Chapter 308 Technology Introduction and Talent Cultivation: Graduation Season
Inside the office, the electric fan was whirring.
Because of the power shortage, Ovechkin didn't even install air conditioning in his office.
He hurried out to buy popsicles himself, leaving Wang Xiao, Ivanov, and Deputy Mayor Huang with plenty of space.
He does have that much insight.
They definitely have something to say. With him present, there are some things that are actually inconvenient to say.
Now, the offices are all theirs. Vice Mayor Huang spoke directly: "Let's build an industrial park, specifically for these projects."
I remember when he went to Jiangdong for a meeting, a bunch of experts, scholars and officials were arguing like crazy.
And what happened? This young Russian quietly produced the antistatic gloves.
If there were such an industrial park, projects would spring up one after another, just like anti-static gloves.
Why should he argue with others? Jiangbei Province should just finish what it's all about first.
Wang Xiao shook his head, directly pouring cold water on him: "Then Mayor, you can just wait for a bunch of swindlers to come."
She pointed to herself, then to Ivanov, "He at least has some connections in Moscow, but he still comes in droves to scam people."
After hearing about their experience in Moscow, Vice Mayor Huang laughed heartily: "There's nothing surprising about that. It's a transition from a planned economy to a market economy. Where are there no swindlers? They're everywhere, in every country. We went to Europe to inspect and import equipment, and we got ripped off just the same way."
See, that's the art of leadership; it instantly put Ivanov at ease.
Vice Mayor Huang sighed, "But we can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can't close the door just because we're afraid of scammers. The door has to be open eventually. Fresh air comes in, and flies and mosquitoes are just minor inconveniences."
Wang Xiao still shook his head: "It doesn't necessarily have to be a dedicated industrial park. We don't know how long it would take to get approval. We think we can start now. Let everyone do what Ovechkin did."
Vice Mayor Huang waved his hand: "That won't do. Comrade Ovechkin's success in making antistatic gloves was accidental. We can't just sit back and wait for him to succeed. We still need to provide guidance, otherwise it will be too inefficient."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "So, Mayor Huang, you have to come and provide guidance."
The sun was about to set, but the office showed no signs of cooling down. Even the cicadas outside the window were chirping incessantly. It was so hot!
Vice Mayor Huang simply raised his hand: "Alright, Mr. Wang, stop beating around the bush and just tell me what you want to do?"
The Russian factory was originally a foreign-invested enterprise, and the local government had already taken routine measures such as tax reductions and exemptions. Offering them further preferential treatment wouldn't be a very good option.
“Mayor, please be a salesman for the glove factory,” Wang Xiao said with a smile. “Right now, Ovechkin’s customers are mostly lighter factories in the province. But his antistatic gloves have already met the production needs of refrigerator factories and color TV factories. Unfortunately, because the factory is small and his network is not strong enough, he can’t open up sales channels.”
She gestured with her hand in an inviting gesture, "At this very moment, we need your help, Mayor, to open up the market. We need your help to connect us with companies like Haier Qingdao refrigerators and Changhong color TVs."
Vice Mayor Huang laughed, not immediately refusing, but instead continuing to ask, "Anything else?"
"Another thing is to announce the industries that Jiangbei Province urgently needs right now, industries that can fill gaps in the domestic market. Not those high-end, unattainable industries, but the urgently needed scraps. As long as they can be produced, they can quickly find a market."
She started laughing again, "If we can't find a market, then Mayor Huang, you can help us find one."
The city leaders were so clever; they immediately understood her intention.
Announcing urgently needed industries is meant to encourage participation and facilitate industrial upgrading.
He became a salesman to help the antistatic glove factory find a larger market. On the one hand, he was endorsing the factory, and on the other hand, he was demonstrating the government's attitude in practice: it was genuinely encouraging and truly involved.
But Vice Mayor Huang was still worried: "I'm afraid the alley is too deep, and the aroma of the wine won't spread."
