60s: I have a store

Chapter 614 There’s a lot to be done
Director Hu held the dry, fluffy cotton coat in his hands, then looked down at the small dryer on the table, his eyes filled with shock.

He never expected that this small machine could have such amazing effects. He had originally just been looking at it with a casual attitude, but now he was completely impressed.

Director Hu looked up at the group of people in the research lab, their faces tired but their eyes shining, and said with barely suppressed excitement, "Everyone has worked so hard! You've been working day and night these past few days, it's really not easy."

He paused, then clapped his hands forcefully: "Alright, you can go back and rest for three days, paid leave! When I get back, I'll definitely give you a big celebration!"

Upon hearing this, a cheer erupted in the research lab.

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with surprise.

After working at such a high intensity for so many consecutive days, everyone was exhausted, both physically and mentally. When they heard that they could rest for three days, and that it was a paid vacation, they were all overjoyed.

"Thank you, Director Hu!" everyone shouted in unison, their voices filled with joy.

Factory Director Hu smiled and waved his hand, then carefully picked up the small dryer on the table as if it were some rare treasure.

"I'm leaving first. You guys should pack up and go home to rest as well."

After saying that, he picked up the dryer and quickly left the research lab.

No one dared to delay any longer and began packing their things, thinking that they could go back and get a good night's sleep. They were determined to sleep soundly until the end of the day to make up for the three days of hard work.

Xiao Zhang carefully folded the circuit diagrams and put them in the drawer, Xiao Li put the measuring tools back, and Lao Wang gave the doors and windows of the research room a final check.

Everyone moved quickly and efficiently, with relaxed smiles on their faces. The fatigue from before seemed to have dissipated most of it the moment they heard the news of the vacation.

"Finally, I can get a good night's sleep. I feel like I can barely keep my eyes open," Xiao Zhang said, yawning.

“That’s right, the first thing I’ll do when I get back is sleep for days on end.” Xiao Li agreed, and the two smiled at each other before walking out of the research lab together.

Li Chongguang breathed a sigh of relief as he watched everyone leave one after another.

Meanwhile, Director Hu carried a small dryer and strode to the factory gate, where a black sedan was already waiting.

Upon seeing this, the driver quickly got out of the car and opened the back door.

Factory Director Hu carefully placed the dryer into the car, making sure it wouldn't be bumped or damaged, and then got in himself.

"Go to the city and find the higher-ups," Director Hu said to the driver, his tone tinged with urgency.

He couldn't wait to show this great product to his superiors, believing that this small dryer would definitely be valued and bring greater development to the factory.

The car slowly drove out of the factory area and headed towards the city.

Inside the car, Director Hu would occasionally turn his head to look at the small, silver-gray dryer, a satisfied smile always on his lips, as if he could already see its bright future.

Moreover, with so many contributions made by the factory, it will be much easier to ask the leaders for anything they need in the future.

The car drove into the city and stopped in front of an office building in a traditional courtyard house.

Director Hu, carrying a small dryer, took a deep breath and strode inside.

He went straight to the door of his superior's office and knocked lightly.

"Please come in." The leader's steady and powerful voice came from the office.

Factory Director Hu pushed open the door and entered, only to see his superiors sitting behind their desks reviewing documents.

The leader looked up and saw him, put down his pen, smiled and said, "Oh, it's Xiao Hu. What's the matter that you're in such a hurry to see me?"

"Boss, I've brought you something good!" Director Hu placed the small dryer on the empty space next to his desk, his face beaming with excitement.

"This is a small dryer that our factory's research lab just developed. It works exceptionally well. Let me demonstrate it for you."

As he spoke, he began to think about what to use for the demonstration.

His gaze swept around the office before finally settling on himself. He couldn't very well ask his boss to take off his clothes and use him as a test subject, could he?

He wouldn't dare borrow his boss's clothes; what if something went wrong and the cotton-padded coat didn't achieve the desired effect?

Leaving a bad impression on your boss is not worth it.

There was no other way but to sacrifice my cotton-padded coat again.

Factory Director Hu unbuttoned his cotton-padded coat and took it off; he had only worn it a short time ago, and it still carried the warmth of his body.

Seeing his actions, the leader raised an eyebrow in confusion: "Old Hu, what are you doing?"

