Rebirth of Bayi Fishing and Hunting in the Northwest

Chapter 1129 A Publicly Funded Visit to Learn from the Experience of the Big Brother

Director Qian received a call from Li Xiangqian in his office. He was quite surprised to hear what Li Xiangqian said and specifically asked another question:
"You mean, he can take us to the Soviet Union for a visit and study?"

"Yes. They can also arrange hunting grounds over there. If you want to have some fun, that's fine too." Li Xiangqian said it rather vaguely, but Director Qian understood.

"He's got such great abilities now? He's really something!" Director Qian was quite tempted. Going abroad for inspection tours is a popular activity these days, and many leaders have gone. Director Qian also wanted to see it, but to be honest, he didn't have the opportunity.

Now that Li Xiangqian suddenly says that Li Long can make the arrangements, how could he not be tempted?

The only slight regret is that I went to the Soviet Union instead of Europe and America.

Director Qian also had some understanding of the situation on his elder brother's side, knowing that although the lives of the people there were not exactly miserable, they were not good either.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to import large quantities of light industrial materials from here every year.

Of course, he would be happy to go out and see the world if he could.

"Ask him if he can bring his family, and also what the specific time will be," Director Qian asked, showing interest. "And what do we need to prepare?"

"So the director means it's permissible in principle, right? I'll ask him now!" Li Xiangqian was quite happy and immediately called the purchasing station.

He knew Li Long's phone number, but he usually called the recycling station so as not to disturb the family's life.

Li Long was at the purchasing station when he received the phone call. After hearing what Li Xiangqian asked, he said:

"Director, what I really mean is that since it's our first time, let's just go by ourselves and not bring our families. I've only been there once, and I didn't stay long in their capital, Almaty. The rest of the time I went hunting in the grasslands and small towns."

So let's go and see for ourselves; there will be many more opportunities later. I have a close working relationship with them, so we can make arrangements later. This is the first time, and I feel like it's just the few of us.

As for what to bring, we'll discuss that after the invitation arrives.

Li Xiangqian felt that Li Long was quite clear-headed; since there would be other opportunities later, there was no need to rush.

Besides, I've heard that it's even colder there in winter than here. Women and children shouldn't go; it's better to stay home than endure the cold.

He then relayed Li Long's suggestion to Director Qian, who agreed that it was indeed the right thing to do.

Not long after, Liu Gaolou arrived again with trucks. This time, the trucks were full of offal from cattle and sheep. Ten trucks could hold quite a lot. Fortunately, it was winter, so they could be stored there. Therefore, Li Long accepted all the trucks without hesitation.

After three and a half trips, all 300 tons of cement were hauled away, leaving Li Long with $55,000, even after deducting the cost of the sewage treatment.

Those sewage pipes are really worthless; their cost doesn't even cover the shipping fees.

But at Li Long's place, it's sold for one kilogram per piece, and people are scrambling to buy it. It's said that those middlemen have already sold these offal products to Beiting City.

This winter, it's not bad for some families with financial difficulties to spend a dollar or two to buy some mixed offal that has been chopped into pieces by a middleman to satisfy their cravings.

One of the main reasons they are so popular is that these offal items contain very little water; they are all dry goods, which makes them very substantial.

Doing business honestly really attracts customers, so all the waste that Liu Gaolou brought over was sold out before January.

On New Year's Day, as students prepared for their final exams, Liu Gaolou brought an invitation from Liu Shanmin. Liu Shanmin's company, Silk Road Trading Company, mainly dealt in light industrial products. After finishing the cement delivery, he asked Liu Gaolou to pass on a message to Li Long: this time, he needed at least thirty tons of white sugar.

Thirty tons of white sugar is not much. The country has now begun to implement a dual-track system, which means that the planned economy and the market economy run in parallel. The planned supply of certain materials to relevant departments is subject to planned pricing.

For unplanned materials, the production department has a certain degree of autonomy in pricing.

The sugar produced by the sugar factory was also part of the dual-track system. The sugar supplied to various divisions and cities was planned, while the surplus was unplanned. Now, Section Chief Hu was a hot figure in the sugar factory because he could earn foreign exchange from the unplanned sales of sugar!

