Promotion to Deputy Director
Yang Hong had just hung up the phone when it rang again.
Upon answering, it turned out to be a call from the superior department of the Shenxian Pearl Sugar Factory.
They also came to invite the food factory to cooperate.
Yang Hong refused without the slightest hesitation.
Firstly, with two major companies collaborating, he definitely wouldn't be the leader of this project.
Secondly, while the food factory could take the initiative against factories in Shenxian County, it would be a different story when facing factories in the provincial capital.
It's not worth it.
The people in the provincial capital, however, did not give up. They said, "We have developed quite a few new flavors here. Why don't you try them, Section Chief Yang?"
Yang Hong's mind raced; he thought he could learn the technique from them, and asked, "What flavor?"
The person on the other end of the phone explained, "We've made the starch shell and the sugar filling into two different flavors. When you eat them together, they create a new and unique taste."
These words were vague and clearly meant to keep people at bay, but Yang Hong had no desire to ask any further questions. The starch-shelled liqueur candies were also being made in Luzhou, and he had tasted them during a technical exchange.
They're not as good as the chocolate liqueurs made in our own factory.
Yang Hong lost interest and replied perfunctorily, "Fine, I can't make the decision. Go ask the higher-ups."
After hanging up the phone, he simply stayed quietly in the office, showing no intention of moving an inch.
He planned to wait for the driver who brought the beet truck to return with samples before discussing it further. As for the provincial capital, he would find a good opportunity to mention it.
That doesn't mean he didn't say anything.
The first sample was no longer at the company in the provincial capital, but appeared at the Sugar Industry Research Institute.
Because it was a sample, the box was a very simple, uncarved wooden box, with five rows and three columns of filled candies crammed inside.
One comes in five flavors.
Jasmine mandarin orange and white peach tea are both inspired by popular modern beverage flavors.
After numerous experiments, Wang Shuitao admitted that these two flavors are indeed the most popular.
These are the only two flavors that the provincial capital has its eye on.
And cocktail liqueurs used to tell stories.
The first one is Bloody Mary liqueur candy.
It contains bitter melon juice, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and sugar, all blended together with the aroma of alcohol.
It barely qualifies as a match for the Bloody Mary cocktail, which has a full range of flavors including sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy.
Differences in taste are not a problem; the wine will definitely change after being made into sugar, and it's easy to explain to customers.
After all, many people love strawberries, but never touch strawberry-flavored foods, or vice versa.
The second one is Sunrise Liqueur.
It contains orange and mint flavorings, and should have a pomegranate flavor, but since the ingredients couldn't be found, Wang Shuitao decided to omit it.
And finally, the Godfather-themed liqueur candy that's jumping on the bandwagon.
In addition to orange flavoring, powdered almonds and cinnamon were also added.
And all the alcohol is brewed by the sugar mill itself using sugarcane residue; they don't use vodka, tequila, or Scotch whisky at all.
Anyway, if there's nothing available, and customers ask, it's because of the conversion of alcohol to sugar.
Wang Shuitao did not include her explanation of these flavors with the samples, so both the provincial company and the research institute were extremely disgusted with the three products.
Meanwhile, at the Pearl Sugar Factory, as Chen Jianping and the other four were about to leave, the second batch of samples had already been freshly produced.
Aside from changing the outer shell to hard candy, after pondering for a long time over the crystal-clear shell, Wang Shuitao made a decision: add a jasmine petal to the jasmine mandarin orange liqueur candy, a tea leaf to the tea and white peach liqueur candy, and a mint leaf to the bloody Mary liqueur candy.
As for the Sunrise Liqueur, it's made into a round shape and colored with orange pigment, truly resembling a small sun.
Faced with the already hyped Godfather-themed liqueur candy, Wang Shuitao didn't add anything unnecessary.
Chen Jianping took the two sample boxes with a complicated expression, while the other four people also had strange expressions.
They all realized that they had been tricked into revealing information by Jiang Manyun last time. Although they didn't suffer any losses, they even made a small profit from the transaction.
But I always have this feeling that I've been played.
Wang Shuitao took in their furrowed brows and droopy eyelids.
Especially Yu Changhai, whose mouth was practically twisted to the horizon.
They were all from the food factory, and if their mouths were crooked, it would definitely affect the image of this place. Wang Shuitao said, "It's a pity that Manyun went to help out at the state-run restaurant, otherwise she would have come to see you off. Thanks to you for bringing her so many hometown foods, she sent them all back to her mother."
Chen Jianping chuckled and said, "That's good."
I don't want to say more.
Wang Shuitao continued, "Yes, there's no rush to meet this time. Business is everywhere. If our two factories can cooperate, you'll have plenty of time to come."
She smiled as she looked at the people in front of her.
The resistance on their faces gradually faded, and they smiled at Wang Shuitao. What did face matter? They could mess with anyone but money.
After visiting twice, they all realized that the farther away a place is, the higher the price it can sell ordinary things for.
Shenxian County is the farthest place they can travel to on business.
Chen Jianping immediately said enthusiastically, "Hey, who says otherwise? We'll definitely talk to the leaders about it when we get back. Man Yun is practically a worker at the sugar factory, and he's practically a fellow villager of ours. We're all family, so we should work together."
Wang Shuitao smiled and nodded.
Everyone's in it for the money, and everyone's flexible and adaptable, which makes it easier to cooperate and achieve a win-win situation.
