Chapter 161
Ye Manzhi acted like a reckless young person, but Luo Jianmin didn't seem to be affected by her words. He still smiled and invited her into the factory for a tour.
Amid the nationwide craze of "learning from Shanghai and catching up with Shanghai", Yimin Food Factory No. 2 receives many comrades from other places who come to visit and study every month.
As the director of a large state-owned factory, Luo Jianmin was very busy and could not personally entertain every guest. Usually, several deputy directors took turns to receive them.
The reason why he came out to entertain Deputy Director Ye today was largely to show off to the Municipal Industrial Bureau.
Luo Jianmin did not take the competition from Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory seriously. No matter how much fun they had, they were just messing around and posed no threat to Yimin No. 2 Factory.
So, after exchanging a few polite words with Ye Manzhi, without waiting for her to discuss the production line in depth, he handed her over to Deputy Director Tang, who was also a woman.
Let Director Tang take her to visit the workshop.
"Director Ye, this is a new product from our canning workshop." Director Tang handed over a canned bottle that had not yet been labeled.
Ye Manzhi took the bottle, examined it carefully, and said with a smile, "This must be a southern specialty, right? We've never seen this over there."
She was mentally prepared that things would not go exactly according to her script.
After being pushed to the position of deputy factory director by Luo Jianmin, she calmly followed him on the tour and learned some advanced experience.
Factory Manager Tang explained, "This canned lily syrup is made with lilies, a specialty of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. It has a sweet flavor with a slightly bitter taste, making it perfect for summer. Besides lily syrup, we've also developed lily soup and lily syrup, both of which are recent products."
Ye Manzhi asked with a smile, "It seems our factory has released several new products recently. I was at the Zhongbaiyi store on Nanjing Road a few days ago and saw canned stir-fried shredded vegetables and canned pork and tomato sauce beans produced by Yimin Factory No. 2."
"Yes, we are looking for ways to can local specialties and expand our product range."
Ye Manzhi put the can back in its place, nodded to the female worker who looked over curiously, and said with a smile, "It really has to be the big factory in Shanghai. They are constantly innovating and bringing out the new. It is really worth learning from."
Director Tang said modestly: "Everyone is learning from Shanghai, and we must also come up with something worth learning from."
Ye Manzhi once again displayed a straightforward air of innocence, speaking frankly, "Being a role model is truly difficult. Not only do you have to open your doors to others, but you also have to constantly improve your own skills to avoid being overtaken. The other day, I saw a report in the Liberation Daily saying that, in response to the new trend of 'learning from Shanghai, catching up with Shanghai,' your city is requiring major local companies to improve their technology and reach new heights."
"Director Tang," Ye Manzhi whispered, gossiping, "I heard that in this year's competition, the Meilin Food Factory lost to the Nanjing Canned Food Factory?"
Meilin and Yimin are both food factories in Shanghai to the outside world, but because their businesses overlap a lot, they are often compared within the city.
When she asked about Meilin's performance, Deputy Director Tang smiled and said, "It's not a loss. That was only the first half of the year, and Meilin was ahead in fifteen of the twenty-five indicators. Nanjing only surpassed Meilin in the key indicators of labor productivity and raw material consumption. Especially in the defective rate, Meilin had an average of four defective cans out of every 100,000 cans of finished product, but Nanjing only had three, leading by one can."
Ye Manzhi sighed that Shanghai and Nanjing were both very advanced, and then said nothing more.
Follow Director Tang to continue to tour the factory.
I even had lunch in someone else's cafeteria at noon.
*
Director Tang did not accompany Ye Manzhi for lunch. She invited two other deputy directors to accompany her. She then returned to the factory and went straight to Luo Jianmin's office.
"How is it? Did she mention the imported production line to you again?" Luo Jianmin asked.
"No, but when I took her to visit the tomato sauce factory, she stayed there for a long time and asked a lot of questions."
"Humph, it seems they really are coming for our tomato sauce production line."
Luo Jianmin never looks down on anyone.
Ye Manzhi is a young and beautiful lesbian, but the fact that she can sit in the position of deputy director of a large state-owned factory is definitely not because of her youth and beauty, nor is she an ordinary person.
At least he is not a thin-skinned and impulsive person.
When he received Sun Yushu's call, he began to have doubts about the Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory that suddenly appeared.
