1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 176: Internal Devouring
A group of people gathered there, with Lei Hao and Li Bo as the core, walking around the fields, discussing how to build this high-quality orchard, what standards should be used for each detail, and what technical features of the facilities should be equipped.

As the deputy director of the special group, Yang Mo, who had little chance to speak and was not willing to do so, had some free time. So he simply found a ridge to sit down and watched with a smile as the group of people walked on the soft sandy ground, one step deep and one step shallow.

"Master, can I ask you a question?"

The little tail that had been following behind like a mute these days suddenly spoke.

Yang Mo glanced at the notebook in Bai Mengmeng's hand, which finally had a few pages of notes, and smiled: "Oh? Have you thought it through?"

This master and disciple are currently in an "informal relationship". Bai Mengmeng may not really be willing to regard Yang Mo as a master, and Yang Mo may not really want to accept such a seemingly lovely little disciple.

In short, Bai Mengmeng is still in the probation period. According to the agreement, during the two-month probation period, she only has three opportunities to actively ask Yang Mo questions, so Yang Mo asked this question.

Bai Mengmeng tilted his head and thought about it, then finally blinked his eyes and said, "Well, I've thought about it."

Yang Mo nodded: "Okay, if you have any questions, just ask."

Bai Mengmeng looked around and found that there were no people within ten meters, so he sat down on the ridge next to Yang Mo: "Master, I want to ask you, you should be very clear about the current environment, but why did you invest so much money and launch such a series of projects?"

This doubt actually originated from Lei Hao’s previous reminder.

Today's economic environment can be described in five words: "ice and fire".

Everyone can see clearly the late spring cold snap in the country, and to make matters worse, the foreign trade that was originally expected to have high hopes has become bleak because of America's statement.

Therefore, Bai Mengmeng found it very difficult to understand why his master would, under such circumstances, spare no expense in investing in and building a series of projects including high-quality orchards, concentrated juice processing plants, juice cold chain storage centers, etc. in more than ten villages, and was confident that he could find sales channels.

Hearing this, Yang Mo just smiled and said, "Because you haven't looked into the problem deeply enough, this action may not be as strict as you think, and America's attitude may not be as resolute as you think... Including Europe, Japan and South Korea, the younger brothers also have their own thoughts."

As he spoke, Yang Mo suddenly asked back, "America's words were released on June 6 this year. Now it is already the beginning of August. There has been a full two months in between. Logically, there should be reactions. But the problem is... Whether it is the South Korean beer project or the series of cooperation projects that Director Mu is negotiating with the island country, do you see any signs of stopping?"

Bai Mengmeng was stunned for a moment, and then she realized that the force of this action seemed not as great as she thought.

In fact, the fact that the Rabbit was able to withstand the big stick in 1989 was certainly directly related to its superb maneuvering skills, but the fact that the attitude of Western countries including America was not firm enough was also a factor that cannot be ignored.

The simplest question is: America had already made the statement in 1989, but it was not until 1990 that China really encountered export difficulties. Not only did it recover quickly in 1991, but it even achieved comprehensive development in 1992. In that year and a little more, the export projects that were really affected were mainly some light industrial projects and processing-on-commissioned materials projects that were originally led by the government. If you are studying political economy, you should understand the trick.

"Why is this happening?" Bai Mengmeng was puzzled.

Yang Mo shrugged: "Because the direct trigger was a position issue. As the boss of the Western world, America had to express its position; but slogans are slogans, business is business... The West is a small government society, and many things cannot be viewed from the perspective of our country."

As he said this, he smiled self-deprecatingly: "After all, we are a country with a population of 12 billion. Even if the economic foundation is a bit weak, the spending power of the 10 billion consumers is a bit horrible, and the efficiency of the workers has not been improved for the time being, so the manufacturing cost has not been reduced. But no matter what, it is still a big market with promising prospects, right?"

"Haven't you noticed that even though the Imperial Capital Jeep Project has not achieved any outstanding results over the years, and quality control and costs have not been improved, AMC's new president, Jose Deadwood, still sends people to the Imperial Capital at every turn, and even invited representatives from our country to Las Vegas last month to hold a grand signing ceremony?"

He spread his hands in summary: "Companies in Western countries have not had an easy time in recent years. They cannot lose the Chinese market, just like the West cannot lose Jerusalem... So, for some things, you can't just look at what they say on the surface, you have to look at how they do it!"

As a reborn person, Yang Mo's words are very realistic. As the first and largest cooperation project between China and the United States after the reform and opening up, the case of Didu Jeep is very representative... Companies with the same attitude as AMC are not just one or two, but the majority.

