Chapter 26 Yoho, let's have a feast: Make good use of leaders (Part 2)
Zhang Yan's movements were indeed fast, and quite ruthless.
How ruthless was it? A group of elderly women and men rushed into the kindergarten's duty room. When she was shirtless and yelling at them from under the covers, Ruan Rui, who was lying next to her, was still unconscious.
Wang Xiao and her mother took turns slapping him twice each, making his gums bleed, but they couldn't wake him up.
Because Zhang Yan drugged him; she used liquor to administer sleeping pills—a swift and efficient method.
While her parents took her younger brother to a relative's house for a banquet, she drank with Ruan Rui and secretly put the drug in the drink.
Wang Xiao believed he had ample reason to suspect that Zhang Yan actually intended to invite everyone to Ruan Rui's banquet; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to put people in this situation.
Look at how clueless he is, making it impossible for anyone to get anything going.
In short, this dramatic operation to catch the adulterer in the act, though exciting at the scene, ended in a disastrous mess. The adulterer was unconscious, and the adulterous woman could only cry, claiming she had been raped. In the end, everyone had to reluctantly take Ruan Rui to the hospital for a stomach pump.
According to Ms. Chen Yanqiu, the factory doctor, taking sleeping pills with liquor can really be fatal.
Alas, Chen Yanqiu is now filled with regret.
Why did she have to stalk him for no reason? And if she saw them committing adultery, why did she have to call someone to catch them in the act? Wouldn't it have been better to just have that conman surnamed Ruan take him away with some liquor and sleeping pills?
Being widowed is much more painful than being divorced.
Now, as a doctor, she can't just go against her professional ethics and stand by and watch someone die.
After all, it was in front of so many people.
It really forced her to be this spineless good person.
Frustrated, Dr. Chen could only watch helplessly as the group rushed off to the factory hospital, where they administered IV drips and performed gastric lavage. The ordeal lasted from night until dawn, but Ruan Ruiren still hadn't woken up.
Well, it looks like we're really going to have a feast.
Sigh, since she transmigrated into the book, she's attended countless wedding banquets, but she's never had a white banquet yet.
I heard that in the 1990s, the standard of a white banquet was much higher than that of a wedding banquet.
Tsk tsk, it's a pity that given their relationship, she probably can't freeload at this banquet.
It's a bit of a pity.
She watched the commotion as if nothing was wrong, while Zhang Yan was nearly frantic with worry.
Oh no, this has caused a murder. They'll probably arrest her and execute her.
In a moment of quick thinking, Zhang Yan grabbed Wang Xiao and pulled him aside, threatening him: "Don't talk nonsense. Anyway, he has nothing to do with me. He was emotionally overwhelmed by your desire to divorce him, so he took sleeping pills with liquor. He committed suicide."
As for why she let someone sleep naked in the same bed with Ruan Rui? She was drunk. She only dragged Ruan Rui back to the dormitory out of humanitarianism, and later, she couldn't resist the effects of the alcohol and fell asleep too.
Wang Xiao was stunned. She learned something from Zhang Yan: the bolder you are, the more you can achieve.
In the book, Zhang Yan's success is not because she is smart, but because she is vicious, selfish, and willing to go to any lengths.
Look at them, they don't even know how to frame someone, and the thing on their necks is just for show!
"What's wrong with you? Why are you defending him? I know you love him, but you can't be this stupid as to use your own reputation to whitewash him."
Wang Xiao said in a serious tone, "It's obvious that he had ulterior motives and wanted to rape you. He put sleeping pills in your drink. But the glasses were accidentally switched, and he drank the drugged drink. When he tried to force himself on you, the drug took effect and he passed out. You wanted to call the police, but because you were drunk, you were unable to move and could only wait for us to rescue you."
Zhang Yan was stunned.
If she weren't involved, she would definitely believe what Wang Xiao said was true.
Is there really such a big difference between going to university and not? Even her lying skills are a cut above hers.
Wang Xiao patted her shoulder and said earnestly, "Although you made mistakes before, you are a person of principle. You can't cover for him and let him make the same mistake again!"
