My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 69 In the 1990s, money could buy anything.
The train back to Khabarovsk sped across the vast northeastern plains, with fields and villages covered in a thin layer of snow flashing past the window.

The atmosphere inside the soft sleeper compartment was completely different from when I arrived.

Qin Yuan and Zhong Zhaomin sat facing each other.

Commander Ivan and several other "technical experts" tactfully went to the next private room, leaving the space to the two real protagonists.

Zhong Zhaomin took off her work jacket and wore a dark wool sweater, her hair still neatly tied up.

She looked out the window at the snow-covered wasteland rushing past, her eyes deep, carrying a complex emotion of leaving home, but more so a resolute determination to burn her bridges.

She ultimately chose to board this train.

Qin Yuan's last words at the Bingcheng Candy Factory were like a boulder thrown into a lake, completely stirring her thoughts.

Restructuring? Joint venture? Greater autonomy?

These words had been swirling in her mind for a long time.

The raging fire at the Acheng Sugar Factory, which lit up the sky, served as a stark warning—the rigidity and chaos of the system are enough to devour everything!
She didn't want Qiulin Candy Factory to follow in her footsteps.

Qin Yuan's suggestion, though bold and even somewhat "unconventional," precisely struck at her deepest desires and anxieties.

So, under the pretext of "escorting equipment and microbial strains to assist Far East Kvass Food Co., Ltd. in its smooth production launch," she submitted a report to the factory and, along with five truly technically skilled and trustworthy key personnel, boarded the train heading north.

Now, it's time to lay our cards on the table.

Zhong Zhaomin picked up the enamel mug on the table, took a sip of water, stared intently at the person in front of him, and said calmly, "Advisor Qin, can we now speak frankly about your plan?"

"Of course, Director Zhong." Qin Yuan took off his frameless glasses, gently wiped the lenses, and revealed his sharp edge.

He calmly said, "I admire your ability and courage, and I understand the constraints you face within the system, so my proposal is very simple."

"Give you two choices."

"Two choices?"

Qin Yuan nodded and held up one finger: "First, I'll pay to help you 'buy' Qiulin Candy Factory out of the state-owned assets system and completely privatize it."

"As the operator, you and your core team will receive a share of the shares. I will not interfere in day-to-day operations, but will retain a say only in major strategic decisions. You will have the greatest autonomy."

Zhong Zhaomin's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not respond immediately.

Qin Yuan didn't take it seriously and raised his second finger: "Second, I will provide financial support, and you, along with the candy factory's management and core employees, will jointly initiate an MBO or ESOP with the Bingcheng City government to buy back all or part of the candy factory's state-owned shares and achieve restructuring."

Zhong Zhaomin knew that MBO stands for Management Buyout and ESOP stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

These are two directions for the reform of existing state-owned enterprises.

"After the restructuring, I will own 50% of the shares in the new company, and you, the management, and the employees will jointly hold the remaining 50%. You will still be the helmsman of the company and have full autonomy in its operation."

Qin Yuan leaned forward slightly and said calmly, "The second option better reflects your feelings and responsibility towards the candy factory, and can also maximize the team's enthusiasm."

"The new joint venture will truly be your own business!"

Zhong Zhaomin listened in silence, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rim of the teacup.

Her mind was racing, weighing the pros and cons.

After a long silence, she slowly spoke, her voice clear and composed: "Advisor Qin, your proposal... is very tempting. But reality is probably much more complicated than that."

"The possibility of a complete withdrawal of state-owned assets is extremely slim."

"The most likely scenario is that state-owned assets will need to retain 30% to 50% of the shares as a symbolic representation of 'control' or 'historical contribution'."

"The remaining shares will be subscribed by us, the management, the employees, and... your funds."

"The process of negotiation, approval, and asset valuation is fraught with difficulties at every step."

"I don't care how much state-owned assets are involved." Qin Yuan put his glasses back on and stared sharply at Zhong Zhaomin. "What I value is you as the manager, and everything that Qiulin Candy Factory currently possesses!"

"Everything the candy factory has now?" Zhong Zhaomin frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled. "Candy? Or... kvass?"

She thought of Qin Yuan's main purpose for this trip.

Candy? Obviously not, so it must be kvass.

But Qin Yuan went to great lengths to come to Harbin to discuss cooperation and buy technology, and even lured her onto his ship, so she was certain that Qin Yuan was extremely optimistic about the kvass market.

But Qin Yuan has already obtained the equipment formula and improved strains from Bingcheng and Qiulin. What else does he need to get from the candy factory?
Qin Yuan smiled, a smile carrying a deeper meaning: "Kvass is only one aspect. What I value is the reputation and market recognition that the century-old 'Qiulin' brand has built up in Northeast China and even nationwide!"

