Siheyuan: Game of Red Dust

Chapter 49 Project Approved
Li Weidong hurried over and asked, "When did the leader come? Why didn't you notify me?"

Minister Wang asked, "Why should we notify you? You can explain it to the workers during the break. Can't we wait a while?"

Chief Li also said: "Yes, Weidong, let's wait a while, it's nothing."

Li Weidong asked, "Why are you two here this time? Has my project been approved?"

Minister Wang said, "This is not a place to talk. Let's go to the meeting room." After that, he took the lead and left the workshop, and everyone followed.

Arrived at the conference room.

Minister Wang and Commander Chen of the army sat in the main seats, and everyone sat on both sides.

Minister Wang spoke first: "Weidong, what about your plan? We reported it to our superiors. After a few days of meetings, they agreed to your plan, but this project cannot remain at the steel mill.

The Ministry of Industry and the Military will jointly establish a research institute, and you will be its director. Because this project is so important, the confidentiality level is very high, so you must be prepared."

Li Weidong said, "Minister, I understand. I will obey the arrangements of my superiors."

At this time, Commander Li of the army also said, "Weidong, based on your contributions to the army, the army has decided to award you the rank of colonel, which corresponds exactly to your administrative level. You will be a member of the army from now on, so don't forget the army. My requirements are not high, just developing a few new equipment for the army every year!"

Li Weidong said, "Thank you, Chief. I will definitely work harder in the future."

Minister Wang glared at Chief Chen. "Weidong, don't listen to Old Chen. Your project is more important, give it priority. We can take our time with the other projects. They're not urgent right now. By the way, do you have any requirements for this project? Bring them up first, and I'll see if we can help you. If not, we'll report this to our superiors as soon as possible."

Li Weidong was delighted when he heard this. He originally thought it was an assignment from his leader, but it turned out that he was asked to make a request.

Li Weidong was immediately excited. He immediately played the emotional card to Minister Wang and complained, "Minister, I know that our country has just started to develop and it started late, so it is very difficult. I won't talk about equipment or anything like that. Just ask the steel mill to produce some machine tools for us.

But as my mother's family, can our Ministry of Industry support me with some technical personnel? After all, I am from our Ministry of Industry, so should our Ministry of Industry support me?
Minister, I also know that our Ministry of Industry is also short of technical personnel. So I will find a way to find the technicians myself. Can the engineers give me some support?

Minister, I don't want too many, just a hundred or eighty will be enough, and I will train a few more myself when the time comes."

Li Weidong's outburst startled the leaders present. Minister Wang had just taken a sip of water when he spat it out.

"You're such a tycoon, aren't you? No wonder you can come up with all those sales pitches. A hundred or eighty engineers will be fine. Sell me and see if I can get you a few engineers. Five at most, no more!"

Minister Wang said unhappily.

"Minister, five is not enough. We need at least eighty. Otherwise, the project will progress too slowly. After all, it is a big project. There are many small projects. With fewer people, we can't handle them all. Besides, I am just borrowing these engineers. I am not going to return them. When the project is over, they will definitely return to the Ministry of Industry." Li Weidong apologized with a smile.

"That won't work either. I can only give you eight at most. Do you know how many factories across the country are short of engineers? If I give you so many, what will happen to the factories across the country?" Minister Wang said with a headache.

"Minister, eight is really not enough. I really need a leader in the early stage. How about you give me fifty and I will return you sixty in a year?" Li Weidong continued to bargain with Minister Wang with a smile.

"You might as well just kill me and return the fifty. Needless to say, you won't return them. Even if you use them for a month, I can't give you fifty. Ten at most." Minister Wang said speechlessly.

"Minister, how can you be so stingy? If others knew about this, who knows what they would say about our Ministry of Industry." Li Weidong said, shaking his head, looking as if he was considering the Ministry of Industry.

Minister Wang was almost irritated to death by Li Weidong's shameless behavior and said, "Twelve at most, that's the bottom line."

"Twenty of them, there must be one chief engineer, two level fours, five level fives, and the rest must be level eight or above." Li Weidong said.

"Damn it, do you think I'm in a vegetable market? Here's the bargaining. At most fifteen, one level seven, and three level eights. At most, I'll assign you a few more technicians. And you have to pay me double the amount after one year." Minister Wang even cursed.

In fact, Li Weidong's bottom line is five, and he would be satisfied with an eight-level level. Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected surprise.

He pretended to be aggrieved and said, "Then let's listen to the Minister. I'll work harder and take care of them more."

At this time, the big leader in the play said:

"Minister, I think Mr. Li is using his sales tactics again. You must have fallen for it."

Li Weidong heard this and said with a simple smile: "Leader, don't joke. How can I use such tactics on the minister? I am really in a difficult situation."

Minister Wang also realized what was happening. He said with a mixture of anger and amusement, "I can give you the person, but you must produce results as soon as possible. Moreover, you must return the person to the Ministry of Industry after one year."

