The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 248 Someone came to deliver a gift, but it was actually a way to claim credit.

Qian Jin had a pretty good Spring Festival.

Although they were thoroughly drunk on New Year's Eve, the young people had a great time making a ruckus together.

Furthermore, the study room's commando team became famous on New Year's Eve; he was unaware that so many non-commando team youths had gone there.

For several days afterward, young people on Taishan Road and even in the surrounding streets continued to discuss their experience of listening to music, dancing, eating hot pot, drinking, and setting off firecrackers that night.

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Qian Xi and her family returned from the Changbai Mountain Forest Farm.

Their family also completed their relocation back to the city.

However, during this time, Qian Cheng returned to the rural area alone, as he needed to complete some procedures to enter the Industry and Commerce Bureau.

Qian Jin went to work as usual, and the Foreign Business Office was very busy during the first month of the lunar calendar.

Because supply and marketing cooperatives began to import foreign goods, these days, no matter what status or price of imported goods were abroad, they were high-end goods that only a few people could access and afford in China.

This is the main task of the Foreign Investment Office, and it is also the key task of the supply and marketing cooperative's foreign-related work at present.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the office of the Foreign Businessmen's Office was already buzzing with excitement.

Qian Jin pushed open the frost-covered window and looked out. The snow below had been trampled into a gray-black mud. Several of his men hunched over and hurried past, entering the main office building to discuss work with other departments.

In the next office, even more employees were busy at work.

Cheng Xia was busy with personnel reception work. After hurriedly making a few phone calls, he poked his head out and shouted, "Deputy Director Sun, has the fax from the Japanese trading company arrived yet?"

Sun Jian looked up from the pile of documents. He had been working overtime for the past few days, and his eyes were bloodshot.
"Just arrived, Mitsubishi Corporation wants to place an additional order for 500 tons of peanut oil."

He waved the thermal paper in his hand; the purple ink on it still carried the warmth of the fax machine.

Cheng Xia shouted, "No, I don't care about peanut oil orders. I'm asking about the whereabouts of the inspection team from their foreign trade company that came to our Haibin City..."

"How the hell would I know?" Sun Jian cursed and went to call someone to help him get orders.

Qian Jin was busy signing documents.

His desk in the office was completely buried under documents.

No one else's desk was empty either.

On Sun Jian's desk lay an English version of "China's Foreign Trade" magazine, covered with dense annotations circled in red pen.

Cheng Xia had a dozen draft contracts piled up, and the ink on the top one, the "Seaside-Kobe Container Route Cooperation Agreement," wasn't even dry yet.

The large office was like a battlefield. Two young clerks were squatting on the floor sorting through documents that had just been delivered from the typing room. The smell of ink from the wax paper mixed with the smell of cigarettes in the office, making them cough.

Qian went in to get the documents and told his subordinates to open the window: "Let's get some fresh air out. What's going on? The boss smokes in meetings and we have to smoke while we're working?"

"There's no need to smoke in the office anymore, it makes the place smell terrible!"

"Li Xiang!" Cheng Xia asked as he passed by the door, "What time will the comrades from China Resources Hong Kong Island arrive?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon!" The female clerk's voice came from the end of the corridor. "We just received a telegram that they changed their flight from Guangzhou!"

Qian Jin asked, "Is the guesthouse arranged?"

Cheng Xia nodded: "Arrange for us to stay at the Silver Beach Guesthouse."

Qian Jin nodded: "Is the matter of borrowing the conference room at the Yintan Guesthouse settled?"

Someone in the office suddenly stood up, knocking over an enamel mug, and rushed out: "Oh no, the meeting room over there hasn't been set up yet!"

Cheng Xia grumbled, "You can't even handle this little thing? Damn it, I bet you guys had a really good New Year's celebration..."

He grabbed the phone and cranked it, shouting, "Switchboard operator, connect me to the guesthouse!"

Qian Jin glanced at the wall clock: "No rush, there's plenty of time."

Cheng Xia hung up the phone and quickly put on his navy blue woolen overcoat.

He pulled out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from the bottom of the filing cabinet; these were reserved for entertaining foreign guests. "Director Qian, I'm going to take charge of the reception work."

"We still need to arrange for someone to go to the dock to inspect the goods today. There's a problem with the packaging of the ceramics that were exported to Algeria before the Lunar New Year."

Qian Jin waved his hand, signaling him to get back to work.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

A clerk from the planning department handed over a piece of paper: "Director Qian? Hello, your application for foreign exchange retention quota has been approved! The province has approved it!"

