The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 204 Taking Over the Foreign Business Office: A New Storm Has Begun
Perhaps their minds were bound by the planned economy system.

The people working at the mobile canteen are capable in handling affairs, but they lack critical thinking skills.

The barbecue stall specializes in selling barbecue, but surprisingly, it didn't offer edamame, peanuts, or other cold dishes.

It should be noted that the Xiping Production Brigade is now supplying cold dishes to the mobile canteen for the people.

Zhu Tao set up a dedicated cold dish stall instead of selling cold dishes at the barbecue stall.

Qian Jin immediately added this service item.

Cold dishes are a perfect match for barbecue and beer!
That evening, jars of cold dishes were delivered to eight roadside stalls, and they immediately became a hot seller.

These tasks were carried out by the labor task force, and Qian Jin began preparing for his work report on Monday.

As a result, after dinner that evening, his former boss, Yang Shengzhang, whom he hadn't contacted in a long time, suddenly called him.

The call went to the Taishan Road Neighborhood Committee. After Qian Jin answered the phone, Yang Shengzhang's strong and energetic voice rang out:
"Little Qian, are you still awake?"

Qian Jin immediately straightened his back: "Director Yang, are you making fun of me? What time is it? How could I possibly be sleeping?"

Yang Shengzhang laughed heartily: "Yes, young comrades have plenty of energy, unlike us old comrades who go to bed early."

"So, have you taken your wife to see a movie or watched TV at home at this time?"

Qian Jin didn't understand what his old leader meant, but he guessed that there must be some ulterior motive.

There might be an assessment!

His fingers unconsciously tightened around the telephone cord.

"No, I was just organizing some materials. I have a meeting to attend tomorrow."

"Hmm, attending a meeting, a meeting of the municipal headquarters about convening a meeting for the foreign investment office, right?" Yang Shengzhang's voice was tinged with amusement. "Last-minute cramming, not bad!"

Qian Jin smiled wryly and said, "No..."

"No? Then let me ask you, you went to the commune in the countryside for the past six months, didn't you?" Yang Shengzhang's voice suddenly rose, making the receiver buzz.

What did you do during your time in the countryside?

Qian Jin immediately reported on the various tasks he had undertaken during his time in the countryside.

This included disciplining Ma Defu, reforming the heads of the commune's distribution stations, and establishing new and systematic work rules and regulations for all departments and distribution stations of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Instead of praising him, Yang Shengzhang yelled after hearing this:

"I'm not calling to hear you read work reports. Tell me, how's your learning about your job duties going during these six months in the countryside?"

"I heard you taught yourself English before? Did you fall behind after you went to the countryside?"

Qian Jin immediately replied, "Reporting to the leader, I haven't fallen behind at all. My English level is now quite good..."

Before he could finish speaking, the voice on the other end of the microphone changed, and someone asked him in English, "Good evening, sir, is it a convenient time to talk now?"

Qian Jin immediately and skillfully replied, "Hello, sir, I am currently speaking with my supervisor, and it's probably not convenient right now. I think we need to talk later..."

The dialogue continued.

He handled it well.

Yang Shengzhang took the phone again and asked, "The Foreign Trade Office is in charge of foreign economic work, so have you memorized the import and export tariff calculation formula?"

Qian Jin's forehead was beaded with sweat: "I'm learning..."

A loud "thump" came from the other end of the phone, like a teacup being slammed down on the table.

"Listen up!" Yang Shengzhang's voice suddenly turned serious. "This is not something to be taken lightly."

"However, considering that you haven't received professional foreign trade training yet, I understand. I'll tell you some formulas to memorize first. The first one is the formula for converting CIF price to duty-paid price..."

Qian Jin hurriedly grabbed a pen and started scribbling notes in his notebook.

He never expected that his former boss would call him in the middle of the night to give him a lecture and make him study!
After this veteran comrade went to the central government, his awareness and thinking changed!

Yang Shengzhang has clearly been learning new things for the past six months.

He explained the knowledge to Qian Jin in a professional and skillful manner.

Qian Jin was so busy that his pen kept moving, and he didn't even bother to wipe the ink stains on his sleeves.

He had a premonition that his former boss was giving him last-minute extra lessons to prepare him for some kind of exam.

The following topics, such as tariff rates, VAT calculation methods, and foreign exchange verification procedures, are all highly specialized.

Qian Jin was shocked.

Yang Shengzhang, an old man, was able to memorize so much complicated information with ease.

"Did you write it down?" Yang Shengzhang suddenly asked.

"I...I've memorized it," Qian Jin stammered as he repeated the formula.

