The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 293 The Leader Gives the Green Light, Killing Two Birds with One Stone
Everything at the training school is on track.

All that's left is for him to take the large oil drum that Qiu Dayong brought to the blacksmith shop in Hongxing Commune during the January holiday. Then he can modify it into a boiler, which will solve his heating problem. After that, he can complete the final procedures to find a teacher and recruit students.

Everything is planned.

He went to work feeling great the next day.

The entire foreign business office is quite pleased with themselves, as the Chinese New Year holiday is just around the corner, and the longest holiday of the year is coming soon.

As Qian Jin entered the director's office, he pulled open the desk drawer, took out some documents, and hadn't even sat down when the old-fashioned hand-cranked telephone on the desk started ringing urgently.

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason; a phone call so early in the morning...

This can't be good news!
He picked up the cold receiver and asked, "Hello, this is Qian Jin from the Foreign Affairs Office of the Haibin Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Who is this?"

A businesslike voice came from the other end of the phone: "Is this Comrade Qian Jin? Good morning, this is Fu Chengbo, secretary of the Municipal Government Office. There is an urgent notification."

"Please proceed immediately to the small conference room at the city hall for an emergency meeting. This is an important foreign affairs matter. Please arrive at the conference room before 9:00 AM. Today, the second-in-command is in charge of this meeting, so please do not be late!"

Foreign affairs?

What matter?
Is there another new development?

Moreover, the meeting was chaired by the number two leader, who is the mayor of Haibin City.

Good heavens, this is a big shot!

Qian Jin's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly felt a sharp pain in his testicles.

He is the director of the Foreign Investment Office of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, not an employee of the municipal government's foreign investment department!
I reckon Wei Bin will have something to say about me again.

He wanted to ask for more information, but the other party hung up after giving him some instructions.

He could only sigh.

After hanging up the phone, he practically jogged out of the office, bumping into several colleagues at the stairwell who were about to get hot water, and they were all startled by his aggression.

But everything is fine.

Qian Jin ran to Wei Bin's office to ask for leave. Wei Bin waved his right hand, which was holding a cigarette, and said, "The boss called me. Go ahead."

Just as Qian Jin closed the door, he vaguely heard Wei Bin curse, "Damn it."

I guess they're cursing him.

Director Qian felt very wronged.

I also want to work hard and be a good employee, but I'm always being asked to do things.
He figured there was no prospect of promotion at the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives...

To avoid being perceived as too high-profile by his superiors, he deliberately did not ride a motorcycle but borrowed Sun Jian's bicycle.

Once on the bicycle, Qian Jin pedaled furiously, oblivious to the biting cold wind whipping against his face.

Then Sun Jian pedaled too fast and the chain came off.

Twenty minutes later, his hands were greasy as he arrived at the solemn four-story Soviet-style building of the city government, and after asking around, he ran to the door of a small conference room on the third floor.

He pushed open the door, and there were already several people sitting inside, the atmosphere heavy.

The leader sitting in the center had a serious expression.

Qian Jin knew this leader; he was Sun Debiao, the director of the Municipal Foreign Trade Bureau.

Sitting right next to him was Yang Dagang, the tall factory director of the fertilizer plant.

Yang Dagang nodded slightly when he saw the money come in.

Qian Jin breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

It's still about the fertilizer plant and Chuanqi Heavy Industry.

He cursed inwardly at the so-called secretary who made the call, saying she was unreliable. This matter had already been the talk of the town, it wasn't a secret, so why make it so mysterious and make him worry that the city leaders wanted to see him because of some new trouble.

As Qian Jin arrived, a middle-aged man who looked like a secretary went out, and not long after, another leader arrived.

The big leader is here this time.

Han Zhaoxin, the city's number two leader, was followed by Cao Yunsheng, the city's number six leader in charge of industry and commerce.

Everyone hurriedly stood up, but Leader Han gestured for them to sit down. Without any pleasantries, he went straight to the point:
"Comrades, here is the situation."

