Twenty years of cold chain

On the day before the Lunar New Year, Hu Shutong returned to Tongxing from Ganzhou. On the way back, he received a phone call from Liu Zhiying. Upon hearing this, Hu Shutong was both shocked and indignant, and the first thoughts that surfaced made him quite uneasy.

Liu Zhiying didn't reveal much, but she wasn't just delivering a message haphazardly; her words were calm and composed.

This calmed Hu Shutong down a little.

As Hu Shutong headed towards Tongxing, Liu Zhiying also returned from Yuncheng. The two met later that evening. Not face-to-face like in the office, but strolling through the park as the streetlights came on.

Listening to Liu Zhiying's analysis, the purposes of Chunrong and Kunyu were dissected.

Hu Shutong found this very reasonable, because Liu Zhiying's stance was not at all based on Tongxing's subjective perspective. He would sometimes approach the matter from Chunrong's point of view, and sometimes from Kunyu's considerations, focusing on the issue of self-interest in every single instance.

Hu Shutong pondered, connecting the news he had heard in the industry recently. Without securing control of the southward transport of vegetables, Liu Chenyu's position at Chunrong was now in dire straits. If he wanted to turn the tide, efforts elsewhere would be ineffective; a remedy for the root cause was needed. The real solution lay in finding a different approach to lead the southward transport of vegetables.

As for Kunyu Building Materials, at this critical juncture, if they want to strangle Tongxing, the Xizhen No. 2 plot has become a ready and forceful means to force Tongxing to give in and abandon its support for Fengliang. This plot of land is practically a weapon delivered to their mouths.

Thus, the collaboration between Kunyu and Chunrong was like two ghosts knocking on a door, powerful and seamless.

If it weren't for Liu Zhiying's actions here, Hu Shutong would have truly felt some lingering fear.

Imagine, far away in Ganzhou, receiving only a terrified phone call from someone from Tongxing, demanding to know exactly who he had offended. Hu Shutong, being too far away to intervene and unaware of the situation, would naturally be in turmoil. If he was in turmoil, Tongxing would be in turmoil as well.

Following Liu Zhiying's line of thought, Hu Shutong quickly realized the key to what was to come, or rather, what Tongxing should weigh most carefully.

"Ji-young, what do you think we should do?"

Liu Zhiying's words basically hit the nail on the head regarding Hu Shutong's thoughts, but he had to consider the worst-case scenario.

Tongxing faces unprecedented pressure as it confronts industry giants in its respective fields.

Although Kunyu wasn't interested in cold chain logistics, who could guarantee they wouldn't harbor resentment and inject capital into Chunrong to disrupt Yuncheng? He certainly hoped this whole affair was a charade, but Hu Shutong dared not gamble. If something major happened at Xizhen No. 2, it would be tantamount to someone else sleeping soundly beside him, and Tongxing's years of hard-earned expansion hub would become someone else's weapon.

Chunrong has a large corporation behind him and doesn't have to worry about funding. However, the vital project of transporting vegetables to the south prevents him from taking action against Tongxing alone. But if he were to cooperate with external capital, things would be completely different, and the impact would be incomparable.

Once the two reach some deep strategic agreement and announce to the outside world that they will jointly build a vegetable basket transshipment base and create a new era of cold chain supply and marketing industry, it will surely cause a great stir in the industry. At that time, who will still care about the foundation laid by Tongxing? They might even praise the site selection as a wise choice. The prospects of the second site will be very pessimistic.

The transport of vegetables to the south has greatly strengthened Yuncheng's position. In the future, Hu Shutong intends to use this as a vehicle to embark on a longer journey in the cold chain industry, and he already has preliminary plans. At this time, "intercepting" such a move is something Hu Shutong cannot tolerate.

Essentially, Kunyu's sudden intervention stemmed from its perception that Tongxing was too small a company. By coercing the bidder to withdraw voluntarily after the contract had already been awarded, Kunyu acted unreasonably and arrogantly, which is infuriating.

"Senior, from Kunyu's perspective, they must believe they have the upper hand, or even the right to choose. The land in Mingnan is their primary interest, and everything will be based on that premise. They won't turn against Tongxing right away."

"you mean?"

"First, make a move to warn us, then let Tongxing back down. I think it won't be long before they take the initiative to talk to us."

On the eve of the Lunar New Year, the canteen in Tongxing made dumplings. While traveling in Ganzhou, Hu Shutong had thought about returning to Tongxing before the Lunar New Year to sit down with everyone and eat a bowl of hot dumplings. After that, some would go home, and some would stay, to have a joyous New Year and fight again next year.

Yet, at such a moment, his heart was filled with unspoken thoughts. The night before, there was no moon, and the streetlights cast two long shadows. The coldest wind of winter swept through the park. As they walked forward, Hu Shutong fell silent, an emotion surging within him that Liu Zhiying had never seen before.

There were no heavy sighs, and his steps were not particularly forceful. Although the wind was cold, his woolen overcoat was open. Hu Shutong had his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the distance, and it was unclear what he was looking at. From head to toe, this man was efficient and spirited. Even in private conversations, he exuded neither servility nor arrogance. No matter what happened, he seemed to have a firm belief in his principles, and for those around him, there was no greater sense of security than this.

The most difficult part is that Liu Zhiying understands perfectly well that Tongxing cannot sit idly by and wait for the violence or kindness of others, betting on the joys and sorrows of a few people in a large group. How can a business expect good fortune to come naturally?

Tongxing needs to make its own preparations, but how should Tongxing prepare? It should be understood that this is not just a matter within the cold chain industry, but a broader interaction between industries, and the other party has taken the initiative.

But Hu Shutong knew all too well that in the same era, how could matters concerning land and engineering not intersect? To put it another way, the reason they hadn't met before was because Tongxing hadn't yet been noticed by more people.

Right? Thinking about it this way means that our Tongxing has risen to a higher level, so there's no need to feel overwhelmed by dark clouds. After all, our Zhengjia is shining brightly in the sun.

Two days later, Tongxing's administration received an invitation.

The location itself suggests a high level of sincerity; the other party is waiting for Hu Shutong in Qingyan City.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.