Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 716 Everyone is happy
It seems easy to judge what is easy to make mistakes in and what is not, but often the line between them is blurry.

When there are no standards, the leader becomes the standard.

So even though Chen Fan had given very obvious hints, He Qingsheng and the other two were still a little unsure.

He raised his hand, ran a hand through his hair, and said decisively, "You are the vice chairman in charge of external relations. In the next couple of days, find some time to have your cousin represent us and sign the publishing contract. Once you get on this end, your work will have taken off."

You secured both the small-scale project and the US project single-handedly. During this time, while you were out working, you weren't idle at your workplace either.

As per your previous instructions, Director Duan and Xiao Bian have been following up on the matter of contacting writers' associations in relevant European countries, using international students as a bridge, and there's been some progress.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan's eyes lit up. "Which countries specifically?"

Xu Qizhen, who was standing next to her, said with a smile, "There are France, Britain, and Italy, as well as a few Eastern European countries."

In the years before that, my country received very few international students, but not none. Some came from a few Eastern European, African, and Latin American countries that had maintained long-term friendly relations with my country, while others were left-wing individuals from certain Western European countries.

Yes, these people really like the wind, so they came here specifically to enjoy it.

Later, when the wind stopped, some of them went back, while others stayed.

Jiangnan University, as one of the best universities in China, has a history of accepting international students since its inception, and thus naturally became a school for receiving international students.

Previously, Chen Fan had noticed this point and suggested to He Qingsheng that they make use of these well-fed and cared-for international students. Since they were mostly here to learn about Chinese culture, they could use literature as a pretext to connect with the forces behind them, and that would be how international literary exchanges were started!
He Qingsheng waited a few seconds, and seeing that Chen Fan did not speak, he smiled and continued, "With the excellent examples of the US and the UK, if we can also open up communication channels with Europe, Africa, and Latin America, your position as vice chairman will definitely be convincing."

Later on, you can be like Lao Tan, just a mascot in the association, and no one will bother you wherever you go.

Chen Fan's eyes lit up instantly. "I understand, I understand."

He immediately picked up his wine glass and swirled it around, saying, "Come, come, on behalf of myself, I would like to toast the three seniors."

Tan Yong picked up his wine glass, but turned to look at He Qingsheng and laughed, "This kid won't do anything without a reason. Hearing that we're not going to take him seriously, he's already starting to toast him."

The group finished their drinks with laughter and chatter.

Chen Fan put down his wine glass and exhaled a long breath. Although he had promised his teacher that he would be working as a part-time professor at the university in the second half of the year, he would no longer be able to move around freely.

However, there are still six months left.

Every moment of leisure is precious.

Looking at the smiling Chen Fan, He Qingsheng picked up his wine glass, his thoughts drifting back to the time he went to Beijing for a meeting and talked with the leaders of the cultural sector.

Although they were leaders, they were also comrades-in-arms who had lived and fought together back then, so there was no distance between them, and they had a very thorough conversation.

The leader said at the time, "Comrade Xiao Chen is quite good. Although he is young, he has made outstanding contributions. No matter which system he goes to, he can perform well and make contributions."

However, with many veteran comrades gradually returning to their posts, talents in various fields need to find their proper places, especially young people, who should take the time to accumulate experience, build a solid foundation, and learn from the work experience of their senior colleagues.

He Qingsheng was still a little confused at the time and asked, "Do you mean to change Xiao Chen's position or change his management authority? But he was just elected, and you also said that he got the position through merit. Without a proper reason, you can't just move him..."

Before he could finish speaking, the leader quickly denied it, saying, "Absolutely not. Who wants to touch him? Don't talk nonsense."

"Kicking him down right off the bat? Putting aside whether that's convincing, do you really think his masters are pushovers? Or do you think Old Master Xu can't even lift a knife anymore?"

He Qingsheng expressed his grievance, "Then why did you bring this up again? Can't you just be more direct?!"

They are all older generation intellectuals. If he wanted to, he could also find a position at the association, and his rank wouldn't be any lower than theirs. Who's afraid of whom?

