Chapter 75 Come to our Xiaozhou! (Correction of bugs): Of course, we have to take the opportunity to raid their base.

The incident happened suddenly, and Xiang Dong planned to make two preparations.

If you can negotiate with the local police station to get the goods back, that would be the best outcome.

But they can't count on that, because they don't know how long it will take to resolve the issue.

So he has contacted three contract manufacturers and raised the price to 2.5 yuan per piece, so that the workers can work overtime to finish the job.

Wang Xiao nodded: "Okay, let's do it that way."

Tang Yicheng became anxious: "Are we just going to let this go like that? The Public Security Bureau can't be unreasonable. What law says this is obscene?"

They were also fined 50,000 yuan. This isn't how you rush to meet year-end targets.

This clearly shows someone is causing them trouble, and if they don't resolve this issue, they'll be targeted by anti-prostitution and anti-illegal publication campaigns no matter which factory they choose.

Wang Xiao smiled; she really didn't care who was causing trouble.

With such a large operation, making a fortune every day, it would be strange if no one was envious.

Investigate them one by one to find out where she got the time from outer space.

So she didn't hesitate to use the cheat code; she made a direct call to Deputy Secretary Cao.

It wasn't about finding a powerful backer to make decisions for her, but rather to confirm one thing: whether or not erotic lingerie was prohibited in Jiangdong Province.

If that's the case, then she should immediately adjust her business strategy and move the factory to Xiaozhou.

She spent a lot of money to import a complete production line from Japan, and she even hired a 30-year-old Japanese worker to completely replicate the Japanese factory.

If the policies in Jiangdong really don't allow it, then she should move the factory away as soon as possible, so that the goods won't be confiscated when she needs to deliver the orders.

The fine is a minor issue; the key problem is that, according to the contract, failure to deliver an order on time is punishable by compensation.

Moreover, it will be virtually impossible to cooperate with them again in the future, as they will be blacklisted.

Wang Xiao repeatedly emphasized, "Secretary Cao, I really don't want to put you in a difficult position. We'll accept the fine if necessary; it's because we misinterpreted the policy. The problem is the time crunch. Labor costs in Japan are extremely high; hiring them for a day is equivalent to half a year's wages for our workers."

It has to be said that money really emboldens people, and people's courage always seems to grow.

If it were a year ago, when she first transmigrated into the book, she wouldn't have even dared to dream of selling lingerie, let alone doing so.

If she were to actually sell it and the police caught her, her reaction would definitely be to cry and beg the police to have mercy.

Because subconsciously she felt that she had done something wrong.

But now that the police are enforcing the law impartially, her first reaction is: "Can you guys just shut up? Stop causing trouble. Who will compensate me for the losses caused by the delay in my delivery?"

So now she's feeling perfectly justified, and she's seething with anger.

Deputy Secretary Cao felt a severe headache coming on, and she asked again, "What did you say you produced again?"

"Sexy lingerie and sex toys."

Deputy Secretary Cao didn't know what to say.

You're telling me, why would a young girl from a respectable family, who's in college, choose this instead of running a factory?

What will people think if this gets out?

"Why did you decide to produce this?"

"Because we have orders," Wang Xiao said calmly. "Clothing and small appliances are our core products, so of course we have to expand and strengthen them. There is relatively less competition in these two categories, and the profit margins are relatively high."

Deputy Secretary Cao really didn't know how to continue. She had heard of these things before, and as proof of the decadence of capitalism, they were sex toys.

The thought of openly and legitimately producing the product would cause a huge uproar, and it gave her a headache.

Fortunately, the Party Secretary is indeed a Party Secretary, and he is good at applying policies flexibly: "You mean you produce them to earn foreign exchange for export, and not to sell them domestically?"

"Let's just talk about today's business. Wang Xiao won't discuss anything else: 'That's right, the $300,000 order has to be shipped to Budapest this week by air.'"

Deputy Secretary Cao replied, "Then wait a moment, and go back and haul the goods away."

Wang Xiao didn't just wait; she still had work to do.

She contacted the after-sales service team at the trade city that specializes in trimming and overlocking, and directly asked them to help make new sexy lingerie.

This is a design she drew in her spare time while in Japan, and now she's teaching people how to make it step by step.

The girls in the after-sales service department didn't understand why they had to do this, but they were extremely cooperative and followed instructions in everything they did.

Following Wang Xiao's instructions, she made a pair of tie-up underwear and a lace slip dress in one go.

The former was simple, taking only five minutes from cutting to sewing. The latter was slightly more complicated, taking about fifteen minutes in total to figure out how to do it.

When Wang Xiao was about to teach her how to make the third one, Tang Yicheng called her over to answer the phone.

Deputy Secretary Cao called: "Hurry up and go get your clothes."

Wang Xiao didn't dare to waste any time and immediately drove with Xiang Dong to the OEM factory.

Why a clothing factory and not a police station? Because there were too many clothes, and the police station didn't have room to store them, so they simply sealed it off.

