The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 250 Commendation for Merit and Rewards: A Tribute to the Capital – This is How a True Man Should Act!

As Qian Jin left Old Zhou's small house filled with the aroma of herbs, the biting wind of early spring in the coastal city swept over him, only making him more excited.

It's time to make a contribution!

The hospital's equipment is quite outdated now, and many testing tasks are done manually, which requires time to train staff. Qian Jin won't be able to get the test report for a while.

In this way, he collected samples of so-called blood bird's nest.

If you don't search, you don't know.

This blood bird's nest has actually been circulating in the market for quite some time now.

It was first sold in several major first-tier cities such as Guangzhou, Beijing, and Shanghai, specifically targeting the upper class.

Previously, during the twelfth lunar month, this blood bird's nest was a popular gift. Qian Jin was unaware of this because it never actually reached Haibin City.

Just as Liu Dazhu said, it's only now that the New Year is over and all the gifts have been given out that high-end products like bird's nest can be shipped to second-tier cities.

Another example is that some leaders, after receiving the bird's nest, gave it to their relatives back home during the first month of the lunar calendar.

Relatives back home couldn't bear to eat it, so they gave it to the factory leaders instead.

In short, after going through a very complicated process, Qian Jin finally came into contact with the product.

One of the biggest advantages of working in a supply and marketing cooperative these days is that you can always buy any commodity that is available on the market through internal connections.

Qian Jin asked someone for help and managed to buy several portions of bird's nest.

The packaging is different too!
The most high-end packaging is an exquisite gift wooden box lined with red velvet, containing a dozen or so so-called "blood bird's nest cups" that are of near-perfect quality.

However, he now has a psychological trauma, as he can see the extremely unnatural, bright red color of these things throughout.

The lower-end ones are simply packaged in ordinary cardboard boxes lined with cotton cloth, and contain five or six irregularly shaped dried bird's nests that are dark red in color and rather rough in shape.

The accompanying product descriptions in both Chinese and English are identical, exaggerating the product's nutritional value and claiming its rarity and preciousness, making it uncommon in China.

Blood bird's nest is indeed very rare in the country.

Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to allow such counterfeit goods to flourish.

After Qian Jin received the bird's nests, he immediately called Cheng Xia over:
"Director Cheng, please go to the Municipal People's Hospital. Go there yourself and don't go through anyone else. Send it directly to the Municipal Medical Research Institute's testing center and find Director Lin of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Department."

"Just tell them we have important goods that need urgent ingredient testing, and ask them to focus on testing what's causing this bright red color."

Cheng Xia asked, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Qian Jin nodded: "There must be a big problem. You'd better get busy. The most decisive battle since the establishment of our Foreign Investment Office is about to begin!"

Upon hearing the word "start the fight," Cheng Xia was filled with fighting spirit.

After waiting for three whole days, the inspection report finally arrived.

The test results were written in cold, lead type:

Sample 1 (Exquisite wooden box 'Blood Bird's Nest'):

Main ingredient: Ordinary white bird's nest matrix. Colorant detection: Synthetic acid red (a derivative of Sudan Red, a strong carcinogen) was detected, with the content significantly exceeding the standard.

Trace element analysis: The iron content is abnormally high (suspected to be residual dyeing auxiliaries added later).

The levels of nitrate and nitrite residues are severely excessive (due to chemical treatment residues). The content of amino acids and active substances is far lower than that of normal high-quality white bird's nest.

Sample 2 (ordinary cotton cloth wrapping 'blood bird's nest'):

It is made by piecing together low-quality white bird's nest fragments as a base, and then preliminarily chemically dyeing it to deepen its appearance. It has extremely low nutritional value.

Colorant detection: Synthetic Acid Red (a derivative of Sudan Red, a potent carcinogen) was detected, with a content significantly exceeding the standard, ranging from 50% to 65% of the sample...

Sample Three…

Sunlight streamed through the clean glass, making the words on the report clearly visible.

Qian Jin slammed his fist on the table.

Damn it, there are bad people among the masses—no, there are bad guys among the cadres!

This isn't a tonic; it's practically arsenic coated in sugar!
Those alluring blood-red colors are an illusion created by repeatedly soaking inferior bird's nest fragments in chemical solutions and forcibly dyeing them!
This is going to be a big problem.

For the past few days, he has been investigating the import channels of bird's nest, and has initially discovered that it is being sold through several "reputable" transshipment trading companies in Hong Kong, and is being sold in the procurement lists of major cities and provincial supply and marketing cooperatives across the country.

