The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 167 Departmental Investment Decisions

"No need for thanks yet, I'm happy as long as I was able to help you."

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished speaking, he led Liu Fengnian outside.

After leaving the office, Zhou Zhiqiang went to the logistics department first, but found that Tian Wenguo was not in the office, so he took Liu Fengnian to the agricultural and sideline products workshop.

Upon arriving at the location, they indeed found Tian Wenguo directing temporary logistics workers in harvesting mushrooms.

"Director Tian."

Zhou Zhiqiang called out, and Tian Wenguo turned around when he heard him. When he saw that it was Zhou Zhiqiang, he immediately put down his work and walked up to Zhou Zhiqiang with a smile.

"Factory manager, what brings you here? Do you want to see what's going on in the workshop?"

Zhou Zhiqiang shook his head and said, "I brought Secretary Liu here to visit our factory's agricultural and sideline products workshop. Let me introduce you. This is Liu Fengnian, the secretary of Sanhe Commune."

"Secretary Liu, this is Comrade Tian Wenguo, our factory's logistics director. We're currently harvesting mushrooms; would you like him to find someone to show you around?"

"Hello, Director Tian, ​​I'm Liu Fengnian from Sanhe Commune."

Although he was introducing himself, Liu Fengnian's attention had already drifted to the mushroom cultivation workshop.

He saw those bags of mushrooms with his own eyes; just the ones currently piled up at the workshop entrance must weigh at least several thousand kilograms.

“That’s easy. I’ll have Section Chief Zhao show Secretary Liu around.”

After Tian Wenguo finished speaking, he called over a man, the head of the agricultural and sideline products breeding section whom he had recently promoted from the logistics department, and asked him to take Secretary Liu to visit the workshop.

After everyone went inside, Tian Wenguo approached Zhou Zhiqiang and asked, "Factory Director, what brings Secretary Liu here?"

“The commune was short of food, and I was originally from Sanhe Township, so he couldn’t find me.”

Zhou Zhiqiang said, "I want to teach this mushroom cultivation method to Sanhe Commune so that they can go back this year and dig cellars in various villages to grow mushrooms. Although digging in winter is a bit more difficult, it's better than doing nothing."
Then the factory will provide them with some supplies and detailed instructions for growing mushrooms. Next year, once they've grown the mushrooms, the Sanhe Commune can use them to pay off their debt. How about that?

First, give the supplies to Sanhe Commune, and then collect the debt after they have harvested them. This is because these are all assets of the Second Machine Tool Factory, which belong to the collective, not Zhou Zhiqiang personally.

He can decide on the retention or lending of collective assets, but he cannot harm the interests of the collective. This is the greatest help Zhou Zhiqiang can provide.

After visiting the agricultural and sideline product planting workshop, Secretary Liu came out with some excitement on his face.

If such a small place can grow so many mushrooms, then their rural areas must be much larger.
Moreover, there are so many rabbits in another place. According to Section Chief Zhao, these rabbits are being given special care, even more so than the mushrooms next to them.

Although there are only about a thousand now, the number will definitely increase several times next year, enough to feed the factory for several meals.

Moreover, rabbit pelts have considerable economic value; they can be used not only as rewards for factory workers but also to barter for supplies.
Liu Fengnian had already understood why Zhou Zhiqiang had brought him here; Sanhe Commune could also do this.

In just over ten days, they harvested nearly 20,000 jin (10,000 kg) of mushrooms, which is far more than what they could grow from a single field.

It requires some initial expenses, and the mushrooms must be taken very carefully. The temporary workers who take care of the mushrooms have been scolded by Tian Wenguo countless times before they have become skilled enough.

However, the fact that the commune didn't have much money put Liu Fengnian in a difficult position. How much would it cost to do all this?

Zhou Zhiqiang asked, "Secretary Liu, have you finished reading?"

"I've finished looking at it, I looked around carefully, it's really good, this place is really wonderful."

After rubbing his hands together, Liu Fengnian didn't know what to say next.

Seeing this, Zhou Zhiqiang said, "Then Sanhe Commune should do the same. Raising rabbits is a bit too costly for you, and the payback period is too long, requiring more than six months or even longer."
But mushrooms grow very quickly; the initial preparations plus the first harvest take about two months. Now that the Lunar New Year is approaching, we can focus on getting the preparations done first.

"As for the supplies needed for mushroom cultivation, the Second Machine Tool Factory can provide them to you first. Later, after the Sanhe Commune has grown the mushrooms, you can gradually repay the Second Machine Tool Factory through the mushrooms."
"The factory doesn't belong to me alone, Secretary Liu. I hope you can understand."