So what's quite funny is that, clearly it was America that wielded this big stick, but under some well-known rules, their resolution of "banning high-level visits" became a piece of waste paper in less than half a year. In the next two years, America's direct investment agreements in China increased by 78.4% and 85.7% respectively, with actual investment reaching US$41.9 billion, the highest among Western countries, which directly promoted the third wave of foreign investment in China after the reform and opening up.

But it is obvious that as a little girl, Bai Mengmeng's sensitivity in this regard is not as high as that of other children from the big courtyards, and she is even more incomparable with Yang Mo, a veteran who was reborn.

At the moment, he could only frown and say, "Master, I don't quite understand... Moreover, even if the attitude of Europe and the United States is not very firm, why don't the island countries and South Korea make any statement... Everyone knows that these two countries are not the same."

Bai Mengmeng's question was superficial but also very representative. The fact that Miss Mu's craft beer project could be rolled out so smoothly in South Korea at this time really surprised countless people.

But in fact, this problem is not difficult to understand at all.

Looking at this apprentice who had spent ten years in Tongren compound in vain, Yang Mo sighed with some exhaustion: "Because South Korea is now transferring America's manufacturing industry, and the major chaebols and enterprises in America are participating and leading this action... It just so happens that South Korea's current chaebols are in a state of chaos during the Spring and Autumn Period, not a state of separatism during the Warring States Period. There are even more than fifty of them, so they are the terminal carriers that truly reflect America's actual demands."

As he spoke, Yang Mo impatiently touched a cigarette and lit it: "Since last year, that is, in 1988, South Korea has changed its charter. The president has changed his term to five years and cannot be re-elected... If you are not so stupid, you should understand what this means to the chaebols in their country... If you still can't understand why South Korea doesn't block Director Mu's beer export project, you might as well take a bus back to Guizhou!"

Looking at the white cloud in the sky that looked like a crab claw, Bai Mengmeng's face looked extremely bitter.

Brother, you are talking about this and that all the time. I am not studying international relations, so how can I understand the connection between them all at once?

But she also knew that some things could not be said too clearly, so she could only quickly write down what Yang Mo had just said in her notebook, and then blinked her eyes: "What about the island country? The American chaebol is over there, so what they say may not be so effective, right?"

"And from what you said, Master, since this V-shaped fruit tree planting borrows the planting technology from the island country, and the orchard is built according to the standards of the island country, these peaches should be mainly exported to the island country."

"So here comes the question. It is impossible for the island country to openly violate the official decision of America, and the words of the American chaebol are not so effective there... Even if you plan to export these peaches to South Korea in the future, I can understand it, but why did you target the island country market from the beginning? And you seem very confident, Master?"

Yang Mo flicked the ash from his cigarette and glanced at Bai Mengmeng.

Just like a student in college who wants to redeem himself in the teacher's mind by using his cleverness after class, the thoughts of this little apprentice naturally cannot be hidden from this old fox who has experienced two lives.

He said calmly, "The fact that you can ask such a question only shows that you have not figured out the logic of the whole incident from the beginning; it also shows that you have no clear understanding of the nature of relations between countries... Haha, I really don't know how you managed to stay in the Tongren compound for those few years."

After giving the young disciple a mild blow, Yang Mo threw away the cigarette butt and said, "To be my disciple, you must learn to think proactively, so I will give you a few clues, and you can figure out the rest yourself."

“First, regarding the sanctions that were loud but not very effective, the most obvious way out is the island countries;”

"Secondly, the GDP of the island nation is nearly 7% of that of America. First there was the Plaza Accord, and then there was the semi-official book 'Island Nations Can Say No' which was popular in their own country, so some of their demands are very obvious... Of course, this book was newly published this year, and the translated version is not available in China, but you can go to your Uncle Chen Feiyu, he can tell you the general content of the book."

"Third, due to historical reasons, the island nation's officials naturally cannot help but follow America's official baton... But listen carefully, this is only limited to the official side. As for how the people play, they have no control over it."

"Fourth, I suggest you learn about the [Nakashima Friendship Parliamentarians' Alliance], especially its chairman, Ito Masayoshi... I don't like the island country, but objectively speaking, there are still many civilians and entrepreneurs there who are willing to contribute their own efforts to atone for historical sins."

"Fifth, the island nation is a country with extremely scarce resources. Whether it is industrial resources or agricultural products, they all rely on foreign imports. This is an objective fact that even America cannot deny. Therefore, as long as we avoid too much official color and change the nature of the imported trade of products from [official trade replacement] to [market demand], many actions can be justified... Of course, America is not so easy to fool, so whether these products can meet the market demand of a country with a per capita GDP of more than 3 US dollars is a very important prerequisite!"