They call themselves compatriots, but in the end, they do nothing for their fellow countrymen in order to make money!
What the mainland market has paid a high price for is worthless and even harmful garbage!

With the evidence irrefutable, Qian Jin felt a chill mixed with anger rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He grabbed the phone and vigorously spun the dial with his fingers, like cranking a tractor handlebar:
"Hello! Please connect me to President Wei Bin! This is Qian Jin from the Foreign Affairs Office! I have an extremely urgent report to make!"

Wei Bin replied to him, telling him to go to his office.

The president's office door was tightly closed. Qian Jin walked there with a proud and imposing gait. When his colleagues greeted him along the way, he responded with a uniform, serious nod.

I'm so awesome!

In the end, Qian Jin didn't even knock; he just pushed the office door open.

Wei Bin was sitting around a table with several middle-aged men he didn't recognize, discussing something. The table was covered with documents.

The door was suddenly kicked open, and everyone looked up in surprise.

"Director Qian? What's the matter that's so urgent?" Wei Bin asked, somewhat displeased.

Why did you embarrass me at such a crucial moment?
Can't you knock on the door?
Does it make me look like I'm not good at leading a team?

Qian Jin strode to the desk and handed him several boxes, a clipping from the Overseas Chinese Daily, the note with the expert opinion written by the old pharmacist Zhou Bingkun, and the examination report from the Municipal People's Hospital Laboratory Department.

Wei Bin glanced at it and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Qian Jin whispered, "Wei She, something terrible has happened!"

"Those foreign trade companies in Hong Kong are packaging toxic and carcinogenic products as high-end goods for sale, and they are specifically targeting our leading cadres!"

He came up with the following sentence after being prompted by Mr. Zhou.

A detail he hadn't noticed earlier turned out to be the most crucial link in the whole affair.

Wei Bin immediately understood his subtext, stood up, and waved to his assistant, instructing him to first escort the guests out.
"What happened? Explain it to me clearly, and don't try to scare me!"

“That’s how Wei She is,” Qian Jin’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a resolute and penetrating force, each word like a steel nail that had been tempered in fire—this was all learned from his superiors.

He's quite adept at using official jargon now.

Both the newspaper articles and the inspection report were in paper form.

Wei Bin observed that Qian Jin's description quickly and clearly explained the origins and problems of this blood bird's nest:

“Wei She, this ‘Wanlongji’ poisonous bird’s nest has entered the domestic supply and marketing system through unknown channels. The chain of evidence is complete. I believe this is a poisoning incident.”

"Therefore, after I found out the truth, I reported it to you immediately and requested that you report it to the Municipal Party Committee, the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and the Ministry of Commerce, requesting that a case be opened and this incident thoroughly investigated!"

After he finished speaking, the office fell silent.

very quiet.

Wei Bin's surprise quickly turned into unprecedented solemnity. He picked up the clipping, quickly scanned it, and began to study the shocking pieces of evidence.

Then he clenched his fist: "Fuck, fuck him!"

Qian Jin was greatly alarmed.

This leader has a strong personality and is very upright.

This was the first time he had ever heard Wei Bin curse.

He quickly understood.

After seeing the blood bird's nest, Wei Bin cursed, "I've eaten this stuff before. On New Year's Eve, I even had the housekeeper stew it for everyone in the family to have a bowl!"

Qian Jin started cursing.

Finally, Wei Bin's face turned ashen.

He sat upright behind the large desk, his face grim as he began to ponder the matter.

The test report spread out on the table bears the red stamp of the Municipal People's Hospital's laboratory department, while Mr. Zhou's appraisal report has a brush pen signature.

Then the various types of bird's nest were laid out in front of him one by one.

He checked again, and these things were indeed problematic; the health supplements he had been taking recently were actually drugs!
Qian Jin, filled with righteous indignation, acted as his mouthpiece, helping him vent his anger:

"This is a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

"This poison, disguised as a tonic, costs several times more than ordinary white swallow feathers and has entered department stores, specialty stores, and remittance shops in various cities!"

"But where does it actually flow? To those lifeless buildings? No, it flows to the lives and fortunes of ordinary people. It's blatantly robbing our country's already meager foreign exchange reserves!"

Wei Bin remained silent for a long time.

But his gaze toward Qian Jin was full of affirmation.

good boy.

You're quite the expert at making a mountain out of a molehill.

Qian Jin nodded to him and remained silent.