He respectfully handed the paper with the red seal to Qian Jin: "Please take a look at this batch of foreign exchange retention quota. If there are no problems, I need to file it with the archives department."

Qian Jin quickly glanced through it and nodded, saying it was okay.

An employee passing by curiously peeked at the paper, then the numbers on it made him gasp:
A foreign exchange retention quota of US$200,000.

The document, printed in black and white, bears the official seal of the Provincial Foreign Trade Department.

Then someone else came to deliver a message to Qian Jin: "Director, the rapier looms that the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill applied to import have been settled. The Provincial Foreign Trade Company sent a fax. If you want specific production information, you will have to wait for the post office to send an email."

Qian Jin said, "We need specific production information. We can't just look at faxed information. What can we learn from that?"

"Don't rush to tell Director Wang. Let me check first to make sure there are no problems."

In the early days of reform and opening up, a large number of unscrupulous foreign merchants took advantage of the eagerness of domestic factories to introduce advanced equipment and production lines, refurbishing and selling their outdated, obsolete, or even damaged machines to the domestic market, thus defrauding China of its limited foreign exchange reserves.

The methods used were extremely despicable, and the purpose was extremely malicious!
Sun Jian came over, checked a report, grabbed another phone, and dialed: "Connect me to the Production Planning Section of the Light Industry Bureau!"

He glanced at the wall clock, then awkwardly put down the receiver. "Never mind, I'll wait another twenty minutes."

The phone by the window suddenly rang.

Li Xiang answered the phone and listened for a couple of minutes before her expression changed: "Director Qian, there's an urgent telegram from the dock. There's a problem with the batch of frozen pork that's about to be loaded onto the ship. The Commodity Inspection Bureau said that the average thickness of the fat layer is off by 2 millimeters after random sampling!"

Qian Jin was speechless: "Why are you asking our foreign trade office about this? We're only responsible for reviewing contracts and translating content. What does the actual work of handling goods and transportation have to do with us?"

He waved his hand and went to consult with someone about the work: "Have you finished revising the data on the price lists for the Japanese trading companies? Be careful when dealing with them. Remember, these people are very cunning."

"Also, be firm! If necessary, just stop doing business with them. Don't be intimidated by their rhetoric. They're a capitalist country, and trading companies survive through market competition. Find a way to defeat them one by one and get the lowest possible price..."

Another employee asked him, "People from China Resources want to ask about the compensation trade in December..."

"Execute according to Article 3 of the last negotiation!" Qian Jin said without looking up.

He had just returned to his office when Li Xiang came to him again: "Director Qian, Jia Gang called again, saying they want you to come and support them. Apparently, the provincial foreign trade company has collapsed and there are problems with the pork trade contract."

Helpless, Qian Jin slammed his hand on the table and said, "I have so many things to do here!"

"Is the car ready?"

Li Xiang nodded: "It's all ready."

In the courtyard of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, the old GAZ-69 jeep was already running.

Driver Lao Zhou was wiping the frost off the windshield with cotton yarn, and the snow on the hood was melting into small streams from the heat.

As Qian Jin got into the car, Li Xiang chased after him, saying, "Director Qian, please take the commodity inspection standards manual with you."

"It's all in my head." Qian Jin pointed to his head, but still took the manual.

As the jeep started, a young man carrying a sign that read "Welcome to Hong Kong Island" carefully made way for it.

As the car turned the corner at the Jiuhuashan Road intersection, several young men in bell-bottoms stood in the sunlight in front of the barbershop.

Behind them was a dual cassette recorder, gently swaying to Teresa Teng's "Small Town Story".

"The weather's about to change," Old Zhou suddenly said out of the blue, his hands red with cold as he shifted gears.

Qian Jin smiled and said, "The situation has changed a long time ago."

Old Zhou chuckled and started chatting about his son and daughter: "It's so cold today, the icicles haven't melted yet, and neither of them wants to wear cotton-padded pants, they just wear woolen pants under their bell-bottoms..."

Qian Jin casually agreed, and upon arriving in Jiagang, he was busy again.

After leaving Port Alam and returning to the office, I continued my busy work.

He worked until it was getting dark before finally leaving the office, rubbing his aching temples.

Dusk was now descending heavily upon this seaside city with its red-tiled roofs and green trees.

The motorcycle wheels rolled over the streets littered with firecracker debris and dirty snow, heading towards Taishan Road.

The cold wind lashed at my face like a knife, but it couldn't dispel the contract terms, letter of credit risks, and several material quota issues swirling in my mind.

