60s: I have a store

Chapter 544 Xiao Zhao's Highlight Moment

These days, Xiao Zhao is like a wound-up alarm clock, going to Taojia Village every day without fail.

He was concerned about when the chickens in the chicken farm would be ready to be released from the cages, as this was related to whether he could successfully complete the purchasing task and escape the crisis of being demoted to the workshop.

Every time he arrived at Taojia Village, Xiao Zhao would find the village chief Tao first, and the two of them would get together to carefully discuss the chicken farm's cage-free plan.

While listening carefully to Village Chief Tao's introduction, Xiao Zhao wrote down key information in the small notebook he carried with him, his eyes full of concentration and anticipation.

In order to let the leaders of the steel plant have a more intuitive understanding of the chickens in Taojia Village Chicken Farm, Xiao Zhao specially selected a chicken with excellent appearance and brought it back to the steel plant.

He held the chicken carefully, as if it were a rare treasure, and did not dare to slack off at all along the way.

After returning to the factory, Xiao Zhao went straight to see his leader.

When the leaders saw the chicken Xiao Zhao brought, they gathered around and looked at it carefully. The chicken had shiny feathers, a bright red comb, and a strong body. It was obvious that it was the result of careful breeding.

In this extraordinary period of material scarcity, market conditions are changing rapidly.

The purchase price originally set by the steel mill seems somewhat inappropriate under the current circumstances.

If we continue to purchase meat at the same price, it will be almost impossible to successfully purchase enough meat.

After all, in the black market, the prices of meat and food have soared several times, and have increased countless times.

Therefore, steel mills must adjust their purchasing prices in a timely manner. Although the adjusted prices are still far lower than the black market prices, they have increased significantly compared to before.

However, for purchases involving large transaction amounts, the pricing power is in the hands of the leaders. Because the amount is so huge, even if the unit price is only a dime or two different, it will result in a considerable price difference at the final checkout.

After careful discussion and evaluation, the leaders of the steel plant finally set the purchase price of Taojiacun chickens at two yuan and eighty cents per chicken.

When Xiao Zhao heard the news, he was ecstatic. He couldn't wait to go to Taojia Village again to tell the village chief Tao the good news.

After hearing this, Village Chief Tao showed a satisfied smile on his face. Although this price is not as high as the three yuan per chicken in Zhoujiazhuang, he knows that his village has not been raising chickens with feed for a long time.

According to previous market conditions, these chickens are worth at most two dollars each, and some of them of poor quality may not even be sold at this price.

Village chief Tao is full of confidence in the future. He believes that when the chickens from the chicken farm are released from the cages next time, the price will most likely rise to three yuan per chicken thanks to the village's continuously accumulated breeding experience and the increasingly improved quality of the chickens.

Xiao Zhao and Village Chief Tao quickly discussed the specific purchase details and decided that the steel plant would arrange a vehicle to bring the chickens back to the factory tomorrow.

After the discussion, Xiao Zhao realized that this matter was of great importance and no mistakes could be made in any link.

In order to ensure that everything went smoothly, he did not take a rest and rushed back to the factory to report the situation to Zhou Yimin.

In order to allow Zhou Yimin to get started as soon as possible, Wang Weimin has begun to delegate power.

Doing this will not only give Zhou Yimin a good impression, but will also make their relationship better.

Wang Weimin also knew that given Zhou Yimin's age, he would definitely be promoted to a higher position and would be his leader by then, which would make their relationship very strained.

We might be framed by others at that time, and in order to avoid this situation, we have the current situation.

Zhou Yimin listened carefully to Xiao Zhao's report in the office, with a pleased smile on his face, and praised: "Xiao Zhao, you did a good job this time!"

After getting Zhou Yimin's recognition, Xiao Zhao felt as sweet as eating honey, and his originally uneasy mood disappeared in an instant.

Afterwards, Zhou Yimin took Xiao Zhao to the Transportation Department to arrange tomorrow's transportation vehicles.

The two men came to the transportation department and saw Chow Tai Fook squatting next to a truck, concentrating on tinkering with something.

He tightened a screw, checked the tire, and muttered to himself from time to time: "Well, this place needs to be reinforced, nothing can go wrong."

Zhou Yimin and Xiao Zhao quietly walked to Zhou Dafu, and Zhou Yimin gently patted Zhou Dafu on the shoulder.

Zhou Dafu was startled by the sudden pat. He turned his head sharply and saw that it was Zhou Yimin. He immediately smiled enthusiastically and said, "Uncle Sixteen, what brings you here?"

Zhou Yimin nodded, but he knew it was useless to tell this to Zhou Dafu, who was an apprentice, so he asked, "Dafu, where is your master?"

Zhou Dafu quickly replied: "The master is inside, I will take you there!"

After saying that, Zhou Dafu led the way and took Zhou Yimin and Xiao Zhao to the lounge of the transportation department.

At this time, Captain Li was lying on a chair to rest. He had just finished a delivery mission and felt that his bones were about to fall apart after a bumpy and tiring journey.