The leader was also helpless, "When I worked under the old leader, I had to listen carefully and try to figure out what he meant. Why can't you cooperate a little?"

He sighed resentfully, took a swig of water in a huff, and then continued, "Let's just say it directly. Normally, given Xiao Chen's age, even if he has great achievements and abilities, he should be suppressed."

However, he was lucky. It happened to coincide with the background of negotiations to establish diplomatic relations, and his uncle had a certain influence in the United States. At that time, he also became a member of the White House. It was better to remain still than to make a move. In order not to affect the overall situation, we turned a blind eye and let it pass.

But as you know, Xiao Chen is like the Monkey King; if you give him a chance, he can create a whole mess for you.

If you were to promote him again, given his track record, what do you suggest we do? Should we step down, or give him my position? Or perhaps send him to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles?

He Qingsheng nodded immediately, "I understand, I understand. When I get back, I'll treat him like royalty and not let him do anything."

He sighed after saying that, "Before he went on his business trip, Mr. Xu told him that he wanted him to teach at Jiangda University. I was thinking that if that were the case, it would be a waste of his talent at the university. But I didn't expect it to turn out to be a good thing. When I get back, I will use this as an excuse to leave him idle."

Leaving others idle is a punishment, but leaving Chen Fan idle? Hmph, he'd be more than happy to do that!
After He Qingsheng finished speaking, the leader hummed twice and looked at him meaningfully, "Then why do you think Old Xu would let him into the school at this time?"

He Qingsheng's eyes widened instantly as he looked at his old friend, speechless.

After a long pause, he lowered his voice and asked, "Did you see Old Xu?"

The leader shook his head slightly, turned his head to look around, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through thousands of mountains and rivers, and chuckled softly, "Old Xu has been able to weather all the storms and remain steadfast. You don't think that the old gentleman is just a bookworm, do you?"

He Qingsheng clicked his tongue and gave a thumbs up in admiration, "The senior's level of thinking is indeed beyond our reach."

The leader hesitated for two seconds, then said, "You can only look up to me from afar, don't drag me into this. I still want to catch up with my seniors."

Take back your thoughts.

He Qingsheng raised his glass, smiling silently at Chen Fan. He hadn't expected that his excuse of going to university wouldn't have been needed; not only had he completed the task assigned to the then-unemployed Vice Chairman Chen, but he'd also gotten a free suggestion on reform and opening up—a win-win situation!
Chen Fan had no idea that these veteran comrades had such treacherous thoughts. Seeing that He Qingsheng had agreed to let him have a legitimate reason to relax, he grinned and said, "When I came back, I saw a gatekeeper at the entrance of the community. I heard that it was a service center that several of your units put together?"

He Qingsheng frowned slightly. "We were talking about reform, why bring this up?"

Feeling a little strange, he didn't show any sign of it. He nodded slightly and said, "Yes, that's right. After you came back, the service department notified Xiao Xu, and that's when she arranged for someone to install a telephone for your home."

After saying that, he looked around and asked, "Where did you put your phone?"

Chen Fan pointed to the room, "Inside the room."

Then he waved his hand and said, "What I'm talking about is this service department."

He turned his neck to look at the three of them and laughed, "This service department is actually the same as a property management company abroad, except that property management companies abroad don't have this errand service."

Xu Qizhen immediately said, "The errand service is like this: the cultural system was a bit unstable a few years ago, and many of the older comrades were in poor health. The younger people had to go to work every day, so if something happened, it would be difficult to handle. So, after discussing it, several of our units decided to include errand services in the system."

Tan Yong continued, "Actually, since the service department was established, we've only needed to run errands twice. Usually, everyone is very conscientious and doesn't easily bother others."

Chen Fan nodded slightly. This is indeed the case for older comrades these days. Most of them are very self-disciplined. Take leaders, for example. Even if they have a phone at home, they rarely make personal calls.

It is the young people who lack martial ethics. For example, the vice chairman of a certain association often abuses public power for private gain, staying in free guesthouses and making free phone calls, which is despicable and should serve as a warning.