"Sixth, we are an oil company, and we are the Qilu Oil Company that is currently fulfilling the China-Japan Long-term Oil Trade Agreement... Please refer to the resource poverty of the island country and the importance of oil in modern society."

After talking about the six most important nodes in one breath, Yang Mo stopped talking: "Number seven... Forget it, what I just said is enough, you go back and sort it out today, and write a deduction report tomorrow, which will be counted as an exam!"

There are many reasons for choosing the island country as the first export market, but there is no need to say them all at once. If these six clues cannot help Bai Mengmeng figure out the logic, then this little apprentice can really pack up and leave immediately.

Bai Mengmeng was about to cry. Although Yang Mo said so much, she roughly understood why such a high-quality Taoyuan project was launched for the export of the island country, but it was obvious that the deduction report that Yang Mo needed her to submit was definitely not something that could be handed over by repeating and connecting his words. Now, she finally believed what Uncle Zhang said, that this master was definitely more valuable than she thought;
But she never expected that the first test from her new master would be such a big topic and involve such complicated logical reasoning... Even if she was a fool, she knew that the variable factors in trade relations between countries were far from as simple as outsiders thought!

With a sad face, Bai Mengmeng thought that he would die on both sides and asked, "Then, then Master, I have another question..."

"If you are only targeting the island market, there are many export projects available in Qilu. Even for commercial peaches, there are countless alternative options... Why would you invest in a high-quality orchard that costs a lot upfront and may take at least three years to bear fruit, instead of directly selecting commercial fruits from other regions?"

"As far as I know, there are many places in Qilu where peaches are grown. Although some varieties and regions of peaches are very popular now, there are many more areas where the peaches are unsalable... As long as you have connections, it is not difficult to buy first-class peaches with very good appearance and quality at a low price. Why don't you take the ready-made fruit source instead of going through all the trouble to do this?... Is it really just to seek benefits for your relatives?"

At this point, Bai Mengmeng looked at Yang Mo cautiously: "But Master, I have also been to the countryside, and I stay there for one or two months every year... To be honest, based on my experience, among these so-called relatives in the village, it is good enough if two or three out of ten are reliable. Even if the atmosphere in your Qilu area may be better, it is not necessary to take care of so many villages, right?"

Yang Mo smiled and said, "Is this the second question?"

Without waiting for the young disciple to answer, Yang Mo turned his head to look at Uncle Li who was gesturing with a group of unit leaders in the distance, and then nodded: "Although what you said is unpleasant to hear, it is not wrong... Indeed, the overall atmosphere in the rural areas of Qilu is better than that in Guizhou, but if we only talk about the hub of clan relations, it is even worse than yours."

"To be precise, in this regard, Qilu is far behind you. After all, Guizhou is famous for helping relatives instead of the law."

After saying a few words, Yang Mo continued, "But the reason why I invested so many expensive projects in these villages is not simply to take care of my relatives;"

"The reason behind this is actually not a secret. Mr. Wang knows it, Director Mu knows it, and of course... Director Zhang must know it too."

Yang Mo looked at this pretty little disciple who seemed quite clever but was actually as innocent as a blank sheet of paper with some amusement, and sighed: "You know, after the reform and opening up, everyone followed the West in shouting "people-oriented", but in fact not many people really understand what this sentence means."

With some emotion, he took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth. For the first time, Bai Mengmeng took the initiative to grab the lighter and helped him light it.

Seeing his apprentice's attentive attitude, Yang Mo smiled and suddenly changed the subject: "Xiao Bai, do you know that in the top universities in Europe and the United States, whether you study business, sociology, or public relations, you often need to take natural sciences such as ecology and evolution, or psychology and behavior... for no other reason, because these disciplines often have very interesting common phenomena."

As he spoke, Yang Mo exhaled softly: "So... I don't know if you have ever experienced starvation, or dieting to lose weight?"

Facing this new master with an extremely jumpy teaching method, Bai Mengmeng was a little confused, but still nodded honestly: "I have no experience in dieting to lose weight, but I lived at my grandmother's house for a while when I was a child, and I experienced hunger several times."

Yang Mo hummed: "Then do you know that when a person stops eating for 10 hours, in order to maintain the function, the autophagy function will be activated... First, the sugar inside the liver will be consumed, and when the sugar is consumed, the useless cells in the fat and muscles will be consumed;"

"This process will continue until new energy comes into the human body, or... until the fat is consumed and the useless cells are devoured, and then it will turn to devour healthy cells?"

