All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

“Your sister was worried that you would be hungry or cold, so she asked me to pick out all sorts of things for you, including food, clothes, and other necessities. She even brought several kinds of fruit from home!”

With a blush, Song Yunhui quickly opened the bag, took out all the food, and shared it with the other classmates.

If Song Yunhui hadn't introduced them, Lei Dongbao wouldn't have recognized that his three roommates were also college students, and each of them was older than the last.

Uncle Ding Jianguo is almost thirty-six, Second Uncle Tian Jiachang is thirty-three, Third Uncle Yu Changqing is twenty-six, and Song Yunhui has just turned twenty this year. They all refer to themselves as "Uncle" and take good care of Song Yunhui. They have a very good relationship.

Lei Dongbao quickly learned what was going on. They were all college students who had taken the college entrance examination last year. Their ages varied. The youngest, Song Yunhui, had gone to the countryside for a few years after graduating from junior high school and then went directly to college. The oldest, Ding Jianguo, had gone to the countryside for more than ten years and finally went to college through hard work.

The group was very hospitable and quickly asked Lei Dongbao to sit down, then promptly poured water for the two of them.

After a conversation, Lei Dongbao learned from his roommates what had just happened to Song Yunhui. Because Song Yunhui performed very well at school, he was assigned by the school to be a mentor at a local primary school.

On Song Yunhui's first day of class, his authority was challenged by a little girl named Liang Sichen, who successfully made him cry. He slunk back to his school dormitory. When Lei Dongbao heard the name Liang Sichen, he immediately recalled his memories. This girl seemed to have a big background, and she was going to be his brother-in-law's second wife in the future.

Although he wasn't sure if things would be the same in the future, Lei Dongbao found it amusing to see Song Yunhui with a dark expression. He joined in the banter with his roommates, filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere. Only Song Yunhui sat to the side with a dark expression and a pout.

Seeing that he had completed the task assigned by his wife, Lei Dongbao decided to treat Song Yunhui and his entire dormitory to a meal nearby. However, Song Yunhui refused, so Lei Dongbao took him to the cafeteria for a meal.

After dinner, Lei Dongbao asked Song Yunhui to go for a walk on the playground alone. The two started chatting about everyday things, and Song Yunhui naturally asked about his sister Song Yunping. Lei Dongbao replied that she was doing well and that he had even given her some protein the night before, promising that she would grow up healthy and plump.

Song Yunhui knew that Lei Dongbao had called him here because he had something to ask. Seeing that Lei Dongbao kept his briefcase close at hand, he guessed what it was and asked.

"Brother, are you going out on errands?"

Lei Dongbao nodded and pointed to the chair under the shade of a tree next to him.

"Let's go sit over there and talk!"

Song Yunhui nodded, and the two sat down casually. Lei Dongbao opened his briefcase and, to Song Yunhui's surprise, took out his business plan. He had prepared this plan long ago, and he wanted his brother-in-law to give him some advice.

Although Song Yunhui didn't have much interest in money, the thick stack of ten-yuan notes in the briefcase still made him momentarily lose his composure. He took the plan that Lei Dongbao handed him, opened it, and began to read it carefully.

Upon seeing this, he was stunned. He looked up at Lei Dongbao, then lowered his head again to continue reading the plan. Like Lao Xu, he quickly fell into deep thought.

Although Song Yunhui is only twenty years old, the way he thinks makes people forget his age; he looks like a professor in his sixties or eighties.

Lei Dongbao didn't disturb him or ask any questions, and just quietly waited for his brother-in-law to continue thinking.

It wasn't until more than ten minutes later that Song Yunhui looked up, returned the plan to Lei Dongbao, and then spoke in a very serious tone.

"Brother, I have a question I'd like to ask you about your business plan!"

Lei Dongbao nodded, indicating that Song Yunhui should speak.

Song Yunhui had no concerns and immediately said.

"The principle of an electric fan is not complicated. If you just want to assemble and sell electric fans, why would you go to Guangdong Province to purchase parts? Is it because parts are cheaper there, or is there some other reason?"

