Chapter 194

Lei Wanyuan and Ye Manzhi went to the Municipal Industrial and Commercial Bureau together.

On the way, Ye Manzhi said this to Director Lei.

"Director, the rejection of our trademark application is most likely related to the air rifle we're trying to produce. Let's work together. You understand the technology, so you'll be in charge of reasoning with them, and I'll handle the arguments when necessary. We'll play the good cop and the bad cop."

Lei Wanyuan said, his hands behind his back, "I know, I know. Our main goal is to get things done and try not to make things too awkward."

"Yes, that's the truth."

After the two of them had agreed on a general solution, they went into the Trademark Management Section together.

When Section Chief Xu saw the two men, he couldn't help but wonder, "Why are both factory directors here?"

The person who had previously been in charge of business was a small clerk in the Shuguang Factory office.

Ye Manzhi said anxiously, "Our trademark application wasn't approved. This is a huge deal for our factory. We have to come! Chief Xu, we've checked our application documents over and over again. There were no problems at all during the initial review. Why are we being rejected for no reason?"

"How can a rejection be without reason?" Section Chief Xu said politely. "Your products include electric fans and air guns, both of which require a certain level of technical expertise. The Administration for Industry and Commerce needs to see the finished products and confirm they are flawless before approving your trademark application."

Ye Manzhi frowned and said, "Chief Xu, this isn't right. This isn't my first time applying for a trademark, and never before have we been told we'd only grant it after seeing the finished product. Some companies don't even have a workshop, but they've been able to get trademarks. Why do we have to see the finished product?"

When she was working at a food factory, she registered a trademark for canned food called "Hometown Cuisine".

No one said they wanted to see the finished product at that time!

Section Chief Xu said, "Your situation is rather special. Factory 833 produces military products, involving some confidential technology. We need to see a reply from the military confirming that your products will not be leaked before we can issue you the trademark."

Upon hearing this, Ye Manzhi's anger suddenly flared up.

"Chief Xu, tell me, which of these things could be a leak? Jam, electric fans, toys, or air guns? Which one doesn't already exist on the market? If no one else has leaked anything, what could we possibly be leaking?"

Section Chief Xu said, "The air guns and electric fans have some overlap with the military products you previously produced."

Lei Wanyuan glared and shouted, "The most technically demanding part of an electric fan is the motor, but our motor is borrowed from the Anyang County Motor Factory. The product drawings for the air gun are from the Shanghai Air Gun Factory, so it's even more impossible for them to leak secrets!"

Ye Manzhi quickly winked at Director Lei, suggesting that he hold back.

Didn’t we agree on this beforehand, one would play the good cop and the other the bad cop?

If he glares at them, doesn’t that mean both of them will have to play the good guy? How can they fight with such cooperation?

Section Chief Xu spoke in an official tone, "Factory Directors, I'm also following the rules. Since you're a military-to-civilian enterprise, the review process will definitely be stricter! Don't worry about the trademark. Just produce the product first. As long as it passes the review, we'll issue the trademark right away."

"What's wrong with military-to-civilian conversion?" Lei Wanyuan shouted in a hoarse voice. "It's not something we want to do! The military hasn't even made any demands yet, and you're imposing restrictions first! How can you do your job like this?"

Ye Manzhi didn't care about being right or wrong anymore and echoed, "When the local government took us in, they promised to fully cooperate with Shuguang Factory to achieve its transformation! We didn't ask for any special treatment, but at least they should ensure fairness, right? Other factories can easily submit an application and get a trademark, but why are we being held back at every turn?"

"You are a military factory!"

"Who said we're a military factory? Do we have orders from the military?" Ye Manzhi shouted. "After the military-to-civilian transition, we're just an ordinary state-owned factory, just like any other business!"

"Yes, why don't we ask the provincial and municipal leaders to judge the matter!"

Section Chief Xu nodded and said, "Two factory directors, this is the leadership's request! The bureau held a special meeting to discuss this. Our Trademark Management Section must act in accordance with the higher-ups' request!"

If you want to find provincial and municipal leaders, go ahead.

When the time comes, let the director deal with it. It has nothing to do with him, a small section chief.

