Feng Liangchen stepped aside, and Chen Ke, who was filling out the form, looked up and gave Gao Jin a polite smile.
Gao Jin's eyes widened, and he stammered in surprise, "Did you...did you fix it? How could you...fix this?"
Chen Ke: "I had read about it in a book before, and I had also seen other people fix it. I was just lucky that it was fixed this time."
"Just luck? This thing can't be fixed by luck. You don't know how long it took the technician from the No. 1 Steel Plant to fix it last time it broke down. And he was acting all high and mighty. Don't be modest."
Upon hearing this, Feng Liangchen pretended to sternly retort, "Xiao Gao, how can you speak ill of people behind their backs? If someone with ulterior motives overhears you, they might sue you for disrupting the unity among colleagues in the unit."
Gao Jin immediately fell silent and gave Chen Ke a thumbs-up to show his admiration.
Since they have such talent in their own factory, why should he go to the No. 1 Steel Plant to suffer? Next time he sees that technician, he'll give him a dirty look.
"Ring ring ring..." The phone on the table suddenly rang.
Feng Liangchen carefully removed the dust cover and answered the phone gently.
Seeing this, Gao Jin walked over to Chen Ke and whispered, "See? The director is afraid of using this precious thing too much and ruining it."
Chen Ke smiled and said, "It's not that fragile. Just use it normally." Unlike the assembly line factories of later generations, the only thing that can be guaranteed in this era is quality. Many things can last for seven, eight, or even ten years without any problems.
"You're so calm. This is a telephone, you know. When they came to install it, a lot of people from the factory came to watch the spectacle."
As the two were talking, Feng Liangchen finished speaking and hung up the phone, but his expression became somewhat serious.
Gao Jin asked, "Director, what's wrong?"
Feng Liangchen sighed, "The factory's supply will be halved next month."
"What? They're cutting the work in half again? What about our workers? If we can't even get enough to eat, how are we supposed to meet our targets?"
"There's nothing we can do about it; things are tense everywhere."
"No way! When I passed by the canteen of the No. 1 Steel Plant at noon, I could smell the braised pork." Gao Jin said angrily. They were struggling to get food, while the people at the steel plant were eating braised pork. The difference in treatment was too great!
Feng Liangchen glared at Gao Jin. "What are you comparing yourself to the people at the steel mill? That's the country's top priority. Steelmaking is a major event for the entire nation. How can they complete their mission if they don't have enough to eat?"
Gao Jin was full of resentment, but he could only keep it to himself and digest it on his own after hearing these words.
If he dares to cause trouble today, he'll probably be taken in for questioning tomorrow.
"Director, even if we tighten our supply to them, the city can't completely ignore us large light industrial factories. If we divide the costs among ourselves, they probably won't have an easy time next month either," Chen Ke said, handing the completed form to Feng Liangchen.
Feng Liangchen took it and put it in the drawer, looking worried. "Who says otherwise? If we big factories have cut production in half, who knows how much less the smaller factories will cut."
“I heard that the disaster in the south is not serious. They can harvest rice twice a year, and in some places even three times a year. They should have enough to eat and still have some left over.”
"Well, my cousin married someone there and wrote back saying she eats rice every meal." Gao Jin looked envious; he also wanted to eat rice every meal.
"But what's the use of that? We can't send a truck to pick it up."
Chen Ke raised an eyebrow slightly. "We can't, but some people can go openly and honestly."
Gao Jin looked puzzled. "Who?"
Feng Liangchen listened attentively.
Chen Ke didn't keep them in suspense, saying, "It's the city's transportation fleet."
Upon hearing Chen Ke's words, the two suddenly understood, and their eyes lit up.
Gao Jin slapped his forehead excitedly, "That's right! They're always traveling around, going wherever they want, and it's all perfectly legitimate."
"Wow, Chen Ke, how come you're so smart? I'll go back and ask my mom to pull some strings and get them to help me get some grain back."
Feng Liangchen glared at Gao Jin with annoyance, "You've found a way, but what about the other workers!"
Chen Ke then added, "Yes, Officer Gao, don't be anxious. I'm not saying this to encourage one or a few people to use their connections to get grain. Rather, I think the director could privately discuss with the chairman of the steel mill's union and work with several large factories to find a transport fleet to help us exchange grain."
"Is this...is this feasible?" Feng Liangchen was still somewhat hesitant, as he felt it was against the rules, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly which rule was wrong.
"I was just thinking about it randomly. Whether it's feasible or not depends on Director Feng's decision. Or, if Director Feng is unsure, he can ask someone else for advice first." Whether it's feasible or not is entirely up to Feng Liangchen to decide.
The question is whether to directly approach the chairman of the steel mill union, who has the most influence, or someone you trust.
Chen Ke knew what Feng Liangchen was hesitating about. This was indeed a matter of exploiting a loophole in the policy, which carried certain risks, but it could genuinely solve the workers' food problem. If it succeeded, he would be a great contributor to the factory.
On the other hand, the relationship between factory directors and union chairpersons in many factories is quite delicate. If one side has too much power, the other side will definitely be weaker.
If Feng Liangchen succeeds in this matter, his status in the factory will rise dramatically, and he will be able to rival the factory director.
It depends on how he weighs it.
Seeing Feng Liangchen deep in thought, Chen Ke nodded to Gao Jin, "It's almost time for my break, I'll be going now."
Gao Jin was completely stunned by Chen Ke's audacious suggestion. Seeing him leave carrying a blue cloth bag, he inexplicably felt that the tattered bag was unworthy of him…
Chen Ke made this suggestion entirely for his own benefit. He already had little savings, and if the factory's supply was cut off, where would he go to eat?
Whether Feng Liangchen accepts this opinion or not is beyond his control.
The afternoon flew by, and Chen Ke walked out of the workshop amidst Wang Jingjiang's rambling.
"Are you going straight back today? How about... playing basketball for a while? You've never played before, I can teach you." Wang Jingjiang thought that Chen Ke had been acting strangely today, and maybe he really would want to play basketball with him.
Unexpectedly, Chen Ke shook his head again, "No, I'll go to the cafeteria for lunch."
Wang Jingjiang was even more surprised. "You're eating at the cafeteria tonight too? Aren't you going home to cook?"
"Yeah, it'll be more convenient to eat in the cafeteria and go back. They're all grown up, and they have hands and feet, they won't starve." If they really starve to death, then never mind.
"Tsk tsk tsk, how did you suddenly come to your senses? You really won't be both father and mother anymore?" Wang Jingjiang was still a little skeptical; he had tried to persuade Chen Ke so many times.
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