The garment factory was in complete chaos. A female worker with disheveled hair was jumping up and down, shouting, "You're all filthy, having affairs!"

Another person lunged at her and slapped her across the face: "You jinx, what the hell are you talking about? You come and pay the wages, you fucking pay the wages!"

The female workers inside were fighting violently, while the factory manager stood outside with a livid face, offering no intervention.

Two men in police uniforms were standing at the door smoking, seemingly oblivious to the fight.

Seeing Wang Xiao and the others get out of the car and walk over, the person who had already received the phone call nodded, then tore off a form and handed it over: "Since the leader has given instructions, then let's fine them 10,000."

Xiang Dong's eyebrows immediately furrowed tightly. He hadn't expected the police station to be so arrogant; even with instructions from provincial leaders, they still wanted him to pay a fine of 10,000 yuan.

Indeed, it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings.

Wang Xiao wasn't surprised; it's common for provincial governments and provincial capital city governments to dislike each other. The saying "a local official is more powerful than a distant one" is never an exaggeration.

The factory manager, who had initially remained uninvolved, quickly stepped forward: "No, no, no, five thousand, five thousand, I'll pay for it."

Wang Xiao didn't say anything or try to stop him; he simply followed Xiang Dong to inspect the goods. This order couldn't be taken lightly.

The police officers at the local police station were very unhappy. They argued back and forth with the factory manager for a long time before finally reluctantly agreeing to only impose a fine of five thousand yuan.

The factory manager didn't dare to delay and immediately asked the finance department for 5,000 yuan, finally managing to send the person away.

Only now did he dare to speak to Wang Xiao and Xiang Dong: "Oh dear, Mr. Wang and Mr. Xiang, we are really sorry this time."

The woman inside, who had just been slapped, was still jumping up and down, yelling, "I'm going to report you! You're all involved in prostitution!"

The factory manager, his face flushed, shouted at the workshop, "It's all gone! Everyone saw it! There's no bonus this month, and we can't pay wages either!"

The argument inside grew louder, accompanied by a series of slaps.

The female worker who went to the police station to report the incident was surrounded and verbally abused by a group of people.

Wang Xiao had no interest in getting involved in the factory's affairs, and called to Xiang Dong, "Settle the final payment, and we'll take the clothes with us."

Is it pitiful for female workers to be beaten? Of course it is.

But if even the police aren't involved, how can she possibly intervene?

Furthermore, the female worker should have anticipated the consequences if she had waited until the delivery date to report the incident.

Yes, Wang Xiao is resilient; even if this deal falls through, it won't be a major blow to her. At most, it will cause her some trouble to clean up the mess.

But what if she's short of money now, or what if it were someone else?

If a $300,000 order cannot be delivered, the penalty can bankrupt a millionaire.

If the clothing is confiscated, the factory will be penalized and have to pay real money. This harms the interests of all the factory's employees.

Wang Xiao fully respects others' right to report as citizens, and she would never retaliate; she would simply stay far away from such people.

Seeing that they were about to leave, the factory manager immediately followed with a smile and asked, "Um, Mr. Wang, do you have any more orders? Our factory is very motivated right now and guarantees on-time delivery."

This time, Wang Xiao didn't even need to say anything; Xiang Dong simply replied perfunctorily, "Oh dear, I didn't expect you to deliver the goods ahead of schedule. Today's orders have already been dispatched. Maybe next time. I'll come back to you next time I have an order."

Anyone with ears knows that this is just a polite way of putting it.

After all, this time they were able to get in touch with provincial leaders, but what about next time?

The money they earned wasn't even enough to cover the fines.

Besides, with that character around, what if she gets angry and burns all the finished clothes? Even if she gets arrested and thrown in jail, what about the orders?

Instead of planting landmines here, we might as well just change our partners.

The garment factory is indeed quite innocent in this situation, but the commercial city must find a way to protect its own interests.

As I said before, never expect others to understand your hardships.

Who has it easy? Don't just see the thief eating meat, but also the thief getting beaten.

The car drove all the way back to the commercial city in Zhimen. Wang Xiao also had to hand over the samples of sex toys and the new erotic lingerie she had just made to the driver so that they could be taken to Xiaozhou and shipped directly by air.

These two are small gifts for Sister Fang to see.

If she's interested, we can discuss business opportunities here.

To Wang Xiao's surprise, she only instructed people to make three new designs before she left. But the girls who worked there were really smart; they had already figured out the remaining four designs during that time and made them quite well.

Wang Xiao made a decision on the spot: "Do you want to specialize in lingerie pattern making from now on? Think about it and give me an answer later. I guarantee your income won't be lower than it is now, and there will be bonuses too."

The girl paused for a moment, then subconsciously said, "I've never made a pattern before."

She has always done the simplest jobs; she can't even make a large garment on her own.

Wang Xiao, however, was quite certain: "That's fine. Making underwear and outerwear are not the same thing. Um, think about it."

She hurriedly saw the truck driver off again.

Tang Yicheng suddenly remembered and asked, "Hey, the clothes have arrived. Do you want to cancel your order for 2.5 yuan a piece?"