"You're wrong!" Yang Shengzhang roared. "Value-added tax is calculated by separating the price and tax before multiplying by the tax rate! How can you be so careless? Do you think your learning ability is inferior to that of an old man like me?"

"Keep taking notes, I still have a lot to teach you..."

The phone call lasted a full forty minutes.

Yang Shengzhang discussed contract terms and precautions for letters of credit, as well as commodity inspection and arbitration clauses.

Qian Jin's notebook was filled with seven or eight pages of dense writing, and his wrist ached so much that he could barely hold the pen.

"One last thing," Yang Shengzhang's voice suddenly softened, "go to Xinhua Bookstore tomorrow and buy all the foreign trade books you can find."

He paused and continued, "I bought a few copies in the capital, and also asked my comrades to buy these books for you from Guangzhou. They should arrive as early as the day after tomorrow. You should read these books carefully."

"Remember this, these books will be very useful!"

After hanging up the phone, Qian Jin slumped into his chair, his shirt soaked with sweat.

The old leader really gives people a different feeling after taking over a central government unit.

He transformed from a bluefish into a shark.

Poor Qian Jin is still that salted fish...

However, if it comes to books related to foreign trade, he doesn't need anyone's help to buy them.

After returning home, he opened the golden chest and entered the mall to start looking for books.

International Trade Practice, Import and Export Commodity Inspection, Foreign Exchange Management Regulations...

There is a wide variety of books of this kind.

Moreover, the mall has a used book section, where he found a lot of old materials on foreign trade from the 1970s and 1980s.

He even bought some old handwritten materials: such as "Key Points of Foreign Trade Negotiation", "Tariff Calculation Manual", "Compilation of Common Import and Export Problems", etc.

Following Yang Shengzhang's instructions, Qian Jin checked and filled in any gaps in the information Yang Shengzhang had given him over the phone, referring to the materials he had purchased.

By the time he finished his work, it was almost dawn.

Wei Qinghuan brought him a glass of milk, massaged his shoulders, and then left.

The sun rose in the morning, but the lingering heat of late summer still lingered.

At 8:30 a.m., a long row of bicycles was already neatly arranged in the bicycle shed of the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Qian Jin carried his briefcase and strode up the steps, the cuffs of his white shirt already rolled up to his elbows.

I haven't been back for more than half a year, and there have been changes at the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives

First of all, the red banner above the entrance hall that read "Develop the economy and ensure supply" has changed to "Serve the economy wholeheartedly".

Secondly, upon entering, a mirror appears in the lobby. Old Zhang from the gatehouse reminds each staff member before starting work: "Come over and tidy your appearance."

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin subconsciously straightened his collar.

Old Zhang smiled when he saw it was him: "Oh, Xiao Qian, you're back? Quick, quick, to the conference room on the second floor. I heard they're announcing the personnel arrangements for the Foreign Business Office today? Uncle, I wish you a promotion in advance!"

"Good morning, Master Zhang. Thank you for your blessing. I appreciate your kind words." Qian Jin smiled and nodded, without saying much more.

The headquarters building of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives is a deep and murky place, full of hidden talents and powerful figures. You never know which employee might be a relative of a high-ranking leader.

The wooden door to the conference room on the second floor was open, and people were already busy inside.

Xiao Zhang from the administrative department was putting tea leaves into enamel cups, with exactly fifteen leaves in each cup.

Seeing Qian enter, she smiled shyly: "Captain Qian, your seat is in the second row by the window."

"Thank you, but I'm no longer the captain." Qian Jin said politely as he walked to his designated seat and sat down, noticing that meeting materials were already laid out on the table.
An official document, a notebook printed with the words "Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative", and a brand-new Hero brand fountain pen.

He casually flipped open the document, which was a notice from the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative regarding the establishment of a foreign business office, with a bright red official seal at the end.

People had already arrived in the conference room, and more people came in later.

The meeting is scheduled for 9:30, and there's still an hour before it starts.

Today's attendees include leaders and members of the preparatory team for the Foreign Investment Office. After six months of expansion, the team now comprises 40 people.

For a new department, this number of people is not small.

Then the leaders began to enter.

Cui Hu, the head of the Labor and Wages Section, had a bulging brown paper bag tucked under his arm. As soon as he entered the room, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

He was known for his stern demeanor at work and was nicknamed "Iron Tiger".

So when he arrived, the members of the preparatory group, who had been buzzing with discussion, quickly shut their mouths and obediently looked at the materials.

Cui Hu glanced around expressionlessly, nodded when his eyes met Qian Jin's, and then plopped down in the front row.

