My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 90 This world will eventually be as you wish

Sure enough, the city leaders soon came to meet with the reform talents.

She was even more amiable towards the scene of Weidong bringing children with him: "Is this your child?"

Weidong was now speaking nonsense. "Colleague, I'm doing some testing. Look, this baby pouch is the latest imported product we bought in Zhejiang. It's much more advanced than the wrapping cloth we use in the countryside. I'm currently inspecting the manufacturer in Jiangzhou to prepare for production."

There is indeed a world of difference. In the southwest, babies are swaddled with rags, towels, or blankets. Those who are more particular just use a large piece of cloth embroidered with flowers and a few more straps.

This baby bag is said to be made in Japan and is no different from those made 20 or 30 years later. It has nylon buckles, correction belts, and lumbar support pads.

Moreover, it has a beautiful appearance and is easy to lock.

If we want to imitate it in China, we don’t know how high the cost will be. I guess even nylon buckles and high-density sponges will not be enough.

Just saying it casually.

Just because he had just brought out the film festival agreement with the film factory and the daily newspaper, as well as the production and R&D cooperation with the Rongdu Electronic Appliance Factory, the task force had to change its attitude.

Now follow this line immediately.

Rang Weidong would definitely not say that this was the child of the salesperson you caught, and there was no trace of confrontation in him.

But it immediately made the other party focus and concentrate: "Produce this? Is it economical? This doesn't look cheap, can it be sold?"

Let Weidong elaborate: "The consumer market with a population of one billion is huge. The key is to make something that consumers really need. Of course, there will be no problem selling it."

The leader crossed his legs and sat on the sofa: "Production based on labor, should we shift to production based on demand?"

Even though Weidong only took the college entrance exam last year, he doesn't like to dwell on these words. He just gets things done: "After the Spring Festival, I drove to Zhezhou, then from Zhezhou to Jicheng and Pingjing. After a meeting, I drove from Pingjing along Jinxi and Anxi back to Shuchuan, from Xishan to Guozhou and then to Chengdu, and finally back to Jiangzhou. I just returned to Shangzhou yesterday. I can be said to have conducted down-to-earth sales research in more than a dozen provinces and cities and reached a conclusion."

"The current situation is that various factories are busy producing a pile of goods, regardless of whether they are suitable or not, which are piling up. Consumers are crying out that they can't buy many things that are supplied with coupons because the entire unified purchasing and sales channel is undergoing transformation and is almost paralyzed. The business model you described to me before the Spring Festival, moving products from manufacturer to consumer, is now basically impossible."

The leader lit a cigarette and asked, "Why can't you do it?"

Rang Weidong actually dared to untie the baby bag and let Maoer carry it outside to avoid the danger.

Then he answered, "I'm a farmer from Baifeng Mountain. If the entire commune had to work and do farm work together, and there were no private plots of land, people would quickly start to cheat and take advantage of the situation, working for the government without putting in any effort. That's why they implemented the household contract responsibility system, with everyone managing their own land. Once everyone was in charge, their enthusiasm immediately increased, and they were diligent and productive. The same is true in industry now. Whether you produce a lot or a little, you'll get paid anyway, so why put in the effort to develop and produce? Sales, regardless of how much you produce, are paid the same, and they're unwilling to expand into the market. So, when the enthusiasm that inspired the movement fades and the fundamental selfishness and greed of human nature emerges, the old model no longer works."

He doesn't want to discuss this nonsense. What system is none of his business.

But now that we are here, we should try to get Old You out.

Sure enough, the leader's frown was accompanied by the following thought: "The people's awareness needs to be further improved!"

Wei Dong tried not to laugh out loud. "Hasn't our awareness been high enough before? We're all human beings, not machines. We naturally like to eat and dress well. That's why Shancheng cigarettes are more expensive, yet demand outstrips supply. Ensuring a good life for everyone is the foundation of a happy life. Tightening our belts and shouting slogans has proven ineffective."

The leader defeated the ten masters with his strength: "Playing nonsense!"

Shitou leaned quietly beside his elder brother, feeling only the great power of the official.

My eldest brother calmly continued his conversation, "I'm not qualified to play the piano, and my father was nearly crippled from a fall. That's why I had to work so hard to earn money to send him to surgery. It's as simple as that. Without the opportunity of economic opening up, my father would have been paralyzed for life. That's why I strongly support reform and opening up."

The leader looked at him and asked, "Is the operation complete now?"

Rang Weidong nodded. "Yes, Jiangzhou is now at the forefront of reform and opening up, so I brought my parents to settle down in Jiangzhou. They now run a restaurant and earn... a thousand yuan a month."

In fact, it is more than a thousand yuan a day.

But this incredibly high-stakes income still shocked the city leaders: "Thousands of yuan?! How is that even reasonable? Isn't this disrupting economic order and widening the gap between the rich and the poor?"