This price is way too high. The processing fee for one of those jackets used to be only one or two yuan.

If you switch to underwear, it'll cost at most 50 cents a piece.

It's not that I'm being harsh, it's just that these kinds of clothes use little fabric and the process is simple.

These are examples of underwear that can be made in five minutes, and lace slip dresses that can be completed in fifteen minutes. A skilled worker can finish the former in one minute, and making 10 of the latter in an hour is not a problem.

The processing is fast, but the total processing cost is quite astonishing.

Wang Xiao shook his head: "It's okay, the order is placed. We'll bring it over once it's ready and continue selling it."

She was very confident in the designs she created and believed they would be popular.

Ten thousand pieces of a single garment are simply not enough to sell. Back when she ran an online store, her most popular item sold nearly ten million pieces in total.

That's not that impressive. She knows that the lace camisole is a huge hit, with sales reaching 50 million.

Ten thousand pieces are simply not enough.

She turned to Xiang Dong and asked, "Is everything arranged at the factory? When will the equipment installation and debugging be completed?"

Before Xiang Dong could reply, the office phone rang. Wang Xiao answered it casually and found it was Vice Mayor Sun from Xiaozhou.

Wang Xiao quickly exchanged pleasantries and polite words with the person.

As a result, Vice Mayor Sun only made one request: "I heard you imported a production line from Japan? Don't panic, come to Xiaozhou. We'll do our best to cooperate with whatever you need."

Wang Xiao was shocked.

Good heavens, Vice Mayor Sun's information network is a bit too extensive.

Her trip to Japan was a spur-of-the-moment decision; her mother only received the news after she arrived in Tokyo.

She said half-jokingly, "Mayor Sun, you have eyes and ears everywhere!"

Vice Mayor Sun really doesn't have that much ability; it was all just a coincidence.

He came to Jiangdong to attend a meeting and happened to visit his classmates from the Party School at the provincial government.

As it turned out, Deputy Secretary Cao called someone over to say hello. His classmate mentioned it to him, basically saying that this Wang Xiao was indeed quite troublesome.

The business at the trade center is so good, and the clothes are selling so fast, yet she's still not satisfied and insists on making a mess of things.

A young girl like her isn't afraid of ruining her reputation. What respectable family would dare to marry her? It wouldn't sound good to others.

Vice Mayor Sun had a sudden inspiration and remembered that before he came to Jiangdong, he had visited the International Trade City in Xiaozhou and seen a new plane land at the airport.

Good heavens, that plane was pink, especially eye-catching under the bright sun, and it had "The Temptation of Eden" painted on it, along with some crooked graphics that looked like a beautiful snake.

The viewer's heart couldn't help but race.

He heard from Feng Zhonglin that the company bought it specifically for starting new businesses.

At the time, he didn't think much of it, assuming that the business in the trade city was so good that there weren't enough planes, so they bought more.

But now that the two things have come together, and he thinks about it more deeply, his intuition tells him that Wang Xiao is definitely going to do something big this time.

Then his instinct to attract investment prompted him to make an immediate decision—to snatch people and projects.

Since Jiangdong was so ungrateful, even sealing off her goods and imposing a fine, they decided to take action.

He had to seize the opportunity to steal their house, otherwise he would regret it so much that he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

What's the big deal about that sexy lingerie? There's nothing to make a fuss about.

Didn't you watch "Investiture of the Gods" on TV? They barely wore any clothes, yet they openly showed the TV.

And the young women on the calendar are all dressed quite scantily, so what?

Besides, they're earning foreign exchange through exports. Foreigners have a different style than Chinese people, so why make a fuss?

"Don't worry, this kind of thing would never happen in our Xiaozhou. We'll issue you an official document."

Wang Xiao was a bit troubled: "I've already found a factory in Jiangdong, and the machines have started to be installed. It would be too much trouble to make any more changes. Besides, we still have orders to fulfill, and there's not enough time."

“There’s enough time!” Vice Mayor Sun said decisively. “We have the factory building ready, and the workers can be arranged to be there immediately. They can be installed tonight and construction can officially begin tomorrow.”

He said earnestly, "Wang Xiao, you have to trust our determination. We will absolutely cooperate with production and won't cause any trouble for the factory. Besides, I've also heard that your products are sold directly to Europe, so they will definitely be shipped from Xiaozhou. With the factory here, shipping will be convenient, right?"

Wang Xiao actually fell for it.

Since lingerie is not a big deal, it's lightweight and easy to transport out of Jiangdong.

But sex toys are different.

Leaving aside the small gadgets you carry with you.

Modern inflatable dolls generally use polyurethane foam for the skeleton and resin and rubber for the skin. The hands and feet are detachable.

Due to the special nature of inflatable dolls, Wang Xiao also believes that it would be better to reduce the number of transportation links for them.

After all, it would be quite troublesome if it were treated as a murder and dismemberment case.

Seeing that she no longer refused, Vice Mayor Sun quickly pressed his advantage: "Wang Xiao, let me tell you the truth. I know you're from Jiangdong and have feelings for Jiangdong. Your family is also in Jiangdong; they're respectable people."

