price."
"Once the brand becomes popular, they can sell it at cost price through advertising channels, and then they won't be losing money."
"What do you mean? Not making money?"
Xu Sinian was still standing there pondering the model, thinking that this thing could really be sold for money based on what Li Xuewu had just said.
"It's not like we're making money from the models."
Li Xuewu explained with a laugh, "They did it for publicity, to let adults who like models or children who like toys know that there is a yacht called Geely Star."
"What do you mean? An advertisement?"
Having operated Yingcheng Shipbuilding for so many years, and having interacted with foreign engineers and people like Catherine, the outside world wasn't particularly mysterious to Xu Sinian.
Putting everything else aside, the shirt he's wearing isn't made in mainland China; even the logo doesn't match.
Yingcheng can be considered an important transit point for the maritime coachman plan. Many goods enter Yingcheng from the Bohai Bay and then go to Gangcheng, Fengcheng and other places.
With Li Xuewu teaching him how to behave, how could Wen San'er not handle these people? He often gave these kinds of inexpensive gifts.
Advertising is still a foreign concept to mainland China, but it was certainly not unfamiliar to Xu Sinian, who had been exposed to foreign things.
He walked over to the sofa, sat down, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "If that's the case, can we do it this way too?"
“I’m sorry, we can’t.” Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said bluntly, “Because we are a manufacturer, we don’t control the sales channels, and we don’t have a brand effect.”
"What do you mean?" Xu Sinian widened his eyes and pointed at the model, saying, "We built their ships, and we also placed an order for this model."
"That's why I said we don't have the channels."
Li Xuewu shrugged and said, "I asked you to learn how to do publicity like them, but what are you going to publicize? Yingcheng Shipbuilding?"
Seeing Xu Sinian frown and remain silent, he continued, "There's no need for advertising in the domestic market now, and it's useless to advertise in the overseas market either. Marketing is for the market, not based on the wishes of your production unit."
"I thought..." Xu Sinian sighed.
"Don't be discouraged," Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "She learned this from me."
"Do you remember when the group's external affairs office ordered a batch of models?" Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said, "There were airplanes, ships, cars, and all sorts of small gifts."
“I seem to remember something like that.”
Xu Sinian thought for a moment and said, "Was it given to those units that came to visit and learn from the group?"
“That’s the one.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “Actually, we won’t be stingy when it’s time to promote it.”
“That’s not right—” Xu Sinian said with a smile, “She’s plagiarizing, she should be charged.”
"Heh—" Li Xuewu waved his hand with a smile and said, "If that's the case, our factory's lawsuit will never end."
Thinking about how Honggang Group developed, Xu Sinian smiled. When it comes to plagiarism, who can compare to them?
To be honest, it was Li Xuewu who came up with this idea, and he should be the one to collect the patent fees.
However, what others didn't know was that he had already received the patent fees, and Catherine always paid them voluntarily.
Unfortunately, this Italian is very shrewd, and he always manages to take away hundreds of millions each time.
***
"It's a bit windy at the port."
Li Xuewu stood on the dock, the sea breeze tousling his lightning-struck hair and whistling in his ears.
"It's like this at this time of year, every year."
Xu Sinian stood beside him and introduced the production situation of Yingcheng Shipbuilding, listing the construction and production goals of several docks.
Li Xuewu listened attentively and asked a few questions he was particularly interested in. Xu Sinian's answers satisfied him.
"From now on, it will be the era of 10,000-ton cargo ships."
Standing on the high platform, looking at the construction site in the shipyard, Li Xuewu said to the other party: "International shipping is growing at an astonishing rate, especially international trade."
He turned to look at Xu Sinian and nodded, saying, "Believe it or not, once the market is opened, as long as you have sufficient production capacity and technology, orders will be booked for several years."
"Is that possible?" Xu Sinian asked skeptically. "What rumors have you heard? Is the market going to be opened up?"
"I told you it was only a matter of time, do you believe me?"
Li Xuewu didn't care whether the cadres from Yingcheng Shipyard behind him could hear their conversation. He said frankly, "When productivity meets the needs of domestic material life, that's when we should vigorously develop foreign trade."
"When you pour water into a cup, it will naturally overflow when it's full; it's the same principle."
He turned around, his back to the wind, and emphasized, "International trade is the barometer of the shipbuilding industry, and striving for excellence is your development goal. You must seize this opportunity."
"Then..." Xu Sinian looked towards the dock and asked, "Should we apply to expand a few more 10,000-ton-class docks?"
"Then it depends on your revenue."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "The group hasn't made any major moves in recent years, so if we don't hurry..."
"I'll go back and prepare the materials and submit a report."
Xu Sinian was a man of action; he even instructed his secretary to remind him to handle the matter as soon as possible.
The accompanying officers from the military shipyard also discussed and studied the feasibility of the Secretary-General's opinion.
They were also helpless about Xu Sinian's unconditional trust in the secretary-general, but they couldn't very well say that the leader was wrong.
"Look over there." Xu Sinian pointed to the direction of Yingcheng Port Wharf and introduced, "The second batch of cars has been shipped, destined for East Germany."
He pointed and explained, "It's still a ship from the Santa Ya Group. They must have tasted success."
"I was originally planning to sell it." Li Xuewu looked around the port area, nodded, and said, "Now we've made a fortune."
"This year, four batches of automobiles and other goods will arrive in East Germany, with total sales reaching 24,000 cars and 12,000 motorcycles, and total profits expected to exceed 9.6 million yuan."
