MMB Chapter 1709 The Cobbler
Chapter 1709 The Cobbler
Chapter 1709 The Cobbler
"I'm saying, you're really not coming back?"
Cheng Kaiyuan called Li Xuewu, but he kept rambling on and on, not really knowing what he wanted to say. In the end, he even tried to persuade Li Xuewu to go back.
The college has already started its holiday this month, so he doesn't have any classes. As long as there are no meetings, he doesn't need to travel back and forth between the two places.
Furthermore, he doesn't have much time left in Liaodong, and he needs to work diligently and quickly to get things done.
A round trip takes at least four or five days. If you go back once, how many days are there in a month?
So he said quite frankly on the phone, "I'm not going back. I don't plan to return to Beijing until the end of September unless something comes up."
"Wow, you're so smart!"
Cheng Kaiyuan said with a sigh, "We only have one strong laborer in our team, and you still ran away!"
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu said with a laugh, "You really think I don't know anything?"
This time it was another program organized by Lao Li. In response to the call from higher authorities to support agriculture, rural areas and farmers, he decided to lead the Honggang Group leadership team and organize cadres from the organization to support the silage program in the counterpart communes.
Mid-July is the perfect time to make silage. Grass, corn stalks, and other fertilizers are piled up in cylindrical pits and fermented throughout the autumn to supply livestock with winter feed.
In the days when agricultural production technology was not very advanced, and even when corn was so plentiful that it was used as fuel, the most helpless but best way to feed livestock in winter was silage.
Why did it become less common in later generations?
Firstly, corn production has increased, the feed industry is well-developed, and the nutrients needed by livestock to survive the winter can be fully met.
Secondly, there is a shortage of manpower. Just by listening to Cheng Kaiyuan's tone, you can tell how hard this job is.
Putting aside everything else, just cutting corn stalks into finger-length pieces with a cleaver takes a lot of effort.
In those days, there was no electricity or diesel machinery; it was all done by human labor.
However, in Lao Li's words, leading everyone to support the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers is one aspect, while training the team is another.
The reason why Honggang Group is where it is today is entirely due to the unity and concerted efforts of everyone from top to bottom...
The core principle is simple: unity is paramount.
Just listen to what Lao Li says. He can talk about it ten thousand times and start it a thousand times, but he will always have only one theme.
They always emphasize the importance of unity, as if all the disunity within the group is someone else's fault.
In Cheng Kaiyuan's words, anyone who dares to slack off in supporting the silage program is a sinner against the integration of industry and agriculture.
“I’m back from my shift today, but I have to go again tomorrow.” He complained, “Yesterday, Director Jing’s hands were blistered; the commune production team leader’s wife pricked them with a needle.”
hiss--
Li Xuewu silently grinned. Anyone who has never done farm work knows that you shouldn't pop blisters on your hands and feet. Just rest and wait for them to dry up naturally.
Why is it that we're talking about people who have never done farm work?
People who frequently do farm work have calluses on their hands and feet, so it's impossible for them to develop blisters.
On the contrary, those with delicate skin who sit in offices all the time only have one place on their hands with calluses, which is the left side of their middle finger, often rubbed by fountain pens.
It is precisely because these people have never done farm work that they do not know that if a blister is popped open, it is the most painful treatment.
The shriveled parts cannot absorb nutrients, and the more you rub your skin, the more painful it becomes, until you lose sensation and calluses form.
But how can calluses possibly form after just a few days of labor? It's just that the pain will last for days after the labor.
Others might not know, but Li Xuewu certainly knew how afraid of pain President Jing was. The first time, he was also reckless and didn't know his own strength, almost driving President Jing crazy.
From that time on, he knew that President Jing was afraid of pain.
Now look what's happened! They've actually managed to endure this hardship. It seems Old Li's method of educating people by recalling past bitterness and appreciating present sweetness was right.
"Think about it, what can we old folks do? We'd just be a nuisance to the production team if we went there."
Cheng Kaiyuan said helplessly, "Without us, they can work faster; with us, they have to take care of us."
