My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 440 This concept isn't just a mountain, it's Mount Everest.
Wei Dong underestimated the power of foreign exchange.

He had never been involved in foreign trade in his previous life.

Lacking international influence, mainland China now earns very little from processing fees earned through "processing trade" (processing with supplied materials, processing with supplied samples, processing with supplied parts, and compensation trade).

Thanks to the large scale of hardworking industrialists and agricultural workers across the country, they have managed to accumulate over 10 billion US dollars over the years.

In the past two years, policy adjustments have led to a large influx of imported cars and various production lines that have failed to adapt to local conditions, leaving the company with only two billion US dollars in assets.

Two billion dollars...

What might be a huge sum for a billionaire, could be sold out in a couple of transactions across a massive area of ​​9.6 million square kilometers.

For example, 30,000 double-cab vehicles would cost hundreds of millions of US dollars.
Anyway, you're paying tuition everywhere. It's like making money is like picking up soil with a needle, and spending money is like pushing sand with water.

But for Wei Dong and his team to make money from the brand is practically equivalent to hauling dirt back home in a small tricycle.

If this brand system was originally a testament to Qin Zhiming's skill, then the ownership also belongs to Colorful Denim.

From having Wei Dong partner with Apple in North America to revive the sales of the Colorful Denim brand, which was on the verge of collapse and nearing zero, to bringing it back to life.

Later, Chi Shiming tricked Uncle De's daughter into exchanging his shares in a mainland real estate company for the remaining 40% of the shares.

This little tricycle has completely become the golden goose for Rang Weidong and Qin Yuye.

Make a fortune.

In such a vast country as mainland China, intellectual property rights have not been widely recognized, branding has not been implemented, and there is no practice of reselling overseas.

Look at this foreign exchange, it's practically a super fortune!
Even the technical experts from the Fourth and Fifth Ministries present at the time didn't have much awareness of intellectual property rights.

Without a second thought, he immediately agreed to Rang Weidong's proposal to merge the research and development achievements of learning machines and computers.

The head of R&D for the learning machine even seemed relieved.

The pressure was immense, but I finally submitted it.

On the contrary, the officials from the Ministry of Machine Building who came in with Wu Xi were probably in a better position.

At least they're already running Sino-foreign joint ventures.

That's right, the joint working meeting on electronic computers of the Fifth Ministry of Machinery Industry brought together all eight major machinery industry ministries.

Old Geng used to work for a secret engineering construction unit under the Second Ministry of Machine Building and the Ministry of Industry.

The Third Ministry of Machine Building was responsible for manufacturing aircraft under the Ministry of Aviation Industry.

The Fourth Ministry of Machinery Industry was the Ministry of Electronics Industry, which included the Optoelectronics Center, and later became the Ministry of Information Industry.

The Fifth Ministry of Machinery Industry was the Ministry of Ordnance Manufacturing Industry, and the main force of all the Third Front factories in terms of combat readiness belonged to this ministry.

Then the sixth machine is a ship, the seventh machine is aerospace, and the eighth machine is agricultural machinery, but in reality, it is the team led by that old man from the Mediterranean.

The First Ministry of Machine Building was, of course, a renowned industrial machinery department.

He is also currently one of the most sought-after executives in the automotive industry.

Wei Dong finally handed over the cooperation agreement on computers to Lao Cheng, the head of the Xishan General Factory, who brought computer experts to refine the terms.

When he faced Wu Xi again, he repeatedly scrutinized the guy's expression.

Wu Xi, thick-skinned, said, "They were checking your foreign exchange quota everywhere at noon. They kept coming to me to ask me to be their guarantor and accompany them. They really need foreign exchange."

Wei Dong retorted irritably, "Have you found out how much foreign exchange quota there is? Does this mean that foreign exchange also needs to be subject to public-private partnerships? Do you believe that all Hong Kong-invested enterprises and private companies can run away overnight?"

In theory, the foreign exchange system should be controlled by the state. Exporting companies can exchange their exports for US dollars, which can then be deposited in banks and converted into RMB for domestic use.

But if exporting companies also have to spend US dollars themselves, wouldn't that be competing with the country for the right to use foreign exchange?

That's why there are foreign exchange quotas; ordinary people simply don't qualify to spend foreign exchange.

This was rare during the planned economy era; the state would allocate funds in a unified manner.

But reform inevitably brings about change.

For example, the sanitary napkin machine that Wei Dong bought at the Guangdong Trade Fair last year has evolved into a giant enterprise with an annual output value of over 100 million yuan.

Unlike state-owned factories that spend huge sums of money importing equipment for industrial upgrading and other purposes, private entrepreneurs are spending their own money and are bound to see results.

This situation will become increasingly common. Wei Dong, having experienced the strict control of capital outflows three or four decades later, naturally finds the tax authorities playing a major role in this process.

Subconsciously, people tend to choose to leave their foreign exchange in Hong Kong, a free port for capital.

He was originally willing to make contributions and give back, but the Shanghai incident completely disgusted him.

We can't treat someone's enthusiasm like a harvested leek.

Wu Xi then became serious: "You're still emotional?"

Wei Dong chuckled: "Otherwise, what else can I do? I have to show that I can be manipulated. When I'm pushing forward livelihood projects without regard for personal gain, and making computers is for the sake of industrial development, and then this backstabbing is for personal profit, then of course I have to start caring about returns and the safety of my funds. Is that wrong?"