"Boss, you'll see when you look." Director Hu smiled, took the cotton coat, walked to the tap in the corner of the office, filled it with water, wet the coat, wrung it out, and kept it half-damp.

The leader looked at him with great interest, without saying a word, his eyes filled with curiosity about the small dryer.

He wanted to see what was so special about the things that Director Hu had brought so solemnly.

The leaders also knew that the reason why Director Hu strongly recommended him was back when he was working on air fryers and solar water heaters.

Factory Director Hu took the wet cotton clothes back to the dryer. Although he had only seen Xiao Zhang demonstrate it once, the operation was not complicated and he had already memorized it.

He skillfully opened the dryer lid, put the wet cotton clothes inside, closed the lid, turned the knob on the control panel to the medium temperature setting, and pressed the start button.

"Buzz—" The dryer made a slight sound and started running.

The leader leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on the running dryer, clearly very concerned about its effectiveness.

Director Hu stood to the side, also a little nervous, his palms slightly sweaty, silently praying that everything would go smoothly.

Time passed slowly, and the only sound in the office was the soft hum of the dryer.

About 40 minutes later, Director Hu pressed the stop button, and the machine stopped making noise.

He waited for more than ten seconds before slowly pulling open the lid, and a warm aroma wafted out.

He took the cotton-padded coat out of the dryer, shook it, and then handed it to his superior: "Sir, please feel it."

The leader reached out and took the cotton coat, feeling its dryness and fluffiness, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

He examined it carefully, turning it over and over, and then sniffed it closely to make sure there was no sign of dampness. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Xiao Hu, this stuff of yours is really good!"

Factory Director Hu finally felt relieved and said with a smile, "Sir, this small dryer is not only easy to use, but we also plan to export it overseas. What do you think of the prospects?"

The leader's eyes lit up, and he immediately picked up the phone on his desk: "Call Old Zhang and the others from the foreign trade department over. Have them come to my office. There's something new that they need to evaluate." After hanging up, the leader said to Factory Director Hu: "Since we're planning to export it, we need to have professionals take a look. The people in the foreign trade department are familiar with the international market, so their evaluation will be more reliable."

Before long, Lao Zhang from the foreign trade department arrived with two colleagues.

Old Zhang was a middle-aged man in his fifties, wearing thick glasses and holding a notebook in his hand; he looked like a meticulous person.

"Boss, you wanted to see us?"

"Old Zhang, come here, take a look at this." The leader pointed to the small dryer on the ground.

"This is a new product developed by Director Hu's factory. They want to export it overseas. Can you give it a review?"

Old Zhang and his colleagues immediately gathered around, took out measuring tapes to measure the dimensions of the dryer, and carefully examined its structure and materials, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

One young colleague took out a camera and took pictures of the dryer from different angles, while another quickly recorded data in his notebook.

"This folding design is good; it saves space and makes transportation convenient," Old Zhang nodded as he looked at it.

"The material used is thin steel plate, so the cost should not be high, and it has a price advantage in the international market."

He then had Director Hu demonstrate the drying process again, staring at the temperature control panel and saying, "The effect is good, and there are no similar competing products on the market. It can indeed be exported."

Director Hu listened attentively, nodding occasionally, and noted down the areas that needed improvement.

The assessment lasted for nearly an hour before Lao Zhang and his team finally stopped what they were doing.

Old Zhang adjusted his glasses and said to the leader and Factory Director Hu, "Leader, Factory Director Hu, our preliminary assessment shows that this small dryer has great potential."

He opened his notebook, pointed to the data, and said, "You see, the European and American markets have a great demand for these kinds of small appliances, especially in humid countries like those in Northern Europe, and in Southeast Asia, where the rainy season is long, so the demand for dryers is very stable."

"Moreover, this product is small in size and has a price advantage, so it will definitely be able to open up the market."

The leader listened and smiled with satisfaction: "Good! It seems this thing really has potential. Lao Hu, when you go back, make improvements according to Lao Zhang and the others' suggestions as soon as possible, and strive to put it into production as soon as possible to help the country earn foreign exchange."

Factory Director Hu nodded excitedly, "Thank you, leader! Thank you, Section Chief Zhang! We will definitely seize the time and live up to your expectations!"

