1994: Starting with unpaid leave

After leaving the Industry and Commerce Bureau, Dong Jianguo's old-fashioned bicycle was on the road again.

The wheels rolled over the smooth road surface, and even the unusual noises were much less.

Having connections makes things easier. Knowing that Li Wan worked at the Industry and Commerce Bureau, Dong Jianguo wasn't too worried about getting licenses or similar things.

But what's troubling me is that this old classmate seems to be looking at me in a strange way.

But how could a college student from a well-off family with a promising career possibly be interested in him?

It's highly likely that he's just being delusional.

And there are more important things to figure out now.

He knows braised eggs; he ate plenty of them in his past life, and his supermarket in Shenzhen also sells them frequently.

But vacuum packaging is still a rarity for ordinary people in Northeast China.

Although he was reborn, he was not a food science major after all.

It's best to consult a professional to understand the intricacies of vacuum-packed braised eggs.

Otherwise, once the factory is up and running, if you step into a pit, it will be a complete waste of money.

"Professional matters should be left to professionals."

Such talent must undoubtedly be found in relevant industries.

We need to ask someone we know for help: my wife Xiuyun's older sister, Zhou Xiulan.

Zhou Xiulan works at the Hecheng Meat Processing Plant as a statistician in the non-staple food processing workshop. Although it's not a technical position, after so many years, she's gotten to know quite a few people.

With her help, it shouldn't be difficult to talk to the technicians at the meat processing plant.

Most importantly, at his mother-in-law's birthday dinner last time, when he mentioned that the sausages were good, his older sister specifically mentioned that they were the latest vacuum-packed products from the meat processing plant.

Although state-owned enterprises had already begun to decline in 94, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, indicating that their technological foundation was still intact.

"Let's go to the meat processing plant!"

Having made up his mind, Dong Jianguo pedaled hard, turned the handlebars, and rode towards the industrial area in the west of the city...

……

"Hey, Jianguo, what brings you here today?"

"Big sister, Xiuyun misses you, but she's not feeling well, so she asked me to come and see you," Dong Jianguo said with a smile.

"Stop being so sarcastic!" Zhou Xiulan glanced at her watch. "I haven't finished compiling the reports yet. If you have something to say, hurry up and say it, or I'm heading back to work. I'm busy right now."

"Alright, alright." Dong Jianguo didn't waste any words and went straight to the point:

"Sister, I'm thinking of starting a factory to make vacuum-packed braised eggs. I heard your factory has vacuum packaging machines, and I'd like to ask you to find someone to inquire about the technical aspects."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiulan's pair of almond-shaped eyes, just like Xiuyun's, stared intently at Dong Jianguo, almost making him feel guilty.

"Big sister, is there something dirty on my face?"

Zhou Xiulan shook her head:

"Jianguo, aren't you making good money selling eggs? Why are you doing this? A factory will lose money if it's not run properly! Look at all the factories in our city, how many of them can still pay their workers their wages normally?"

"If you were all alone, I wouldn't even bother trying to persuade you! But Xiuyun is pregnant now, and all the money she's finally earned is going down the drain. What will Xiuyun do after the baby is born?"

Dong Jianguo first nodded, then shook his head:

"Sister, what you said is all true. But from another perspective, this is also an opportunity for us ordinary people."

"If it works out, Xiuyun and the child's future conditions will be better, won't they?"

Zhou Xiulan shook her head.

It's easier said than done.

Anyway, she didn't approve of her brother-in-law, who was impulsive and acted on a whim.

What was that saying again?

Yes, young people are too arrogant!

However, seeing the certainty in Dong Jianguo's eyes, she finally softened and sighed.

"Come this way with me."

"Okay!"

Dong Jianguo followed Zhou Xiulan excitedly as they walked into the meat processing plant.

This was his first time entering a meat processing plant.

The factory was much bigger than he had imagined.

Slaughterhouse, cutting workshop, deep processing and by-product handling workshop...

"We have a technician in our factory named Zhong Zhengtao. He's a genuine college graduate from the food science department of an agricultural university, and he's been working here for five or six years."

"You can't go wrong asking him about anything you want to know."

"But I must warn you, this miller isn't easy to talk to. He's a bit strange..."

"Strange?"

Dong Jianguo's eyes lit up: "What's strange?"

Zhou Xiulan gave a wry smile: "You'll know when we meet..."

As they spoke, the two had already arrived at the packaging workshop.

Zhou Xiulan asked Dong Jianguo to wait outside for a while, and then she pushed the door open and went in herself.

After quite a while, the person finally came out.

She wasn't the only one who came out; a middle-aged man wearing glasses had joined her behind her.

The man had a thin face with high cheekbones, and wore thick-rimmed black glasses. His eyes behind the lenses were as sharp as a scalpel.

