Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

"You bastard Chen Zaidong, are you trying to force this on me?!"

After listening to Huang Bin's stubborn old man's scathing remarks, Chen Dong laughed heartily. Zhou Haimin said with a smile, "Old Huang, as a senior leader in our Ministry of Industry, you should also take the lead in supporting the automobile industry in our Tuocheng."

Huang Bin nodded and said seriously to Chen Dong and the group around him, "Zai Dong, I know you mean well and want to thank the ministry for its support, but this car is too expensive. It costs two hundred thousand US dollars each, and five of them would be one million US dollars!"

"The Ministry of Industry cannot accept it; to do so would be a mistake. And I, as the minister, cannot dismiss it either; to do so would set a bad example for those below me."

Seeing that Chen Dong still wanted to say a few more words of persuasion, Huang Bin waved his hand to let Chen Dong hear what he had to say. "The Ministry of Industry is a government department. Government procurement has a budget and procedures. This is a free donation, without a budget or procedures. How am I supposed to explain this to my superiors? How am I supposed to explain this to the other state-owned automobile factories?"

"If people say that Huang Bin took bribes from Xiaochi Motors, which is why he approved the road test permits for Xiaochi, I'll be in deep trouble!"

Chen Dong was taken aback. He hadn't fully considered the concerns Huang Bin had raised. He had forgotten that they were in China. He had simply copied the methods he used in America and tried to apply them here, which was clearly not working.

"Mr. Huang, I didn't think this through," Chen Dong quickly apologized.

Zhou Haimin stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Zai Dong, you mean well. How about this, let's put the car donation on hold for now. Once your Xiaochi cars are fully in production and the ministry is bidding for vehicle procurement, you can participate. With the excellent performance of the 'Dilu' car, I'm sure you won't lose!"

Chen Dong understood the meaning behind Zhou Haimin's words and nodded, saying, "Alright, then we'll do as Secretary Zhou says. Once our Xiaochi cars are in production and the ministry needs to compete for procurement, I'll personally lead the 'Dilu' cars to Beijing to participate in the bidding!"

Hearing Chen Dong say this, Huang Bin smiled and said, "That's right. Once your Xiaochi cars go into production, the ministry will give them priority in procurement. At that time, the price will be exactly what it should be, not a penny less. The necessary procedures cannot be omitted. Once the rules are set, everyone will have peace of mind!"

That makes sense!

The group chatted and laughed as they walked out. When they reached the door, Huang Bin seemed to remember something, suddenly turning back to look at the engine still surrounded by people. He whispered to Chen Dong, "Zai Dong, this Leapmotor Type 1 engine of yours has high power and a suitable size. Is it possible... to use it in other equipment?"

Chen Dong was somewhat puzzled and asked Huang Bin with a question in his mind, "Mr. Huang, what do you mean?"

Huang Bin chuckled, "I was just asking out of pure curiosity. I think it's a bit of a waste to use your 300-horsepower engine solely in a car!"

Upon hearing Huang Bin's words, Chen Dong understood what he meant and exclaimed, "Theoretically, as long as the power is matched and the installation space is suitable, it's possible. However, considering the design and engine cooling issues, the specific equipment still needs to be adapted. It's not as simple as just installing the engine and using it!"

"I understand," Huang Bin nodded, patting Chen Dong on the shoulder. He had spent his entire life in industry and had dealt with engines for so many years, so he naturally understood what Chen Dong meant. "Okay, get the road test done quickly. If you encounter any difficulties, just tell the ministry, and I'll help you solve them!"

Chen Dong glanced at his watch; it was almost midnight. He couldn't very well let Huang Bin and the other leaders leave hungry, so he suggested, "Old Huang, Secretary Zhou, and all the leaders, it's lunchtime. Let's all go to the cafeteria for a quick meal. This afternoon, I'll take you all to the R&D center and the heavy truck factory in Nanshan!"

Huang Bin glanced at the Shanghai-plated watch on his wrist, smiled, and nodded, saying, "Alright, let's go to the canteen and have some food. Let's see how the food at your Xiaochi Motors is and how well the workers are eating!"

Inside the canteen, workers had already formed a long queue at the food serving window. When they saw Chen Dong and his group of leaders enter, they all made way for them. Huang Bin waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue, and then took a tray from the tray basket at the door and joined the queue.

Seeing this, Chen Zaisheng hurriedly came over and whispered to Huang Bin, "Old Huang, we don't need to queue here, the small canteen is already prepared!"

"No, no, no, I'll line up here and eat here. I'm also a working class, we can't be treated specially," Huang Bin insisted, refusing to go to the small canteen. Seeing this, Chen Zaisheng looked at Zhou Haimin and Chen Dong with difficulty.

Zhou Haimin didn't say anything, but smiled and took a plate, following behind Huang Bin. The other cadres from the Planning Commission and Economic Commission also took plates, and the line grew considerably longer in no time.

Huang Bin stood in line, chatting with the workers around him, asking them how much they earned a month, how many people were in their families, whether they were well-fed, and whether their work was tiring. The workers were a little reserved at first, but seeing that the old man was quite amiable and had no airs of a leader, they opened up and answered all at once.

When it was Huang Bin's turn to get his meal, he looked at the dishes in the window: braised pork, stir-fried seasonal vegetables, pan-fried saury, stir-fried pork slices with wood ear mushrooms, tomato and egg soup, rice, and steamed buns. He nodded and said, "Not bad. There's meat and vegetables, and the portions are generous. Workers need to eat well to have the energy to work."

Chen Zaiguang, the canteen director, personally rolled up his sleeves and scooped a full spoonful of braised pork for Huang Bin. Since the Jinbu Industrial Park had just opened, Chen Dong asked his third brother, Chen Zaiguang, to come and mentor Huang Bin first. Only after the chefs hired later had arrived would he be allowed to return to the Guangdong factory.

"Hey! Master Chef, I wish I could have met you when I was young and getting food at the cafeteria," Huang Bin joked as he looked at the generous spoonful of braised pork Chen Zaiguang had given him, which brought a knowing smile to the faces of the people queuing behind him.

Chen Zaiguang chuckled and said, "If you're not satisfied, boss, just come and get more food. There's plenty!"

"Don't give me any special treatment just because I'm the leader. You have to treat all the other workers the same," Huang Bin said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Don't worry, boss. The food standards in our canteen are all set by General Manager Chen. There's only one requirement: the workers must be well-fed. As long as they don't waste food, they can come back for more dishes after they've finished eating. If they're still hungry, we'll immediately start cooking for them." Chen Zaiguang, unlike his usual somewhat taciturn self, fluently uttered these words that caught Chen Dong's attention.

"Good," Huang Bin nodded with a smile, then said to Chen Dong, "Zai Dong, your standards are excellent. When the workers are well-fed and satisfied, they can generate better profits for the factory. I want to give special praise to your Xiaochi Automobile Factory for this!"

"It's better than many state-run factory canteens in China; they should learn from it!"