"Yesterday we received an urgent telegram from the Ministry of Commerce. The controversy surrounding our Haibin Fertilizer Plant's import of synthetic ammonia equipment from Chuanji Heavy Industry has now escalated to the international stage."

"According to the telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the other party has formally filed a complaint with the International Arbitration Tribunal under the International Chamber of Commerce!"

Qian Jin and Yang Dagang exchanged a glance.

This is not surprising.

The Japanese either have to pay compensation honestly or go to international courts; they have no other way to go.

As for the International Court of Arbitration, they both knew about this institution. Robert Hayes had explained that it was an organization that specialized in resolving international commercial disputes, and it only intervened in transnational cases.

The leader gave everyone some time to process the information before continuing, "The Japanese side accused us of breaching the contract, refusing to pay large sums of money later on, citing damage to the equipment quality during customs clearance."

"Shameless!" Yang Dagang couldn't help but curse.

Sun Debiao frowned and said, "That's definitely not going to work. I estimate their compensation will reach tens of millions of US dollars, which is a valuable foreign exchange reserve."

Leader Han nodded: "Yes, now they're turning the tables on us. They're the ones who breached the contract, but they're accusing us of breaking the agreement. They're clearly bullying us."

"You all know our current situation, especially Comrade Qian Jin and Comrade Yang Dagang, you two know it best."

He pointed at Yang Dagang, signaling Yang Dagang to take over his words.

Yang Dagang then stood up and said, "According to our detailed investigation by a senior foreign testing agency, the Japanese equipment has a major problem of using old equipment as new, and they are using scrapped old equipment to impersonate technologically advanced new equipment."

"Furthermore, according to the technical testing and certification report, their synthesis tower has multiple design flaws and manufacturing quality problems, which could lead to serious safety accidents if used!"

The leader in charge of the South Korean department flipped through his notebook and said, "Yes, the two sides have huge differences now, the amount in dispute is extremely high, and it involves international repercussions!"

"The arbitration tribunal has formally accepted the case and set a hearing date—February 29th of this year, the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, in Zurich, Switzerland!"

"Do you know this place?" he asked Qian Jin and Yang Dagang.

Qian Jin said, "I've heard of it, but I've never been there."

This remark drew chuckles from the audience.

Leader Han lit a cigarette and said, "It's alright, I've never been there either. I reckon not many people in our country have been to this place."

Cao Yunsheng said in a low voice, "Not many people know about Zurich."

Leader Han nodded, his gaze sweeping intently over Qian Jin and Yang Dagang: "In this matter, Comrade Qian Jin, as one of the core members who participated in the early stages of equipment import, inspection, and signing, is most familiar with the technical and commercial terms."

"Comrade Yang Dagang served as the director of the fertilizer plant, the person in charge of the actual performance of the contract, and the person responsible for signing all technical reports."

“You two are designated by the Ministry of Commerce and approved by the municipal government as our main plaintiffs’ representatives and witnesses, and you must personally travel to Zurich, Switzerland to participate in the arbitration hearing!”

Qian Jin was taken aback: "Huh? Do I have to go too? I thought it was enough for Director Yang to go."

Yang Dagang stared at him, speechless.

You have the nerve to say that.

Let me go?
When I got there, I couldn't even tell which way was which!
Cao Yunsheng tapped the table with his cigarette and said, "Director Yang can't go by himself. You hired our legal team, so you should go and deal with them directly."

"Our city government has a general understanding of this lawsuit, and we have a high chance of winning?"

Qian Jin said casually, "Victory is practically assured!"

Cao Yunsheng shook his head: "Not necessarily. The Ministry of Commerce and Trade provided some information, including their legal team, which can be described as very strong!"

"Kawaki's side has hired a combination of a major American law firm and a top Japanese international commercial litigation team, so you'd better be careful."

The leader of the South Korean government spoke in a very serious tone, emphasizing, "Do not underestimate the enemy before we have achieved complete victory."

