Twenty years of cold chain

Just like that winter five years ago, Hu Shutong sat in the courtyard of his old home, the midday sun shining into his heart as he envisioned how to build a cold chain logistics system. Now, arriving at Phase II, he faces the same inner thoughts.

Back then, Hu Shutong single-mindedly focused on perfecting the entire cold chain from farm to table. Looking back, it's clear how significant this initial "set tone" was. No matter how long Tongxing has gone, it has never strayed from this core principle. Sometimes, one cannot simply act according to circumstances or follow the crowd. The spiritual seed planted at the beginning remains a bright star that shines throughout the long journey. There's no need for fanfare; it's enough that Hu Shutong understood it in his heart.

But compared to the previous one, this one is much more complicated.

Although not a single word has been changed, Hu Shutong's vision for the second phase is complete, but this completeness does not mean satisfaction. He is forming the second phase business team at this time not only to get his colleagues into the rhythm of the second phase as soon as possible, but also in the hope of hearing some new ideas.

If it were just a simple second phase of construction, Hu Shutong could simply extend and refine his internal plan, transforming lines into networks, linking industries, expanding from Shibei to Qingbei, and turning the park into a base, etc. These ideas could be easily put into writing.

Essentially, these are all personal matters. Do what you can with the funds you have, and there's no need to overthink the regional coordination and improving people's livelihoods mentioned at the meeting.

But the key point is that Hu Shutong doesn't want to lend money to Phase II, but rather to use Phase II to gamble on that free funding!

Some things are too easy to talk about. Radiation—in every industrial park, big or small, regardless of whether they're involved in cold chain logistics, radiation is always mentioned when discussing layout. It's nothing new; it sounds like a cliché even to myself, so how can it grab the attention of those in power?

Don't be misled by the word "free" in the term "free" and don't equate it with a windfall. Free funds should be understood as support funds, which are different from industry subsidies. Take farmers as an example: subsidies are a fixed amount per acre, with large farmers receiving more and small farmers receiving less, while support funds are received by several farmers and nothing at all.

The revitalization of the logistics industry will not be a matter of equal distribution of benefits. It will involve seizing potential, focusing on leading companies, and competing for resources. There will inevitably be an unseen battle, which will ultimately be directly linked to the key flow of free funds.

Although Tongxing is likely to get a share of the funds, whether it is allocated by Qingning Province or Qingyan City, this is not enough to satisfy Hu Shutong's appetite, because what he is eyeing is the amount of funds allocated.

This is a microcosm of the difficulties of the second phase of planning. Not only must the functions, missions, and layout be clearly and thoroughly explained, but it must also be eye-catching and outstanding, so that people can see the differences at a glance and are willing to think about it, in order to receive the funding that Hu Shutong envisioned.

Doing this well is extremely important for Tongxing. Hu Shutong never wants to experience the feeling of being stuck with credit cards again, like having one expiring today and another being put on installment tomorrow.

After the business team was established, Hu Shutong never inquired about it. Recently, after meals, he no longer went back to the office. Instead, he would walk around the park with his hands in his pockets and his head down for one or two hours at a time, just like he used to wake himself up in college.

Before dusk, the world was bathed in a dense, sticky light, like orange peel lanterns.

"Hi! Little Hu!"

Who was greeting him like that? Hu Shutong was still lost in thought when he looked up and saw an old man standing at the edge of the parking lot.

In an instant, Hu Shutong's eyes widened, a smile curved his lips, and he hurried to meet his teacher, taking her arm in his. "Teacher! What brings you here!"

"Meetings that never end."

Hu Shutong roughly understood the meeting that Pang Shiyou mentioned. Since the beginning of this year, a grand "China Cold Chain Road Trip Series" has been launched nationwide, including the Food Safety Technology Summit Forum in the first half of the year, which is also part of the program.

It must be said that this large-scale cold chain road trip is of great significance. In addition to providing suggestions for industry development and national policies, it has a huge positive impact on the industry itself. Starting from a practical yet high-level platform, it provides a credible forum for companies to negotiate, meaning that orders and mutual business channels can be generated during this period.

It is foreseeable that these close and in-depth organizational efforts will truly bring together powerful companies from all provinces and regions across the industry. A great building is not constructed overnight; the alliance must ultimately rely on internal efforts. Consensus based on shared interests is far more reliable than empty slogans seeking common ground.

"Let's not go in yet, let's take a walk."

"I'll do as you say."

"Things are almost done. The Cold Chain Roadshow is a huge platform, and the results are obvious. I expect the charter of the China Cold Chain Alliance will be drafted next year, which will be the most important achievement of the Cold Chain Roadshow. I will personally send you invitations to the upcoming mid-year and annual meetings. You are not allowed to refuse."

Hu Shutong smiled and said, "No need for such a grand ceremony, just let me know the time."

"The most urgent thing is to manage your current situation well. Whether it's the current Wanlixing or the future alliance, you'll have to listen to me more when things get tough. After going through Wanlixing and gathering together, we've found that it's practically a martial arts tournament for the cold chain industry. There are masters of internal martial arts and masters of various styles. The whole country is full of vitality. Don't let a single leaf hinder the progress of a hundred mountains."

"Teacher, I understand."

Hu Shutong thought that Pang Shiyou was going to give a long speech about the journey, but after only a couple of sentences, the old man changed the subject.

"Shutong, this year has been turbulent. The more turbulent it is, the more people tend to delve deeper, and the deeper they delve, the harder it is to break free, clinging to this one path as the only way forward. But we must never forget our grand vision. Looking back years from now, the so-called financial crisis and Wall Street tsunami will just be interludes of the times. Because regardless of whether there is a financial crisis or not, there are some things we have been doing and improving. So when you step out of the financial crisis and out of the focus on expanding domestic demand, you will understand what makes cold chain logistics so compelling."

"Therefore, you should not use expanding domestic demand as a background, but rather utilize the deeper meaning behind expanding domestic demand and explain this point thoroughly, and you will be in an invincible position."

The teacher's words coincided with Lei Xiaoxi's last words that day.

But the difference is that the teacher doesn't just stop there.

"Sit down, and I'll explain it to you in detail."

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.