It is said that Binjiang has just obtained a soda production line from the Ministry of Light Industry. Then, according to common sense, both the leaders of the Provincial Department of Industry and the director of Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory should be clear that it is impossible for them to get a tomato sauce production line from the Ministry of Light Industry.
Knowing it is impossible to do it, but still doing it...
Not only was the application approved by the Provincial Department of Industry, but the factory director also personally went to Beijing to submit it, and stood guard at the door of the ministry with great fanfare.
Even people in Shanghai have heard about his glorious deeds.
Would the department leaders really allocate a second production line to the Binjiang factory out of sympathy for their plight?
Luo Jianmin shook his head in his heart, the possibility was very slim.
After he received the call yesterday, he had been trying to figure out Binjiang Factory's intentions and even held a meeting with other factory leaders to discuss it.
But no one had any idea what to do with this sudden appearance of Cheng Yaojin.
Some people even joked that Director Niu had lost his mind.
It wasn't until this morning when he met Ye Manzhi at the factory gate that Luo Jianmin finally discovered the biggest mystery of the matter.
The director of Binjiang Factory was on duty in Beijing, while the deputy director came to Shanghai for a visit and study!
If they really value that Hungarian production line, shouldn't they work together, either staying in Binjiang to support it or going to Beijing to work hard?
Ye Manzhi not only came to Shanghai, but was also invited to visit a competitor's factory.
Combined with Ye Manzhi's singing, reciting, acting and fighting, claiming that the old production line can only be obtained by transferring it to other provinces and cities, this made Luo Jianmin reasonably suspect that Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory was Xiang Zhuang dancing with a sword, aiming at Pei Gong.
Binjiang’s target was not the Hungarian production line at all, but the old production line of their Yimin Food Factory No. 2!
If we work backwards from this conclusion, everything can be explained!
Why did the Provincial Department of Industry approve the application even though it knew it was useless, and why did the factory director go to Beijing in person to stand guard?
Deputy Director Tang spent the whole morning with Ye Manzhi and had a good impression of this young female director.
She asked uncertainly, "Is it possible that Binjiang wants to buy our old production line at a low price?"
Luo Jianmin almost laughed out loud. "They had a fire six months ago, so rebuilding is going to cost a fortune. If I were the director of the Binjiang factory, I wouldn't want to spend a penny. Spending money to buy old equipment from Shanghai, and then having to pay for transportation and installation, it would be better to buy brand new equipment locally. Binjiang has a very developed heavy industry, so this kind of equipment can be customized."
This sudden appearance of Cheng Yaojin must have come to take advantage of the situation!
They didn't go to Jiangsu and Guangxi, which were also competitors, not because they didn't want to go, but because there were no tomato sauce production lines in those two places.
They won’t get any advantage even if they go!
Luo Jianmin waved his hand and said, "Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory can't even apply for a Hungarian production line. They're just opportunists taking advantage of the chaos. Ignore them! Wait until Deputy Director Ye has lunch, then send her off!"
It’s not easy to take advantage of their factory!
However, just as he finished speaking, the factory director knocked on the door and came in to report, "Director, Director Ye from Binjiang Factory has finished lunch and asked if it would be convenient for her to come to your office for a cup of tea."
Luo Jianmin stood up from the sofa and frowned in thought for a long time.
He really wanted to hear what Deputy Director Ye had to say. He nodded and said, "Guests are welcome. Since Director Ye wants to drink tea, let's serve him some good tea."
…
When Ye Manzhi was led in, Luo Jianmin was the only one in the factory director's office.
There was a teapot and two teacups on the coffee table.
Luo Jianmin was still as polite as ever. He smiled, shook hands with her, and invited her to take a seat.
Ye Manzhi took a sip of tea and said politely, "I have benefited a lot from visiting Yimin No. 2 Factory this time. No wonder major companies across the country want to come to Shanghai to learn from us!"
"Director Ye, let's be frank," Luo Jianmin said, glancing at his watch. "I understand your purpose. Let's get down to business."
Ye Manzhi thought to himself, as expected, old ginger is still spicy!
After Luo Jianmin and Director Tang disappeared one after another, she began to suspect that her acting skills were not good enough and that someone might have seen through her.
However, there are ways to deal with being exposed.
Things have come to this point. She and Lao Niu have caused such a big fuss. If she goes back empty-handed, wouldn't she be laughed at?
Ye Manzhi put down his teacup and said, "Director Luo, Yimin Second Factory is in a similar situation to our Binjiang Factory. We can actually cooperate and achieve mutual benefit."
