Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 318 The Shock of the Jidong Expedition
The conversation in the study lasted for nearly an hour.

When He Yuzhu knocked on the door to remind them that dinner was ready, the three of them were able to pull themselves out of their heavy memories and complicated emotions.

Old Zhao took a deep breath, patted Yu Zecheng's shoulder forcefully, and everything was understood without words.

Wang Cuiping wiped her eyes and smiled, "Let's go, Lao Zhao, try Zhu Zi's cooking. He rarely cooks."

This title was requested by Lao Zhao himself. The couple had long since ceased to be insiders, so why call them "Secretary"?

Inside the restaurant, a large round table was already laden with delicious-looking dishes, including Sichuan, Shandong, and Cantonese cuisine—a far more lavish meal than the reception lunch we had at noon.

He Daqing even brought out two bottles of fine wine.

Several members of the He family's second generation—Yu Shui, Yu Xin, Yu Yao, and Wang Si Yu—have also returned.

Upon seeing Old Zhao, they all greeted him in unison, "Hello, Uncle Zhao!"

"Oh, good, good, good. Yuxin and Yuyao are both grown men now. It's such a shame I couldn't attend your weddings, Yushui and Siyu!"

Chen Lanxiang then said to He Yaozu, He Yaozong, He Ningxue, and the others, "This is your Grandpa Zhao. He held you all when you were little."

Hello, Grandpa Zhao!

"Good, good, good. Yaozong and Ningxue were only this big when they came here, and they've grown up so much in the blink of an eye." Old Zhao gestured to the size of a baby.

"Yes, Zhao brothers, time really flies!"

"That's fast," Old Zhao echoed.

"Let's all sit down, the food won't taste good if it gets cold," He Yuzhu said as soon as the introduction was finished.

"Yes, yes, hurry up and put it on the table, put it on the table," He Daqing said.

After some polite refusals, Old Zhao sat down next to He Daqing. He Yuzhu opened a bottle of Moutai, and He Yaozu quickly came over to take the bottle and fill it for each of the adults.

"This first cup of wine is to celebrate our reunion!" He Daqing said, raising his glass.

"Respect and reverence!"

"This second cup of wine is to wish us all a better and better life!" The second cup was brought by Old Zhao.

"This third cup of wine is to toast our reunion soon!" The third cup was for He Yuzhu, and this reunion wasn't just referring to Old Zhao.

"Come on, come on, eat some food, eat some food!!!" After a few drinks, Chen Lanxiang quickly urged everyone to eat some food to calm their nerves.

"Zhu Zi, your cooking skills are as good as ever!" Old Zhao said after taking a bite of the dish.

"We're only here because you're here, we're just basking in your presence. This kid hasn't cooked in ages," the old lady said.

"Then I am truly honored!" Old Zhao said with a smile.

The atmosphere at the table gradually warmed up, and everyone chatted about everyday things, avoiding those heavy topics.

Old Zhao was very concerned about the jobs of the young people. When he heard that Yushui was doing technical research and development, Yuxin was managing a company, and Siyu was a lawyer, he kept nodding in praise.

After asking about the studies of a few younger people, Old Zhao said, "Zhu Zi, you've done a good job nurturing him."

"This is not my achievement, it's all Xiaoman's achievement. Xiaoman usually takes care of them."

"You've married a wonderful wife!"

“That’s true!”

After dinner, we originally wanted to invite Lao Zhao to stay the night, but Lao Zhao insisted on leaving, saying that he had to follow the rules. In the end, He Yuzhu personally drove him back, but of course, it was He's family driver who drove him.

After the dinner, He Yuzhu drove Lao Zhao back to his hotel.

On the bus, Old Zhao looked at the neon lights outside the window and said, "Zhu Zi, thank you for today. You helped me untie the knot in my heart that had been tied for decades."

"Uncle Zhao, please don't blame me for keeping this from you all this time," He Yuzhu said.

"How could that be? You're doing the right thing. I can't even guarantee anything right now," Old Zhao said.

"Let's just pretend we never met. They're doing fine now."

"Ah."

The two remained silent until they were almost at the hotel when Old Zhao said, "Zhu Zi, although it's a bit of a letdown, we still need to get down to business. How should we arrange the itinerary for the inspection team tomorrow? We'll all follow your lead."

