Chapter 1297
The First Economic Promotion Conference is a Success; Several Eastern European Companie
The situation is urgent.
Both parties were interested in each other, and to avoid obstruction from those with ulterior motives, they quickly reached a final agreement.
June 1st.
The first Economic Promotion Conference was held at the Beijing Exhibition Center.
The foreign trade department had considered several locations.
The square, the Grand Hotel Beijing, or a conference hall where international conferences have been held.
In the end, they chose the exhibition hall.
The reason is simple: this place has space for large-scale exhibitions, making it suitable for product sales and technology equipment exhibitions.
The most important point is...
The level here is high enough to justify the name "First Economic Promotion Association".
……
Siheyuan.
As soon as dawn broke, Li Aiguo got out of bed.
Today is a big day, and as the actual initiator and visionary of the Economic Promotion Association, he is also on the invitation list.
"Brother Aiguo, I've ironed your clothes, come and try them on."
Chen Xueru took a brand-new Zhongshan suit off the clothes rack.
Li Aiguo put on his clothes and then slipped on his big leather shoes, which were polished to a shine so bright they reflected his image.
Stand in front of the mirror.
Hey, handsome guy from Beijing!
After eating and drinking his fill, Li Aiguo pushed his mountain bike out the door.
Just as I arrived at the Intermediate People's Court, I happened to run into Qin Huairu pushing Yi Zhonghai in a wheelchair, preparing to go to work.
Although Yi Zhonghai did not join the project team, he is still very proactive every day.
It was tough on Qin Huairu, who had to push Yi Zhonghai around to and from get off work.
Seeing Li Aiguo's expression, Yi Zhonghai felt somewhat depressed.
Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat and adopted the demeanor of an elder.
"Patriotism, I'm not saying this to criticize you."
We are still facing difficulties, so we should be diligent and thrifty and work hard.
Look at yourself dressed like that, in leather shoes and new clothes. This is called being out of touch with the masses, and that's a mistake you're bound to make!
Before Li Aiguo could respond, Xu Damao came over from the side.
"Hey, old man, your information is really outdated!"
Xu Damao glanced at Yi Zhonghai sideways and said in a sarcastic tone.
"You're still talking about thrift and frugality here?"
Do you know what Patriot Brother is going to do today?
They went to attend a trade and economic promotion conference!
That was an international conference!
"They're all foreign representatives!"
These words were spoken.
Yi Zhonghai's face immediately turned red with suppressed urges.
The Economic Promotion Association is of extraordinary significance. After it was established, major newspapers across the country began to report on it in turn.
However, the Economic Promotion Association is different from ordinary exhibitions. It is a large-scale trade fair, and the attendees are all political figures from various countries. It is a high-level event and is not open to the public.
When attending a conference of this level, it's only right to dress presentably.
Yi Zhonghai felt as if he had been slapped hard in the face in public.
It hurts so much.
He grunted and gave Qin Huairu a wink, signaling her to push him away quickly.
Xu Damao watched Yi Zhonghai's retreating figure, feeling extremely pleased.
If it weren't for this old man, he would have become a leader by now.
Unfortunately, it wasn't Yi Zhonghai himself who slapped Yi in the face, but Li Aiguo.
"Brother Aiguo, you should go quickly. Don't bother with this old man; it'll delay important business." Xu Damao turned around, his face all smiles again.
"Okay, see you later, Brother Da Mao."
Li Aiguo straddled his motorcycle, leaving a trail of dust behind as it roared to life.
When Li Aiguo arrived at the Beijing Exhibition Center on his mountain bike.
Outside the exhibition hall, there were already people patrolling in gray Zhongshan suits, led by Old Cat.
This meeting was of great significance, and the security level was set to the maximum.
The weather station naturally had to send out its most elite meteorologists.
Li Aiguo greeted the old cat and then went into the exhibition hall.
He didn't actually have any important work to do today; the relevant departments of the Economic Promotion Association would handle it, and Li Aiguo could just watch the show.
It's 8:30 now.
A fleet of brand-new Huaxing minibuses sped from the Friendship Hotel along the street toward the exhibition hall.
The passengers on the bus were representatives from Eastern Europe and the Yi family.
Looking at the people on both sides of the street, the representatives whispered among themselves.
"It's unbelievable how fast this place has developed in just a few years."
"Yes, I heard that a delegation from France visited a while ago and went back full of praise for it."