Ivanov smiled and said, "Don't worry, we Russians love to drink. No matter how well the liquor is hidden, we can always find our way to it."
Wang Xiao added from the side, "Perfect timing! We friends haven't seen each other for a long time, so we're planning a get-together. We'll all come and visit the glove factory to celebrate Ovechkin's business success."
Vice Mayor Huang clapped his hands together and immediately declared, "Great! If you don't mind, I'll come and join in the fun."
Who wouldn't be envious when they see others making money? He didn't believe that other Russians wouldn't be moved by Ovechkin's thriving business and follow suit.
After thinking for a moment, Vice Mayor Huang added, "Comrades like Ovechkin and Lekrasov should also have personal honors. I'll see if I can get them a certificate of honor."
He laughed to himself, "It wouldn't be right to visit empty-handed."
Wang Xiao's smile deepened: "It is our honor that you could come."
They were speaking Russian, so Ovechkin, who had just returned with ice cream, understood immediately and asked curiously, "What honor?"
"Mayor Huang is personally acting as your salesman, helping you sell your gloves," Wang Xiao said with a smile. "Isn't that an honor?"
Ovechkin, who was nearly thirty years old, was so happy he almost jumped for joy.
Good heavens, with such a high-ranking Chinese official promoting his glove factory, isn't it going to take off?
Vice Mayor Huang did not deny it, but only gave two instructions: "One is the quality issue. Don't let things fall apart, or I'll lose face. The other is the environmental issue. Your factory has been used as a model, and if people criticize it, it won't look good for anyone."
Ovechkin was so excited that he was incoherent, repeatedly assuring everyone, "No problem, I will definitely prepare well."
He never expected that his factory, located in Xishui Town, far away from Xiaozhou City, would end up being helped by the mayor of Xiaozhou to act as his salesman.
He initially thought the other party was just a relatively large client.
Wang Xiao smiled silently to the side, thinking that Vice Mayor Huang was really spending a fortune to buy bones.
Furthermore, one should see through things but not say anything.
He was certainly disappointed that the glove factory wasn't in his jurisdiction, but it didn't matter.
With so many orders, the glove factory certainly can't handle them all at its current size. Should we expand, or perhaps open a branch factory?
If we were to set up a branch factory, going to Xiaozhou would definitely be convenient, as transportation and other aspects would be suitable.
Now, of course we should cultivate good karma.
She and Ivanov each finished a baby face ice cream. The official and the businessman were still exchanging compliments and talking about Soviet technology, and the enthusiasm of their traditional friendship had not yet dissipated.
Fortunately, technician Lekrasov had gone off duty, and Ovechkin, the boss, had to take the initiative to greet him, which brought an end to the flattery.
Vice Mayor Huang greeted the people and asked curiously, "Oh, why aren't the others leaving get off work?"
Ovechkin shook his head: "They don't go home for dinner until six o'clock in the evening."
In other words, everyone works an extra hour.
Of course, considering that they start at around 7 a.m., they actually work more than ten hours a day.
But Lekrasov is an exception; he resolutely refuses to work overtime, even if his boss is willing to pay him triple wages.
Don't ask him what an old Russian can do every day, since he doesn't have any relatives or friends in Xishui Town.
People would rather wander around town, daydream, or fish; they would never work overtime.
Vice Mayor Huang clicked his tongue in amazement, secretly thinking to himself, "It's definitely easier for the Russians to hire other Russians. In other factories in Jiangbei, overtime is the norm, and the workers welcome it."
This means more orders, more work for everyone, and more money in their pockets.
Everyone has their own ideas. Letting an old Russian like Ovechkin invest in building a factory and hiring his compatriots to work there would certainly save a lot of trouble.
Wang Xiao thought so too.
It's definitely easier to communicate with fellow countrymen than with outsiders.
Therefore, she did not attend Ivanov's friends' gatherings.
This makes it easier for people to speak.
