Currently, the most convenient way to travel from Jiangcheng to Haicheng is by water, but even so, they still have to drift at sea for 5 days and 4 nights.
At the dock, Li Xiuxiu and Fan Hongying came to see him off.
"Be careful on the road," Li Xiuxiu helped her straighten her luggage straps and carefully instructed her, "I put the seasickness medicine in the outermost pocket. Take one when you feel unwell."
Fan Hongying then handed her a small notebook: "This is a map of Haicheng that I asked someone to find for me. I've circled several must-see places."
Woo--
The long, drawn-out whistle broke the tranquility of the river; this was the final announcement for boarding.
"Hurry up and go up," Li Xiuxiu nudged her. "Remember to take a good look at the scenery of Haicheng for me, and be sure to tell us about it when you get back!"
The passenger ship slowly pulled away from the shore, and the city gradually shrank in the distance. Zhan Chunlan leaned on the railing, letting the river breeze caress her face. This was her first time traveling far from home, her first time on a ship, and her first time going to a very bustling metropolis.
The cabin was filled with the mixed smells of coal smoke and sweat. Xiao Wang, the technician traveling with the ship, looked around curiously: "This ship is huge! It must be able to hold hundreds of people, right?"
Xiao Zhang from the factory office had already made up the bed: "I heard we'll be at sea for five days and four nights. Xiao Zhan, do you get seasick?"
Recalling her last boat trip, Zhan Chunlan nodded, "I have seasickness medicine here. You can come to me if you need it. Taking one will make you feel much better."
After saying that, he swallowed one pill with the water bottle and then went to bed to rest.
There were seven of them, led by Deputy Factory Director Zhou, who was in charge of production. He and the other level eight workers stayed in the second-class cabin, while the remaining five stayed in the third-class cabin. There were six beds in the third-class cabin, and she and another female colleague, Xiao Qiulin, chose the upper bunk.
"I heard that the Haicheng Food Factory has already achieved semi-automation," technician Xiao Wang said excitedly. "If we could learn that, it would be a great achievement."
Xiao Zhang from the factory office was more concerned about management: "Their performance appraisal system is very advanced, and the workers are extremely motivated. I've heard that many of their products are exported overseas, generating a lot of foreign exchange for the country. I wish our factory could also export and earn foreign exchange someday."
Zhan Chunlan listened quietly, and slowly closed her eyes as the bed swayed.
On the morning of the fifth day, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the porthole, excited shouts erupted on the ship. Zhan Chunlan hurriedly climbed down from her bunk and followed everyone onto the deck.
In the distance, the outline of Haicheng emerges from the morning mist. Towering buildings, bustling docks, and shuttling ships create a vibrant scene.
Zhan Chunlan leaned on the railing, letting the sea breeze caress her face. Five days at sea had left her slightly tired, but her heart was filled with excitement. Finally, they were about to reach the shore. People really can't leave the land. During these few days on the water, her heart had been in suspense, without a sense of grounded security.
The passenger ship slowly docked, and several people disembarked with the flow of people. People from Haicheng Food Factory came to greet them at the dock. Zhan Chunlan and others stood aside and watched Deputy Director Zhou socialize. Sure enough, those who can become leaders are not ordinary people. They had been on the ship for five days, and now that they had finally disembarked, they still had to put on a brave face and be polite to people.
The group was taken to a guesthouse near the Haicheng Food Factory. Zhan Chunlan and Xiao Qiulin shared a room. They didn't have much energy for formalities, so they washed up and went to bed.
The next day, the group arrived at Haicheng Food Factory, which was much larger than Jiangcheng Pastry Factory, probably five times the size, and offered a wide variety of products: milk candy, fruit candy, sorghum candy, nougat, honey, luncheon meat, biscuits, pastries...
Over the course of several days, Zhan Chunlan's notebook was filled with notes. Compared to Haicheng Food Factory, Jiangcheng Pastry Factory had much more to offer than just a technological gap:
First and foremost, we should establish a "branding" mindset. Haicheng Food Factory operates "White Rabbit" as a brand, ensuring its quality and reputation through stable quality, standardized packaging, and extensive advertising.
Jiangcheng Food Factory's current products do not yet have a recognized brand. They only have products without a brand. Rice candy, peach cake, and fried dough twists do not have distinctive trademarks or packaging, and there is no brand name recognized by people outside of Jiangcheng.
Secondly, there is "standardized" production. Haicheng Food Factory ensures that the taste and quality of every "White Rabbit" milk candy are highly consistent through mechanized and standardized processes.
Jiangcheng Food Factory currently relies heavily on master craftsmen, and the taste of its products depends entirely on their skill. While this "handmade" label might attract customers in the future, in this era, it should respect the craftsmanship of these masters and begin to quantify and standardize key processes (such as ingredient ratios, baking time, and temperature). This would ensure consistent quality during mass production, reduce over-reliance on individual artisans, and form the foundation for large-scale development.
Another key step is to find ways to "go global" and break through geographical limitations. Haicheng Food Factory actively utilizes national export channels to promote its products overseas, which not only generates foreign exchange earnings but also greatly enhances its brand reputation.
Even if Jiangcheng Food Factory's products cannot be directly exported, it can still consider how to expand beyond Jiangcheng. For example, could it leverage the supply and sales network of the four cities of Jiang, Min, Hong, and Lin to first cover the entire Southwest market? Could it improve the packaging and shelf life to make them more suitable for long-distance transportation? This outward-looking perspective is crucial.
Finally, it is essential to learn to innovate and adapt to the changing times. Haicheng Food Factory has successfully developed new categories of milk candy based on traditional confectionery, and continues to explore new flavors: original, red bean, chocolate, yogurt, etc. If they further develop coffee, liqueur, and nut flavors, they could create another new trend.
While adhering to traditional flavors, Jiangcheng Food Factory can try micro-innovation. Currently, all its pastries maintain a high degree of traditional taste, which no longer holds much appeal for trend-conscious young people. Since these are the only products available, consumers will try their best to choose new products.
Every evening when she returned to the guesthouse, Zhan Chunlan would carefully organize her learning notes from the day. The neat and dense handwriting in her notebook recorded a female worker from the inland region's new understanding of modern production.
"Xiao Zhan is writing down her thoughts again?" Xiao Qiulin, who shared a room with her, always saw her hunched over her desk writing furiously when she was about to rest, and she felt a growing admiration for the young girl in front of her. Before, when she saw that this young woman, who had just entered the factory, was able to beat out so many workers to get the opportunity to go on a business trip for training, she was a little unconvinced. But after seeing her these past few days, she realized that she had been narrow-minded.
"I need to write down what I've learned each day. My memory isn't very good; I forget a lot of things after a while." Zhan Chunlan looked up and smiled. "So many experienced workers in the factory are waiting for us to bring back our experience."
Sometimes, Deputy Factory Director Zhou would come to check on their learning progress. While looking through Zhan Chunlan's notes, he would frequently nod, saying, "This management experience is indeed more worth learning than mere technical skills."
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