The industrial potential here has been severely underestimated.
At this moment, a representative from Xiao Yi's family suddenly spoke up. His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced everyone in the car:
"I think the one on the east side should be the real big brother!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Eastern European representatives changed slightly. They exchanged glances and fell silent.
Although they didn't respond, their minds immediately started working.
Over the years, everyone has witnessed the decline of the older brother.
It's one thing that he lost an arm wrestling match to Xiaomei's family, but he also really enjoys bullying his younger brothers.
And what about the one on the east side?
They are fair in their dealings, emphasize mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and most importantly, they genuinely provide technical expertise and guide you through the process.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to find a new big brother..."
Although these families were unable to immediately step forward due to the influence of the eldest brother, they were deterred from doing so.
But this idea, like a seed, quietly sprouted in the hearts of these people.
After all, the older brother has to work for the benefit of his younger brothers, and at the very least, he can't bully them.
Otherwise, why should people listen to you?
Let's not even talk about the Russians now.
Take Xiao Mei's family in later generations, for example. They always wanted to exploit their friends, which made their friends unhappy.
Xiao Mei's family is going to beat up Da Lang's family.
As a result, none of those friends put in any work or effort.
Some members of the Xiao Ou family criticized the Xiao Mei family for messing things up.
They could only rely on the Xiaose family to charge ahead, and they couldn't even guarantee passage through a strait.
It was a complete mess, a truly pathetic mess.
However, these things need to be planned slowly and patiently; we can't rush them.
On the bus, the leaders of the foreign trade department felt reassured upon seeing the expressions on everyone's faces.
Regardless of the outcome of the Economic Promotion Association, its objective has been achieved.
The convoy slowly came to a stop in front of the Beijing Exhibition Center. The scene on the square stunned the Eastern European representatives who had just gotten off the vehicles.
In the spacious square of the exhibition hall, rows of flagpoles stood tall.
Apart from the bright flag in the very center, the flags of all the participating companies were neatly hung around the perimeter.
"Look! That's our family flag!"
"Why is our flag here? This level of scale... it's almost like the United Nations."
"Ours are among them! Look, there they are!"
The delegates stopped and pointed at their own flags, discussing amongst themselves, their faces filled with surprise and a strange sense of pride.
In this era, they rarely see their own flag displayed alongside the organizer's flag at major conferences.
When the leaders of the foreign trade department saw that Li Aiguo's arrangements had attracted the attention of several companies, they explained with a smile.
"Friends, this exhibition hall will serve as a long-term exhibition center in the future."
This is your home in the capital. Since you're returning home, naturally you should hang your respective family flags.
“Great idea! We feel right at home here,” the representative from the older brother’s family nodded first.
“Every flagpole is exactly the same height, which is good and very fair.” The Czech representative also smiled with satisfaction.
The other companies also felt that things were handled too openly and transparently on the east side.
At this moment, Li Aiguo had already entered the venue. Seeing the representatives from various companies enter, he knew that the exhibition was about to begin.
To Li Aiguo's surprise, higher-level leaders also came to the exhibition and, together with representatives from various companies, announced the official establishment of the Economic Promotion Association.
Reporters nearby pressed their flashes to capture this precious moment.
The following procedures, however, returned to the essence of the trade fair.
Each company first toured the new equipment and facilities, and then began discussing prices and other matters.
Li Aiguo's task was much simpler: he stayed by the side of the leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and chatted with the representatives of various companies.
It was supposed to be casual conversation, but it was actually a way to fill in the gaps and, incidentally, to paint a rosy picture for the other party.
No one understood the specific circumstances of the various Eastern European countries better than Li Aiguo, and no one understood their needs better than Li Aiguo.
By the end of the morning, I had drawn quite a few cakes and drunk a lot of Longjing tea.
Just as Li Aiguo was enjoying Longjing tea.
The convening of the Economic Promotion Association was also noted within the extended family.
Everyone was shocked by the rapid rapprochement between the East and Eastern Europe.
The Associated Press published an article titled "The Ambition of the Eastern Dragon: The Budding Form of a Yuan Settlement System?"
The content is very exciting.
"The East is trying to establish a completely new trade alliance with Eastern Europe through the Economic Promotion Association, independent of the existing system!"
AFP, on the other hand, was even more direct.