Before leaving, she reminded Ivanov of the important point: "Although they came to China with us two years ago to escape the Moscow Mafia, now that they're with us, we can't just abandon them, can we?"
"Now that there are good projects, projects that are suitable for them to utilize, we need to help introduce them and act as intermediaries."
"How to introduce the technology and how the factory produces it are their business. How to select and identify suitable technologies is also their task. We can't help with that."
"The government here can help by connecting people and finding suitable sales targets."
As Wang Xiao spoke, Ivanov, who had been keeping his head down, suddenly looked up and asked her, "Wang, we are the best, aren't we?"
Look at his face, it's the very embodiment of brokenness.
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded firmly: "Of course, we are the best of friends. Don't be afraid, you won't lose me, and I won't lose you."
Poor guy, even though he had already experienced the disillusionment of idols, completely breaking ties with Punoning must have been a heavy blow to him.
People often experience moments like this, feeling anxious and doubtful about themselves.
She looked up at him earnestly: "We know we're doing the right thing, and we don't need the approval of irrelevant people."
"Technology needs a market; without a market, it will die on its own."
"There are so many dramas and so much culture in Chinese history, but how many have survived? No matter how good something is, it will disappear if there is no market for it."
"Right now, we are trying to find a market for Soviet technology so that it can survive."
She reached out and patted Ivanov's arm. "I know what we're doing, so I'm avoiding the topic simply because not everyone is as clear about it as we are."
Ivanov lowered his head and rubbed his forehead against hers, as if to draw energy from it.
He let out a deep sigh: "Your Majesty—", as if his very soul was trembling.
He really envied her; she seemed to never be confused and could always move forward firmly.
Wang Xiao patted him on the back: "Alright, I'll wait for your good news. Let's finish up here quickly and go cool off."
Whether it's Jinning or Xiaozhou, Tiannai is a sauna and an alchemy furnace.
She had to board the plane; she was flying to Jinning.
Strictly speaking, if we were to categorize the export of Soviet technological heritage, it should be Russia → East of the River, and Ukraine → North of the River, because that's how Wuzhou Company's flights were arranged.
However, plans can't keep up with changes. Back then, Ovechkin accidentally went to Xishui Town in Jiangbei Province and took over a leather clothing factory, which led to what happened later.
We can't turn back now.
But Jiangdong Province has its own advantages, and it certainly shouldn't miss out on this wave of technology transfer.
When Wang Xiaofei arrived in Jinning, he went directly to the provincial government to find Secretary Fang, but found no one there.
The answer was: I went to university.
What's the point of going to university? It's graduation season.
Wang Xiao never expected that the top official of the provincial government would attend a university graduation ceremony in the 1990s.
Perfect timing! She hasn't been to a university in a long time, so she needs to listen to the voices of the graduating students and prepare for the next step of recruitment.
Starting next year, dual employment will be officially implemented. This will allow them to recruit more people they need.
Universities are always bustling with activity, especially now that it's graduation season at Jinning University.
Every few steps there's a group of students, and every five steps there's a new scene; many are busy taking photos to commemorate the occasion.
Some people are relieved: "Luckily we graduated this year and are guaranteed job placement. Otherwise, we wouldn't know where to find a job next year."
Her classmate sighed and said, "What do you mean by lucky? We were just unlucky. If we had stayed a year later, I could have found a way to stay in the provincial capital."
The relieved person widened their eyes: "Don't be so optimistic. Many companies are struggling now. They're focusing on the big picture and letting go of the small ones. My dad's factory has been shut down for half a year. So what if you're a college graduate? The person who was assigned to my dad's factory two years ago was one of our seniors, and now he still has to find a way out. Jobs aren't that easy to find."
Amid their argument, some people on the tree-lined avenue remained carefree, strumming their guitars and singing loudly: "Girl, girl, you're so pretty, policeman, policeman, you're holding a pistol, you say you want a car, you say you want a mansion, I can't steal, I can't rob—"
When Wang Xiao reviewed classic songs from the 1990s decades later, he had never heard anyone mention this song.