Old Zhang smiled and said, "Director Hu, if there's anything we need to cooperate with later, just let us know."

The atmosphere in the office was lively. Director Hu looked at the small dryer and seemed to already see it selling well in the international market.

Director Hu felt as if he had a warm stove in his heart, and his whole body was brimming with energy.

He held Old Zhang's hand tightly, thanking him repeatedly, his smile never fading.

The steel mill finally has a reliable piece of equipment to show for itself, and it's a treasure that can earn foreign exchange. This is fantastic news!

When leaving the superior's office building, Director Hu carried the small dryer, his steps light as if he had become ten years younger.

Once inside the car, he couldn't resist placing the dryer on his lap and touching it repeatedly. The silver-gray exterior reflected the smile lines at the corners of his eyes, and he looked completely satisfied.

"Drive faster, back to the factory!"

He spoke to the driver, his eagerness barely concealed.

As soon as the car drove into the steel plant gate, Director Hu urged the driver to stop.

He carried the dryer straight to the office building, and when he passed the gatehouse, he even greeted Old Wang with a smile, which left Old Wang stunned. The last time he saw Director Hu so happy was when they developed the air fryer and the solar water heater.

As soon as he entered the office building, Director Hu shouted to the office director, "Quickly, call the deputy director, the production manager, and the sales manager to the conference room. Tell them we have some incredibly good news!"

Within ten minutes, the conference room was full of people.

When the leaders saw Director Hu carrying an unfamiliar machine in, they all craned their necks to look at it curiously.

The deputy factory director spoke first: "Old Hu, what treasure is this? Why are you so happy?"

Director Hu placed the dryer on the table, cleared his throat, and his smile faded, but he couldn't hide the light in his eyes: "This is a real gem. This is a small dryer that our research lab has just developed. I just went to the city to report to the leaders, and the experts from the Ministry of Foreign Trade have already evaluated it. They said that this thing has great potential and can be exported to earn foreign exchange!"

"What? It can be exported?" The production manager sat up abruptly in his chair, almost dropping the enamel mug in his hand.

"Can you really earn foreign exchange?"

“Absolutely true!” Factory Director Hu patted the dryer. “Old Zhang from the foreign trade department said that there is demand in the European, American, and Southeast Asian markets. As long as we guarantee quality and output, opening up the market will not be a problem at all.”

He relayed the instructions from his superiors and the suggestions from the Ministry of Foreign Trade in detail, and the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly became lively.

The deputy factory director rubbed his hands excitedly: "Good lads! The research lab has done a great job this time! The momentum of solar water heaters hasn't even died down yet, and a new product has already been invented."

The sales manager had already started planning: "If we can open up the international market, our reputation will spread, and we'll have more confidence to develop new products in the future!"

The leaders chatted excitedly, each taking turns to speak.

They had spent most of their lives in the steel mill, and the rise and fall of the mill was inextricably linked to their own lives. The fact that the mill could produce products that earned foreign exchange was like their own child getting into university, filling them with pride from the inside out.

"Alright, alright," Director Hu gestured, "Now is not the time to be happy."

The production department needs to adjust the production line quickly and come up with a mass production plan next month.

The sales department worked closely with the foreign trade department to keep a close eye on the packaging and instruction manuals.

"And then there's the research lab. After giving them their vacation, we need to have them keep an eye on the safety certification process..." He assigned tasks methodically, every word brimming with enthusiasm.

Sunlight streamed through the conference room window, falling on the small dryer and on the excited faces of each leader.

Upon hearing Director Hu's instructions, the leaders of the steel plant immediately wrote them down in their notebooks, fearing that their own mistakes might cause the small dryer to fail to achieve its intended goals.

At that point, it will truly be impossible to explain yourself.

Factory Director Hu realized that the purpose of today's meeting had been achieved: "The importance of this matter is self-evident to everyone!"

Everyone present nodded in agreement; this was something that definitely needed to be addressed promptly.

It's important to understand that the country's foreign exchange reserves are currently very low, while the country needs to purchase a great many things, leading to a situation where every penny has to be used in twos.

Soon everyone picked up their notebooks and left the meeting room.

Director Hu sat quietly in the conference room, but his thoughts seemed to have wandered off somewhere else.

(End of this chapter)