Bai Mengmeng, who heard about this for the first time, shrank his neck and said, "This... I really don't know. The old man was talking about being out of shape due to hunger. This is what caused it."

Yang Mo smiled and said, "I just said that if you understand one principle, you will understand all principles... Just like what the West says about "people-oriented", the internal logic of many things and even the representations they present are actually highly similar."

“While I think this stick is more of a thunderbolt than a blast, you’d be lying if you said it wouldn’t have a huge impact.”

"Oh, everyone can feel the late spring cold this year, and then the big stick from America comes again. It is obvious that our country's economy is bound to suffer a setback;"

"Before a new round of recovery, the country must ensure that the economy can at least operate."

"So it is conceivable that the autophagy function in this organism must be activated."

Turning his head to look at his apprentice who had a slightly strange expression, Yang Mo tilted his head: "Then the question is... If the rectification of private enterprises is regarded as devouring useless cells, then what should be the fat with higher energy density?"

Bai Mengmeng's mouth was a little dry. After hesitating for a while, he replied: "State-owned enterprise!"

Yang Mo nodded: "Yes, it is the state-owned enterprises... To be precise, it should be the funds with economic value and a number of means of production including land in the state-owned enterprises."

"So, you know why I invested these funds in these villages to carry out a number of projects that require large investments but may take a long time to produce results, right?"

"Similarly, you should also know why, although Mr. Wang and Director Mu had some objections, they never opposed what I did from beginning to end, right? ... Even the other leaders of the special working group did not stand up to reprimand me!"

With a strange arc on his lips, Yang Mo looked at the young apprentice with a smile: "Since you have entered a central enterprise, you should know that in many cases, ability is important, but ability is only the foundation of everything... Similarly, relationships are important, but relationships do not represent everything... So, do you understand the cause and effect of this?"

Bai Mengmeng murmured in a tone that was almost like a moan: "I think... I roughly understand. Master, what you mean is that when it comes to big moves, positioning is the first factor... No matter how incredible some things seem?"

Yang Mo chuckled: "Congratulations, you finally have some of the most basic self-awareness of a central enterprise employee... It seems that the ten years you spent in the Tongren compound were not in vain!"

Facing this harsh irony, Bai Mengmeng hung his head in frustration, and then asked incomprehensibly: "But why, in the eyes of Master, are these villagers the healthy cells that you think need to be preserved as much as possible, and their importance is even higher than those high-quality state-owned enterprises? ... Logically speaking, shouldn't the backbone state-owned enterprises be given priority?"

Hearing this, Yang Mo's expression became vaguely indifferent: "I know what you are thinking... Admittedly, there are some personal factors involved, and some emotional factors; but more of it is the final decision after rational consideration!"

The final decision after rational consideration?
Bai Mengmeng looked at his new master in disbelief: "Master, do you think...?"

Yang Mo nodded: "Yes, we need to submit our report card now. In my opinion, the comprehensive chain effect of delivering nutrition to these villagers is much stronger than investing funds in those backbone state-owned enterprises!"

“Besides, although these high-quality orchards need at least three years to bear fruit, the concentrated juice factory and cold chain storage center can generate benefits very quickly after they are built, and even have an industrial siphon effect… Sometimes, you can’t look at things so simply. A comprehensive project that only has long-term expectations but no short-term effects does not meet the current environmental requirements!”

"Industrial siphoning effect... How is this possible!?"

Bai Mengmeng screamed, her face full of disbelief. She had also learned some things from Yang Mo during this period, so she naturally knew the term siphon effect.

"impossible?"

Yang Mo smiled and looked at him speechlessly: "Hehe, when Mr. Lei is free, you can ask him what the trade gravity model is and what CMS calculation is, and then tell me this."

Looking at the confused Bai Mengmeng, Yang Mo patiently explained, "Unlike ordinary scientific researchers, although Mr. Lei is a senior researcher at the Fruit Research Institute of Qilu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, he also serves as a consultant to the Qilu Fruit and Vegetable Trade Association. In addition to solid agricultural technology, he also needs to have a certain understanding of foreign trade economics. He should understand the basic foreign trade economics concepts and macroeconomic models better than a half-baked person like me!"

Trade gravity model?

CMS calculation?

What is that?
Looking at Yang Mo, who was full of impatience, Bai Mengmeng felt for the first time that he was an idiot student who had studied for more than ten years but in the end couldn't even recognize all the commonly used characters...

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PS: The third revised draft was completed at 11:30 pm, so I might as well post it in the early morning. Some of the content jumps in the middle, and I don’t know if you can understand it. If you feel that it doesn’t make sense, there’s nothing I can do.

(End of this chapter)