Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 309 A Stack of Manuscripts

"Alright, I'd like to hear what's troubling our Factory Director Zhao." Knowing that he wanted to discuss business away from his family, He Yuzhu nodded and smiled.

“Brother Zhu, don’t be so modest. What kind of big factory manager am I? I know that the projects you’re working on with the tractor factory in the south are bigger than my factory,” Zhao Zhenhua said.

"Your information network is quite impressive."

"How could I not be quick to respond? I almost wore myself out running around like crazy the other day." As they spoke, the two walked into the courtyard, where the early summer evening breeze dispelled the daytime heat.

Zhao Zhenhua handed He Yuzhu a cigarette, lit it for him, and lit one for himself. He took a deep drag before slowly saying, "Brother Zhu, to be honest, the factory is under a lot of pressure right now."

"Oh? What problem have you encountered?" He Yuzhu exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone indifferent.

"I really can't bring myself to speak to you, the old factory director!" Zhao Zhenhua sighed.

"So, are you going to tell me or not? If you don't, I'm going back to chat with Aunt Xia!" He Yuzhu said.

"Tell me, tell me, you're making me sigh a bit. The factory is facing a technical problem. The higher-ups have assigned us a task to improve the performance of our current off-road vehicles, especially their ability to handle special road conditions. We've been researching for a long time and have looked for a lot of prototypes outside. In the end, we realized we were going to the wrong place. It turns out the best one is right here at our doorstep."

"You guys have been researching 'Warriors'?"

"Yeah, we foolishly went out and searched for it, only to find out when we came back that the things had been delivered to us years ago, and we hadn't even noticed."

"Wait a minute, I remember I brought over a hundred 'Warriors' back then."

“We didn’t get a chance. We’re all in the military. And you too, you got all the bids. We thought they were imported goods, so we went out to look for them.”

"It's not my fault, you know what happened in those years."

"Well, in the end, someone had to send it in for repairs before we discovered that the parts all had the name 'Yellow River' on them. It's like being blinded by a leaf and not being able to see Mount Tai!"

"That shouldn't be the case. We asked you to develop it, but you didn't even send over a sample?"

"Yes, we gave it to them. They just wanted us to see it. The military treats it like a treasure and is reluctant to let us take it apart. Also, your codes and stuff are so well hidden that outsiders can't tell at all."

"Tell me where you all went?" He Yuzhu asked with a smile.

Zhao Zhenhua looked at He Yuzhu with a hint of resentment in his eyes and said, "We organized a technical inspection team, went to Europe and North America, and finally heard that AMC in North America had a four-wheel drive system, so we went there, and then..."

"What's the result?"

"We came up empty-handed; the property had already been sold several years ago."

"Hahahaha!"

"You're still laughing? I can't remember the name of that company they mentioned, it was a long string of English names, but I know it must be the one you bought, because our technicians tested it and found that the technology used by 'Warriors' has surpassed AMC's, but it still has the shadow of AMC," Zhao Zhenhua said confidently.

"Whatever you say, I'm not going to admit it," He Yuzhu said.

"That's not all. Do you know what else those Americans did?"

"What is it?" This piqued He Yuzhu's interest.

"They said the technology patents are gone, but they still have the equipment and engineers, and asked if we wanted them."

"and then?"

"We asked, and the price is outrageously high! It's practically robbery! And the conditions are extremely harsh; they're only willing to sell finished products or assembled parts." Zhao Zhenhua's voice rose slightly, sounding somewhat agitated.

"You've reminded me. Looks like I'll have to send someone over to talk to them," He Yuzhu said coldly.

"Can't they produce it?" Zhao Zhenhua asked, puzzled.

"What do you think?"

"I see. It's a good thing we didn't reach an agreement, otherwise you would have taken us to court too!"

"That's not the case. We'll only look for the root cause. By the way, have any other companies experienced similar situations?"

"I think so, because they all look very similar. This is not just my subjective opinion, but the result of our technical staff's assessment."

"Understood. Looks like my legal team will be quite busy." He Yuzhu nodded.

"Brother Zhu, could we introduce the technology from the Yellow River?" Zhao Zhenhua asked.

"What price can you offer?" He Yuzhu asked in return.

"This"

"Well then, I'll be staying a few more days anyway, so you can go back and discuss it. But don't tell anyone that the boss of Yellow River is here."

"Understood, understood. I'll take this as preparation for the negotiation."