Some people, relying on their familiarity with Cui Hu, foolishly came over to touch the tiger's backside:

"Uncle Cui, are you going to announce the new leader of our Foreign Investment Office today?"

As he asked this question, the young man subtly raised his head and looked around.

He was making his relationship with the leader clear to everyone.

Qian Jin was speechless.

He remembered the young man's identity.

Ma Dehua.

Pure idiot.

Cui Hu snorted through his nose: "I don't know. You know more than I do."

Ma Dehua met with a tough rebate, but he didn't feel embarrassed. He touched his nose and went back to sit down.

Feng Changfan from the Political Work Section also arrived later.

Ma Dehua then went up to him again and started calling him Uncle Feng.

He raised the same question, to which Feng Changfan replied with a smile: "There is such a step, but it's just a formality. For a department like yours dealing with foreign affairs, you'll definitely need to bring in cadres from the province."

As he spoke, he glanced at Ma Dehua and deliberately raised his voice: "Young man, you still need to gain more experience over the years."

Ma Dehua chuckled and nodded repeatedly.

As time went on, more and more leaders came. Vice President Yi Xuebing arrived, and Qian Jin even met the legendary President Wei Bin.

Many people were seeing Wei Bin for the first time, and they looked at this senior leader with curiosity and excitement.

At 9:30, two leaders from the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative arrived.

Zheng Chaoyang, deputy director of the Organization and Personnel Department, had a standard three-seven parted hairstyle, his Dacron shirt was ironed perfectly, and his trousers were so straight they could be used to sharpen a pencil.

Zhou Huaimin, the director of the Foreign Affairs Office, wore gold-rimmed glasses and carried a black briefcase with the words "Shanghai" printed on it.

"Director Zheng! Director Zhou!" President Wei Bin quickly stepped forward to shake hands. "You must be tired from your journey."

Zheng Chaoyang politely shook hands in return: "President Wei, you're too kind. We're not tired at all. The province attaches great importance to the establishment of the Foreign Investment Office, but most of the work is your responsibility. We're just helping you out."

His gaze swept across the conference room, pausing slightly as he passed Qian Jin.

Several people noticed this detail, and their expressions immediately darkened.

At 9:30 sharp, Wei Bin tapped his enamel mug: "Comrades, the meeting is now in session. First, please all stand up and study the latest instructions."

Everyone stood up in unison, facing the portraits of Comrade Guofeng and Comrade Leader on the wall.

Wei Bin pulled a small red booklet from his pocket and began to read it aloud in a thick Shandong accent: "The central leaders pointed out that we must emancipate our minds and seek truth from facts..."

Qian Jin stood ramrod straight, his face solemn.

He glanced at the others out of the corner of his eye.

Everyone looked so solemn.

"Now we will proceed with the first item on the agenda," Wei Bin said, sitting down and opening the folder in front of him. "Director Zhou Huaimin will convey the provincial society's decision to establish a foreign business office."

Zhou Huaimin adjusted his glasses and took out a document stamped with a large red seal from his briefcase. He cleared his throat and read aloud in a standard bureaucratic tone: "Lu Gongfa [1978] No. 38, 'Notice on the Pilot Establishment of Foreign Trade Offices in Coastal Cities and Other Cities'..."

The document was read aloud for a full ten minutes.

When Zhou Huaimin read the line "We should actively and steadily carry out foreign economic exchanges," a commotion arose from the back of the conference room.

Qian Jin turned around and saw several young staff members whispering to each other.

"Quiet!" Wei Bin slammed his hand on the table, splashing a few drops of tea from his enamel cup. "This is an important decision from the province; everyone must listen carefully!"

Zhou Huaimin continued reading: "The main responsibilities of the Foreign Business Office are: 1. To negotiate business with foreign businesses; 2. To organize the production of export commodities; 3. To introduce advanced technology and equipment and high-quality goods to serve the people..."

Many people keep writing with flowing, unrestrained strokes.

Qian Jin also wrote and drew in his notebook, drawing a map of Haibin City from his memory.

He glanced up casually and noticed that Zheng Chaoyang had been observing everyone's reactions, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

"Now we will proceed to the second item on the agenda," Wei Bin continued, "Everyone, please stand up. As instructed by the Central News Agency, I hereby announce the official establishment of the Haibin City Foreign Trade Office!"

A round of applause erupted.

This is not unexpected.

This was also something that excited everyone in the preparatory team.

More than half a year of hard work has finally paid off.

Their new unit has been established!
Wei Bin read out the notice of the establishment of the Foreign Investment Office and the earnest message from the provincial leaders.