For a moment, only the ticking of the wall clock in the corner of the office filled the silence, its sound amplified infinitely, weighing heavily on the hearts of the two.

The cold wind outside the window howled as it swept through the bare branches of the sycamore trees.

Finally, Wei Bin raised his eyes, ready to personally determine the nature of the incident.

He opened his mouth and unleashed a thunderous aura: "This matter is extremely heinous in nature! The methods used are utterly despicable!"

The higher-ups reacted even more strongly than Qian Jin had, after all, he was the victim...

The heavy palms slammed repeatedly on the large desk, causing boxes of "blood bird's nest" to bounce gracefully.

He continued to rant and rave for a while to calm himself down.

Then, Wei Bin picked up the receiver of an old-fashioned telephone set on the table, which was entirely dark green.

There are three telephones on his desk, and this one is a dedicated line to the Central News Agency.

But after picking up the receiver, he didn't dial immediately. Instead, he hesitated for a moment and then asked Qian Jin, "What is your assessment of this heinous incident? What do you think the scope of the incident is?"

What could Qian Jin do at this point? He would definitely escalate the situation.

The bigger the commotion, the more corrupt officials are eliminated, and the greater his contribution.
"Based on the clues and market information I have come across, this is definitely not an isolated case! It is absolutely an organized and large-scale transnational counterfeiting chain."

"Those so-called 'trading partners' in Hong Kong are probably just the front end, while Malaysia is the source. Their target is precisely to exploit the gaps in our mainland's newly launched imports and the still imperfect regulatory system!"

"This is a group of malignant tumors! These malignant tumors are collectively draining our country's resources!"

"At the very beginning of the reform and opening up, these were the vanguard. There will inevitably be larger-scale fraud activities behind them, so these organized crimes must be thoroughly investigated and the criminals involved must be eradicated!"

Each word was forceful and carried a chilling aura.

“Good!” Wei Bin looked at him with affirmation.

Without the slightest hesitation, his fingers began to move quickly and forcefully across the heavy dial:

"Please pick up Director Yan from headquarters, thank you."

"Director Yan, this is Wei Bin from Haibin City! There is an extremely serious case involving a large-scale counterfeiting of imported goods, which has resulted in significant foreign exchange losses and endangers public health..." "Yes! Absolutely true! It was personally investigated by Director Qian Jin of the Foreign Trade Office, who is now the apprentice of Deputy Director Yang. The evidence is irrefutable!"

"I request that the head office send a leader to lead the establishment of a joint task force to thoroughly investigate this case! It must be investigated to the end..."

"No, it's not just our Haibin City; this cancer has surely spread to other cities! It requires the personal intervention of a leader at your level to sever this foreign influence..."

"Okay! I'll have Comrade Qian Jin prepare all the written evidence and samples immediately and send them to you as soon as possible!"

Put down the phone.

Without pausing for a moment, Wei Bin immediately called the provincial government to report the matter and explained that the situation was urgent and that the Central News Agency had been given priority in accordance with policy.

After hanging up the phone, he pointed to the materials in front of him and said, "Director Qian, make copies of the materials immediately. Keep one copy here and mail two copies to the province—no, you deliver them yourself."

"Give me the original document. I want to deliver it to headquarters personally. This case must be handled quickly. We must strike the criminals and foreign forces with lightning speed!"

Qian Jin nodded heavily.

It's on fire.

The time has come when my country and people need me!
Wei Bin picked up the thermos, poured water into a teacup, and personally handed it to Qian Jin: "This is your farewell drink, and also mine."

He picked up his glass again, raised it in a toasting gesture: "We have no choice but to move forward; this matter must be handled beautifully."

"Director Qian, keep up the good work, you're doing a great job!"

Qian Jin, looking grief-stricken, solemnly said, "Please rest assured, leader, Qian Jin will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Wei Bin nodded: "Now that this matter is settled, you, well, you've done very well."

He clinked glasses with Qian Jin.

As it turned out, the rim of his cup was half a meter lower than Qian Jin's cup.

This……

Qian Jin was startled on the spot.

In Haibin City, there are rules for toasting. When a subordinate clinks glasses with a superior, the subordinate's glass should be tilted downwards.

As a result, Wei Bin actually lowered his posture in front of him, which was simply a reversal of the natural order.

He looked at Wei Bin awkwardly.

I was so caught up in my grief, excitement, and burning passion that I forgot to pay attention to the rules of drinking.

However, Wei Bin remained calm and took a sip of tea.

