Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 312 Blame

The two drove to Xiangdu County to find Gao Dabao. After all, they were in Xiangdu, and it wouldn't be right not to contact Gao Dabao, since he had helped with the factory matter.

Gao Dabao was still very excited to see He Yuzhu. He came up and tightly grasped He Yuzhu's hand, saying, "I'm so happy to see you again, old company commander."

“Me too,” He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"Alright, Da Bao, are you planning to have the old company commander and me standing at the door?"

"Yes, yes, let's go inside and talk, let's go inside and talk."

After chatting for a while in Gao Dabao's office, He Yuzhu said, "Let's go, let's go take a look at the factory area, and then I'll treat you to dinner tonight. You guys should have a restaurant in Xiang, right?"

"Yes, yes, but I'll definitely be the one treating. How can I let the guests pay?" Gao Dabao hurriedly replied.

“My factory is right here, I’m not a guest,” He Yuzhu said with a smile.

“That’s different, it’s different!” Gao Dabao said.

"We'll talk about it later. Let's go, is that convenient for you?" He Yuzhu asked.

"It's easy, I'll just let them know."

An hour later, the three arrived at the two factory sites. The construction sites were bustling with activity, with various vehicles coming and going, and the people inside working very hard.

The gatekeeper recognized Liao Wei's car and quickly stood up to signal him. Liao Wei leaned out of the car window to greet him, and the car entered the factory area.

Liao Wei drove directly to the construction site office. Xu Damao was already waiting at the door when Liao Wei got out of the car. The security guard had already told him to come in via walkie-talkie.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Xu Damao was very surprised to see He Yuzhu.

"Why can't I come? Who knows if you guys will slack off!" He Yuzhu joked.

"How could that be? Even if I wanted to slack off, the people below wouldn't allow it. They're all waiting for the factory to start operating so they can get to work," Xu Damao said, pointing to the busy construction site.

Where is Yang Tao?

“I’ve already contacted him, and he’ll be here soon.”

"Okay, show us around the construction site first."

"Okay, Xiao Huang, go get a few safety helmets." Xu Damao instructed one of the people next to him.

"Yes, Mr. Xu." The young man jogged off and quickly returned with several safety helmets.

The group put on safety helmets, and then Xu Damao led He Yuzhu on a tour of the refrigerator factory's office building, factory buildings, and R&D laboratory. Yang Tao came over and drove He Yuzhu and the others to the car factory for a look around.

Both of them knew that He Yuzhu didn't like to make a fuss, so they didn't tell their subordinates that the big boss had come. The subordinates thought it was someone from the county, which was perfectly normal. Every now and then, someone from the county would come to ask about the progress and whether there were any difficulties that needed to be resolved.

After the tour, He Yuzhu told Liao Wei and Gao Dabao to rest for a while, while he went into a small conference room with Xu Damao and Yang Tao.

"When will the construction of these two factories be completed?" He Yuzhu asked after he finished looking at them.

"All the factory buildings, electrical circuits, and water systems will be completed by the end of the year, but the equipment will have to be delivered after the Chinese New Year next year," Yang Tao said.

"The refrigerator factory should be able to get the equipment in by the end of the year. As for production, it may not start until the second quarter of next year. Our old factory has relatively old equipment and not enough of it, so we need to bring in two more production lines," Xu Damao said.

"As for the workers, the car factory is a bit better off, but a refrigerator factory can't possibly have no skilled workers at all, can it?"

"I want to process the customs clearance procedures for the old employees of the refrigerator factory in Hong Kong. They need to stay here for at least six months," Xu Damao said.

Are they willing to come?

"I haven't formally asked about this yet, but some information has been released, and some people are quite resistant, after all, the environment here is quite different," Xu Damao said.

"The cost of living is low too," He Yuxin said with a smile.

“That’s true, they’re all considered wealthy people,” Xu Damao said with a smile.

"There's one more thing you need to handle properly, or you'll run into trouble."

"Brother, tell me."

"It's all about compensation. Those coming from Hong Kong must keep their salaries confidential. If people here find out how much they earn, you'll be in trouble."

"We've thought of that too. The best solution is to pay the workers here in the same way as other workers, using domestic money, and pay the rest in Hong Kong."

“Okay, you can handle it yourselves. Otherwise, it will be difficult to manage the people below,” He Yuzhu said.