He then said, "Everyone, please sit down. Next, we will proceed to the third item on the agenda: announcing the personnel appointments for the Foreign Investment Office."

"After deliberation by the municipal party committee and approval by the provincial party committee..."

The air in the conference room suddenly froze.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the name that could change their destiny.

"Comrade Cheng Xia is appointed as the Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Office."

Cheng Xia from the logistics department suddenly stood up, almost knocking over her chair.

His expression was somewhat complicated, a mixture of joy and resentment, with only the commemorative badges pinned to the left side of his Zhongshan suit shining steadily in the sunlight.

"Comrade Liao Chunfeng is appointed as the Deputy Director of the Foreign Investment Office."

Liao Chunfeng from the finance department pushed up his glasses, his brows furrowing slightly, showing considerable dissatisfaction.

He has already checked.

The preparatory team consisted of forty people, and his rank was the highest, at level 21.

In addition, his academic qualifications and family background are also excellent, so he should have been able to get the position of director.

But why am I only a deputy director?

He was lost in thought.

In the last row, Ma Dehua's eyes widened with excitement.

He had already inquired about it.

The Foreign Investment Office has three main leaders, two deputy directors, and one director.

Since he's not currently offered the position of deputy director, is he perhaps destined to become—the director?!

Wei Bin took a sip of tea and looked around the room: "Finally, with special approval from the provincial cooperative..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, whetting everyone's appetite, and after his gaze swept over each of the forty people, he said emphatically:

"Comrade Qian Jin is appointed as the Director of the Foreign Investment Office."

With a "thud," someone's pen fell to the ground.

Then everyone quickly found out who it was.

Because Ma Dehua shouted from behind, "Damn, Qian Jin!"

Wei Bin's eyes shot over immediately.

It's like slaughtering a pig.

Feng Changfan and Cui Hu immediately applauded.

Surprisingly, Zheng Chaoyang also clapped quickly, and the applause was very enthusiastic. He even turned around and nodded to Qian Jin.

This attitude sent a chill down the spines of some young, seasoned professionals.

damn it.

This money comes from connections in the provincial capital!

Qian Jin felt as if dozens of eyes were shining on him like searchlights.

There was surprise, there was doubt, but most of them were unable to hide their jealousy.

That's normal. He's only 27 years old, more than 10 years younger than all the leaders present.

Even among the forty people in the preparatory team, he was considered young.

“Although Comrade Qian Jin is young,” Wei Bin’s voice broke the silence.

"However, his work performance after joining the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives was outstanding. After joining the Warehousing and Transportation Department, he worked diligently, invented and designed a number of new tools that helped improve labor, and made many meritorious contributions, which were unanimously praised by his brother units."

"During the assessment of the members of the Foreign Investment Office Preparatory Group, he once again made meritorious contributions by bringing the lawless elements of the Yuezhou County Zidian Commune Supply and Marketing Cooperative to justice."

"In his daily life, he led the Taishan Road Labor Commando Team to achieve many merits, including setting up a mobile canteen to solve the problem of people having good meals, and setting up a study room to solve the college entrance examination preparation problem for more than 1,000 students for two consecutive years."

"The provincial newspaper published three related reports on this matter, and the leaders of the Central News Agency all gave instructions on it!"

applause.

Now no one dared not applaud.

After Wei Bin finished speaking, he turned his probing gaze to Zheng Chaoyang and Zhou Huaimin.

The two chatted briefly before Zheng Chaoyang spoke up: "The first advantage of young people becoming leaders is that they have drive, and drive is a good thing."

He stroked the pen in his hand, then looked at Qian Jin with a warning in his eyes: "But the Foreign Business Office has to deal with capitalists, so they have to be able to withstand the test of sugar-coated bullets."

A few dry laughs echoed in the conference room.

"Comrade Qian Jin, please make a statement." Wei Bin gestured for him to stand up.

When Qian Jin stood up, his knee hit the table leg.

He had once thought about becoming the director of the foreign investment office, but it was just a thought; he wasn't sure he could actually do it.

After all, he didn't really have any advantage in a competition among forty people.

Eliminating Ma Defu was an achievement, but he didn't think such an achievement would make him stand out in the preparatory team and become the director.

After all, he didn't have any influential people to support him.

And that's exactly what happened.

He has now become the head of a department at the Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative!

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the slogan on the wall that read "Unite and Look Forward": "Thank you for the organization's trust, please rest assured, leaders..."

"How can you be at ease?" Cui Hu suddenly interrupted, his expression very serious. "Xiao Qian, do you know how much material you need to prepare when negotiating with foreign businesses? Do you know how import and export tariffs are calculated?"