He Yuzhu looked at him and smiled, then said, "Zhenhua, officially, I am Chinese and I hope that the country's automobile industry can be developed. Personally, you call me brother, and Aunt Xia treats me like a son or nephew. I will definitely help if I can."

"Thank you, Brother Zhu!"

However, He Yuzhu changed the subject and became serious: "However, the specifics of the cooperation must be done in a formal manner. This is not just a matter of money, but also involves a series of issues such as technical standards, intellectual property rights, equipment import, personnel training, and even the future market positioning of the products."

"I know, even though this place still has a planned economy, I've learned a bit from my trip!"

"That's good. Don't worry, we definitely can't just sell you parts like AMC does. But we need to set up a professional team to conduct a detailed evaluation and negotiation on the specific cooperation model. This won't happen so quickly!" He Yuzhu said.

Zhao Zhenhua nodded quickly: "I understand, I understand! Brother Zhu, as long as you can negotiate, that's fantastic news! I'll coordinate with the factory and report to the higher-ups. I'll do my best to meet any requests that can be met."

"Don't worry, I won't make things too difficult for you. Of course, I can't let the Yellow River suffer, right? The Yellow River doesn't belong to me alone."

After saying that, He Yuzhu patted Zhao Zhenhua and turned to walk into the house, leaving Zhao Zhenhua alone to ponder the sentence, "The Yellow River does not belong to me alone!"

Zhao Zhenhua really couldn't understand it, because state-owned enterprises belong to the state, while in his understanding, private enterprises belong to the business owners.

Of course, he was in a good mood, because he had at least seen a glimmer of hope, and this glimmer of hope came from his own people, which was much better than begging those arrogant foreign companies.

He Yuzhu went inside and chatted with Wang Hongxia for a while, with laughter and cheerful voices coming from inside.

Then, disregarding Wang Hongxia's insistence on keeping them, He Yuzhu took his leave with He Yuyan, saying they would come back another day.

Wang Hongxia didn't insist on keeping them. Zhao Zhenhua drove He Yuzhu and his brother back to the guesthouse, mainly to familiarize themselves with the place.

Back home, Wang Hongxia asked Zhao Zhenhua, "How did the talk go?"

"Mom, why is there such a big difference between people?"

"Oh, is this still our spirited Factory Director Zhao?"

"Please don't make fun of me. Back when Brother Zhu was the factory manager, he could get whatever he wanted. But now that I'm here, it's hard to even take a single step."

"You mean this? Well, don't complain. Why isn't he outstanding? You still have a lot to learn!"

"Yes, I wasn't qualified before, but this time I need to learn properly."

"It's good that you know the gap, but there's one thing: you're not allowed to make things difficult for your brother Zhuzi, understand?" Wang Hongxia's face was serious as she finished speaking.

“I understand. If I dare to make things difficult for Brother Zhu, my dad will whip me with his belt when he gets back,” Zhao Zhenhua said.

"Your father can't lift you up anymore!" Wang Hongxia exclaimed.

"But what about my older brother!"

"Good to know. Alright, take your wife and kids back now."

"Mom, you should get some rest!"

"Alright, let's go, the children are sleepy."

The next morning, He Yuzhu called Lao Fang to inquire about the meeting place and time.

Old Fang just told him to wait, and then He Yuzhu took He Yuyan to the Dongdan vegetable market again, carrying big bags and small bags back to the guesthouse, attracting a lot of curious glances along the way, since the guesthouse couldn't cook.

Around 10 o'clock, the same jeep came to pick us up again.

Old Fan was still driving. The car went directly to a quiet alley in Dongcheng, and then Old Fan led the way into a small courtyard.

Old Fang was already waiting in the yard, watering several potted plants with a small spray bottle, looking quite relaxed.

"Did you just set up this place?" He Yuzhu asked.

“Yes, the policy has been relaxed now, and I happen to have some spare money. There’s too much to do in the compound, so I need to come out and relax occasionally,” Old Fang said.

"The environment is quite nice and quiet."

"Then why would I buy it if it's not quiet?"

"You have all the necessary equipment, right?"

"It's all ready. I had someone prepare it yesterday, otherwise it would have been a real waste of your skills."

"You're not going to just leave us standing at the door, are you?"

"Are you stupid? Why are you carrying those things around? Come inside and sit down," Old Fang said irritably.

The house was clean and tidy, and the furniture was neither new nor old, so it must have come with it when it was bought.

After putting down his things, He Yuzhu said, "I'll go check on the kitchen first."