But precisely because of this, you attract a lot of attention. We are modern people, already preparing to step into the new century.

We can't control the fact that some people's minds are still stuck in ancient times, making a big fuss over the smallest things and causing chaos.

If you go to your parents' or family's house and keep making a fuss, it will be embarrassing, right?

But it's different in Xiaozhou. In Xiaozhou, since your home isn't here, you're less constrained in your actions.

Don't you think so?

Wang Xiao was truly moved this time.

Take today's clothes being confiscated, for example. If she hadn't directly used her connections to ask Deputy Secretary Cao for help, it would have blown up and definitely alarmed her parents.

Wang Tiejun and Chen Yanqiu are both parents from the older generation, and the factory is a closed environment.

People will say whatever comes to mind. She may not care, but Deputy Factory Director Wang and Chairman Chen will be under a lot of pressure.

It's not that the elderly couple are fragile people who can't stand any gossip; the key point is that he didn't need to put them under this pressure at all.

It's not like we have to make things difficult for our parents.

Vice Mayor Sun is still working on it: "Tell me, what do you need our cooperation with?"

“A production license.” Wang Xiao suddenly had a flash of inspiration. “We need a formal production license for sexual health products; we can’t just have an official document.”

Although official documents can sometimes be incredibly powerful in practice, as the saying goes, "If the name is not legitimate, the words will not be lawful," and "A new emperor brings a new court."

This government is bold, and its leaders are giving it their full support.

But what if the leadership team changes? That's hard to say.

But once you have a formal production license, things change. When disputes arise, your side always has the loudest voice.

Vice Mayor Sun readily agreed: "Then tell me which department should issue this production license, and we'll coordinate it."

Wang Xiao was stunned. After thinking for a while, she said uncertainly, "It should be the drug administration. I saw that in the Soviet Union, these things were sold in pharmacies. This is a kind of health product, called a sexual health product."

Wait a minute, Vice Mayor Sun is confused. Why are clothes being sold in pharmacies? The Russians' ideas are really strange.

Oh? This is a huge misunderstanding.

Wang Xiao quickly explained, "It's not clothes, it's—it's a sex toy."

Fearing that Vice Mayor Sun might not be able to process it, she gave an example: "These are ancient horn figurines, some for men and some for women."

Good heavens!

Poor Vice Mayor Sun's head was spinning this time, and he couldn't help but agree with what his classmate from the Party School said.

This girl is really good at causing trouble.

His voice trembled as he asked, "You...you imported this production line from Japan to make this?"

Wang Xiaojun frankly stated, "Yes. This is a very mature industry chain abroad. Just like the invention and application of birth control pills and condoms, which greatly promoted the process of family planning; the existence of sex toys can effectively combat prostitution, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and benefit the physical and mental health of the people."

The height was so great that it made Vice Mayor Sun dizzy.

But his statement inspired the leader to use it to persuade his superiors.

They're not after foreign exchange, haha, at least not just that.

Their main purpose is to meet the growing material and cultural needs of the people and improve their quality of life.

Ordinary people don't live simply to survive, but to achieve a higher standard of living.

While mentally drafting a short essay, Vice Mayor Sun assured Wang Xiao, "We'll handle the production and operation license. You bring the samples over, and we'll coordinate the matter."

Sexual health products involve the word "sex," so you have to ask permission from family planning officials and the police.

As times change, we must break through this mental barrier and view issues from a developmental perspective.

We can't just talk about raising moral standards. If family planning measures don't keep up, and you expect people to have children but also to hold back, do you think the people will be able to resist?

You can control everything, but you can't control what happens in someone's bed.

Vice Mayor Sun emphasized again, "Come over here. We've already arranged the factory. Don't worry, it's a large factory with complete supporting facilities in all aspects."

Wang Xiao's curiosity was piqued: "What factory? Is it closed down?"

"Hey, the Third Front construction. Our Xiaozhou also did a small-scale Third Front construction back then. In 1969, we moved the machine factory to the mountains in the suburbs. You know about the small-scale Third Front construction, right?"

Wang Xiao genuinely didn't know.

Her concept of the Third Front construction was the vast southwest and northwest, remote and secluded areas that were not easily discovered or occupied during wartime.

After all, the essence of the Third Front construction in the 1960s and 70s was the construction of a strategic rear area centered on national defense.

"Hey, your steel mill definitely has one too, it just might not be called that."

Vice Mayor Sun explained to her: "The areas in the southwest and northwest are called the Third Front, which includes Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan in the southwest and Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai in the northwest. The hinterlands of the first and second-tier regions are called the Lesser Third Front."

Oh, I've learned something new.

However, Wang Xiao wasn't very interested. This was because the Third Front construction projects were all located deep in the mountains, which was detrimental to industrial production, causing production costs to rise sharply.

Vice Mayor Sun immediately denied it: "That's not how it is. Let me tell you, it's not deserted there now. The roads and everything have been repaired long ago, and transportation is very convenient. Back then, during holidays, large trucks could come and go, taking employees home for the New Year."