Song Yunhui's question startled Lei Dongbao. He looked up at Song Yunhui, speechless. He seemed to realize that he had indeed fallen into a misconception.

Yes, why did I have to go all the way to Guangdong province to buy the parts?

why?

Because his mind was filled with the history of how Guangdong Province became known as the hometown of home appliances in later generations.

In January 1979, Shunde Guizhou Diesel Engine Parts Factory successfully trial-produced a hanging electric fan. In 1990, Midea produced its first electric fan.

Then it became unstoppable. In 1995, the local annual production of electric fans exceeded eight million units, accounting for more than 20% of the national output value. From then on, white goods became the key to wealth for countless small businesses in the area.

In later generations, there was a saying in the area: "Give me a pair of pliers, and I can produce any household appliance!"

This means that there were thousands of supporting factories for home appliances in the area, from motors to molds, to hardware and plastics, and that was decades later.

Lei Dongbao suddenly realized something: those parts factories didn't appear all at once; they were built up step by step.

Today is only May 9th, 1979. Why would I think of going to a dilapidated town more than a thousand kilometers away to get spare parts?

Is your brain malfunctioning?

Even if you travel thousands of miles to the location and actually find all the parts, the cost of all that back and forth in this day and age would be enormous.

This thought gave Lei Dongbao a headache.

Seeing Lei Dongbao's frantic state, Song Yunhui finally smiled slightly. It felt so good to see that grumpy face and his frantic expression!

However, as the brother-in-law, Song Yunhui still had a sense of responsibility. He adjusted his glasses and said seriously.

"Actually, the parts you need should be available locally. There's no need to travel thousands of miles to purchase them. There seems to be an electric fan factory in Jinzhou. You could go there and check it out!"

Lei Dongbao stopped listening to what Song Yunhui said after that, because at that moment he suddenly realized that he had fallen into a cognitive trap, always trying to apply the experiences of later generations to the present. He was really a blockhead!

He already had a plan in mind and was no longer willing to continue talking with Song Yunhui. He stood up, took Song Yunhui's hand, and said...

"Xiaohui, thank you for today. I'm heading back now. If anything comes up in the future, remember to call or write back. That's all!"

After saying that, Lei Dongbao picked up his briefcase and, without saying another word, strode out of the campus.

Chapter 18: Talented but Unappreciated?

When Lei Dongbao reached the door, he remembered that Lao Wu was still in Song Yunhui's dormitory. After thinking for a moment, he ran back and pulled the still bewildered Lao Wu back with him, mainly because he was afraid that the silly Lao Wu would get lost. Young people in this era rarely went out.

The two rushed back to the county overnight and checked into a guesthouse.

Early the next morning, Lei Dongbao prepared the revised plan he had written overnight, went straight to the county government, found Lao Xu, and, while Lao Xu was still in a daze, he talked at length about his new plan.

After hearing Lei Dongbao's new plan, Lao Xu fell silent.

In the end, Lao Xu only said one sentence.

"Don't leave at noon. Have lunch with me and tell me your development plan!"

Lei Dongbao poured himself a glass of water, gulped it down, and then nodded in agreement.

At noon, the two found a secluded spot in the county canteen and chatted for over two hours. It wasn't until Secretary Chen Ping came over several times to urge them that Old Xu finally let Lei Dongbao leave.

Lei Dongbao chatted with Lao Xu for more than two hours, but he didn't seem very happy. Instead, he looked complicated and left the county government with a sullen face. He and Lao Wu went straight back to Xiao Lei's house.

Lei Dongbao had just said he was going to investigate the market and help everyone get rich, but he came back immediately. Many people in Xiaolei Village were confused about what this meant, and rumors started to spread. Some even said that the money Lei Dongbao was carrying was stolen on the way, which was why he had to come back.

However, Lei Dongbao was too lazy to waste any more words with these people. After staying at home for one night, he felt refreshed and went to the county again with his briefcase, leaving Lao Wu to explain to those people.