Zhang Yan felt a chill run down her spine, realizing what she meant, and quickly assured her, "I know what I'm doing, I will absolutely not protect a rapist!"
Wang Xiao nodded in satisfaction and went to greet her parents. She didn't have time to waste at the hospital; she still had to go to work in Xin County.
Dr. Chen's brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a poisonous mosquito in winter, and he said reluctantly, "You should just stay in the provincial capital. Why are you running around like this? Are you afraid of running into trouble?"
Wang Xiao quickly reassured her, "Oh my god, I've already been recognized as an advanced individual, and the leaders said they want to train me well. How can I back down? Besides, this time we're not taking the bus. Tang Yicheng is driving, and we'll drive directly to the county. If anyone dares to stop us along the way, we'll just run them over and kill them."
Hearing this, Chen Yanqiu was filled with rage. She strongly suspected that the driver of the bus her daughter was on was actually in cahoots with the robbers.
If a normal person encountered someone digging into their car window and throwing mud at it, they would definitely step on the gas and rush forward.
Everyone knows they're not good people, so why did you still pick them up and put them on the bus?
Wang Xiao didn't think that way; she suspected the driver was just afraid of getting into trouble.
Anyway, they can't rob him. Everyone knows that drivers don't carry much money on them, unlike passengers.
If he offends the robbers, they will retaliate. He keeps running back and forth on this road. He can only be a thief for a thousand days, but he can never guard against thieves for a thousand days. If he falls into the hands of the robbers, he will die without even knowing how he died.
Faced with two choices, and given that people are inherently self-interested, it's not surprising that the driver chose the former.
It can only be said that people's behavior patterns are largely determined by the social environment. If the crackdown on highway robbers and bandits were strong enough, perhaps their choice would be different.
She then comforted her elderly mother, saying, "Besides, there are fewer robbers on the road these days."
Legend has it that she led a group of people in a fierce resistance against the bandits, and even beat the robbers to death. The remaining few were also crippled. She was exceptionally fierce.
This has made even seasoned robbers who frequently do business on the road hesitant to act rashly, fearing they might run into another group of reckless thugs and lose their lives.
Chen Yanqiu was extremely upset. Her generation had all grown up with collectivist education, and even if she didn't want to, she couldn't bring herself to tell her daughter to quit her job.
Delaying public affairs is a heinous crime.
"Alright, alright, be careful on the road, and put the scissors in your pocket."
What else can we do?
When she was young, many medical staff from hospitals went to the countryside, which led to a lack of medical security in the city.
Even though she, the factory doctor, was called out by people from outside in the middle of the night to deliver babies, she still went out to work with a pair of scissors in her hand.
For women to have social status and be on equal footing with men, they cannot do less work than men.
Women hold up half the sky, not just because of slogans, but because of hard work and dedication.
Yesterday, Tang Yicheng, following Wang Xiao's instructions, went to discuss with the clients the possibility of shipping goods by mail. He heard that the soap factory would cover the postage, and the hotel had no objections, so the overall project is progressing very smoothly.
He's going back to Xin County today to negotiate with the post office to lower postage rates.
God knows why a retired special forces soldier, now the head of the security department, would do this job.
It can only be said that they are like cogs in a revolutionary machine, going wherever they are needed.
Seeing his serious and tense expression, Wang Xiao found it amusing and, unusually, decided to lend a hand: "Alright, alright, I'll go talk to him with you."
Tang Yicheng's tense body immediately relaxed, making Wang Xiao both amused and exasperated. It's just a business negotiation, why is it acting like he's about to storm a dragon's den? It's too exaggerated.
As the car entered the new county, Tang Yicheng confidently headed towards the post office, but Wang Xiao stopped him: "Let's not go to the post office, let's go to the county government."
The van came directly from the provincial capital early in the morning, without taking detours like the bus, so it actually took less time. It's not even noon yet, the county leaders should be here.
Tang Yicheng was completely bewildered. Why should he look for the leaders? The post office's pricing was set by the higher-level unit; what did it have to do with the county leaders? Besides, those leaders were very busy; why should he bother with them?
Sure enough, when the car stopped in front of the county government building, the security guard came out and questioned: Who are you? Who are you looking for? What do you want?