As she turned to leave, Yu Changhai breathed a sigh of relief. This person was clearly young, with a tender face, and she was smiling the whole time, looking like a sweet girl, but her aura was so overwhelming that it was hard to breathe.
Chen Jianping glared at him, then at the other three. None of them had come to his aid earlier; otherwise, he wouldn't have been led by the nose.
At least they should say something about their grievances, and maybe they can get some extra benefits in return.
They call themselves seasoned travelers, saying they've never been afraid of roadblocks, trees lying across the road, or nails. But today, they've run into someone old enough to be their daughter and cowered.
Wang Qiang tried to save face, muttering, "He has the same air about him as our factory director. If an ordinary person came down to say a few words, it would be considered a gesture of sympathy. Anyway, I'm terrified."
Chen Jianping was so annoyed by this guy who boosted others' morale while diminishing his own, so he said repeatedly, "Let's go, let's go back."
Five dark green trucks, their rubber tires freshly inflated, roared as they rolled over the gravel road.
A layer of yellow fog quickly covered the windshield, which was the dust that had been kicked up. Fortunately, after driving this road several times, the group had become familiar with it.
There are very few cars on the road now, so there's little risk of a collision due to poor visibility.
The canvas that was used to protect the beets from the elements was now deflated and lying in the corner.
It appears as if there is nothing there.
When driving over bumpy roads, the lighter car is much easier to control, and drivers keep a firm grip on the steering wheel even as their bottoms leave the seat.
As dusk deepened, Zhang Jianping, who was leading the way, turned on his headlights first, illuminating the path ahead.
Harbin Songjiang Food Factory.
The words on the huge sign were clearly visible, and the five drivers finally relaxed.
Driving is a high-risk, high-reward job. There are many dangers on the road, including entire villages that gang up to rob people.
I'm finally home.
Yang Hong calculated the time carefully, and even though it should have been the end of his workday, he waited here.
As he handed over the box, Zhang Jianping said, "Section Chief Yang, why don't you open it now? Let us brothers see what it's like."
The other four people also gathered around, they were also very curious.
The lights outside the food factory were all off, so Yang Hong opened the box in front of the car headlights.
"Wow!"
This was Yu Changhai's astonishment.
"This is really exquisite."
Zhang Jianping also gave a word of praise.
Wang Qiang and the other two nodded in agreement.
Yang Hong closed the lid with satisfaction; now there was at least one place better than chocolate liqueur candies.
Then you can submit it to higher-ups. No matter what, even if the leaders don't approve of the project, you've at least shown them your ambition.
Yang Hong is the kind of person who runs the factory like his own home.
Fearing a drop in foreign exchange earnings and eager for results, the leadership team held a small meeting the next day, where samples of liqueur-filled candies were passed around and everyone tasted them. Afterward, three-quarters of the team agreed to proceed with the project.
However, further communication is needed regarding the cooperation model.
Upon receiving the message from Heilongjiang Province, Sun Ming's first step was to draft a report to promote Wang Shuitao to the position of deputy director of the factory office.
But the person mentioned must be the deputy director of the factory office.
The candidate was easy to find. There was one who was already of retirement age and wanted to show goodwill, so he readily agreed.
But during the meeting, Wu Dong said sarcastically, "I acknowledge Comrade Wang Shuitao's contributions, but can't we truly convince people when she actually achieves results?"
Sun Ming glanced at him and asked, "Then what does Director Wu consider to be a true achievement?"
Wu Dong said what he had prepared beforehand: "Naturally, we need to wait until our Pearl Sugar Factory has foreign exchange in its accounts so that people will shut up. I'm doing this for the sake of Comrade Wang Shuitao's reputation."
The deputy director, who was about to retire, said with a smile, "I don't see anyone objecting. Comrade Wang Shuitao has always had a very good reputation."
The workers came to the sugar factory in their teens and twenties and would spend the rest of their lives there. The factory even provided them with housing, so their sense of collective honor was very strong.
After Wang Shuitao arrived, one could easily feel the growing fame of the sugar factory from the outside.
Their impression of her was that she was capable of getting things done.
Sun Ming had someone to back him up; he couldn't very well argue with his subordinates.
Wu Dong has a refined appearance, but his bulging eyes, which he stares at with force, disrupt the harmony.
The person who was being glared at was on good terms with Wu Dong and wanted to say a few words to smooth things over.
The decision to appoint Wang Shuitao as deputy director won't work now, and delaying it until foreign exchange is received won't work either. So let's just wait until the food factory in Harbin sends over the contract.
Before he could utter a sound, Li Yuanhong suddenly said, "The companies in the provincial capital have all been rejected by them. Comrade Wang Shuitao's contribution to this project is obvious to all. We must set a good example and not discourage these people."
Wu Dong sneered: "So, if you don't get the deputy director position, Comrade Wang Shuitao is going to quit? She really needs to have her thinking reformed."
Li Yuanhong looked around at everyone and said, "Of course not. Everyone can wait and see. Comrade Wang Shuitao has a very high level of ideological awareness."
The scene fell silent for a moment, but Wu Dong's friend spoke up first: "Since he's going to be promoted sooner or later, I don't think it's a bad thing to do it a little earlier."
He avoided Wu Dong's incredulous gaze.
Having experienced the system of equal distribution of resources, he knew what it meant to take advantage of others' misfortunes. He said things like "let's wait and see" but what if the project was lost?
With the situation hopeless, Wu Dong hunched over in despair, uncapped his pen, and slammed the nib down heavily on the document.
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