He looked at Xu Sinian, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Do you know what this means?"
"What?" Xu Sinian asked in surprise, "Our car is driving on East German roads?"
"It wasn't just East Germany—"
Li Xuewu breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The Southeast Asian market has been opened up, and we even have access to markets as far as East Germany."
He turned his head to look northeast, his gaze deep, and said, "Next should be Northeast Asia."
"Perhaps the trip abroad in April was the opportunity?"
Xu Sinian was referring to Mr. Z's trip to North Korea last month, as he also hoped to establish a market in Northeast Asia.
Instead of going all the way to do business with Germans, the market right at our doorstep is actually more profitable.
Shipping costs are relatively low, and it can even be achieved with rail transport. More importantly, it can create a market impact.
Red Star brand cars may have little impact on the Japanese car market, but they should have little impact on North Korea and South Korea.
The high-end market remains to be seen, but the second generation of Antelope should be in high demand in both countries.
However, there are special circumstances on both sides.
The Northern Dynasty is currently being supported by its elder brother, so it is arrogant and overconfident. Even if its own people are poor, its economy is not considered backward overall.
In comparison, the mainland was the poor relative at that time.
As for Nan Han, needless to say, he was supported by a sugar daddy and made a fortune just by serving the women stationed at his sugar daddy's residence.
In this respect, Nan Han and Tan Ben, these two adopted sons, are truly evenly matched, and neither should laugh at the other.
Of course, if the workers and peasants hadn't driven away the brigade leader back then, the inland areas wouldn't be much better off than these two sons are now.
Take Shanghai after the war as an example. How many women lived off those demons and monsters, and how the ugly Chinese ping-pong ballista, sitting in a Willys Jeep, did whatever he wanted and then drove off?
This kind of scandal happened more than once in Beijing under the control of the captain at the time, but what was the result?
So you must always remember who supports your backbone.
For two countries like these, truly pushing their products into each other's markets requires careful planning.
As expected, starting next year, eight to twelve batches of automobiles will be exported each year, which will basically guarantee that the number of automobiles exported to East Germany will exceed 6 and motorcycles will be 3 per year.
According to this data, Honggang Group's automobile production capacity will be able to achieve a new breakthrough.
Existing production capacity can meet the needs of the domestic and Southeast Asian markets, but market saturation is inevitable in the future.
This is normal for both the mainland and Southeast Asian markets, so expanding the market is equivalent to expanding the future.
***
After concluding his research in Yingcheng, Li Xuewu arrived in Gangcheng on May 8th. It was a Thursday, so he didn't go home but went directly to his workplace.
"A call from the company."
Someone called out in the office, and Zhang Enyuan answered the phone. After saying a few words, he was transferred to Li Xuewu's office.
"It's a call from Deputy Secretary-General Chen."
After giving his report, he picked up the microphone and handed it to Li Xuewu.
"Yes, Comrade Shouzhi, I am Li Xuewu."
Li Xuewu responded and then listened to the report from Deputy Secretary-General Chen Shuzhi over the phone.
As the other party reported, his brows furrowed.
What does Director Li mean?
"Director Li asked me to consult you."
Chen Shuzhi hesitated for a moment, then said, "We didn't know how to reply, so we called you."
"We're not qualified to reply to your letter."
Li Xuewu said in a very aggressive tone, "We are not under the jurisdiction of the Third Ministry of Machine Building, so their investigation of Steel Aircraft is none of our business. You should tell Director Li that this matter should be reported to the Beijing Industrial Bureau and the First Ministry of Machine Building, and ask them to study how to handle it."
"I have only one sentence: without clear instructions and explanations from higher authorities, Gangfei will not receive any outside guests."
"That's it." He didn't listen to Chen Shuzhi say anything more and hung up the phone directly.
"What's going on?" Zhang Enyuan, who had been on the phone, asked in surprise, "The Third Ministry of Machine Building is coming to conduct an investigation?"
"You're meddling in other people's business," Li Xuewu said with dissatisfaction. "You're really stretching your arms too far."
It depends on how you look at it. If there are no special circumstances, and a leader of that level really comes to conduct research, the factory should probably be overjoyed and make preparations for the reception.
But for Honggang Group, the Third Ministry of Machinery's investigation was clearly ill-intentioned; who would be foolish enough to invite trouble?
"I wonder how the Beijing industrial sector and the First Ministry of Machine Building will handle this," Zhang Enyuan said worriedly. "Will they...?"
"Don't worry about it," Li Xuewu said calmly. "The Beijing industry might seize the opportunity to build up momentum, but the Ministry of Machine Building won't be fooled. Once something like this happens, it will happen again. They've overstepped their bounds."
Zhang Enyuan understood immediately and thought to himself that the leader had a comprehensive view and that this move was brilliant.
It's not a big deal if the industrial sector in Beijing reacts slowly, but if something really happens at this time, it will definitely provoke a backlash from the Ministry of Machine Building, which will reduce the pressure on the group.
Despite the fact that Honggang Group has been transferred to local jurisdiction, the First Ministry of Machine Building has not completely relinquished control.
If any overstepping of boundaries were to occur, the Ministry of Machinery Industry would absolutely not allow it; Steel Aircraft had long been defined as a tertiary industry.
After signing his opinion and name on the application submitted by the research institute to the group for approval regarding the establishment of the Optoelectronic Research Institute, Li Xuewu continued, "Just wait and see what happens."