The county government is not a place for casual strolls; don't just wander around here.
Wang Xiao introduced himself with a smile: "I'm Wang Xiao, from the Provincial Chemical Research Institute. When I was injured and hospitalized after fighting with thugs on the bus, Deputy County Head Tao specially visited me on behalf of the people of Xin County. Now I've recovered and been discharged, so I came here to let Deputy County Head Tao know I'm safe and sound. Here, sir, these are apples my mom specially bought, from Shaanxi, they're especially sweet, please try some."
Tang Yicheng felt that his mouth was just for show. He also had a tongue and two lips, so how come other people could blurt out anything?
This apple was clearly a thank-you gift from a patient's family to Dr. Chen's friend at the factory hospital, and he casually gave it to her to take on her business trip. She hadn't mentioned thanking Deputy County Head Tao at all beforehand.
This is really unfair to Wang Xiao. She didn't mention it before because she felt there was no need to.
Since she has already planned to process six small gift packages for hotels in the new county, it would be most appropriate for her to ask the government to intervene.
For example, when doing live-streaming to help farmers, you have to connect with the local government. It saves you time and effort, allows you to share the risks with the authorities, and also gets official traffic recommendations.
It's a wonderful thing, like a passport.
Sure enough, the security guard made the call and quickly informed him enthusiastically: "Wang Yingxiong, come upstairs, it's the second room on the left on the third floor. Deputy County Chief Tao is waiting for you."
He spoke too casually; in reality, Deputy County Head Tao had already come out of his office and specially went downstairs to greet Wang Xiao.
Upon seeing him, he warmly stepped forward to shake hands, once again expressing his and the people of Xin County's joy at seeing the hero recover, and then invited Wang Xiao upstairs to sit down.
He wasn't sitting in his office, but in a conference room.
Over the next ten minutes, one after another, the county head, the county party secretary, and the county government leadership team arrived in the building, turning the one-on-one visit into a one-to-many conversation.
Tang Yicheng felt he couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he honestly took the initiative to help serve tea and water.
He truly admired Wang Xiao. Faced with so many people, how could they possibly have so much to say? It was remarkable that she could still talk so fluently.
He thought the commotion was already quite exaggerated, but less than fifteen minutes later, someone actually came running in with a camera. Reporters from the local county television station, radio station, and newspaper all arrived, setting up their equipment and snapping away in the conference room.
Wang Xiao appeared extremely flattered, repeatedly emphasizing that it was too kind of her, and then showed a look of shame, as if she did not deserve these honors and looked very embarrassed.
As the leader in charge of the county's industry, Deputy County Head Tao quickly responded: "Of course, of course. Everyone has witnessed your contributions to our county's soap factory. We warmly welcome outstanding comrades like you to offer advice and help us with our emerging industrial development. We also hope that the experts from the Chemical Research Institute can provide more guidance to our county's factories and help us overcome technical difficulties."
Wang Xiao looked shy and a little embarrassed: "Actually, I had heard Director Huang of the soap factory and other leaders talk about it before, and I also heard about the current difficulties the factory is facing. After I reported to the leaders and teachers of the Chemical Engineering Department and discussed it, I have an immature idea that I want to give a try."
She recounted six small matters, emphasizing, "This also reflects the noble character of the soap factory's employees. The factory leaders said that the soap factory's situation has improved, and they hope to help other sister units as well. Currently, the soap factory has established good cooperative relationships with many hotels in the province. Based on this, the factory hopes to promote the products of units such as the toothpaste factory and the comb factory. This way, everyone benefits."
The county leaders immediately beamed with joy.
In this era, the concept of a large collective was still very strong, and it was a situation where the eldest brother should help his younger brothers and sisters when he took the lead.
For example, after the famous Ma Shengli became famous overnight by contracting the Shijiazhuang Paper Mill, he has now contracted a hundred previously loss-making factories and established the China Ma Shengli Paper Group, hoping to lead everyone to prosperity.
There was also the once-popular Wanbao refrigerator, which had contracted a large number of factories a couple of years ago. However, that guy was disloyal and betrayed the trust of the Party and the people; he actually defected last year, which had a very bad impact.
