Chapter 2897
Panic from the Depths of Memory
Chapter 2897 Panic from the Depths of Memory
It was raining in the city of Beijing.
It wasn't cold enough to snow yet, but the rain falling on the ground made it feel even colder.
Yang Xiaotao shook the rain off his umbrella, stomped his feet on the steps, and then walked toward his office.
"Good morning, Commander Yang!"
"morning!"
"Good morning, Minister Yang!"
"Good morning!"
"Minister Yang..."
Along the way, everyone they met greeted them happily, and Yang Xiaotao responded with a smile.
The smiles on everyone's faces were impossible to hide.
It was simply because Yang Xiaotao suggested giving all the workers in the Ninth Division a small bonus this month, nothing more.
The perks were meager: a towel, an enamel mug, a bar of soap, and three yuan.
But this small benefit is something that most departments wouldn't dare to provide.
Because there are too many people!
Of course, it has to be something that makes money.
But in most people's hearts, it doesn't matter how much; they only feel that their efforts have been recognized.
As we walked, the entire office building was filled with cheerful laughter.
Upon arriving at the office, before the door was even opened, Li Hongfeng came out, holding a report in his hand.
"Are you free? If you are, let's talk about something!"
Li Hongfeng pointed to his office, Yang Xiaotao nodded, and then turned and walked over.
After settling into his office, Li Hongfeng offered Yang Xiaotao some water, but Yang Xiaotao quickly waved his hand, saying, "Old Li, just say what you want to say. Why are we being so polite?"
Upon hearing this, Li Hongfeng laughed and then sat down to the side.
"This message came from a colleague at the Ministry of Railways."
Yang Xiaotao knew what was going on as soon as Li Hongfeng opened his mouth. Two days ago, Old Chen had called him and said that he had made a lot of money this time, and many departments were already getting restless.
This "restlessness" doesn't mean asking for money or favors; Old Chen wouldn't tolerate that.
Instead, they came to the Ninth Department with contracts and projects seeking cooperation.
For example, Huang Lao from the First Ministry of Machine Building approached him, wanting to study tunnel boring machines together.
Last time, Yang Xiaotao provided the Ministry of Machinery Industry with a complete version of the tunnel boring machine, but it has been stuck on technical issues ever since.
In this collaboration, Huang Lao didn't say anything else, he just wanted the Ninth Department to solve the technical problems, and Yang Xiaotao agreed without much thought.
Once the CNC machine tool is completed, these problems will be significant.
There's also the Weiqing aircraft carrier that the Sixth Ministry of Machinery Industry brought out.
This wasn't the first time Yang Xiaotao had heard about it, but this time Old Zhou came to the Ninth Department with genuine sincerity.
After all that talk, if it weren't for Old Chen calling and scolding Old Zhou, Yang Xiaotao would have thought he would have agreed to just to get by.
Even so, Old Zhou still managed to extort five million from Yang Xiaotao.
People of Zhou Lao and Huang Lao's level go directly to Yang Xiaotao, while others, who are not comfortable negotiating with Yang Xiaotao, turn their attention to Li Hongfeng, Lao Hong, and others.
Now, it's estimated that the people from the Ministry of Railways have found Li Hongfeng.
As his thoughts raced, Li Hongfeng continued, "We've been cooperating on the Changyan Railway project, and this time they've presented three railway construction plans and want to ask if we're interested."
As soon as Li Hongfeng finished speaking, Yang Xiaotao rolled his eyes.
"Old Li, since we're on the topic of the Changyan Railway, we should talk about it."
Yang Xiaotao slapped his hand on the table and began to reprimand, "Back then, the railway was a collaboration between Qinxi Province and us. We wanted to do what we could for the local people, so we agreed."
"Moreover, Secretary Shi Yi of Qinxi Province is doing a good job, leading the cadres and villagers to work hard even if it means selling their pots and pans."
"We also shouldered most of the funding, you know that even if I don't say it."
Li Hongfeng nodded reluctantly; he knew this.
The railway project has already cost nearly a billion yuan.
Despite spending so much money, Yang Xiaotao didn't utter a single complaint. In fact, during the Spring Festival, Shi Yi from Qinxi Province even brought people to the Ninth Department to explain why so much money had been spent.
But Yang Xiaotao was more direct: if 1 billion wasn't enough, he'd give another 1 billion.
The comrades from Qinxi Province were so moved that they didn't know what to say for a moment.
With the strong financial support of nine ministries, the assistance of tunnel boring machines provided by the First Ministry of Machine Building, and the mobilization of local people in Qinxi Province along the route, the railway construction proceeded rapidly.
But later...
"But look at it now, after the railway department got involved, this is substandard, that is unacceptable. I just want to ask, why didn't they do this sooner?"
"We'll pay, no problem."
"But it was agreed beforehand that our people would be responsible for monitoring and auditing the flow of these funds, so what happened now?"
