Sail across the sea

Chapter 361 You think urea is sand?
Tan Rongjiang, the director of Cangyuan Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant, has been feeling down these past few days. So many people from various units in the county have come to him asking for help in buying urea that he's been overwhelmed with requests.

Before this, he had helped people with connections obtain urea.

Previously, only two medium-sized nitrogen fertilizer plants in the province were capable of producing urea: Maolin Fertilizer Plant and Maolin No. 2 Fertilizer Plant, commonly referred to in the industry as Maolin and No. 2. These two nitrogen fertilizer plants were built relatively early and were designed with a capacity of 45,000 tons of synthetic ammonia and 180,000 tons of ammonium bicarbonate. Their main product, like that of other small nitrogen fertilizer plants, was ammonium bicarbonate.

Later, the province invested some money to build a small urea plant in each of the two factories, with a combined annual capacity of only 2 tons. This was the total urea production capacity of the province, and the actual output would be further reduced from this.

The urea produced by the two nitrogen plants is mainly supplied to Ruizhang, the provincial capital, and Tanbei City, where the Second Chemical Plant is located. Other cities and prefectures can only get a very limited amount.

Because they both belonged to the Chemical Industry Bureau system, Tan Rongjiang had some connections with the leaders of Maoming Chemical and No. 2 Chemical Plant, and could obtain several tons of urea from them every year. After allocating this amount to the county leaders and a few leaders in the factories, very little was left, which could only meet the needs of a very small number of people with connections.

However, due to the shortage of urea, most farmers were using ammonium bicarbonate instead, so they were relatively accepting of the lack of urea. They found someone from Tan Rongjiang's village who said he couldn't get any, and that was that. Everyone's mentality was more about inequality than scarcity; since no one could get any, it didn't matter.

However, things have been a bit off these past few days. First, the number of people asking him if he had any connections to get urea suddenly increased more than tenfold. Second, when they heard him say he couldn't help, the looks they gave him were clearly filled with strong dissatisfaction. The gist of it was that getting some urea was a simple matter, and he, Tan Rongjiang, wouldn't even help—was it because Tan Rongjiang's position was too low, he was about to retire, his workplace was a low-level government office, and Tan Rongjiang hadn't given him a wedding gift…

I've been wronged!
Tan Rongjiang wailed inwardly.

The nitrogen fertilizer plant is a county-owned enterprise, and Tan Rongjiang's rank is that of a section chief, equivalent to the heads of various commissions, offices, and bureaus. But can ranks in an enterprise be compared to those in government offices? How could he dare offend so many government officials at the same time?
"Old Wen, tell me, what's gotten into the county these past few days? Why is everyone asking me to buy urea?"

After refusing the other party's request, Tan Rongjiang stopped Wen Kaishun, the education bureau director, who was about to leave in displeasure, and sincerely asked him for clarification. The two usually had a good personal relationship, and in this situation, Tan Rongjiang could only inquire with Wen Kaishun.

"You didn't know?" Wen Kaishun looked at Tan Rongjiang and saw that the other man's eyes were full of grievances before explaining, "Someone in the county got a batch of urea from Canghai Fertilizer Plant, and many people got some."

"Everyone says that since others can get their hands on it, and you, Lao Tan, are the director of the nitrogen fertilizer plant, you must know the director of the Canghai fertilizer plant. If you're willing to lend a hand, what's a few hundred tons?"

“Three to five hundred tons!” Tan Rongjiang jumped up. “Old Wen, do you think urea is sand? Our county's agricultural supply company can't even get 100 tons of urea a year. If I pull some strings, I might get two or three tons at most. Three to five hundred tons? Do you think I'm Gao Yiping's father?”

"Do you know how much urea that guy in our county got his hands on?"

"How many?"

"Nobody knows the exact amount, but after asking around, we know that at least 20 tons of urea were distributed from him."

"There are so many!"

"The actual quantity might even double. In some units, the subordinates got urea, but the unit leaders didn't. Do you think the subordinates would dare to say anything? Taking all that into account, doubling the quantity is no problem at all."

"Hiss..." Tan Rongjiang gasped. "Who has such powerful connections? There must be someone in the province who has put in a good word for them."

"That's even stranger. The person who got his hands on the urea was a self-employed individual who ran a chemical cleaning shop in the county town. He had absolutely no connections."

"I know that guy, his name is something like Ma..." Tan Rongjiang really knew Ma Jin. Although he had never dealt with him, he knew that Ma Jin must not have any background. Otherwise, how could he be sent to clean toilets for various units?

But this makes things even more unreasonable. How could a sole proprietor get so much urea?

"Is everything you said true?"

Tan Rongjiang looked at Wen Kaishun, wondering if the other man was trying to trick him.

"Believe it or not, it's up to you!" Wen Kaishun roared. "Old Tan, I've told you everything. Now tell me the truth, can you get urea from Canghai Fertilizer Plant?"

Tan Rongjiang said with a bitter face, "I won't lie to you. I called Gao Yiping, the director of Canghai Fertilizer Plant, yesterday. He said that the province is strict in its management, and many people have been asking him for urea these days. In the end, he said that out of respect for our old friendship, he would allocate five tons to me, and no more than that would be absolutely impossible."

“Only five tons…” Wen Kaishun pondered for a moment, then held out a hand and waved it back and forth. “Give me ten packs.”

"Go ahead and rob me!" Tan Rongjiang said irritably. "I'll only take five packs at most, and you'll still have to leave the money. I'll give it to you at the factory price plus shipping, 18.4 yuan per pack. I won't make a single penny off you."

"Five tons is 125 bags, okay? You only gave me five bags?"

"Do you know how many people have been looking for me these past few days? They're all heads of various organizations, my son's homeroom teacher, my father-in-law, and my brother-in-law. I wish I could give each of them a packet of food!"

"Hehe, who knows how much you got? You're definitely hiding it from me."

"Gao Yiping only promised me five tons. If I've told a single lie, I'm a turtle!"

Tan Rongjiang flew into a rage and immediately made a solemn oath.

"Okay, okay, I believe you. Five packs it is. Do you want me to give you the money first?"

"Get out of here! ...When the urea arrives, I'll have someone notify you, then you can bring the money back, cash on delivery."

Tan Rongjiang was exhausted and had no energy left to argue with the other party.

Wen Kai slid away smoothly, still muttering to himself:

You think you can get five tons? Canghai Fertilizer Plant produces 4 tons of urea a year. Even a little bit leaking out would amount to more than five tons. You, Tan Rongjiang, are definitely saving the lion's share for flattery.

Oh, he just said that his son's homeroom teacher also asked him to buy urea. When I get back, I'll call the principal of No. 1 Middle School and ask him to find Tan Rongjiang's son's homeroom teacher and ask Tan Rongjiang for a few more packs.

Hmph, I'll teach you to play tricks on me, Rongjiang!
(End of this chapter)