Ye Manzhi felt that she had to sing the red-faced song herself, and she couldn't rely on Director Lei who was like a firecracker.

She relaxed her expression and said, "Section Chief Xu, since this is the bureau's decision, we won't make things difficult for you. Let's go talk to the director. But, you have to be clear. During the initial trademark review, they clearly didn't mention the military factory. Why are they suddenly restricting us now?"

Section Chief Xu thought that if they talked to the director, they would know the truth sooner or later, so it would be better to do him a favor now.

He led the two out of the office and whispered in the hallway, "Trademark applications for companies are usually handled by our department, and the bureau leaders rarely interfere. But the day before yesterday, the bureau leaders suddenly held a meeting and announced that they would strictly control the products of military-to-civilian enterprises, especially those with export intentions. They must conduct thorough reviews to prevent the leakage of confidential information. It seems that this is because a concerned citizen wrote a letter to the Municipal People's Committee with suggestions, and the Municipal People's Committee forwarded this letter to our bureau."

"Chief Xu, the jam and toys aren't confidential. Can we apply for separate trademarks for these two products first?"

Section Chief Xu shook his head. "The letter was forwarded from the Municipal People's Committee. The bureau leaders attach great importance to it. All existing products must see the finished product and pass the review."

Ye Manzhi exchanged glances with Lei Wanyuan, thanked Section Chief Xu, and temporarily left the Industrial and Commercial Bureau.

Lei Wanyuan sighed, "What a coincidence! When we were applying for a trademark, a letter from the people popped up. Someone's watching us. Who has so much free time?"

"It's not necessarily that we keep an eye on it all the time," Ye Manzhi said. "Letters from the public are processed once a month. According to the timeline, the letters processed this month should have been received last month, probably around the Chinese New Year. We hadn't applied for the trademark yet at that time."

However, it is possible to be predicted.

Shuguang Factory’s previous products did not require trademarks. The only civilian product, popsicles, was supplied to the factory’s employees and was not packaged.

Now that we are officially producing civilian products, we must apply for a trademark!

Lei Wanyuan stroked his sparsely distributed hair and frowned, "What should we do now? Domestic sales are easy. We can temporarily use the factory name for the trial products, but we can't export without a trademark."

Ye Manzhi had no good solution for the moment.

I can only say that the person who wrote the letter is quite good at finding an entry point.

Several products that the factory is currently trial-producing are planned for export.

Export trademarks need to add foreign language descriptions based on domestic trademarks.

That is to say, they must first obtain a Chinese trademark and submit an application using the Chinese trademark before they can register an export trademark.

It takes about one and a half to two months to apply for two trademarks.

If they had waited until the finished product passed the review before applying for a trademark, the Canton Fair would have ended by the time Shuguang Factory obtained the trademark.

They also want to find sales channels at the Canton Fair!

Ye Manzhi and Lei Wanyuan made an appointment to have dinner with Deputy Director Chen of the Industrial and Commercial Bureau, but the meal had no effect.

Director Chen said frankly that the bureau also knew that the probability of their products being leaked was very low, but the Shuguang Factory was once a military factory, so it is better to be safe than sorry.

Someone has already written to the city to remind them. If the bureau doesn’t take this seriously, who will be held responsible if something goes wrong in the future?

*

Ye Manzhi ran outside all day but didn't get any results.

After returning home in the evening, I wanted to be healed by my daughter, but I found that Captain Xiao Wu was not at home.

"Where is Youyan? It's her team's turn on duty today, right? Why didn't I see her in the yard just now?"

Ye Manzhi walked to the desk and took a look at the children's group's duty schedule.

That’s right, Youyan was on duty on Friday.

Wu Zhengrong was propped up on the ground doing push-ups, and took a moment to say, "Their team's duty schedule has been adjusted to Tuesday, so she went to the old house after school."

"She went there by herself?"

"Well, I'll take her to the car here, and my aunt will pick her up at the station over there."

Ye Manzhi sat on the chair, crossed her arms and watched him do dozens of push-ups. The back of her shirt was completely wet.

"What are you doing?" She kicked the man on the back with her foot. "Are you crazy?"