Li Weidong smiled and said, "Don't worry, leader. I will definitely do it."

Minister Wang continued, "Take care of the handover of the steel mill as quickly as possible these next few days, and then take your rank test. You're still a level seven engineer, even after developing a project like this? Is that reasonable?"

Li Weidong quickly assured: "Don't worry, leader, I'll go after I finish handling it."

At this time, Chief Chen said: "Weidong, when you are done with your work, go find Zhou Zhenbei from the Guard Regiment. He will take you to the research institute. His Guard Regiment is responsible for the security of your institute." "Yes, Chief. By the way, Chief, should our troops also provide some support?" Li Weidong said.

"You've tricked Minister Wang into giving you so many engineers, and you're still not satisfied? You're still trying to fleece the army?"

"Commander, how can this be considered as fleecing the army? Think about it, most of the engineers in our Ministry of Industry don't know much about weapons, and your army's engineers are professionally qualified, right? So if we want to produce results in weapons as quickly as possible, we definitely cannot do without the support of the army, don't you think?" Li Weidong, without blushing or beating his heart, subtly elevated the role of the army's engineers.

Commander Chen was also at a loss for words and said, "You kid, I can't argue with you. Let me make it clear first, our army is not as wealthy as your Ministry of Industry. At most, we can support you with two engineers."

Li Weidong said pitifully, "Commander, isn't it a little too little?"

"It's a lot, and these two engineers are not lent to you for free. If our army doesn't see any results next year, you'd better be careful." Commander Chen said happily.

"Yes, Chief, I will ensure that the mission is completed." Li Weidong quickly stood up and saluted.

At this moment, Minister Wang seemed to recall something and asked Li Weidong, "Weidong, what did you say about the equipment and machine tools? Should we have the steel mill produce them? I don't remember the steel mill having this business. Xiao Wang, can your factory produce machine tools? Why didn't you report such a big thing?"

Director Wang was stunned. He stood up and said tremblingly, "Minister, no, our factory doesn't produce machine tools. If we could produce machine tools, we would have reported it long ago."

Li Weidong quickly said, "Minister, I misunderstood. After reporting to you a few days ago, I felt that I might be transferred from the steel rolling mill.

I've been in our steel mill for so many days and found that the workers there have a hard life. So I want to leave something for the mill, increase its profits, and improve the workers' conditions as much as possible.

I've been drawing some drawings of machine tools and electrical appliances these past few days, and I want to have them tested at the steel mill to see if they can be produced."

The leaders looked at each other in confusion. Minister Wang said, "Weidong, where are your drawings? Let's take a look first."

At this time, Director Wang suddenly stood up and said, "Minister, these drawings were given to our steel mill by Engineer Li, you can't take them away.

It's getting late. The food is ready in the cafeteria. Let's eat first. We'll inform the leaders about the machine tool once the steel mill experiment is successful."

Minister Wang laughed and scolded, "Why, are you afraid that we'll snatch your steel mill project? Don't worry, we'll just take a look. Weidong, go get it."

Li Weidong nodded and ran to the laboratory to get the information.

Wait for Li Weidong to give the information to Minister Wang.

Minister Wang looked at the drawings of the machine tool and felt that it was very advanced, but he had to let the engineers look at its specific feasibility.

He handed the drawings to several other leaders of the Ministry of Industry, and then picked up the drawings of the fan and water pump to look at them.

"Are Weidong's fans and water pumps selling well?" asked Minister Wang.

"Minister, fans are definitely not selling well in the north right now. We can sell them in the south, where it's still very hot.

"Look, I've designed a wide variety of home ceiling fans, floor fans, and large exhaust fans for factories. We can definitely export them to earn foreign exchange!" Li Weidong replied.

"What about this water pump? Can it also generate foreign exchange?" asked Minister Wang.

"No, actually this is not used to create profits. I prepared this for the Ministry of Agriculture. The function of this thing is to pump water. We are an agriculture-based country. I designed this to prevent drought and flood disasters. When I designed it, I thought that we can do without it, but we can't do without it. In case of emergency, it can still be useful." Li Weidong said seriously.

Minister Wang, Chief Li and other leaders nodded after listening.

Minister Wang said, "Weidong, you've thought it through very carefully. So let's produce the fans and water pumps at the steel rolling mill.

Director Wang, please arrange production in the workshop as soon as possible. Once the finished products are out, we will apply to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture for you.

That’s it for today!”

Director Wang said excitedly, "Yes, Minister. The cafeteria is ready. Let's go have a meal first."

"Forget it, the Ministry of Industry still has things to do, let's do it next time!" After saying that, Minister Wang left with the leaders of the Ministry of Industry.

Commander Li of the army patted Li Weidong on the shoulder and left with his troops.

At this time, Director Wang came over and said to Li Weidong with a smile: "Weidong, the leaders are gone, let's go eat!"

Li Weidong glanced at Director Wang twice, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated. After thinking about it, he didn't say anything.

(End of this chapter)