1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 362 It’s a pity that May Day is going to Dongying

With only two days left in April, the flowers and plants in the Qilu region are desperately unfolding their petals, wanting to show their beauty in the last season of late spring.

After lunch, the young apprentice immediately ran to his master's office, picked up the spray bottle, picked up a pot of flowers on the wall window, went to the yard and began to spray the leaves carefully.

Although it stands to reason that there shouldn't be any potted plants other than green plants in a grown man's office, this was a pot of Pingyin rose that was specially sent here, so it was natural for it to appear in the yard outside Yang Mo's office.

In fact, the young apprentice really likes this pot of Pingyin roses. Although the purple-red flowers look a little too enchanting from a male perspective and the strong Damascus scent is a little too pungent, all of this is just right for a young woman.

"Master, I told you that this potted rose needs to be kept in the yard for ventilation, otherwise it will be prone to diseases and insect pests, but you just didn't listen... Now, there are red spiders again, right?"

The young apprentice said with some complaint as he sprayed and washed the small white spots on the back of the leaves with a painful look on his face.

Anyone who has grown flowers indoors knows that thrips, black flies and red spider mites are the three most troublesome insects, especially red spider mites, which are difficult to kill, prone to recurrence, and cause great harm. They are definitely the nightmare of all flower growers... Apart from keeping the room ventilated as much as possible and frequently rinsing the back of the leaves with clean water to prevent them, there is almost no effective treatment.

Yang Mo was basking in the sun leisurely: "I put it indoors on purpose, wanting to see if this thing has strong resistance... Now it seems that it is just like that!"

At the time, experts from the Academy of Agricultural Sciences told him that native roses such as Pingyin Rose and Kuquan Rose, which have a cultivation history of hundreds or thousands of years, are like the ancient Chinese roses. They not only have stable traits, but also have very strong resistance to diseases and pests.

As a result, Yang Mo was a little skeptical and moved the rose indoors. After more than two months, black spot, downy mildew and other serious plant diseases did not appear, but red spider mites did appear.

He actually wanted to let the red spider grow and see what damage it could do to the Pingyin rose. He also wanted to see whether the "strong resistance" mentioned by the experts could withstand the sucking of the red spiders that could reproduce a generation in a week.

Bai Mengmeng rolled his eyes when he heard this: "Master, when Specialist Liu said that roses are resistant, he meant that they are relatively resistant, which can ensure that they are not prone to various diseases and pests when planted outdoors on a large scale... In fact, judging from the situation of the 400 acres of roses planted in the first phase, there are indeed no serious diseases or pests."

"Rose is something that really hates being blocked by air. If you put it in the house, no matter how strong its resistance is, it will be useless!"

Seeing his master always pouting, the young apprentice looked aggrieved: "Master, I think you should grow some flowers and plants when you have time. When you grow them, you will know that the performance of this Pingyin rose is very good... At least it is much better than those modern roses... Besides, red spider mites are the natural enemy of all Rosaceae plants. There is no rose or rose in the world that can withstand this thing!"

Yang Mo waved his hands: "Okay, okay, I'm just doing an experiment, no need to get so excited. Of course I know how troublesome red spiders are, and I never thought that this Pingyin rose could resist red spiders on its own... By the way, don't wash it, put it back, I hope there will be more red spiders."

Bai Mengmeng was a little dumbfounded: "Not washing? Just waiting for red spiders to spread?"

Yang Mo nodded. "Yes, Laiyang Agricultural College has been researching biological control projects. They have found several types of insect-catching mites that prey on red spider mites. They will be delivered in a few days. I will see the results then... If the results are good, I will calculate the costs and conditions to see if it can be transformed into a commercial project."

Biological control?

Insect mites?
Bai Mengmeng got goose bumps all over her body. Girls have a natural fear of the word "mites".

Besides, although the word "spider" is in the name of red spider, it is actually a kind of mite;

Tsk tsk,

Cannibalism…

How perverted!

Subconsciously, he hugged his arm and scratched it, his eyes rolling around: "Master, since you are not going to cure this red spider...what about this flower?"

Yang Mo glared at his greedy apprentice in annoyance and said, "Eat if you want to, but remember to wash them thoroughly before eating... Also, you are not allowed to eat them all, leave one or two, I want to see the actual effect of the insect-catching mites!"

Bai Mengmeng was overjoyed when he heard this. He immediately reached out his hand and took the double-petaled roses that looked like small peonies, then tore off a petal and stuffed it into his mouth: "Well, you know what, it's quite fragrant, but a little astringent, not as delicious as the mountain azalea in Guizhou... Master, let me tell you, the mountain azalea in my hometown is delicious, sour, and it's very interesting to eat it raw."

