Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 751 Pure Profit
Tuesday, May 1st.

This day is also a statutory holiday. Since the end of last year, when the higher authorities issued a notice to officially and fully restore statutory holidays, no additional arrangements are needed for such occasions; each unit will automatically arrange for a holiday.

Schools are no exception.

Jiang Lili didn't have to go to school today, so she went to the market early this morning to buy groceries for three days.

Open the door, enter the door, get out of the car, close the door.

Jiang Lili took two large baskets off the car and called out to her sister who was walking towards her, "Where's Xiao Fan? Didn't he ask a machinery factory to make automatic doors for him during the Spring Festival? It's been more than two months and they're still not finished?"

Jiang Tiantian took a basket from her hand, turned around and walked inside, laughing, "He probably forgot about it himself."

Chen Fan's voice came from the room upstairs, "I haven't forgotten, I just can't remember."

The two sisters exchanged a glance and couldn't help but grin.

Can't remember? What else could it be but forgetting?
Chen Fan picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Yunhu Machinery Factory. Once the call reached the Yunhu Telephone Bureau, he could hang up and wait for the other end to connect before the phone rang.

After hanging up the phone, he couldn't help but mutter a few words, "I wonder when the program-controlled exchange between Shanghai and Yunhu will be installed. It's really not easy to make a phone call."

Two program-controlled telephone exchanges have now been put into use in Beijing, and related news has been published in newspapers.

Previously, the long-distance telephone exchange in Beijing was brightly lit almost all night long. But since the installation of the program-controlled exchange, it is said that in the middle of the night, only the lobby on the first floor is still lit, and there are not many people making phone calls.

Because during the daytime, the phone call needs of most people can be met, the extreme situation of a long-distance call lasting seven or eight hours, or even two or three days, is greatly improved instantly.

The same applies to international and domestic long-distance calls; the number of calls made in Beijing has increased by several times.

With the example set in Beijing, Shanghai also became anxious and immediately urged Wanmuchun Company to fulfill its contractual obligations as soon as possible.

Zhou Zhengdong also remotely directed the work from the very beginning, transferring engineering personnel from Beijing to Shanghai and settling them in the small villa that Zhou Yali had bought to work in, and starting the installation work immediately.

In addition, he sent a group of engineers from Hong Kong, dividing them into two teams to install and debug two machines simultaneously.

With the installation and debugging experience gained in Beijing, it is estimated that Shanghai will be able to complete the transformation of some telephone lines within a month, following Beijing's lead.

The success in Beijing not only accelerated the installation of equipment in Shanghai, but also spurred other cities to purchase program-controlled switches.

In some places, they even bypassed Wanmuchun Company and directly expressed their intention to purchase to the relevant manufacturers.

Believe it or not, apart from Lucent, Alcatel, and Fujitsu, which have already handed over the agency rights to Wan Muchun, other manufacturers are actually interested in this.

After all, it doesn't matter who I sell to, as long as I make money!
Unfortunately, these days, how foreign exchange is used is basically planned in advance. No company is willing to risk not receiving payment by doing "goods first, payment later" business with domestic companies.

Meanwhile, major cities in mainland China were unable to come up with the huge sum of three to four million US dollars in a short period of time.

So not a single transaction was completed.

In the end, cities across the country that were interested in installing program-controlled telephone exchanges all called Wanmuchun Company's offices and lined up to buy on credit.

Two days ago, Zhou Zhengdong sent a telegram saying that he would rush back to China soon to handle these orders that came his way.

As for the specific day they will arrive, and whether Zhou Yali will come along, none of that was mentioned.

Just as Chen Fan was wondering when they would come, the phone on the table rang.

He snapped out of his daze and immediately picked up the phone, holding it to his ear. "Hello, where is this?"

Factory Director Xue's voice came from beside me, "Oh, it's Consultant Chen. I thought he was trying to get goods through back channels again."

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so even the machinery factory is getting pressured to deliver now?"

The first factory to be urged to deliver was naturally Yunhu Automobile Factory. Despite rushing to meet demand and adding more and more car assembly workshops, Yunhu Automobile was still in short supply.

Whether it's a Yunhu minivan or a sedan, the small canteen of the government office is almost always packed with people waiting to pick up their vehicles. When they went to pay their respects to Director Yang during the Spring Festival, he said that some people even stayed at the Yunhu Automobile Factory guesthouse for three or four months, not even going home for the Spring Festival, just waiting to pick up their vehicles.

Yunqi Factory had already submitted the design drawings, and almost all the car factories in the country were producing these two types of cars. But what could they do when the quality of other car factories was far inferior to that of the cars produced by Yunqi Factory?

The only company that can be roughly compared to it is FAW (First Automobile Works).

This is because they have experience in producing "luxury" cars. Other car manufacturers wouldn't even be able to figure out the production process of Yunqi Factory.

According to Director Yang, someone even went to the Ministry of Machine Building to complain, saying that the drawings were inaccurate.

