Rebirth in 1960, My Industrial Age

Chapter 444 Cooperation in Experimental Development Zones

Recently, a number of research projects have applied for funding from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but the Academy cannot provide the funds.

After discussion, Zhou Fengnian, Cai Hongqiao, Dean Wu and other leaders approved and handed over all the less important scientific research projects to the New Technology Experimental Development Zone.

Let them seek cooperation, establish role models, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences can provide certain support when necessary.

By highlighting successful examples of collaboration, we can attract others to seek partnerships.

At that time, some large state-owned factories were still quite powerful. For example, some electronic component factories under the Shenzhou Computer Factory had been reaping the benefits of the Shenzhou Computer Factory, and their internal finances were also very wealthy.

The problem is that the factory is weak in technological research and development. It relies on the technical guidance of Shenzhou Computer Factory and does not have enough research and development capabilities of its own.

If these factories collaborate with research projects at universities and colleges, they might produce some good results.

The New Technology Experimental Development Zone happens to be responsible for this function, so Zhou Fengnian transferred some of his projects there.

Although the country has become richer in recent years due to reform and opening up and foreign trade, there are also many expenses.

Nuclear power plants, highways and railways, aircraft carriers, missiles, fighter jets and space satellites, and so on—one expensive project after another is being funded. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has already received a lot of funding, so it's impossible for them to ask higher authorities for more.

After introducing the projects to Zhou Xianyang, Liu Xinguo took out a list of projects he could connect with and said, "Representative Zhou, please take a look at this list first. If you are interested in any of them, you can leave your contact information."
By the way, the Chinese Academy of Sciences said they need to review these again to prevent any research projects with false advertising from getting in, and to ensure that every project has a promising future.

"Is that so? Then I'll have to take a look. By the way, Director Liu, please don't call me Representative Zhou anymore. Just call me by my name. Calling me Representative Zhou is too formal."

Zhou Xianyang waved his hand and said that even if he had a high probability of being promoted to the Municipal People's Congress, he would be embarrassed to keep hearing others call him that.

"Director Liu, there are some projects here that I am very interested in. I wonder when we can discuss cooperation?"

Thanks to the rapid development of digital communications, computers and other electronic appliances, many domestic universities have also launched numerous research and development projects in this field.

Zhou Xianyang had just seen a few about improving computer monitors and media players. These were research topics by university professors, and he was quite interested in them.

His electronics factory was planning to diversify its production, and now was the time to expand. He had no shortage of equipment, workers, and funds; all he lacked were products that could be sold.

If the project is good, Zhou Xianyang really wants to collaborate.

"We're still in contact with them. In about two months, we'll organize a face-to-face seminar on new technology projects. We'll invite representatives from various factories and companies, as well as professors from universities involved in the research and development projects, to participate."

After thinking for a moment, Liu Xinguo said that seeing Zhou Xianyang's interest made him even more confident about the seminar.

"Two months from now. I should be in Beijing by then, so I'll have to trouble you, Director Liu."

After leaving his phone number, Zhou Xianyang said goodbye to Liu Xinguo; all the necessary procedures had been completed, and now it was time to find someone to set up the company.

It was quite a coincidence that Ren Zheng and his two colleagues were also about to set up their construction company, and he happened to have an office building to build.

We can't give them the important parts, but we can let their construction companies practice on some less difficult buildings. Once they have experience, it will be easier for them to build residential areas in the future.

They were all action-oriented; once they said they wanted to start a construction company, they quickly took action.

They poached some people from government agencies and recruited some construction workers from rural areas; they also placed orders for equipment and even set up a company.

Call it Four Seasons Real Estate!
There were exactly four of them, including Zhou Xianyang, so that's how they got their name.

It will take some time for Seasons Properties to acquire land, and in the meantime, they can use the land they plan to build on to gain experience.

After leaving the new technology experimental development zone, Zhou Xianyang called Ren Zheng and the others to tell them about it. Upon hearing this, the three of them were immediately delighted and wanted to invite Zhou Xianyang out for dinner, but Zhou Xianyang politely declined, saying he had to go home.

He's already back in Beijing, but he's still socializing everywhere and never home. What's the difference between that and being away on a business trip?

Now that his son is old enough to remember things, Zhou Xianyang is afraid that if he doesn't cultivate a good father-son relationship, his son won't be close to him when he grows up.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Xianyang asked his driver to take him home. His two factories in Beijing were operating smoothly.

Previously, some young people from Hongjia Village wanted to stay in his factory for a while, and Zhou Xianyang arranged for them to do so.

These people came here to learn; they were all ambitious and their families weren't short of money. This is what his grandfather, Zhou Fugui, said in his letter. The five people who came to see Zhou Xianyang felt they couldn't learn anything at the Wanwusheng Fertilizer Plant.

All five families received dividends from the fertilizer factory. Although they didn't have millions in assets, they still had tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan.

Thanks to the dividends from the fertilizer plant, Hongjia Village has long since eliminated poverty. Now, in addition to developing the equipment and technology for the fertilizer plant, Hongjia Village also allocates a portion of the dividends to the villagers for the construction of village infrastructure.

Hongjia Village now has a four-lane road leading to Changping County; it's no wonder that the town and county leaders are envious, as the fertilizer plant with an annual output value of over 100 million yuan is not a government-owned enterprise.

If it's from the county, then it's truly a cash cow that will produce milk indefinitely.

Knowing that these five families all received dividends from the fertilizer factory, and that they were not short of money, Zhou Xianyang understood that they just wanted to find a place to hone their skills.

So he directly assigned them to different positions and had the older workers in the factory mentor them.

He still had to give his grandfather face, and as long as he didn't embezzle or do anything improper, Zhou Xianyang was still willing to help those he was close to. He was able to develop to where he is today in just a few years after graduation, all thanks to his father and relatives.

Zhou Xianyang was self-aware; his achievements before the age of forty-five were virtually impossible to replicate by comparing himself to his father, Zhou Fengnian.

Maybe I'll have a chance to try my luck with what I achieve after I turn fifty.

The higher he climbed, the more he saw how formidable his father, Zhou Fengnian, was. Many high-ranking officials treated him with respect, probably because they saw the power of Zhou Fengnian behind him.

When Zhou Xianyang got home, he saw Qing'an and the two children watching TV and asked, "Qing'an, have you eaten?"

"No, we're waiting for you to come back. We'll go to Mom and Dad's for dinner later."

Bai Qing'an said with a smile, "For the past six months or so, my son, daughter, and I have been eating at my parents' house."

Anyway, no matter how well she cooks, she can't possibly cook better than Chef Yang. Besides, there are only one adult and two children, so eating with them won't mean they'll have to order two more dishes.

"Let's go then."

Zhou Xianyang put down his things and then carried his son and daughter outside.

His place was only 200 meters away from Zhou Fengnian's three-courtyard house, just a few minutes' walk away.

When Zhou Xianyang arrived at his father's front yard, he saw Zhou Yan carrying a vegetable basket toward the kitchen. He smiled and asked, "Mom, what are we having for dinner tonight? Oh, and ask Chef Yang to add a couple more dishes, okay?"

Zhou Yan said irritably, "I knew you were coming. I already told you, just wait to eat today. There's no time to order."

"Alright, I was originally planning to eat lion's head meatballs."

Zhou Yan nodded and said, "We do have this dish, but according to what Shi Zeqian likes, you'll be at the back of the line."

(End of this chapter)