So, Section Chief Hu has been a little anxious lately. After all, Li Long hasn't come to him for sugar for nearly two months. Could it be that he doesn't want it anymore or has found a better source?

That shouldn't be the case. The largest sugar factory in northern Xinjiang is the Shicheng Bayi Sugar Factory. The cost of white sugar transported from the border is much higher.

Unless they're also after foreign exchange!

So Section Chief Hu contacted Li Long twice through Song Ming, and Li Long explained in detail that the company outside had limited transportation capacity and was currently focusing on purchasing cement, but would continue to need sugar after a while.

Section Chief Hu was slightly relieved, and then told Li Long that if the other party wanted a large quantity, the price could be lowered a bit more. Of course, the main thing was to pay in foreign currency, even if it was half paid in foreign currency like last time.

Li Long was naturally happy to agree.

In the 1970s and 80s, thanks to the Shicheng Sugar Factory, people in the surrounding counties and cities could benefit from it and were not subject to so many restrictions when buying white sugar.

But in more distant, sugar-free areas, such as Ita'a in the north, even those living in cities who were on government-supplied grain could not freely consume sugar.

Each person's monthly sugar supply is fixed, and only certain special patients can get more sugar with a hospital prescription.

Unlike Ma County, where ordinary people can buy sugar cubes and sugar granules without tickets because it is close to Shicheng.

This is the case even in places like Itaa; just think about how sugar-starved the neighboring Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic is!

So these 30 tons of sugar are nothing to Shicheng Sugar Factory, but to Liu Shanmin, they are real gold and silver, and are all strategic materials!
When Li Long arrived with Liu Gaolou in five trucks, Section Chief Hu came downstairs with a big smile and chatted with them in the snow.

"Thirty tons? No problem! The leadership has given special approval. Thirty tons can be loaded onto the truck right now. Actually, more is fine too, and the price is negotiable."

Having said that, Li Long naturally understood. Liu Gaolou didn't care about anything else and followed the warehouse manager to load the truck, while Li Long followed Section Chief Hu upstairs to pay.

“We can pay five thousand US dollars this time, and the rest will be settled in RMB,” Li Long said. “Section Chief Hu, I will try to increase the share we get. Our cooperation has been going smoothly. As I mentioned before, the main reason is that their demand is very specific. But I can guarantee that they will always need white sugar.”

"That's good, that's good!" Section Chief Hu was very satisfied that Li Long had agreed to a higher foreign exchange ratio in the payment. This Li Long was very sincere.

It seems I was overthinking things before!

"After this trip, the next one might not be until mid-January," Li Long explained after paying. "I'm taking our supply and marketing system there for a study tour, which will take a few days. When I come back, I'll bring the next truckload of sugar with me."

"We can even go there for inspection and learning?" Section Chief Hu's interest was piqued. "Where to? How long? Are there any personnel restrictions?"

"It should take three to five days, no more than a week." Li Long didn't expect that Section Chief Hu was also interested, but he was mainly using his personal connections to bring Director Qian and others over. It wasn't that time yet for Section Chief Hu and his group to go.

"To Almaty? That's the capital of the Kazakh constituent republic." Section Chief Hu said with longing. "Although it can't compare to Europe and America, as a member of the older brother constituent republic, it must have its own unique advantages."

"Section Chief Hu also wants to go and take a look?" Li Long asked, no longer pretending to be confused, after hearing that Section Chief Hu had already brought it up.

"Of course, but I don't know if there will be a chance," Section Chief Hu said, looking at Li Long.

“I’ll have to ask. To be honest, given our relationship, I think it should be okay, but the situation over there is a bit complicated, and I definitely can’t make the decision for them,” Li Long said frankly.

"Yes, yes, I understand, I understand. I would be very grateful and happy if you could ask for me." Section Chief Hu said with a smile when he heard that there was a chance. "Actually, we can deepen our cooperation. Since the dual-track system was implemented, our sugar factory has had more autonomy. The supply and price of white sugar can also be negotiated."

Actually, Section Chief Hu and his team have always supplied Li Long with white sugar at retail price. In reality, Li Long is not losing money, but now that Section Chief Hu says to use wholesale price, the price can naturally be further reduced.

However, the payment for this batch of sugar has already been made, so a price reduction can only be implemented next time.

