Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 444 You might as well move the Overseas Chinese Store to your own home.

Zhang Diancai got up, went to the file shelf, and pulled out a stack of documents. As he flipped through them, he said:
“Your concerns are not unfounded, but the school isn’t stupid; they can distinguish the nature and purpose of the research project.”

"Your application for the 'Standardization Practice of Common Components' project is a university-level youth science and technology project submitted by the Department of Economics. Using the repair shop as a test site, collecting data, and producing samples is perfectly reasonable."

"Our mechanics department uses your factory as a material pressure sample for fatigue modeling to perform structural analysis modeling."

"Although they all involve repair shops, the research content, funding flow, and reimbursement logic are completely different."

At this point, Zhang Diancai smiled and said:
"Is this fear of everything you do because you used to get yelled at by the company accountant before you went to college?"

Chen Luyang scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly: "I haven't been scolded for this, but when it comes to money, I tend to overthink it."

Zhang Diancai smiled and nodded: "Indeed, when it comes to money, it's only right to be careful."

"But don't scare yourself unnecessarily."

"If they really want to audit the accounts, the school has a whole set of procedures."

“Project budget, expenditure details, acceptance report, and corresponding deliverables must all be clearly written down. You can’t just try to cover it up.”

After hearing Zhang Diancai's words, Chen Luyang's worries gradually subsided.

"I'm relieved to hear you say that," Chen Luyang grinned.

Stepping out of the office, I glanced down at the signatures of Lian Yinghua and Zhang Diancai on the application form.
Chen Luyang slowly exhaled.

The matter is at least halfway done.

Once the project is approved, the repair shop will immediately earn an extra 100 yuan!

This way, not only will the material costs be covered, but even if Zhang Nan is asked to help with the drawings, he can receive a small subsidy so that he doesn't work for free.

The repair shop has now received its first batch of universal parts, and the drawing of the blueprints for the second batch of universal parts has been put into daily operations.

The translation of the original economics text, and a whole chapter of the manuscript.

The External Relations Department just finished organizing the Science Spring event, and these past two days have been a rare opportunity for them to rest and catch their breath.

Aside from the fact that advanced mathematics remains difficult and challenging,

Everything else is proceeding smoothly according to normal procedures!

Perfect~~
After confirming that everything was correct, Chen Luyang carefully reviewed the application form, attachments, and explanation form before solemnly handing the materials back to Lian Yinghua.

Lian Yinghua nodded, said nothing more, and followed the procedure to pack the materials and send them to the Academic Affairs Office.

Now all we can do is wait for the approval.

……

late at night.

Chen Luyang hid under the covers and secretly took out the money she had saved from her underwear, counting it one bill at a time.

"The factory reported back 300 yuan~"

"The payment for the article is 120 yuan."

"Yu Fu's school subsidy is 18 yuan."

"That's 438 yuan in total."

Chen Luyang touched the small bills that were still warm to the touch, and the more she touched them, the happier she became.

This doesn't even include the salaries for September, October, and November!
If you add the monthly salary of 103 yuan, that's 847 yuan in total!
Oh crap!!
Chen Luyang gasped sharply!

My little bit of money is almost equivalent to an average person's annual salary.

Consumption!

Must-buy!!!

nowadays,
Including the school magazine given to her by Zhang Diancai, Chen Luyang now has ten copies of the school magazine.

He's been away from home for so long, he misses his parents.

While mailing the school magazine home, I bought some things for my family and mailed them back with it.

But... what should I buy?

Chen Luyang fell into deep thought.

……

Since the addition of two key figures, Chen Luyang and Huang Fugui, the External Relations Department has undergone a complete transformation.

In particular, hygiene issues are approaching the standards for the "Red Flag" campaign.

Even someone as lazy as Shen Fei felt embarrassed not to sweep the floor.

Even on occasional occasions, it can take out a small rag to wipe the table.

That night
Upon hearing that Chen Luyang was going to the Guomao store to buy something, Shen Fei put down his book and asked:

What are you planning to buy?

Looking at the list in the notebook, Chen Luyang said, "I want to buy a good fountain pen, some sweaters, scarves, cashmere cardigans, some pastries and cookies, and some stationery for my sister and nephew."

Oops...

Shen Fei, Ma Tieli, and Huang Fugui from the External Relations Department looked up at him in shock.

so much?
That would cost so much money!
"Xiao Chen, are you buying all of these, or just a portion of them?" Shen Fei asked tentatively.

“Buy them all~ Buy them all.” Chen Luyang said earnestly.

"I was just about to mail something home, so I bought everything at once and brought it back with me."

