"It's just my humble opinion, nothing to mention," Xia Lan quickly replied with a smile.
"I want to hear your opinion now, speak boldly! No one else will know except me!" Minister Yang wanted her to speak out, as he was also feeling lost. This time, the factory director had promised to promote him.
Although he was thrilled to be promoted, he also wanted to know whether it was a blessing or a curse.
He didn't dare mention it to anyone. If it weren't for Xia Lan's words just now, he wouldn't care so much.
"Then I'll say it?" Xia Lan glanced at Minister Yang, not daring to say too much, only mentioning it vaguely.
"The country has now reached a bottleneck. Our country is short of talent, and we can't continue like this. If we want to break out of this predicament, we must reform." Xia Lan glanced at Minister Yang, who nodded in agreement, signaling her to continue.
They discussed these things to some extent, and that's indeed the case.
The direction is correct.
However, no one dares to say how the reforms will be implemented, or how they will actually be implemented.
“Where do talents come from? They must come from schools. I dare say the first thing to do will be to reinstate the college entrance examination and cultivate talents,” Xia Lan said slowly.
"That's right! How come I didn't think of that!" Minister Yang's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh.
"We need talent, we need to reopen schools, but what comes next?"
"After that, they might target our farmland," Xia Lan said with a slight smile to Minister Yang.
"As for what I'll do, I haven't thought about that yet..." Xia Lan smiled apologetically.
“I understand, there’s more!” Minister Yang was already quite surprised; Xia Lan’s guesses were all things he had considered.
Unexpectedly, Xia Lan shared the same idea as him, both believing that they would start from the fields.
"The last thing is that we might approach various factories..." Xia Lan hinted at it, but she couldn't say exactly how she would do it.
“You think the same way I do…” Minister Yang gave Xia Lan a deep look. He had a vague feeling about it, which was why he had been hesitant.
"The factory director wants to promote me to deputy factory director, but I don't dare to accept." Minister Yang didn't treat Xia Lan as an outsider and directly expressed his thoughts.
"Don't laugh at me, but my intuition has always been very accurate. I'm very happy to be promoted, but after the initial joy, I feel a little melancholy," Minister Yang sighed softly.
"Everyone thinks I should accept it, even my wife, father-in-law, and even my former teachers and friends all advised me to accept it..."
"Xia Lan, I'd like to hear your opinion." Minister Yang looked at Xia Lan earnestly. "What do you think? Should I take over the position of deputy factory director?"
"Do you really want me to say it?" Xia Lan was taken aback. Was it a bit... that Minister Yang had thrown this question at her?
"Yes." Minister Yang felt that Xia Lan's words were what he wanted to hear.
Xia Lan thought for a moment, looked at Minister Yang, and then spoke tactfully.
"Currently, the factory's profits and losses are all controlled by the state... If reforms are to be implemented, is it possible... that the factory will be privatized..."
Xia Lan felt that this was already very little information. Minister Yang's eyes widened, and he suddenly stood up, continuing to ponder along with Xia Lan's words.
“You’re right… If it’s privatized… then profits and losses are the sole responsibility, but money will have to be paid to the state…”
Xia Lan didn't dare to interrupt Minister Yang, but he continued his reasoning on his own.
Listening to his reasoning, Xia Lan couldn't help but glance at Minister Yang again. Despite being middle-aged, he was surprisingly quick-witted.
Following his reasoning, it turned out to be almost entirely correct; he deduced it all.
Xia Lan obediently shut her mouth until Minister Yang stopped pacing back and forth and sat back down.
"We can't accept it!" Minister Yang glanced at Xia Lan and said seriously.
Xia Lan nodded slightly.
Taking on this is a recipe for disaster; you might not only ruin yourself, but also end up with a mountain of debt.
After all, it's common for factories that have been privatized to be unable to pay wages.
Apart from essential factories, it's difficult for other factories to survive.
"I've transferred your counter to Zhao Li. Which counter do you want to work at? It's up to you." Minister Yang looked at Xia Lan. Someone with such insight could only have this department store as her foundation.
She certainly can't work here for the rest of her life.
Minister Yang simply let her choose a counter and do whatever she wanted.
"I've been taking such good care of you, you're not angry with me, are you?" Minister Yang said to Xia Lan with a smile.
"How could I dare!" Xia Lan smiled playfully.
She accepted Minister Yang's kind offer. She was fine with being anywhere; it didn't really matter to her, and she didn't necessarily need that candy counter.
"How about the counter in the grocery section?" Xia Lan thought for a moment and asked.
"Why would a girl like you like going to the grocery section?" Minister Yang was stunned, never expecting Xia Lan to choose the grocery section.
"That means carrying pork all over the place..."
Clearly, Minister Yang's idea of the non-staple food section was different from Xia Lan's.
Xia Lan paused, then immediately changed her tune. "Uh, boss, I thought the food section sold cooked food, but it turns out it's raw meat. Please give me another chance!"
"I knew it! You chose the side dish section because you wanted cooked food!" Minister Yang said with a smile.
"Hehehe! I just love to eat!" Xia Lan said with a shy smile.
"Alright then! As you wish." Minister Yang said with a smile. There was indeed a vendor selling cooked food, but nowadays people think cooked food is too expensive and simply refuse to buy it.
With the same amount of money, you could buy meat; why would you buy pre-cooked meat from someone else?
Xia Lan and Minister Yang talked in the office for a long time, while Xiao Ling stood at the door for quite some time. When Xia Lan opened the door and saw Xiao Ling, a fleeting look of sadness crossed Xiao Ling's face.
Xia Lan paused, "Isn't Minister Yang already married and has children? Would Xiao Ling like Minister Yang?"
No way?
It's probably just her imagination!
Xia Lan felt that this matter was no small thing. You know, these days, being a mistress means being stripped naked and paraded in public, and you'll also be convicted of indecent assault.
Xiaoling wouldn't be that stupid, would she?
Seemingly sensing Xia Lan's gaze, Xiao Ling reached out and pulled Xia Lan aside.
"What were you and... what were you talking about with Minister Yang inside? You talked for so long?" Xiaoling glanced at Xia Lan and asked softly.
"Minister Yang wanted to ask for my opinion. He knew that I had given my candy counter to Zhao Li and was afraid that I would be unhappy, so he asked me to choose a new counter."
Xia Lan's words relieved Xiao Ling, and Xia Lan couldn't help but say something upon seeing this.
"Xiaoling, you wouldn't have done something to Minister Yang..."
"No, no, you're overthinking it. He's my brother-in-law, that's why I'm worried!" Xiaoling glanced at Xia Lan and laughed.
"Nobody knows about my relationship with my brother-in-law. I've only told you! You absolutely mustn't tell anyone!" Xiaoling instructed Xia Lan.
Hearing Xiaoling's words, Xia Lan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
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