As a result, he was first scolded by the Ministry of Machine Building, and then obediently took gifts to visit and learn from the Yunqi Factory. After looking around, he felt that he could not learn anything, so he went back dejectedly.

There's nothing else to it; Yunqi Factory has implemented a standardized management system, and this system alone is enough to leave them speechless.

Not to mention that almost harsh quality management system, they knew they couldn't learn it just by thinking about the workers in their own unit.

As a result, companies that want to buy high-quality cars will naturally have no choice but to go to Yunqi Factory or FAW Factory.

Now some people are even shouting the gimmick of "Southern Yunnan Automobile, Northern FAW". Although Director Yang kept saying that it was too exaggerated when he said this, the corners of his mouth that he couldn't suppress couldn't lie.

Comrade Lao Yang is still very happy.

The Yunqi Factory was doing just that, and the neighboring home appliance factory was not to be outdone. Ever since Chen Fan asked He Qingsheng for help last year and introduced Director Li to the leaders of the Provincial Import and Export Company, the home appliance factory had found the key to wealth.

On the one hand, they sell their products to all parts of the country through supply and marketing cooperatives and department stores. On the other hand, they have exported several batches of household appliances, and judging from the trend, the quantity is getting larger and larger.

They have now attracted the attention of the Provincial Import and Export Corporation and the Provincial Light Industry Bureau, who have not only provided them with substantial export subsidies but also a large amount of equipment and technical support.

Its position in the Yunhu area is showing a strong momentum to catch up with that of Yunqi Factory.

The two companies that were spun off are doing better and better, while the machinery factory that retained its original business is not doing much better. No wonder Director Xue and his team are anxious.

At this moment, Chen Fan was naturally surprised to hear Factory Director Xue say that the machinery factory was also receiving calls urging delivery.

Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Director Xue seemed very pleased with his surprise and couldn't help but laugh and say, "You don't know, but last month, there was an industrial trade fair in Beijing, and many companies signed up to participate."

Although the machinery factory didn't have an office in Beijing, the Yunqi factory and the home appliance factory did. So I asked them to help me register, and then I found someone to bring a batch of equipment over. Guess what happened?

At that time, there was a rush of orders from various units. Not only were several thousand industrial sewing machines ordered, but even the incubator you guided the invention of caught the eye of the leaders of the Ministry of Agriculture, who placed an order for one thousand units directly with the Jiangnan Industrial Bureau.

"Look, our machine factory is now no worse than our two sister factories. All our workers are working together with the same enthusiasm we had twenty years ago. Every day is a whirlwind of activity..."

Chen Fan held the microphone, his eyes fixed on the clock beside him, silently keeping time for him.

Counting the seconds, this boasting lasted a full 5 minutes and 36 seconds. My phone bill!
Factory Director Xue rang the phone for a while, but didn't hear anything from the other end. He couldn't help but wonder, "Hello, Consultant Chen, are you still there?"

He picked up the microphone and looked at it. "Strange, did the connection drop again?"

He was also going to check if the plug was loose.

Chen Fan then said, "Oh, it's still here. But, Director Xue, what's with that industrial trade fair? Aren't your production tasks all assigned by your superiors? Why do you need to participate in any trade fairs?"

"Hi, here's what happened."

Seeing that Chen Fan was still online, Director Xue immediately put the matter of being disconnected out of his mind and said seriously, "Isn't this a reform? The Ministry of Industry has been referring to foreign experience and has held several trade fairs, saying that tasks should be determined according to demand."

Actually, it's just the same old thing in a different guise. I've attended several special trade fairs for light industrial products, which mainly feature textiles, ceramics, hardware, and chemicals, and the attendees are mostly organized by local industrial bureaus.

All orders follow the same old system. For example, if a company wants to buy our industrial sewing machines, they can place an order directly with our factory, or they can report their needs to their local industrial bureau, which will then handle the arrangements.

After we compile the orders, we report them to the Industrial Bureau. The Industrial Bureau then approves the corresponding raw materials based on the orders and issues production tasks.

It's the same old routine, just with a different twist.

He chuckled a few times as he spoke, “The whole country is a unified entity, and all units are under the management of the industrial system. The difference is whether we connect directly or through the industrial bureau.”

Anyway, I didn't see any benefits from all the changes, but they certainly caused a lot of trouble for people.

After he finished speaking, Chen Fan helplessly stroked his chin and laughed, "You can't say that. It's better to be a little lenient than a little strict. Making a slight change also has its advantages. Otherwise, you can only wait until other companies that produce industrial sewing machines are full before you can eat what they don't want."

He really thought it was a trade fair where buying and selling were free; it turns out it was just a different shell.

Upon hearing his words, Director Xue raised an eyebrow slightly, smiled, and said, "That's true. A few years ago, let alone competing with other factories for tasks, even independently developing non-task products would have been a taboo."

He exhaled a long breath and said, "You're right, changes are a good thing."

After a two-second pause, he suddenly asked, "Hey, why did you suddenly decide to call me today? Is something wrong?"

Chen Fan chuckled twice. "I never come here unless I have a reason. Today I wanted to ask if the automatic door has been completed yet?"

