Zhao Ershun made a phone call, and Zhang Guodong used the excuse of going to the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences to test the herb... Indeed, to get people to voluntarily plant *Star Grass*, it would be best to provide an expert's test report proving its excellent medicinal properties. Ordinary matters should be handled according to ordinary rules.
A trip to the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences is absolutely necessary.
The Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Actually, it's the Yangling Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Bai Zhongsheng, who is on good terms with Zheng's father, works here. He's said to be the acting director of a national-level laboratory, which is quite a high-ranking position.
The experts here all receive special allowances from the State Council, and their political status is particularly high. Their students are mostly outstanding talents in various fields, including politics, the military, and business.
When Zhang Guodong took the fat man to Yangling, the fat man seemed quite attentive. He appeared to have forgotten what had happened before and acted very naturally. However, what he was thinking in his heart was anyone's guess.
“Zheng Le’s father has a good friend at the Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He’s the acting director of a national-level laboratory there. We’ll definitely have to trouble him!” Zhang Guodong told the fat man on the way.
The fat man was holding a blue-green star grass in his hand, looking at it curiously.
"These are the medicinal herbs you selected? What are their names?"
The fat man had no recollection of this medicinal herb and had no idea that there were such precious herbs with blue and green leaves in the world; they were quite beautiful.
“Star Grass!” Zhang Guodong said.
"What a strange name, but it's quite fitting. Are you sure this medicinal herb cultivation has a promising future?" the fat man chuckled. He was a complete novice in this area, so he didn't know anything about it.
However, Zhang Guodong studied traditional Chinese medicine, and Chinese medicinal herbs were one of his specialties, so he naturally had much more knowledge of them than Zhang Guodong did.
"What? You underestimate this medicinal herb? Hehe, wait until the test results are in before you see! What's certain is that this medicinal herb has never been seen on Earth before!"
"That's incredible!"
Whether it was mysterious or not, Zhang Guodong didn't reveal another word, leaving the fat man itching with curiosity. Over four days, he called Zhang Guodong several times, almost once a day, but unfortunately, he couldn't get through. Zhang Guodong's phone was in Taoyuan; how could it possibly have a signal?
So the fat man called Li Yun, but Li Yun said Zhang Guodong wasn't there.
However, the timing is better now. Grandpa and Grandma couldn't resist Fatty's persistent pleas and had to come from Kyoto. They weren't expecting any medical checkups; they just wanted to see their son and grandchildren. After all, they're retired now. Even though they still have some prestige, there are many things they don't need to worry about anymore, and they have plenty of time.
When Zhang Guodong called him, the fat man was pleasantly surprised, but he didn't expect that this guy would actually drag him to Yangling District to test some medicinal herbs.
Thinking that this was part of his job and that he had to take it seriously, the fat man also came.
Upon arriving in Yangling, Zhang Guodong finally called Bai Zhongsheng's private number, but unfortunately, no one answered. Frustrated, he looked through the contacts and found an office phone number. This time, he got through.
Upon hearing the voice on the other end, it was Bai Zhongsheng's assistant who answered; Bai Zhongsheng was in the laboratory, where electronic signals were blocked, so the call couldn't go through.
"Never mind then. We'll talk about it after Uncle Bai finishes his experiment. But could you please meet us at the main gate first?"
The other party hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The reason was that Zhang Guodong addressed Bai as "Uncle Bai," suggesting he might be related to Director Bai, or at least someone close to him.
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Guodong and the fat man waited at the main gate. The reason was that soldiers were stationed there, carrying guns and watching them intently. Since they didn't recognize anyone, they weren't allowed in!
Even if the fat man pulled out his work ID, he couldn't register. There was nothing he could do; the administrative rank here was far higher than his own, that of the Party Secretary and Township Head, so they could simply ignore him.
After waiting for several minutes, an internal vehicle, similar to a sightseeing vehicle, drove out. This vehicle is not allowed to drive outside. It is separate from the private cars outside, which is also a means of maintaining secrecy.
A man in his thirties, wearing an ID badge, got out of the car, approached the soldier, and briefly spoke to him. The soldier then went back to answer a phone call before allowing him to pass. The distance between them was just a step, between the inside and outside of the gate.
"Hello, I'm Yang Jianming, Director Bai's assistant. And you are?" The man walked over to the two of them and introduced himself. They were the only two people at the door.
"Zhang Guodong. This is Wang Kang. Hello, Assistant Yang. It's really difficult for you to get in here!" Zhang Guodong shook hands with the other party and said with a smile.
"There's no other way. There are quite a few national laboratories here. If you want to come in, you have to make an appointment in advance. Otherwise, you can only get permission from a vice president! Director Bai is in his lab, and to ensure that his experiments are not disturbed, he has to ask the vice president for permission. Just now, a vice president called to let us in!" Yang Jianming explained. "Come with me, just go through the formalities and register!"
The fat man had a driver's license, and Zhang Guodong had his ID card with him, so the registration went smoothly. Zhang Guodong noticed a scanning machine at the entrance; if he brought any dangerous items, he would likely be stopped.
Once inside the vehicle, the surroundings were bright and open, offering unobstructed views of the scenery. My first impression was how vast it was. Even though this was just the outer perimeter, it already felt like it stretched as far as the eye could see.