"Mr. Zhong, this is my brother-in-law, Dong Jianguo. Jianguo, this is Mr. Zhong, a rare packaging technology talent in our factory. You two chat, I have some things to take care of over there."

As Zhou Xiulan spoke, she gave Dong Jianguo a look that said "good luck," and then left as if she had been granted a pardon.

"Take care, ma'am!"

After Zhou Xiulan left, only Dong Jianguo and the man named Zhong Zhengtao remained in the corridor.

The air seemed to freeze.

Zhong Zhengtao pushed up his thick black-rimmed glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses swept over Dong Jianguo like an X-ray, as if he were evaluating a substandard industrial product.

"You're Xiulan's brother-in-law? Want to make vacuum-packed braised eggs?" Zhong Zhengtao's voice was dry and devoid of emotion, as if he were reading a lab report.

"Yes, Mr. Zhong, my name is Dong Jianguo." Dong Jianguo extended his hand.

Zhong Zhengtao glanced at the outstretched hand but didn't take it. He looked down at his watch and said, "Hurry up and tell me before I change my mind. You only have five minutes."

Dong Jianguo wasn't embarrassed. He smiled and said:

"I just want to know how to keep braised eggs from spoiling for a long time while maintaining their texture under vacuum packaging. What are the requirements for packaging, and what indicators do food inspection departments focus on..." Dong Jianguo launched into a barrage of questions.

Zhong Zhengtao was taken aback, clearly not expecting this seemingly unsophisticated young man to ask so many questions.

"Not bad? To maintain the texture?" Zhong Zhengtao sneered, picking up a vacuum-packed sausage from the shelf beside him. "Do you know why vacuum-packed foods sometimes swell up?"

"Is it because the vacuum level is not high enough? Or the packaging material is not good?" Dong Jianguo asked tentatively.

"Wrong!" Zhong Zhengtao slammed his fist on the table as if tapping a blackboard. "It's because the sterilization wasn't thorough! The essence of vacuum packaging isn't 'vacuum,' but 'sterilization'! If you don't kill all the microorganisms after sealing, the vacuum environment inside will become a breeding ground for anaerobic bacteria! In that case, your braised eggs will turn into rotten eggs in just a few days!"

"Therefore, packaging is never the key point; the key point is sterilization after packaging!"

His voice suddenly rose, and he spat out saliva.

Is this what Zhou Xiulan meant by "strange"? This is not strange at all, this is clearly fanaticism.

Dong Jianguo was secretly pleased.

These kinds of "eccentrics" who only care about technology and are ignorant of worldly affairs are often the easiest to deal with.

"Mr. Chung, you're right. So, how do we calculate the F-value for sterilization when it's braised eggs?" Dong Jianguo asked, throwing out a technical term.

Chung Cheng-tao was about to launch into a lengthy explanation of science when he suddenly got stuck.

"F-value? You know about F-value?" He took off his glasses, wiped them carefully, put them back on, and for the first time, surprise appeared in his eyes.

"I know a little bit," Dong Jianguo said modestly. "I've looked up some information. The F-value is an indicator of sterilization intensity, which is related to temperature and time. You have to calculate accurately what temperature the braised eggs should reach in the center and how long it should be maintained."

Zhong Zhengtao stared at Dong Jianguo for a full ten seconds, then suddenly laughed—a slightly mocking laugh, like someone who had found a kindred spirit: "Well, it seems you're not just here to fool around. I thought you just wanted to buy a machine, pack it in a bag, and make a fortune."

"However, these specific parameters can only be obtained through on-site process calculations, and it's hard for me to say for sure."

"Then tell me, besides sterilization, what other tricks are there?" Dong Jianguo asked casually.

Zhong Zhengtao perked up. He walked to the wall and pointed to the meat samples: "Vacuum packaging, the most difficult part is the sealing temperature."

He held up three fingers: "First, temperature. If it's too high, the bag will burn through, or the heat seal will age and leak; if it's too low, it won't seal properly. It's generally between 180 and 220 degrees Celsius, depending on what kind of bag you're using."

"Secondly, the degree of vacuuming. It's not about vacuuming as dry as possible. If the egg has too high a moisture content, excessive vacuuming will cause the egg to dehydrate and become dry. You need to leave a tiny bit of oxygen to maintain the flavor."

"Third, the bag material." Zhong Zhengtao walked to the table, picked up a piece of plastic, and said, "When you make braised eggs, you must use a nylon/polyethylene composite film. Ordinary polyethylene bags are fine when you first take them out, but after a month, oxygen molecules will seep in and they'll still spoil!"

"fourth,……"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, gesturing wildly, unlike a lazy person just going through the motions in a state-owned enterprise; he seemed more like a professor passionately lecturing on a university stage.