The factory grounds are incredibly well-maintained. There are high-end dormitories, the kind for specialists, a cinema, a clinic—everything you could need. Newborn children can be sent directly to daycare; kindergartens and schools are readily available. There are also bathhouses, canteens, shops, a post office, a lighted sports field, and a workers' club—it's bustling with activity!

How did your steel plant do it? The machine plant followed the same approach back then.

The house was empty for only a short time, about two years ago. Following the unified arrangements from higher authorities, the machine factory moved away.

After they moved out, the factory was handed over to our local government.

It hasn't been abandoned. We checked it last month when we went there to do research, and it was all in good condition, not a single bit damaged.

At that time, we were thinking about how to make good use of it.

"Look, this is like a godsend, a ready-made factory."

Wang Xiao became more and more excited as she listened.

Building a factory is easy for her now; she can finish the job in a few months with a quick push. However, the corresponding living facilities are more complicated, and the investment will increase significantly, as will the time spent.

Wang Xiao thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I need to discuss this with the Japanese experts we invited to see if it's appropriate."

Tang Yicheng felt it was a bit risky.

He knew about the Third Front construction; the location was definitely remote, and if it wasn't remote, there would be no way to preserve industrial strength.

Compared to that, at least the factory they chose in Jiangdong is closer to the city center and more convenient in every way.

The Japanese people have already felt frustrated enough coming from bustling Tokyo. Now, to be sent to the middle of nowhere is something they probably simply can't accept.

Wang Xiao didn't care about any of that.

Now that she's made up her mind, she has to put her silver tongue to good use.

To put it bluntly, given the current level of development in mainland cities, even provincial capitals would probably be considered small towns by Tokyo residents.

The difference between towns and villages is not so significant anymore.

Maybe they actually prefer the quiet of the countryside.

Wang Xiao's first target was Yamada Ichiro, because he was the de facto leader among the workers who came to China.

The others were either his former apprentices or people who came to stay for a month or two and were planning to leave after the New Year, so it didn't matter to them; they were just going with the flow.

She gave Yamada Ichiro two reasons.

The first point is the special nature of inflatable dolls. In busy urban areas with high foot traffic and many eyes, they might be mistaken for murder and dismemberment cases and reported to the police.

I heard that Love Power had a similar blunder before, which was quite troublesome.

The next day was driven by a little personal motive. Xiaozhou has a somewhat unique history. Chairman Mao visited Xiaozhou many times during his lifetime, and he greatly admired its scenery and culture.

Many Maoist groups visiting China include Xiaozhou as one of their stops.

Yamada Ichiro became excited and repeatedly asked if he could visit the places where Chairman Mao had been active during his lifetime.

Wang Xiao really didn't know.

Although she stayed in Xiaozhou for a month or so, she actually didn't have time to go sightseeing at all. I wonder if there are any related memorial sites.

but--

Vice Mayor Sun has already promised to fully support the work, so let him put in a good word for us when the time comes.

Lenin's office on Red Square is still not open to the public. Ivanov spoke to someone, and Dr. Chen even heard a recording of Lenin's speech.

So she said firmly in front of the workers, "Of course, we'll find someone to go with you wherever you want to go."

Once Yamada Ichiro was convinced, the rest of the work became much easier.

Some workers were even surprised when they heard that the factory would soon be located in a long-term facility with complete supporting facilities, exclaiming, "It really is an overseas factory!"

He only regretted one thing: the overseas factory was too small.

If the scale is large, bring your wife and children over, and the children can receive Japanese school education at the school.

Even when they return to their home country, their children's education will not be neglected.

Wang Xiao really didn't care.

If they have the ability to find Japanese teachers themselves and want to start their own classes, then let them do so.

But relying on her is unrealistic.

She provided food, drink, and lodging; that's already more than enough.

After preparing the workers mentally, let's start the move.

Everyone was used to Wang Xiao's tendency to act on a whim. Besides, it would be more troublesome to settle people and machines here before moving, so it was better to just take action directly.

It has to be said that Wang Xiao's actions were quite risky. She didn't even go to Xiaozhou for an on-site investigation first; she just listened to a phone call from Vice Mayor Sun and immediately got started.

If the other party is just advertising, then she becomes the one who is passive.

Fortunately, Vice Mayor Sun did not disappoint Wang Xiao's trust. Before he even called her, he had already arranged for people to go over and clean the house.

It took about two and a half hours to drive from downtown Xiaozhou to this abandoned third-tier factory.

Is it off-center? It's alright, I guess.

After all, thirty years from now, a two-hour commute to work won't be anything special.

As for Japanese workers from Tokyo, they were more accepting of the idea.

Because they didn't find the city center particularly bustling, they couldn't strongly appreciate the remoteness of the small, third-tier factories. On the contrary, this mountainous environment was more in line with their imagination of a poor and backward China.

Furthermore, it's normal for people who work in Tokyo to commute between the two cities using the Shinkansen.