"In the morning, I will first take you on a tour of the headquarters of Yellow River Industry and its factories. In the afternoon, we will visit the port and real estate projects."

"I've heard you have quite a few businesses. Can you see them all?"

"You definitely can't see everything in one day, how many days can you stay?"

"About a week, there's still time for negotiations..."

"That's enough. Those who are interested can take a look, and those who don't can just look at the general outline."

"What you're saying is actually something we're all interested in."

"Then we should focus on projects that can be launched."

"Okay, it's settled."

"Then I'll send a car to pick you up first thing tomorrow morning."

"Alright, now that we're on your turf, I'll do as you say."

The next day, He Yuzhu personally accompanied the Jidong inspection team on an intensive itinerary of visits and inspections.

The delegation members were amazed and impressed by Huanghe Industrial's modern office building, efficient production line management, busy and orderly Kwai Chung Port terminal, and well-equipped housing estate projects.

They not only saw the company's strong capital and technological capabilities, but also its advanced management concepts and efficient operating model.

The bureau chief in charge of industry couldn't help but whisper to Old Zhao, "Secretary Zhao, this level is at least ten years ahead of the rest of the country!"

"That's why I had to bite the bullet and shamelessly beg for this opportunity. It's just that our place is special; in a few years, you wouldn't be able to get one even if you begged for it."

"Yes, even if it's approved from above, there's no guarantee that anyone will be willing to go," said the director of the planning bureau.

"Therefore, we must seize this opportunity. The future of Jidong will depend on this one or two decades."

"Yes, Secretary Zhao."

The visit took three days, and even the people from eastern Hebei didn't get to see everything, unfortunately their time was limited.

On the afternoon of the third day, the inspection team said they needed to hold an internal meeting to discuss the matter and went back early. He Yuzhu also convened a meeting with the people from the Yellow River.

On the morning of the fourth day, the two sides began their first round of talks in the conference room at the Yellow River headquarters.

He Yuzhu had a huge map of the eastern Hebei region hung in the conference room.

The inspection team was very satisfied with this detail, which shows that the Yellow River attaches great importance to them.

However, after the initial pleasantries, He Yuzhu did not let the people from Jidong speak first. Instead, he stood up, walked to the map, and spoke first.

He Yuzhu picked up the pointer and pointed to a spot on the coastline on the map, saying, "Secretary Zhao, leaders of Jidong, our team has done some research on Jidong these past few days and asked some elderly people from Jidong (who came during the Republic of China era). I have an immature idea here, you can listen to it first."

"Go ahead!" Old Zhao's eyes lit up as he looked at the dot He Yuzhu had pointed to.

Everyone else's eyes were also focused on the map.

"Here is Caofeidian. It is the closest natural deep-water port to eastern Hebei. I think it would be difficult for eastern Hebei to develop without shipping. Although the infrastructure is almost non-existent now, its conditions are excellent. It does not silt up or freeze, making it an excellent site for building a large deep-water port."

"Continue!" A quiet discussion broke out in the conference room. Old Zhao gently tapped the table to signal for quiet and said to He Yuzhu.

"My initial idea is that, if possible, the Yellow River Group could take the lead in jointly investing with Jidong to build a modern deep-water port in phases. This would not only serve our future industrial projects, but also become an important sea outlet for Jidong and even the entire North China region, boosting the regional economy." After saying this, He Yuzhu returned to his seat and let the inspection team digest the information.

A low murmur rippled through the meeting room.

Building a major port? That's not even on the agenda for this visit.

Not to mention, that place is now under the jurisdiction of Baigezhuang Farm, and doesn't belong to the local government at all.

Even if it were transferred to a local jurisdiction, it doesn't seem to be under the jurisdiction of Jidong.

Old Zhao frowned as he listened to what the director of the planning bureau beside him said.

He Yuzhu said this because this place will indeed be under the jurisdiction of Jidong in the future, and a port has been built. Another major event is that Shougang Group has moved here.

However, that's all decades from now. Of course, if you want to develop, what you need to do is break with convention.

Ten minutes later, the director in charge of transportation under Lao Zhao spoke up: "Mr. He, this plan is indeed magnificent, but the actual difficulties are more than you imagine, and the investment will be astronomical. Based on our future cooperation, I must remind you of this first."

