Twenty years of cold chain

The night was clear and the wind was gentle with few stars. As midnight approached, a tranquil and serene atmosphere permeated the air, making one reluctant to return to the stuffy house.

Under Meng Qiangqiang's surprised gaze, Hu Shutong bent down and sat directly on the ground. He quickly handed the schoolbag to Hu Shutong, who took it and put it aside.

Meng Qiangqiang discovered that

Hu Shutong tonight was quite different from the one I had seen before. His heavy expression concealed his exhaustion. The moment he sat down on the ground, he let out a half-hidden sigh of relief, put his arms together on his knees, and then loosened the collar of his shirt.

In that instant, he felt that Hu Shutong was like a jar.

He would occasionally open the can to quickly release the pent-up pressure inside. He carefully sat down next to Hu Shutong, momentarily hesitant to speak.

Ganzhou is in the northwest.

Hu Shutong only had a general idea of ​​the cold chain environment there, knowing some macro-level details from reports or papers. Meng Qiangqiang's words seemed to touch a nerve, prompting him to ask the question.

"Qiangqiang, how much do you know about the cold chain logistics in Ganzhou?"

Meng Qiangqiang said, "It's much worse than Qingning. Transportation and economic development are major factors. Moreover, there is a severe shortage of manpower and technology in this area, and the overall cold chain environment is quite isolated."

"As far as I know, there has been considerable policy support there since 08. Are you familiar with the details?"

Meng Qiangqiang nodded and said, "The support is mainly concentrated on key industries. Apples are a major industry in Ganzhou. This year alone, the province has provided more than 50 million yuan in support to this area. There is also support for seedling breeding, fruit farmers' economic cooperatives, and fruit cold storage. The support in this area is indeed substantial."

Hu Shutong's sudden topic had initially sparked Meng Qiangqiang's interest, but suddenly he hesitated to say much of what he wanted to say. In his eyes, Hu Shutong was a true pragmatist in this industry.

Their grasp of the macro level is unmatched; it's better to say nothing at all than to talk about vague things. But when it comes to more detailed matters, one has no right to speak without investigation. When people from Qingda University and Mingda University talk about the industry, there shouldn't be so many approximate and similar statements.

"Qiangqiang, you can stay at Tongxing this senior year and work here after graduation. But I want to give you another option: go back to your hometown and work on the cold chain there. Develop a decent plan, and then we can take a look together."

Meng Qiangqiang was a smart man. Before Hu Shutong had even finished speaking, he knew he had to focus his efforts on the latter. This wasn't Tongxing in 03, where it was easy to stand out. Today's Tongxing had a mature human resources system, and there were many talented people here. Each department was managed by highly capable professionals. Within this park alone, it wasn't a high-probability event for an intern to stand out.

But the fact that Tongxing was extending its reach to Ganzhou was something that greatly surprised Meng Qiangqiang.

The practical operation of transporting vegetables to the south is about to begin, and major research and development projects will also be launched one after another.

This sudden leap forward in Ganzhou made him suspicious. But then he thought again...

The person in front of him is his idol in the industry, so it's normal that he can't imagine things happening to him.

"Mr. Hu, I will do my best to complete the task, but... I'm worried that I won't be able to grasp the key points of Tongxing. Could you give me some guidance so that I can do something targeted?"

Unexpectedly, Hu Shutong shook his head, "This has nothing to do with Tongxing's business, but rather what a Ganzhou native wants to do in Ganzhou. Go back to your hometown, take a look, go for a walk. After all, we are among the few professionals in this industry, and we know better what we should do. Let's do things independently from our perspective."

Meng Qiangqiang suddenly looked at Hu Shutong, unable to believe his ears. "Mr. Hu, please don't joke around. I can't even imagine such a thing. I'd better stay at Tongxing."

Hu Shutong nodded without saying much, and slowly handed the schoolbag to Meng Qiangqiang, saying, "Get some rest."

Hu Shutong immediately stood up, but after taking only two steps, he suddenly heard Meng Qiangqiang speak again, his voice tinged with excitement, "Mr. Hu, it's not that I don't want to do it, but that I'm not qualified to do it. My family's situation is very bad. My parents don't have stable jobs. In the spring, they dig tree pits, and each pit only earns them three cents. In the autumn, they go up the mountain with the tea-picking team to pick tea. How can I have the confidence to do cold chain logistics on my own?"

Hu Shutong turned around and said, "What do you mean by not being qualified? How much better is my acre of irrigated land than yours? If you're willing to try, then put more effort into developing a plan. If you're not willing to do it, then there's no need to talk about qualifications or confidence."

"I can come up with the plan, but what does that have to do with its implementation?"

"Further words are pointless. Let's see what the solution is. If you're willing to leave, I'll go with you."

"If you're willing to go, I'll go with you." Upon hearing these eight words, Meng Qiangqiang felt as if a dazzling light shone through a rain-soaked tent. He knew the gap between himself and Hu Shutong, but it was precisely because of this that these words contained an unimaginable destiny!

If there's any source of confidence, nothing is more solid than the confidence gained from those right before us. Tong Hsing's start and its high spirits are like a well-written biography. If Hu Shu-Tong is walking this path with him, then besides perfecting this plan and jointly exploring a future, what is there to hesitate about?

The idea of ​​letting the plan speak for itself embodies immense confidence, because you never know what a person will see in a plan, what they will think of, or what kind of sparks they will connect it to.

"Mr. Hu, I'm going back to Ganzhou to write about what I want to do."

Hu Shutong nodded. As for Meng Qiangqiang, he had many memories that were different from those of ordinary people. Perhaps it was that corner of the Mingda Academic Hall in the early spring of 08, perhaps it was that small bag of top-quality camellias on Tongxing Asphalt Road, or perhaps it was what he once said about why he didn't go home for the New Year.

From him, Hu Shutong could see the past and the prejudice that transportation was equivalent to manual labor.

Of course, there's also his achievement, which is where everything truly lies—it's no accident. Frankly, Hu Shutong had high expectations for his proposal; it was a test of real skill. The industry, region, and uneven development were all major issues worthy of analysis.

"Qiangqiang, be brave. In the summer, we should wear short sleeves and only wear scarves when it gets cold. We have skills to rely on and a job to make a living. What are we afraid of? What are we afraid of?"

Meng Qiangqiang watched Hu Shutong's retreating figure. These few words suddenly stirred something within him. This man had spoken with a firm and straightforward tone, yet also with tender and caring words, suddenly becoming like a teacher, carrying some emotions that were difficult to grasp. He looked at his arm, scratched the bluish-black "scales," and after a short while, he abruptly pulled off his scarf and stuffed it into his schoolbag.

These were the words Hu Shutong kept repeating to himself as he walked back.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.