Vice Mayor Sun carefully observed the guests' expressions, and only breathed a sigh of relief when they did not seem particularly displeased.

Thank goodness the highway was built in 1988.

Before the highway opened, it took two and a half hours for a car to travel from dawn to dusk, winding its way through the streets.

When Wang Xiao and his team arrived at the abandoned factory area, they discovered an even bigger surprise.

The newly renovated high-class dormitory building (also known as the experts' building) not only has the bedding laid out, but even the dehumidifiers inside are working swiftly.

Dehumidifiers are a new product on the market; they're not produced locally in Jiangbei. This batch came from Guangdong to test market response, and the Xiaozhou municipal government directly bought them all.

Vice Mayor Sun stated unequivocally, "We are treating this work with the same standards as foreign affairs reception."

Well, this is pretty much the highest standard of unofficial hospitality.

Is it exaggerated? It's alright.

Considering the huge gap in per capita GDP between the two countries, it's not a big deal.

Vice Mayor Sun said with a smile, "Please put down your luggage, everyone. We can go to the restaurant for lunch now."

The chef is no ordinary cafeteria cook; he was urgently transferred from a foreign-related hotel.

He was sent to Japan in the 1980s and worked in a high-end restaurant there. While working, he didn't forget to learn new skills. His greatest strength is his ability to integrate different techniques; he can cook both Chinese dishes that Japanese people are accustomed to and Japanese dishes that Chinese people love.

This time, the municipal government invited him over under the guise of foreign affairs reception. He also brought two apprentices with him. Later, when he returned to his original unit, his apprentices cooked for the Japanese workers here.

The restaurant uses a trendy buffet style, and this set of heat preservation equipment was temporarily brought in.

Wang Xiao was a little dazed at first, and then she was surprised to find that the most popular dish was indeed the legendary Mapo Tofu, and almost everyone took it more than once.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Sichuan cuisine has defeated other cuisines, but rather that it has a greater promotional presence overseas.

Back in the 1960s and 70s, due to limited economic development in China, the high-end catering industry experienced a severe decline.

Meanwhile, as Japan's post-war economy recovered, some Sichuan cuisine chefs who had gone to Japan in the past were invited by Japanese television stations to teach Sichuan cuisine techniques.

Television has such a wide reach that ordinary Japanese people learned how to cook Sichuan cuisine from television and naturally became familiar with it.

This shows that even the best wine needs advertising; any industry needs vigorous promotion to achieve sustainable development.

The meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests.

Vice Mayor Sun, on behalf of the Xiaozhou Municipal Government, welcomed the arrival of Love Power in Xiaozhou and repeatedly emphasized that the government would make good coordination and arrangements to ensure the normal production and safety of the factory.

He wasn't exaggerating; the town's police station had specifically set up a checkpoint here to deter petty criminals.

Aside from the factory being a bit remote, there really isn't much to complain about regarding these benefits.

Wang Xiao assured the Japanese workers, "The color TV and DVD player will arrive tomorrow. Please bear with us for today. I'm truly sorry."

The workers didn't mind; after such a long flight and car ride, they were actually quite tired. After eating, all they wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed early.

Some people who are really bored even brought comics with them, so they wouldn't be bored out of their minds.

It was getting late, and Vice Mayor Sun prepared to take his leave after settling his distinguished guests in.

Footsteps sounded outside, followed by the shouts of the police officer on duty: "No, no, the factory hasn't been moved back."

Then came a cacophony of voices: "They didn't bring it back? We saw the big truck arrive, the lights were on. Why didn't they bring it back?"

"No, it's for setting up a new factory."

Are you hiring?

"I haven't heard of them hiring anyone. They specially invited experts from abroad; there are dozens of them."

"How can a few dozen people be enough? Such a big factory needs at least a thousand people."

Vice Mayor Sun looked at Wang Xiao, waiting for him to respond.

She even bought a large airplane; surely she wouldn't be running a business with just a few dozen employees.

Wang Xiao didn't say anything, but stepped outside and saw more than a dozen people, both men and women, standing at the factory gate.

She didn't actually introduce herself, but the aura she exuded when she went out made the villagers keenly realize that she was a cadre.

Immediately, someone mustered up the courage to volunteer: "Boss, are you hiring? I used to work in a factory."

Wang Xiao asked with interest, "What did you do before?"

On a cold winter night, his face was flushed red, whether from the wind or embarrassment, and he stammered, "I was helping my master."

"Oh, stop bragging." The middle-aged woman next to him bluntly exposed him. "You're just a lowly handyman. Boss, my family used to grow vegetables specifically to supply the factory. You even bought their vegetables."

Wang Xiao asked, "What kinds of vegetables do you grow at home?"

The middle-aged woman felt embarrassed.

When the factory was there, they needed so many vegetables that her family grew a lot of them, and they even used half of their allotted farmland to grow vegetables.

But after the factory moved away two years ago, she didn't have such a large customer. Her family could only grow some vegetables on their own plot of land.