Before he knew it, he fell asleep in the lounge.

Zhou Dafu walked to Captain Li and called out twice: "Master! Master!"

Captain Li was awakened from his sleep by the gentle call. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was Zhou Dafu, so he asked, "Dafu, what can I do for you?"

Zhou Dafu explained in a low voice: "Master, it's not me who is looking for you, it's Section Chief Zhou who is looking for you."

Captain Li was still sleepy at first, but when he heard Zhou Yimin's name, he immediately became energetic as if he had been electrocuted.

He quickly sat up and looked around the lounge. When he saw Zhou Yimin standing at the door, he stood up quickly, walked up to him quickly, and said enthusiastically, "Chief Zhou, I am honored to be here. Do you have any instructions?"

Captain Li knew that Zhou Yimin had become a deputy section chief at such a young age and had a bright future, so now was a good time to establish a good relationship with him.

Zhou Yimin didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "Captain Li, tomorrow I'd like to ask your transportation department to send a truck to go with our buyer Xiao Zhao to do some work."

Captain Li showed a hint of hesitation after hearing this. He knew that the transportation department had a heavy task tomorrow and if they lost a truck, they would probably not be able to complete the task on time.

Zhou Yimin keenly sensed Captain Li's concerns and told him the truth: "Captain Li, actually the chickens from the chicken farm in Taojia Village will be ready to be released tomorrow. There are quite a lot of them, so we need your help in transporting them. This is related to whether the factory cafeteria can have fresh chicken supply, and the workers are looking forward to it."

Upon hearing this, Captain Li immediately looked at Xiao Zhao again.

He didn't expect that this seemingly shy young man in front of him actually had such ability to successfully contact a stable source of chicken.

As this matter concerns the diet of all the employees of the steel plant, Captain Li said without hesitation: "Okay, I will arrange a truck to follow you tomorrow!"

The next day, Xiao Zhao arrived at the steel plant early before dawn.

Yesterday he and the truck driver agreed to meet at the gate of the steel plant. In order not to keep the driver waiting for too long, Xiao Zhao arrived half an hour earlier than the agreed time.

At this time, the entrance of the steel plant was deserted. Only Xiao Zhao was standing there quietly. There was silence all around, and only the occasional bird calls could be heard.

Xiao Zhao looked up at the sky from time to time, then looked down at his watch, feeling nervous and expectant. He silently prayed in his heart that today's transportation mission would go smoothly.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Zhao finally heard the roar of a truck engine approaching from afar.

After a while, a green truck slowly stopped in front of Xiao Zhao.

The truck driver leaned out of the cab and asked loudly, "Are you Xiao Zhao?"

Xiao Zhao nodded quickly and responded loudly: "It's me!"

In order not to waste time, the truck driver urged: "Get on!"

Xiao Zhao quickly walked to the other side of the truck and prepared to get in.

Since he had never ridden in a truck before, he was curious about but also a little afraid of this huge machine. His movements were extremely gentle, as he was afraid that the slightest force would cause damage to the truck.

You know, trucks are very precious things in everyone's mind, otherwise there would be no such thing as "When the horn blows, it's worth a fortune, and when the wheels turn, even the county magistrate is dissatisfied." Seeing this scene, the truck driver couldn't help but smile helplessly and said, "Young man, be bold and try harder, this truck is not that delicate!"

After hearing this, Xiao Zhao felt relieved and his movements became much more natural.

After Xiao Zhao got on the car, he kept looking around.

This was his first time riding in a truck, and everything in the cab was very new to him.

He looked at the various pointers and buttons on the dashboard, his heart full of curiosity, but he didn't dare to move them.

Under Xiao Zhao's guidance, the truck driver drove towards Taojia Village along the familiar road.

Along the way, Xiao Zhao was extremely excited. From time to time, he introduced the general situation of Taojia Village to the driver. At the same time, he was silently planning the purchasing process after arriving in the village.

Soon, the truck arrived at Taojia Village.

When the security team members at the entrance of the village saw that it was Xiao Zhao, they let him go without any obstruction.

Village chief Tao led many villagers to wait at the chicken farm early in the morning. When the truck slowly drove into the chicken farm, Village chief Tao greeted it with a smile on his face.

Xiao Zhao jumped out of the car impatiently, walked quickly to Village Chief Tao, and greeted him enthusiastically: "Village Chief Tao, we are here!"

Village Chief Tao responded with a smile: "Xiao Zhao, we've finally got you here. We're all ready!"

After the two exchanged a few simple pleasantries, Village Chief Tao waved his hand and shouted, "Get started!"

Following the order from Village Chief Tao, the villagers of Taojia Village took action one after another, and a fierce and orderly "battle" officially started in the chicken farm.

The villagers walked into the chicken coop skillfully. The chicken coop was filled with a faint smell of chicken manure mixed with a hint of straw fragrance.

There wasn't enough light in the house, and the dim light flickered as the chickens swayed.