"Change your mind."

Ye Manzhi understood that the project he was responsible for had probably reached a bottleneck again.

Dr. Wu needs to distract himself with other things so that he can change his thinking later.

"Hey, I also had a setback outside today." Ye Manzhi put her foot on his shoulder, "Go boil some water, let's take a bath to relieve our fatigue and refresh our minds."

Hearing this, Wu Zhengrong glanced back at her, stopped doing push-ups alone, and went out to boil water without saying a word.

His interpretation of this sentence is - let's take a bath together to relieve fatigue and change our minds.

…

With the kid not at home, the couple has a rare chance to indulge themselves in their own world.

By the time Ye Manzhi came out of the bathroom and got into bed naked, it was almost nine o'clock.

She gave the man half of the quilt, hugged him like an octopus, and asked, "Youyan isn't coming back tonight? Then she can skip kindergarten tomorrow."

Wu Zhengrong has no obsession with his child going to kindergarten.

To him, kindergarten is the same as nursery school, which is just a place to take care of children. Apart from playing, they can't learn anything useful.

So, when Youyan asked to go to the old house, he never stopped her.

"Don't worry about her," Wu Zhengrong lifted the quilt and covered her. "She was afraid that I would stew Dahua while she was away, so she took the chicken coop with her when she went to the old house. You can sleep a little longer tomorrow morning."

Ye Manzhi climbed onto his shoulders and was almost dying of laughter at the father and daughter duo.

"I was saying that something seemed to be missing from the house today. Turns out Dahua isn't at home! Hahahaha!"

The poultry breeder and the poultry were not at home, which made the couple feel a lot more relaxed.

After get off work the next day, Ye Manzhi bought some cakes and took a bus to the old house to visit the old couple of the Wu family and take a look at her own kid who had skipped school.

As a result, as soon as she entered the door, she saw Grandpa Wu and Wu Yuzhuo tinkering with some machine in the living room.

"Grandma, what are they doing?" Ye Manzhi asked Grandma Wu who was sitting on the sofa.

"Youyan wants to watch TV, and the old man is tuning it up for her."

Ye Manzhi ran to the machine, but couldn't tell that it was a TV.

When she went to Guangzhou, she saw a TV outside a music teahouse.

At that time, many citizens gathered around a small box to watch the show.

But what Grandpa Wu made only had a small screen like a TV, with a speaker next to it. All the wires, parts, and so on at the back were exposed, as if they were spit out by the TV.

Ye Manzhi squatted beside him curiously and watched the old man tinkering with it.

"Grandpa, can you really see the picture?"

"Yes, we have seen it several times." Grandpa Wu nodded.

Wu Yuzhuo introduced to her mother: "There are TV programs from 6:30 to 9:00 on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and cultural performances will be broadcast on Saturday nights."

"Today is Saturday," Ye Manzhi asked, "so can we see any cultural performances today?"

Grandpa Wu said: "It depends on whether the drama troupe or the song and dance troupe has performances scheduled."

Wu Yuzhuo raised two fingers and boasted, "I watched the two programs 'People's Commune is Good' and 'Science World' last night!"

Ye Manzhi cooperated and said wow, feeling envious for a moment.

She squatted beside him and watched Grandpa Wu fiddle with it for about a quarter of an hour. Finally, a black and white image appeared on the small screen, but the sound was still tinny.

The unfinished TV was placed on Grandpa Wu’s workbench. Because the TV screen was too small, everyone had to move a small stool and sit in front of it to see it clearly.

Wu Yuzhuo skillfully helped his great-grandfather adjust the antenna, and after a while, the sound and picture became clearer.

Today the TV station is broadcasting the drama troupe's program "Ode to Life".

"Is this my aunt's workplace?" Wu Yuzhuo asked. "Can I see my aunt perform?"

"That's tough. Your aunt switched to working behind the scenes last year."

The play hasn't started yet.

The people in front of the TV and the audience at the scene were all waiting for the actors to go on stage.

Ye Manzhi asked: "Grandpa, did you invent this TV yourself?"