"Understood," the two said in unison.

After talking for a while, Yang Tao went to greet Liao Wei and Gao Dabao, leaving only He Yuzhu and Xu Damao.

"Da Mao, I just got back from Beijing."

"Brother, you're back in Beijing. How's it going?"

"Not much has changed. By the way, do you plan to develop your career in Hong Kong or return to mainland China?"

“I need to go back and ask Xiao’e about this,” Xu Damao said.

"Don't you have any thoughts of your own?"

"I don't care, they're all pretty much the same. But the prospects in mainland China look great, but it won't be short-term. By then, I probably won't be able to work anymore."

"It's nothing, I was just asking. It's up to you. You can't tie yourself to the refrigerator factory. You need to prepare for the selection of the factory manager in advance. I will also talk to Yang Tao about the car factory."

"I understand. Are we selecting people from Hong Kong, or..."

"Actually, either is fine, it mainly depends on ability and the reliability of the person."

"Let's stick with Hong Kong for the initial stage. It's not easy to find someone with that capability here; they're all in legitimate companies."

“Okay, you need to take this seriously. It’s best to select the equipment before it arrives at the factory, and then you can work on it for a while. Later, we may need you to do other projects.”

"Brother, have you found another great project?"

"It's hard to say yet; we'll know in a while."

"Okay, I see."

"By the way, let's find a decent place tonight, I'll treat you to dinner. I brought back a few bottles of good wine."

“We’ll have to go to the county; there’s nothing around here,” Xu Damao said.

"No problem, you can arrange it."

Then Xu Damao went out and called Yang Tao in. He Yuzhu also told Yang Tao about the factory director's matter. Yang Tao agreed and said he would definitely handle it well.

That evening, the group ate local food and drank quite a bit of alcohol. However, Liao Wei didn't drink as much this time, having witnessed firsthand how much his old company commander could drink. In the end, Gao Dabao got drunk.

The next day, He Yuzhu and Liao Wei drove to the special economic zone. Xu Damao also wanted to go, but He Yuzhu said that he would go and then go back directly from Huacheng, so Xu Damao gave up.

The road ahead led from farmland to wasteland, and it was clear that this was Liao Wei's first time in the area.

"Old Company Commander, do you think this place can be built like Huacheng?"

“In less than ten years, this will be another Flower City,” He Yuzhu said.

"Does the old company commander really have such a high opinion of the special economic zone?"

"Hehe, don't underestimate the country's policies."

"Aren't we going to say hello to the people here?"

"No need, they're too enthusiastic. I'll just look at two places and then we'll go back."

"it is good."

It took the two of them a whole day to see all the places He Yuzhu wanted to go. The area around the port was full of houses, and Yantian was a small fishing port.

Liao Wei knew that He Yuzhu might be planning to invest, but he didn't ask. He figured He Yuzhu would tell him what needed to be said.

The two returned to Huacheng overnight. Liao Wei arranged for He Yuzhu to stay at a guesthouse in the city. He Yuzhu called He Yuxin to ask about the boat. He Yuxin immediately checked the flight schedule and told He Yuzhu the time.

He Yuzhu chose a time, and He Yuxin gave He Yuzhu the name of the ship and the captain's name. Then he began to contact the captain.

The next afternoon, He Yuzhu boarded the ship. Liao Wei, who came to see him off, said, "Old Company Commander, you should come back and visit more often when you have time. I will let you know as soon as possible if there is any news from the old Battalion Commander and the others."

"Okay, if any more soldiers come down, just contact Xu Damao and the others, they will make the arrangements."

"I know this."

"Alright, go back now, I'm leaving."

"Goodbye."

Upon returning to Hong Kong, He Yuzhu drove a port car directly home.

When the elderly people in the family saw He Yuzhu return, and then did not see He Yuyan, Chen Lanxiang asked, "Zhuzi, where is Lao Wu?"

"They stayed in mainland China."

"What? Such a big thing, why didn't you tell us? And you, if your brother wants to stay, you just let him stay?"

"Lanxiang, make Zhuzi explain himself clearly!" the old lady said.

"Alright, tell me, what exactly happened?" Chen Lanxiang asked He Yuzhu. "Mother, Yuyan isn't a child anymore. As his older brother, I should support whatever decision he makes."