“This is how workers and peasants work together, how can you complain?” Li Xuewu pretended to be serious and lectured him, “As a leader of the group, this is not right of you, I have to criticize you.”
"Come on—" Cheng Kaiyuan said impatiently, "If you're so capable, come back here and see if you can handle it."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled lightly and said casually, "As long as I don't go back to Beijing, I have to go to the underground construction site every weekend to do voluntary labor, didn't you know?"
"..." With just that one sentence, Cheng Kaiyuan ran out of energy; he had truly forgotten about it.
It's not that Li Xuewu is being high-profile; rather, it's that workers in this era all have a heart for building the collective.
Most underground engineering projects use mechanization, but also require a lot of manpower. Since it is impossible for all construction workers to be involved, there was a call for voluntary labor.
Activities should be organized in batches, provided that the safety of those participating in voluntary labor is fully guaranteed.
Without standards, danger is most likely to occur. Li Xuewu stipulated that students are strictly not allowed to enter the construction site.
If it's a school-organized activity, then it's just cleaning, weeding, wiping windows, or at most moving bricks and digging soil.
It's like an underground project; even women have to step aside, and the front line is full of shirtless, burly men.
Even if Li Xuewu went, he would just take off his white shirt, tie a white towel around his neck, and get to work.
Even in the dead of winter, the temperature at the underground construction site is very high, so it's impossible to wear clothes.
Let's not even talk about unorthodox or deviant methods; women should try to avoid participating in such special projects.
Cheng Kaiyuan had seen a photo in the newspaper of Li Xuewu shirtless, sweating profusely among a group of men. Now, reminded of it, he felt a mix of emotions.
He even said he was unconvinced, always feeling that Li Xuewu liked to scheme. Now that I think about it, opportunity always favors the prepared.
Why is it that in the Red Star Commune, no one remembers Li Xuewu, who is far away in the steel city, and says that he is deliberately slacking off?
Old Li might have done it on purpose, waiting for any of them to speak up so he could use this incident to make fun of them.
Fortunately, he called Li Xuewu today; otherwise, if he had kept bringing it up, he might have been used as an example by Old Li and killed.
That's fucking despicable!
Well, after ending the call with Li Xuewu, Cheng Kaiyuan seriously reflected on himself and still firmly believed that Li Huaide was a scoundrel.
-
"Ugh, don't even mention it, this past week has felt like an eternity—"
A delegation led by Dong Wenxue, Deputy Director of the Group's Management Committee and Chief Safety Officer, Gao Yaqin, Deputy Director and Chief Economist, and Xia Zhongquan, Deputy Director and Chief Engineer, visited Fengcheng to participate in the shipping company's maiden flight event.
As the host, Li Xuewu naturally had to preside over the event in Fengcheng, even though the shipping company headquartered in the port city was not under his management.
Not only is the shipping company not under his jurisdiction, but even Tadon International Airport is not under his jurisdiction, but what can he do when he is the group's assistant general manager and secretary general?
Today he is attending the event not as the general manager of Northeast Industrial, but standing right next to Xia Zhongquan.
He made a joke about last week's agricultural support activities, to which Gao Yaqin responded with a wry smile and a sigh.
Dong Wenxue glanced at her with amusement and said, "You've never suffered like this before?"
"If I said yes, would you believe me?"
Gao Yaqin glanced at him and said, "Since I started working, I have endured all kinds of hardships, even hunger, but I have never done farm work."
"That's not exactly proper farm work."
Xia Zhongquan, who was considerably older, smiled and said, "If you were really asked to farm for a year, you'd be exhausted."
"I almost collapsed at that moment, but I was too embarrassed." Gao Yaqin spread her arms to show Li Xuewu, "Look, they're all calluses."
"Hahaha—" Li Xuewu really took a closer look, and it was just a little bit of skin peeling off. That's why people from the countryside look down on these city people.
Even the factory workers have calluses on their hands, but Old Li really knows how to make things difficult for those who sit in the office.