Weidong wondered: "Why can't everyone earn thousands of yuan? Why do we have to meet the minimum standard? Reasonable and legal labor income can enable more than a dozen rural children to get urban income and wages. I came back this time hoping to bring more rural children out to work. The income and skills they bring back can also help build my hometown better." Even though Jiangzhou was later directly under the central government, it is still a nationally famous poverty-stricken area.

Shangzhou is the poorest of the poor, so in the next two or three decades, it will be the main force sending migrant workers to the coastal areas.

But it hasn't started yet.

Weidong's non-confrontational communication attitude made his boss readily accept it: "A restaurant can bring so many people. You should bring more people."

Shitou sat next to his elder brother with the childish smile of a seven or eight-year-old child, dangling his feet.

It was obvious that Weidong was just chatting with him. "Didn't I report to you about the work of People's Camera before the Spring Festival? It has already yielded results..."

Sure enough, the leader came closer to listen with great interest.

He didn't have a simple camera with him, but that didn't stop Wei Dong from listing the data: "Shangzhou has a population of over a hundred thousand. How many people can afford a camera? But wouldn't you like to use a camera to record your life and take a beautiful photo of yourself? A black and white photo costs 50 cents to 1 yuan, and a color photo costs 2 yuan. A camera costs at least 100 yuan, and a slightly better one costs 300 or 400 yuan or even more. It's definitely high-end."

He snapped his fingers and said, "So the idea behind Xishan Optical Instrument Factory and I is to develop and produce a simple camera. No fancy technology needed, just something that can capture light and shadow. Thirty yuan is fine, right?"

The leaders' eyes lit up: "Great! This product is exactly what the people need."

Let Weidong describe it further: "Do you know how we can bypass all the supply and marketing systems and get our products to the people? It's very interesting. In theory, we should go to Shanghai first and find those big department stores to get them on the shelves, or maybe go to Jiangzhou, Yuezhou, or Pingjing to win awards and make an appearance at some industrial product fair. No, we can go straight to the West Lake and find a small store selling film. In the blink of an eye, who wouldn't want to take pictures of such a view with the West Lake bustling with tourists? And then we can take the camera back and use it again. Wouldn't that be very happy and blessed?"

These people who insist on resisting change were once steadfast figures at the forefront of the struggle.

It’s just that their experience means they can’t accept such a radical change in thinking, especially after more than a decade of struggle.

But when talking about this kind of scene, he was naturally interested and laughed: "Yes, yes, yes, I went to West Lake 20 years ago. I wanted to take pictures at that time, but there were too many people in a meeting and I didn't have time."

Rang Weidong then instructed, "Shitou, go back and ask Sister Dong for a camera. Next time you have a chance, you can take some pictures of your favorite scenes. This is the purpose of this film festival."

It’s really useful to have two kids with you at all times.

Shitou jumped up and went, letting Weidong begin to talk nonstop about how he had learned at the Xishan Factory that seven domestic photosensitive material factories were all working on developing and producing domestic color film. "Now all the color film on the market is imported, ranging from 28 to 37 yuan per roll. One roll of film is equivalent to an ordinary worker's monthly salary, but they have to buy it. Without economic development, there will be no money for scientific research. My impression of this trip to Chengdu is that the country has become so poor that many scientific research projects have been suspended. First, we need to ensure that these researchers and military enterprises can have enough food."

Smoothly switch to this angle.

The old leader took a few deep puffs of his cigarette and finally began to think deeply.

You Qili also came to debate with this leader face to face, always discussing professional terms of various systems, which was purely academic debate.

On the contrary, it would make more sense for Weidong to just discuss the matter at hand and not discuss doctrine:
"I've searched around among several photosensitive material factories and feel that the Kaixuan Factory in northern Hebei is more communicative and has a more reform-oriented spirit. I've also consulted a reporter from Sunshine Daily, and we've gone to their factory together. Otherwise, they wouldn't bother with a kid from the southwest like me. But if we can produce domestic film and keep the price around ten yuan, wouldn't that help us withstand the market attack from foreign film when paired with the People's Camera?"

The old leader frowned and said, "Can't we ban the use of these foreign films?"

Rang Weidong shook his head. "Without foreign film, we wouldn't even be able to learn and improve our color film production. Reforming ourselves and opening up to the outside world means learning advanced experiences and improving ourselves. We're sure to suffer some losses in the early stages, but if we persist in our efforts and improve, one day, all our industries and products will be at the top of the world. I firmly believe in this. On the contrary, resisting this opening up and worrying about initial losses is like closing our country to the outside world. Aren't the lessons of the Opium War enough?"

As for theories, everyone has their own opinions. You have the words of a big shot as evidence, and he has the authoritative definition from that side as a basis. The result of arguing with each other is that emotions run rampant and the situation becomes increasingly deadlocked.

Those who don't understand the theory just ask Weidong to present facts and talk about cases.

Not to mention his confidence in the future, he has already had enough cases in practice in less than a year.

The veteran leader of this remote, mountainous prefecture-level city looked at him slowly and said, "Xiao Rang, you must carry this unwavering determination throughout your life."

Of course Weidong nodded, isn't this nonsense?

He witnessed it with his own eyes.

(End of this chapter)