"The establishment of the Economic Promotion Association signifies that the trade monopoly of the Big Brother in Eastern Europe is facing an unprecedented challenge."
This may be the beginning of the disintegration of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CGM)!
Xiao Mei's family, however, remained relatively calm about this.
They were never on good terms with those poor brothers in Eastern Europe, and they didn't have any significant interests in them.
I'm just a little worried about how this place will continue to grow.
However, Xiao Mei's current focus is still on the Russians, and she hasn't made any moves yet.
But the two companies, John Bull and Gallic Rooster, started to get their minds working.
"I heard that the Economic Promotion Association bypassed ruble transactions? Does that mean... it can also bypass the dollar?"
Over the years, they have been suffering from the drain on their resources by the dollar system.
Knowing it's a trap, but having no alternative, I have no choice but to bite the bullet and jump in.
Now that they see someone taking the lead, both companies have sent out "commercial counselors" to secretly gather information and see if they can also get on board.
In comparison, the Russians are the most frustrated.
"The Economic Promotion Association? Isn't this just blatantly going against our Economic Cooperation Association?"
"With the Economic Promotion Association in place, who will still bother with the Mutual Economic Assistance Association?"
"These young guys are up to no good."
The Corn Emperor was furious in the Kremlin.
"Your Majesty, what should we do now? Should we give those underlings a warning?"
"A senior executive asked."
"Let's leave it for now." The Corn Emperor was about to wave his hand dismissively, but then seemed to remember something and slumped back into his chair.
When the higher-ups heard this, they were taken aback at first, but then they understood.
Since Commander Xie regained control of the Ministry of the Interior, the Medal General has become even more powerful and poses an increasing threat to the Corn Emperor.
I heard that they often get together for small meetings now.
Compared to the east, the greater threat is clearly the General of Medals.
With my own backyard on fire, how can I possibly care about my neighbor's party?
Five days later, the first Economic Promotion Conference came to a successful conclusion.
Each participant received a commemorative badge upon leaving.
The bronze commemorative medal features the majestic Great Wall on the front and is surrounded by the flags of the participating countries on the back.
Exquisite craftsmanship and substantial weight.
Back home, Li Aiguo handed the commemorative medal to Chen Xueru.
Chen Xueru took it, examined it carefully, and then gently placed it in the mahogany box.
This could be passed down as a family heirloom.
The night was quiet.
The leaders of the foreign trade department came to the study to report on their achievements.
"Leader, to be honest, the results of this economic promotion conference far exceeded our initial most optimistic expectations." The voice of the leader from the Ministry of Foreign Trade was filled with undisguised excitement.
"The Czechs have placed a large order for coal cutters and basic machinery this time. These are industrial advantages that we accumulated in the 1950s, and now they are filling their gaps."
The family of ours is particularly fond of our electric blankets, with an astonishingly large order volume, and they even placed an additional order for light industrial textiles.
Several other companies also bought a large quantity of products.
The superior nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
"More importantly, it's about imports." The leader of the Ministry of Foreign Trade's expression brightened.
"We have imported large quantities of copper ore, chromite ore, and rare special steel from these companies."
These are the most scarce strategic resources in China at present.
In the past, if we wanted to buy these mines, we had to consider the big brother's opinion first, and go through layers of approval from the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Not only were the prices high, but the quantities were also limited.
Now that's great, we can settle directly in RMB, which not only saves us foreign exchange but also gives us more control!
The higher-ups were also very pleased.
In an era of extreme foreign exchange scarcity, the ability to purchase urgently needed strategic materials with one's own currency is of paramount importance.
"The Czech side contacted us privately, expressing their willingness to sell us that precision machine tool processing technology. Currently, the military industry has secretly intervened and begun preliminary technology cooperation."
The foreign trade department leaders were worried that their superiors wouldn't understand, so they explained the importance of this technology again.
"Oh?"
The superior's eyes lit up. "We used to talk ourselves hoarse trying to sell them that technology, but they still wouldn't budge."
"Yes, they used to be afraid of upsetting the big brother. Now that the Economic Promotion Association has been established, everyone's minds are on the right track. As long as the benefits are sufficient, and our RMB is indeed very effective, they don't care about anything else."
The higher-ups were even more pleased after hearing this.
"One economic promotion association has solved so many thorny issues and even helped our currency successfully enter Eastern Europe. Comrade Patriot, you have made a great contribution again!"
