Sail across the sea

Chapter 427 Sweeping Out
"Don't leave this matter to Maohua."

After noting down the insights he gained from his conversation with Gao Fan, Zheng Linong put down his pencil and said solemnly.

Maohua, naturally, refers to Maolin Fertilizer Company, which is Gao Yiping's territory.

Previously, Gao Fan had said that he hoped to build a rare earth refinery in Maolin and have Maohua invest in it and become its largest shareholder.

Gao Fan believed that the rare earth refinery could be highly profitable, a lucrative project with virtually no risk. By placing the project under Maoming Petrochemical, he essentially created a political achievement for Gao Yiping, thus securing Gao Yiping's position as general manager of Maoming Petrochemical and preventing him from being taken over by others during future institutional reforms.

But now, Zheng Linong seriously told Gao Fan not to let Maohua get involved in this matter, which puzzled Gao Fan.

"why?"

If you don't understand, you should ask until you understand. Gao Fan didn't need to pretend in front of Zheng Linong. Besides, Zheng Linong bringing this up in front of him clearly meant he didn't intend to hide it from him.

Zheng Linong pointed at Gao Fan and said, "You can handle this yourself. Just use your Canghua Science and Trade brand."

"Are you worried that the bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against you?" Gao Fan guessed.

“The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it,” Zheng Linong said. “Your plan will involve some sensitive international relations issues. If a state-owned enterprise were to do this, it would easily give others ammunition to criticize us. If the other party were to escalate a normal trade issue to the diplomatic level, we would be in a rather passive position.”

Gao Fan nodded, indicating his agreement with Zheng Linong's point of view.

It's not uncommon for friendly nations to be surprised in this era. It's not that this generation is inherently weak; it's just that the country is too poor and technologically inferior in many aspects, so it has no choice but to depend on others.

For example, China's fertilizer industry was not yet developed at that time. According to records, between 1982 and 1987, China imported a total of 24 million tons of urea from abroad, averaging 4 million tons per year, equivalent to the production capacity of 100 renovated Canghai Fertilizer Plants.

If a serious conflict were to erupt between China and Western countries at this time, and the Western countries were to cut off urea supplies to China, then China's domestic agricultural production would be severely affected. This is a major issue directly related to whether 10 billion people can have enough to eat; who could remain indifferent?
When people talk about "bottleneck" technology in later generations, they are referring to high-performance computing chips, aero engines, and effective drugs for certain rare diseases. These bottlenecks are actually quite distant from the daily lives of ordinary people. The impact of these bottlenecks on scientific research and military industries takes a very long time to translate into everyday life.

However, in the 1980s, China faced bottlenecks in basic production materials such as steel and urea. Once these products were blocked, the people would immediately feel the pressure; at the very least, prices would inevitably rise by one or two times.

In this context, "maintaining a favorable international environment" is not just a slogan, but a guiding principle that officials must always keep in mind.

Gao Fan just mentioned his plans for rare earth refining to Zheng Linong, implying that he intended to go head-to-head with foreign manufacturers. If a state-owned enterprise like Maoming Petrochemical were to undertake such a project, it would easily attract criticism—this is the meaning of "the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows."

“Another point is that your plan involves taking a risky path to success. With the technological capabilities of a developing country like ours, challenging the entire production system of established developed countries like Europe, America, and Japan is unimaginably difficult. To accomplish this task, those responsible need an extremely firm will, something that a company like Maoming Chemical lacks,” Zheng Linong continued. Gao Fan asked, “Does Minister Zheng mean that my father lacks a firm will?”

Zheng Linong said, "I'm not sure if your father has a strong will. But have you considered what if your father is replaced? Would his successor be able to carry on this project?"

"I understand!"

Gao Fan nodded heavily.

Maohua belongs to the state, not Gao Yiping's personal property. If the province, under pressure from certain quarters, removes Gao Yiping and installs a leader who is pro-Japanese, pro-European, or pro-American, then Gao Fan's carefully laid plans will collapse, and the technology he painstakingly developed might be given away to foreign manufacturers for nothing.

“But…” Gao Fan thought of something else, “Minister Zheng, Canghua Science and Trade is, in principle, a state-owned enterprise. Canghai Fertilizer Plant owns 60% of our shares, giving us absolute control. If one day the province changes the director of Canghai Fertilizer Plant, and I am no longer the son of the director, then being kicked out of Canghua Science and Trade is inevitable. How can this problem be solved?”

"What are your thoughts?" Zheng Linong asked Gao Fan with a smile.

Gao Fan shook his head: "I have no idea."

"Have you never thought about breaking away from Canghai Fertilizer Plant and going it alone?" Zheng Linong prompted.

"Go it alone?" Gao Fan was taken aback. "I really hadn't thought about it. Canghua Science and Trade was originally a labor service company for the fertilizer plant. How could we possibly break away from the fertilizer plant and go it alone?"

Gao Fan wasn't lying when he said that. As a time traveler, Gao Fan was no stranger to private enterprises. In fact, Xinglong Coatings Company, which he co-founded with Chen Xingquan, was a private enterprise.

But subconsciously, he never really considered turning Canghua Science and Trade into a private enterprise. He didn't have much desire to make money personally. The dividends from Xinglong Coatings Company were enough for his whole family to live a life of luxury. He had even prepared the dowry for his own wedding and the dowry for his sister's marriage. Why should he worry about making money?

He started Canghua Science and Trade purely to create a platform and do things he wanted to do. He thought it was good to have Canghua Science and Trade under the fertilizer plant's name, with his father protecting him, making things extremely convenient for him.

But Zheng Linong's reminder made him realize that the risk of being ousted from his position had always been hanging over him. After all, his own father was also someone else's breadwinner, and a simple transfer order from the provincial government could get rid of Gao Yiping, and Gao Fan would have to go with him.

Gao Fan may not care about the position of company manager, but if he loses this position, can he still continue doing what he wants to do?
"Central leaders pointed out that the pace of reform should be accelerated. We should encourage capable private enterprises to develop, give full play to their advantages of flexible mechanisms, and enable them to participate in international competition."

“Xiao Gao, you’re quick-witted and have good technical skills. I think you’re fully capable of standing on your own, getting rid of all those bosses, and boldly doing what you want to do,” Zheng Linong said earnestly.

(End of this chapter)