"Okay, just tell Lao Fan what you need, and we'll go buy it."

"it is good."

He Yuzhu went to the kitchen and checked around. Everything seemed to be in order. When he came back, he asked, "Should we make it at noon or in the evening?"

"Let's just grab something to eat for lunch, then have a chat. We didn't get to talk enough yesterday."

"Okay, then I'll leave lunch to Yuyan."

"Brother, are you still making zha jiang mian (noodles with soybean paste)?"

"You decide what to do yourself, make something easy to digest."

"Got it!"

After He Yuyan left, Old Fang asked, "How well has this kid learned the craft?" "I don't know, just wait and eat, it won't be bad!"

"Well, I thought about what you said yesterday. Do you have any other good ideas? You know, the current situation is not optimistic. The country urgently wants to improve our industrial level to cope with the future."

“Uncle Fang, I thought about it when I got back yesterday and wrote something down. Please take a look.” He Yuzhu took out a stack of papers from his pocket.

Old Fang took it, unfolded it, and found it to be five or six pages long.

He put on his reading glasses and looked at it carefully.

What's written on paper isn't specific technical details, but rather an outline-style "question list" and "requirements analysis."

It covers the fields of land, sea and air equipment, asking about shortcomings, technological bottlenecks, and potential obstacles to the introduction, digestion and absorption of foreign technologies.

The writing is very restrained, mostly focusing on the general direction, but the direction is very clear. It is obviously exploring the situation and investigating the possible directions and boundaries of cooperation.

After reading it, Lao Fang looked up at He Yuzhu and said, "Zhuzi, what do you mean by this? Are you going to go down the same old path again? You're not the same person you used to be."

He Yuzhu shook his head and said with a smile, "Uncle Fang, you're overthinking it, and the speed you mentioned is too slow."

"What do you mean?" Old Fang asked, puzzled.

"Let me give you an example. If I brought back the data for the most advanced aircraft, do you think we could build it domestically?"

"Can't we?" Old Fang asked.

"No, China is already decades behind the rest of the world. I've already verified that."

What did you use to verify it?

“Helicopters can’t be built without an industrial base,” He Yuzhu said.

Old Fang remained silent, and He Yuzhu continued, "And let me tell you, my helicopter is only slightly better than it was ten years ago, which is about the same as when the Monkey Country and the Bald Eagle were fighting. Do you understand now?"

Old Fang nodded and asked in return, "Is the difference that big?"

"Yes, that's about it. And that's after I spent a lot of effort getting some equipment."

"You mean these devices aren't available domestically?"

"No." He Yuzhu nodded.

"Can you manufacture these devices?"

"Uncle Fang, you think too highly of me. I'm just a businessman. How can I compare my industry to that of an entire country?" He Yuzhu laughed.

"So you're telling me what to do?"

"That's exactly what you're thinking. We need to get a clear picture of what's missing before we can come up with a solution, right?"

"Do you have any idea?"

"I don't know, but there are more ways than in China. Of course, you don't need to tell me if you've already investigated."

"I understand. If we can't do the whole thing, we should do the details first, right?"

“Yes,” He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"You've listed so many, don't you have any thoughts of your own?"

"To say there isn't one would be impossible, but of course, the premise is that it matches up and I can still do it; otherwise, I wouldn't dare to take it."

"That's true."

"Another problem is that these are not things that can be accomplished overnight; it may take ten years or more to do them."

"To put it bluntly, you're just making the most of the last bit of power I have left."

"No, you were the one who suggested it, I just went along with it."

"Aren't you afraid it will flip over?"

"Would you sell me, sir?"

"Get out!!!"

For lunch, He Yuyan changed the menu, but it was still noodles, specifically braised noodles. Old Fang clearly liked it and ate a big bowl. Old Fan remarked from the side, "This is the most he's eaten in the last two years."

"Uncle Fang, how's my cooking?" He Yuyan asked with a smile.

"Sure, but I don't know how good my cooking skills are?"

“I can’t offer that, you’ll have to rely on my brother,” He Yuyan said.

"By the way, have you made up your mind yet, are you going to stay in China or not?"

"I haven't decided yet. I want to look around some more before making a decision."

“That’s fine. After all, you were still young when you went out. Let your brother take you around, show you things, and tell you stories, especially about modern history.”

"Ok."

"Pillar, can you explain this clearly?"

"Uncle Fang, if I can't explain it clearly, you're still here for me. At worst, we can send this kid to Beijing University to study history."

