Sail across the sea

Chapter 387 How would I know if you didn't tell me?

Pei Hengxue finished speaking in one breath and felt much better.

The feeling of being relentlessly pressured by Gao Fan just now was incredibly frustrating.

I've been working diligently on the front lines for over 20 years, so why should you, a mere kid, be so picky?

You say the soaking process is wasteful? Don't I know that? I knew that when you were still wearing diapers, and I even racked my brains to come up with improved techniques. Compared to that, you know absolutely nothing!
Gao Fan showed no sign of shame. He simply listened to Pei Hengxue's introduction, and when the other stopped talking, he even asked a question:
"that's it?"

"What, not enough? Tell me, what do you think of this new technology?"

“Excellent,” Gao Fan said. He had intended to clap again, but remembering that his earlier gesture had displeased Lao Pei, he decided against it and instead said:
"There's only one question: why not use such a great new technology?"

"Why not use it?" Pei Hengxue replied sarcastically. "Do you think that proposing a new technology is just a matter of having an idea? Do you know what kind of losses it might cause if you blindly promote it without conducting experiments?"

"The simplest point is that using the in-situ leaching method requires spraying the extractant on the mountain. How can we solve the problem of extractant penetration? If it pollutes the groundwater and affects people's lives and agricultural production, who will bear the responsibility?"

"Is there a way to solve?"

"Of course there is a way. But we need to conduct experiments."

"Then why not conduct an experiment?"

"Because we don't have money! Do you know that conducting experiments requires money? Without money, how are we supposed to conduct experiments!"

Pei Hengxue was getting quite exasperated, and Gao Fan could feel that Xu Dan, who was sitting next to him, was breathing rapidly.

"So you're broke. If you're broke, just say so. How would I know if you didn't tell me?" Gao Fan said with a smile.

The people at Zeyan Institute are so funny. There's an office director whose brain often goes blank, and a deputy director who jumps around at the slightest provocation. I really regret not bringing a camera, otherwise I could have made a lot of memes from their faces.

Xiao Ping suddenly interrupted, "Would it be of any use telling you this?"

While Gao Fan was engaged in a verbal battle with Pei Hengxue and Song Xingkang, Xiao Ping had been observing coldly from the sidelines. With his years of experience, he gradually realized that Gao Fan was not as naive and arrogant as he appeared on the surface.

Gao Fan must have done his homework beforehand. He is very familiar with the situation at Zeyan Institute, and even knows about the "Four Phases and Eight States" concept that Zeyan Institute is discussing but has not yet made public. This clearly shows that he is not an outsider.

Furthermore, Gao Fan's conversation with Pei and Song, while infuriating, was logically sound and not just sophistry. In fact, it was precisely because of his rigorous logic that honest people like Pei Hengxue felt stifled, because every blow he struck was vital.

Since Gao Fan wasn't a reckless fool, every word he said deserved attention. When Pei Hengxue said he had no money, Gao Fan wasn't anxious or angry; instead, he blamed Pei Hengxue for not saying so beforehand, which was quite meaningful.

"The Provincial Economic Commission sent me down here to solve this problem. Deputy Director Pei said there's no money, and that's the problem. Since there's a problem, it's naturally my responsibility to solve it," Gao Fan said.

"Can you get us funding?"

"If you don't want much."

"How much is considered not much?"

"How much do you want?" "One million, is that enough?"

"can."

"able?!"

The three people from Zeyan Institute were stunned. Song Xingkang suddenly lost power, Pei Hengxue's eyes widened, and Xiao Ping tried to remain calm, but Gao Fan clearly saw that the cigarette he was holding trembled and the ash fell onto the desk.

“Assistant Gao, this is no joke.” Xiao Ping stared at Gao Fan and said slowly.

Gao Fan stopped pretending. His earlier act was actually a way to probe the leadership of the Zeyan Institute and see if they had the foundation for cooperation.

From Pei Hengxue's words and actions, Gao Fan could tell that he was a man who wanted to get things done and had a relatively upright character, not the kind of two-faced person. If one were to compare him to Gao Yiping, they would say that he was somewhat similar, except that the Zeyan Institute held a higher position than the Canghai Fertilizer Plant, so he was more arrogant than Gao Yiping.

As for Xiao Ping and Song Xingkang, although they didn't talk much, it was clear that they were on the same side as Pei Hengxue and shared similar values.

In that case, Gao Fan can now offer his own solution.

"It's probably impossible to get the provincial finance department to provide direct funding."

Gao Fan's first words chilled everyone to the bone, but he continued:

"The country is now vigorously promoting the reform of the science and technology system of scientific research institutions. Our Zeyan Institute has technology and is now facing a good opportunity for the large-scale development of rare earths. We can turn the technology in our hands into money."

"When I arrived at the institute just now, I saw many people coming and going in the hallway. According to Director Song, these people are all here to ask the institute to send someone to guide rare earth mining. I would like to ask if the institute charges these people for providing technical support?"

"Of course there's a charge," Song Xingkang quickly replied.

What are the fees?

"It's calculated by time. When we guide the mining operations of a mine, we usually send two people. It takes two or three days at the fastest, and five or six days at the slowest. We charge 30 yuan per person per day. Moreover, we stipulate that travel time must also be included. For example, to get to Gu'nan County from Zeshan, it takes more than half a day just to travel by car, and that all needs to be charged," Song Xingkang said proudly.

"Two people, five or six days, 30 yuan a day, that's about 300 yuan for guiding one mine, right?" Gao Fan asked.

“Some places don’t even need five or six days…” Song Xingkang said hesitantly.

Gao Fan said, "But I've heard that farmers can earn anywhere from 50,000 to 60,000 yuan a year from opening a mine, and as much as 200,000 to 300,000 yuan. You provided the core technology, and you only charged 300 yuan?"

Song Xingkang was taken aback, and subconsciously replied, "That's how they always collect them..."

Xiao Ping sensed something was amiss and said, "Assistant Gao, you might not be fully aware of the situation. Providing technical services to grassroots units is a task mandated by the state, and we cannot charge arbitrary fees. The figure of 30 yuan per person per day was determined after consulting with the provincial company; it's mainly for reimbursing travel allowances for colleagues on business trips."

"In addition, when these comrades go to the grassroots level, their work will be handed over to other comrades. Everyone's workload will increase, so they will also receive some bonuses."

"As for how much income local farmers can earn from mining, that cannot be used as the basis for our fees. They are also using their own resources to generate income, and these resources have nothing to do with us."

(End of this chapter)