But now, it's really popular. No matter how many stations you change on the radio, you can always hear rock singer He Yong screaming his song "Pretty Girl".
Wang Xiao listened and laughed as she weaved through the crowd toward the auditorium where the graduation ceremony was being held.
But she was too late. Just as she reached the entrance of the auditorium, she encountered a flood of graduates pouring out. At the very back of the line were the principal and Secretary Fang, who were talking to each other.
Wang Xiao stepped aside to avoid disturbing the leader's conversation.
As a result, Secretary Fang spotted her at a glance, waved to her, and introduced her with a smile, emphasizing to the principal: "Our General Manager Wang has also recruited many students from your school, and they are all doing very well. Several young people are already able to stand on their own."
Wang Xiao readily agreed: "Thank you to Jinning University for cultivating so many outstanding students. They are all diligent in their studies and eager to ask questions, and they make remarkable progress in their work."
The principal smiled broadly: "That's because you, Mr. Wang, are willing to give college students a chance."
In the future, the government will no longer provide a safety net for college graduates. These kids will have to find jobs on their own, and how well they manage will be up to fate.
He genuinely hopes that every child can have a good future and live up to their own hard work and the country's nurturing over the years.
The principal still had to see off the next batch of medical school graduates, so after exchanging pleasantries with Secretary Fang, he returned to the auditorium.
Wang Xiao found it a bit strange. She had thought that since Secretary Fang had come to attend the graduation ceremony, he would accompany the principal to send their expectations and blessings to all the graduating students.
However, Secretary Fang waved his hand and said, "There's no time to spare, and we can't keep them waiting any longer."
Who are they? Graduates majoring in communications engineering and electronics.
Graduates came from Jinning University, Jinning University of Science and Technology, and Jinning Institute of Engineering. In short, graduates from all the well-known universities in Jinning that have this major can be found here.
What were they doing gathered in the provincial government auditorium? Waiting for the leader to speak.
Why bring them together? Because they are about to set sail for Singapore to work.
Wait a minute, Secretary Fang's few words were too much information, it was overwhelming for Wang Xiao. He couldn't keep up and couldn't understand what was going on at all.
Going to work in Singapore? When did the provincial government start including university students in its labor export program? Hasn't it always been construction workers and the like?
Secretary Sun was really considerate. After serving tea to the boss and returning to her seat, she quietly explained to Boss Wang, "Isn't this all thanks to you? You were the one who made the connection."
What kind of connection do we need to establish? We'll use Mr. Zhao's connections and his own connections.
After the New Year, Wang Xiao introduced Mr. Zhao, a wealthy Singaporean businessman, to Secretary Fang to facilitate the former's investment in Jiangdong.
When Secretary Fang learned that he was also acting as an intermediary, introducing skilled workers from Beijing to work in Singapore, the leader was so farsighted, directly tapping into his potential, and asked if he could also introduce university graduates from Jiangdong to work in semiconductor companies in Singapore.
Secretary Sun whispered, "Back then, in addition to purchasing patented technology from RCA, Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute's Electronics Research Laboratories also sent a group of young people to the United States for training. When they returned, they became a driving force in Taiwan's semiconductor industry."
Now, people in Jiangdong are following suit. Since there's an opportunity, they're sending young people to get involved in the internationally advanced semiconductor industry.
Singapore has been vigorously developing its semiconductor industry in recent years, but its local talent pool is not keeping up, so it does need to attract talent from abroad.
It was precisely because of this that Mr. Zhao, who had no prior experience in the semiconductor industry, tried to inquire about it and actually organized a job fair, bringing together a total of 100 recent graduates to work there.
It's clear that the gaps between any industries in the world are not as large as outsiders imagine. Just because you don't understand an industry doesn't mean you can't connect with it.
Secretary Sun sighed softly, "I hope it's not like throwing good money after bad, with no chance of anything coming back. At least a few of them will return."
