After having lunch at Xiao Jie's house, Ma Yunfei, having nothing else to do, went to the library in City A.
Recently, he has been thinking about the issue of deep processing of yams.
Once he's done with this busy period, he needs to go to Dongfanghong Group in K City to see if the imported powder production line is still there. Also, he needs to find a knowledgeable engineer to check if the powder production line is still operational.
Ma Yunfei consulted relevant materials and found a report about an engineer in his sixties who had worked abroad for a period of time and was very familiar with the production line for processing this kind of powder. However, after returning to China, this engineer was always treated coldly.
Coincidentally, according to news reports, this engineer lives in city A.
Ma Yunfei immediately went to the newspaper office and found the reporter who wrote the article.
The reporter is a woman in her twenties.
"Reporter, I'd like to ask: Did you write this news report?"
The reporter asked, puzzled, "Is there something wrong with this report?"
"No, I'm very interested in the engineer in the report and would like to get to know him. I'd like to ask you if you know his home address."
The reporter asked, "Why are you asking about someone's home address? Who are you?"
"Here's the thing, I'm the manager of the yam sales station in Qinglong Town. Recently, I've become quite interested in the deep processing of yams and want to process them into powder. This engineer happens to be familiar with the powder processing production line for external production, so I'd like to talk to him."
The reporter replied, "I'm sorry, but this engineer is ill and hospitalized. I heard he's quite ill, so it's obviously not appropriate for you to contact him at this time."
Ma Yunfei quickly said, "Since this engineer is sick, I should visit him. May I ask which hospital he is staying at?"
The reporter opened his notebook, checked the information, and said, "This engineer is in bed 0915 of the inpatient department of the Municipal People's Hospital. You can go visit him, but it's best not to talk about work. Let him rest and recover."
"Thank you, reporter."
Ma Yunfei quickly ran to a fruit shop, bought some fruit, and then went to the Municipal People's Hospital.
An elderly man with white hair slept alone in bed number 0915.
This is a four-person ward. All the other beds have someone accompanying the patient, but this engineer's bed has no one accompanying him.
The old man seemed to be asleep, his eyes tightly closed, and he was not moving at all.
Ma Yunfei placed the fruit on the bedside table and sat quietly beside the hospital bed.
A man accompanying someone in the next hospital bed asked, "Young man, are you a relative of the old man?"
Ma Yunfei replied, "I am a friend of the elderly."
"You and the old man are close friends despite the age difference?"
"We could be considered friends despite the age gap."
The two spoke very softly; the old man was still fast asleep.
The middle-aged man who struck up the conversation sighed and said, "This old man is so pitiful. He has never married and has no relatives. When he got sick, no one came to visit him. Fortunately, the nurses here are nice and take good care of him."
Ma Yunfei asked in surprise, "The old man has never been married?"
"Young man, didn't you say you and the old man were close friends despite the age difference? Don't you know anything about the old man's situation?"
"We just met."
The old man woke up, opened his eyes, looked at Ma Yunfei, and asked, "Young man, who are you?"
Ma Yunfei learned from news reports that the old man's name was Chen Feng.
"Engineer Chen, my name is Ma Yunfei. I learned from news reports that you are a mechanical engineer who has worked for a large foreign company and has extensive experience in assembly line installation and operation."
The old man gave a wry smile and said, "Heroes don't dwell on their past glories. Now I'm old and useless, like a rag that has completed its historical mission and has been thrown into the trash can."
“Engineer Chen, I don’t think so. You are only in your sixties, which is the time for you to make great strides. Intellectuals of this age have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. In this era of reform and opening up, you should be able to make the most of your talents.”
The old man shook his head and said sadly, "I returned to China when I was over fifty years old. In the past ten years or so, I haven't had a proper job. No matter where I apply for a job, people think I'm too old. If it weren't for the money I saved when I was young, I'd probably be starving by now."
"Engineer Chen, I've heard that you have a lot of experience with powder processing production lines. I'd like to ask you to come out of retirement."
The old man asked in surprise, "Young man, what do you do for a living? You look to be under thirty, so you shouldn't be an entrepreneur."
"Engineer Chen, I used to be in the yam business, but recently I've been thinking about getting into deep processing of yams. I've heard that there's a powder processing line overseas. I wonder if you're familiar with this line?"
"Young man, are you talking about the powder processing production line made in Germany?"
Ma Yunfei said excitedly, "Yes, it's made in Germany."
"Hehe... I worked in Germany for twelve years and know this powder processing production line like the back of my hand. I could install it with my eyes closed."
"Ah! That's great! I've finally found the expert I've been looking for, Engineer Chen. I'd like to ask you to be my technical consultant."
Chen Feng asked, "Young man, is your powder processing company still just talk on paper?"
"Yes, this company only exists in my mind right now and hasn't become a reality yet. However, I have the confidence and determination to build it up and make it the largest powder processing company in China."
Chen Feng sighed and asked, "Young man, how much capital do you have?"
Ma Yunfei wanted to answer: I have five million.
But then he thought: five million is a large sum of money, but he heard that the powder processing production line alone is worth twenty million, not to mention the expenses of building the factory, hiring employees, purchasing raw materials and so on.
"Engineer Chen, I admit that we are still penniless, but I have the ability and the means to start from scratch and build a first-class powder processing company in China."
Chen Feng shook his head and said, "Young man, your courage and ambition are commendable. However, you can't start a business with nothing. You need capital support. If you don't have 100 million yuan in capital, don't even think about starting a small powder processing company."
Ma Yunfei was startled, but he didn't believe it and insisted on needing 100 million yuan to establish the company.
"Engineer Chen, I'm offering you a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan. Please come out of retirement."
Chen Feng laughed and said, "Young man, you're being too arrogant. In the past few years, I've applied for jobs with a monthly salary of one hundred yuan and been rejected by everyone. But you want to give me ten thousand yuan? Are you just making empty promises?"
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