As if some good memories were evoked, the little apprentice's eyes began to light up: "Also, this is the season for making dragon bubbles (a kind of raspberry) and black bubbles. Master, you should have never tasted the dragon bubbles we have there? It's sweet and delicious!"

"Also, the chechegongzi over there are getting fatter. Catch them and stir-fry them with green peppers. They are so delicious... Um, I forgot to tell you that chechegongzi is a fish that lives in the river. It looks a bit like a crucian carp, but it has three colors... Master, don't you like fishing? The water over there is blue, very beautiful, you will definitely like it when you see it."

"And, if you go to the mountains at this time, you can find a lot of mountain crabs from the rocks by just finding a stream. Then you can roast them on the stone slabs at night and watch the fireflies in the yard... Tsk tsk, they are so beautiful... Master, you should have only seen fireflies on TV, right?"

Yang Mo smiled as he watched his little apprentice vividly describing the late spring scenery in Guizhou. After five minutes, he suddenly said, "Is your father's situation not going well?"

Bai Mengmeng choked and had to stop his hard work. He glanced at Yang Mo, then lowered his head in frustration: "Hmm!"

Yang Mo nodded in understanding: "Don't you often call your father? You also write letters to him about what you see and hear when you are with me... How come, with a little dog-headed military advisor like you giving advice, there is still no improvement in Tongren?"

Bai Mengmeng had a bitter face: "Master, I am just a half-baked person, how can I be qualified to be my father's military advisor... Moreover, over this period of time, I have increasingly felt that the situation in Qilu is different from that in Guizhou, and I have increasingly understood the importance of analyzing specific issues in specific ways... According to what my father said, it will not work if we just copy what he said!"

Yang Mo laughed: "It seems that your father is not senile yet... But you can see that there are so many things going on in Texas. It is impossible for me to find time to go to Guizhou in a short period of time. Even if you describe the place beautifully, it will be useless if you can't find time."

The young apprentice muttered dejectedly.

She naturally knew that the "period of time" her master referred to was not a literal period of time, but it might not pass within a few years... At least, he would not be able to go there until the second front was completely consolidated, or before the relationship with Mr. Wang and Uncle Zhang improved.

Thinking of this, a feeling of powerlessness surged through her body.

Of course she knew that her master's idea was for her to learn quickly, and then return to her father to be a military advisor, or even become her father's right-hand man after some training, thus completing the relationship between master and apprentice.

In fact, during this period of time, Yang Mo had kept almost all of his actions a secret from her, except for some plans that could not be disclosed in advance. He would even patiently explain to her the reasons and considerations behind it when she asked. He was truly dedicated and conscientious... As Zhang Wenshun said, Bai Mengmeng was lucky to have met such a generous master in her previous life.

In fact, if Yang Mo was just an ordinary technical worker, or just an ordinary professional manager at the moment, then after nearly a year of careful teaching, Bai Mengmeng would naturally be able to learn a lot from the other person.

But the problem is, Yang Mo is not an ordinary skilled worker, nor is he an ordinary professional manager who relies on his three tricks to make a living in today's society. After learning from his master for nearly a year, Bai Mengmeng has learned a lot more knowledge, but the more he learns, the more confused he becomes.

Especially after the beginning of spring, she saw every move of Yang Mo clearly, and even participated in all of them. But every time she thought she understood her master's intention, the next change told her: No, you didn't understand.

Yang Mo always throws out a causal line and hook that seems incomprehensible at first glance from an unexpected angle based on previous actions, and then seamlessly connects it to the next action, which then snowballs.

This made the young apprentice very distressed and even a little desperate.

She always had a feeling that if she really wanted to learn all the skills of her master, it would be impossible without ten or twenty years of careful teaching... There were too many decision-making factors involved in every move of her master, ranging from the international situation to the domestic environment, from business to politics, from consumer demand to local social humanities, and even the consideration of the characteristics of B, C, and G groups.

This is bullshit! How can one person think about so many things at the same time?
But unfortunately, every time she asked her master to help her review the situation, this master who was only a few years older than her would tell her very clearly that so many factors were involved when making these decisions.

This hurt her a lot. They were both in their twenties, had received higher education, and even started working at similar times. But why was there such a big gap between them?

However, after experiencing blows again and again, Bai Mengmeng has become numb. She knows very well that she is still far from the level of a master, so whenever her master makes a move, she will run over to ask for advice.

………………

"Master, why did you go to visit Executive Ye and try to get the city to release some light industrial projects for bidding from the whole society?"

"Although you openly said that you wanted to give the hundreds of tertiary industry units under the name of Dahua Company a chance to compete, so as not to let them starve to death; but haven't those tertiary industry units gradually relied on the orders of Xialiu Sales Agency and the grassroots rural market to slowly get better?"