"Oh, so that's what it was about?"

Factory Director Xue laughed and said, "It was made a long time ago. This thing is really not difficult. After you told us about it, we made several sets of samples in just a few days and even installed them at the gate of our factory."

At this point, Director Xue's tone changed, and he seemed to get even more excited. "You know what, ever since we installed this automatic door, every time a new customer comes in, they get a big surprise. Many people originally came for the industrial sewing machines and egg incubators, but when they left, they couldn't help but order one of these automatic doors."

He suddenly lowered his voice, looking mysterious, "You don't know, we didn't report this automatic door, so the higher-ups didn't issue any task. Every time we sold one, the revenue went into the factory's slush fund."

The raw materials used to produce this thing are all scraps saved from the factory; it costs almost nothing. This money is all the company's own—pure profit!

Chen Fan wiped away imaginary cold sweat. Are people already setting up slush funds these days? Isn't that a bit premature?

At this point, Factory Director Xue asked again, "You're asking this because you want it installed somewhere?"

Chen Fan hummed twice and said, "I told you last time, the Provincial Writers Association wants two sets, one for the workplace and the other for the Arts and Literature Village. In addition, I bought a small courtyard house in Beijing and Shanghai, and I want to modify the gate to be this kind of gate. I don't need a retractable gate, I just need to get a motor and modify the gate. The most important thing is that it can be remotely controlled, so that I don't have to get out of the car to open the gate every time, which is troublesome."

Factory Director Xue: "No problem. The remote-controlled door is also made. As you said, we used the most advanced infrared remote control from abroad. We didn't use wireless or ultrasonic remote control. We'll still ask Lao Li to handle the foreign exchange. His factory exports several batches of home appliances and can get a lot of foreign exchange quotas."

He paused for a moment, then said with a hint of envy, "There's already news coming out that by August at the latest, the government will issue a policy allowing export companies to retain a quarter of their foreign exchange reserves for their own use. Old Li is going to make a fortune!"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "You can also get in touch with the provincial import and export company and see if you can export."

Upon hearing this, Director Xue's eyes darted around slightly. "That makes sense. I'll go find Old Li later; I definitely need a ride."

He then said, "I'll arrange for a few technicians to go to your place first and see how to make the changes. Also, just give me a heads-up with the Provincial Writers Association, and I'll send someone over directly. You don't need to worry about this; I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly for you."

Is there anything else?

Chen Fan: "That's all."

Factory Director Xue: "Alright, I'm hanging up now. I'm going to find Old Li."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Chen Fan put down the microphone, still thinking about what Director Xue had just said.

It's not about assigning people to carry out the reforms, but about foreign exchange retention. Since foreign exchange retention will be implemented in a few months, we should prepare ourselves and consider writing a few stories in our notebooks.

He then opened a document on his computer and typed a few words.

In the kitchen on the first floor, the two sisters sorted out the groceries Jiang Lili had bought, put away the groceries they didn't need for the day, and then began preparing lunch.

The two sat facing each other on small stools, with some green vegetables to be picked between them. Jiang Lili looked up at her sister and asked softly, "Sister, when did you start liking Xiaofan?"

Jiang Tiantian's pretty face immediately turned red, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at her. "Why did you suddenly ask this?"

Jiang Lili chuckled and said, "I was afraid you'd be too shy to ask before. Today we're going to see 'Love in the Clouds and Lakes,' right? Although the previous film, 'The Ferryman,' also had romance, it wasn't direct, and everyone says the original work is reflective literature, so many people say 'Love in the Clouds and Lakes' is the first true romance film."

In Xiao Fan's novel "Love by Cloud Lake," the male and female protagonists fall in love at first sight. That reminded me of us, so I thought I'd ask...

Jiang Tiantian glanced at her and smiled, "And you? When did you start liking Xiaofan? Was it love at first sight too?"

Jiang Lili chuckled dryly twice, lowered her head, deftly pinched the green beans with her fingers, and said softly, "I don't know if it was love at first sight, but I didn't dislike it at first glance. But to say I like it..."

A strange light appeared in her eyes, "It must have been the day Captain Yang slaughtered the pig."

Jiang Tiantian looked surprised. "What does this have to do with slaughtering pigs?"

Jiang Lili chuckled again, without looking up, and murmured, "It was on that day that Xiao Fan said he considered me a friend. I don't know why, but I was so touched, and I thought that even if I suddenly died, it would be worth it."

Jiang Tiantian stared at her blankly for a long while before letting out a long breath and saying, "That's not liking, that's being moved."

Jiang Lili looked up, smiled, and said, "Isn't liking someone just starting with being moved?"

Jiang Tiantian was stunned upon hearing this, blinked, and was speechless for a moment.

Jiang Lili stared intently at her. "And you? When did you realize you liked Xiao Fan?"

Jiang Tiantian snapped out of her daze, paused for two seconds, then lowered her head to continue picking vegetables, smiling as she said, "I realized I liked him very late..."

(End of this chapter)