When the door opened, the expected cheers from children and chaos did not occur.

Wearing a sweater, Wei Qinghuan came over to help him put down his handbag and gestured towards the living room with her chin: "You're back? Brother Wang from the neighborhood committee has been waiting for you for a while with someone, saying they're here to wish you a belated New Year."

She lowered her voice and quietly pointed to a packaged box by the door, implying that the other party had brought a gift.

Qian Jin sighed.

Being a leader is not an easy life.

On the living room sofa, an acquaintance from the neighborhood committee and a middle-aged man in a navy blue Zhongshan suit immediately stood up.

Old Wang smiled familiarly: "Chief Qian, Happy New Year! Sorry to disturb your rest."

"This is Comrade Liu Dazhu, the propaganda officer from the chemical fiber plant in our neighboring district."

Qian Jin smiled warmly: "Brother Wang, you're too kind. We're on good terms every day. Please, all of you, have a seat."

Liu Dazhu quickly stepped forward, extended his hands to shake his, and uttered words of blessing as sweet as honey.

Qian Jin patted his arm, gesturing for him to sit down, but instead, he first picked up a dark red cardboard box from the coffee table with both hands:

"Director Qian, since this is my first visit, I don't have much to offer, just a small gift. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation."

The box is exquisite, printed with exotic patterns and a few lines of English. A palm-sized piece of red paper is pasted in the center of the lid, on which are written in calligraphy: "Premium Blood Bird's Nest".

Qian Jin didn't take it; instead, he frowned and asked, "Officer Liu, what do you mean by this?"

He turned to look at Lao Wang again: "Brother Wang, we're old friends, old neighbors, and old colleagues. You know my temper. What's he doing?"

Old Wang slapped his knee helplessly and said, "I already made it clear to Officer Liu that Chief Qian is known for not liking to accept gifts, but he said this isn't a gift, it's a specialty from his hometown..."

With a fawning smile on his face, which he tried to make appear natural but couldn't hide his nervousness, Officer Liu said, "Yes, Chief Qian, I've long admired you. This is a local specialty from my hometown, just a small token of my appreciation, for you and your wife to nourish yourselves."

Qian Jin frowned even more deeply. He pointed to the English on the box and said bluntly, "Product of Malaysia, Bird's Nest."

Then he said sarcastically, "What's wrong, Officer Liu? Are you an overseas Chinese who returned to China? Your hometown is in Malaysia, right?"

Liu, the clerk, was embarrassed.

Old Wang said with dissatisfaction, "So it's a foreign import? You even told me it was a local specialty. Look at you, what a mess you've made of this—hey, you've just made me the butcher!"

Qian Jin said, "Alright, take the gift back. Bird's nest is a good thing, but it's not suitable for young people."

"Comrades, what brings you here?"

Officer Liu hurriedly replied, "It's like this, it's like this, Director Qian, my son is graduating this year. He's strong and hardworking."

“His best friends are all from Taishan Road, and they’ve joined your Taishan Road Labor Commando Team. This kid wants to join too.”

"To be honest, he admires you and is eager to learn from a leader with such vision and contribute to the modernization drive..."

The desire to get her child into the coveted commando team was obvious from her words.

Qian Jin immediately tensed up.

The commando unit used to be a place hated by both dogs and people. Residents would use this insulting phrase when arguing: "I hope your child can get into the labor commando unit."

The labor task forces in other streets are still operating like this, but Taishan Road is an exception.

It's not easy to join the Taishan Road Labor Commando Team; there are limited spots, many people are watching, and the most taboo thing is this kind of private "offering".

His polite smile faded slightly, and he crossed his arms to create a sense of distance: "Brother Wang, Officer Liu, you're too kind."

"The selection process for the assault team involves recommendations from the neighborhood committee and assessments within the team. It emphasizes fairness and impartiality, and only those with outstanding individual performance are eligible. Please take this gift back with you; I appreciate the sentiment."

Wei Qinghuan brought over two cups of hot tea at just the right moment. The white porcelain cups were warm and the fragrance of jasmine tea filled the air.

She placed the teacup gracefully in front of the two men: "Officer Liu, Brother Wang, please have some tea. Qian Jin is a man of strong principles; when it comes to work, he is always very thorough and meticulous."

Her words were like a soft cushion, giving her husband room to refuse.

Liu Dazhu's smile froze for a moment, his fingers turning slightly white as he held the teacup.

He winked at Old Wang, clearly not expecting to be met with such a rebuff.

