Chapter 544
The Gold Rush
Chapter 544 The Gold Rush (4000 words)
The platform was bustling with activity.
Most of them are foreigners with high noses and deep-set eyes, a small number are from East Asia, there are more men than women, and the vast majority are young people.
They were laden with bags and bundles, rubbing their hands together, their eyes filled with a frenzy for money.
"Ugh, this is so annoying. Why is there a baggage weight limit? 35 kilograms per person, and extra baggage will be charged separately. The people at the train station are so greedy. We brought so much goods, and they're going to eat up a huge chunk of our profits."
A Hun complained to his companion in a string of gibberish.
His tall companion beside him glared menacingly at the people in the crowd who were bundled up like bears: "See? They're so smart. They know to wear those leather jackets and down coats one by one to reduce their weight."
"Hmph. It's all because she was the first to try and be clever that we were all helpless..."
"What do you think, should we?"
"Let's wait and see. This train will only become a true international train after it crosses the border of the East."
Lin Xiaohe, who was on the phone at the platform, looked over in the direction they were looking.
The person was wearing a down jacket, a tracksuit, and a sweater, layered on top of each other, making them look incredibly bulky and colorful, with absolutely no aesthetic appeal.
With a large bag of luggage slung over his shoulder, he was clearly a middleman.
Lin Xiaohe had excellent eyesight and could tell from the other person's delicate features that she was a young woman from the south.
Because women in the north are generally taller, while this female trader is less than 1.6 meters tall, with delicate features, even though she deliberately drew her eyebrows thick, she still couldn't hide the tenderness in her affectionate eyes.
The guards surrounded Lin Xiaohe in a circle, physically separating her from the group of black marketeers into two different worlds.
The female trader was very vigilant. She noticed Lin Xiaohe's gaze, looked up abruptly, met her eyes, and upon seeing the tall and strong security guards, her pupils contracted sharply. She quickly lowered her head, dodged a few times, and hid behind the young man on her left.
"Xiao Ye, what's wrong?" the young man asked, puzzled.
The female speculator, called Xiao Ye, had her heart pounding: "Who are they? Didn't you say that everyone on K19 is a small-time speculator?"
How come all those people have guns?!
Was this trip as a middleman more dangerous than he had imagined?
The young man glanced at Lin Xiaohe and the others, not daring to look at them for long, and pulled Xiao Ye into the carriage, saying, "Don't look too much, don't ask too many questions. Let's go."
His father was a veteran who came from the battlefield, and these people had the same aura as his father!
That's a sense of danger that only those who have killed others can feel.
The two darted through the crowd like mice, unaware that their every move was being observed by Lin Xiaohe and the others.
Chen Fen from the security department asked Lin Xiaohe in a low voice, "Factory manager, should we investigate this?"
"No need, we'll meet again if fate allows." Lin Xiaohe looked away. On the other end of the phone, the old factory director remained silent, quietly waiting for Lin Xiaohe's instructions.
Lin Xiaohe raised her hand and glanced at her watch; there were 15 minutes left.
"Regarding Ai Ye, do as you said. After obtaining his confession, transfer him to the Public Security Bureau and give him a severe sentence. As for Qian Sen, the evidence is conclusive, so deal with him as appropriate. In addition, inform the entire factory to take this as a warning, and anyone involved in gambling will be dismissed."
"Yes." The old factory director held his breath and concentrated.
Lin Xiaohe: "Old Ma... will be fined six months' salary, have his bonus deducted this year, and be demoted one level. He'll be on probation for a year, and if his performance is unsatisfactory, he'll be dismissed."
The old factory director was instantly moved to tears; Director Lin had shown leniency towards Old Ma!
"Okay, thank you, Factory Manager! Please take good care of yourself on your journey. Even without the CIS market, our Changhong factory will still thrive. Your safety and health are our top priority. You are the pillar of our Changhong factory and the backbone of our thousands of employees; you absolutely cannot get hurt!"
As people get older, they tend to become more talkative.
The old factory director gave instructions for a full ten minutes, and even had the security department answer the phone. The central idea was that even if the sky fell, Director Lin would be unharmed!
After hanging up the phone, Chen Fen from the security department let out a long sigh: "Ever since the old factory director became the Party Secretary, his eloquence has become even more remarkable."
Chen Fen suddenly felt immense pressure.
The security situation in Russia is far worse than in the East. It's chaotic, with rampant gangs and extremely corrupt police.
Lin Xiaohe noticed Chen Fen's nervousness, patted her on the shoulder, and laughed, "What's wrong? Don't you have confidence in yourself?"
Chen Fen smiled wryly: "I have confidence in myself, but anything can happen. If something happens to you, how can I explain it to the old factory director, to the factory workers, and to the county?"