"There are garland chrysanthemum, spinach, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, and also radishes and carrots."

Wang Xiao nodded and turned to ask the chef, "Master, would you like some dishes here?"

The head chef chuckled, "Sure, bring it over tomorrow so I can take a look. By the way, does anyone in your village raise chickens or fish? Does anyone make tofu?"

He came today on a diplomatic mission, and originally thought he would have to transport the vegetables from the city. But if the village could supply fresh ingredients, it would be much easier.

There are only about thirty people in total, so the pressure of cooking isn't too great.

Several other women also cheered and joined in, chattering about the vegetables from their own fields.

Wang Xiao then asked the remaining people, "Has anyone in your village worked in a factory before, not just doing odd jobs, but someone with technical skills?"

The group looked at each other and shook their heads.

Yamada Ichiro had already understood their conversation from the Japanese interpreter brought by Deputy Mayor Sun, and was immediately puzzled: "Not a single one? Hasn't this factory been here for twenty years? Hasn't it trained a single real worker?"

Sachiko Ito guessed, "Did the workers move away with the factory?"

The translator then relayed their words.

The Chinese people present immediately felt embarrassed.

But Yamada Ichiro suddenly realized: "No wonder, China is integrated with workers and peasants and goes deep into the masses."

Good heavens, translating is really worse than not translating at all.

When the country was carrying out the Third Front construction, the hope and requirement for the workers who were relocated to the interior was indeed that they would stay in the Third Front for life, but in reality, that was simply impossible.

The urban-rural divide meant that it was impossible for workers in the "Third Front" areas to integrate with the local rural population.

If the workers and their families in the Third Front, who were on government-subsidized grain rations, were to truly integrate into rural areas, that would be considered a demotion in social class.

Who would go crazy for no reason?

Furthermore, third-tier factories generally had a military-industrial nature, emphasized secrecy, and were unlikely to have a deep connection with the local economy.

Even if factories are short-staffed and recruit local workers, the number is small, and they can only do menial tasks; it's impossible for migrant workers to master core technologies.

Therefore, although this third-tier factory has stood in the local area for twenty years, apart from building roads and bridges and providing local infrastructure such as electricity and water, its direct contribution to industrial development is truly negligible.

Otherwise, after the relocation of the Third Front factories in the 1980s, a large number of factory buildings that had been built at great expense of manpower and resources would not have been abandoned.

Wang Xiao cleared his throat and shamelessly continued Yamada Ichiro's words: "Therefore, I need to ask you all to train more workers for the factory to meet the needs of expanding factory production."

Yamada Ichiro was quite excited. Back then, he had been unable to keep up with his comrades' revolutionary pace due to a sudden illness.

Now, after many years, he is happy to continue his revolutionary sentiments in this way.

All revolutionaries are romantics, so he was not worried at all about the difficulties he was about to face and readily agreed: "I am willing to help my comrades in China."

His apprentices and companions looked at each other, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

At least so far, their feelings towards China are still quite positive.

We should indeed train workers, which would also reduce their workload.

Wang Xiao raised his voice: "Alright, there's no time like the present. I'll announce it right here today: we're hiring. Applicants must have at least a junior high school education, be in good health, have no infectious diseases, and be under forty years old. Anyone who meets these requirements can come and apply. The monthly salary is one hundred yuan."

The women selling vegetables boldly asked, "Do you need any female workers?"

Wang Xiao glanced at the factory and suddenly had an idea.

The factory is huge, really huge. The entire military factory covers an area of ​​300 acres. A factory that can accommodate thousands of employees is naturally quite large.

It's as big as ten Tokyo Ai no Rikatsu factories.

If such a large factory were only used for making sex toys, it would definitely require this much space.

Are we just going to leave those empty spaces empty? That would be such a waste.

Such a nice factory building, with such complete supporting facilities.

Why not make use of the vacant factory buildings and set up another garment factory specializing in producing sexy lingerie?

This will make transportation easier.

Wang Xiao cleared her throat again: "Do you have a sewing machine at home? Do you know how to sew clothes?"

At this point, the women rushed to volunteer, raising their hands eagerly: "Me, me, me! We have it at home, I know how to do it!"

In fact, every woman in the village under the age of forty knows how to operate a sewing machine.

After all, since the 1970s, a sewing machine has been recognized as one of the three essential items for a wedding. If a family didn't have a sewing machine for their wedding, they would be looked down upon.

Rural people rarely buy ready-made clothes; they mostly buy fabric and make their own at home.

Wang Xiao laughed and readily nodded: "Okay, it's late today, come over tomorrow."

The women pressed further, asking, "So, do you need to have attended junior high school?"

"No need, as long as you can do sewing, that's fine."

The women immediately beamed with joy, and one of them even boldly declared, "No need to wait until tomorrow, it's not too late now. We'll get the people over right away. How many do you need?"

"How many people in your village can do this job, and how many sewing machines do you have?"

Oh, their village isn't big or small, it's about a hundred households.

Wang Xiao nodded: "Then come over, everyone."

The women immediately turned and ran to find their familiar companions.

