60s: I have a store

Chapter 652 There’s a lot to be done
The factory manager held the dry, fluffy cotton coat, 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.

He 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.

Xiao Zhang carefully folded the circuit diagrams and put them in the drawer, Xiao Li put the measuring tools away one by one, 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.

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 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.

The car drove into the city and stopped in front of a stately office building.

Director Hu, carrying a small dryer, took a deep breath and strode inside. Reaching the door of his superior's office, he gently knocked.

"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, and said with a smile, "It's Lao 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 do experiments for him, could he?

He wouldn't dare borrow his boss's clothes.

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 was still warm from his body heat.

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.

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, "Old 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 and have them come to my office. There's something new for them to evaluate."

After hanging up the phone, the leader said to Factory Director Hu, "Since we plan to export, we need to have a professional take a look. The people in the foreign trade department are familiar with the international market situation, and their assessment 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 carrying a notebook; 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, "Overseas countries have high safety standards for electrical appliances, so this temperature control system needs to be improved further, and it would be best if it could pass international certification. Also, the instruction manual needs to be translated into several major languages, including English, French, and German, and the voltage compatibility range needs to be clearly indicated."

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 huge 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 and the demand for dryers is very stable. Moreover, this product is small in size and has a price advantage. As long as we do a good job with safety certification and packaging, we 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 and promote it to the international market."

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 you need any cooperation from us later, just let us know. We will help you contact overseas distributors and try to secure the order as soon as possible."

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!

He discussed some details with his superiors and Lao Zhang, such as the application process for safety certification, the general terms of foreign trade contracts, and the timeline for production plans.

When I left the superior's office building, the sun was high overhead, making me feel warm and cozy.

Director Hu carried the small dryer, his steps light as if he were 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—he had never seen Director Hu so happy before.

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? Look how happy you are, did you find a gold ingot?"

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: "More precious than gold ingots! This is a small dryer that our research lab has newly developed. I just went to the city to report to the leaders, and the experts from the Ministry of Foreign Trade have evaluated it and 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 there's demand in Europe, America, and Southeast Asia. As long as we get the safety certifications right and the packaging and instructions are up to par, orders won't be a problem!"

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! Our factory has been hoping for a flagship product like this for the past two years!"

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, one after another. They had spent most of their lives in the steel plant, and the plant's rise and fall were inextricably linked to their own lives. The plant's ability to produce products that earned foreign exchange was like their own child getting into university—it filled them with pride.

"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)