Lin Xiaohe took a minute to make a phone call to County Chief Tian and subtly mentioned Deputy County Chief Chen's matter.
County Magistrate Tian stated that Anning County is the home of Changhong Factory and Lin Xiaohe's strongest support base.
Lin Xiaohe hung up the phone, her wristwatch showing only one minute left before the scheduled time: "Chen Fen, don't be nervous. Look, your helpers are here."
……
At the same time, in Liaoyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, the Liaoning Provincial Department of Machinery.
In a small conference room of the Provincial Department of Machinery Industry, several people were discussing something while sitting around a newspaper.
The newspaper was still the same Liaoyang Daily, and the news was still the same.
Sitting in the main seat was Mr. Sun, the deputy director of the department in charge of the electronics industry. He was over fifty years old, with gray hair, and had spent his entire life working in the industrial sector.
"Changhong is going to make plasma TVs again?" He threw the newspaper on the table. "Has their Lin Xiaohe gone mad? Didn't she confidently promise to the deputy high-ranking official that she would develop the PHS (Personal Handyphone System) business? How did it turn into plasma TVs?"
Sitting next to me was Director Liu from the Technical Department, who was in his early forties and had dealt with Changhong Factory several times.
He picked up the newspaper and looked at it, then frowned.
"Director Sun, this matter... I don't think it's very reliable. The Japanese haven't even figured out plasma technology yet. We know what kind of technical foundation they have, being an old factory in Northeast China. How could they possibly develop it?"
Old Sun sneered, "What are you going to do with it? You'll just have to talk. Lin Xiaohe has the skills, but he's even more audacious. He made the folding bathtub a success, and he even made color TVs popular, so he thinks he can do anything. But this is a plasma TV, not a bathtub!"
Director Liu nodded: "Then what do we do? Should we ask about the situation?"
"Why ask?" Old Sun waved his hand. "Let them do it. If they succeed, that's their skill. If they mess it up, they'll take responsibility. The province doesn't have the money to cover their losses right now, so don't come back asking for money and preferential policies later."
He paused, then added, "But then again, if this news is true, Lin Xiaohe's move... how should I put it, is a bit reckless. How much money have the Japanese invested in plasma technology? Can we afford that? Isn't this just playing with the factory?"
Director Liu was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Director Sun, do you think this could be a smokescreen? I've dealt with this guy a few times; he's very cunning. Didn't it turn out he had a backup plan when he confronted the Japanese last time?"
Old Sun was stunned for a moment.
"A smokescreen?" He thought for a moment and shook his head. "It can't be that serious, can it? If you spread this kind of news and can't take it back, aren't you putting yourself in a very difficult position? No matter how cunning Lin Xiaohe is, she wouldn't joke about something like this."
Director Liu didn't say anything more.
But deep down I felt that things weren't that simple.
People from a ministry in the capital also found this unusual. In an office of that ministry in the capital, a section chief was flipping through the newspaper.
The news was released by Xinhua News Agency, and the title was very formal: "Liaoning Changhong Factory Announces Entry into the Plasma TV Field, Attracting Attention from the Industry."
After the section chief finished reading, he handed the newspaper to the director across from him.
The director took it, glanced at it a few times, and frowned slightly.
"Changhong Factory? Is that Lin Xiaohe?"
The section chief nodded: "Yes, it's Lin Xiaohe, the one who was mentioned in the internal report."
That article was very bold, extremely bold, incredibly bold. If it weren't for Elder Meng's strong recommendation, it would never have appeared in the internal reference materials.
Many people agreed with the article, but the opposition was even stronger.
Many people hope that Lin Xiaohe will be disgraced, but since the internal report has just been published, it is not advisable to make any small moves.
The director was silent for a moment, then smiled.
"This Lin Xiaohe is really bold. She dares to touch plasma?"
The section chief laughed along, "That's right. When the ministry held a meeting, several experts said this was unreliable. Our electronics industry has a weak foundation. Even the Japanese haven't fully mastered cutting-edge technologies like plasma. How are we supposed to do it? Isn't this just wishful thinking?"
The director put down his newspaper and lit a cigarette.
"You can't say that. Having ideas is good, and daring to think and act is good too. But you have to be realistic about what you do, and you can't just act on enthusiasm alone. How much investment is needed for plasma technology? How high are the technical barriers? Changhong's factory only has so much resources, can they afford it?"
The section chief nodded: "Should we look into it?"
"Why should we interfere?" The director waved his hand. "Let them figure it out themselves. If they succeed, that's a good thing; if they fail, it's a lesson. What we need to do now is keep an eye on them and make sure they don't cause any major trouble."
He exhaled a puff of smoke and said thoughtfully, "But I'm quite curious, what tricks is Lin Xiaohe planning to pull this time?"
"How about we go ask Old Meng?"
