Traveling through the sword to engage in military industry.

"Chairman of Dongda International Agricultural Cooperation and Development Co., Ltd.? Brother Ren, do you want me to go farming?" When Ding Wei heard Ren Zhong's request, even though he had a strong mental state, he was so shocked by Ren Zhong's proposal that his eyes almost popped out.

He was a general leading troops, and at least he was leading one of the most capable main forces in the country. But in Ren Zhong's eyes, he didn't even need to lead his own soldiers and should just go and repair the earth.

If Ding Wei had not known Ren Zhong for more than ten years and knew that Ren Zhong always did things with foresight and would never joke about serious matters, if it were someone else, he might have been furious.

"Old Ding, don't be impatient. Take a look at this plan first." Ren Zhong handed over his plan.

Ding Wei took the plan from Ren Zhong, and although he was puzzled, his years of comradeship and trust in Ren Zhong's ability made him quickly adjust his mindset and read it carefully. As the pages unfolded, his eyes gradually changed from doubt to solemnity, and then to thoughtfulness.

"Well... this is not as simple as farming." Ding Wei put down the plan and looked up at Ren Zhong, his eyes flashing with new understanding. "Are you planning to combine modern agricultural technology, international cooperation and our strategic vision to create a world-leading agricultural cooperation platform? This is a big deal!"

Ren Zhong smiled and nodded, "That's right, Lao Ding. You see, with the global population growth and pressure on resources and the environment, the sustainable development of agriculture has become a consensus of the international community. And we have advanced agricultural technology, rich management experience and a strong international cooperation network. Why can't we make a career in this field? What's more, agriculture is the foundation of the country. No matter how the times change, its importance will not change."

Ding Wei pondered for a moment, then a gleam of light flashed in his eyes: "Well said! Although I, Ding Wei, am a commander, I also understand the principle of 'food and grass must be sent before troops move'. If we can succeed in this field, we can not only contribute to national food security, but also demonstrate our strength and wisdom on the international stage."

He patted Ren Zhong on the shoulder and continued, "Brother Ren, I fully support your plan! However, we have to plan carefully how to turn this grand blueprint into reality. I have to think about how to bring in our elite soldiers who are good at strategic planning and organizational management to do this big thing together!"

Ren Zhong heard this, and a trace of relief and expectation flashed in his eyes: "I know that you, Old Ding, are never a person who sticks to conventions. With you joining us, the future of our Dongda International Agricultural Cooperation Development Co., Ltd. will be limitless!"

"Brother Ren, I didn't expect you to be so capable. You managed to convince Ding Wei to farm overseas," said Staff Officer Ye with some emotion. "Ding Wei is going to take off his military uniform to do this. Facing such a big turning point in his life, he is able to let go. This is really worthy of our admiration."

"Colonel Ye, thank you very much. This matter is of great importance. I would not feel at ease without a capable and well-rounded commander in charge."

"Staff Officer Ye, you are too kind," Ren Zhong responded modestly, but his eyes could not hide his recognition and gratitude for Ding Wei. "Old Ding's decision was indeed beyond my expectations, but it was this courage and determination that made me full of confidence in this overseas agricultural cooperation project. He not only put down his familiar military uniform, but also stepped into a brand new field with a sense of responsibility for the future of the country and the nation."

"To be honest, although agriculture was not his main battlefield before, in my opinion, whether it is leading troops in battle or business management, the core is the organization and coordination of people and the rational allocation of resources. General Ding Wei has outstanding talents and rich experience in this regard. I believe he can quickly adapt to and lead this new team."

Staff Officer Ye nodded and agreed, "Yes, Lao Ding's courage and determination are indeed admirable. And the fact that he chose to stay and fully cooperate with you in realizing your plan is enough to show his trust in you and your ability. One of you is far-sighted, and the other is swift and resolute. Such a combination is really exciting."

"As for 'supernatural powers', you are really flattering me." Ren Zhong smiled and shook his head, "It's just that I did more preparatory work, went to more international agricultural forums, and visited more agricultural experts, and then I gradually found this path of cooperation. The real challenge is still ahead, and we need to move forward step by step and steadily."

