Twenty years of cold chain

Bai Yanqiu ultimately failed to persuade Hu Shutong, receiving only a "response after internal company discussion." Anyone with common sense knew there was no further follow-up; this was a polite refusal.

Hu Shutong certainly didn't doubt that Bai Yanqiu was some kind of charlatan; he was just a little worried about Jiangning Industry and Trade. No matter how good the technology, without excellent promotional methods and distribution channels, it wouldn't be able to seize market share.

Without market share, there's no way to talk about profit sharing.

Moreover, Hu Shutong also values ​​the application prospects of this technology, which will play a significant role in the fields of precooling and processing. It would be a pity if it could not be promoted by manufacturers.

However, to everyone's surprise, after Bai Yanqiu left...

Soon after, a man who looked even more like a charlatan arrived. This was one of Hu Shutong's oldest buddies, and this time, Qiu Shuanghu came to see Hu Shutong with a shaved head.

Bai Yanqiu's invitation to Qiu Shuanghu to come out of retirement isn't surprising upon reflection. First, Qiu Shuanghu is a graduate of the 97 class of Mingda University's cold chain logistics program, and one of Hu Shu's roommates who is quite prominent in the industry. Second, Bai Yanqiu had dealt with him before; last year at the Tongxing Conference on Financial Leasing, it was Qiu Shuanghu who spearheaded the gathering of equipment manufacturers, and Bai Yanqiu was well aware of Qiu Shuanghu's influence in the equipment industry.

Looking into Hu Shutong's eyes, Qiu Shuanghu smiled slightly. He wanted to get involved in Longshan Summit, plan the park, and source equipment from all over the country. Now he even personally came to handle technical issues.

"Erqiu, you're a living, breathing octopus in a cold chain!"

"What octopus? More like an ascetic monk. For so many years, he's worked tirelessly day and night for this industry."

I don't know how many...

Hu Shutong quickly interrupted him, his eyes narrowing, "To be honest, Tongxing hasn't even entered the technology transfer phase yet. The equipment is still being tested, and there are still many uncertainties. And you guys, one by one, are trying to pull me in."

"But Tongxing has already entered the main channel of Yuncheng Phase II, hasn't it? Lao Hu, I know you're overthinking things and don't want the enterprise to overshadow the technology. But right now, for your Yuncheng Phase II, the 25 million in subsidies alone is far from enough, and there are many oversight clauses for this part of the funds. You have to prioritize using it for the southward transportation of vegetables. Unless you can come up with ten times the amount of funds to make it flow into the entire fund pool without leaving a trace, you'll have to do special work."

In just a few words, it was clear what it meant to be well-prepared. Qiu Shuanghu had a clear understanding of Tongxing's current difficulties. The funds for the eight cold chain measures were significantly different from the unconditional funds for expanding domestic demand; the National Development and Reform Commission had issued a complete oversight mechanism. In other words, if these funds were used to build cold storage facilities...

We can only build special warehouses for transporting vegetables to the south, and we can only buy refrigerated trucks that are responsible for special distribution.

The misappropriation of special support funds has been commonplace in the industry for years.

Such a strict mechanism is designed to trace the implementation of special funds, and it is not surprising that such a measure is being taken.

"If you go to the bank for a loan, the only collateral you can use is Tongxing Phase II. Yuncheng Phase I also involves cooperation issues with the southern suburbs. Once the bank sorts out these issues, they'll have to postpone things until next year. And the interest subsidy isn't interest-free. The maximum subsidy of five million is very tempting, but that comes at the cost of a large loan principal. Old Hu, look at these days. Which large and strong cold chain company doesn't have a lot of liquid cash injected into it?"

This kind of rhetoric is far more direct than Bai Yanqiu's dry and straightforward style. In fact, Bai Yanqiu was also aware of these points, but he couldn't say them in front of Hu Shutong.

"Old Hu, everything is ready for the second phase of Yuncheng, except for your supply of provisions. Ultimately, the bulldozers and excavators need to be running before it can truly begin. Even I, thousands of miles away, can see that this will be a major undertaking. Your foundation is already solid enough; all you need is a powerful tool. Once this project is fully underway, if I were your opponent, I'd be so happy I'd need cataracts!"

These words made Hu Shutong smile. "I suppose you know Jiangning Industry and Trade very well."

Qiu Shuanghu nodded repeatedly. "I've been active in the equipment industry for more than a year or two. In recent years, let alone new technologies, companies that have steadily built up old technologies into production volume have not fared too badly. Jiangning Industry and Trade is at an upper-middle level in the industry in terms of registered scale, business scope and professional personnel structure. The fact that they dare to come to Tongxing to get new technologies must mean that they have a lot of capital backing them."

"Such new enterprises are eager to explore new paths and make a name for themselves, and are more willing to spend heavily to acquire new patents. Therefore, this technology is not only an opportunity for Jiangning, but also a stroke of luck for Tongxing. As for its future development, it will not deviate from the general trend. Moreover, Lao Hu, I have a strong feeling that the cold chain situation during the 12th Five-Year Plan period will reach a new level!"

Hu Shutong also had this premonition, and a strong one at that, as recent policies have been brewing a brighter future for the cold chain. For the first time, the guidance on industrial restructuring included the modern logistics industry, and all references to logistics were followed by parentheses stating "including cold chain," indicating that the cold chain will play a crucial role in the process of industrial restructuring and upgrading.

In addition, the 12th Five-Year Plan for Transportation was introduced, and electricity for vegetable cold storage began to be priced the same as that for industrial electricity. All of this points to a more ambitious and practical new situation.

As Hu Shutong narrowed his eyes slightly, Qiu Shuanghu immediately interjected, "The better the situation, the more valuable the technology becomes. It's not suitable for you to negotiate this personally; having been an agent for so many years, I'm the most suitable person. Besides, I'm not a novice when it comes to technology and market prices. Leave the negotiation to me; I guarantee you'll make a profit and be satisfied!"

"Erqiu, what exactly is the background of this Jiangning Industry and Trade?" Hu Shutong suddenly asked, staring at Qiu Shuanghu.

Qiu Shuanghu, however, had a distant look in his eyes. "These days, the hardest thing to find out is your background. I'll tell you about all the big and small things along the way, but in the end, you'll be in charge. Don't you trust me?"

Hu Shutong nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble you."

But at this moment, Qiu Shuanghu suddenly scratched his shiny big head and chuckled, which made Hu Shutong shudder.

"Old Hu, I'm going to have to put in a lot of effort and talk a lot right now. Could you perhaps help me with some of my own affairs as well?"

"What is it?"

"After all these years of running around, it's been too exhausting. I've even gained weight and still don't have a stable job, so I'm thinking of finding a job."

Upon hearing this, Hu Shutong almost choked on the mouthful of tea in his throat.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.