"Yes, these companies even suggested that we set up a bank in their country to strengthen private cooperation," said the leader of the foreign trade department.
"Sir, Comrade Patriot has made a contribution this time, shouldn't we give him a reward?"
When it came to rewards, the higher-ups were somewhat helpless, as Li Aiguo didn't need anything.
However, we should still give it to them; it's a way of showing our attitude.
"Let's give them an internal commendation within the foreign trade department."
"Understood!" The foreign trade department leader nodded emphatically.
Li Aiguo received the notification from Section Chief Xing at the construction site of the steel rolling mill.
"The head of the foreign trade department came in person, right here in my office. He specifically told you to call your wife over as soon as possible."
"Xue Ru?" Li Aiguo asked, puzzled.
Section Chief Xing was also puzzled: "I asked too, and the leader said he personally instructed you to stop talking nonsense and go pick up the person quickly."
Although Li Aiguo was completely confused, he didn't waste any time. He got on his mountain bike and sped towards the Zhengyangmen Subdistrict Office.
Chen Xueru was also completely bewildered when she learned that she was to go to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.
She was busy with things on the street, but seeing how serious Li Aiguo was, she had no choice but to ask the director for leave and get on the back of the motorcycle.
When the couple arrived at Section Chief Xing's office, the leaders of the Foreign Trade Department had been waiting for them for quite some time.
The leader from the Ministry of Foreign Trade stood up, looked the couple up and down, and exclaimed in admiration:
"Great! A perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven!"
Section Chief Xing chimed in, "You don't know this, sir. After Comrade Aiguo and Comrade Xueru got married, they managed to balance both their family life and career. Now they have three children. They are a model family in our section."
"Great! Having the next generation will give us even more energy to do our work!" Upon hearing that there were many children, the foreign trade department leaders were even happier.
Without much small talk, the leader from the Ministry of Foreign Trade became serious and solemn, and took out a bright red certificate of merit from his briefcase.
"Comrade Li Aiguo, in recognition of your special contributions to the export of electric blankets and the preparation of the Economic Promotion Association, I hereby formally award you the title of 'Red Flag Bearer for Export Earnings' on behalf of the foreign trade department!"
"Thank you, leader. I will definitely continue to work hard." Although Li Aiguo has won countless awards, he was still a little excited at this moment.
After all, this represents the affirmation of one's superiors.
Sometimes, glory is not just glory, but a reflection of whether you are heading in the right direction.
However, the surprises weren't over yet.
The leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Trade took out a second certificate of merit and looked at Chen Xueru.
"Comrade Chen Xueru, in recognition of your outstanding contributions to assisting Comrade Li Aiguo in manufacturing electric blankets for export and ensuring production quality, you are hereby awarded the title of 'March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter for Export Earnings'!"
"Me?" Chen Xueru was completely stunned.
She originally thought she was just there to make up the background.
I never imagined that I would receive such a national honor.
It wasn't until Li Aiguo reminded Chen Xueru that she accepted the certificate and thanked the leader.
"Great! A husband and wife winning awards together, if this gets out, it will definitely be a wonderful story!" Section Chief Xing led the applause.
Next, the leaders of the foreign trade department, Zong Xianfeng, Zhou Gaoyuan, Chief Engineer Qi and others from the studio also applauded.
Amidst applause.
Chen Xueru felt her eyes getting wet.
She never imagined that one day she would receive such a prestigious award.
The news of Chen Xueru's award quickly spread throughout the compound.
Just as Li Aiguo and Chen Xueru returned home, Liu Haizhong arrived with his second aunt.
"Aiguo, Xueru, congratulations to you two! It's the first time a husband and wife have won an award together in our courtyard."
"Let alone a courtyard house, it's rare even in the entire capital city."
Chen Xueru was still caught up in her excitement and could only blush as she kept thanking them, saying, "Thank you, Uncle, thank you, Aunt."
Xu Damao, Liu Lan, Nan Yi, and Liang Ladi's families also heard the news and rushed over.
Seeing the growing crowd in the courtyard, Li Aiguo waved his hand and said, "Since everyone is so happy, I'll treat you tonight. Let's have a lively time in the courtyard!"
“Great! My relatives from out of town just sent some mountain produce over. I’ll get it for you.” Liu Haizhong immediately agreed.
Of course, Li Aiguo couldn't have only invited these few people; he also invited Chen Fangxuan, Chen Xingjia, Chen Xingyi, his eldest sister-in-law, and his second sister-in-law.