In fact, Lao Wu still doesn't understand what's going on. Lei Dongbao has been in a hurry ever since he met his brother-in-law Song Yunhui. He didn't say a word to him. He said he was going to investigate the market, but he turned around and came back before he even left the province. Lao Wu has no idea what happened. Anyway, the money is definitely not missing. He saw it with his own eyes.

Since the money wasn't less and there was no talk of hammering, many people in Xiaolei Village who were dissatisfied with Lei Dongbao were hoping for Lei Dongbao to get into trouble. After all, the Xiaolei Village brick factory and construction team were in a state of near collapse, and many people hadn't benefited from it before. Now that Xiaolei Village was about to be finished, many people started to stir up trouble behind the scenes.

Apart from the old women who still had the energy to cut rabbit grass every day, the other men sighed and lamented, wondering when good days would come for Xiao Lei's family. Their own 36-year-old son was about to get married, but now that was about to fall through.

Lei Dongbao didn't care about these ignorant people. You really can't reason with farmers in this era. If you can't reason with them, just make a decision by having them speak for you. As long as you win over the hearts of the young people in the village, everyone else will be laughing more than anyone else when Xiao Lei family really rises up. That's reality.

Moreover, Lei Dongbao in the movie "The Great River" treated the villagers, young and old, like family, but when he actually fell on hard times, the village immediately kicked his mother out of the village. That's true humanity.

Having learned from past mistakes, Lei Dongbao is determined to do things his own way. As a member of the Xiaolei family, he has a responsibility to lead the Xiaolei family to prosperity. This is also a life experience for him, but he must adhere to his principles.

If someone were to violate his principles in the future, and he couldn't stop them, he would rather abandon Xiaolei Village and go it alone.

Yesterday, he gave Lao Xu a suggestion: he plans to purchase parts within the province, which requires leadership support and even county-level assistance. He assured Lao Xu that within the next two years, he will turn this appliance factory into an industry with an annual output value of over one million yuan, and within five years, it will exceed ten million yuan. He aims to make Jinling County an appliance capital.

The most important step in building an electrical appliance capital is to attract electrical appliance component factories to invest in Jinling County. Lei Dongbao asked Lao Xu to prepare a policy in the county to attract other component factories in the province to invest and build factories in Jinling County, and to solve the transportation problems including railways, highways, and waterways. In short, a series of policies need to be introduced to develop the economy.

Moreover, Lei Dongbao painted a rosy picture for Lao Xu: Jinling County might become a key county in central China in the future, which would be a definite political achievement!

After chatting with Lei Dongbao for a long time, Lao Xu finally said that he could do his best to support Lei Dongbao in setting up the electrical appliance factory in Xiao Lei's family, but he was powerless to help with the county's policies, because he was alone and couldn't do anything about it.

Lei Dongbao naturally understood Lao Xu's predicament. He also recalled the development path of Shunde, the home appliance capital of later generations. At that time, local managers risked being dismissed to support the development of enterprises, which eventually led to the emergence of home appliance companies in the area like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. Jinling at present obviously does not have such courage.

Just as Lao Xu said, he couldn't make a difference on his own!

Lei Dongbao understood the reasoning, but he was still feeling a bit upset. Since that was the case, he decided to handle it himself.

Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once you get started, everything else becomes easier.

Lei Dongbao checked the entire Anyun Province and found that there were only five electric fan factories, which was quite embarrassing. The nearest one was in Jinzhou, so Lei Dongbao took a bus directly from the county to Jinzhou to start investigating the market.

Upon arriving at the destination, Lei Dongbao booked a room at a nearby guesthouse. When he saw the somewhat old sign of the Jinzhou Electric Fan Factory, Lei Dongbao was stunned for a long time.

Before going there, he thought it must be a big company, but when he inquired, he found out that it was just a small, run-down factory.

Calling it a dilapidated factory is no exaggeration. The entire factory had only about 140 people, mostly middle-aged and elderly men and women. They used to work in handicraft workshops run by the street offices. Later, several street offices joined together to establish an electric fan factory, and they became state-employed workers.

This factory mainly produces ceiling fans and table fans, with only six product categories, each available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. These products have not been updated since 1972 to 1979.