Gudong~
Shen Fei and the others swallowed hard.

Wow, they're so rich...

Although everyone receives a stipend when they go to university, they can save some money by being frugal.

However, no one is extravagant enough to buy so many things at the Guomao store in one go.

"Are you in a hurry to buy it?" Shen Fei asked.

“Last week I went to the Guomao store. They’re getting a new batch of imported soaps, foreign toys and daily electronics. If there’s anything you want, I can ask them to reserve some for you.”

"Really?" Chen Luyang immediately perked up.

When he was doing research on toy cars in Pian'er City, he often went to Guomao Store and Huaqiao Store.

Popular items like these are often out of stock.

To buy one, you need not only financial resources but also luck.

If I could buy something new and interesting and mail it home, my family would definitely be happy to see it!

"What's the difference between real and fake!"

Shen Fei chuckled as he took a sip of water from his teacup, spitting out a few mouthfuls of tea leaves.

"Don't be fooled by the fact that our External Relations Department is always out asking for favors; we know a lot of people!"

The more Shen Fei spoke, the more proudly he raised his eyebrows.

"To put it bluntly, if you don't build good relationships with these people, how will you ask for their help next time there's an event?"

Everyone talks about getting in through connections, getting in through connections.

You don't even know which way the back door opens, so where are you going to go through the back door?
Seeing Shen Fei's confident demeanor, Chen Luyang's own ambitions began to stir.

"Brother Shen, do you know anyone at the Overseas Chinese Store?"

Shen Fei was taken aback: "You've gotten so arrogant about the Overseas Chinese Store in such a short time???"

Chen Luyang asked shyly, "Just asking~ Do you know anyone like that?"

"Yes, I do, but what do you want to buy?" Shen Fei asked.

"Senior, if anyone works at the Overseas Chinese Store, could you ask if they have any mechanical pencils, the German kind? I need four... no, six."

"And Philips shavers, I need two."

"I also need Lux ​​soap. Hmm... I'll have to buy six bars."

"And that perfume, the French one, save me a bottle too."

"Give me three Parker pens."

"besides……"

"Stop!" Shen Fei quickly called out.

"Why don't you just move the Overseas Chinese Store to your home?"

What the hell are you doing?!
What I know is that college students studying away from home buy things for their parents and family and send them back.

Anyone who didn't know better would think they were going to ship goods to the south to sell!

"Putting everything else aside, the Philips shaver you want was purchased with real-name registration. Each person can only buy one." "Forget about French perfume; it's practically impossible to buy. If you want German perfume, I can try to get you a bottle."

"I can only take two or three mechanical pencils at most."

"Soap is fine, any four or six bars are fine."

"You can only get a maximum of two Parker pens."

"If you really want an imported razor, ...how about razor blades? Getting two or three of those shouldn't be a problem."

Seeing Shen Fei muttering and calculating, Chen Luyang was dumbfounded.

"...No, you actually have connections?!"

What he just said was merely expressing a beautiful vision.

But to my surprise, Shen Fei actually took it seriously, explaining things like purchase restrictions and real-name registration to me in detail.

Shen Fei rolled his eyes at him.

"You think our External Relations Department just runs around aimlessly all day?!"

"If you don't know anyone here or anyone you're not familiar with, how are you going to get the job done?"

hiss!
Seeing Shen Fei's confident expression, Chen Luyang asked the most crucial question.

"But I don't have foreign exchange certificates...can I still buy one?"

"You don't have coupons, but international students do. Just ask them for help," Shen Fei said casually.

"Brother Shen, you know international students?" Chen Luyang's eyes widened.

“We’re all in the external liaison department, we have to know everyone, right?” Shen Fei’s face was full of stories.

"People, once they're forced to talk, they just start talking."

After feeling melancholy about the past,

Shen Fei said, "If you really want to buy, I'll ask a few of my overseas student friends to get you some foreign exchange certificates."

"After you finish shopping, bring them a small gift as a token of your appreciation."

Chen Luyang was somewhat surprised: "Don't we have to pay for it? They're giving away coupons for free?"

"Foreign exchange certificates are prohibited from being redeemed!" Shen Fei said with his experience.

"If someone reports this, not only will I lose my scholarship, but I might even be expelled. Who would dare!"

Chen Luyang asked in bewilderment, "Then aren't they at a disadvantage?"

Shen Fei, with his seasoned experience, said, "Then you'll have to learn to understand their psychology."

"Don't be fooled by the coupons they have. They don't speak Chinese fluently, and their daily necessities are already provided. Their need for buying things is also limited. Rather than letting them expire and go to waste, it's better to pass them on to classmates and turn them into a token of friendship."