"Cooperation requires mutual benefit," Luo Jianmin chuckled. "Director Ye, you're here for our production line, right? What good would it do us to let Binjiang take a production line for free? It may not be pleasant to hear, but judging by the current conditions, Binjiang isn't on the same level as our other three factories. You've rushed into this project with almost no preparation. The department won't approve your application."
Since the Binjiang Factory poses no threat, there is no need for the Yimin Factory No. 2 to give away a production line in order to force the other party to withdraw from the competition.
Ye Manzhi said amiably, "Director Luo, when we first met today, I mentioned this. If we still keep the old production line, the chances of Yimin No. 2 Factory getting that imported production line from the Ministry of Light Industry are actually quite low..."
"This isn't a big problem," Luo Jianmin said. "We can sell the production line to other factories at a low price. If Binjiang Factory is willing to buy it, we can negotiate."
It’s impossible to give it away for free!
The well-mannered Director Luo hummed in his heart, saying that the Binjiang Factory was so shameless!
Ye Manzhi smiled, trying not to arouse any resistance, and spoke softly, "Director Luo, let's assume that Binjiang doesn't participate in the competition, and let's assume that your factory sells its old equipment to companies in other provinces and cities. You're on the same starting line as the companies in Jiangsu and Guangxi. But even so, can you guarantee the acquisition of this Hungarian imported production line? I don't think so. Let's analyze the respective advantages of each of your three companies."
Luo Jianmin held his teacup and complained to himself, this Director Ye is really "warm-hearted".
The kind-hearted Director Ye analyzed, "The Ministry of Light Industry has been hesitating between the three provinces and cities. It must be because each has its own advantages. I won't delve into the political considerations; let's just analyze it from an economic perspective."
"The advantages of our Yimin No. 2 factory are obvious. It's an established food factory with a well-known brand, highly qualified workers, and a superior geographical location. We can export directly from Shanghai Port."
"However, most tomato sauce produced domestically is destined for export. While Chinese people recognize local brands, international friends may not. All exported goods are stamped with the "National Food Export Corporation's" logo. Products produced under the supervision of the head office are of exceptional quality, and the brand name effect has little impact."
"For our Yimin Second Factory, apart from the brand name advantage, which is irreplaceable, all other conditions can be replaced by others."
"Guangxi has Beihai Port, which makes exporting products very convenient. Furthermore, the conditions for growing tomatoes there are excellent, allowing for two or three harvests a year. This makes it very suitable for large-scale planting and production. The advantages in raw material supply are quite obvious."
"And the quality of the workers at the Nanjing Cannery in Jiangsu is also very high. In a peer-to-peer evaluation conducted in the first half of this year, they outperformed the Meilin Factory in ten indicators. The Meilin Factory is on par with our Yimin Second Factory in terms of strength. If the Nanjing Factory were to compete with the Yimin Second Factory, the Nanjing Factory wouldn't necessarily lose, right?"
Ye Manzhi smiled and said, "Director Luo, Yimin Second Factory does have advantages, but they are not overwhelming advantages. They are not enough to make the Ministry of Light Industry ignore the favorable conditions of other factories and resolutely hand over this production line to you, right?"
Luo Jianmin has been preparing for this project for two or three months. The factory has already analyzed and calculated the respective advantages and disadvantages several times.
He understands all these situations.
However, even if he couldn't get that production line, he didn't want to let Binjiang Factory take advantage!
The existing tomato sauce production line was purchased with great effort.
Why should Binjiang just take advantage of what’s already provided?
Luo Jianmin took the pretext of drinking tea to glance at the beautiful smiling face opposite him.
Director Ye’s young and beautiful face was hideous in his eyes!
When he spoke again, he couldn't help but sneer, "Oh, nothing else will work. Only if we give our old production line to Binjiang Factory will the Ministry of Light Industry consider us and definitely give us the imported production line?"
Ye Manzhi said, "Not absolutely, but it can give Yimin No. 2 Factory some weight. Our Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory is responsible for a large portion of the province's canned food production. Since the fire, the provincial government and the National Food Import and Export Corporation have been very concerned about our reconstruction efforts."
"This time, our factory submitted an application to the Ministry of Light Industry. Director Niu explained the difficulties our factory faces to the ministry leaders. Now even the Ministry of Light Industry understands our difficulties."