"However, there were some gains this time as well."
Dong Wenxue said with a smile, "At least everyone knows the saying 'Every grain of rice on the plate is the result of hard work.'"
"I should have gone back," Li Xuewu said gleefully. "It would have been perfect to take my daughter and son to experience life there."
"You're something else—" Gao Yaqin had never seen such a shameless person. Cheng Kaiyuan was shameless enough, and she had already told him about calling him.
He still dares to say he doesn't know!
“I agree with what you said.” Xia Zhongquan pointed at Li Xuewu and said, “These kids nowadays can’t distinguish between grains or animals. They should go out and get some training.”
"Ahem—" Li Xuewu didn't say anything, but he still reminded him that some things can be said and some things cannot.
Xia Zhongquan was slow to realize that he was the one who had ruined the conversation. He realized that it was something he should have said.
"How many planes are there in total?" Dong Wen abruptly changed the subject, pointing in the direction of the airport and asking, "Don't they look pretty new?"
"Seventeen aircraft, there are only seventeen in total."
Li Xuewu nodded and introduced, "This is the first batch of maintenance work carried out by a professional French company commissioned by the Santayana Group. At least for now, it looks alright."
"Hmm, it was inspected in the port city?"
Xia Zhongquan knows him well. Even if he asks Santayah Group for help with the repairs, he won't completely trust them and will still need to conduct a three-way inspection.
"Yes, the first time was in the port city."
Looking out from the large glass window of the control tower, Li Xuewu saw two An-12 transport planes circling the tower one after the other and heading towards the apron.
"A second time?" Gao Yaqin asked, looking at him. "Is the testing in Gangcheng unprofessional?"
"For my second trip to Japan, I have already contacted Sanwa Co., Ltd. to handle it on my behalf."
Li Xuewu said in a calm tone, "The third time was to East Germany. Since we were going to do test flights anyway, it was just a side trip."
"..." The people present were speechless. If they didn't trust the Santaya Group, why would they entrust them with the repairs?
This roundabout inspection cost almost as much as a single repair. What's the point?
What picture?
What is the largest order for these aircraft?
Li Xuewu didn't want Honggang Group's weapons to be flying in the sky, being tracked by radar below, and turning into cannon fodder upon landing.
Who can guarantee that there won't be anything strange on the plane that flies back? It's better to be cautious. Although the shipping company is spending money before it even makes a profit, it's worth it.
Gao Yaqin had some other thoughts. It wasn't that she was complaining about Li Xuewu wasting money, but rather that she felt it was unnecessary. If she really wanted to put something away, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.
These seventeen transport planes could not possibly be affiliated with domestic airlines. As planned and requested by Li Xuewu, the parties had already established Times United Airlines in the port city.
As you can tell from the name, this airline is closely related to the Eastern Times Bank.
Oriental Times Bank controls the Oriental Group and the Times Group, and the newly established airline is a holding company of Oriental Times Bank.
Oriental Times Bank holds or represents far more companies in Honggang Group than investors like Santay Group, so there's no need to worry about losing control of these companies.
Although the Santayana Group made many efforts, Li Xuewu did not give Xiangtal many opportunities to contribute money.
If it weren't for needing their help, Li Xuewu wouldn't have been willing to share even this small amount of shares with them.
It's important to understand how vast the development prospects are for an airline that benefits from the resources of two large conglomerates, Honggang Group and Dongfang Times Bank, and can operate flights to multiple destinations.
You could easily say that running an airline in China these days would be so unprofitable that you'd question the meaning of life.
But where is this company located in the port city?
Shipping costs are based on international cooperation standards, and the price difference is the main reason for the losses.
China's shipping system is still in its infancy, and the emergence of Times United Airlines has filled some gaps.
In an era where airports are idle for extended periods, a company willing to pay its airport rental fees has emerged. Which airport would refuse to let them operate there?
Furthermore, Honggang Group has a nationwide sales network and incredibly strong public relations capabilities.