However, the advanced leading the less advanced is the benchmark of socialism.
Now that the soap factory is taking the initiative to help introduce customers, the people of Xin County will definitely welcome it.
Seeing this, Wang Xiao quickly seized the opportunity and explained the significance of the cooperation in detail.
By having purchasing agents and salespeople stay in hotels, we can take Xin County's products to all parts of the country, attracting them to come to us and want to buy Xin County's goods.
Then she casually added, "These disposable hotel supplies are purchased by the hotel and given to guests for free, so the price must be low, otherwise the hotel cannot afford such high costs. Therefore, we need to control costs in every aspect."
Here it comes! Tang Yicheng, who was serving tea and water, immediately perked up his ears. How to control costs? Besides the factory cost, there are of course transportation costs.
The former is like a giant mountain, difficult for each factory to control, but the latter is a place where the county government can help.
Try talking to the post office and asking them to lower the shipping costs. This would be a great thing for the development of factories throughout the county.
Wang Xiao continued with more promises: "Actually, besides hotel supplies, I think some of Xin County's specialties, such as pastries, can also be sold through the hotel. For people from other provinces, these are all specialties of our province. When people come on business trips, they can bring some local specialties home and buy authentic products directly at the hotel, which is convenient and worry-free. I'm sure they'd be happy to do so."
The county leaders' eyes lit up immediately. Yes, a hotel is a great sales outlet.
Those hotels catering to foreigners often have specialty stores selling Chinese products like silk.
They don't expect to sell to foreigners; focusing their consumers on their own people is something they could easily consider.
Speaking of local specialties, besides food like cakes and pastries, Xin County also has a lot of handicrafts, which are quite nice.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "These can all be sent to various hotels by mail, which also allows us to contact the hotels in a timely manner, understand their actual needs, and make corresponding adjustments. It's cheap for both sides. To achieve this goal, the postage must be cheap. Otherwise, the hotels won't make a profit, and they certainly won't want to continue."
She did everything she could. As for the rest, in this era where even a market economy couldn't raise such issues, the leaders had to coordinate it.
The county leadership team reached a consensus very quickly this time.
It's true, any government official with a brain understands one thing: only when their jurisdiction is prosperous can they have a future.
Even when slaughtering a pig, you have to wait until it's fattened up before you kill it.
They were eager to overcome the difficulties when the price control measures failed, the international situation was turbulent, and factories were on the verge of collapse, so that the county's economic development could get back on track.
They will handle the postage issue; this is an important statement from the county government regarding its support for industrial development.
Tang Yicheng was numb; he wasn't even a little surprised.
He really didn't know how skilled this engineer Wang from the provincial capital was in chemical engineering.
But his business acumen was absolutely the best he had ever seen.
College students are indeed full of hidden talents.
Wang Xiao smiled and said goodbye: "Well then, leaders, you go ahead with your work. We're going to talk to the toothpaste and comb manufacturers about supplying goods."
"No, no, no." The county party secretary immediately made the decision. "You don't need to run around like this, it's too tiring. How about this, we'll call the people from the factory over, have lunch together, and settle this matter over lunch."
Oh, that's great! What a pleasant surprise!
She originally only planned to ask the county government to help her get a letter of introduction so she could knock on the door of the factory.
Now, when business is discussed at the dinner table, with leaders present, if the factory manager isn't out of his mind, the deal is almost guaranteed to go through.
However, she underestimated the tenacity of the new county factory.
The toothpaste factory negotiations went smoothly. Although the factory manager realized that the profit margin for disposable toothpaste and toothbrushes was basically zero, and might even have to be negative, when Wang Xiao emphasized that the hotel guests would take their White Tooth brand toothpaste all over the country, he tacitly agreed that the advertising effect was more important than anything else and agreed to supply the products at a low price.
But when they got to the comb factory, they resolutely refused to lower the price. Their factory manager's tone was very firm: "Our combs are of good quality and have a great reputation in the county. We don't need to lose money to gain publicity."
Wang Xiao reasoned with him: "Your factory's plastic combs are indeed popular now, not only because of their good quality, but more importantly because they meet the needs of consumers."