"Yes, there is still a long way to go," said Staff Officer Ye earnestly, "but I believe that with outstanding talents like you, no matter what difficulties and challenges we face, we can find solutions and realize this grand plan."

The two smiled at each other, their eyes filled with expectations and determination for the future.

Once the upper level reaches a consensus, the operations below will be much simpler and faster.

Agricultural experts, translators, business representatives, technicians, farm workers, middle-level managers... a team of thousands of people was quickly set up.

Ding Wei has managed thousands of troops before, so it is not difficult for him to manage these few thousand people. In terms of business, there is naturally a vice president who is proficient in international cooperation to support him.

According to the finalized plan, we first started cooperation with our neighboring countries. As the conditions were suitable, after a brief negotiation, all the neighboring countries signed cooperation agreements to carry out cooperation on hybrid high-yield demonstration farmland. The first batch of agreements signed included 5 million mu of contiguous farmland in 5 countries, most of which were rice and a small part were wheat.

After signing the agreement, Ding Wei took his team straight to the fields.

The first stop is Sawadee Kah.

The first place that Ding Wei and his team worked with was Pamei Village. After getting off the car, all they could see were terraced fields. The fields had been plowed and ready for cultivation. In the distance, traditional Thai wooden houses were scattered among the green trees, and the colorful roofs sparkled with a unique light in the sun. The small river beside the village gurgled, and the clear river water reflected the blue sky and white clouds and the swaying coconut trees on the shore.

"Mr. Ding, this is Pamei Village where we are developing hybrid rice cooperation. It has a population of more than 3 and a total arable land area of ​​more than acres of paddy fields. This time we have set aside more than acres for demonstration," said Mr. Supa, a local agricultural official accompanying us.

"Before hybrid rice was planted, the local area had two crops a year, and the total yield per mu was about 300 kilograms."

After listening to Mr. Supa's introduction, Ding Wei nodded. It seemed that life in this village was pretty good. Each person had more than 4 mu of land, and the grain output exceeded 1000 kilograms. There would be at least several hundred kilograms of surplus in a year. In comparison, most rural areas in Dongda could not reach this level.

"I heard that hybrid rice can help everyone produce more than 500 kilograms per mu, so most people in the village are very supportive of changing the crop."

After listening to Mr. Supa's words from the translator, Ding Wei heard the hidden meaning.

"Mr. Supa, does that mean there are still people who are against planting hybrid rice?" Ding Wei asked. There are more than 3,000 acres of demonstration land among the more than 5,000 acres of paddy fields, so it seems that there are quite a few people who are against it. "Yes, to be honest, some people have a period of acceptance for new things, and this is not surprising." Mr. Supa said without hesitation.

In fact, the situation was worse than this, but Mr. Supa was embarrassed to say it.

After listening to this, although Ding Wei's face did not change at all, he was actually a little nervous deep down.

This first shot may be a bit difficult.

"Mr. Supa, Mr. Supa, I've thought about it and decided to just plant traditional rice on our 15 acres of land. If the new hybrid rice doesn't work, who will take care of the food for our family of four?" Sure enough, as they entered the village, a middle-aged man in his forties with a dark complexion grabbed Supa.

Although Ding Wei could not understand their gibberish in the local dialect, the portable translator quickly whispered the general meaning to Ding Wei.

Sure enough, things happened.

Ding Wei frowned slightly, then showed a gentle and understanding expression. After asking the middle-aged man's name through the translator, he said to him, "Mr. Bodin, I understand your concerns. Food is the foundation of life, especially the dependence on traditional crops. This is completely understandable. However, let me and Mr. Supa explain the situation of hybrid rice to you, which may help you eliminate some of your concerns."

Villager Bo Ding nodded and motioned Ding Wei to continue. Ding Wei continued, "Hybrid rice is a high-yield crop that has been scientifically selected and bred. Its yield is usually much higher than that of traditional rice, which means that you can harvest more food on the same land. This is actually a great guarantee for the food security of your family."