The products didn't have to worry about sales because in those days, there was a unified purchase and sales system. They were sold directly to supply and marketing cooperatives and other markets, and there was no private sales to outsiders. There was no sales pressure, and there were no competitors in the market. Every worker clocked out on time. How could a factory like this possibly improve?

Lei Dongbao was very relaxed. He treated two workers to dinner and drinks, and they became acquainted after just two meals. Upon inquiring, he learned that the factory was not doing well. The monthly wages were only twenty-odd yuan, and they were often delayed. The quality of the factory's products was, to put it mildly, terrible.

High prices, poor quality, and workers just getting by – this is the current state of Jinzhou Electric Fan Factory. Lei Dongbao knows that even if these people want to coast along, they can only do so for a year or two at most. When the 1980s arrive and the electric fan craze sweeps the country from the south, these local electric fan factories will only have two choices.

They either sold the factory and land, or restructured and contracted it out. Lei Dongbao wanted to make his first fortune as soon as the electric fan craze began in Guangdong Province.

Jinzhou Electric Fan Factory has a strong technical force and specialized technicians, but these people don't seem to do much work. However, Lei Dongbao's two meals were not a waste of money. He found out about a person, a deputy director who was assigned to Jinzhou Electric Appliance Factory two years ago.

This man was very motivated and had a technical background. When he first arrived at the electric fan factory, he wanted to upgrade the technology of Jinzhou Electric Fan Factory and make personnel adjustments. However, before he could get things done, he was sidelined by others and someone wrote a letter of complaint to the city. As a result, he was dismissed as the deputy factory director and has been holding a sinecure position in a factory for almost half a year now.

When Lei Dongbao heard the two seasoned veterans jokingly talking about this person, his eyes lit up. He'd actually run into this legendary figure!

He was a technically skilled person who was underappreciated and dismissed from his post. He was relegated to the sidelines, but I recruited him directly to my side and made him my flute player. No, I misspoke. He became one of my top generals!

Feeling a little excited, Lei Dongbao found out the person's address and, without saying a word, brought two bottles of good wine to the door.

Chapter 19: Gao Shengnan

After entering the residential compound of the Jinzhou Electric Fan Factory, Lei Dongbao, under the watchful eyes of the onlookers, walked towards the address he had inquired about, and finally stopped in front of a very common two-story residential building.

Lei Dongbao looked around, suppressing the stinging in his nose, and couldn't help but let out a deep sigh!

This place is truly indescribable; who was the architectural genius who designed this house?

Within a group of several old red brick buildings, a square, two-story structure is formed. At least a hundred families live in these four buildings, and each household has placed its stove at the entrance, indicating that the houses were not even designed with kitchens.

The most amazing thing is that this design has no kitchen, the toilet is shared, and many families also keep chickens and ducks, which chirp and quack incessantly, creating a very lively atmosphere!

The surrounding area was filled with noise: the crying and yelling of children being beaten and scolded, the aroma of cooking from every household, and the smell of chicken droppings in the yard. As time went on, it was a truly indescribable situation!

Lei Dongbao asked at several places before finally finding the right house. He walked into a house on the second floor and finally stopped in front of a house at the very back, near the public toilet. The door was closed, but he could hear men and women talking inside, so someone must be home. There was no stove in front of the house, but he guessed that even if there was, people wouldn't dare to eat there because of the smell of the public toilet.

The surrounding smells filled Lei Dongbao with mixed feelings. Such a talented person was living in such a dilapidated house and such an environment. It was such a waste of his talent!

Lei Dongbao cleared his throat and was about to knock on the door when he heard a soprano voice cursing loudly inside. Lei Dongbao listened carefully and heard that it was all cursing the man as a good-for-nothing, saying that he had to put up with being bullied at the factory, and now he had to put up with being bullied at home too. He also said that he couldn't even last long in bed and that he was going crazy.

Lei Dongbao's expression froze. This man was indeed a coward, no wonder he was sidelined. But it was good, the more down on his luck he was, the greater his chances of recruiting him. With that thought, Lei Dongbao stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, an angry female voice came from inside, cursing viciously.