When the Chen family entered the room, their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when they saw the two certificates of merit placed side by side on the table.
“I told you before, Xue Ru has a sharp eye; she found a truly good man!” The sister-in-law puffed out her chest.
Second Sister-in-law also held Chen Xueru's hand, whispering inquiries about something.
"Xueru, is there a bonus for being named a 'March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter'? I heard that for such a big award, the higher-ups give out a lot of good stuff, right?"
Chen Xueru chatted happily with her sisters-in-law, filling the room with a cheerful atmosphere.
As the older sister-in-law chatted, her gaze drifted to Chen Xingjia, and she couldn't help but complain, "Look at how patriotic he is, and then look at you."
"You've been studying at night school for so long, how come you haven't even become a leader in the technical department?"
Chen Xingjia was engrossed in drinking his tea when he heard this and muttered to himself, "My sister is lucky to have a husband who's there to help her. As for me? Where am I supposed to find someone as capable as him?"
Well, even this honest man, Chen Xingjia, has started to stand up for himself.
The sister-in-law blushed deeply at these words and pretended to hit him, which immediately caused a burst of laughter in the room.
Li Aiguo knew that his sister-in-law was just a chatterbox but not a bad person, so he laughed along, making the atmosphere even more lively.
night.
The courtyard house gradually fell silent.
Only the Li family's house remained brightly lit and bustling with activity.
Nan Yi really showed off his skills today, personally cooking a whole table of dishes that were perfect in color, aroma, and taste.
The group toasted and drank, making a ruckus until late into the night.
After the banquet ended, Chen Xueru saw off her family and returned to the house, leaning against Li Aiguo as if all her strength had been drained.
“It really feels like a dream.” She nestled against Li Aiguo.
However, Chen Xueru did not expect that the surprise the next day would be even more real than the dream.
She had just started working at the subdistrict office when the director called her into his office.
"Director, you wanted to see me?" Chen Xueru pushed open the door and found that in addition to the director, there were several unfamiliar colleagues in the office.
The director pointed to the group and introduced them, "Comrade Xue Ru, these are comrades from the district's Organization Department. They are here today to announce an important appointment."
Chen Xueru's heart skipped a beat, and she vaguely guessed what was going on.
"Comrade Chen Xueru, in view of your outstanding performance during your work at the subdistrict office, after deliberation by the higher authorities, it has been decided to formally promote you to the position of deputy director of Zhengyangmen Subdistrict Office."
"Huh?" Although Chen Xueru was mentally prepared, she was still stunned when this huge pie actually landed on her head.
It should be noted that the subdistrict office had indeed submitted an application to higher authorities before, but it had not been approved.
She knew in her heart that the reason why the deal was implemented so quickly was definitely because the "March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter for Export Earnings" medal played a decisive role.
"Please rest assured, leader, I will definitely do my best and live up to the organization's trust!" Chen Xueru stood ramrod straight.
After completing the formalities, Chen Xueru finally made it to the end of the workday. She couldn't wait to rush home, eager to tell Li Aiguo the good news as soon as possible.
But even after waiting until past 8 p.m., Li Aiguo still hadn't returned.
Where is Li Aiguo?
It's still in the 100,000-ton steel rolling mill plant.
After a period of busy work, the rolling mill has finally reached the final assembly stage. Considering the continuity of the assembly work, Li Aiguo decided to work overtime at night.
"Are you going back to the section or home tonight?" Section Chief Xing also arrived at the assembly site.
"We'll see. If it gets too late, we'll just have to make do here," Li Aiguo said, pointing to a tent not far away.
These days, Chief Engineer Qi, Zong Xianfeng, Zhou Gaoyuan, along with three chief engineers from the First Ministry of Machine Building and the technicians, are all staying here.
"If you're going back, I'll have Zhou Ke pick you up and drop you off. Be careful," Section Chief Xing instructed.
"Thank you, Section Chief."
"How long will it take to assemble?" Section Chief Xing looked at the construction site again. He felt that the parts were too big. How could they be assembled?
"It will probably take about half a month," Li Aiguo estimated.
He wasn't exaggerating; assembling such large machinery is extremely difficult. Even if Li Aiguo specially brought over the train crane from Tianjin Port, it wouldn't be something that could be done in a short time.
(End of this chapter)