"Is it really that simple?" Chen Lanxiang asked.

"Well, he started dating someone, and the girl's family arranged for her to marry someone who had served in the military, so Yu Yan went to serve in the military."

"What? Fifth brother went to join the army, and you agreed?" Chen Lanxiang immediately exploded.

"Ah."

"What kind of soldier were you in, and where did you go?"

"I don't know, I'll find out when I get to the army."

"Zhu Zi, will there be any danger?" the old lady asked worriedly.

“What soldier doesn’t face danger?” He Yuzhu said.

"Waaaaah, couldn't Xiao Wu have told his mother?" Chen Lanxiang started to cry.

He Yuzhu was in a real bind.

“Lanxiang, Yuyan is destined to leave home. He went to a military academy in North America. Even if he doesn’t come back to China to join the army, he’ll still go abroad. It’s much more dangerous outside than in China,” said Grandpa Chen.

“Dad, I just can’t bear to part with him. You know how many dangers Zhuzi faced when he joined the army. As his mother, I was worried sick every day. Now that our lives are better, we can do anything. Why can’t Xiao Wu do that? What’s so good about joining the army?” Chen Lanxiang said.

"Zhu Zi, what did you just say? Yu Yan is dating someone? What does her family do? Why are they so demanding?" Everyone's attention was focused on Lao Wu's enlistment, but the old lady was the first to realize something was wrong. He's only been gone a short time, and he's already dating someone and meeting their parents?

"It's similar to my Uncle Zhao's family, but at a much higher level."

"How did we meet?"

He Yuzhu recounted how He Yuyan had heroically saved the damsel in distress.

"This young man, he didn't even look at so many girls before, but he fell for this one after just one meeting?" the old lady said.

"I haven't seen it either, as long as he likes it, that's fine."

"Not even a photo or anything?"

"No, we'll find out when you get back."

Although Chen Lanxiang was crying, she was listening. Upon hearing this, she asked, "When can we go back and see?"

“Actually, it’s fine anytime. Then you can take us back to visit in a while,” Chen Lanxiang said. Joining the army was irreversible, but she wanted to visit her fifth son’s girlfriend because her second son had dragged his feet until he was so old, and her third and fourth sons were never home, so they never saw their girlfriends.

"By the way, I went back to my hometown, and I had someone repair the ancestral graves." He Yuzhu changed the subject. He would have to wait until the housing issue was settled before going back. He knew his grandmother and the others wouldn't allow him to stay in a hotel all the time.

"Who else is in the family?" Old Master Chen asked.

He Yuzhu gave a brief overview of the village's situation, and Old Master Chen sighed, "Alas, there aren't many elderly people left."

"Should we move my grandmother's grave back?" He Yuzhu asked.

"Can we really move?" Old Master Chen asked.

"It's a bit troublesome, but it can be done," He Yuzhu nodded.

"You should discuss this with your uncle and the others. I don't think they have any intention of going back. They'll wait until I leave."

"Grandpa, we'll talk about that later," He Yuzhu said hurriedly.

“Zhu Zi is right, my old bones are still here,” the old lady said.

"Sister, this isn't it."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Zhu Zi, what about our house now?"

He Yuzhu explained the situation again, and the old lady sighed: "Sigh, there's nowhere to stay if we go back, so why bother going back?"

“Madam, we will get the house back. We will continue to live in No. 95 Courtyard.”

"Can we really get it back? There are so many people living inside."

"It's not a big problem, but we'll have to wait."

"Didn't you go in and check on our house?" the old lady said.

"Grandma, what kind of people live in our courtyard? Are you asking Zhuzi to cause trouble for you?" Chen Lanxiang said.

"I had forgotten about that. It seems it won't be easy to get that house back."

"There's nothing difficult about getting it; it's just a matter of money. It's just that the policies there aren't that flexible right now, but they should be able to later."

"That's good, that's good," the old lady said. She knew her eldest grandson was rich now, but as for how much houses cost in China, she still had a concept from more than ten years ago.

When everyone in the family returned home that evening, He Daqing learned that his fifth brother had gone to join the army, and he smoked a cigarette in silence for a while.

Finally, he said to He Yuzhu, "You've explained things clearly to Xiao Wu since you came back, right? Don't act impulsively in any situation. In dangerous situations, saving your life is the most important thing."