"This is no child's play. It's not just about recovering the huge amount of foreign exchange the country might lose, but also about protecting the country's voice and reputation in the international business arena. Success is the only option; failure is not an option!"

"So, you two need to understand that your mission is extremely important!"

Yang Dagang is a veteran who understands the ever-changing nature of battlefield situations, and his attitude is the same as that of his superiors.

So he asked in a deep voice, "Sir, time is of the essence. What preparations do we need to make immediately?"

The official from the Foreign Affairs Office interjected, "The preparation is divided into three levels. The first is the materials needed for the lawsuit, the second is foreign policy, and the third is identity and procedures."

He thought for a moment and added, "There's a fourth item: personal preparation, mainly changes of clothes, especially formal suits."

"The comrades from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation asked me to remind you that you must wear a suit when you go to international courts. I suggest you prepare dark-colored clothes, as it is cold in Europe in winter, so bring a thick coat."

"As for money and such, you can rest assured. The government will issue a certain amount of foreign exchange quota according to the standards for your pocket money."

I can't be too worried about taking in this small amount of money.

Ordinary people currently do not have access to foreign currency under legal and compliant circumstances.

Yang Dagang was a little flustered: "Huh? This is so troublesome? I need to prepare a suit? I don't have one."

Qian Jin winked at him: "Easy, I can get you a garment factory to make you an emergency outfit."

The Taishan Road People's Garment Factory has now started producing suits.

This is even simpler than making a trench coat.

Of course, making a good one is more difficult than making a trench coat, but there is currently no demand for high-end suits in the domestic market. As long as we can produce clothes that resemble suits, they will sell well.

Yang Dagang immediately gave Qian Jin a grateful smile.

Cao Yunsheng flipped through his notebook, head down, and said, "Director Qian, you have a lot to prepare here. It's best not to get distracted, especially with the materials you need to prepare."

Qian Jin would contact Hayes' side from time to time, and he was confident about the situation: "Please rest assured, leaders, I have been preparing the response materials."

“Since I dealt with Kawasaki Heavy Industries last month, I have been sorting through the original materials of this case.”

He started counting on his fingers: "The original contracts, all correspondence, negotiation records, original texts of technical investigation reports, test data, accident reports, and expert-signed appraisal certificates are all registered."

"Yes, including our personal notes and records during the introduction process, every scrap of paper related to the case, not a single one is missing, I have organized them all."

“This needs to be translated, preferably word for word, and translated into English and French copies,” Cao Yunsheng said with concern. “If you can’t handle it yourselves, the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office can coordinate professional legal and commercial translators to assist you.”

Qian Jin said, "We can ask these comrades to make further corrections. The English and French translations are also ready."

Yang Dagang asked timidly, "But, isn't this something we don't need to do? Robert Hayes' team is in charge of our case, and they have people specifically responsible for preparing court documents, right?"

Cao Yunsheng was about to speak.

Han Zhaoxin waved his hand at him and pointed at Qian Jin: "Is that so?"

Qian Jin said, "That's true, but it's best to be prepared for both possibilities."

"In this international lawsuit, we need to rely on Hayes' team, but we can't rely on Hayes' team for everything."

"Why?" Han Zhaoxin asked him with great interest.

Qian Jin spread his hands and said, "Because our early ambush was very well executed, there is only one way for Kawasaki Heavy Industries to turn the tables: to bribe Hayes' team and then cause trouble in court."

“If this happens, it’s important that we bring our own documents. If Hayes’ team turns against us, we can immediately hire a legal team through diplomatic channels to fight the case.”

They have enough evidence to be certain of winning the case.

In this situation, even a small law firm can get things done.

After hearing Qian Jin's words, Yang Dagang had a look of sudden realization.

Han Zhaoxin and Cao Yunsheng exchanged a glance, and the two leaders nodded in unison.