"Director Luo, if we team up and jointly submit an application to the Ministry of Light Industry, a Hungarian production line from the ministry could solve the problems facing both factories. Not only would our Binjiang factory be able to resume production as quickly as possible, but it would also allow Yimin Factory No. 2 to expand its tomato sauce production. This would have both economic benefits and political significance."
"For the past six months, our province has been vigorously promoting learning from the People's Liberation Army. We must not only learn from the PLA's style of unity, but also embody the communist style of 'rushing forward when faced with difficulties, yielding to honors, learning from the advanced, and helping the lagging behind.' We must also carry forward the communist spirit of cooperation, 'one person in need, ten thousand people help; one difficulty, all sides support.'"
"Director Luo, when our Binjiang factory was hit hard, Yimin No. 2 Factory took the initiative to lend a hand and donated a set of production equipment to us. This is not only Shanghai's way of mentoring other regions, but also a model of 'one place in need, all sides supporting each other,' and a model of learning from the People's Liberation Army."
Luo Jianmin: “…”
Why are you suddenly singing such a high-sounding tune?
He was thinking about Ye Manzhi's proposal in his mind.
After thinking for a long time, he still shook his head and said, "Director Ye, what you said is probably not feasible."
"Why not?" Ye Manzhi reassured him, "Director Luo, the premise of our cooperation is that the Ministry of Light Industry will allocate the Hungarian imported production line to Yimin No. 2 Factory. If Yimin No. 2 Factory ultimately doesn't get the new production line, then all the conditions we just mentioned will be invalid, and we won't be able to take anything away from Yimin No. 2 Factory."
She felt that under the current conditions, Luo Jianmin was actually tempted.
Luo Jianmin was indeed a little shaken.
He didn't know that the series of actions at Binjiang Factory were promoted by Ye Manzhi.
Just from this conversation, he could tell that this Deputy Director Ye was not an ordinary young female comrade.
The fact that he was sent to Shanghai to cooperate with the factory director far away in Beijing at least shows that Ye Manzhi is a smart person and his abilities are recognized by the factory director.
Luo Jianmin hesitated for a moment, then glanced toward the door and lowered his voice, saying, "You and I are the only two in this office. I can speak to you frankly, but there are some things I won't acknowledge once they leave this office."
Ye Manzhi nodded in agreement.
Luo Jianmin whispered, "When we originally purchased this tomato sauce production line, the city financed most of the funds. If our factory wants to dispose of it, we have only two options: sell it to another factory and recoup the funds, or have the city allocate funds to other factories in Shanghai."
He lowered his voice to a whisper as soft as a mosquito: "The idea of learning from the People's Liberation Army is indeed very good and representative, but..."
Luo Jianmin still had some reservations about Director Ye, whom he had just met, and did not reveal his true feelings.
However, a loud drum does not need a heavy hammer. Ye Manyi only listened to the first half and basically understood what he was not saying.
This idea is representative and typical, but it is not enough to make the city pay for a production line.
After all, there are many examples to learn from the People's Liberation Army, and this one is not a big deal.
Luo Jianmin took a sip of tea and resumed his normal voice, saying, "Director Ye, if we really give our production line to Binjiang, as the director, I won't be able to explain this to the city government."
Ye Manzhi nodded thoughtfully.
It is inevitable that Director Luo has concerns.
If she were in his shoes, she would not be willing to give such a production line to an outsider for free.
"Director Luo, how about this," Ye Manzhi suggested, "We're not taking the equipment from Yimin No. 2 Factory for nothing. We can offer something in exchange for your production line."
Luo Jianmin became interested and asked, "What will Director Ye offer us in exchange?"
"You may have heard that our Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory has a product in its catalog called delicious cucumbers, which are actually the pickled cucumbers that the Soviets loved to eat. The recipe for our pickled cucumbers was obtained from Soviet experts, and the taste is very authentic, just like the ones the Soviets produced themselves. Although we haven't had any export orders from the Soviet Union in the past two years, we have received many orders from East Germany and France, and they are also very popular in our domestic market. We are willing to use our pickled cucumber recipe in exchange for this production line with your factory."
Luo Jianmin: “…”
What a joke!
Who would trade a production line for a pickle recipe?
Ye Manzhi also knew that such an exchange was unequal.
And this recipe is no secret in Binjiang.
There are many Soviet expatriates and their descendants in Binjiang, and many of them can make pickles at home.