"They'll pass the buck to you today, and ask him for the report tomorrow. It's just a back-and-forth exchange, and they can't give a proper explanation."
"Old Li, this doesn't seem like a partnership; they're just trying to take advantage of us!"
After Yang Xiaotao finished speaking, Li Hongfeng felt the report in his hand become somewhat heavy.
He was aware of these problems and understood the internal workings of the railway, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
This time, it took several connections to reach him. It was also because Old Wu had mentioned over the phone that once these railways were completed, they would help strengthen inter-regional exchanges and facilitate the transfer of goods.
Although there are disadvantages, there are also advantages.
After a moment of silence, Li Hongfeng took a deep breath and said, "I will talk to Mr. Wu about the Changyan Railway issue. If it still cannot be resolved, then let's not discuss further cooperation."
"But if the problem of the Changyan Railway is solved, Minister Yang, I hope we can consider it."
"After all, once the railway is built, the people along the route will benefit."
Li Hongfeng said this, and Yang Xiaotao nodded in agreement.
He doesn't know how much money the ninth division has made yet; if you want to know, just call Old Chen.
At this point, Yang Xiaotao felt that he had been tricked by Old Chen again.
They say the amount is huge, but we'll deposit it here first. Just tell us how much you need.
Yang Xiaotao was not going to fall for it. In his previous life, when he deposited money in the bank, the bank agreed to the terms of deposit without hesitation, but when he wanted to withdraw the money, he had to make an appointment and there were limits on the amount. In short, it was not a pleasant experience.
After some haggling, Old Chen kept most of the money from the nine projects.
He only knows that the Ninth Division is wealthy, but he doesn't really know how much.
"Alright, let's see how they perform."
Yang Xiaotao readily agreed, since Chen Lao would be the one paying in the end anyway, so he was essentially having someone else pay for his own money.
Seeing that Yang Xiaotao had agreed, Li Hongfeng smiled.
Then they asked about medical equipment.
"Don't say anymore. The plane was supposed to make a stop in the desert, but it was stopped by the Alliance halfway there and they said they needed to inspect it."
"This damn examination has been going on for almost a week, and they still haven't given us any results!"
"What a bastard."
Yang Xiaotao gets angry whenever he talks about this.
Everything was ready. The foreign trade department had purchased four medical devices from France, paid for them, delivered them, and boarded the prepared plane. All that was needed was for them to fly back.
But the alliance found out about this and immediately ordered the plane to land for inspection; otherwise, the consequences would have been unpredictable.
There was no other way but for the plane to land.
And then, it's been like this ever since.
Yang Xiaotao inquired with the foreign trade department several times, but received no definite news.
All I know is that the alliance's response was very vague, mentioning something about irregular inspections.
But he won't say where he broke the rules; he's a complete scoundrel. "I heard there's a flu outbreak in the Alliance. Are they trying to use this as an excuse to give us a hard time?"
Li Hongfeng pondered for a moment and then expressed his doubts.
This suspicion is not without basis.
Since the flu outbreak in the southern corn-growing region of the Alliance, the entire Alliance has been stockpiling supplies, with large quantities of medicines continuously entering the Alliance, while also acquiring a large amount of resources and wealth.
This is like sucking their blood and eating their flesh for the league.
They'd be happy about it, no doubt.
Of course, they weren't the only ones who were unhappy about it.
A couple of days ago, the foreign trade department placed another order.
They said it was sent from Japan, and they requested a total of ten tons of plum blossom disinfectant, ten tons of artemisia annua detoxifying solution, as well as isatis root reagent and anti-inflammatory drugs.
It is said that when the ship was loaded and set sail, the United States even sent a warship to escort it on the high seas.
At that time, I heard Li Rong say that it seemed that there was another outbreak of the epidemic on the Japanese islands, which had also affected the United States' military base.
Putting everything else aside, at least the money is in my pocket.
Moreover, in order to retaliate against the other party for stealing medical equipment, Li Rong directly raised the price by 10% on the original basis, and the Japanese side did not haggle and agreed immediately.
Later, he complained on the phone that the price increase was too small.
After all, the real estate market is booming in Xiao Rijia, so they really don't lack money right now.
"You know what, these guys are really capable of doing this. They just got the short end of the stick, so they're going to get their revenge in another way."
"What a bastard."
Yang Xiaotao cursed again.
"Let them remember this debt; they'll settle it sooner or later."
After saying that, Yang Xiaotao got up and left the office.
As I opened the door and entered my office, I saw Liu Lixue and Lou Xiao'e looking at a newspaper head to head.
Yang Xiaotao leaned forward for a look, then turned and walked away.
The newspaper article was about the Ninth Department, and the front cover featured the main entrance of the Ninth Department.
Yang Youning originally wanted to have them take a group photo for the news report, but Yang Xiaotao directly rejected it.
Finally, the main entrance was chosen as the cover.