The atmosphere in the meeting room suddenly became tense.

Liao Chunfeng pretended to organize documents, but actually he was listening intently.

Cheng Xia nervously fiddled with the commemorative medal, making a slight metallic clinking sound.

"Old Cui!" Wei Bin frowned. "We need to be mindful of teamwork!"

Cui Hu's sudden attack left him bewildered.

The appointment of Qian Jin was the result of a previous meeting and discussion. Not to mention Cui Hu, the head of the labor and personnel department, even the president of the company couldn't change it.

What does Cui Hu mean by suddenly launching an attack?
In particular, in his impression, Cui Hu was an old revolutionary; apart from his job, he was taciturn and never spoke carelessly.

Faced with the leader's surprise question, Qian Jin remained neither humble nor arrogant: "Section Chief Cui asked a good question. I do indeed have a lot to learn."

He took out a stack of documents from his briefcase. “These are my ‘International Trade Practice Notes’ compiled over the past six months. Please feel free to offer your criticisms and suggestions.”

Now he finally understood Yang Shengzhang's surprise attack last night.

So this is what was waiting for me all along!
It's certain that Yang Shengzhang already knew about the organization's appointment of him, and then, in order to help him gain a foothold in the new unit, he asked Cui Hu to help him put on a show.

Without Yang Shengzhang's reminder, this scene would have exposed Qian Jin's ugly side.

But Yang Shengzhang reminded him, and he prepared even more comprehensive materials overnight.

then--

Zheng Chaoyang took it and flipped through it, raising his eyebrows slightly: "Oh, you even have English contract templates?"

He showed it to Wei Bin.

Upon seeing this, Wei Bin's thick eyebrows immediately shot up.

“I learned it on my own,” Qian Jin said calmly. “My wife is a night school teacher, and she tutored me in some subjects.”

These words were like a bomb, and the meeting room immediately erupted in discussion.

Zhou Huaimin asked Qian Jin a question in English.

These are all basic exchanges.

Qian Jin answered fluently.

During his six months or so in the countryside, he didn't just tidy up Ma Defu; he also used the time to learn English.

His English is now incredibly good. If he were to go to the 21st century and be given a ladder, he could access a vast amount of resources that would last a lifetime...

Zhou Huaimin's English conversation left the other members speechless.

They also taught themselves English during this time.

But the learning results are so-so; let alone having a conversation, few people can even recite a few common English phrases.

After the conversation ended, the way the members of the Foreign Investment Office looked at Qian Jin changed somewhat.

Doubt and jealousy have decreased, while fear and respect have increased.

Wei Bin carefully examined the documents in his hand and nodded repeatedly.

This scene left many people looking pale.

Something's not right about this money in!
After reviewing the documents, Wei Bin asked Qian Jin, "What are all these?"

"What I learned and organized when I went to the countryside is like this: I asked an old friend to buy some books about foreign trade from Xinhua Bookstore in the capital, and I also hired a teacher in the Foreign Languages ​​Department of Haibin University to learn English," Qian Jin explained simply.

Wei Bin smiled.

He held up the documents and said, "The Foreign Investment Office is being established today. You will start work tomorrow, but it will be officially inaugurated next Monday."

“I have always been worried about the working ability of your new department. I once asked the provincial federation of cooperatives to send experienced colleagues to mentor you.”

"But the provincial headquarters is also short-staffed, which made me anxious for a while. Now that I see this work information, I'm not anxious anymore."

"Comrade Qian Jin, you need to make the most of your time to familiarize yourself with the work, and you should also lead your employees to become familiar with the new job as soon as possible."

Qian Jin said, "Yes, sir."

Wei Bin nodded, stood up, and looked at everyone with a stern gaze: "Your Director Qian is very good, even better than I expected."

"Comrades, I hope that in the days to come you will learn diligently from Director Qian. I hope that what I hear from you now is your progress in learning, not your infighting!"

"Okay, let's break up the meeting!"

After the meeting, the crowd surged out like the receding tide.

Qian Jin overheard hushed conversations coming from the corridor:

"I heard his wife has connections overseas..."

"Bullshit, don't you know the Qian family of Haibin...?"

"You must have connections in the provincial government..."

These rumors were to be expected.

When Qian Jin learned that he had become the director of the Foreign Investment Office, he knew that his first priority would not be learning or teaching anything, but rather office politics!
A new storm has emerged!

Coincidentally, Qian Jin's favorite thing is office politics, and his greatest skill is fighting with people!

(End of this chapter)