"This isn't an invention, it's just a piece of kit. The provincial university and the broadcasting equipment factory worked together to develop a monitor. We dismantled two imported monitors, but they were both scrapped." Grandpa Wu tapped the TV screen with his bony fingers. "I bought this for thirty yuan and modified the TV myself."

Ye Manzhi admired him and said, "You're amazing! Can this TV be watched anywhere? Can it be watched at my house?"

She wanted Wu Zhengrong to study televisions and build one for her own home.

Television can show images, which is much more interesting than radio.

Grandpa Wu shook his head and said, "The signal can only cover the Binjiang City Center area. The Military Academy is a bit far away, so we may not be able to receive the signal."

Ye Manzhi could only give up with regret.

That night, she stayed at the old house with her little one to watch a play, from 6:30 to the end of the broadcast at 9:00.

After the screen went black, she called home and said, "The bus has already run its last one. Youyan and I are staying here today and not going back. You should go to bed early."

Wu Zhengrong: “…”

What kind of magic is there over there that makes no one go home?

*

The mother and daughter did not go home the whole next day, hoping to continue watching TV in the evening.

However, Binjiang TV Station was closed on Sunday, so they waited in vain.

When Ye Manzhi went to work on Monday, she was still regretting that her home was too remote and she could not receive any signal. Otherwise, she would urge Wu Zhengrong to make progress and assemble a TV for her home.

"Director," Zhou Ruyi came in to report, "Director Qi from the jam factory is here."

Ye Manzhi withdrew his thoughts from the TV and said with a smile, "Please invite Director Qi in!"

Qi Caiyun came to inquire about the progress of the trademark application.

"Director Ye, I heard that our factory's trademark registration is not going smoothly?"

"Yeah, we've run into some trouble." Ye Manzhi soothed him, "Don't worry about the trademark. Just hire people and start work. It won't affect you."

Qi Caiyun said worriedly, "No, Director Ye, there's not much of a domestic market for jam products. We rely almost entirely on exports. If we don't have a trademark and can't get export orders for the first half of the year, then I suggest we don't hire anyone or start production for the first half of the year."

"Workers need monthly wages. If the factory doesn't have export orders, how can we pay them? Furthermore, jam has a shorter shelf life than canned goods, only one year. We produce it now and export it in the second half of the year. By the time the customers receive the goods, they'll be nearing their expiration date."

When Qi Caiyun was the director of the cannery under the heavy machinery factory, there were only 29 people in the factory, but it was able to meet the canned food needs of the entire heavy machinery factory and the output was quite high.

It all depended on her careful calculations, spending little money to accomplish great things.

If the jam factory cannot obtain the trademark and receive export orders in the first half of the year, she would rather wait until the second half of the year.

Ye Manzhi: “…”

The other party was very thoughtful, which was something she had overlooked before.

However, Shuguang Factory and Factory 833 had an agreement to provide jobs for 300 employees' families within two years.

Many employees' families have heard the news.

If the jam factory delays reopening and hiring, the families will likely cause trouble.

"Director Qi, please continue with the preliminary preparations. We'll find a solution to the trademark registration issue as soon as possible."

Qi Caiyun took the opportunity to report on her recent work. "I've borrowed a few people from the Supply and Marketing Department and the Technical Department of Shuguang Factory. We've already completed the raw material supply and equipment assembly. As long as we recruit the employees, clean up the workshop, and provide pre-job training, we can officially begin operations."

Unexpectedly, she had done so many things by herself, and Ye Manzhi's pressure suddenly doubled.

She saw him out the door and went straight to Lei Wanyuan's office.

"Director, the trademark issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. Without it, the jam factory won't even dare to open. We still owe Factory 833 300 regular employees!"

Lei Wanyuan scratched his head in confusion and asked, "You went to the Provincial Foreign Trade Bureau last week. What did they say?"

"Trademark registrations must be filed with the local Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce. The Provincial Foreign Trade Bureau can't do anything about it; they can only make suggestions, but they can't control the work of the Administration." Ye Manzhi asked, "How about the Municipal Foreign Trade Bureau? If we receive export orders, our foreign trade volume can be counted in Binjiang City. Shouldn't the Municipal Bureau lend us a hand?"

