Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 427 Going Against the Tide (1)

Going public is never just a matter for the company itself, and in many cases, it's not just a matter between the company and the stock exchange.

This was the third time Lu Jianhua from the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation had arranged a meeting with Hu Shutong. The first two times, Hu Shutong declined, citing a tight schedule of university lectures. However, Lu Jianhua was very patient, always setting a specific time and understanding that he couldn't meet, which resulted in Hu Shutong breaking his promise twice.

Hu Shutong knew that things couldn't be left unresolved, so he called Lei Xiaoxi during this time, but she neither answered nor returned the call.

Hu Shutong's talk about the lecture wasn't entirely an excuse; he had some free time that day and decided to go to the National Development and Reform Commission to meet with Lu Jianhua.

Upon meeting, Lu Jianhua was very hospitable, opening a never-before-seen teapot; the tea table was completely empty, as if it had just been set up. The crisp birdsong outside the window and the gentle, reddish-brown sunrise foreshadowed a pleasant morning.

Hu Shutong had actually dealt with Lu Jianhua more than Lei Xiaoxi, and almost every time he came to the National Development and Reform Commission, he would talk to Director Lu about something.

Lu Jianhua didn't rush into business. While drinking tea, he chatted with Hu Shutong about the past, starting with the earliest vegetable transport to the south and then the later infrastructure support. He watched Tongxing grow stronger and more prosperous step by step, with many感慨 (feelings of deep emotion) mixed in between.

Hu Shutong naturally remembered each and every one of these things clearly, but now, to him, the words sounded like a summary. The glorious chapter would always remain, but it was time to turn the page and begin anew.

Therefore, his transition was very smooth, and at the end of the old story, he brought out a sunflower.

This is a document outlining a plan to accelerate the listing of Qingning enterprises. At first glance, it covers a very long timeframe, with its target already set at the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period, which is six years from now.

Hu Shutong observed that the specific goals were very clear: Qingning planned to reserve 30 to 50 potential listed companies each year, complete the shareholding reform of 20 to 30 potential companies each year, and promote about 15 of them to submit application materials to the China Securities Regulatory Commission.

This is a process similar to an academic cycle, from welcoming new students to training, internships, and graduation, repeating endlessly. The final and most important goal is to strive to have about ten companies listed on the main board, the ChiNext board, or the STAR Market each year.

Following that, Lu Jianhua introduced Hu Shutong to the more detailed policies, including a subsidy of 10 million yuan for listing on the main board, SME board, and ChiNext board, and a subsidy of 15 million yuan for listing on the Science and Technology Innovation Board.

Throughout the process, Hu Shutong kept nodding. Apart from the surprising level of support, as for the other aspects of listing and financing, he had been following Tongxing for more than a year or two, so Hu Shutong didn't need to do any special research on them.

Putting Tongxing aside, Hu Shutong has no prejudice against listing. Countless companies have become famous overnight because of listing, and many companies have become dominant forces because of listing. If we talk about the myths of this era, there will definitely be several chapters written by the stock market.

At the same time, Hu Shutong also saw many other things from Lu Jianhua's attitude.

Going public is becoming a "must-have" for local governments, and this trend is not limited to Qingning; it's a trend that can be felt everywhere, differing only in degree. Today, the capital market has an increasingly significant impact on regional economies, and no company can remain unaffected. Vigorously promoting listing on the stock exchange is a double boost to both brand recognition and cash flow. It's no exaggeration to say that the number of listed companies is a very clear indicator of a region's development level.

It's also important to know that the real estate market has been increasingly sluggish in recent years, and the connection between this and other factors is another economic topic altogether.

"Mr. Hu, Tongxing is the undisputed model of the cold chain industry. From multiple perspectives, including modern industry and technical services, it possesses the scale and qualifications to be listed. In addition to Tongxing itself, what people can see is Tongxing's leading role in the industry. For so many years, we have been talking about industrial upgrading, and I think this is a method that deserves to be strongly advocated and practiced."

This is the kind of thing Hu Shutong fears most. There is no space for people to explain "I want to be myself and how to do it better." It's all about whether to respond or not. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, it comes down to whether to be open or selfish.

Guiding the company to become stronger and better, and encouraging mergers and acquisitions, are all too big for Hu Shutong and Tongxing. He doesn't believe that Tongxing's calls to action will instantly grab attention. As the old saying goes, a company, like a person, is a private matter, whether it goes public or not, and how far it is from going public.

Lu Jianhua wanted to give people the impression that "Tongxing has gone public, so we need to speed things up too," but in the industry, wasn't "establishing a reputation before Tongxing" also a valid consideration?

This is a six-year plan, but in reality, every moment is in the present. If you reach the goal, you reach it; if you don't, there's no use rushing. This industry is no longer naive, and going public is nothing new. These are vibrant companies with their own systems. How many will listen to hype, and will it make people feel that someone is just making empty promises?

But these were all just thoughts; he couldn't very well argue with Lu Jianhua.

"Yes, what company in the world doesn't have its own unique characteristics?"

Hu Shutong pondered for a moment, "I believe that the same goal does not necessarily require only one means. The reason why Tongxing has been able to drive the industry for so many years is actually very simple: as long as Tongxing is willing to work hard for the industry, it can work hard for the industry."

Lu Jianhua pondered these words, but still narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "President Hu, just state the conclusion."

"Director Lu, I would like to venture to ask for a solution here."

"What plan?"

"Regarding this document and Tongxing itself, let's try a new approach. I, Hu Shutong, will come up with a solution that leads to the same goal through different paths."

Lu Jianhua was already feeling down, but hearing these words made him pause and then smile. At that moment, even more scenes from the past resurfaced in his mind.

"Mr. Hu, I've discovered that you have an amazing skill."

"Tell me about it, I'm curious too."

"You always manage to move the radishes from the back pit to the front pit without ever touching them."

"That just means the radish seedlings are growing so well that no one noticed them, or that the harvest is so good that one or two more seedlings won't make a difference."

As they spoke, they both laughed.

When Hu Shutong walked out, the sun was shining brightly at eleven o'clock. The sunlight fell on his back, feeling both warm and chilly. He wasn't surprised by what had just happened; from the moment he made the decision, he had prepared himself for even greater pressure.

His pressure came not only from taking on new tasks, but also from the fact that the land in Beiwang Niujia Town was even more turbulent than Lu Jianhua's.

It took Hu Shutong fifteen minutes to walk from his office to the parking lot.

It was as if only one script remained in the world, and only that one script could satisfy everyone's expectations.

Tongxing has come a long way since 03, and for the first time today, it has given Hu Shutong a certain feeling—

He became Tongxing's only "retrograde".

Fortunately, behind this figure, whether it is warm or cold, it is ultimately the sun.

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.