Even though air freight business is scarce these days, there are very few companies that can handle air freight orders.
The Air Transport Branch of Honggang Group Shipping Management Company has been established and has commenced office and business operations.
Although the company on this side of the group is just a shell, the shares held by Oriental Times Bank on its behalf are recorded on the company's books.
In other words, the air transport branch is a shareholder of Times United Airlines and holds the domestic air transport operation rights.
In addition to the head of the air transport branch, cadres from the Transportation Management Department of the Comprehensive Service Center of Hongxing Labor and Safety Service Corporation also attended the maiden flight ceremony today.
People unfamiliar with the management structure of Honggang Group, or not very familiar with business management, will find these two units very complicated, like taking off your pants to fart.
However, it is very necessary in normal corporate management. The air transport branch is a business enterprise, and the transportation management office under the labor service company is the management unit.
Every company has this type of management structure, with one person doing the work and another managing it.
To put it more bluntly, the shipping branch manages the aircraft, while the transportation management office decides who flies them.
One is in charge of airplanes, and the other is in charge of people; they are two different things.
"You've really got something going for your maiden flight, transporting weapons on your first flight."
After watching the loading ceremonies of the two aircraft, Gao Yaqin turned to Li Xuewu and teased, "Have you calculated whether it's auspicious or not?"
"Does this even need calculating?" Li Xuewu smiled faintly and said, "Who dares to say it's unlucky?"
Dong Wenxue and Xia Zhongquan exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh.
They've already seen the cargo manifest: two planes, over ten thousand guns—who wouldn't be confused by that?
"Who ordered this one, Art?"
He worked in the steel city for more than three years and can be considered the founder of the Red Star Weaponry Factory.
He was very familiar with Honggang Group's major clients and had met and talked with this Art several times.
However, he was wrong this time. Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and explained with a smile, "No, it's a client from North Africa."
"Art's here too... Oh—"
Dong Wenxue immediately realized what was going on and asked in surprise, "Who introduced you? From above?"
"The higher-ups?" Li Xuewu said with amusement, "Would the higher-ups think of us if they had such a good opportunity?"
"These days, everyone is struggling financially; they'd squeeze every last drop of rice out of a toad."
He shook his head with a sigh and said, "It was Ji Weidong who made the contact. He even asked me to pay a brokerage fee."
“Hehehe—” Dong Wenxue chuckled and said, “It’s not necessarily a bad thing; this money is still worth spending.”
"So I treated him to a meal."
Li Xuewu nodded seriously and said, "The meal money covers the agency fee."
"Hahahaha—" Xia Zhongquan knew he was in trouble.
Gao Yaqin asked with a smile, "He didn't get angry with you?"
"What's the rush? If I give him the money, do you think he'll dare take it?"
Li Xuewu said casually, "I treated him to a nice meal, and I paid for it myself."
"This kind of thing that violates organizational discipline must never be done."
He spoke with righteous indignation, saying, "Not only can I not do it myself, but my comrades cannot have such thoughts either."
"Hey—you're really something!" Xia Zhongquan was truly impressed; it took skill to make stinginess sound so noble.
***
Honggang Group built a "big plane" in Fengcheng, which naturally caused quite a stir, and everyone in Fengcheng who needed to know about it knew about it.
Li Xuewu was planning the aircraft city project, so he naturally took the initiative to invite Hu Ke and Deputy Director Lu.
Unfortunately, Deputy Director Lu was away on a business trip to Beijing and couldn't attend; Hu Ke represented him at the ceremony.
Following the ceremony, Honggang Group hosted a banquet at the Tadong Airport Hotel, which also served as a business exchange meeting.
Also invited to the maiden flight ceremony were business leaders from Fengcheng's industrial and commercial system; they were the main focus of this banquet.
Gao Yaqin delivered a brief speech and congratulatory message on behalf of the group, emphasizing that from now on, Honggang Group's business has officially expanded into the field of air transportation.
Unlike the previous Red Star No. 1, this airline is not based in China, and all transportation tasks must be entrusted through formal procedures.
