Sail across the sea

Chapter 428 is still undecided.

At the same time, in a private room at Rui Zhang's rather upscale restaurant, Xu Ying and Gao Yiping were also discussing this topic.

Inspired by Gao Fan, Gao Yiping decided to speak with Xu Ying privately to find out about the Chemical Industry Bureau's plans for the fertilizer company. Since this was not something to be discussed openly, Gao Yiping chose a restaurant as the venue, ostensibly to "invite Director Xu to a casual meal."

Gao Yiping and Xu Ying have known each other for many years. Besides their working relationship, they also have a good personal relationship and have eaten together countless times. Of course, these meals refer to official business meals, the kind with many people present.

Provincial leaders may seem unapproachable, but their will ultimately needs to be implemented through the companies below them. Therefore, provincial leaders and the heads of these companies generally maintain good relationships.

There aren't many enterprises directly under the Chemical Industry Department; most of the enterprises within the system belong to the city or county levels. For example, the former Canghai Fertilizer Plant was an enterprise of Cangtang County. The Chemical Industry Department only had a business guidance relationship with the Canghai Fertilizer Plant. The position of factory director, Gao Yiping, was managed by the county and had nothing to do with the Chemical Industry Department.

Theoretically speaking, Gao Yiping doesn't even need to consider the attitude of the Chemical Industry Bureau. On the contrary, if Xu Ying, the deputy director, wants to get something done, she has to politely ask Gao Yiping for his cooperation.

Xu Ying, a former business cadre, was the most highly educated among the leaders of the Chemical Industry Bureau. Gao Yiping, also a university graduate, was among the most highly educated leaders of the fertilizer plant in the province, many of whom had started as workers.

Perhaps for this reason, Xu Ying and Gao Yiping had a mutual respect. Whenever the Chemical Industry Department held meetings and dinners, Xu Ying would toast at each table, and she would stay at Gao Yiping's table longer than at the other tables.

Incidentally, Gao Yiping once mentioned this matter at home, intending to show off his relationship with the provincial leaders, but he was met with sarcastic comments from Ran Yuying, which frightened him so much that he never dared to mention it again.

Since his son suddenly "got it," Gao Yiping has achieved remarkable political success. Furthermore, because Canghai Fertilizer Plant became a national pilot enterprise for ammonium-to-urine conversion, he was promoted from a section-level cadre in the county to a division-level cadre, showing a trend of becoming equal to Xu Yingping.

With his changed status, his confidence naturally grew. In the past, Gao Yiping would have found it inconvenient to invite Xu Ying to dinner alone, but now he felt there was nothing wrong with this arrangement. Firstly, the two had a prior personal relationship, and secondly, his rank was high enough. A company general manager at the level of a division chief inviting a deputy director-general to dinner could be considered a small gathering of colleagues, right?

"Old Gao, what are you up to? Do we need to be so polite between us?"

Xu Ying arrived at the invitation and commented with a smile as she entered the private room of the restaurant.

“Director Xu, we’ve known each other for 20 years, haven’t we? Over the years, Director Xu has always been very caring and supportive of me, especially in recent years. My son, Xiao Fan, has been working under Director Xu’s leadership and has received his guidance and support. For both public and private reasons, I should treat Director Xu to a simple meal to express my gratitude.”

As Gao Yiping gestured for Xu Ying to sit down, he spoke the usual platitudes for such occasions.

Even when only two people are dining, there is still a hierarchy in seating arrangements. Gao Yiping invited Xu Ying to sit at the head of the table, but Xu Ying moved her seat slightly to avoid the head seat, so that there was no obvious difference in status between her and Gao Yiping.

This detail reflects Xu Ying's understanding of their relationship: they are superior and subordinate at work, but equal friends in private.

Gao Yiping wasn't being coy; Xu Ying's action was actually within his expectations. If Xu Ying really did sit at the head of the table with such an air of superiority, leaving Gao Yiping at the foot, then there would be no point in eating this meal. If he needed to report on his work, wouldn't it be better to go to Xu Ying's office tomorrow?

Gao Yiping ordered only four dishes and a soup, two meat and two vegetable dishes—no particularly expensive delicacies, just the standard for a casual get-together with friends. They chose Si Te liquor, but it was agreed beforehand that it would only be a few drinks, and any leftovers would be taken home. The food and drinks arrived quickly. The two chatted casually about everyday things, enjoying their food and drinks in a very relaxed atmosphere. After a few rounds of drinks, Gao Yiping steered the conversation to more serious matters.

"Director Xu, I heard that the provinces of Nanqing, Xinye, and Muyang have all abolished their chemical industry bureaus. What will happen to Maolin?" Gao Yiping asked.

Xu Ying said, "Old Gao, you're very well-informed. Abolishing business departments and bureaus and replacing them with industry associations or industrial companies is the general trend now. The Provincial Economic Commission has already spoken with many departments and bureaus, and our Chemical Industry Department is no exception."

"So, will the Chemical Industry Bureau be transformed into an industry association or an industrial company?"

"This is the one thing that's still undecided."

"how to say?"

"If it's changed to an industry association, it'll basically become an empty shell. They say they can coordinate the industry, but who's going to listen to their coordination? The Chemical Industry Bureau is still a first-level administrative department, but its influence has waned in recent years. The companies below are only superficially compliant with the bureau's demands, and there's not much we can do about it. If it becomes an industry association, who will care about us?"

"So, the department's inclination is to transform it into an industrial company?"

"The difficulty in transforming it into an industrial company lies in the fact that a company needs to be operational and profitable. In the past, the Chemical Industry Bureau only knew how to spend money, not how to make it. Now, asking these people in the bureau to make money is practically killing them!"

"..."

Gao Yiping remained silent.

Xu Ying really didn't treat him like an outsider; she could even bring up such a family scandal to his face.

Associations are social organizations that rely on government funding for survival, guaranteeing them income regardless of economic conditions, but they have no real power, essentially functioning as institutions that just coast along. Industrial companies, on the other hand, have power and benefits, but they are also responsible. If they mismanage and incur losses, forget about any benefits; they might not even be able to pay salaries.

For the officials in the Chemical Industry Bureau, the best option was, of course, to maintain the status quo. Retaining the power of the industry's governing body without having to worry about making money—that was the ultimate goal of being an official.

However, the government won't tolerate your bad habits. You don't want to work, but you expect the government to support you? There's no such thing as a free lunch. The government's reforms are meant to push officials out of their comfort zones, forcing them to either make money themselves or sit on the sidelines.

Deep down, everyone understands another point: sitting on the sidelines for too long is unsustainable. Giving you a while now is just a way to calm emotions and prevent overly aggressive policies from causing chaos. What will you do then, after two or three years when everyone has forgotten about you and the government removes you from the bench?

(End of this chapter)