Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

Chapter 409 Commission, Pre-sale Mechanism

The next day.

Apart from the staff who remained on duty, all of the company's senior management rushed to Yaoling Township.

“Secretary Fang, we’ve discussed it and decided that we can’t continue to use your research results for free as before.”

We've come up with two solutions: one is for the company to buy out the exclusive right to use the rice seeds from you, and the other is for the company to give you a percentage of the annual profits from the "Nanguang No. 5" rice seeds.

Company General Manager Cai Tong, on behalf of the company's senior management, put forward a suggestion.

They don't care how things were handled during the brigade and cooperative eras, but now the company can't use Fang Wei's research results for free. According to the company's rules and regulations, scientific research inventions belong to the primary researcher, and the company has the right to use them first and enjoy preferential prices.

Fang Wei himself didn't mention it, but the company's management team had to make this matter clear.

"That's good. It's about the issue, not the person. From now on, all company research results will be handled this way. Let's do it according to the percentage. Company policy is that individuals who apply their scientific and technological achievements will receive a 1% commission on sales revenue, right?"

It's too complicated for individuals to invest now, and the amount for buying out the usage rights in one go is too large. So Fang Wei chose a gradual approach, taking a cut of the sales revenue from the [Nanguang No. 5] rice seeds.

After receiving his commission, he would set aside a portion of the cash as a reward for those who participated in the project.

The reason why Cai Tong and others attach so much importance to this issue is not to flatter Fang Wei, but mainly because if Fang Wei does not take the buyout fee or commission, how will others operate when they obtain scientific and technological achievements in the future?

Individuals who can bring huge profits to the company need to be heavily rewarded; otherwise, the company will not be able to grow and become stronger.

"Okay! It's settled then. The company will make a decision later."

Cai Tong and others stood up and applauded to congratulate Fang Wei.

Fang Wei stood up and announced the agreement to everyone, after which the meeting moved on to other topics.

After the meeting ended, the company's senior executives left one after another. They had endless work to do every day and could not stay at the company for too long.

night.

Fang Wei told Pan Lianhua about the decision made at today's meeting.

"Third Brother, does that mean you're about to become rich? You were just too honest before, otherwise you would have been a millionaire long ago."

Pan Lianhua was very happy, but then she immediately made a complaint.

"Girl, don't you know what era this was? Money is a hot potato, just have enough to get by."

Fang Wei, however, didn't take it to heart. Since the reform and opening up, one barrier after another had been broken through, and there were now many different ways to distribute resources. But so far, the ownership structure of enterprises had not been touched, and many were simply temporary workarounds.

He felt that becoming a millionaire early on had its advantages; being free from desires made him invincible, and it also helped him avoid many open and covert attacks.

Now, the higher authorities emphasize that science and technology are the primary productive forces, and the rewards for scientific and technological achievements have broken through the taboos, which is why the company has such regulations.

Fang Wei was the first person to receive this honor after the company was founded, and he believed that a large number of such people would emerge in the company in the future.

Pan Lianhua didn't argue with the man, but instead invited him inside to try on his new clothes.

The weather is getting warmer, and it's time for the seasons to change again.

Fang Wei boarded the train to Beijing again, this time to receive an award. Although the prize money was not much, it was a great honor.

On the day of the award ceremony, numerous media outlets gathered, and photos of Fang Wei receiving the award made the front page of several newspapers. Many people immediately learned about the "Nanguang No. 5" rice variety, which yields nearly 2000 jin per mu, a truly exhilarating event.

Anyone who has reached a certain age will remember the difficult times they once lived through.

Many people have come from times of food and clothing shortages, and they understand very well what a significant increase in grain production means. Ordinary people have simple thoughts, which is why they became interested in Fang Wei, this breeding expert.

After this public outcry, Fang Wei became a household name overnight.

Upon returning to the county, a grand commendation ceremony was held, where Cui Yiming personally presented Fang Wei with a certificate and bonus. A few days later, commendations from the regional and provincial levels arrived, and he received a substantial amount of bonuses alone.

All the prize money added up to a total of 50,000 yuan.

This was no small sum at the time, and Fang Wei took out 1.5 yuan as a reward for the members of the breeding team. Although they were just mechanically following his orders, he wouldn't keep the reward to himself.

"Third Brother, I support doing this. Money is just an external thing; we can't let people talk behind our backs."