Knowing how many companies in later generations have fallen victim to the problem of triangular debt, Li Xuewu didn't want Honggang to repeat the same mistake.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the establishment of the financial system, the channels for fund management were standardized through the joint savings bank.
Even metallurgical plants and steel rolling mills that execute production plans currently only support deposit-based production models.
In fact, the funds for planned production are already on the books. If they can be used for their designated purpose and not misappropriated, there will be no problems.
The problem lies here: how many companies are operating in violation of regulations, accumulating debt problems little by little until they become intractable?
When businesses in later generations go bankrupt and are liquidated, those IOUs will be enough to scare people to death.
Many of the business leaders present had dealt with Honggang Group before, or had learned about Honggang Group's business policies indirectly, so they were not too surprised by what he said.
However, many people in charge still don't understand who this rule of paying first and then getting things done applies to.
Are you suspecting they can't afford the shipping?
There were some discomforts, and this was the time to test the interpersonal skills of the Honggang Group's leadership team.
Li Xuewu and Gao Yaqin each took charge of one direction, moving around the banquet venue and, leveraging the group's reputation, effectively explained to them the necessity of scientific financial management.
The two didn't say anything else, but simply emphasized the dangers of triangular debt. No one present was a fool; they understood immediately.
Standing aside watching the two dominate, Xia Zhongquan couldn't help but sigh, "Even if we don't secure any shipping orders today, we've definitely secured business with the United Savings Bank."
Dong Wenxue listened to his sentiments but said nothing, instead gazing at the lively scene with a dreamy look in his eyes.
When he returned to Liaodong, he had a lot on his mind. He had been full of ambition when he went to the steel city, and he was in high spirits when he returned to Beijing. But what was the result?
He has experienced too many changes in the past few years, from an idealist to someone who has to face reality.
He could only keep his thoughts to himself; he couldn't say them, dared not say them, and had no need to say them.
The banquet lasted until 7 p.m., and cars left Tadon Airport to return to the city. From the air, the newly built road looked like a long dragon swimming.
Li Xuewu, Dong Wenxue, and a few others were also on the way back to the city; they did not stay overnight at Tadong Airport.
Unless absolutely necessary, who would want to live outside the city? They were heading to Fengcheng for a mechanical survey the next day, so they were rushing back overnight.
"Have you heard? The Nobel laureate is back, visiting family." In the car, Dong Wenxue asked him, "What does this mean?"
How did you start paying attention to these things?
Li Xuewu looked at him with amusement and asked, "What does this have to do with our group?"
"No, I was just asking casually."
Dong Wenxue had drunk a little alcohol, and his breath smelled of alcohol, but he still looked quite sober.
He frowned slightly and said, "I'm thinking that the situation is really about to change. You've seen the news, haven't you?"
"Hmm." Li Xuewu simply nodded without saying anything. He knew it was Dong Wenxue who wanted to speak, so he listened.
“You are right. Honggang Group has become the first to take the plunge and has chosen the right path.”
Dong Wenxue said with emotion, "We started from scratch in 67 when we decided to venture out into the world. Five years have passed."
"Our five-year lead is enough for other companies to catch up for ten or twenty years."
He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness you didn't get stuck in an endless quagmire."
Li Xuewu knew what he was saying and what he was thinking. In fact, he wasn't talking about himself, but about himself.
"It's just that I'm cautious in my words and actions; sometimes I feel helpless about it."
Li Xuewu straightened up, knowing that Qi Yan was driving and Ma Baosen was in the passenger seat, so he dared to say a few words.
"If I had known it would turn out like this, I would never have done it in the first place."
He also sighed deeply and said, "I never expected to implicate you."
"What are you talking about implicating us or not?"
Dong Wenxue smiled nonchalantly, patted his knee, and said, "You did the right thing. I know you're a good person."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled bitterly and said, "Am I not satisfied? I always want to be perfect."
