Sail across the sea

Chapter 364 Lack of Motivation

This is a bit tricky.

This is Meng Zimin's idea.

He paused for a moment, then instructed Tan Rongjiang, "You still need to do a good job of explaining things. Tell the people that the ammonium sulfate to urine fertilizer conversion project is under discussion, and the county has done its best to promote it. The obstacle is at the provincial level."

"Yes, yes, we've already explained it to the public like that," Tan Rongjiang said perfunctorily, then timidly added, "County Chief Meng, this time the problem mainly stems from Ma Jin, the person in charge of the Xiao Ma Cleaning Service Center, engaging in speculation and profiteering by bringing in a batch of unplanned urea, which has disrupted the county's market. Could you perhaps have the Industry and Commerce Bureau investigate this matter?"

"Isn't it a bit inappropriate to let the Industry and Commerce Bureau crack down on this?" Wang Zhou interjected. "Now that the country is promoting economic revitalization, the term 'speculation and profiteering' is no longer suitable. Besides, the farmers of Cangyuan are the ones who benefit from Ma Jin's ability to get urea from Cangtang and sell it in Cangyuan."

“We couldn’t even get this done through agricultural supply companies, but a small individual farmer did. We don’t expect him to be rewarded, but at the very least, we shouldn’t discourage him, right?”

"Old Wang's statement makes sense."

Everyone chimed in. They'd all bought urea from Ma Jin, and their relatives in the countryside had even asked if he'd have any more. "You had the Industry and Commerce Bureau arrest Ma Jin? Do you think Tan Rongjiang can actually get urea for everyone?"
As for the pressure on the nitrogen fertilizer plant because Ma Jin got his hands on urea, what does that have to do with us? Are we even that familiar with Rongjiang?
Meng Zimin also understood this principle: Ma Jin was selling urea to benefit everyone, so what reason did he have to crack down on him?

"The county will arrange for the Industry and Commerce Bureau to look into this matter later," Meng Zimin said, using a delaying tactic. Then he addressed the crowd, "Comrades, the county's determination regarding the ammonium-to-urine conversion remains unchanged. We must be prepared for a protracted battle with the fertilizer company. If the masses have objections, everyone should help explain the situation and not let the pressure fall entirely on the nitrogen fertilizer plant."

"understand!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Only Tan Rongjiang knew in his heart that he was better off hoping Gao Yiping would take pity on him and approve a permit for dozens of tons of urea than expecting these people to do any explanatory work.

Why is my own daughter in such a hurry to get married? If she weren't married, maybe she could become in-laws with Gao Yiping...

In the days that followed, Tan Rongjiang kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public. When he did encounter someone, he would force a smile and act as if he were transforming into Hello Kitty.

However, even though he didn't seek out trouble, trouble came looking for him.

He had just started work that day when he received a call from Wen Kaishun:

"Hey, Lao Tan, did you offend someone?"

Offending people...

Tan Rongjiang silently grinned, thinking to himself, "I've offended a lot of people, which one are you asking about?"

He thought this in his heart, but he couldn't say it out loud. He put on a relaxed tone and said, "No, there have been some things going on at the factory lately. I've been busy dealing with them and haven't gone anywhere. How could I have offended anyone?"

“I heard that the province wanted to convert ammonium fertilizer to urine fertilizer at your nitrogen fertilizer plant, but you were the one blocking the process,” Wen Kaishun said.

"Fuck!" Tan Rongjiang cursed. "Old Wen, which bastard spread this rumor? Why should I object?"

“People say that there is no urea in the county, but you can get it from outside and make several thousand yuan just by reselling it, so you don’t want to get ammonium to urea conversion.”

"Where did you hear that? Isn't this blatant slander?" "Don't ask where I heard it. I just want to know, what's the current status of the county nitrogen fertilizer plant's ammonium-to-urine conversion project?"

"We're still negotiating with the province, but their conditions are too harsh; our county can't accept them," Tan Rongjiang replied, sticking to the line agreed upon at the meeting.

Wen Kaishun chuckled and said, "You can say that to others. Go and take a look at the Maolin Daily that just arrived today. There's another article in it featuring an interview with Gao Yiping. Gao Yiping said that the province's conditions are public and clear."

"Several county fertilizer plants have reached preliminary agreements with the provincial fertilizer industry company. The preliminary design work has already begun, and engineers from the provincial chemical design institute have arrived on site."

"Is that so?" Tan Rongjiang was somewhat surprised. "I just got to the office and haven't had a chance to read today's newspaper yet."

"Then take a look first," Wen Kaishun said before hanging up the phone.

At this moment, the factory office secretary came in with today's newspaper and, as usual, placed it on Tan Rongjiang's desk. Tan Rongjiang found the Maolin Daily and, sure enough, saw the report Wen Kaishun had mentioned on page two.

The report does include a section where Gao Yiping answers questions from reporters, but this is not the focus of the report. This report is a record of interviews conducted by reporters with ordinary farmers in some major grain-producing counties within the province. The reporter claims that farmers in these counties are hoping the province will complete the planned ammonium urea conversion project as soon as possible to provide them with sufficient urea.

The article states that during the interviews, the reporter learned that some local farmers were able to buy urea through their relatives and friends who were officials in the county, while farmers without such connections could only look on with envy. This situation has caused widespread dissatisfaction among the farmers.

Next came the reporter's interview with Gao Yiping, who immediately posed a sensitive question: why has the province been talking about ammonium chloride conversion for so long, yet it has been slow to move forward, and what is the root cause of the problem?

In response to the reporter's question, Gao Yiping first stated the conditions of the fertilizer industry company for cooperating on the ammonium-to-urine conversion project, explained the rationality of these conditions, and claimed that several nitrogen fertilizer plants had already agreed to these conditions, and that preliminary work had already begun.

Then, Gao Yiping changed the subject, saying that some places were not enthusiastic enough about the ammonium-to-urine conversion project and had resorted to delaying tactics.

"Mr. Gao, what do you think are the reasons for the lack of enthusiasm in these areas?" the reporter asked.

"It's not appropriate for us to speculate on that. Perhaps the local government has its own considerations," Gao Yiping said, seemingly unwilling to comment.

"If these local governments are unwilling to reach a cooperation agreement, what are the fertilizer industry companies going to do?" the reporter continued to ask.

Gao Yiping replied, "We will temporarily suspend the ammonium to urine conversion work in these areas and start the conversion work in other areas first."

"So, what if they insist on not cooperating?"

"Then we'll have to choose a new location for cooperation. However, this will definitely affect the local farmers the most."

What did Gao Yiping mean by that?
He said that several factories have already agreed to cooperate with the province. The province's original plan was only four factories. "Several" obviously means more than two. Doesn't that mean that Cangyuan Nitrogen Fertilizer Plant is the only one that is still delaying?

Thinking of this, Tan Rongjiang felt uneasy. He picked up the phone and asked the operator to connect him to the director's office of Jingqiao Fertilizer Plant in Yihu City.

(End of this chapter)