Pan Lianhua has always been very generous, which is related to her grandfather's upbringing and Fang Wei's subtle influence.

"That's how it is! Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go to the county town for dinner tonight and celebrate properly."

That evening, Fang Wei, Pan Lianhua, Sister, and Sun Daoren, along with Tian Bingyi and Fang Mei, had a nice meal at their usual restaurant.

He wasn't afraid of people saying he ate and drank excessively; the social atmosphere had changed drastically these days, and eating and drinking was no big deal.

Spending your own money is perfectly acceptable; there's nothing to be ashamed of.

"Third brother, I've heard that many young people from other towns have gone out to work, leaving only the elderly and children at home. Do you think it's really possible to make money by leaving home to work elsewhere?"

Tian Bingyi poured himself a drink and suddenly brought up a recent issue that had been receiving a lot of attention.

According to Fang Wei, these migrant workers who went south to Guangdong were the first generation of "migrant workers." They endured harsh living conditions and difficult environments in other places, but they silently suffered for the sake of a slightly higher income than farming at home.

With the able-bodied men gone, the fields are now being cultivated by the elderly and women, some of whom have even secretly sublet them to others.

This phenomenon is not serious yet, but it is only the beginning and will get worse in the future.

The company doesn't have this problem; all the farm workers are hired on a contract basis and not tied to the land. The company's wages certainly can't compare to those working in Guangdong, but the difference isn't significant, so few people from Yaoling Township go to Guangdong.

Being able to work from home is of course the best; the feeling of being away from home is not pleasant.

Some people who went south to Guangdong weren't there to earn a meager wage; they often had bigger ambitions and wanted to try their luck there. Perhaps a few of them will become great figures in the future, but most will still fade into obscurity.

“Brother-in-law, working in another city is very hard. You might earn a little more than at home, but it’s impossible to get rich quick. If we want everyone to live a good life, the only way is to work hard to develop the local economy. Nothing else is reliable.”

Fang Wei doesn't rule out going out to work. If you have the talent, you can grow from a wage earner to become your own boss.

But most people only work for a few years, earn some money, and eventually have to return to the countryside. He started cooperatives and companies so that everyone wouldn't have to work so hard and could live a decent life under relatively better conditions.

"Yes, not many people from my area go out to work because the company's income is high. Other towns don't have that kind of opportunity."

Everyone ate and chatted. After they were full, Pan Lianhua drove Sun Daoren and her elder sister back home, while Fang Wei drove her second sister and brother-in-law back before going home himself.

A few days passed quickly.

The company's headquarters in the provincial capital is bustling with activity, as many customers come from far and wide to purchase the "Nanguang No. 5" rice seeds.

However, all the rice seeds for this season had already been pre-ordered, so Cai Tong and his team came up with a solution: to pre-order rice seeds for the next season. In other words, those who paid a deposit now would have to wait until after the autumn harvest to pick up their goods.

This is an innovative approach, accepting pre-orders about six months in advance to allow the company to better plan its production for the next season.

"The current situation is very good, but we must also recognize the technological progress of other breeding companies. We must not be complacent, as there will probably be many tough battles to fight in the future, and everyone should be prepared for that."

There's a general sense of excitement throughout the company lately, with many people looking down on other breeding companies and even openly calling them weaklings.

Fang Wei realized that many people in the company were getting arrogant, so he held a work meeting in the provincial capital and first criticized the current impetuous mentality.

This was like a bucket of cold water poured on Cai Tong and the others, making their somewhat impetuous mentality calm down.

"The chairman is right. We shouldn't be complacent just because we've achieved a little success."

Cai Tong made a self-criticism on behalf of the entire management team, and Fang Wei then let them off the hook.

"Next, we will start to study the summer planting production plan. My idea is this: the breeding center will cultivate 40,000 mu of the [Nanguang No. 4] rice variety, and Xinlin Farm will cultivate 40,000 mu of the [Nongyou 82] rice variety."

The Yaoling production base and Yangshan farm have cultivated a total of 140,000 mu of the "Nanguang No. 5" rice variety. This time, we're aiming for market saturation to create a market advantage, and we'll adjust our plans next year.

Fang Wei's idea was simple: to take advantage of the huge popularity and quickly seize the market.