This is where the sugar factory's disadvantages became apparent; it only had white sugar and nothing else of note.

While supplying sugar to external markets could be very attractive, it offers no advantage to ordinary people, as unsold sugar is readily available in stores.

Section Chief Hu thought it best to haul more sugar residue for Li Long's group. He could make the decision himself; it was just a matter of paying for transportation, and the sugar residue wasn't worth much anyway. After hauling the sugar, Liu Gaolou didn't leave immediately but returned to the purchasing station with Li Long.

Five truckloads of white sugar were brought to the purchasing station, covered with tarpaulins, and then they waited for Director Qian to arrive.

Director Qian has decided to come, but it's not something he can do immediately. For cadres of his level to go abroad for inspection, they need to report to higher authorities at each level.

Fortunately, they had an invitation from the other side, and it wasn't to Europe or America, but right next door, so the higher-ups quickly agreed. After all, it wasn't a long trip, and they were even given some US dollars to exchange for daily expenses.

In fact, anyone with eyes to see can tell that this is a "kickback letter." It was specifically addressed to Director Qian and Li Xiangqian. What else can be said about that?
A normal inspection tour involves a delegation of several people or more. It's not normal that they only invited two leaders and a temporary worker.

But since they have the ability to get an invitation, even if some people have grumbled, they can't say anything. If you're so capable, why don't you get one yourself?

If you don't have the ability, then just watch.

Li Long exchanged one thousand US dollars for each of Director Qian and Li Xiangqian at a ratio of one to three. Based on the cost of the dollars he obtained, the ratio of one to three was higher than the official exchange rate but lower than the market price, so it was considered the cost price.

Anyway, he won't feel bad about giving away the benefits he got.

Besides, in Almaty, with this money you can only buy some local specialties at most, and what you bought in the first place didn't actually cost much.

On Sunday, January 3rd, Li Long drove his new Volga westward with Li Xiangqian and Liu Gaolou.

The main reason I drove this car was that it was more comfortable than the 212, and apart from the Guozigou area, the road conditions were generally okay, and a sedan could run it.

On the way, Director Qian was quite interested in Liu Gaolou, asking him questions from time to time. Liu Gaolou had matured considerably; he answered what he could and pretended not to know what he couldn't.

The further west you go, the fewer people there are; the earth is a vast expanse of white, so clean.

Occasionally, you can see gazelles running in the snow in the distance, but they quickly disappear from sight.

Occasionally, when passing through villages and towns, black or white dogs would dart out and bark wildly at the convoy. Sometimes, a pack of dogs would even chase after the vehicles until they could no longer catch up.

When the car arrived at the Kuitun military post, we stopped to have lunch. We were mainly waiting for Director Qian to come over in the morning, so it was already lunchtime when we arrived.

Taking your time has its advantages; at least there are plenty of places to eat, get water for your car, and get repairs done here, making it a lively place.

Director Qian rarely comes to places like this. After getting off the car, he didn't go into the restaurant immediately. Instead, he looked around with interest and chatted with a driver who was getting water for a while before going to eat.

"With the market economy, there are more people driving big trucks to haul goods. That driver just said he can earn at least five hundred a month!" Director Qian exclaimed. "Sure enough, once things are liberalized, more people are getting rich."

“Each has its own advantages.” Li Long poured water for the group, saying as he poured, “A planned economy concentrates resources to accomplish major tasks, while a market economy invigorates the market and creates more job opportunities and wealth creation opportunities.”

Having enjoyed the benefits of the planned economy, Li Long is not one to criticize it.

Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. He is no longer a naive young man who directly judges good and bad based on binary thinking.

"Yes, yes, Xiao Li is right," Director Qian said with a smile. "We built the market on the foundation of the great contributions of the planned economy; otherwise, where would we get this prosperity today?"

Some things should be left unsaid; the main focus should be on the meal.

After eating, we added water and gas to the car, rested briefly, and then continued our journey.

After passing Wusu, there are more uninhabited areas. More than 100 kilometers later is Jinghe, and then there are still large uninhabited areas. Occasionally there are villages and towns, and when you see people again, you will reach Wutai Mountain.

We rested here for the night, and continued west the next day, passing Sayram Lake and entering Guozigou. When we came out of Guozigou, we were finally able to stop for a meal.