Five minutes have long been exceeded.

But Dong Jianguo listened with great interest and even asked him for paper and pen to jot down key data from time to time.

Zhong Zhengtao was not happy at the meat processing plant; his superiors often ignored his suggestions.

As for the underground workers, none of them took him seriously.

Aside from himself, it seems like no one in this factory really cares about the quality of the products...

This long-lost atmosphere made Zhong Zhengtao speak with great focus, and he completely forgot about the time.

Dong Jianguo nodded repeatedly as he listened. This knowledge was far more systematic and professional than the scattered information he had heard in his previous life.

"Mr. Zhong, your words are more valuable than ten years of study!" Dong Jianguo exclaimed sincerely. "So, tell me, how much does this equipment cost?"

When money was mentioned, Zhong Zhengtao's enthusiasm instantly cooled.

"How much?" he sneered. "You think this is like buying cabbage? That fully automatic vacuum packaging machine we have in our factory, imported from Germany, costs over 300,000 yuan. Even a second-hand Japanese machine would cost 80,000 or 90,000 yuan."

"Of course, there are cheaper options. Domestic single-chamber/double-chamber vacuum machines generally cost between 1.5 and 3 yuan. Better domestic external extraction/conveyor belt vacuum machines cost 5 to 6 yuan."

He looked at Dong Jianguo with a hint of pity in his eyes: "Can you come up with this money?"

Upon hearing the price, Dong Jianguo's heart sank.

The profit margin for selling eggs is what it is now. Even if we take into account the increased supply, the monthly profit is only around 7 to 8 yuan.

This is only the price of one domestically produced vacuum machine.

Other equipment might be even more expensive!

Even if you find a bargain or buy a secondhand item... it takes quite a while to save up that money.

"Then... is there anything cheaper?" Dong Jianguo persisted.

"Cheap?" Zhong Zhengtao walked to the corner, lifted a red cloth, and there was a transparent glass cover inside.

Inside the enclosure was a small, silver-gray machine. The machine had a very simple design, resembling a large electric iron, and it didn't even have a dial.

"This is an experimental machine that I modified myself five years ago. The principle is very simple: heating, vacuuming, and sealing. There are no automatic sensors; it's all done manually. But it's cheap; the material cost was only a few hundred yuan."

"Mr. Chung, is this machine...usable?" Dong Jianguo's eyes lit up.

"Why can't it be used?" Zhong Zhengtao patted the machine. "I used this back then to make the first batch of qualified vacuum sausages for the meat processing plant! It's a pity... now the factory thinks it's too slow and outdated, so nobody uses it anymore."

"Ha! With automatic packaging machines, who would bother using this old manual tool?!"

He looked at the machine with a look of regret in his eyes, as if he were looking at an abandoned child.

"Mr. Chung, can you make a few more of this machine?" Dong Jianguo asked.

Zhong Zhengtao paused for a moment, then pushed up his thick glasses: "What are you going to do?"

"Since we don't have the money to buy automated equipment right now, let's use manual methods for now. We can switch to automated machines when the factory grows bigger and we have more money. But don't worry, if I really do grow the factory, I'll definitely build a factory history museum and display all the machines you helped me with!"

"Although it's a handmade machine, it's still a product of wisdom. Seeing it displayed here... is heartbreaking."

Zhong Zhengtao opened and closed his mouth, staring blankly at the man in front of him.

After a long while, he spoke again:

How many do you need?

"One is definitely enough for now, but it's uncertain about the future; we'll probably need at least ten... Mr. Zhong, don't worry, I'll cover the materials and labor costs!"

Zhong Zhengtao nodded and removed the glass cover: "I'll teach you how to use this machine."

"About the money..."

"This one is yours for the taking. If you need it again later, just give me a small fee for the labor."

"Give it to me?" Dong Jianguo was stunned.

"Yes, it's yours." Zhong Zhengtao pushed up his glasses. "Machines are meant to be used; they'll just gather dust here. But I have one condition."

"Please speak!"

"Once your factory is up and running, I need to come and take a look. I don't care about your formula, but you need to oversee the production process and such. I have to guarantee that the products made by my machines meet safety standards."

Looking at Zhong Zhengtao's serious face, Dong Jianguo felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

In this profit-driven age, encountering a "weirdo" who values ​​technology more than money is truly a blessing.

He really wanted to poach Zhong Gong.

But my factory is still in the conceptual stage, and I'm afraid it won't meet their standards.

"Mr. Zhong, I promise you!"

……

After testing the machine, Dong Jianguo expressed his gratitude profusely and carefully carried this precious machine out.

Watching Dong Jianguo's departing figure, Zhong Zhengtao pushed up his glasses, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

This young man is interesting.