"It's the candy factory's existing, mature production system and management team! And..."

He paused, then clearly uttered a few words: "Ridaus sausage."

Zhong Zhaomin's body trembled slightly, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

Qin Yuan poured a glass of water into Zhong Zhaomin's enamel mug and continued, "I've looked up some information. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, Lidaosi red sausage was all the rage and was a culinary icon of Harbin and even Northeast China."

"Now that the national economy is recovering, people have more money in their pockets and are pursuing a higher quality of life."

"Those lost flavors, those traditional foods that carry memories and quality, are precisely the ones with the greatest potential for revival!"

"Qiulin kvass, Lidaosi sausage... these are all dormant gold mines!"

Zhong Zhaomin was deeply moved by the blueprint Qin Yuan described, which was exactly the ambition she longed for but had been unable to realize!

Reviving old brands and making truly high-quality food!

She looked at Qin Yuan with a complicated expression: "Advisor Qin, you're so frank, showing me all your cards...aren't you afraid I'll leave you behind and go it alone?"

"Going solo?" Qin Yuan laughed heartily, as if he had heard something amusing. His laughter was full of confidence and a sense of control. "Director Zhong, now it's you who needs me, not the other way around!"

His smile vanished, and his tone became fierce: "If you don't cooperate, I can go directly to Qiulin Company or Qiulin Food Factory."

Do you think they can refuse the conditions I proposed?

"As for kvass, I have already obtained both the technology and the filling equipment."

"Lidaos Red Sausage? Its true core value lies in the 'Qiulin' brand and the traditional craftsmanship it represents, and these are not unique to your candy factory!"

“I can start from scratch, or find other factories that are willing to cooperate.”

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze carrying a powerful sense of pressure: "And, more importantly..."

Qin Yuan calmly took out a document stamped with a bright red seal from his briefcase and gently pushed it in front of Zhong Zhaomin.

Zhong Zhaomin picked up the document with a puzzled look, and when she saw the contents, her pupils suddenly contracted!

The documents were clearly a trademark registration certificate for "Lidaosi Red Sausage" and a patent application document regarding its specific process formula!
The applicant is a shell company registered by Qin Yuan in Harbin!
"How...how did you get it?!" Zhong Zhaomin's voice was filled with disbelief and shock.

“There are quite a few masters in Harbin who know how to make red sausage,” Qin Yuan said in a calm tone, as if he were talking about a trivial matter, “but it really took me a lot of effort to find the master who truly mastered the core and traditional recipe and process of Lidaos red sausage.”

"Fortunately, perseverance pays off, and we finally found a descendant of the master craftsman who used to work at Qiulin Sausage Shop."

"He has relatively complete process notes left by his father. It would be a natural progression to have a professional organization compile them into a document and apply for patents and trademarks."

In the 1990s, money could do anything.

Qin Yuan used the simplest, most direct, and most effective method to secure the core value of the "Lidaosi Red Sausage" brand in advance!
Zhong Zhaomin held the document, his fingers trembling slightly.

Looking at the excessively young man opposite her, a storm raged within her!

This is more than just being shrewd!
What a profound calculation and meticulous plan this is!

While she was still worried about the prospects of the candy factory's restructuring, Qin Yuan had already completed the legal division and exclusive ownership of "Lidaosi Red Sausage," the core asset of the future, in just a few days in Harbin!
He anticipates one, two, or even three steps ahead! He preemptively blocks all possible variables and the opponent's escape routes!

His so-called idea of ​​"going it alone" seemed so ridiculous and powerless in the face of the vast network he had laid out.

Zhong Zhaomin took a deep breath, gently placed the heavy document back on the table, and looked at Qin Yuan. The shock was gradually replaced by an unprecedented solemnity and a hint of awe.

“Advisor Qin…” she began slowly, her voice slightly hoarse but exceptionally firm, “I choose the second option: a joint venture.”

Qin Yuan smiled sincerely and extended his hand: "A wise choice. Director Zhong, welcome to our future."

Zhong Zhaomin gripped Qin Yuan's hand tightly, feeling the strength and confidence emanating from the other's palm.

The sense of oppression in her heart seemed to dissipate somewhat, replaced by a long-lost excitement in the face of challenges.

“Now,” Zhong Zhaomin’s gaze fell on the rapidly passing, increasingly desolate Siberian landscape outside the window, with a hint of inquiry and anticipation, “I am increasingly eager to see with my own eyes what the ‘Far East Kvass Food Company’ you built in Khabarovsk really looks like.”

Qin Yuan also looked out the window, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“I won’t let you down!”

(End of this chapter)