This was Xu Damao's first time meeting a ministerial-level leader, and the fact that he needed to give a separate report on their first meeting was not only an honor but also a test. The reason high-ranking leaders are high-ranking is because they control vast resources; a single decision can change the fate of many people.

Fortunately, Xu Damao knew that even without the support of a high-ranking leader, he could still live a comfortable life by developing his skills over time. Therefore, he didn't have much ambition and was naturally more at ease.

"Leader, our steel rolling mill's transportation department repair team is currently repairing almost all the vehicles in our district, and our business scope is also expanding outwards. However, with the increase in business volume, our staffing and facilities are no longer able to adapt to the new situation, which is seriously affecting our mill's production and operation."

···

Regarding the necessity of establishing auto repair shops, we believe that the primary reason is to meet the ever-increasing demand for vehicle repair. Currently, the number of motor vehicles, especially three-wheeled motorcycles, in China is growing rapidly, but auto repair has not kept pace, resulting in many repairable vehicles lacking operational capacity and causing significant waste.

Xu Damao didn't even look at the manuscript. Based on his memory, he recounted the past, present, and future prospects of the steel rolling mill's auto repair business, emphasizing the benefits of establishing an auto repair shop for economic and social development.

Old Ma listened attentively, occasionally taking notes, sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking his head. Xu Damao's attentive report went largely unnoticed, but Li Xuewu closely observed his leader's every move, feeling somewhat uneasy.

For Li Xuewu, whether or not a car repair shop is set up or not doesn't affect the overall situation. He cares more about the impression he makes on his superiors, because that will determine his future.

"Xuewu, I heard your factory can also assemble sidecar motorcycles?" Old Ma suddenly asked.

But this question startled Li Xuewu and Xu Damao. They were indeed helping familiar units with the tricycles, and they hadn't publicized it widely. Yet, the higher-ups knew about it.

“In the past, some units had vehicles that were seriously broken down. In order to reduce waste, we removed the usable parts and put them on the good vehicles. Sometimes, several broken vehicles could be repaired into one good vehicle.” Li Xuewu didn’t understand these things, so he gestured to Xu Damao to answer.

"So, does your auto repair shop want to become a car manufacturing plant?" Old Ma asked again.

“Leader, our factory’s current technology and capabilities are still quite far from those of automobile manufacturing. But as our workers’ skills improve and our understanding of parts processing grows, we still have hope for the future.” Xu Damao hadn’t expected that Old Ma would see right through him, but at this point he could only speak vaguely.

"What's your name?" Old Ma asked.

Just now, Li Xuewu actually introduced Xu Damao's name, but it's impossible for such a high-ranking leader to remember it; it's not easy to remember even one character.

"Sir, my name is Xu Damao," Xu Damao replied.

"Xuewu, I've thought about your auto repair shop. It's feasible to set it up, but you'll need to figure out the specific level and setup yourself."

Of course, the final plan still needs to be submitted to the ministry in the name of the factory's Party Committee. I mean, submit it together with the machine repair factory so that we in the ministry can discuss it together.

For Old Ma, the establishment of a division-level unit was not a big deal. Li Xuewu, as the son of his former leader, was also quite capable, so he would naturally support such a small matter. Of course, if this factory he was strongly advocating for could actually achieve something, that would be even better.

His later suggestion to submit the report together with the machine repair shop was clearly an attempt to get Li Xuewu to link the two matters together. With Li Xuewu's support from the ministry, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Twenty minutes is a very short time. Xu Damao and his colleague finished their report and were immediately escorted out by Director Fang. The high-ranking leader is very busy; he's either in a meeting or on his way to one.

"Da Mao, once you get back, immediately draft a plan for setting up the auto repair shop and give it to me tomorrow. It doesn't need to be too detailed, just a general outline will do. If it's feasible, the Political Department will need to take the lead later," Li Xuewu said.

“Yes, sir, I’ll get back to it and do it right away,” Xu Damao replied.

After returning to his office, Xu Damao locked the door and devoted himself wholeheartedly to writing the proposal.

This auto repair shop is actually an expansion of the auto repair team. But since it is a shop, it is definitely not just about repairing cars. It also involves maintenance, manufacturing and polishing of some simple parts, and involves various trades such as forging, fitting, carpentry, heat treatment, and electric welding.

In addition, if a separate factory is set up, then supporting living facilities such as a canteen and dormitories are also involved. Fortunately, Xu Damao had worked in the branch factory before, and had some experience in all aspects, so he could write a general outline.

After getting off work, Xu Damao took Wang Minzhi home. After having a simple meal at home, they prepared to go to Li Xuewu's house.

One reason was to report on today's plan, which Xu Damao had already completed this afternoon. Whether it would be acceptable still needed to be discussed with Li Xuewu in person. The other reason was to offer a token of appreciation. Although Xu Damao and Li Xuewu had a good relationship, they weren't sworn brothers, nor were they relatives like Li Tong. When it came to matters involving their interests, Xu Damao was prepared to offer a small token of respect.

Actually, the information was provided by Xu Damao, and Li Xuewu was the biggest beneficiary. Xu Damao could have chosen not to do these things, but since this kind of matter could be resolved with money, Xu Damao wasn't planning to use personal connections. Over the years, Xu Damao had frequently frequented the black market and accumulated a considerable amount of money, which was now ready to be used.

When Xu Damao arrived at Li Xuewu's house, Li Xuewu had just returned home from outside.

"Why did Da Mao come here?" Li Xuewu asked.

"Factory Manager, I finished the plan this afternoon, but there are some parts I don't quite understand. I can't figure it out, so I've come to ask you for advice." Xu Damao replied while placing an exquisite box he was carrying on the table.

"Tell me, let me see if you've made any progress these past few years." Li Xuewu noticed Xu Damao's actions but didn't stop him. Instead, he brought up the topic of the plan.

Xu Damao presented the plan he had prepared to Lao Li in the afternoon, and also expressed some of his doubts and thoughts.

To be honest, although Xu Damao comes from a later era, he has never worked in a major leadership position and lacks experience in many areas. Therefore, in this respect, he is far inferior to Li Xuewu. Li Xuewu has served as the head of the logistics department and the director of the first branch factory, and he did a good job in both. He has a knack for management.

"Overall, your plan is very good. Some of the things you considered were things I hadn't even thought of, which shows that you've really made progress in the past few years and have grown a lot from those clever tricks you had a few years ago. Of course, you've never been in a leadership position, so there are some things you wouldn't have thought of."

Li Xuewu then pointed out some shortcomings in the plan to Xu Damao. It's true, a single conversation with a wise man is worth more than ten years of study. Li Xuewu wasn't a gentleman, but what he said was indeed very reasonable.