That year the flowers bloomed 1981

Chapter 1493 Are funds so easy to swindle?

After Ma Zhaoxian and Li Ye were questioned, the higher authorities did not immediately respond to Cong Jinhong's matter, nor did they say whether they would conduct a strict investigation or downplay the matter.

Li Ye could understand. After all, Jin Hong was a person of a certain rank. Even if the higher-ups really wanted to deal with her, they would have to hold a meeting and go through a process before making a decision.

However, the higher-ups reacted very positively to Shang Bin's report on the "Kamaz project," and the next day they notified Jingnan Group to visit Southwest Heavy Truck a week later to inspect the research and development results of Kamaz.

"What? Southwest Heavy Truck has already produced a prototype? Are you kidding me?"

Li Ye learned from Xiao Zhu that the technical team at Southwest Heavy Truck had achieved a "major breakthrough."

But Li Ye wasn't the kind of "dreamer" who sat in his office all day with newspapers and tea, so how could he possibly believe in such unrealistic achievements?
Li Ye frowned and thought for a moment, then asked Xiao Zhu, "You're a deputy director in the technical department, and they've made such great progress. It's impossible that there wasn't any sign of it. Do you think this is true or false?"

Xiao Zhu said, half-laughing and half-crying, "Deputy General Manager Li, ever since our people withdrew from Southwest Heavy Truck, Gan Zhongjie has been announcing major progress made at Southwest Heavy Truck every week during the meeting."
But he couldn't give a clear explanation of the specific progress, and given the research and development conditions at Southwest Heavy Truck, we all felt it was a "boy who cried wolf" scenario.

"Ha~, this time the wolf really came."

Li Ye chuckled and said, "A week from now, the ministry will be sending a delegation to inspect Southwest Heavy Truck. You and Wu Yan should discuss organizing some capable personnel to accompany them. Let's also see their 'Southwest Speed'."

Because Shenzhen has developed very rapidly in recent years, many people in mainland China like to use "Shenzhen speed" to explain phenomena that are beyond reason. Li Ye thinks that Shang Bin's "satellite" is even more outrageous than Shenzhen speed.

Putting everything else aside, Li Ye has mobilized hundreds of engineers and hundreds of technicians, and they still haven't figured out the three power components of Kamaz! Meanwhile, Southwest Heavy Truck has already produced a prototype?

This is a clear case of overwhelming strength! If Southwest Heavy Truck really had this kind of strength, how could it have fallen into a situation of losing money year after year?

We must learn from experience, and learn from experience in a deep and thorough way.

"Xiao Zhu, remember to bring the camera. Be sure to record the prototype vehicle carefully, analyze it thoroughly, and study it carefully."

"Okay, I'll bring two cameras to shoot from multiple angles."

Li Ye and Xiao Zhu had a good plan, but they didn't expect that the other party would not allow the people from the light vehicle company to enter.

When Li Ye and his group arrived in the southwest with the tour group, it was evening. When arranging their accommodations, they were inadvertently assigned to different floors.

Li Ye didn't mind. After all, the people above him were of different statuses, so it was normal for their accommodations to be different from his own.

But Li Ye only found out the next day that they hadn't been notified at all.

At 8:30 a.m., Li Ye received a call from his assistant, Zhou Ziqing.

"Mr. Li, I just received a call from Southwest Heavy Truck. They said that Shang Bin has taken Mr. Qu to visit the prototype, but they didn't see you there."

"They've already gone to see the prototype?"

Li Ye paused for a moment, then said coldly, "Who called you? What else did they say?"

Zhou Ziqing replied, "He hung up the phone immediately after informing me of the news, probably because he didn't want anyone to know who he was."

Li Ye immediately understood that the person who "told him the news" also disapproved of Shang Bin's actions.

Li Ye took out his mobile phone to call Shang Bin, but the phone was switched off.

"Humph~"

Li Ye snorted coldly, stood up and walked out: "Let's go, Xiao Zhu, let's go and see how they treat guests."

Li Ye and his group rushed to Southwest Heavy Truck, only to be stopped at the entrance.

"I apologize, Deputy General Manager Li, but since the unfriendly incident last time, we have strictly prohibited technical exchanges with external units. This is for the benefit and safety of both of us."

Li Ye looked at the person in front of him with a forced smile and asked calmly, "Who are you? What gives you the right to stop me?"

“I’m nobody special, I’m just an employee of Southwest Heavy Truck. A few months ago, we had a conflict with people from the Light Truck Company, and then our bonuses stopped and our wages started to be delayed. Mr. Li, please have mercy on us.”

"I know who you are!"