"Moreover, when people are far from home, they don't want to be marginalized. They need a sense of belonging and to connect with us."

"And the most important point~ guess what it is?"

At this point, Shen Fei kept Chen Luyang in suspense, looking at her with a "guess what" expression.

What's there to guess?

Chen Luyang rolled her eyes.

"What else could it be? International students all think they are superior and feel that giving us vouchers reflects their noble spirit of helping others."

"So clear!" Shen Fei slammed his hand on the table.

"No wonder I could tell you were destined for the External Relations Department at a glance, even amidst the sea of ​​people!"

"You have a truly insightful perspective on this issue!"

wipe……

What's so hard to tell?

Chen Luyang sighed softly.

He worked at the provincial machinery factory, where he was either in contact with Japanese people or Italian people all the time.

No matter how friendly these people may appear on the surface, their inherent arrogance shines through from the very core of their being when you first meet them.

People won't feel like they're here for equal cooperation.

Even if you pay them money, they still feel like they're there to help you.

This kind of thing, when examined closely, makes people feel uncomfortable.

But there's nothing I can do...

It's because we're not strong enough right now.

We can only lie low for now, keep developing, and then dazzle you all when our dad becomes really powerful.

However, Chen Luyang, Shen Fei, and the others, despite their clear thinking, were still somewhat unconvinced.

"What makes them think they're superior?"

Chen Luyang and Shen Fei were having a "clear talk" when suddenly an angry roar came from inside the house.

"Oh my god, that scared me so much my heart skipped a beat."

Ma Tieli, who was in the corner, trembled with fright.

"Huang Fugui, what are you doing, making such a fuss over nothing!"

Huang Fugui, a Chinese literature major, glared angrily, his hand trembling as he gripped his pen.

"They study in our country, eat our food, and walk on the campus of Peking University, yet all they say is that their mouths reek of charity!"

Shen Fei: "...Wait, Xiao Huang, why are you suddenly getting all excited?"

Huang Fugui said angrily: "Our country's universities were built with the blood and sweat of workers, peasants and soldiers, and the places were earned by millions of people studying hard for ten years."

"They were able to come in because the country gave them face and opportunities, and because our education system was willing to open its arms. How did it become their 'charity'?!"

Each word, spoken with such force, silenced the room.

Chen Luyang looked at Huang Fugui with surprise.

Is this little Chinese writer so quick to anger?
Shen Fei rubbed his hands together: "Xiao Huang, we're in the external liaison business. We have to deal with all kinds of people."

"When getting things done, you have to understand human nature, instead of just rushing in and shouting slogans."

He paused, then looked at Huang Fugui: "You say they are arrogant, I admit it."

"But arrogance doesn't mean we have to bow our heads."

“They have coupons, we have needs, and what we're thinking about is how to get their products out of us so we can get things done and benefit ourselves first.”

"They like to be the one 'helping you,' so let them 'help,' but in the end, we're the ones who reap the rewards!"

After saying this, Shen Fei put his hands, which he had been rubbing together, into his pocket, his tone calm yet slightly slick.

"The point of living is to understand things clearly."

Huang Fugui frowned, his eyes still burning with anger, but he didn't shake his head anymore.

"Yes," Chen Luyang chimed in from the side.

"We're just passing through, why bother digging ditches, building bridges, and setting up stations? It's a waste not to take advantage of the existing waterway."

Shen Fei continued to patiently guide the younger student from the Chinese Literature Department:

"So what if they have foreign exchange certificates? We have to find a way to make them hand them over willingly, and with a smile on their face."

"When it comes to external relations, you have to be flexible yet firm, and use others' strength against them... You have to be able to apply the Thirty-Six Stratagems in a flexible way."

Tut tut...

Looking at Shen Fei's "life mentor" demeanor, Ma Tieli couldn't help but click her tongue and say something:
"How come I don't remember my grandson writing anything about using softness with hardness, or using someone's strength against them?"

Shen Fei, without blushing or panting, replied: "My grandson didn't write it; it was Shen Zi who wrote it."

"but……!"

Shen Fei looked at Huang Fugui seriously: "Little Huang, your enthusiasm and drive are commendable!"

"You've only just started working in our external relations department. After you make more trips and organize more events, you'll gradually become more flexible."

Huang Fugui remained silent, clearly not wholeheartedly agreeing with what Shen Fei and the others had said.

However, Shen Fei was not in a hurry.

Even if someone teaches you something, you still won't learn it after ten tries.

Practice teaches, and you'll learn it in one go.

"Brother Shen, can you please help me out?"

(End of this chapter)