The Second Machine Tool Factory paid the initial expenses to let Sanhe Commune grow mushrooms. Once there was a harvest, the money would be gradually repaid to the Second Machine Tool Factory.

If there's no return, then naturally he can't pay it back. However, Zhou Zhiqiang certainly has a stain on his record. Regardless of whether he acted out of good intentions, the fact remains that he harmed the interests of the collective.

After hearing Zhou Zhiqiang's words, Secretary Liu was so excited that he didn't know what to do with his hands. Finally, he rushed forward and firmly grasped Zhou Zhiqiang's hand, saying to him...
"Director Zhou, thank you so much! The entire Sanhe Commune is grateful to you."

Zhou Zhiqiang quickly advised, "Secretary Liu, there's no need for that. If you decide to do it, the factory will help you contact someone to go to Sanhe Commune to guide you."

However, you must remember one thing: you must do it exactly as the technician says. Mushrooms grow quickly, but they are also delicate. If they are not taken care of properly, not only will the harvest be reduced, but you may not have any harvest at all.

"Don't try to grow mushrooms with the mindset of farming, or you might lose money."

If some sudden change in mushroom cultivation methods leads to a complete crop failure, then the Second Machine Tool Factory will have lost money without even helping.

Liu Fengnian quickly patted his chest and assured, "Director Zhou, don't worry, I will definitely make arrangements with the people in each production brigade. If they don't listen to the technicians, I'll slap them across the face."

"There's no need for that."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang chuckled and then asked Director Tian to help contact technical experts from the Ministry of Agriculture to invite them to help Sanhe Commune in the name of the Second Machine Tool Factory.

He'll get reimbursed through the factory's accounts; he'll just let the finance department know.

Zhou Zhiqiang had a high reputation in the factory. Unless it was a particularly unreasonable large financial expenditure, the finance department would almost never ask any questions if they saw Zhou Zhiqiang's signature and seal.

Tian Wenguo also came up with an idea: to have their factory and Sanhe Commune engage in worker-peasant mutual assistance, even though Sanhe Commune couldn't provide much help to the Second Machine Tool Factory in the early stages.

However, it will be of some help once the Second Machine Tool Plant successfully cultivates mushrooms.

Moreover, by forming a mutual aid agreement between workers and peasants, their factory would have a plausible reason to assist the Sanhe Commune.

After thinking for a moment, Zhou Zhiqiang agreed and handed the matter over to Tian Wenguo. In the end, he only looked at the report and approved the note.

After some discussion, the matter was settled. Tian Wenguo would take technical experts from the Ministry of Agriculture to Sanhe Commune within two days. Secretary Liu Fengnian could go back and mobilize the villagers, calling the production team leaders of each village to discuss the matter.

If Sanhe Commune can successfully cultivate it, it will be another successful case, and other communes can follow suit.

The success of one commune can ensure that several surrounding communes no longer go hungry, and it can even gradually influence the entire Changping County, and eventually spread to all the counties and districts surrounding Beijing.
While this may seem a bit far-fetched, it's not entirely without hope.

Even if grain production returns to normal two years later, and the disaster is over, the commune's production brigade can still make money by growing mushrooms.

Finally, as Secretary Liu Fengnian was leaving, he bowed again to express his gratitude, prompting Zhou Zhiqiang to quickly wave his hand and say it was no trouble.

He merely offered some words of assistance to these comrades; in reality, he didn't deserve much credit, which made Zhou Zhiqiang feel somewhat unworthy of it.

After seeing Secretary Liu off, Zhou Zhiqiang originally wanted to report the matter to Secretary Li, but then he thought that the mutual assistance between workers and peasants was just a name, so he gave up the idea.

It's not too late to talk to Secretary Li after we've actually achieved some results.

------

"Optimizing the spindle system is the core of improving grinding machines, and this cannot be compromised."

For bearing components that are just barely within tolerance limits, don't include them in the qualified product line until there are absolutely no substitutes.

Zhou Zhiqiang was in the workshop talking to Ding Zhixue about the trial production of the universal grinding machine. He had just inspected two parts, which were not exactly unqualified, but not good enough.

Zhou Zhiqiang set the highest standards for the first universal grinding machine, so he also asked Ding Zhixue to raise the standards.

We cannot relax our standards just to save time.
However, before Zhou Zhiqiang could finish speaking, Zhang Yaoguo jogged into the workshop and whispered to him, "Factory Director, Director Ren from the Ministry of Machinery Industry is looking for you. He says it's important and he wants you to call him back."

"Okay, I see."

Zhou Zhiqiang nodded, then turned to Ding Zhixue and said, "Section Chief Ding, we can't continue like this. From now on, record all the dimensions and let me review them."