Lei Wanyuan shook his head.

"Our finished products haven't come out yet, and no one can guarantee that there's no chance of technology leaks. The Municipal Foreign Trade Bureau told us not to rush and to wait until the second half of the year for the Canton Fair to sign the order."

Ye Manzhi: “…”

hehe.

What is compared between provinces and cities is the total annual export volume. Orders for both the first half of the year and the second half of the year are all counted as annual export volume.

The major event that could make Shuguang Factory extremely anxious was not a concern at all for the Municipal Foreign Trade Bureau.

Anyway, as long as it is an order from this year, it is already done and will be counted as part of the achievements of the Binjiang Foreign Trade Bureau.

Lei Wanyuan was so worried about the trademark that his gums were swollen.

He waved his hand and said, "There's always a way out. Let's continue to act separately and go to the Provincial Industry Department and the Municipal People's Committee to think of a solution."

Ye Manzhi nodded and went to the Provincial Department of Industry that day.

However, after a busy week, things did not improve at all.

Lei Wanyuan even contacted the military leaders.

But most leaders mean that you can’t eat hot tofu in a hurry. If it doesn’t work this time, just wait for the next Canton Fair.

There is plenty of time to polish the product.

However, the leadership of Shuguang Factory was well aware that the factory did not have much funds left.

If we cannot receive orders as soon as possible, not only will the formal production switch be delayed, but paying employees' wages in the second half of the year will also be a problem.

For Shuguang Factory, participating in the Spring Canton Fair is both an opportunity and a decisive battle!

In order not to affect production, the trademark issue was initially followed up only by Ye Manzhi and Lei Wanyuan.

With no progress, the entire factory leadership team became anxious.

Tian Chunshan even privately gave Lei Wanyuan a bad idea, "Why don't we just give some gifts to the people at the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce? How could our product be leaked? These people are just too full to eat."

"You better get out of here now." Lei Wanyuan waved his hands in annoyance. "Who's going to deliver it? You or me? If the person who accepted the gift reports us, we'll be in big trouble!"

A small trademark has trapped everyone.

Just when the factory leadership team was worried about this, Yu Zhijiang and Chen Qian from Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory came to Shuguang Factory.

The Shuguang Factory has recently caused quite a stir in the province and the city, and the food factory has also heard the news.

Yu Zhijiang came this time to reiterate the idea of ​​the two factories cooperating to open a jam factory.

"Director Ye, we had some misunderstandings before, which prevented the cooperation between the two factories from continuing. After learning about the troubles encountered by Shuguang Factory, I shamelessly came to your door again."

As guests are welcome, Ye Manzhi said politely, "We welcome Director Yu and Director Chen to visit us at any time. I will also come back to the food factory to visit when I have time."

There was no mention of cooperation between the two factories.

Even if she didn't mention it, Yu Zhijiang wouldn't stop.

"Well, I came here with good intentions. To be honest, after losing two jam production lines, I've been feeling guilty towards the employees. If we can restart our cooperation and build a joint venture, it will not only make up for the food factory's regrets, but also solve the Shuguang Factory's difficulties."

"The food factory can send its most experienced engineers and technicians and share our raw material production areas. Most importantly, the jam products can directly use our 'Binjiang Brand' trademark. If we start production as soon as possible, we won't miss export orders at the Canton Fair."

The Shuguang Factory has factory buildings and equipment, but no trademark, and is slightly inferior in food production technology.

Of course, this trademark will not disappear forever, but judging from the current situation, if they follow the requirements of the Industry and Commerce Bureau, they will definitely miss this year's Spring Canton Fair.

The leaders of Shuguang Factory were running around, trying to find connections everywhere. It was probably because the factory had run out of money and was just waiting for rice to cook.

Because of these two jam production lines, Yu Zhijiang's first three tasks as a new official were not going well.

If he could regain the jam factory, it would be a great benefit to him personally.

Ye Manzhi said politely, "Director Yu, the food factory's visit at this time is a timely help. I will remember your kindness. However, I cannot make the decision about the jam factory alone. I have to report this matter to Director Lei, and the factory leadership team may need to hold a meeting to discuss it."