"Thank you for reminding us. We have considered this point as well. So I'm just bringing up this idea today, not to finalize a deal, and it won't affect our cooperation in other areas," He Yuzhu nodded.

Old Zhao cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back: "Mr. He's idea is indeed very strategic and has opened up entirely new avenues for us. However, as Comrade Meng just mentioned, it involves a wide range of issues and is extremely difficult, requiring long-term planning and thorough discussion at all levels. Today, let's focus on projects that are more mature and can be implemented more quickly, shall we? After all, the employment and food security of hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Hebei are urgent matters."

Although Old Zhao said that, his eyes were still fixed on Caofeidian on the map. His intuition told him to trust He Yuzhu's vision. This was a strategic fulcrum that could truly change the fate of eastern Hebei.

“Of course, the port project can be discussed together as a long-term vision. So, let’s talk about feasible cooperation in the near future.” He Yuzhu nodded readily.

Next, the negotiations entered the substantive stage.

Representatives from various business units of the Yellow River Group spoke in turn, introducing industries that could be replicated.

First, there's the TV factory project. Huanghe proposed that Jidong provide the land and factory construction, while Huanghe would invest in production line equipment, core components, and technical management to establish a joint venture. Initially, the products would mainly supply the northern market, with future exports to be considered.

"Regarding the equity ratio and profit sharing, we suggest..." A section chief from the industrial sector had barely begun speaking when he was interrupted by the bureau chief from Jidong who was in charge of industry.

"Mr. He, comrades from the Yellow River region, our situation in Jidong is rather unique. We have a weak foundation and are facing severe financial difficulties. We can provide land and policy incentives to the maximum extent possible, but we hope you can shoulder more of the cash investment. Alternatively, could you perhaps offer some initial support in terms of profit sharing, with adjustments made once the factory is profitable and on track?"

Upon hearing this, the officials on the Yellow River side frowned.

Commercial investment is all about returns, and the other party's demands clearly went beyond the scope of conventional business cooperation.

He Yuzhu raised his hand to stop any possible objections from his subordinates, and looked at Old Zhao: "Secretary Zhao, what do you think?"

Old Zhao sighed and said, "Mr. He, to be honest, things are really tough for Jidong right now. Rebuilding our homes has taken up most of the government's budget, and now we want to do something practical, but we're short of funds. We're not trying to get something for nothing; we just genuinely can't afford much real money. But we have determination, we have policies, we have labor, and we have foreseeable market potential. We hope to form a truly mutually beneficial partnership with Huanghe, not just a simple transaction between two parties. What do you think?"

He Yuzhu thought for a moment and said, “I understand Jidong’s difficulties. In this way, for the TV factory project, we can increase the proportion of initial investment. Correspondingly, we need a higher equity stake and a longer period of operational control. At the same time, I hope that Jidong can provide the most favorable policy guarantees in terms of taxation and raw material supply to ensure that the project can be put into production and achieve results quickly. This is called ‘trading market access for investment and time for space.’ Secretary Zhao, do you agree with my point of view?”

Old Zhao quickly exchanged glances with his subordinates, his eyes lighting up with delight: "It's feasible! As long as the project succeeds and can create jobs and drive development, we can discuss these conditions!"

With this consensus established, the following approaches will generally follow the same pattern.

In fact, Jidong was more optimistic about the car factory, but He Yuzhu mentioned that the cooperation with the Sijiucheng car factory had already been signed, so they gave up.

There are still some motorcycle manufacturers in China. Ji Dong felt that this project would be profitable, but certainly not as much as imagined. So He Yuzhu proposed the concept of agricultural tricycles.

It's actually still a motorcycle, just with a cargo bed attached. This concept caught the eye of people in eastern Hebei. It's much more practical than a regular motorcycle; it can carry people and goods.

So they became enthusiastic about the project again, and soon both sides reached a preliminary consensus on technology introduction, production scale, and other aspects.

When the topic turned to steel mills, disagreements arose again.

Jidong hopes to build a large-scale, modern steel base by relying on the existing foundation.