"That would be a waste of a promising young soldier," Old Fang said.

"No rush, we'll be staying for a while anyway."

"Hongxia, have you explained everything clearly?"

"To be clear, I still need your help with work-related matters."

"Well, it's really just a cleanup; a lot of the original documents are gone," Old Fang sighed.

"Eh!!!"

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I have to go out this afternoon. You two brothers can stay here. I'll be back around five o'clock, and I'll bring you two bottles of good wine!" Old Fang said.

"Alright, then I'll take advantage of Uncle Fang's kindness," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

With nothing to do in the afternoon, He Yuzhu dragged He Yuyan to practice boxing twice in the yard. The kid has gone a bit astray, now focusing more on practical combat and incorporating things like free fighting and jiu-jitsu.

However, he was still the type to get beaten up. After practicing for a while, He Yuyan quit. He was always the one to beat others in other places, but when he fought his brother, he was just Cun Cun's punching bag and sparring partner.

"Brother, if you ever need to spar with someone again, don't ask me!"

"What's wrong? You can't take it anymore after losing a few times?"

"How many times has this happened? I've never won, okay? Your stamina doesn't look like you're twenty years older than me at all," He Yuyan said, feeling frustrated.

"When Uncle Fang comes back, you can tell him that he has a lot of martial arts experts in all sorts of styles."

"What level are they at?" He Yuyan asked, intrigued.

"About the same as you," He Yuzhu mumbled.

"Alright, let me ask. If you don't practice your boxing for a long time, you'll regress. Look at my third brother now, he can't even last three moves against me."

"He's too busy to practice."

"So you're not busy anymore?"

"I'm different from you."

“How is it different? The eldest son of the He family is different?” He Yuyan said.

"You brat, how dare you talk to your brother like that? Come here and hit me again."

"No, I don't want to be abused." He Yuyan ran away.

Old Fang originally had no plans for the afternoon, but after seeing He Yuzhu's manuscript, he couldn't sit still. Of course, he wouldn't just take the manuscript out directly; he spent the afternoon arranging things, having someone type it out by category, then making many copies and having them delivered to the relevant departments.

Then He Yuzhu's manuscript was burned by him. As for others asking about it, no one would really ask, because most of their information came from Lao Fang and his group.

This isn't for civilian use; most of it is for military use. Although it only contains ideas and preliminary findings, it's enough for veteran military engineers to think about.

After finishing his work, Lao Fang took out two bottles of ten-year-old Moutai from the cabinet under his desk, put them in a military satchel, and left the office.

When he returned to the courtyard, it was almost six o'clock. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled the aroma of vegetables filling the air.

"Zhu Zi, what delicious food did you make for your Uncle Fang today?"

"I've prepared two dishes for you: Shandong cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, and halal cuisine. Aren't I generous enough?"

"Wow, braised oxtail, braised pork strips, Mapo tofu, and this is the same sauerkraut fish you made back then, right? And braised pork intestines. We're really in for a treat today. I also informed you, Lao Fan, let's have a drink together tonight. It seems like none of us have ever drunk alcohol before."

"I had drinks with Zhu Zi in Moscow. He cooked us a huge feast that time, more than 20 years ago," Lao Fan said.

"That's perfect, let's make up for it with this drink today. You said you'd come back and we'd drink together, but who knew so many things would happen?" Old Fang said.

"No!"

The meal lasted until after 10 p.m., and several extra bottles of wine were opened, all of which were secretly brought out by He Yuzhu.

The conversation mostly revolved around nostalgia. He Yuyan and the others kept their conversation brief, mentioning things from before the storm. However, from these few words, He Yuyan learned that his older brother was extraordinary. He was more than just extraordinary; according to Lao Fang, if he were to take the plunge, he would be the king of this industry, although He Yuyan didn't know exactly which industry.

Of course, he also learned that his older brother was a top soldier, because he heard a different version of the Korean Peninsula story from Lao Fang and Lao Fan, which was more bloody and had the smell of gunpowder from the battlefield.

After dinner, Lao Fan was too drunk to drive. He Yuzhu asked them where they were going, and the two said they were staying in this courtyard.

He Yuzhu settled the two of them in, and then he and He Yuyan tidied up their things. He Yuyan locked the door from the inside and then climbed over the wall to get out.

The two brothers took a tricycle back to the guesthouse. He Yuzhu slept very well that night, but He Yuyan had some insomnia. He was thinking about what he should do in the future.

(End of this chapter)