The official from the Foreign Affairs Office continued, "Regarding the study of foreign policy and the situation abroad, we will assign a special person to provide you with urgent education on the discipline of foreign visits and basic knowledge of international commercial law and arbitration procedures."

"Director Qian, your English is renowned in our city. You'd better prepare thoroughly for the technical details of the defense as well. Just like you said, we can't rely entirely on the imperialist legal team!"

Qian Jin noted this down in his notebook: "Okay, I'll make preparations when I get back today."

They also have to prepare their own identity and formalities.

They need to go to the foreign affairs department of the public security bureau as soon as possible to apply for official ordinary passports.

Because it involves a New Year's holiday, I have to submit the application materials today.

Then the municipal government will coordinate with higher-level departments to expedite the approval process and apply for a Swiss business visa. The itinerary, airfare, and accommodation will all be arranged by the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, adhering to the highest standards for official overseas travel, so they don't need to worry about it themselves.

This trip abroad is a team trip, and a leader from the central government will lead the group.

All work arrangements are in place.

Han Zhaoxin waved his hand: "There are less than twenty days left until the trial. The schedule is tight and the task is arduous!"

"From today onwards, your main focus will be on preparing for this trip abroad to defend yourselves in court! This is a political mission!"

"Understood!" Qian Jin and Yang Dagang stood up almost simultaneously, their expressions solemn.

Their eyes met, and they trusted each other implicitly.

After this battle, they became comrades-in-arms.

For Yang Dagang, his comrades-in-arms were of great significance, and Qian Jin had already earned his approval.

Behind this incident is a foreign exchange compensation of ten million US dollars.

The country is paying close attention to this matter.

Therefore, the city government gave the two of them the green light for all their work.

Sun Debiao has prepared some forms for them, and he will personally accompany the two to complete the relevant procedures.

After the meeting, Han Zhaoxin and Cao Yunsheng stayed in the office until the very end.

Cao Yunsheng tentatively asked, "Comrade Qian Jin?"

Han Zhaoxin nodded, smoking a cigarette: "Include him in the assessment list, see how the overseas lawsuit goes, and also ask him to help the fertilizer plant import another synthesis tower later."

"If he does his job well?" Cao Yunsheng probed again.

Han Zhaoxin nodded silently.

Cao Yunsheng understood and solemnly filled in his name on a certain page of his notebook.

Outside the city hall, Qian Jin and Yang Dagang first discussed their work.

When Yang Dagang learned that Qian Jin had set up a vocational training school for farmers and unemployed urban youth, he was full of praise.

Upon learning that the school was currently facing difficulties with fire safety procedures, Yang Dagang disregarded his own business and immediately took Qian Jin to the city's public security bureau to find the leaders.

The fire department is now under the leadership of the public security department.

Qian Jin knew that Yang Dagang had extensive connections in the military, but he didn't expect them to be this extensive.

He could slam his fist on the table at a high-ranking official in the public security bureau:

"This comrade has the support of city leaders to run a training school! What is he after? He's not after making money. He doesn't earn a single penny. He's completely free, even providing food and lodging, to help our farmers and unemployed children in the city learn skills!"

"And what about you? Ah! You blocked them, damn it, you guys are really something, blocking their paperwork!"

The leader in charge of public security was bewildered by his outburst.

I have no idea about this!

Qian Jin kept explaining that the firefighters didn't have the card, and that his school was still missing some things.

But Yang Dagang wouldn't listen.

That's just his stubborn nature.

Just like when Qian Jin warned him that Chuanqi Heavy Industry had problems, he didn't believe it. If Qian Jin hadn't presented solid evidence, he would have stubbornly stuck to his own opinion.

At this point, the leaders of the public security department had no choice but to call the political commissar and captain of their subordinate fire brigade, ordering them to come over immediately to report...

By the time they left the Municipal Public Security Bureau, Qian Jin had already completed the fire safety procedures.

In this way, the procedures with the Labor Bureau were also easy to handle, because what was missing at the time was the site certificate and the verification and approval procedures for the fire hydrant.

