1994: Starting with unpaid leave

Harbin Railway Bureau, Passenger Transport Section Director's Office.

Dong Jianguo straightened his collar and knocked on the door.

As soon as Director Zhang saw Dong Jianguo, he stood up with a big smile to greet him.

He held Dong Jianguo's hand with one hand, and with the other hand he kept gently patting his shoulder in a friendly manner:

"Xiao Dong, you've been a huge help to me!"

Dong Jianguo was somewhat flattered and confused, and asked in bewilderment:

"Director Zhang, what do you mean by that? If you hadn't changed the payment method to cash, our factory wouldn't have been able to develop so quickly!"

"You have no idea how much our factory has changed since it started! Not only have the machines been upgraded, but we've also started supporting more than thirty workers!"

"Director Zhang, I'm here on behalf of the entire families of the more than thirty workers in our factory to thank you for your support!"

Dong Jianguo's words came from the bottom of his heart and were not flattery.

Experiencing that era again, I thought I had become hard-hearted enough, but I found that my heart was still made of flesh and blood.

Seeing his former coworkers lose their jobs and look bewildered, Dong Jianguo felt bad.

He wholesaled eggs and opened a food factory, which truly helped many people solve their livelihood problems.

But to be honest, without the help of Secretary Guo, Director Wan, and Director Zhang, he certainly wouldn't have been able to achieve this.

After saying that, Dong Jianguo took out a red envelope from his pocket and prepared to hand it over.

There is 5000 yuan inside.

It's just a small token of my appreciation.

"Hey, what are you doing?!"

Director Zhang glared at him and pushed the red envelope back.

"Don't give me that crap! If you keep this up, believe me, I'll just stop buying anything from your factory!"

"this……"

Seeing that Director Zhang was genuinely angry, Dong Jianguo had no choice but to put away the red envelope.

"Director, please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean anything by it... I just wanted to express my gratitude..."

"There are many ways to express it, there's no need for this!" Director Zhang pointed to the Party emblem on his chest:

"I'll be retiring in a year. I've never let this old buddy down in my life, and I can't afford to make any mistakes before I retire!"

Dong Jianguo had an idea.

He knew that many leaders, after retiring from their posts, were not used to the idleness of retirement life.

If Director Zhang were like this too... perhaps...

Thinking of this, Dong Jianguo spoke up decisively:

"Director, I have an idea... Although the factory in Hecheng is doing quite well, the transportation there isn't as developed as in Harbin. In the future, I might build a branch factory in Harbin. When you're bored, perhaps you could come and rehire a factory manager from my factory, Dangdang..."

"Heh, you little rascal, you can't bribe me openly, so you're trying to pull some other tricks?!" Director Zhang pointed at Dong Jianguo, his smile revealing neither joy nor anger.

Dong Jianguo waved his hand:

"No, no, no, this isn't some kind of trick. I've thought about it. If an industry wants to grow, it can't be confined to one place. Look at the Coca-Cola sold on trains; American companies have branch factories all over the country producing it, don't they? This saves a lot on transportation costs and also boosts the local economy."

"If Pepsi can do it, then we at Hezhiwei can learn from them!"

"But once we leave Hecheng, I'll be completely lost, with no one I can trust to oversee things, and I'm worried about losing all the money I've invested... In comparison, I have absolutely no doubt about your character, Director Zhang!"

But Director Zhang still shook his head:

"No, no, that's not appropriate. My children are all in Shenyang. When I retire, I should go and live with them..."

"That's perfect! I'll build a factory near Shenyang! That way, the two factories will be farther apart, and the service area will be wider!"

"Oh, you, what can I even say about you?"

Director Zhang shook his head helplessly, but this time his attitude was much more ambiguous.

Dong Jianguo knew there was a chance, so he didn't say anything more.

Good things take time and effort; they can't be accomplished overnight.

Anyway, Director Zhang still has more than a year before retirement. If we keep in touch during this time, there's a high chance this matter will be resolved!

If Director Zhang puts in a little effort, he might be able to get Hezhiwei onto the Shenyang Railway Bureau's procurement list...

"By the way, Director, when you came in just now, you said I helped you. What did I do for you? I have no idea!"

"you……"

The door suddenly opened, and a voice came in:

"What did you help with? You helped Old Zhang gain some face in front of the provincial bureau. Such a big thing, and you didn't even know?!"

As soon as the door opened, Deputy Director Wan walked in with a smile.

"Director Wan, it's been a long time! I was just thinking of visiting you in your office later!" Dong Jianguo hurriedly explained with a smile.

"Hey kid, don't come to my office. Come to my house tonight. My wife's been talking about you two ever since she got back from Hecheng. How's your wife? Is she about to give birth?"

"It'll be soon, it'll be soon, my due date is in February..."

"Okay, it's better for the child to have an older birthday! It will make it less likely for the child to be bullied when he goes to school!" Director Wan patted Dong Jianguo on the shoulder, his enthusiasm resembling that of an old brother he hadn't seen in a long time.

After exchanging pleasantries, Dong Jianguo finally learned what had happened.

During the National Day holiday, due to the leader's "undercover visit", the Harbin Passenger Transport Section was publicly criticized by the provincial bureau leaders for many problems.

Dong Jianguo's braised eggs and pickled chicken feet were new snacks launched after being criticized, with Director Zhang overseeing their online sales.

The relatively inexpensive price and rich flavor immediately won over the public who were initially dissatisfied with the railway bureau.

Not only have the criticisms decreased, but the sales revenue of the passenger transport section has also increased significantly.

Director Zhang naturally didn't miss out on such a good opportunity and had his secretary compile it into a document and report it.

As a result, this practice was compiled into advanced materials at the year-end summary meeting and received a commendation.

At the same time, the provincial bureau thought Director Zhang's idea was good and called on the passenger transport sections of railway bureaus in various cities of Heilongjiang Province to explore more local specialty snacks, which could not only boost the economy on trains, but also promote the province's cuisine.

After explaining the whole story, Director Zhang smiled and said to Dong Jianguo:

"Xiao Dong, your chance has come!"

"This trade fair in Harbin is not only for private enterprises; the leadership team of our provincial bureau will also be present."

"If you make a big fuss then, whether your food products can get on trains throughout the province will depend on a single word from the leaders."

Director Wan also chimed in:

"By the way, didn't Director Jiang of your Hehecheng Passenger Transport Section ask you for favors? Just tell the provincial bureau leaders all you want to do, complain about him! Otherwise, so many good things will be ruined by that bastard!"

Seeing these two older brothers offering him advice, Dong Jianguo was almost moved to tears...

……