“Dad, I’ve already told you, our fifth son isn’t that stupid. He’s much smarter than those soldiers back home.”

"Don't try to fool me. I know what the military is like. It's a melting pot. No matter what you were like before you went in, you'll be pretty much the same after you're in," He Daqing said.

"Father, you see things very clearly."

"How could I not understand? You have quite a few soldiers under your command who came from China. They are just different from others."

"That's true."

"But it's good, once he goes in, Xiao Wu should be able to train properly and do whatever he wants in the future," He Daqing said.

He Yuzhu gave a thumbs up, saying that his father had become more insightful over the years.

"Then you should try to persuade my mother more."

“Alright, I know. Your mother doesn’t really care what she does; the key thing is whether she’s safe,” He Daqing said.

"There are dangers in everything you do, as you should know. Hong Kong is much more chaotic than the mainland."

"That's why I didn't stop him. The fourth brother's job as a policeman is no less dangerous than his job as a soldier," He Daqing said.

"That's true, Dad. Don't you want to go back to Beijing and see your old friends?"

"What other old friends do you have besides your few senior uncles and senior masters?" He Daqing lit another cigarette.

"I didn't visit them this time I went back, mainly because..."

"Alright, you don't need to tell me. You must have your reasons for not going. If you could have met them, you would have done so already."

"Father, you see things more clearly."

"Bullshit, I've just suffered too many losses," He Daqing said irritably.

That evening, He Yuzhu told Xiaoman that he had gone to repair his mother-in-law's grave, and Xiaoman hugged him and cried for a long time.

Not long after He Yuzhu returned to Hong Kong, people from the Special Administrative Region arrived to conduct a second round of business negotiations.

This time, they gained a certain degree of autonomy and wanted to finalize the cooperation agreement. They didn't come in one group; some of them went to talk to other businessmen in Hong Kong, since Huanghe is not an industry-wide player.

The negotiations went relatively smoothly. He Yuzhu had tested the bottom line of the port's equity, which was 50%, and once that was no longer an issue, all the problems would be about details.

The mainland basically contributed resources as equity. The area was extremely poor and everything was newly built. Huanghe invested capital, professional equipment, and management technology. The two parties jointly established a joint venture company, and the operating rights belonged to the joint venture company. The cooperation period was fifty years.

Profits will be distributed according to shareholding ratios. Meanwhile, Huanghe promises to give priority to hiring local labor and to accept industry supervision from the Special Administrative Region government.

The special economic zone also made a request that the construction companies be domestic. This was actually intended to learn advanced technologies to lay the foundation for building other ports in the future.

He Yuzhu did not refuse, but Huanghe would still send people to supervise the construction, and the special economic zone had no objection to this.

However, the construction company, First Metallurgical Construction Company, lacked a lot of large equipment. After negotiations, it was agreed that Huanghe would provide it, and the cost would be deducted from the construction fee.

Then there's the Luohu Port project. The Special Administrative Region granted the land use rights for fifty years. Huanghe submitted a planning proposal, but the Special Administrative Region still wanted to use domestic construction methods, and Huanghe agreed.

Finally, there was a small project, a municipal public rental housing project, for which we signed a contract directly.

The signing ceremony was quite formal, held at the Bank of China in Hong Kong. After the signing, Huanghe hosted a small celebration reception.

At the reception, He Yuzhu, holding a wine glass, chatted idly in a corner with Director Zhang, the person in charge from the Special Economic Zone.

"Mr. He seems to have even more confidence in the future development of the special economic zone than we do?" Director Zhang asked with a smile.

"Confidence stems from our judgment of the general trend. For the mainland to develop, opening up to the outside world is an inevitable path; the special economic zones, as windows and testing grounds, have a high probability of success; we are just taking the first step and occupying a position." He Yuzhu said calmly.

"Mr. He is too modest. Your port planning and even the preliminary computer management concept have broadened our horizons. To be honest, we don't even fully understand the importance of many aspects."

"Take your time. Once the project is underway and you start using these things, you'll be able to experience their benefits without anyone teaching you."

"That's true!"

“Speaking of which, I’ve recently noticed a technological trend that may be crucial for future development,” He Yuzhu said.

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

(End of this chapter)