Because they are capable of making a lot of money for their company. If you don't have that ability and try to learn it rashly, you're likely to be reported on, and if something goes wrong, you'll regret it.

Looking up, Chen Fan smiled and said, "I didn't mean anything by it. Didn't you just ask how to comply with the spirit of the meeting? Why don't we use this service department as an example?"

After he finished speaking, all three of them fell into deep thought.

After a moment, He Qingsheng looked up at him thoughtfully, "You just mentioned that there are property management companies overseas, could it be..."

Chen Fan nodded slightly and said seriously, "That's right, we'll separate the service department and establish a property management company. The service recipients will be the families in the community. As for income, we can charge the residents a service fee by providing the services."

He Qingsheng straightened up, ran a hand through his hair, looked around, and said with a hint of excitement, "This is something we can do."

He placed his hands on the edge of the table and looked at Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen. "The service department was originally established by combining several units in the cultural system. The expenses were shared proportionally, and its main task was to serve the community residents."

If we use a service department as an experiment, establishing a property management company with the Cultural Bureau as the management unit, and then charging fees to families in the community, I think that firstly, the nature of this property management company remains unchanged, so there is no issue of crossing any red lines.

Secondly, shifting from funding allocation to generating revenue through services aligns with the spirit of the meeting's directive to prioritize economic development…

After a series of comments, a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. "I think it's feasible. What do you guys think?"

Chen Fan was the one who made the suggestion; he can be ignored.

Tan Yong and Xu Qizhen exchanged a glance, and the next second, they both nodded, "I think it's a good idea."

He Qingsheng suddenly burst out laughing. "After the meeting, almost every unit was thinking about how to carry out economic construction. Some people felt that it was none of their business and that it was the production unit's business. But the production unit, as before, always focused on increasing output."

"If we unite several cultural institutions to establish a property management company, and if it really works out, it might become an outstanding example, not only in Jiangnan Province, but even nationwide!"

After he finished speaking, he suddenly realized what he had said and couldn't help but glance at Chen Fan.

No wonder the boss sidelined him. Look, every casual idea he comes up with is considered a contribution. In time, it probably won't be long before he becomes uncontrollable.

The meal was a great success, with everyone enjoying themselves. He Qingsheng and his companions got the answers they wanted, and Comrade Chen Fan received a promise that he could now legitimately slack off. It was a truly happy ending for everyone.

……

The next day, Chen Fan went straight to the telephone exchange with Zhou Yali. After a short conversation of more than ten minutes, he signed a sales contract with the telephone exchange of Jiangnan Province on behalf of WMC Company of the United States to provide the provincial capital with a 1-line program-controlled exchange.

Although the provincial capital is prosperous, it is not comparable to Beijing or Shanghai. One piece of equipment is enough. If the original development trajectory is followed, this piece of equipment may last for another ten years.

After signing the contract, Zhou Yali immediately sent two telegrams: one to her father in Beijing to inform him of the situation, and the other to the Hong Kong branch to notify them to purchase the equipment in a timely manner and prepare for installation.

Chen Fan watched in stunned silence.

For such important and large equipment, shouldn't we first communicate the technical standards, then carefully select the most suitable model, and then sign a contract?
Why did you make such an impulsive decision?

Little did he know that after dinner last night, He Qingsheng returned home and immediately called his son. He didn't mean anything by it, just wanted him to tell his superiors that two pieces of equipment had been ordered each in Beijing and Shanghai, and that they should handle the arrangements.

That very night, the leaders of the telephone bureau held a meeting, and having already learned about the models that WMC Technology Company represented, they quickly made a decision.

That's why we were able to sign the contract after just over ten minutes of negotiation.

The contract has been signed, but the delivery and installation time is not so fast.

A 10,000-line PBX is not a small machine. Even if the equipment arrives quickly, it still needs to be compatible with the two technical standards, and then installed and debugged.

参考福州于1982年3月开始安装富士通F150型万门程控电话交换机，到4月12日安装完毕，全程大约用了40天，那么最起码一两个月的时间是要的。

Today is January 21st, so at the earliest, it might not be installed until March.

It might happen as early as April.

(End of this chapter)