“How could that be?” Dong Wenxue said to him with a smile, “The more you pursue perfection, the more pressure you will make mistakes.”
"So sometimes you have to learn to be oblivious and let go."
He stretched out his palm and said, "Like this."
Li Xuewu smiled as he looked at him, knowing that he must still have many regrets, but he had already let go of them.
Needless to say, it must be Han Shu's doing; Dong Wenxue is the kind of person who easily gets stuck on trivial details.
It's not that they lack ability, but rather that they are too capable, to the point of blind confidence, and too easily trusting rules and others.
He is even willing to believe that others follow the rules.
Li Xuewu is not an idealist; he is more like a realist, but he lacks Dong Wenxue's naiveté.
No one can define whether this innocence is good or bad; for him personally, it should be a form of self-cultivation.
"Have you made up your mind?"
Having understood the mindset behind his words, Li Xuewu could naturally guess that he was determined to leave.
Dong Wenxue looked at him earnestly through the dim light inside the car and said, "I still need to study and practice more."
"Don't be too hard on yourself." Li Xuewu gently squeezed his arm to comfort him, "Many things are the same whether you say them or not. If you don't say them, they're just numbers."
"I've been too clear about the distinction between one, two, three and two, four, six, haven't I?" Dong Wenxue said with a smile. "Fu Bin once told me something about you in private."
He said that although you look young, you have the maturity and wisdom of someone decades older.
He smiled and said with a slight upturn of his lips, "It seems he has a good eye for people. You will eventually achieve great things in Honggang."
What else could Li Xuewu say? After a moment of silence, he asked, "Do you have a target? Or are you waiting for coordination from above?"
"Up there, hehe—" Dong Wenxue said with a smile, "Didn't you just say that such a good thing shouldn't be available to us?"
He shook his head and said, "I've become mercenary too. You have no idea, my voice trembles when I call people."
"I have never observed my own words and actions so closely before, and I am so embarrassed."
Li Xuewu didn't know how to comfort him, but this was the reality he had to face.
Everyone has been young, and everyone has dreamed of achieving great success when they were young, but reality is reality.
Dong Wenxue's frustration and struggle stemmed from the clash between the smooth sailing at the beginning and the reality of being in complete control.
In the security department, no one would argue with him about anything, but at the group level, even a small difference can make a big difference.
Therefore, he did not lose to others, but to himself.
-
Li Xuewu said that if nothing happened, he didn't plan to return to Beijing before the end of September, but how could nothing happen?
At the end of July, Gao Yaqin went abroad for an inspection tour and held the second round of negotiations with the Santayana Group in the port city.
At that very moment, the industrial and transportation system held a foreign trade work conference, and Li Huaide invited him to attend.
Within the group, there are many people with economic management skills, but only he and Gao Yaqin are truly proficient in this field.
Gao Yaqin excels in her profession, while Li Xuewu is skilled in martial arts; this is what is meant by specializing in one's own field.
Having come from the foreign trade system, Gao Yaqin is familiar with almost all foreign trade processes and management models. She handles the economic work of Honggang Group with great ease and skill.
This reflects her years of experience and work skills, but there are still shortcomings in planning and analysis.
Or rather, her abilities are outstanding compared to other cadres in the group, and even within the industrial and transportation system.
But when it comes to shrewdness, she can always see the gap between herself and Li Xuewu in how they do things.
She is certainly learning and growing, but the gap between the two is widening.
He has the ability, but lacks the mindset of flexible operation and adaptability, which is exactly what Li Xuewu has.
Therefore, it is better to call Li Xuewu back than to arrange for anyone from the group to attend the meeting in place of Gao Yaqin.
Tell me, does Li Huaide have any serious business?
He arranged for his office to urgently call Li Xuewu and issue a notice, demanding that he finish his work as soon as possible and return to Beijing to attend the meeting.
When Li Xuewu got off the plane and saw that familiar big red flag, he thought Old Li had some urgent business to attend to.
The secretary also said that General Manager Li is waiting for you at the Unity Hotel, just like last time, except that no appointment was made.