Seriously, even though it only takes two and a half hours to drive from here to downtown Xiaozhou, which seems close and convenient, it's not all that.

The problem is that it is winter in 1991, and there are only one or two cars in the whole town.

For ordinary villagers to get to the city, they have to take at least four or five buses, which takes more than half a day.

In addition, many factories have now stopped operating and are not hiring.

Therefore, in rural areas without factories, it is quite difficult for farmers to find work nearby.

Now that a factory has opened near our home and they need to hire workers, it's a cause for great celebration for everyone.

The male villagers became dissatisfied: "Why do we have to have a junior high school education?"

“The work is different.” Wang Xiao smiled slightly. “Of course, if you know how to sew, it doesn’t matter if you can’t read.”

Actually, there's another point—

In rural areas during the 1970s and 80s, far fewer women than men were able to complete junior high school.

Many of them had only completed primary school (third grade), knew a hundred or so characters, and were no longer considered illiterate. They then had to go home to do housework, take care of their younger siblings, or even work in the production team.

A girl who could successfully complete high school (which was a commune-run school at the time, a nine-year integrated system) must have come from a well-off family and been very pampered.

Requiring them to have a junior high school education before hiring them is unreasonable and unnecessary.

The male villagers laughed and shoved each other, and one of them even dared to speak up: "Why don't we call our people over too? Why wait until tomorrow? It would be so much better to go straight to work tomorrow."

Working one more day means getting one more day's pay.

However, if male workers are to be hired, Japanese workers must be in charge of screening them, because the people hired are considered their apprentices.

Yamada Ichiro was very enthusiastic: "Come on over, I have nothing to do tonight. I'll take them to install the machines, set up the factory, and familiarize them with the production equipment."

The other Japanese workers were also happy.

Moving, installing, and debugging machines is tiring and annoying.

There are readily available temporary workers, so why not take advantage of them?

The villagers ran away quickly, then ran back quickly.

In rural areas, dinner is generally not eaten too late. This is the time when every household has just finished eating and the housewives are washing the dishes.

Many people came over still wearing their aprons.

Their husbands, sons, or fathers were also quite enthusiastic, with many families even bringing their sewing machines over.

It's as if by occupying the space, they've secured their recruitment positions.

If a male worker earns 100 yuan a month, a female worker certainly won't earn much less, at least 70 or 80 yuan.

This is much better than toiling in the fields for food.

Wang Xiao didn't care how Yamada Ichiro recruited workers. Since there was a translator, there was no need to worry about poor communication.

As for her, she first looked at the hands of the female comrades.

Even though her hands were so rough, like withered tree bark, she didn't kick her out immediately. Instead, she made a request: "Go back and take good care of your hands. Soak them in vinegar to soften them, then apply Vaseline, the kind of lotion sold in small shops. Make sure your hands are well-maintained. We make clothes, and the fabrics are very delicate. If your hands aren't well-maintained, the fabric might get damaged, which would be a big problem."

The woman who had been instructed awkwardly withdrew her hand and nodded repeatedly, assuring him, "Of course, of course, leader. When will we be back?"

"No need to rush, half a month or a month is fine," Wang Xiao said with a smile. "Don't worry, I'll definitely have work for you. Really, don't rush, don't peel off the old skin and end up hurting your hands."

Everyone was relieved.

Wang Xiao continued, "Also, I want to mention that we deal in export clothing. You know bikinis, right? They're the kind of swimwear foreigners wear, pretty much this style. If you're okay with it, then make it; if not, we won't argue, just go back."

The women looked at each other, and finally the woman who had spoken to Wang Xiao first spoke up: "What's the big deal? We're not making clothes, so what's the harm?"

Oh, it's okay to think that way.

Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "Alright, I won't hire anyone from outside. I'll just rely on you guys for now. But let me make this clear: if you guys fail me, I'll have to find someone else to do the work."

"No, no, we don't have any incompetent people here."

Wang Xiao wanted to say a few more words, but her pager went off.

"Excuse me, I'm going to make a phone call."

Speaking of this, she couldn't help but admire the decisiveness of the Xiaozhou municipal government leaders, represented by Vice Mayor Sun.

They have restored all the phone lines.

That's why Wang Xiao was able to call back: "Secretary Cao, hello, good evening. I just finished dinner, have you eaten yet?"

Deputy Secretary Cao felt a lump in her throat; she was still eating, and she felt like she was about to explode.

"Wang Xiao, I heard you moved the production line and Japanese experts to Xiaozhou?"

In the blink of an eye, the duck that was about to be eaten flew away?

————————

Deputy Secretary Cao: In the blink of an eye, the factory was gone.

Furthermore, well, in real life, power struggles between different levels of government and between departments are quite common. It's not uncommon for provincial leaders to give orders, and subordinates to outwardly comply while secretly engaging in underhanded tactics.

In the 1990s, fines were also an important source of revenue for local governments and administrative law enforcement agencies.

Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 18:28:42 on December 3, 2023 and 19:29:15 on December 4, 2023!

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Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!