The 140,000 mu of "Nanguang No. 5" rice seeds cultivated will be a staggering number. According to estimates, the total output will reach 280 million jin, which is almost equivalent to the rice seeds needed for one season of rice production in the whole country.

With such a large output, it will surely occupy most of the market, and the promotion work can be completed directly without the need for administrative means.

With the widespread planting of "Nanguang No. 5" rice across the country, rice yields will increase significantly, thus ensuring food security for everyone.

“I think the chairman is right. We shouldn’t hesitate when we do things. When an opportunity arises, we should be bold enough to seize it. I agree that we should concentrate our efforts on cultivating the ‘Nanguang No. 5’ rice variety and quickly capture the market.”

Cai Tong was the first to express his support for Fang Wei's production plan.

The others also shared their opinions, and most of them were supportive.

"Alright, the production plan for the next season is set at this point, and it will not be adjusted unless there are unforeseen circumstances. Now I'd like to discuss the issue of establishing a company board of directors."

Seeing that no one objected, Fang Wei finalized the production plan.

The next issue is the in-depth reform of the company. The previous decision-making committee can no longer meet the needs of the company's development, so a new decision-making body, namely the board of directors, needs to be established.

Bringing this up now is a bit premature, since even the Company Law hasn't been enacted yet, and the agricultural company was merely a collective enterprise.

However, Fang Wei decided to implement the modern corporate system ahead of schedule. Everyone had been calling him chairman for a long time, and it seemed unreasonable that there was no board of directors in the end.

This is a problem that management cannot handle.

Wang Songlin was the first to step forward, representing the Yao village in supporting Fang Wei's decision. Tian Bingyi followed suit, representing the Tian family cooperative in supporting Fang Wei.

“Our Yaoling Cooperative also agrees to establish a board of directors. The remaining issue is the allocation of board seats. We would appreciate it if the chairman could elaborate on that.”

Zheng Bao, representing the Yaoling Cooperative, stated that the three organizations had reached an internal consensus before sending representatives to the meeting: they would resolutely stand with Fang Wei and support all of his decisions.

Since all three shareholders have agreed, the matter is settled.

Next is the allocation of board seats. There are seven seats for board members, of which Yaoling Cooperative occupies five seats, Yaozhai has one seat, and Tianbingyi Cooperative has one seat.

Fang Wei serves as chairman, while Cai Tong, Zheng Bao, Wang Songlin, Tian Bingyi, and others serve as directors.

Cai Tong also serves as the company's general manager, making him the company's second-in-command.

The company's board of directors was established, and Fang Wei immediately announced the dissolution of the decision-making committee. The company's governance structure was basically stable, and Fang Wei firmly controlled the company in this way.

To achieve extraordinary development, there must be unity of purpose from top to bottom, with the capable promoted and the incompetent demoted. This cannot be done without strong control.

After the meeting, Fang Wei went to see his daughter, and then returned to Yaoling Township with Zheng Bao and others.

"Brother Leopard, you'll have to work harder in the future and spend more time at the company headquarters."

Zheng Bao is Fang Wei's confidant, so one of them must stay in the company.

"Okay, Party Secretary, I'll be spending most of my time in the provincial capital from now on. The kids at home are all grown up and I don't need to worry about them. At most, I'll bring my wife with me to live there."

The two reached an agreement on the way: Zheng Bao, as the company's executive director, would be stationed in the provincial capital.

night.

When Pan Lianhua heard that Zheng Bao was also going to be stationed in the provincial capital, she said to Fang Wei, "Third Brother, why don't we buy a courtyard house in the provincial capital? You'll be going there often in the future, and it's not convenient to always stay in a guesthouse."

"Okay, I'll ask around next time we go. A courtyard house in the provincial capital doesn't cost much these days, so we can afford it. Of course, I have an even better idea."

Yaoling Agricultural Group is a local enterprise, and the company can apply for land to build residential buildings. Once the buildings are completed, they can be allocated to its employees.

The company headquarters has a large number of employees, including both locals and people from other places. Fang Wei plans to build a residential community for the company's employees to improve their welfare.

In this way, company board members, management, and headquarters staff will all have the opportunity to be allocated housing.

"That's right, the company can also build employee housing."

Pan Lianhua is also very happy, but she will still buy a yard if necessary. It won't do to keep running around without a place to stay.

(End of this chapter)