Not setting a time means that he needs to meet with me as soon as possible after landing.
The results of it?
Guess what's so urgent for Lao Li?
Li Xuewu was dumbfounded when he entered the room. The reason he was called over in such a hurry was because they were one player short for mahjong.
He wanted to curse, but he couldn't curse Lao Li, much less Liu Songhua and Li Haiyang.
"Have you eaten dinner?" Li Huaide asked with a smile when he saw the displeasure on his face. "Should we have them make some noodles?"
"It's okay, I ate on the plane."
Li Xuewu waved his hand, put the handbag aside, picked up the hot tea prepared for him, and took a sip.
"What time did they start waiting for me?"
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide said with a laugh, "We'll be waiting for you here after dinner."
Goodness, I've been waiting for him for over an hour. He must be really addicted to this game to wait for me to play together.
But then he remembered that Liu Songhua and Li Haiyang were there, and he knew what Li Huaide meant.
This isn't a trap, it's a scheme to get forgiveness.
"I was thinking of having a good night's rest before the meeting tomorrow," Li Xuewu said, wiping the mahjong tiles with his hand. "I can't expect to win money just because I'm having an economic conference, can I?"
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide didn't care at all when he heard him say he wanted to win money. Instead, he waved his hand with a smile and said, "Come on, let's talk while we play."
"It mainly concerns foreign trade, not just a simple economic management meeting," Liu Songhua explained proactively. "A special meeting was held at the higher level before implementation began at the lower level."
“I saw it in the newspaper.” Li Xuewu nodded and added, “I saw it on the plane back.”
"To boost foreign trade, we must first boost exports; to boost exports, we must first boost production." "Foreign trade should promote domestic trade and stimulate production."
It's clear from the news that the country is now prioritizing economic work.
In order to vigorously develop export trade, the above-mentioned authorities proposed to make full use of the advantages of domestic labor force and some industries, and to expand processing exports in a flexible manner.
“You saw it too.” Li Huaide pointed to the newspaper on the small table next to him and said, “It seems your words had an effect.”
"Heh—" Li Xuewu shook his head with a smile and said, "How dare I say that? I was just talking about the work situation of our group."
"The stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade."
Li Huaide shook his head and said, "If it weren't for your outspokenness and willingness to think, I would have—"
He played a card and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "This meeting won't be so resolute."
Thinking about it, it makes sense. But Li Xuewu wasn't being modest; he genuinely didn't think he could have any influence.
Even without him, at this point in time, given the development difficulties, the higher authorities should have already started working on economic development.
His achievements at Honggang Group merely serve to prove the correctness of this policy and decision.
Just look at that passage in the news and you'll understand: the goal is to develop foreign trade, and the essence of developing foreign trade is export.
To achieve exports, production must be prioritized.
If production quality is substandard, how can it be exported?
International traders don't buy into planned production; they want whatever quality is available.
Therefore, in order to export, we must improve the quality of our production and proactively enhance our competitiveness.
This is remarkably similar to the development plan that Li Xuewu formulated for Honggang Group.
Honggang Group initially achieved exports through the Guangzhou Export Commodities Fair, but the prerequisite was that it could truly offer high-quality products and have sufficient production capacity.
At that time, Hongxing Factory had placed almost all its bets on tertiary industry. If that venture hadn't succeeded, there would likely be no Honggang Group today.
Therefore, this slogan is almost a description and summary of the development path of Honggang Group.
Looking back at this passage, it says, "We should make full use of the advantages of domestic labor force and some industries, and adopt flexible methods to expand processing and export."
The advantages of labor force and certain industries are easy to understand, right? Honggang Group has acquired a large amount of surplus labor through corporate mergers and acquisitions.
In an era when the company had to be accountable to its workers, Honggang Group had to find a way for these workers to make a living.
For Honggang Group, some of its industrial advantages lie in its tertiary industry and its own steelmaking capabilities.
Therefore, combining labor force with industrial advantages requires a flexible approach.
