The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 93 Refusing to Go to the Canton Fair [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"The small seeder is expected to sow an average of 17 to 22 mu of land per day, which is indeed a good piece of equipment to help farmers cultivate the land."

After reading the research and development application that Zhou Zhiqiang handed him, Liu Fuhua nodded and said, "Not bad. Compared with the Russians' matching grain planter, the planter you brought out is indeed more suitable for us."

"This can be considered a complementary farming device for small tractors. It has multiple functions, is flexible in operation, and can be controlled by animal power or human power even without a diesel engine."

Zhou Zhiqiang said with a smile, "With this, we might be able to increase agricultural yields by 20% to 30%."

Liu Fuhua pointed at Zhou Zhiqiang and said with a smile, "If you can really increase agricultural yields by this much, then you'll have made a huge contribution!"

He then looked at the application report. There weren't many people using it. The factory had added a lot of equipment and the supply of materials had also increased significantly, so it could withstand some consumption.

"Okay, I approve this. I'll talk to the factory manager about the workers, and I'll issue the documents to you tomorrow."

The transfer of workers cannot bypass the factory director. As the deputy factory director, he can only approve the technical department's plan and then ask the factory director for permission to transfer workers. However, Director Zhao would certainly not refuse, especially Zhou Zhiqiang's application.

After Liu Fuhua quickly signed the application documents, he said to Zhou Zhiqiang, "But we can't delay the factory's production. Our factory is currently shouldering a very important task."

"What kind of mission? It can't be that we're asked to produce tanks!"

Zhou Zhiqiang said casually, but Liu Fuhua chuckled after hearing it and said to Zhou Zhiqiang, "Even if it's not as good as producing tanks, it's almost there."

You know the China Export Commodities Fair is being jointly organized by the foreign trade company, right? Our factory's tractors have been selected, and a few people from the factory will be going there.

Upon hearing that long string of names, Zhou Zhiqiang quickly asked, "Uncle Liu, what are those long names?"

Liu Fuhua explained, "It's a trade fair for export goods, held at the Friendship Building in the capital of Guangdong Province."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang immediately understood: this is the Canton Fair! So that's why it had such a long name at the beginning.

Zhou Zhiqiang doesn't remember much about the Canton Fair, but he was impressed by the fact that there were very few industrial products at the beginning, maybe only a few kinds.

The most sold items are agricultural and sideline products and handicrafts, which are the main sources of foreign exchange earnings.

However, if small tractors were to participate this time, they might attract the attention of many countries; most of the participants in the Canton Fair are brother countries from the same camp and small countries in Southeast Asia.

The agricultural environments in these countries are similar to those in China, and they are not very suitable for high-powered, high-energy-consuming tractor-based agricultural machinery. Small tractors like these might be more suitable for them.

Moreover, Zhou Zhiqiang specifically considered the tractor's multi-functionality, which should attract the interest of many people.

Zhou Zhiqiang asked, "Uncle Liu, what's the number?"

"The first season is over, we missed it, the second season will be in mid-October."

After Liu Fuhua finished speaking, he asked with a smile, "Do you want to go? If you do, I'll talk to the secretary and add your name to the list."

I'll depart in early October, arriving five days early. I'll probably stay there for ten days to two weeks before returning.

"Forget it, I'm not going. My wife is about to give birth then, and she'll be all alone if I'm not home."

Zhou Zhiqiang shook his head and refused, adding that he had no interest in such things. The trains of this era were not very good; a two- or three-day journey could make one miserable.

There's no need to travel so far just for something new; taking the train these days is pure torture.

"Uncle Liu, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

Zhou Zhiqiang got up and walked to the cabinet, smiling as he took out a packet of tea and said, "I'm out of tea, so thank you, Uncle Liu."

"You've come here for no good reason, you'd better leave!" Liu Fuhua said with a laugh, but he was just joking. Anyone would be overjoyed to have a junior and subordinate like Zhou Zhiqiang.

What's a packet or two of tea? Everyone else in the factory knows that Zhou Zhiqiang is his junior, and he can manage the tea every day.

"By the way, Zhiqiang, there's something; Deputy Factory Director An wants to talk to you. He came back last week, but you were so busy that it was hard for me to even see you, so he asked me to pass on the message to you."

Liu Fuhua suddenly remembered this and quickly reminded Zhou Fuhua, who was about to leave.

"How did you and Deputy Factory Director An start talking? I remember he wasn't familiar with anyone in the factory before, not even Director Zhao or Secretary Yan."

However, recently, Deputy Factory Director An has been quite active, contributing both money and effort.

Recently, An Xiangjie has donated more than 100,000 yuan to the factory. He donated 30,000 yuan to the small tractor project, a lot more to the collective dormitory building, and also advanced some money for unplanned material purchases. He has no intention of getting it back at all.

Secretary Yan and Factory Director Zhao were discussing how to publicize Deputy Factory Director An's recent actions throughout the factory, and even make him a role model at the end of the year.

Regardless of An's family background, An Xiangjie actively cooperated with the public-private partnership and made significant contributions to industrial development.

Such people deserve to be publicized.

Zhou Zhiqiang explained, "I ran into him at the factory gate a while ago, and Deputy Factory Director An drove me home. We chatted for a while on the way and he cleared up some of his doubts."

"Uncle Liu, I'll hold off for now. I'll go see what Deputy Factory Director An wants to see me about."

After leaving Liu Fuhua's office, Zhou Zhiqiang turned a corner and headed towards Deputy Factory Director An's office.

An Xiangjie didn't spend much time at the factory before, but since he was the deputy factory director, the factory office building still reserved an office for him.

I just don't know if they'll be here today.

After knocking on the door, Zhou Zhiqiang heard An Xiangjie's voice from inside after a while. So Zhou Zhiqiang pushed the door open and went in, greeting An Xiangjie behind the desk: "Deputy Factory Director An, I've been too busy lately and haven't left the technical department much. Please forgive me."

An Xiangjie said with a smile, "Hehe, it's alright, Section Chief Zhou, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on your promotion yet."

"The higher the position, the greater the responsibility. In the future, we will have to devote more energy to building socialism."

Zhou Zhiqiang smiled and asked, "Deputy Factory Director An, did the trip go smoothly?"

"Well, it went fairly smoothly. Our land is vast and rich in resources. What's lacking here, we always have more of on the other side."

Moreover, I must say, our country's efficiency far surpasses that of the other side. Traveling from north to south, whenever I heard someone say they were working for the public—no, I should say for the collective—there wasn't a single hindrance; instead, there was nothing but help.

An Xiangjie remarked with emotion that he came from the Republican era, where officials were adept at everything from extortion to bribery and extortion.

But today's cadres are truly dedicated to serving the collective and the people to the extreme; their enthusiasm even made An Xiangjie feel a little "burnt out".

The idea that doing something good for the group would bring immense spiritual satisfaction truly moved An Xiangjie.

"Nothing else, Section Chief Zhou, I'm here because of that matter we discussed last time."

I brought you some things along the way; I'll deliver them to your house after get off work today.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)