Bai Mengmeng diligently made a cup of tea for his master, and then asked with some doubt. Yang Mo took the broken enamel pot with the words "Fighting against the sky is endless fun" and blew away the tea foam. After taking a sip, he sighed with satisfaction, then closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa: "It's very simple. Since I have become the vice president of Dahua Company again, but no longer the director of the business review department, it's time to intervene in the management of the tertiary industry units below... The funds on Dahua Company's books have been divided up almost completely, and now the only truly valuable assets are those tertiary industry units."

"Moreover, after several rounds of division, most of the tertiary production units have a causal relationship with the rest of the departments, to varying degrees. In a sense, these units have become the arteries of those people. If I don't give them a squeeze, how can I justify the seat under my butt as the vice president?"

Bai Mengmeng thought hard and finally understood the logic behind it, but she still didn't understand: "But what does this have to do with participating in the bidding for the DZ City project?"

Although Yang Mo had just visited Ye Tao yesterday, and things like open bidding could not be implemented without some time, she knew her master's style very well. If he was not sure, he would not easily meet with the leaders of the competent authority.

Therefore, since it is certain that Dezhou will release some light industrial projects to the public for bidding, and if Yang Mo, who has returned to the position of vice president, insists, those tertiary industry units will have no choice but to participate in the bidding.

Then the problem is coming.

If Yang Mo just wanted to revitalize the efficiency of those tertiary industry units, he had too many channels and methods... Leaving aside the Xialiu Marketing Agency that had already started action, the commodity trading market in the commercial demonstration zone alone could provide countless possibilities for the products of these tertiary industry units, but why did he insist on letting these units participate in the bidding?

Hearing his apprentice's question, Yang Mo just smiled and said, "From a business perspective, the biggest problem of the state-owned enterprise system is never outside, but inside."

"If we want to break these stubborn problems, the first thing we need to do is to open our eyes to the world and adjust our mindset... This is not something that can be accomplished by holding a few meetings and doing ideological work, nor is it something that can be accomplished by simply replacing a leadership team internally."

At this point, Yang Mo took another sip of the jasmine tea in his cup: "I actually really appreciate this saying: truth is power."

"So no matter how much we say, we have to let them go out and experience it for themselves... The working atmosphere and employee mentality in many of our state-owned enterprises are simply unacceptable to the extreme. If this continues, there will be big trouble. Fortunately, there is still enough time. It is not a bad thing to let them experience the cruelty of the outdoors before breaking the hothouse."

At this point, Yang Mo gently put down the worn-out enamel pot: "Only after experiencing the harshness of the outside environment can these units recognize the reality and know who is truly worthy of dependence... In this way, I can live a more relaxed life in the future."

After hearing his master's explanation, Bai Mengmeng understood instantly: "Are you planning to use the Dunning-Kruger effect?"

Yang Mo nodded: "That's right."

The so-called Dunning-Kruger effect is actually a phenomenon that is widely present in human society.

The basic description is simple: people with low abilities tend to overestimate their abilities.

In simple terms, "The worse you are, the more awesome you are; the stronger you are, the more humble you are."

This situation is particularly serious in current state-owned enterprises.

Have you ever seen someone who is complacent because he is good at tightening screws, thinking that there are not many people in the world who are better than himself, and who complains all day long that his leader does not recognize his talents and is unwilling to promote him to a level 6 fitter or workshop director?

Let me tell you, there were a lot of people like this in the 1970s and 1980s.

Have you ever seen someone who thinks he is the best in the world just because he can repair cars, and that everyone has to be polite to him when they see him, and even have to smile and give him gifts, otherwise they won’t get a car to ride in?
Let me tell you, there are more than one or two people like this nowadays.

Have you ever seen someone who thinks he is born to be a leader just because he can write some materials and speeches, and feels that his talent is not appreciated and that he should be made a department-level cadre and be in charge of a second-level unit with tens of thousands of people?

Let me tell you, such idiots can be found everywhere in state-owned enterprises nowadays!

Have you ever seen an employee who, due to the nature of his company, only needs to work two hours a day and gets paid 10 yuan, but then thinks that his real value is 5 yuan/hour and then asks for a huge salary? Even though he is just an ordinary loader.

Let me tell you, more than half of the employees in state-owned enterprises have this mentality.

In short, because they have lived in a closed small circle for a long time, these people are generally indifferent to the affairs of the outside world, and their thinking and views are still stuck in decades ago. More importantly... not only do their self-value assessment systems have extremely serious deviations, but they also lack a sense of crisis.