The venue is now in use, and all the verification procedures are complete.

Accompanied by Yang Dagang.

Qian Jin completed all the formalities in less than an hour.

That's it.

The Haibin Industrial and Agricultural Practical Technology Training School has been officially established!

Qian Jin sighed deeply.

Connections are incredibly useful.

He always tried to avoid using his connections to get things done, but—it was really satisfying!
Qian Jin also helped Yang Dagang. He dragged Yang Dagang to the People's Garment Factory and measured his height, body measurements, arm length, and leg length on the spot.

In urgent situations, his suits can be made in two days.

Qian Jin readily agreed, "Brother Yang, you go ahead with your work arrangements. I'll prepare everything for you, from the leaders and sweaters to shirts and leather shoes!"

Yang Dagang patted him on the shoulder solemnly: "I won't stand on ceremony with you, little brother. I'm just a rough guy like Yang, I really don't know how to handle these things."

"But you must tell me how much money and how many cloth coupons are needed. I must buy them myself, otherwise I'd rather go abroad naked."

Qian Jin chuckled: "Then go abroad naked. It's not you who will be embarrassed, it's our country."

Yang Dagang was speechless after hearing that.

Qian Jin said, "Brother Yang, don't be so polite with me. The leaders have said that these clothes are provided by the government, so we don't have to pay for them ourselves."

“Our country has just started reform and opening up, and the national treasury is not rich, so I thought we shouldn’t bother the national treasury. I can just sponsor it through our small collective enterprise.”

Yang Dagang was moved by his deep patriotism and agreed to the task.

When he rode his bicycle back to the factory, he suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Damn it! If the national treasury isn't rich, then I, Old Yang, should be paying out of my own pocket! How can I let Qianjin pay out of his own pocket!"

"Hey, I'm not thinking straight!"

Qian Jin returned to his workplace.

I'm really worried.

What to do?

Wei Bin had already said "Grandma" this morning.

How do I request leave this time?

This time I'm taking a whole week off!

He locked the office door from the inside and put his legs up on the desk.

I've done a really bad job.

However, this job was assigned by the city government leaders and overseen by national leaders. Did he dare not go? Could he not go?

But then, looking at the notes on his hand, he had an idea.

He called Han Zhaoxin and expressed his desire to add another spot.

Han Zhaoxin didn't make things difficult for him in this matter, but reminded him: "Now that you're adding a spot, you'd better hurry up and finish all the formalities, otherwise, this spot is very valuable, and I'm afraid many people are eyeing it, understand?"

Qian Jin understood, of course.

These days, overseas study opportunities are extremely valuable. Whenever an organization has an overseas exchange program, leaders at all levels often scramble to get their own people on board.

Qian Jin immediately went to find Wei Bin and told him about his leave to go abroad to fight the lawsuit.

Wei Bin, head down, smoking, his expression serious, kept speaking in an official tone: "Yes, this is a matter of national importance, involving a large amount of foreign exchange, so we must be extremely careful..."

"Oh dear, our supply and marketing cooperative has a heavy workload before and after the New Year..."

"What's wrong with the management? They only assign you extra tasks without considering the workload of your regular job..."

Qian Jin nodded repeatedly, then interjected, "However, the city leaders also considered the talent development work of our supply and marketing cooperative and allowed me to take my secretary, Comrade Wei Xiaobo, with me on the trip abroad."

"I think this is a good thing, young comrade, right? You need to go abroad to broaden your horizons and also need to experience new environments and gain more experience..."

Wei Bin coughed repeatedly, as if he had choked on a puff of smoke.

Then he continued with the same old rhetoric, saying that this was a national-level foreign affairs mission, that it was bringing glory to the country and generating foreign exchange for the country, and finally, without hesitation, he offered his full support:
"Director Qian, going abroad on business is a big deal. Don't worry about things at home. Go with peace of mind and be sure to bring honor to the country!"