The director rolled his eyes.
Is it so easy to meet with Elder Meng?
Why would a mere department head like him rush to see Elder Meng over such a trivial matter? What is he trying to do? What will others think?
The director is reluctant to see Old Master Meng, but Old Master Meng's granddaughter is willing to knock on Old Master Meng's door for such a small matter.
"Grandpa, can that factory director Lin really make plasma TVs? Will they be even better than Panasonic of Japan?"
A 16-year-old girl, as vibrant as a flower in full bloom.
Mr. Meng shook his head: "Panasonic of Japan has been on the path of plasma TVs for too long and too far, and its technology is world-leading."
The little girl bit her lip and said defiantly, "Didn't Director Lin go to Russia? Changhong Factory doesn't have the technological reserves, but the Soviet Union does! We can stand on the shoulders of giants and achieve a leapfrog development."
Old Master Meng's eyes held a wisdom and clarity honed by the passage of time.
He looked at his granddaughter and seemed to see another young girl in her: "Some people like to follow the paths others have taken. Some people prefer to forge their own path through thorns and brambles. Given Lin Xiaohe's personality, she won't invest a lot of money and energy in the plasma TV technology route."
The little girl tilted her head, her eyes full of confusion: "Why?"
"Because what she wanted was never to make money."
"What does she want?"
Old Meng put down the book in his hand, placed his large hand on his granddaughter's soft head, and turned to look out the window.
The century-old tree in the courtyard has lush foliage, and the bird nests in the tree are constantly being rebuilt after one is destroyed.
Old Master Meng said solemnly, "What she wants is the great revival of the Eastern Kingdom, for the Eastern Kingdom to return to the top of the world."
The little girl's mouth was slightly agape, her face full of astonishment: "This is truly... a very simple and pure ideal."
Old Meng corrected him, "No, it's a great ideal. Many of us are working hard for it. Perhaps we will feel lost, and we will hear a lot of noise, but as long as we don't forget our original aspirations, we will definitely find the right path."
The little girl stopped asking questions.
She didn't understand her grandfather and Director Lin's feelings, but she felt a warmth in her heart and a surge of respect welled up within her.
Regarding the news that Changhong Factory was going to produce plasma TVs, the Japanese were more convinced than the people of eastern Japan that it was true, except for Anning County.
In Anning County, let alone Changhong Factory making plasma TVs, even if Lin Xiaohe claimed he was going to build rockets, the people would believe it without a doubt.
"Don't ask, just tell me you trust Director Lin and Changhong Factory."
"What? Three years? Hahaha, aren't you underestimating us and Director Lin? Back then, she was all alone, and she still managed to produce the PanShi color TV. Now, Changhong Factory has a dedicated research institute and is even collaborating with Harbin Institute of Technology. Do you know Harbin Institute of Technology? It's incredibly prestigious; I've heard their students are even building rockets! With so many top students here, developing a plasma TV will be a piece of cake!"
The Japanese investigators scoffed as they listened to the proud words of the people of Anning County.
So what if it's Harbin Institute of Technology? Their researchers at Panasonic are all world-class scholars in the industry.
They have a total of 3000 billion yen, equivalent to 253 billion yuan, just to build the factory, enough to buy the entire Anning Prefecture!
"Our plasma panel factory has already started construction, hasn't it?" Japanese researcher Ichiro asked softly.
The other person covered their mouth with their hand: "Yes. The infrastructure construction is expected to be completed within half a month. In order to be faster than Changhong's factory, the group's funding approval is very rapid."
I've never seen the finance department so efficient!
Ichiro: "Should we cause some damage at the Changhong factory?"
"We can't be too obvious, otherwise Lin Xiaohe will think we're afraid of her. Aren't you in contact with that guy? Let him cause some trouble for Changhong Factory through administrative means."
Ichiro said with a bitter face, "That man is too greedy! He'll definitely ask for an exorbitant amount."
"It's okay, we have the funds."
"Okay, I'll give it a try. Just so you know, I won't pay out of my own pocket. I don't even have enough money to fill his teeth."
If the money is in place, things will get done.
A proposal for the entire county to learn from Changhong Factory was quickly stamped and prepared for distribution.
County Chief Tian kept a close eye on Deputy County Chief Chen's movements and immediately suppressed the matter: "Changhong Factory is at a critical time, and access control is very strict. It is not suitable to organize multiple groups of people to visit and exchange ideas."
Deputy County Head Chen disagreed: "Every large enterprise gets visitors, so why can't Changhong Factory? They can arrange the itinerary; the visitors won't wander around aimlessly."
County Head Tian: "It's inappropriate to do this while Lin Xiaohe is not here."
Deputy County Head Chen's attitude was very firm: "I am in charge of the county's industry, and I think it is very appropriate for me!"