Actually, he wasn't very optimistic about his leader's plan.
Since we lack engineers and are unable to train skilled engineers ourselves, we send people out for training.
From a theoretical perspective, the logic is sound, there's no problem.
But the real problem is, once you send people out, they have legs to stand on, so how can you guarantee they'll come back?
Since the reform and opening up, how many government-funded students have been sent abroad? These students are still spending the country's money, but how many of them have actually returned to serve their country after completing their studies? It's not less than one in ten, it's one in a hundred.
Secretary Fang was clearly aware of this potential problem. After expressing her expectations for the graduates and encouraging them to study hard in the overseas factories, she smiled and said, "Actually, we were also worried that you might not come back."
A commotion arose in the auditorium, and some fresh-faced graduates volunteered, "No, we signed a commitment letter."
Such nice words are meaningless. Haven't the government-funded students studying abroad already made enough promises?
Secretary Fang waved his hand: "A pledge is just a piece of paper; it can't really bind you. What truly binds you is yourselves. Of course—"
She smiled and said, "Actually, I can understand everyone's choices. Everyone wants a good job with high pay and good career prospects. It's normal for people to strive for better things. It's like when the educated youth returned to the city. Everyone wanted to go back to the city because there were more job opportunities there, and the development seemed better than in the countryside."
In the past two years, the song "Xiao Fang" has become popular all over the country, so even contemporary college students who have not experienced the "Down to the Countryside Movement" are not completely ignorant about the educated youth.
They understand perfectly; anyone would want to go back to the city if they could.
“But—” Secretary Fang said seriously, “this doesn’t mean that you won’t have good opportunities if you stay.”
She gestured to the provincial office director sitting next to her, saying, "Our Director Pang didn't come back; he stayed at the post-deployment site."
A commotion arose in the auditorium again. Director Pang stood up, bowed to everyone, and then sat down to introduce himself.
"I was among the last batch of people sent down to the countryside in 1977. At the time, I couldn't find a job, so I figured I'd just go because the government was sending me there."
"As it turned out, the large-scale return of educated youth to the cities happened later, and many positions became vacant. I graduated from high school, and the school was pretty good, so the commune arranged for me to be a secretary."
"Later on, correspondence universities also started enrolling students. The commune arranged for me to study at a correspondence university. After I received my graduation certificate, the county took me away."
Laughter broke out in the auditorium, and Director Pang laughed as well: "Indeed, I don't think I'm that outstanding. I didn't pass the college entrance exam the first time in 1977. The reason I've been able to get through this is mainly because, besides my own hard work, it's rare and valuable."
"At that time, the commune was in a hurry to find someone skilled in writing to fill the position of secretary. Everyone else had left, leaving only me. The national policy was to give preferential treatment to educated youth sent to the countryside, so it was my turn to become the secretary."
"The situation was similar later on. From taking the correspondence university exam to being asked to leave by the county, my status as an educated youth helped me a lot."
"Looking back, my peers and my high school classmates were far more outstanding than me. But in their environment, everyone was in a similar situation, so they didn't stand out."
"I was lucky to be discovered and received training from the organization, which is how I got to where I am today."
He said earnestly, "You are all in the same boat. I believe you can all do very well in Singapore, but you are surrounded by outstanding talents. Getting promoted is not easy."
"But once you've completed your studies and returned, you'll be outstanding overseas returnees, and the platform we offer you will be different. Therefore—"
He stretched out his hand in a welcoming gesture, saying, "We sincerely hope that everyone will achieve academic success and find fulfillment in their studies."
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[Let me see] I'm adjusting the outline. What kind of sequel would you like to see? [Facepalm] I'll try my best not to abandon the story. Jinjiang's rankings are linked to academic performance. Because of the poor performance, this story will most likely never be on the rankings again, and I probably won't apply for rankings again. After all, repeated disappointments are too hurtful.
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