Just as Lao Wang was about to speak, Wei Qinghuan asked curiously, "Officer Liu, which alley on Taishan Road do you live in? We haven't really seen each other much before."

Liu Dazhu was even more flustered.

He chuckled twice and downplayed Wei Qinghuan's words, saying, "Chief Qian, Teacher Wei, I know you two very well. Your dedication to Taishan Road and to the young people is truly moving."

"You see, I didn't mean anything by it. The reason I brought this bird's nest is because I was thinking of you, Teacher Wei. You work at the night school and often stay up late, which is bad for your health."

"So I hope you two won't misunderstand. The bird's nest I sent was just to help Teacher Wei improve his health. But look at this, it's no ordinary thing. This is real 'blood bird's nest.' Do you know where it comes from?"

He lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery:

"We all know that bird's nest comes from swiftlets. It is the nest of swiftlets. They work very hard to build their nests. The first two nests they built were taken away by people. They refused to give up. The third time, they worked their hardest, vomiting out their blood and sweat, mixing it with their saliva to build this red nest!"

"That's why this thing is called 'blood bird's nest,' it's a great tonic for vital energy, and it's priceless. I heard that it used to be a special supply for central leaders."

"Now, thanks to the efforts of the supply and marketing cooperative where Qian Zongdui works, we can purchase this precious product from abroad so that ordinary people can also enjoy it."

Old Wang chimed in from the side, "Chief Qian, this should look familiar. It's a high-end treasure that your Central Supply and Marketing Cooperative went through a lot of trouble to import directly from Malaysia."

"Ordinary people would never even see one, let alone Officer Liu..."

"Wait!" Qian Jin's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a hawk locking onto its prey.

He asked in confusion, "Is this a product that our superior unit introduced?"

Liu Dazhu hurriedly showed it to him: "Yes, look, there's still your company's form attached here."

Qian Jin took it and looked at it.

The box is quite lightweight. The cardboard material is actually quite cheap. It looks colorful, but the edges are rough and the corners are not neat.

He carefully examined the contents printed on the bird's nest packaging box.

There was both English and Chinese content. The Chinese content was added later, which is what Officer Liu referred to as the 'list'.

In English, this bird's nest is named "Red-Saliva-Nest," which can be simply translated as "Red Saliva Nest."

The Chinese label prominently displays "Premium Blood Bird's Nest" and the folk legend that it was "made from vomited blood".

This made Qian Jin frown repeatedly:
"Building a nest by vomiting blood?"

"Officer Liu, you just said that this blood swallow nest was built by swiftlets vomiting their own blood?"

He picked up the box and pointed to the English words on it, saying, "But it's clearly written on the label that it says 'Red Saliva Nest,' it's saliva, not blood!"

Liu Dazhu said in confusion, "Yes, red saliva is blood mixed in with saliva, making it bloody saliva, red saliva."

Qian Jin shook his head and explained, "Swiftlets are swallows and birds, not humans or mammals. Where would they get blood to spit into their saliva?"

"Why is bird's nest considered a health-preserving delicacy? The scientific explanation is that the salivary glands of swiftlets secrete a viscous salivary protein for building their nests, and it has absolutely nothing to do with blood."

"I'm not making this up. Any biology teacher you ask will tell you this, because it's the most basic biological knowledge."

"So the claims on this packaging are nonsense and a way to fool people!"

Liu Dazhu's face turned pale instantly, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

Old Wang was so surprised that his mouth hung open, and he almost dropped the teacup in his hand.

"This, this..." Liu Dazhu stammered, feeling extremely embarrassed. "I, I just heard it from someone else. You see everyone's saying it like this..."

"However, this bird's nest was indeed allocated by the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives. It was said to be a rare Malaysian product allocated by the central government, and there was an official document with an official seal. Only a tiny amount was allocated to the leaders of our chemical fiber factory, so it was extremely precious to them..."

Qian Jin shook his head, feeling that there was something wrong with this thing.

He rubbed the rough surface of the box hard with his fingers; the edges of the poorly printed English letters were almost scraped off.

China Central Supply and Marketing Cooperative?

Imported from Malaysia?

Official document?

The packaging is so shoddy, the key information is so contradictory, and it's even accompanied by absurd pseudoscientific myths...

A strong sense of vigilance, like a cold snake, instantly coiled around his back.

If what Officer Liu said is true, then there's something wrong with this.

If these so-called "treasures" truly entered through legitimate channels and are now circulating so openly, then the underlying issues...

Great!

(End of this chapter)