Thankfully, we didn't encounter any extreme weather in Guozigou, and we drove slowly and had a safe journey.

By the time we finally arrived in Khorgos, it was already afternoon.

"I've already contacted my uncle," Liu Gaolou said after making a phone call to Li Long and the others, "After settling them in, we'll clear the border early tomorrow morning. Don't drive the car over there; someone will be there to meet us."

We'll go directly to Almaty for a visit and inspection, accompanied by official personnel. Afterwards, we'll travel to other local areas. The total itinerary in Kazakhstan will be three to four days. It's a bit short, but of course, if you two are interested, you can stay in Almaty for a couple more days.

"Sure, sure, I'll follow your arrangements," Director Qian said with a smile. "I just want to broaden my horizons. I've never been abroad before, so I'm a bit curious."

Khorgos was still quite small at this time, but the place Liu Gaolou had arranged for them to stay was quite warm, and the food here clearly had a Kazakh flavor. Li Long was going to park his car here and leave it when he returned. Liu Gaolou had also arranged this.

The next morning, Li Long saw Buick and Murat. He greeted them and then went through customs with Liu Gaolou and the others.

Five truckloads of sugar passed by together, the people and vehicles separated. During a break in the inspection, Li Xiangqian whispered to Li Long:
"This sugar must have had a lot of taxes paid to get through customs, right?"

"I don't know, but they're short of supplies there, so even if they pay a lot, they'll still make a profit."

Li Long has never had any special aura over there, so there's no question of demystifying him, but Director Qian and Li Xiangqian still have some expectations.

When I got there, I was immediately disappointed.

At this point, both customs buildings were of similar level, so it wasn't a big deal. But as we walked along, there weren't many people around, so it seemed quite desolate.

This time, Liu Shanmin brought a group of people to pick up Li Long and his group. Li Long introduced them to each other. To Director Qian's surprise, one of the people Liu Shanmin brought was the deputy director of Almaty in charge of commerce and trade.

That's quite a high level!

The other party welcomed their arrival with a smile throughout, which truly made Director Qian feel the warmth of an elder brother.

Li Long asked Liu Shanmin privately, "Is this deputy director real or fake?"

“Of course it’s true, but the enthusiasm is fake. I promised to give him a ton of sugar, and for this week, he’ll call me ‘Grandpa’ even if I ask him to.” Liu Shanmin whispered the truth to him:
“Now supplies are even scarcer here. Let me tell you this: I want to keep a low profile, but sometimes I can’t. I made at least $100,000 from those 300 tons of cement. But that’s secondary. The main thing is that through that cement, I made some connections and got some scarce parts and technical blueprints for China.”

Li Long smiled and said, "Okay, as long as it works."

“These sugars can make me some money and also help me expand my network. Having your customer here gives me more confidence, at least in the eyes of the locals that I'm not without connections, and that's good enough.”

It's mutually beneficial, Li Long thought about Section Chief Hu's matter, and it really might be possible.

As long as it's not all just causing trouble, then it's fine.

Liu Shanmin was quite happy, hosting domestic officials as a host. Although it was to repay Li Long's favor, he felt it was a good thing.

If you've achieved something, you'd naturally want someone to appreciate it, right?

Buick acted as the translator. There were two Volga cars. Li Long, Liu Shanmin, and Liu Gaoloumurati sat in one car, while the deputy director, along with Buick, Director Qian, and Li Xiangqian, sat in the other.

It wasn't a deliberate separation; it was arranged by Liu Shanmin to convince Director Qian and his team that this was a genuine inspection, an official action.

With this deputy director's endorsement, it can be considered an official action no matter how you look at it, making it easier for Director Qian and his team to write their reports.

The field trip has officially begun.

P.S.: Thank you to reader Crocodile Tears L for the generous donation! Thank you to reader Spring Warmth in Eleven States for the large donation! Thank you to reader No Such Person for the donation! Thank you to readers 110302213220025, Tianya Zhiyin, reader 1922095724408451072, Bottle Cap, reader 20250910152217224, reader 20250820055420128, and other readers with numbers for their donations.

I wanted to let everyone know that I've been using cold medicine and drinking ginger and scallion water, and I'm feeling much better. Thank you!

(End of this chapter)