Twenty years of cold chain

After hearing Hu Shutong's plan, Li Shenglong was somewhat confused. He had said he would quell the situation quickly, but the method involved was to make a huge commotion. It didn't align with Li Shenglong's expectations, but the scale of the disturbance far exceeded them.

Li Shenglong's greatest strength lay in his ability to mobilize large-scale vegetable growers. Leveraging his extensive network of vegetable merchants, he could influence the actions of farmers in the five counties north of the city. At daybreak, Li Shenglong immediately began his operation, and the methamidophos incident erupted instantly!

The illegal use of pesticides has harmed the interests of vegetable farmers, and the matter must be resolved as soon as possible. As a result, the large-scale growers approached the pesticide manufacturers, demanding an explanation as to whether methamidophos was actually available in the Qingbei market, or whether the pesticides they had been purchasing contained highly toxic doses.

The pesticide manufacturers are the most panicked by this incident. With major customers coming to their door, they can't suppress the protests anymore. Moreover, the farmers' actions have drastically worsened the situation. Before they can even hold the whistleblowers accountable, their major pesticide customers have already started the fire.

Just one day later, the matter also escalated rapidly in Qingnan. Qingnan manufacturers occupy more than 60% of the pesticide market in Qingbei. Now this incident is happening only in Qingbei. What are Qingnan merchants thinking?

Fabricating rumors out of thin air, engaging in vicious competition, and resorting to any means to seize market share! They suspect that those spreading rumors were secretly orchestrated by manufacturers in Qingbei!

To prevent the situation from escalating further, pesticide manufacturers in Qingnan issued an emergency statement, not only immediately submitting samples to relevant departments but also proactively requesting supervisory units to conduct on-site verification of methamidophos. Local businesses in Qingbei were also on the move; the methamidophos scandal had instilled fear and prompted them to act swiftly and decisively, striving to prove their innocence as quickly as possible.

Of course, Hu Shutong wasn't idle either.

Health and supervision belong to two different systems. Through Lei Xiaoxi's introduction, Hu Shutong quickly met with the relevant leaders. He didn't say much, but the evidence he presented was extremely substantial. Combining the manufacturer's self-certification with the supervisory department's testing data, the whole matter seemed to involve a large element of fabrication.

Hu Shutong was fully aware of the current situation. At this point, it was not enough for him to simply prove Tongxing's innocence. He also wanted to leave a deep impression of Tongxing on the leaders of various departments.

Looking at the entire Qingning region, Hu Shutong emphasized the word "refined"—refined in business operations, equipment, and systems—before discussing the already considerable scale of the company. He also believed the Qingbei methamidophos incident was a coincidence.

It has to be said that this situation is somewhat peculiar, because discussing pesticide issues actually serves as evidence of Tongxing's systematic supervision. If I remember correctly, the first question in the Olympiad of science was how to establish a pesticide tracking mechanism during the planting process. This methamidophos incident gave Tongxing a chance to demonstrate its capabilities, essentially solving two problems at once.

The leaders' willingness to listen to Tongxing's entire story and understand how Tongxing tackled this safety issue greatly encouraged Hu Shutong. Although the final report on the supply and demand of the Olympic Games had not yet been submitted, Hu Shutong now truly felt confident.

Late that night, Chu Lihe came to Hu Shutong's office alone. When they met, Chu Lihe had a deep look on his face and seemed a little tense.

"Mr. Hu, there's something I need to tell you now, but I'm not sure if I should."

"What are you hesitating about? Just say it."

"Here's the thing, I got news from Chunrong that they hope to jointly apply with us for the Olympic supply project."

Hu Shutong frowned, momentarily doubting whether he had misheard. "Lihe, I know you were very inclined to the North-South alliance before, and I'm sure you've been quite involved in it, but what does 'joint declaration' mean? I don't understand."

"Chunrong has a large business, but its expertise in specific areas is far inferior to ours. Therefore, we can help them develop an Olympic demonstration park according to Tongxing's standards. In this way, the supply business for the Olympics next year can be jointly handled by the North and South. If Mr. Hu is not at ease about security, Chunrong has also said that this matter can be entirely based on Tongxing's will and with Tongxing as the main entity, as long as Chunrong gets the reputation of being an Olympic designated supplier."

"What will Tongxing get?" Chu Lihe's words shocked Hu Shutong, who asked directly.

"We are very clear about Chunrong's location. They have promised to build a 3,000-square-meter distribution center for us. Chunrong is closer to Panzhu, and once we have a distribution center there, it means Tongxing can enter the Qingnan Aquatic Products Market. In addition, regarding e-commerce, with this complementary distribution center, we can secure our supply business for the entire Qingning region. From now on, Qingyan North and South will have two radiation centers, which is a huge benefit!"

"President Hu, Tongxing urgently needs to expand its reach, but the so-called 'Olympic sponsorship' brand is uncertain whether it brings fame or profit. Joint application is essentially one boat, two tickets, and it won't cause us any loss."

Chu Lihe is absolutely right. Tongxing, at this time and place, will one day become a major base, transforming this place into a heart of the industry and enabling a larger-scale cold chain logistics network. If a foothold can be established in a location like Qingnan, whether it's expanding into seafood or making a breakthrough in e-commerce, this first step outwards will be very solid.

Seeing Hu Shutong's silence, Chu Lihe felt that he had put Hu Shutong in a dilemma. What kind of businessman doesn't pursue profit? He understood Hu Shutong's state of mind, but thinking about these recent events, it would be somewhat awkward to give in so easily. But he was certain that Hu Shutong just needed an emotional transition.

A short while later, Hu Shutong suddenly looked up and asked, "Why didn't you say these things sooner?"

"Mr. Hu, it's not too late to come to this now. This incident has actually increased our influence!"

"What I mean is, why didn't you say anything before about methamidophos?"

Chu Lihe was suddenly stunned.

Like people, businesses that start out in sync and don't consider the distance or obstacles will inevitably suffer a heart attack sooner or later.

Hu Shutong has already witnessed the extent of their abilities. Yesterday's fierce winds failed to intimidate anyone, but today's cloudy skies have turned sunny and warm, as if a single thought could bring everything to their grasp.

Hu Shutong certainly wanted to make moves and plan ahead, and even more so, he wanted the long-term benefits. But once this matter was agreed upon, it would mean that Tongxing was doing the work, and Chunrong was gaining fame. Tongxing was not the leader at all; on the contrary, he was a follower.

This isn't a North-South alliance; it's an attempt to take your livelihood but failing, then turning into a pancake-making machine, casually telling you that you can eat as much as you want.

As for those so-called weighty words, Hu Shu didn't want to hear a single word. Tongxing didn't need such a test, didn't believe it was qualified to be tested, and didn't consider it merely a test!

"Lihe, if Chunrong has the ability, let's talk about it at the project approval meeting."

"Mr. Hu, why bother? There's no need to go to such lengths!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Lihe's eyes widened in surprise, and he immediately dared not say another word.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.