The villagers bent their bodies and walked very lightly, for fear of disturbing these "treasures" that were about to be sent to the steel plant.

I saw a sturdy middle-aged villager, his eyes fixed intently on a fat hen.

He squatted down slightly, put his hands together, and pounced towards the hen at an extremely fast yet steady speed.

The hen seemed to sense the danger. It screamed "cluck, cluck", flapped its wings, and rushed left and right in the narrow chicken coop.

The middle-aged villager was not panicked. He stared closely at the movements of the hen and adjusted his posture flexibly.

Finally, when the hen tried to escape from a corner of the cage, he was quick-witted and clasped his hands together, firmly grabbing the hen's legs.

The hen was still struggling desperately, flapping her wings even harder, her feathers fluttering down, but the middle-aged villager's hands were like two pairs of iron pliers, not relaxing at all.

He straightened up, a smug smile on his face, strode to the bamboo basket, and carefully put the hen in.

On the other side, a young girl was also busy.

She had a neat ponytail and her eyes showed a capable look.

In the chicken coop in front of her, several roosters were holding their heads high and looking around vigilantly. The girl did not act rashly, but first hummed an unknown little song softly, trying to appease the roosters.

After a while, she slowly reached out her hand and gently stroked the feathers of a rooster.

The cock's originally tense body gradually relaxed and stopped being restless. The girl seized the opportunity and quickly picked up the cock.

But the rooster suddenly reacted, stretched out its neck and pecked at the girl's arm.

The girl felt pain but did not let go. She gritted her teeth, put the rooster into the bamboo basket, rubbed the red mark on her arm, and continued to catch the chicken.

Xiao Zhao and the truck driver also joined the team moving the chicken cages.

Although Xiao Zhao was not very strong, he worked very hard, carrying the bamboo baskets back and forth over and over again. His forehead was covered with sweat and his clothes were soaked with sweat, but he was completely unaware.

During the transportation process, Xiao Zhao also reminded the villagers from time to time to be careful and gentle to avoid scaring or injuring the chickens.

As he was carrying the bamboo basket, he shouted, "Fellow villagers, please be gentle and don't hurt the chickens!"

The villagers responded one after another, their hands moving more gently.

The truck driver, relying on his rich experience, directed everyone in an orderly manner to stack the bamboo baskets full of chickens neatly on the truck.

He stood beside the truck, waving his hands and shouting, "Move the bamboo basket here to the left to keep the balance! Yes, that's it!"

While giving instructions, he also personally helped to ensure that each bamboo basket was placed firmly to avoid shaking or falling during transportation.

He squatted down, carefully checked the binding of the bamboo basket, and tied the loose ropes again, muttering: "This is related to whether this batch of chickens can be safely delivered to the factory. We can't be careless."

For a moment, the chicken farm was filled with the sounds of chickens crowing and people shouting, making it extremely lively.

The crowing of chickens came one after another. Some were sharp and rapid, which were the protests made by chickens when they were frightened; some were low and long, as if they were telling their companions about their anxiety.

People's shouts were also different, there were shouts of commands, reminders, and occasional laughter.

The entire chicken farm is filled with a busy and joyful atmosphere, like a grand harvest celebration.

As time passed, the bamboo baskets on the truck gradually piled up like a mountain.

After several hours of hard work, all the chickens were finally successfully loaded onto the truck. Xiao Zhao and Village Chief Tao carefully checked the number of chickens, and only after confirming that they were correct did Xiao Zhao breathe a sigh of relief.

He walked up to Village Chief Tao and said gratefully: "Village Chief Tao, thank you and the villagers so much today. If it weren't for everyone's concerted efforts, this task would not have been so easy to accomplish."

Village Chief Tao smiled and patted Xiao Zhao on the shoulder, saying, "Xiao Zhao, you are a reliable young man, and we are happy to cooperate with you. I hope we can have more opportunities like this in the future."

After Xiao Zhao and the truck driver said goodbye to Village Chief Tao and the villagers, they set out on the journey back to the steel plant.

Along the way, Xiao Zhao was in a particularly good mood. He looked at the truck full of chickens and felt a sense of accomplishment.

He knew that he had not only successfully completed the purchasing task this time, but also brought fresh meat to the steel plant employees.

More importantly, he did not disappoint Zhou Yimin's expectations. At the beginning, he was still worried about whether he could do this well.

After this incident, Xiao Zhao learned how to communicate and coordinate with suppliers and how to solve various problems encountered in the procurement process.

He believes that in his future work, he will be able to do better and live up to Zhou Yimin's expectations of him.

If it weren't for Zhou Yimin, I would probably have been demoted to the workshop.

It was already afternoon when the truck slowly drove back to the steel plant.

The sunlight shines on the truck, reflecting a dazzling light.

Xiao Zhao and the truck driver successfully unloaded the chickens to the designated location, completing this important procurement and transportation mission.

Xiao Zhao watched his busy colleagues carrying the chickens away, his heart filled with joy and pride.

(End of this chapter)