Qian Jin couldn't say anything, so he could only take a sip as well.

So hot!

He only felt his mouth was hot after drinking boiled water, but many people felt their buttocks were hot.

A thunderous storm sweeping across the XXXX system and the XX field suddenly swept through Haibin City.

The top management of XX Corporation personally approved the establishment of a joint investigation team across ministries, with strong involvement from departments such as XX, XX, XX, and the import and export company. The action plan was issued to all provinces and cities overnight as a top-secret internal document.

The core members of the investigation team arrived in Haibin City immediately and moved into the small building where the Foreign Business Office was located.

This has nothing to do with Qian Jin. It's purely because the investigation team needs independence and confidentiality, and there are too many departments and complicated personnel in the main office building.

There is only one unit in the side building, the Foreign Business Office, located on the second floor. The investigation team went to the third floor, so the stairwell was sealed off, and no one could go up.

Several offices on the third floor were put into use, with lights on all night.

The iron gate fell.

All import business destined for those specific transshipment companies in Hong Kong, especially any orders involving "blood bird's nest" or "nourishing bird's nest," will be frozen indiscriminately and unconditionally, regardless of their progress.

Containers that have already cleared customs and entered the country will be jointly seized and sealed off in another location by the local industry and commerce and quarantine departments!
Ships currently at sea are strictly controlled by the relevant port customs, and the goods are taken into custody as soon as they arrive!

All personnel involved in the case, regardless of their employer or rank, will be suspended from their duties pending investigation!

Qian Jin became the busiest person in the eye of the storm.

This was something he hadn't anticipated.

He thought that as long as he reported the situation, a powerful figure would naturally take care of it.

Before he knew it, he seemed to have become a big shot in Haibin City.
Or perhaps he is indeed a very capable person when it comes to serious matters.

In the days that followed, he was like a giant sponge that had absorbed a lot of water, and was gradually extracted and squeezed by the entire task force.

He needed to work day and night with the task force to recall, record, and organize fragments of clues:
"Director Qian, what is the date and price quote details of the first faxed contact with 'Datong Trading Company'?"

"Director Qian, could you please confirm the mailing details of the 'blood bird's nest' samples you received and submitted for testing, including the sender's address and postmark?"

"Director Qian, Director Lin from the Provincial Health Inspection Bureau wants to see copies of the original data from all your testing processes..."

"Director Qian, do you have a way to get detailed reports on the bird's nest case from local Malaysian newspapers?"

Qian Jin's office has completely become the core data room in the rear.

The original report copy that he personally delivered to the testing center was carefully examined, copied, and photographed by countless hands wearing white gloves, and then cross-referenced with the results from testing centers in other cities.

Those boxes containing the physical samples that he was initially highly wary of were carefully sealed, labeled, and numbered as important evidence, and then sent to testing centers in various places.

More clues are spreading out like a spider web.

As the investigation deepened, the joint task force traced its reach back from the coast to Shanghai and Guangzhou, where it launched a massive investigation and arrest operation.

Customs entry and exit records are being investigated in massive quantities.

In the days that followed, faced with irrefutable evidence, good news came from several ports of entry and exit in the south:

Multiple batches of so-called "top-grade bird's nest" were intercepted!
Without exception, the test results were shocking—they were all "toxic bird's nests" that were chemically dyed, glued together, and baked to increase their weight!
Then higher-ups stepped in to investigate, and Qian Jin only learned from private conversations among the task force that he had made a great contribution by meticulously uncovering the truth this time:
The toxic bird's nests seized in Malaysia were not destroyed. Instead, they were handled by several shell companies, repackaged, and then smuggled into mainland China through various foreign trade companies in Hong Kong.

Just as Qian Jin guessed, they took advantage of the fact that the mainland had just started its reform and opening up, and that the market was full of loopholes and people were not knowledgeable enough, in order to make a fortune!
The internal reports and special reports from the Central News Agency flew to higher levels like snowflakes.

Qian Jin's name, along with keywords such as "Haibin", "fake bird's nest", and "saving the country from huge economic losses", appeared repeatedly under the bold headline.

After more than a month of investigation, the results have finally come to light:
This line started from some remote processing workshops in southern Malaysia.

The products are initially packaged and dyed by illegal local middlemen.

Then, they are further dyed and shaped by manufacturers in certain locations.

Ultimately, a complete toxic supply chain was formed, in which several leather goods trading companies in a certain area, under the guise of "genuine and original products," dumped their goods at high prices in XXXXXXXXX.
Its heinous nature and widespread impact are utterly outrageous!