He Yuzhu shook his head: "Leaders, please forgive my bluntness. Large-scale expansion of the steel plant requires huge investment, has high technical barriers, and a long cycle. Moreover, it involves the transportation of raw materials such as iron ore and coke. Under the current transportation conditions in eastern Hebei, the cost will be very high, and the economic viability of the project will be greatly reduced."

"Mr. He, there is something I would like to remind you of. Many industries in China are still under a planned supply system."

He Yuzhu was stunned for a moment. He was indeed a bit ahead of his time. He was thinking about the 1990s and the beginning of the next century. It was only 1981 now.

"Sorry, I overlooked that. Let's continue. But I still suggest that the steel mill stay as far away from the city as possible, and as close as possible to the good port I mentioned. What if the government approves its development?"

"We'll include this suggestion in our plan and submit it to the higher authorities," Old Zhao said, adding that he actually thought so too.

After these initial discussions, He Yuzhu brought up a new topic.

"Everyone, I remember there was a motor factory in Jidong. I wonder if it has been rebuilt?" He Yuzhu said. Huang He was a little confused when he said this. When did they start making motors? It seemed like they didn't.

"The motor factory? It doesn't seem to be on our list this time," Old Zhao said.

"No, it's not here. I personally have a very positive outlook on the development prospects of motors, but unfortunately there are no related factories in other regions. I just happened to be in Jidong last time, so I'm asking here."

"It's been rebuilt, it's been rebuilt, but it's just a district-owned factory. Mr. He, please don't think it's too small!" the director of the Industry Bureau hurriedly said.

"Small is nothing to worry about, as long as we do it well, it will grow big. As for the benefits, I'm not worried at all. Electric motors are the heart of industry, and many fields will need more efficient and advanced motor technology in the future," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

“Yes, yes, yes,” said the director of the Industry Bureau.

"What about this project?"

“We must talk. Our Industrial Bureau has many factories like this under its jurisdiction. I’ll make a list when I get back, and I hope Mr. He will take a look at them all,” said the director of the Industrial Bureau.

“No problem,” He Yuzhu said with a smile. He had a reason for mentioning this. Permanent magnet motors are already showing promise, but there is no precedent in the Yellow River region. We can only use this technology to our advantage. Of course, the main reason is that this is a necessity for the future military industry.

The negotiations continued, and He Yuzhu didn't bring up anything else. He didn't want to bite off more than he could chew, and it would only attract attention.

After the meeting, the only person from the Jidong Education Bureau who had come along found Xiaoman and talked to her about the Yellow River Charity Foundation's school construction, but actually, they talked more about whether they could sponsor some impoverished students.

The next day, the director of the Jidong Industrial Bureau actually gave He Yuzhu a list, which included a locomotive and rolling stock factory, a gear factory, a porcelain factory, a textile factory, and a rubber factory. He Yuzhu was both amused and exasperated after reading it.

This industrial bureau chief really thinks highly of him; he's revealed all his past secrets.

The Jidong delegation's seven-day trip was very fruitful. When they left, the people of Jidong strongly invited the people from Huanghe to visit Jidong, promising them a warm welcome.

After the inspection team left and they returned home, He Yuxin asked He Yuzhu, "Brother, why did you specifically mention Caofeidian when there are so many other ports that already exist?"

"Do you think we'll have a chance in those ports in the north?" He Yuzhu asked rhetorically.

"Why don't you have a chance? It's so close to the capital, can't you understand?"

"Then there's a chance?" He Yuxin thought for a long time before answering.

"Opportunities are earned; that place, like the salt fields, had nothing there."

"Oh."

"Go down and think about it slowly. You need to catch up on your studies. Or how about I send you to the special economic zone for a while?"

"What about Hong Kong?"

"You think these docks won't function without you? It's settled then. You should prepare to go to Yantian for a while and bring Ah Lang back."

"Yes," He Yuxin said in a muffled voice.

“Yuxin, your brother is doing this for your own good. You’ll be doing more and more business with the mainland in the future, so you should learn more about it,” Xiaomanzi said from the side.

“I know, sister-in-law.”

"What your brother said is harsh, but it's the truth. You can leave and things will still run smoothly. Your brother has also been away for a while, and our Yellow River system still operates just fine, hasn't it?"

"Understood, sister-in-law!"

"Alright, let's go eat first. Parents must be getting impatient," Xiaoman said.

(End of this chapter)