How to understand the word "flexible"? For Honggang Group, compensation trade has become a unique skill for overtaking on a curve.
They manufacture for foreign companies, exchanging this for advanced production technology and equipment, and then continuously improve their production capacity to take on more production orders and tasks.
In the process of accumulating technology and equipment, we continuously learn and accumulate experience, and actively conduct research and development until we achieve complete independent production and master scientific research capabilities.
At this point, Honggang Group possessed the ability to stand shoulder to shoulder and compete with the world's industries.
When Honggang Group decided to expand its exports, the world's industries had to foot the bill for the company's development; that's influence.
In fact, Li Xuewu and Li Huaide both knew that, without needing to be told, countless companies were learning from the Honggang model.
The "in-breeding-out" model is not unique to Honggang Group; anyone can do it.
Therefore, starting this year, not only those who cannot see or know about it, but also those within the United Industrial Enterprises have taken the lead in developing similar industrial enterprise ideas.
Two or three decades ago, with the expansion of economic construction, the supply of domestic export goods became tight, and foreign exchange became scarce. In order to change this situation, the higher authorities proposed to learn from the world's advanced countries and adopt the method of importing to support exports, expand exports, and increase foreign exchange income.
It was also from 57 that the foreign trade sector began to systematically carry out the business of importing raw materials to support exports, importing urgently needed raw materials from abroad, and then processing them into products for export.
Back then, the export trade volume in this area reached 2.1 million dollars, which shows great potential.
From 1963 to 1964, the export volume of "using imports to support exports" accounted for 30% of the national export volume each year.
After the "import-to-export" business officially resumed this year, the first transaction was to import cotton, process it into cotton cloth, and export it.
The newspaper has already reported on this successful case, but it's not Honggang Group, because although Honggang's development model is standard, it's not representative.
Agriculture and industry remain pressing production issues that need to be addressed, so we will start with agricultural cases.
Due to consecutive years of poor cotton harvests in China, the supply of cotton fabric is tight, while the international market is experiencing both low cotton prices and high cotton fabric prices. This is because major cotton-producing countries such as America are experiencing reduced cotton fabric processing due to high domestic wages.
Under these circumstances, importing cotton for processing and export is very profitable.
Gao Yaqin had introduced the relevant situation at the beginning of the year, and Li Xuewu knew at that time that the domestic economy was about to recover.
The example in the newspaper is that 8.5 million tons of cotton were imported, processed into cotton fabric, and exported.
It not only earned a large amount of foreign exchange, but also met the needs of domestic production and life.
On this basis, relevant departments have also successively imported feed, fertilizer, seeds and other livestock and agricultural products for processing and export, as well as some main and spare parts of machinery for processing and export.
Li Xuewu can already see that in the future, China will have to follow this relatively mature development path—processing with supplied materials.
Unlike compensation trade, processing with supplied materials is more autonomous and does not require sacrificing the initiative in the early stages.
Flexible trade methods such as processing with supplied materials, OEM production, and neutral packaging will gradually recover and develop.
“I would say that a single flower in full bloom is not as good as a garden full of spring colors.” Li Huaide discarded a one-of-a-kind tile and said calmly, “Our development achievements are already too dazzling. At this time, it is beneficial for everyone to develop as well.”
"Yes, that's what I think too."
Li Xuewu looked at the mahjong tiles in his hand and said, "If needed, we can certainly provide support."
"I think we should avoid it; it's too risky."
Li Huaide smiled and looked at the three of them jokingly, "It wouldn't be good if people said we were just being condescending."
"We can be more practical and provide support through publicity," Liu Songhua said with a smile. "Our magazine can publish some relevant content to provide guidance and explanations."
"Hmm, that's a good idea." Li Xuewu nodded at him and said, "Proactive sharing is more effective than verbal instruction."
"Hahaha—" Li Huaide laughed and looked at the three of them, saying, "They say three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang, and that's the truth of the matter."
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu glanced at him and thought to himself, "You're the one who's a cobbler."