Therefore, in Yang Mo's opinion, the extremely serious Dunning-Kruger effect in the current state-owned enterprise system is definitely one of the main culprits of the "more reforms, more failures" in recent years.

However, there are also many management methods derived from the Dunning-Kruger effect, which, if used well, can also produce miraculous results.

Of course, Yang Mo did not intend to use the contrast of reality to crush the self-confidence of the employees of the tertiary industry units, nor did he intend to use the notorious PUA methods to discipline them after their self-confidence was broken.
He just wanted to make these tertiary industry units produce the minimum stress effect...that was enough.

………………

"By the way, Master, the Labor Day is in two days. It happens to be Saturday, and it's the weekend. It's a rare two-day holiday. How about we go back to the drilling company to have a good outing, and then have a lively gathering? ... To be honest, the air quality and scenery here in Texas are far worse than those at the drilling company. It's more fun to go back to the drilling company to have fun."

Perhaps it is the nature of the Miao people. Bai Mengmeng is not interested in those means of fighting for power. After knowing that his master's actions have nothing to do with business activities, he quickly changed the subject.

It's a sin to say the least, but the holidays these days were much fewer than in later generations. Not only was there only one day off a week, but even with the Spring Festival, the total number of statutory holidays was only eleven.

Although powerful cadres at Yang Mo's level do not work almost all year round like the leaders of the administrative system, they still have so much work to do. Apart from one or two weekends a month when they can slack off, they only have these eleven days of holidays every year that they can be guaranteed not to be disturbed by work.

Therefore, the opportunity to have both the May Day holiday and the weekend off this year is really a great blessing for people like them.

The reason why Bai Mengmeng was so active in inviting her master back to the drilling company was partly because of the girl's playful nature, but more importantly, she wanted to create as many opportunities as possible for her master and Uncle Zhang to mend their relationship... Since joining Dahua Company, Yang Mo has hardly ever set foot there except for rushing back to the drilling company every Monday for a morning meeting. This made the young apprentice very worried that the relationship between Yang Mo and Zhang Wenshun would become more and more distant, and there would be no chance to mend the relationship.

Yang Mo didn't think too much about it for a moment. After looking at the bright sunshine outside the office, he sighed with some regret: "It's rare to have two days off. I also want to go out for a walk... But I probably won't be able to go back to the drilling company on May Day."

Bai Mengmeng was surprised: "Eh? Master, are you planning to go to Quancheng or Qingdao for fun?"

Yang Mo curled his lips: "What's fun in Quancheng? Isn't it just touring Daming Lake, climbing Thousand Buddha Mountain, or going to Jining to climb Mount Tai? It's so tiring, only a fool would go through that!"

"As for Qingdao, time is a bit tight... Ever since I got a few frostbites at the pier at the end of last year, I get scared when I hear the name now!"

A geek who believes that he should stay at home and sleep all day long during the holidays complained a little, then sighed tiredly: "Forget it, I won't hide it from you, I have to go to Dongying on May Day!"

Dongying?

Bai Mengmeng looked at his master with some surprise. What was fun about that place?
But he immediately reacted: "Eh!? Master, are you going to Mu Liya's house to visit the father-in-law?"

Yang Mo slapped his little apprentice on the head in annoyance: "How can you address an elder by name like that? Call me Sister Mu... If you really don't want to call me Section Chief Mu or Minister Mu, that's fine... You have no respect for your elders!"

After finishing speaking, Yang Mo scratched his head in annoyance: "Originally, I thought I would have to wait for a while, until the end of the year, or until the Mid-Autumn Festival... Didn't her father come to Texas not long ago? Why did he ask me to go there again so soon?"

Bai Mengmeng covered his head, his eyes rolled around, and suddenly laughed: "Master, you are so stupid, you can't figure this out?"

As he spoke, the young disciple lowered his hands from his head and clasped his fists together, saying, "Congratulations, Master. It looks like you will not only be able to marry a beautiful woman, but you will also be able to move up in rank!"

Bai Mengmeng shook his head as he spoke: "Tsk tsk, you jumped from section clerk to section chief in a year, and then to director level in less than half a year... You are promoted faster than a rocket!"

Eh?
Promotion to department level?
Comrade Yaer didn’t tell me!
As soon as the thought came to mind, Yang Mo reacted immediately.

Isn't this nonsense? There are requirements for marital status for promotion to department-level cadres. How can Miss Mu have the nerve to bring up this matter, considering her thin-skinned personality?
Thinking that as long as he passed this level, he could break through someone's strict defense, openly embrace Ya'er and conquer the city, or even kill her on the spot, Yang Mo clenched his teeth, but his heart was burning with excitement...

(End of this chapter)