In the past, our country's chemical industry was underdeveloped, and plastic products were very expensive and required ration coupons for limited supply.
Our light industry is developing rapidly, and the price of plastic products has dropped significantly, making them readily available to anyone. Therefore, inexpensive, attractive, and durable plastic combs have become popular among the general public.
However, there's a problem I wonder if you've considered, factory manager? Nothing lasts forever. Plastic combs have a long lifespan; one comb can easily last ten or twenty years. During that long period, they're unlikely to buy any new combs.
"Your current consumers are mostly local residents who have never bought plastic combs before. With the current family planning policy, the county's population will only decrease. In a few years, very few households won't have plastic combs. Once those people buy combs, who will you sell to next?"
The factory manager of the comb factory was speechless, but he was convinced of one thing: "We can't do business at a loss. Our products are good, so we should sell them at a high price."
Wang Xiao was speechless.
Does having good products guarantee a high price? You're overthinking it.
Besides, are your products really that good? There are plenty of products that are better and cheaper than yours.
The fact that they can stand out in the comb market in Xin County is simply due to the underdeveloped transportation and backward logistics. They really think they're invincible.
But no matter how much Wang Xiao pleaded, the factory manager refused to budge.
Later, Wang Xiao stopped trying to persuade him: "Alright then, you can't force things. I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together again in the future."
With that, she politely saw the person off.
Tang Yicheng wasn't there and couldn't believe it.
She gave up so quickly? Shouldn't one be persistent to succeed? He read in the newspaper that salespeople are incredibly persistent and will use any trick in the book.
This is just one unsuccessful attempt at negotiation, and you're already giving up?
Of course.
Wang Xiao nodded, very affirmatively.
When doing live-streaming e-commerce, product selection is crucial. If both parties can't agree on a price, there's no need to force them to work together; it's a waste of time and energy.
"But if there's no comb, how are people supposed to comb their hair when they stay in a hotel? Their hair will be a mess, and they won't look smart or presentable at all."
Wang Xiao was both amused and exasperated. What kind of spirit or demeanor could this guy possibly have? He wasn't even dressed up.
"I'm asking you, do you comb your hair every day?"
Tang Yicheng looked embarrassed: "I...I...I have short hair."
"Most men don't have long hair, especially those who stay in hotels and do business. Whether they have a comb or not isn't that important. If they can run their fingers through their hair, that's considered pretty good."
Tang Yicheng blushed, seriously suspecting he was being subtly mocked. But what he said was true; how could a man who rushes to work every day be as dashing as a celebrity on TV?
But then he worried, "What about the women? They need to comb their hair, right?"
“There are very few female guests,” Wang Xiao stated the facts. “We prioritize meeting the needs of the majority.”
This is a characteristic of our times; the vast majority of people staying in hotels while traveling for business are men.
Let's deal with them first.
As for what happens next?
It's not like there's only one comb factory in Xin County. No matter which butcher is gone, people won't necessarily have to eat hairy pork.
At that time, she should find another comb factory to cooperate with.
Unless the partner can bring her exceptionally high profits, she will never waste time on any particular company.
For her, time is not only life but also money; she has no time to waste.
She needs to quickly finalize the business of hotel disposable supplies, because there's another wave of money waiting for her to earn.
Although the idea of selling local specialties in the hotel was just something she made up on the spot, a pie in the sky for the county leaders.
But in reality, it's not something that can't be done.
Friends across the province, wouldn't you like to sell your city's or county's specialties in the provincial capital and even nationwide? Then come on over! I'll provide you with the best platform.
Hotels across the province, wouldn't you like to add a new business to attract more guests and earn more money? Then come on over, specialty food business welcomes you!
It's not just local specialties; we also have specialties from other parts of the province, so that we can meet the needs of more consumers.
Not just hotel guests, but local residents are also your customers. It's hard to find so many local specialties elsewhere. People can enjoy authentic local products without having to travel far.
This is quite remarkable in an era when the logistics industry is still in its infancy.
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Okay, it's a two-in-one update now. I'll try to update six times a day from now on, with each update being 6,000 words. I'll let you know if there are any extra updates; if not, then there aren't.
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