"Xiao'e, did you call Factory 709 yesterday?"
After Yang Xiaotao sat down, he asked a question.
Lou Xiao'e hurriedly put down her newspaper and said, "Minister Yang, it's already been tested. They've completed the initial inspection of the transformer, and now they're just waiting for the final lightning strike test."
"Okay, please follow up on this matter."
"By the way, has our winding machine been completed yet?"
Lou Xiao'e nodded, "Director Li and his team made a prototype last night, and they are currently testing its performance. We'll have to wait a while for more details."
Yang Xiaotao nodded again, and then asked about the research institute. This time, Liu Lixue answered, and she basically had a grasp of the progress of each research project.
After having everything under control, Yang Xiaotao pondered for a moment before getting up to head to the research institute.
However, before the door was even opened, a person was seen standing at the door, about to knock.
"Secretary Guo, what brings you here?"
Secretary Guo lowered his arm, his face still showing some anxiety, and said, "Minister Yang, something has happened on the Japanese islands."
"Huh? Japan? Something's happened?"
Yang Xiaotao repeated it, and Secretary Guo nodded vigorously.
"It's normal that they got into trouble, isn't it? Besides, what does it have to do with me?"
Yang Xiaotao spread his hands, looking very relaxed and not at all bothered.
Secretary Guo hurriedly pulled Yang Xiaotao aside, saying, "Director Yang, Old Chen asked me to come and explain things to you."
"This time, Japan is really in big trouble."
Seeing the seriousness in his voice, Yang Xiaotao also became serious. "Secretary Guo, just tell me directly."
Secretary Guo nodded. "Does your Ninth Department want to purchase medical equipment from Britain?"
Yang Xiaotao nodded in agreement, but his heart sank. Could something have gone wrong with the medical equipment? He hoped the alliance wouldn't seize it, since he had spent real money on it.
But then I thought, what does this have to do with my daily life?
Then Secretary Guo continued, "Later, the machines we wanted to buy were snatched away by Xiao Rizi?"
"Yes, I heard about this from the foreign trade department. They said that some shady businessmen didn't follow the rules and directly snatched our medical equipment. We're still thinking about how to get revenge."
As soon as Yang Xiaotao finished speaking, Secretary Guo immediately waved his hand, "This time you don't need to get revenge, they've gotten themselves into this mess."
"What do you mean?"
Yang Xiaotao was puzzled, but Secretary Guo said with a smile, "Minister Yang, we've actually turned misfortune into blessing this time."
Secretary Guo then explained the situation.
"Minister Yang, we have received information that one of those two treatment devices contains extremely dangerous radioactive materials."
"As a result, it was accidentally dropped and broken during transport, and these powdery radioactive materials subsequently spread rapidly throughout Kosaka Castle."
"Victims have been found in crowded places such as hotels, motels, and subways."
"This matter was eventually discovered by experts from the United States. They found that a small glass vial containing radioactive material from a treatment device was missing."
"When the shipment was shipped from Britain, it was clearly stated that there were 30 grams of radioactive material inside, but they have never been able to find it."
"Then the experts realized that something inside might be missing, so they took the initiative to investigate."
"It was only then that we discovered Kosaka's situation."
"Before it was determined that the accident was caused by a radioactive material leak, Kosaka had always believed it was due to the flu."
"They didn't realize they were going in the wrong direction until the experts explained the situation."
"then."
"You can imagine what kind of expression Xiao Rizi would have when she found out about this."
He then made an explosion gesture.
Secretary Guo sighed. Yang Xiaotao was at a crucial moment when he saw the other party's expression and was speechless. "No, you're actually sighing. Are you sympathizing with them?"
Secretary Guo shook his head. "What sympathy? I just feel it's a pity. It would have been better if it had happened two days later."
Yang Xiaotao felt ashamed, then nodded silently.
"So what's the situation over there now?"
Secretary Guo shrugged. "I don't know much, but I heard that the entire city of Kosaka is testing for and searching for sources of radiation."
"It is said that the source has been found, at the airport."
"Then nearly a hundred sources of pollution were found throughout the city, and countless people were exposed to radiation."
"The water sources have also been polluted."
Yang Xiaotao took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, gave one to Secretary Guo, and the two lit them and smoked in silence.
"Then why did you come here to explain to me this time?"
Yang Xiaotao asked again, and only then did Secretary Guo remember Old Chen's instructions, and he quickly said, "Isn't this because many places have been strengthening their management in this area after the incident on the Japanese islands broke out?"
"Our people are terrified that something like this will happen again when they hear that we're going to import medical equipment from abroad!"
Yang Xiaotao immediately understood, "So, this time, there's a high probability that we won't need those instruments and equipment?"
Secretary Guo nodded, then said with a wry smile, "The alliance has already sent word that they will release the way as soon as possible so we can receive it."
"But, we might... not want it anymore."
Yang Xiaotao was speechless for a moment.