A large number of people were investigated in connection with the incident.

When the "1978 Annual Summary and Commendation Conference of Supply and Marketing Service Cooperatives" was held routinely in March, Qian Jin's name was included.

Qian Jin still felt it wasn't quite appropriate, after all, the case was handled in 79.

However, Wei Bin told him that the case occurred in 78, so it was also acceptable to record the merit in 78.

In addition, although this is an honor within the supply and marketing system, he received a national-level honor this time.

The commendation ceremony was held in the capital.

Qian Jin brought Wei Qinghuan along, which can be considered as a trip to the capital during the early days of reform and opening up.

Yang Shengzhang personally went to pick up the train.

He really gave Qian Jin a lot of face, as his car actually drove right up to the train platform.

When Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan boarded the train, it attracted a lot of attention and discussion from people inside and outside the carriage.

They thought it was some rich kid.

On the 15th of the following day, Qian Jin, dressed in a Zhongshan suit and leather shoes, followed Yang Shengzhang into the conference venue.

Several bright red banners hung above the rostrum, like flags of victory.

Beneath the red logo with gold lettering, the long table on the dais was covered with a brand-new red velvet cloth.

On the table were a large Double Happiness enamel thermos and a row of clean glass teacups.

The huge auditorium was packed, with every seat cushioned and even the aisles carpeted with red carpet.

The room was filled with cadres and employees from supply and marketing cooperatives across the country.

The air was filled with the smell of brand-new velvet seats and the faint smell of coal ash from the heating system, and Qian Jin was filled with curiosity about everything.

The loudspeaker was playing "Ode to the Motherland," which filled the attendees with passion.

Qian Jin finally met the head of the company within the system.

The leader's speech summarized the work of the supply and marketing cooperative throughout the year, and naturally, he also gave a detailed account of the tremendous changes in thinking and the shift in work focus brought about by the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee.

The most important part was the awards ceremony, as it was a national-level awards ceremony that recognized many individuals and teams, such as outstanding individuals, supply and marketing pacesetters, and excellent organizations.

The number is numerous and varied.

Each individual and team receiving an award received a citation. When it was Qian Jin's turn to take the stage, the host said in a deep voice:

"...It is especially worth mentioning that, on the major issues of safeguarding national interests and protecting people's health, we supply and marketing cooperatives have not let down the trust of the Party and the people!"

"Faced with a major case of fraud involving the import of health supplements, meticulously planned by unscrupulous international businessmen, our comrades stepped forward with a high degree of vigilance, a rigorous scientific attitude, and a fighting spirit!"

"Through meticulous investigation and cooperation with relevant departments, this transnational counterfeit production and sales 'dragon' was successfully dismantled, directly saving the country from significant foreign exchange losses! It also safeguarded the lives, health, and safety of the people, and upheld the sacred reputation and image of socialist China's borders!"

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose:
"Now we will read out the joint decision of the Party Committee of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, the State Customs, and the Revolutionary Committee of Haibin City!"

A girl dressed in red unfolded a certificate-like document stamped with several bright red seals.

"Comrade Qian Jin is hereby awarded the honorary title of Advanced Individual in Socialist Construction of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in 1978!"

"Comrade Qian Jin is hereby awarded the honorary title of 'Model of Integrity and Honesty in the Supply and Marketing System' for 1978 by the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives!"

Two halos, carrying the weight of honor, rained down upon them.

After each sentence was read, thunderous applause erupted in the auditorium, wave after wave.

Whether the applause was genuine or not, it was certainly quite enthusiastic.

Qian Jin took to the stage under the guidance of staff.

The audience erupted in applause, the spotlight shone brightly on him, and the camera flashes crackled and popped.

The award was presented by the president of the company.

The old leader was a veteran revolutionary. His large hands were like iron clamps. With one hand, he held Qian Jin's hand, while with the other hand, he took the large red silk flower handed to him by the staff and personally pinned it to the right lapel of Qian Jin's Zhongshan suit.

The red silk was vibrant and glistening, and the petals trembled gently, conveying a strong sense of honor.

Qian Jin stood under the spotlight, his eyes almost squinting from the light.

He couldn't see what was happening in the audience below the stage.

But you can feel the enthusiasm coming from all directions.

At that moment, he had only one thought.

This is what a man should do!

Dry!
I must work harder from now on!

(End of this chapter)