As outsiders, Zhang Guodong and the fat man could only wait on the outermost edge. Furthermore, Zhang Guodong had heard that even insiders had a tiered access system; once someone reached a certain level of authority, they couldn't even get into a certain area.
Yang Jianming settled the two in the outermost waiting hall, exchanged a few polite words, and then left. There was nothing he could do; the government here was powerful, and the fact that they even came out to pick him up was already quite courteous.
Zhang Guodong and the fat man realized they weren't the only ones there; there were others, seemingly waiting to see someone as well. These people glanced at the two of them, all very curious. The two were too young.
"Young men, these are my business cards. Are you also here for a project?" As soon as we sat down, a middle-aged, overweight man approached us, offering two very elegant business cards.
This is a businessman! But then again, most of the people who come here to wait in this sweltering heat are business people, and many of them are involved in green businesses.
For example, technologies such as aquaculture, cultivation, and planting, as well as new products.
A quick glance revealed that the business card read "Tongda Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd." and listed General Manager Luo Xiaoyun in another section, with her mobile and landline numbers below.
They shook hands and exchanged brief introductions.
"Tongda Pharmaceutical? The one in this province? The one that produces the cold medicine 'Tongda Cold Capsules'?" Zhang Guodong didn't know, but Fatty had more experience in this area and knew about this pharmaceutical company.
Upon hearing what the fat man said, Luo Xiaoyun's eyes crinkled with a smile. She was honored that someone actually knew.
"That's right, I didn't expect Mr. Wang to deign to work for my company. May I ask how I could possibly be so kind as to you?" Luo Xiaoyun was even more polite now. It was quite rare for someone so much older than the fat man to be so warm and welcoming to a younger person.
The fat man chuckled and said, "I work in the High-tech Zone." Jiang Xiaoyun's eyes lit up slightly. The fat man possessed an extraordinary air and composure, qualities typically found in those accustomed to leadership. However, the fat man was quite young, which puzzled her. "High-tech Zone? Perhaps some department?"
The other party never even considered the possibility of it involving district leaders.
In China's officialdom, being too young is a disadvantage. No matter how capable you are, you still have to follow organizational procedures. At the district level, those in their thirties are considered very young, while many are over forty or fifty.
"Who is Mr. Zhang?" Luo Xiaoyun asked Zhang Guodong.
“Me? A farm tool, what a coincidence. I grow medicinal herbs,” Zhang Guodong said with a slight smile.
What a coincidence! Luo Xiaoyun's eyes lit up the moment she heard the word "medicinal herbs"—it was her profession. For pharmaceutical companies, medicinal herbs are a crucial part of production; sometimes, without enough qualified herbs, production is severely hampered. You see, medicinal herbs are graded; higher-quality herbs allow for the synthesis of more medicine, thus reducing costs.
Production costs are much higher than the costs of acquiring high-quality medicinal herbs. Therefore, costs can be reduced due to quality, and the extra cost naturally translates into profit.
"What a coincidence! There are so many newly cultivated medicinal herbs here. If we buy some seeds, we might be able to make some money!" Luo Xiaoyun said.
He was thinking to himself, there seemed to be very few medicinal herbs growing in that area of the High-tech Zone, right? Besides, the climate and environment in the north are not suitable for growing many medicinal herbs.
Some interest has waned.
"No, you're mistaken. I'm not here to buy seeds; I'm here to test a new medicinal herb."
Zhang Guodong shook his head, appearing somewhat arrogant, and took out the Star Grass, waving it at the other person. "It's said that the test reports here are the most authoritative; spending tens of thousands of yuan to get one is still very worthwhile!"
The fat man glanced at Zhang Guodong, his eyes lighting up with delight, seemingly understanding Zhang Guodong's meaning. This was tantamount to promoting Zhangba Township to the other party—a future green township, creating the best environment, developing pillar green industries, and the cultivation of medicinal herbs was a very important part of it.
Zhang Guodong's meaning was indeed the same. He didn't know the other party's company, but the fat man did; it was probably a real industrial company. A pharmaceutical company wasn't just an empty shell, and if they could attract investment, that would be ideal.
He believed that with the excellent data of the star grass, once the results came out, there would be no worry about sales.
"If a world-class antibiotic can't attract these pharmaceutical companies, then that would be strange!" Zhang Guodong thought to himself.
Luo Xiaoyun was stunned when she saw the star grass.
"What kind of medicinal herb is this?"
"Huh, is this a medicinal herb? How peculiar, it's actually blue-green!"
The others also witnessed this scene and were immediately captivated. Without exception, no one knew about the star grass, much less that it was a medicinal herb, and a very precious one at that.
Among this group, five or six people were in the medicinal herb business, so their knowledge of medicinal herbs was naturally very extensive. However, it was frustrating that they couldn't even recognize the plant in Zhang Guodong's hand.
Unfamiliar new medicinal herbs drive people crazy, especially those in the medicinal herb business. Perhaps, there is a huge business opportunity hidden in them!
As a result, a dozen or so people quickly gathered around Zhang Guodong and the fat man, handing them their business cards, seemingly quite interested. Of course, even if the final result wasn't good, it didn't matter; it was just a business card. People who could get in here probably weren't so bored as to deceive anyone.
Note: Two chapters completed. To be continued tomorrow.
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