"Thank you, President!" Qian Jin said with deep gratitude.

At the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, the Foreign Investment Office does not need to carry out much new work; its main task is to wrap up the annual work.

Qian Jin had laid a solid foundation and established a framework for the department long ago, with detailed and scientific rules and regulations to follow, and his subordinates also having sufficient capabilities to match the work.

Therefore, he is not a problem to be a hands-off manager. He usually manages a lot of things but does not do much. He is mainly responsible for some translation and product verification terminal work.

In the afternoon, he told Wei Xiaobo about his plans to go abroad.

The young man was both hopeful and apprehensive: "Going abroad? Leader, I... I will definitely follow in your footsteps, serve you faithfully, and obey your arrangements and instructions to take every step carefully!"

Qian Jin picked at his ear.

The young man is quite shrewd.

He gave Wei Xiaobo a list and told him to quickly prepare all the necessary documents and go with him to complete the formalities.

They need to go to the foreign affairs section of the public security bureau first to get that dark blue booklet with the national emblem printed on it as soon as possible—an ordinary passport for official business.

The Foreign Affairs Section is located in a separate courtyard of single-story buildings.

Qian Jin brought Wei Xiaobo a letter of introduction from the municipal government, along with their various identity documents and photo application forms.

Upon seeing the city government's stamp and the words "urgent overseas mission," the young police officer in charge of the review did not dare to delay and quickly took him inside to find the section chief in charge of the work.

The higher-ups have already called about this, so Qian Jin and Wei Xiaobo can skip the line to get their work done.

The section chief checked each document one by one:

"One-inch and two-inch front-facing, headshot, black and white photos? Oh, I've got it."

"Proof of political affiliation... Hmm, immediate family members and major social connections... Do you have any overseas connections? This must be filled out truthfully; not a single detail can be hidden!"

In this day and age, "overseas connections" are the most sensitive censorship item.

But within two years, having overseas connections became the most sought-after status.

Qian Jin answered frankly: "Reporting to the leader, I personally have no overseas connections, and my immediate family members and major social connections are clearly written in the form."

There was none on Wei Xiaobo's side either.

The young man was so nervous that he raised his hand and swore an oath on the spot...

Qian Jin quickly pulled his arm down.

Brother, don't embarrass me.

After reviewing all the documents, the section chief laid them out for a careful inspection: "Letter of introduction, identity certificate, photo, application form, preliminary political review opinion—this still needs to be submitted to the Municipal Party Committee Organization Department for approval, you need to get it done quickly."

"There's one more internal confidentiality agreement form from the Public Security Bureau! Xiao Zhang, give him the form to sign."

Soon, a sheet of paper filled with terms and conditions was delivered.

"Comrades Qian Jin and Wei Xiaobo, while abroad, must strictly abide by the national secrecy regulations, and must not discuss any work-related classified information with anyone. They must report any unusual situations they see or hear in a timely manner, and must not contact any unrelated personnel without authorization..."

"Is everything clear? Sign your names and put your fingerprints here!"

Without hesitation, Qian Jin signed his name at the end, dipped it in red ink, and pressed it down heavily.

At this point, their official procedures were completed:
"Alright, we'll submit the materials now. Given the urgency of the task, we'll immediately report to the Municipal Bureau and the Municipal Party Committee, and strive to get approval as quickly as possible. Just wait for our notification."

"And the visa, once the passport is issued, I need to hand it over to the Foreign Affairs Office as soon as possible. Swiss business visas are not as easy as going to North Korea or Vietnam; the review process is very strict."

Qian Jin and Wei Xiaobo walked out of the police station.

The two looked up at the gray sky, and Wei Xiaobo suddenly said, "Director, I've heard that Switzerland is a particularly beautiful place, and their skies are especially blue."

Qian Jin looked at him in horror.

Damn it, you're not some foreign worshipper, are you?
You wouldn't become rich after you go abroad, would you?

We need to keep a close eye on him!
(End of this chapter)