"Okay, there's no rush for this," Yu Zhijiang said generously, "Let's go back and wait for news from Director Ye."

Chen Qian didn't say much the whole time. Just before leaving, he waved goodbye to Ye Manzhi with a grin in a place where Yu Zhijiang couldn't see him.

Ye Manzhi smiled and sent the people out the door, then turned around and told the other factory managers the purpose of their visit.

"Since they've taken the initiative to seek peace," Tian Chunshan suggested, "why don't we consider the possibility of cooperation? At least we can solve the jam factory's predicament first. If we can solve one problem at a time, it's a good thing."

Kang Jian also said, "In business, cooperation is mutually beneficial, while conflict is mutually detrimental. Let's not dwell on past disagreements. Binjiang is a provincially renowned brand, and using the food factory's trademark isn't too much of a disadvantage for us. If nothing works out, let's discuss the shareholding ratio. Director, what do you think?"

"I don't think it's very good. They have almost nothing to offer except a trademark. The equipment and factory buildings are all from Shuguang Factory." Lei Wanyuan muttered, "Who knows if he is helping out or taking advantage of the situation?"

He exchanged glances with Ye Manzhi, then looked away.

They both had a suspicion in their hearts, but without any evidence, no one said it out loud.

When Ye Manzhi first heard about the letter from the people, she suspected that the letter was related to the food factory.

The Shuguang Factory intercepted their equipment, causing Yu Zhijiang to suffer a major setback as soon as he took office.

He has a motive for revenge.

However, the trouble with this matter is that there is no evidence.

Even if they were convinced that it was him who did it, they couldn't say anything.

Letters from the public that can be forwarded to the Municipal Administration for Industry and Commerce must be letters with real names.

The letter could not have been written by Yu Zhijiang himself, but he might have asked someone to write it for him.

Moreover, this move was an open conspiracy. If the military factory switched production, there would be a risk of leaking confidential technology, and no leader dared to guarantee the Shuguang Factory.

They were able to slow down the Shuguang Factory's production conversion with just a letter from the people.

However, Ye Manzhi had previously thought that the other party was simply seeking revenge, but she had not expected that they were also planning to cooperate with the two factories.

Lei Wanyuan slammed the table and said, "I've said it before. As long as Yu Zhijiang is the director of the food factory, I won't cooperate with it! I'm a man of my word. How could I go back on my word so quickly?"

Tian Chunshan advised: "Lao Lei, don't act on impulse."

"Who's acting on impulse?" Lei Wanyuan waved his hand and said, "Let's think of other solutions! Working with Yu Zhijiang right now is too frustrating! What's the difference between this and swallowing something you've already vomited?"

Everyone: “…”

It's described as disgusting.

After the team meeting, Ye Manzhi went back, put on a cotton jacket, and walked out of the factory gate.

She took a bus to the newly established Provincial Food Industry Company.

After Niu Enjiu led her into the office, he personally brewed a cup of tea for her. "Director Ye, you are a rare guest! This seems to be your first time at the food company, right?"

"Hey, if there's nothing urgent, who would always come to the higher-level unit to disturb the leaders' work?" Ye Manzhi said with a smile, "Secretary Niu, our Shuguang Factory has encountered some troubles recently. You should have heard about it, right?"

"Haha, I've heard a little bit about it."

Because of the registered trademark, Shuguang Factory has caused quite a stir recently.

Niu Enjiu is also very concerned about the development of his old colleagues in their new units.

"I came to see my old leader this time for no other reason than to ask for your help!"

Niu Enjiu laughed, "How do you save me? Tell me first, I'll definitely help you if I can!"

"This trademark registration trouble has also affected one of our jam factories. We had originally planned to exhibit its products at this year's Spring Canton Fair, but how can we do that without a trademark?" Ye Manzhi said. "Now that the Provincial Food Industry Corporation oversees the entire province's food industry, our jam factory should also be managed by the company, right?"

Niu Enjiu nodded, "Yes."

"Secretary Niu, you are in charge of the province's food industry. Can you help us find a food factory with export qualifications so that we can temporarily export our jam under their trademark?"