Their factory is now somewhat like the Qin state after its reforms, relying on continuous successes to keep moving forward at a breakneck pace, unable to stop at all.

If the factory has to stop due to a mistake, it will be a huge blow to its development, so they should avoid any problems at all.

After returning to the office.

Zhou Zhiqiang then called Director Ren. After the call was connected, he asked, "Director Ren, this is Zhou Zhiqiang. What can I do for you?"

"Comrade Zhiqiang, you and Comrade Younian should come to the ministry. There are some important things I need to tell you."

Director Ren paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then continued, "It's about your factory's expansion. The ministry has already made a decision, and now we need to finalize it with your factory."

Zhou Zhiqiang said with some surprise, "Now? There's not much time left until the New Year?"

Director Ren said, "Of course, the plan needs to be finalized before the Chinese New Year. Once the New Year is over, the expansion plan will be implemented immediately."

"The ministry doesn't have many investment plans for next year, only seventy-three in total, and your factory is the largest."

Last year there were hundreds of investments in expansion projects, but next year that number will be reduced to seventy-three. That's a huge reduction.

However, such cautious investment will not result in waste. Every investment and expansion project is carefully calculated by the Ministry of Machinery Industry to ensure that it is not a blind investment and will not result in waste or loss before the decision to invest and expand is made.

The Second Machine Tool Plant was the first to be invested in, and the machine tools it produced could be used to pay off debts and were also the most needed high-precision coordinate boring machines in China.

Given the current situation in China, even if production continues for five or six years, it may not be able to meet the domestic industrial demand for machine tools.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhiqiang asked Zhang Yaoguo to tell the driver to wait for them downstairs, and then walked towards Secretary Li's office.

After explaining the matter to Secretary Li, the two hurried downstairs together.

The driver arrived just as they went downstairs, so Zhou Zhiqiang and Li Younian got into the car and headed towards the First Ministry of Machine Building.
On the way, Zhou Zhiqiang also mentioned this matter to Secretary Li Younian. Zhou Zhiqiang still thought it was about merging those small factories and making them branch factories of the Second Machine Tool Factory.

But the ministry's decision was much bolder than his previous idea. It not only merged the Second Machine Tool Plant to establish a branch plant, but also transferred personnel and reinvested.

The branch factory and the main factory are expanding together, aiming to double or even more production efficiency within the next three years.

Not long after, Zhou Zhiqiang and Li Younian arrived at the ministry, but instead of going to Director Ren's office, they were taken to the ministry's conference room.

Upon seeing the two arrive, Deputy Leader Wu said with a smile, "Comrade Zhiqiang and Comrade Younian are here. Please have a seat. It's more convenient to discuss today's matters in the conference room."

Comrade Jianhui originally wanted to come and talk to you, but he needed to go to the south, so he left last week.

As a leader of the Ministry of Machinery Industry, Sheng Jianhui was responsible for leading and directing major industrial projects. There was a very important industrial project in the south that required a high-ranking person to go there, so Leader Sheng went.

Deputy Leader Wu smiled and waved, saying, "Sit down, sit down. Let's talk about your factory today. Your factory has been doing really well this year. Although the figures haven't been finalized yet, the annual output value has at least increased several times, right?"

Zhou Zhiqiang nodded and said, "More or less, definitely over forty million, but not quite fifty million. After all, production started immediately after the expansion, and the previous planer production was only gradually stopped and replaced."

"Excellent, very well done, especially your achievements in machine tool research and development."

Deputy Leader Wu nodded in satisfaction and said, "In just one year, we have successfully improved and developed a coordinate boring machine that can rival the world's top machines, and we are also developing another machine tool."
Comrade Zhiqiang, it seems my decision to transfer you to the Second Machine Tool Plant was correct. Your talent certainly extends beyond just the Dafeng Agricultural Machinery Equipment Plant.”

At this point in the conversation, Deputy Leader Wu suddenly thought that if the Second Machine Tool Plant were to develop further, he would transfer Zhou Zhiqiang to another factory.
Could this also allow that factory to develop again? And become a trump card in the hands of the Ministry of Machine Building once more?
However, this idea was quickly suppressed by Deputy Leader Wu. He said that we should focus on developing the Second Machine Tool Plant first, and not let it become like a bear breaking off corn cobs, where we haven't even finished eating and digesting the previous ones before we start breaking off new ones.

"Boss, you flatter me. It's all thanks to the team."

"Haha, you comrade. Never mind, let's not talk about that anymore, let's get down to business."

Deputy Leader Wu picked up a document, handed it to Zhou Zhiqiang, and said, "This is a study from the ministry. You and Comrade Younian should take a look."

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(End of this chapter)