"Of course, we understand that the promotion of any new technology requires time and trust. To this end, our team has been planting in test fields here for many years. Data proves that hybrid rice is not only high-yielding, but also highly adaptable and resistant to pests and diseases. In addition, we will provide full technical support and guidance to ensure that every farmer can successfully plant."

Ding Wei paused, observing the changes in the middle-aged man's expression. Seeing that he seemed to be thinking about something, he continued, "Also, considering your possible risk concerns, we can adopt a phased promotion approach. For example, this year you can try to plant a part of the land as a test to see the actual effect. If you are satisfied, it will not be too late to expand the planting area next year. This way, it will not affect your current food supply, and it will give you a chance to experience and judge for yourself."

After hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes sparkled with hope. He turned to look at Mr. Supa, as if seeking his advice. Mr. Supa smiled and nodded, and said a few words of comfort in the local dialect. Then he said to Ding Wei: "Mr. Ding, your proposal is very pertinent. The villagers will seriously consider it. Indeed, if hybrid rice is really as you said, it will be a great help to the future development of the village."

Ding Wei responded with a smile: "I am very happy to hear your feedback, Mr. Bodin. We look forward to working with you and the villagers to jointly promote the development of agriculture so that every piece of land can produce more hope and harvest."

They met many villagers along the way. Some of them said hello to Supa and left, but five or six of them, like the first person, asked to withdraw from the hybrid rice demonstration field.

Ding Wei simply listened to the numbers reported by his portable translator and summarized them. The owners of the nearly 100 acres of land he met along the way did not agree to grow hybrid rice.

In this way, we walked all the way to the village chief's house.

"Village Chief Badiva, I have brought a distinguished guest to your home. This is Mr. Ding Wei, the distinguished guest from Dongda." Mr. Supa said with a smile to a white-haired old man. The old man was not tall, about 1.6 meters, and his body was dark from being exposed to the sun for a long time.

"Welcome, Mr. Ding." Badiva looked at Ding Wei and his party and welcomed Ding Wei solemnly with local etiquette. The two sides exchanged greetings for a while before entering Badiva's house.

We sat down in their yard and started talking about business.

After a brief discussion, the situation was indeed different from the initial one. Now the owners of more than 1,000 acres of land requested to withdraw from the demonstration. The remaining 2,000 or so were die-hard supporters who were retained by the village chief of Badiva.

It’s just that people really have no confidence in hybrid rice.

"Mr. Badiva, today I want to make a statement to you in front of Mr. Supa. If you cultivate and apply fertilizers according to the requirements of our technicians, and in the absence of natural disasters, the final grain output is lower than your output last year, we will compensate for the shortfall at double the standard." Ding Wei knew that if he couldn't stabilize these people, there would probably be many people with weak wills in the future planting process, so he gave them a reassurance!
Sure enough, when these words came out, Badiva was shocked after hearing the translated words, "Mr. Ding, can you ensure that you can fulfill what you said?" Badiva asked.

After all, he was also under a lot of pressure from the villagers. If Ding Wei could guarantee a bottom line, his job would be much easier.

"I am sure that this clause can be included in all the hybrid rice cooperative demonstration sites that we help your country with," Ding Wei said in a firm tone.

"I am very confident in our hybrid rice. In fact, the yield of 300 kg or 400 kg per mu is a conservative figure. After you harvest the first season, you will know that this is a brand new variety, which is completely beyond common sense. At Dongda, we have achieved more than million mu of rice planted with hybrid rice, and we will switch to a full crop in the next few years."

"Okay, since Mr. Ding is so confident, I will do my best to persuade all our villagers to participate in this hybrid rice demonstration field project."

After inspecting the demonstration site in Sawadika, Ding Wei felt that although it was not as ideal as he had imagined, the foundation was still there. In particular, the farmers here were relatively hardworking. They had completed the tillage of the fields early and turned last year's rice straw and other organic matter into the mud. After more than half a year of fermentation, most of it turned into gas and ran away, and the rotten part became fertilizer, which was much better than the average land.

So after planting in May, under the hands-on instruction of the technicians who stayed here, they transplanted the rice seedlings according to the standard seedling spacing, and then applied the first topdressing, and everything went smoothly. (End of this chapter)