Wu Xi scratched his head: "There are always some interpersonal relationships involved, but can't we resolve that now? You're not just one of the masses anymore."

Wei Dong shook his head: "My attitude is still not for my own sake. If I were only thinking about myself, I should just laugh it off out of politeness and social graces, because at least you can reason with me. I am doing this for the sake of countless private and individual businesses, as well as overseas investors. The fair trade environment should not be like this. This is ruining the reputation of reform and opening up. The story of ants destroying the river embankment is used to describe this situation."

Wu Xi looked him straight in the eye: "Then what are you going to do?"

Wei Dong shook his head again: "I don't want to do anything. I even understand that I can't change anything. I just want to express that since it's not a situation of pure camaraderie, I must act according to market rules, without breaking the law or violating regulations, but in a way that makes it easier for the company to survive, rather than contributing all my efforts to the country. Making an adjustment in priorities is also to have greater strength to contribute to the country, isn't it?"

Wu Xi laughed instead: "Okay, everyone gets toughed out in real life. I'll do what I'm supposed to do..."

He gestured to the person next to him as he spoke.

This person seemed to have shut his ears, standing to the side with a smile, not participating in the conversation at all. Now it was as if he had skipped over the videotape: "The specific situation is like this: the contract was signed in 83, the joint venture was established in January 84, and the product will be officially launched on National Day this year. The cooperation between Pingjing Automobile Factory and Citibank has reached a critical juncture."

Wei Dong was already internally complaining: Damn, it took two years from signing the contract to production!

State-owned enterprises are so inefficient that it's outrageous.

But I wasn't exactly a pro at slacking off at work back then; everyone was like that when they were eating from the same pot.

His expression was definitely very polite, "Yes, please continue."

Some things are truly a matter of fate, or perhaps they are simply unavoidable.

Pingjing Automobile Factory is not far from the sanitary napkin factory. Last year, Weidong came to Pingjing to buy a car and used the sanitary napkin promotion method to establish a relationship with them.

That Jeep CJ SUV was a prototype assembled by this joint venture company, but as Wei Dong later learned, it was changed into the later famous Cherokee.

Jin Zhuoqun drove one yesterday; it was very impressive and good-looking.

The other party fits the unhurried temperament of someone within the system, pretending not to hear things they don't get involved in, but giving a stable description of what they are pushing forward without any emotional coloring: "After the first batch of 720 vehicles was assembled, it was well received by various ministries and the market. Now it has officially started production in the CKD model, which is to say, assembling imported parts."

Wei Dong nodded, saying that he was also setting up a contract manufacturing plant with Apple in Shanghai. So what?
Then there was the foreign exchange crisis: "Now there's a foreign exchange problem. All the parts for 1008 Cherokee vehicles are stuck in US ports and can't be loaded onto ships for a long time."

It was only then that Wei Dong realized: "You want to find someone to pay this foreign exchange? How much is the total price of a thousand vehicles in parts? We don't have tens of millions of US dollars."

The other party pulled out a document: "After all, it's a joint venture. Two million US dollars in foreign exchange can solve the problem."

Wei Dong nodded: "Okay, I understand what's going on. It's a payment on my behalf. They'll just pay me in RMB from here in China. Is that right?"

The other person put away the documents and smiled amiably: "That's right."

Wei Dong, unperturbed, asked, "So what did I get out of this business deal?"

The other party finally paused, then said, "You have this foreign exchange capital, shouldn't you be providing convenience for your motherland? You haven't suffered any loss."

Wei Dong shook his head like a rattle-drum: "No, no, no, we can't use patriotism to blackmail morality. If I need money and ask you for a loan, will you make it convenient for me? Anyway, it's all printed money, so there's no loss, right?"

The other party was completely stunned and looked at Wu Xi.

The guy chuckled and said, "I'm only responsible for guiding you and guaranteeing your safety. You guys can discuss the details. This bastard is just trying to sabotage me."

Wei Dong did exactly that: "Since you are also doing business with the Citibank, you should treat this matter with a business mindset. In a business mindset, both sides should be equal and willing. You can't say that just because you want to make money, I should be expected to make contributions for nothing. Even if the construction soldiers risk their lives for more than ten years, they should still receive allowances and subsidies, and if they sacrifice their lives, they should receive compensation. You can't take advantage of honest people who make sacrifices for nothing just because they have financial difficulties, and then support some people who withhold foreign exchange and control private enterprises, right?"

Wu Xi laughed heartily and pointed at Wei Dong to show the other party, implying that the guy did it on purpose.

The other party wasn't angry: "Then tell me what to do, I'm willing to submit a report or application. I'm always working with the attitude of resolving issues."

This made Wei Dong even less angry. His mentality, honed by forty years of security guard work in the service hall, was simply invincible: "You're the one who proposed what reasonable and legal benefits could entice me. Even if I use two million US dollars, I have to explain to my overseas partners that the funds are not my personal property to be moved at will, not to mention that every penny is used for our chip payments. Without any benefits, why would we risk defaulting and paying compensation to do this? Even if I were given a bunch of RMB in China, I still couldn't buy chips."

This shift in mindset is the most difficult part.

(End of this chapter)