Twenty years of cold chain

Hu Shutong had seen Zeng Zhaoda's articles in publications and was also familiar with some of the activities of the Refrigeration Society. Undoubtedly, Zeng Zhaoda was a rare talent who not only shone brightly in academia but also connected with the industry to integrate and seek breakthroughs. Hu Shutong greatly admired this kind of practice among technical people.

In reality, Hu Shutong had only been back in Qingyan for about fourteen or fifteen months. During this time, he devoted himself entirely to Tongxing, working tirelessly to secure funding and constantly navigating complex relationships with various parties before finally achieving this smooth situation. Therefore, in the technical field, Hu Shutong was practically invisible and had no contact with his industry peers in Qingyan City.

It was only after Tongxing started to perform well in the latter half of this year that it began to attract attention from the industry. Many of the advanced features and smooth operations of Tongxing's factories gradually came into the professional spotlight. When people began to understand Tongxing, they inevitably began to pay attention to Hu Shutong.

When the car arrived, Hu Shutong was already waiting to greet it.

The two smiled broadly and shook hands firmly.

Unlike many companies that make people feel reserved, Tongxing exudes a relaxed and easygoing atmosphere. What followed wasn't a formal office or meeting room setting; neither of them had eaten breakfast. Hu Shutong invited Zeng Zhaoda to the park's cafeteria, where the two sat in a small private room and chatted.

On the table were steamed pork dumplings, potstickers, egg drop soup, and tea eggs—a scene Zeng Zhaoda had never imagined.

When Mingda and Qingda sit together, they always have plenty to talk about, especially about cold chain logistics, a relatively early-established major. Both of them graduated with master's degrees and are almost the same age. In Zeng Zhaoda's eyes, Hu Shutong is not a rigid, conventional person; he is noticeably different from the veteran entrepreneurs he often deals with. Although it was their first meeting, the awkwardness quickly dissipated.

I had only heard of Tongxing's impressive momentum before, but seeing it now evokes a myriad of emotions. The more one understands this industry, the more one realizes how long the investment and revenue span. As long as one is professionally skilled and trained early, becoming a technical leader in a certain field of this industry is not difficult. However, if one were to become a leader in the actual business, everyone would worry that ultimately, neither would be achieved.

There are always many who talk a good game but few who actually do it. Seeing this park, Zeng Zhaoda knew that Hu Shutong was the one leading the way in this field.

After dinner, Zeng Zhaoda went to Hu Shutong's office and showed him the analysis report on the current situation of Qingyan Cold Storage. Hu Shutong only showed him the first half, which was about the problems, and did not reveal the solutions he had proposed.

"I'm currently working on a rectification report for the city's cold storage facilities. The Pingchengshan incident is a major shock to the industry, but I'm not satisfied with the whole report. There are solutions, but implementing them is too difficult."

Hu Shutong had some information about the Qingyan Cold Storage, but it was far less detailed than Zeng Zhaoda's. After reviewing it, he found that the situation was even more complicated than he had known.

"The rectification of Qingyan Cold Storage is imperative, but how to rectify it ultimately comes down to establishing standards. Meeting equipment and material standards is the easiest thing to do first, compared to training and other things."

Zeng Zhaoda nodded repeatedly, "But what standards should we use, and what are the bases for those standards?"

"I wonder what the whole process was like?" Hu Shutong asked.

Upon hearing this, Hu Shutong's mind immediately stirred. This Zeng Zhaoda was a man of influence, arguably the only channel between academia and the municipal bureau, and his words would certainly be taken seriously.

"In fact, cities can have their own standards, and what kind of cold storage facilities should be standardized right now is not difficult for us to implement. My idea is that cold storage facilities that are more than 20 years old should undergo a complete overhaul or replacement, from the storage structure to the equipment. For cold storage facilities built in recent years, we should focus on training and safety issues. Moreover, there are even small cold storage facilities using fluorinated refrigerants in some residential areas. The safety hazards of cold storage facilities in residential areas are too great. Should we consider relocating them?"

Hu Shutong's explanation started from safety, which coincided with Zeng Zhaoda's plan. In this industry, everything must take precedence over product safety and production safety.

"You mean, for this rectification, we should directly present data-driven and equipment-related materials, and then promote this approach citywide?"

"That's right. And regarding training, we can establish our own meat industry association, apply for some publicity funds, produce relevant manuals and other materials, and conduct subsequent personnel training. We can make a separate report to elaborate on this."

Hu Shutong's words struck a chord with Zeng Zhaoda, but they also made his hidden worries impossible to conceal.

"However, such a commotion is too big. It will mean that all the cold storage facilities in Qingyan City have more or less problems, which will be fully exposed. I am also worried that this will cause many cold storage companies to choose to stop operating directly, and then they will face a new round of problems, making this winter even more difficult to get through."

"President Zeng, since we entered this industry, every day has been filled with problems. This time, the whole nation is criticizing Pingchengshan, and everyone is already distrustful of cold storage. In the future, more and more people will be extra careful about what they eat. Only by improving the industry and taking the initiative to change can we truly weather the storm."

Zeng Zhaoda paused for a moment, then said, "President Hu, I understand these things, but in three months, a new round of national reserve meat will begin. If the situation at Qingyan Cold Storage isn't resolved by then, or worse, if more and more problems are uncovered, what will happen to all that meat?"

This time, Hu Shutong fell silent.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.