Li Ye interrupted the other person, saying with a forced smile, "You're Tao Shangping. We had a good chat during the Spring Festival. Your voice is so distinctive."
I don't know who sent you to stop me here, but let me tell you, your salaries and bonuses have nothing to do with me. Who canceled them, who owes you anything—go find them yourselves, don't pin it on me.

Besides, you have no right to stop me from coming in. If you really don't want us to go in, Shang Bin will have to come and talk to us.

Tao Shangping was surprised that Li Ye recognized him just by his voice, and he felt a little guilty.

On New Year's Eve, he was on duty at the factory when Li Ye called to check up on him. Feeling dissatisfied, he "reversely" checked up on Li Ye in the middle of the night, and the two of them "had a good chat".

But then Tao Shangping straightened his back and said to Li Ye in a stern tone, "I'm sorry, Deputy General Manager Li, no matter who I am, I cannot let you in today."

Before we met you, we could barely make ends meet, but now we're almost starving. We're afraid of you, really afraid of you!

The other employees from Southwest Heavy Truck were also spurred on, shouting at Li Ye, "Last time you sent our brothers to jail, and now you're here with nothing but trouble?" "That's right, you said when you left last time that we'd all go our own way, so what are you doing here now? Trying to steal our technology?"

"you."

This was the first time Li Ye had been left speechless by someone's sharp retort.

After the technical staff from the first factory withdrew last time, everyone did reach a tacit understanding, each taking responsibility for their own research and development, and no one owed anyone anything.

But Li Ye came to visit and learn this time, not for "technical cooperation". When Shang Bin brought engineers to visit the first factory, Li Ye did not stop them from going in!

When the heavy trucks from the first factory roll off the production line, would Li Ye prevent Shang Bin and the others from visiting them?

And what technology can you steal just by glancing at the exterior of a car?

At most, we'll just discover some shady dealings.

Just as Li Ye was confronting Tao Shangping and the others, a clear roar of a diesel engine suddenly came from inside the arena.

Two brand-new heavy trucks, adorned with red cloth, drove out of the factory, presumably heading to the highway outside Southwest Heavy Truck.

"Make way, make way, don't block the prototype test drive."

The workers at the gate bustled about, shoving Li Ye and the others aside.

Li Ye was very angry, but he didn't lash out on the spot.

He noticed that Qu Si was sitting in the passenger seat of the first heavy truck, clearly intending to test drive it himself.

In the passenger seat of the second heavy truck, of course, sat Shang Bin.

Both of them saw Li Ye, but Qu Si looked puzzled while Shang Bin looked smug.

The two heavy trucks drove away quickly, while Tao Shangping and the others at the factory gate looked at Li Ye with the same contempt and smugness.

However, the technician next to Li Ye immediately whispered, "Factory manager, the sound of these two engines sounds like they come from Weixian County, Dongshan!"

"When the two cars accelerated just now, the gear shifting sounded like an eight-speed transmission from Shanghai."

"I can't tell the exact axle from the sound, but judging from the rear outline, it's the axle used by Dongshan Jicheng Heavy Truck."

The No. 1 factory has ample R&D funding, so it buys several of the most mainstream heavy trucks in the country to "learn their essence." At this moment, the technicians only need to take a quick look to immediately see the trick and discover the secret.

Li Ye exclaimed in surprise, "So you managed to cobble together two prototype cars from various sources!"

Xiao Zhu pursed her lips and said somewhat conservatively, "Then we have to catch up and see."

"Get in the car, let's give chase!"

Li Ye and the others immediately got into their car and chased after the two heavy trucks.

When a car chases a heavy truck, it's like a rabbit chasing a tortoise; the car catches up with the truck in no time and follows closely behind.

Heavy trucks are not like compact cars; each component is a large piece. After Li Ye and his team followed for a while, several technicians were able to get a closer look from behind.

"Factory manager, you seem to be overestimating them. These trucks aren't cobbled together; they're just Sinotruk chassis with a new cab. Even the cab looks like an old Southwest Sinotruk cab with a new look."

"No wonder they wouldn't let us in! This is obviously fake!"

Li Ye finally understood why Shang Bin was able to produce a prototype so quickly.

This is just like some trendy products from decades later—simple, crude, and simply manufactured with labels!
Xiao Zhu suddenly said, "We should have thought of this a long time ago. Southwest Heavy Truck has been cheating people out of funding for so many years."

Li Ye smiled.

"Is funding really that easy to swindle?"

Those who hold the funds are not so easily fooled. If you succeed in deceiving them, they will simply turn a blind eye.

"Stop looking, let's go back."

"Back to Southwest Heavy Truck or back to the hostel?"

"Since they don't welcome us back in the capital, we'll just stay out of it."

Li Ye never wanted to get involved with someone like Shang Bin who was a fraudster. Now that he had found out the truth, why should he get in the way?

(End of this chapter)