However, Luo Jianmin just needs to find an excuse to give an explanation to the city!
In this way, Binjiang Factory will not get the equipment for free.
The cooperation between the two parties in submitting an application to the Ministry of Light Industry not only solved the difficulties of the two factories, but also provided Yimin No. 2 Factory with the benefits of "one difficulty, support from all sides".
In order to thank the other party, Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory took out the recipe for canned pickles.
There is give and take between the two sides.
Isn’t this great!
As for the specific value of this formula, that depends on personal opinion.
As long as Yimin Factory No. 2 starts producing pickles, it will be worth a fortune!
Ye Manzhi glanced at his expressionless face, sat on the sofa and sighed.
She could see that Luo Jianmin was actually tempted, after all, it would increase their weight in obtaining the Hungarian production line.
But all these conditions combined were not enough for him to stand with Binjiang Factory and poach the city's customers.
"Director Luo, this is our first meeting today, so what I'm about to say might sound a bit too formal. But, as you said, we're the only two in this office, so I'll be frank with you. I won't acknowledge you outside this office..."
Luo Jianmin smiled and asked with interest, "What does Director Ye want to tell me?"
"Although this is our first meeting, I can tell," Ye Manzhi began by flattering him, "Director Luo is very intelligent. You saw through my little tricks in just one encounter."
"hehe."
Luo Jianmin was indeed a little proud of himself for exposing the other party's deception.
"I can see that Director Luo is a good director who is dedicated to the public and the development of the company. But," Ye Manzhi sighed again, "Director Luo, I think you should learn from our Director Niu when it comes to being a director."
She silently apologized to Factory Manager Lao Niu, who was far away in Beijing, and continued, "We're all in the same business. Although we're a bit far apart, you've probably heard about our Binjiang factory. We used to only produce canned goods, but we've gradually expanded to include cakes, bread, pickles, candy, and more. We now have over 300 different products and employ over 2,000 people."
"The Binjiang Factory's rapid expansion was, on the one hand, a product of the times. During the years when Dayue was in operation, our province wanted to merge some small factories, which was a natural result of the situation. On the other hand, it was also the result of our Director Niu's proactive efforts."
"The province wants to integrate resources and expand production. The cannery can be merged with the pastry factory, or the pastry factory can be merged with the cannery. If Director Niu hadn't taken the initiative and fought for it, we might not be the No. 1 Food Factory now, but the No. 1 Pastry Factory or the No. 1 Candy Factory. If we don't want to be merged, we have to make ourselves stronger."
After all, you can be the factory director in your own factory, but after it merges into another factory, you can only be the deputy factory director.
Luo Jianmin listened carefully, but didn't understand what she meant by what she said.
"Director Luo, we're a bit far away, but some news still leaks out," Ye Manzhi asked in a low voice. "Meilin Cannery is a flagship of Shanghai's food industry. Your city has always wanted to make Meilin bigger and stronger. Is that true?"
"Yeah." Luo Jianmin nodded.
"I heard two years ago that someone in the city proposed merging the canning equipment and personnel of your Yimin Food Factory No. 2 into the Meilin Food Factory."
Luo Jianmin said calmly, "It's just a rumor. It's been circulating for several years, but it's never been implemented."
"Haha, we didn't take action before because you were all developing very well. But lately, the whole country has been 'learning from Shanghai, catching up with Shanghai'. Not to mention others, the Nanjing Canned Food Factory has already surpassed Meilin in 10 indicators in the first half of this year. Although Meilin still has the advantage in terms of overall indicators, it's not easy to be a benchmark. If you want to avoid being surpassed, in addition to improving your technology, expanding your business is also very necessary. You never know when the city will consider merging your two factories again."
"Director Luo, I know you're dedicated to the public good and always consider the city and the factory. But besides official business, you also have to consider your own situation. If we really merge into the Meilin Factory, what will become of the leadership of Yimin Second Factory?"
The interests of the city, the factory, and even personal interests are not always consistent.
"Cooperating with our Binjiang factory and jointly applying for a production line will increase the probability of Yimin Factory No. 2 obtaining one. As long as this production line is in place, Yimin Factory No. 2's production scale will immediately double. Even if such a large factory wants to merge, it still needs to be carefully considered who will merge with whom."
Ye Manzhi apologized to Lao Niu again in her heart and whispered, "Director Luo, I'm being a bit too polite, but you really should learn from Director Niu and consider your own situation."
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