Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 379 Drawing fire from the bottom of the cauldron
A few days later, Zhou's father met He Yuxin again.

"Yuxin, the decision from above has been made." Zhou's father pushed a document in front of him. "In principle, the plan of your Yellow River Group is approved. You will first acquire primary rare earth products to create bargaining power. In addition, the relevant comrades have been seriously criticized, and some unreasonable practices will be corrected. Someone from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications will also communicate with them."

He Yuxin took the document, quickly glanced through it, and was shocked.

The document ended with an additional requirement: this matter must be accomplished.

“Uncle Zhou, this ‘must be done.’” He Yuxin felt immense pressure.

"This means there's no turning back. If we succeed, everyone will be happy; if we fail, the consequences will be very bad." Zhou's father looked at him. "Are you sure you can succeed?"

He Yuxin took a deep breath: "I need to report this to my brother. The final decision will be made by him."

"As soon as possible." Mr. Zhou nodded.

Upon returning home, He Yuxin immediately dialed a long-distance number to Hong Kong.

After listening to his younger brother's report over the phone, He Yuzhu said directly, "Agree to their request."

"But brother, there's no such thing as a 100% success rate."

"You don't need to worry about that. I'll arrange for someone to handle it. You're responsible for coordinating the mainland part."

"it is good."

"And you need to be quick. The longer it takes, the more pressure I'll be under."

"I see."

After the two brothers made a phone call, the massive machines of the Yellow River Group began to run at high speed.

More than a dozen companies began quietly acquiring rare earth concentrates and primary products on the international market.

Meanwhile, another group of companies began to make targeted, large-scale purchases of key, scarce semiconductor components and industrial parts.

At first, there was nothing wrong with them; some people even laughed at them, saying things like, "What kind of time is this? Hoarding goods is just asking to lose money!"

Then came the main event: when news spread in the international market that a certain company had bought up all of the mainland's rare earth exports and that the international market couldn't get a single kilogram of them, the entire international market was in an uproar.

The price of rare earth ore began to rise, increasing by more than 50% in less than a month.

The price of rare earth products has soared, with the price of some rare categories increasing three or four times.

The prices of semiconductor components and industrial parts purchased in advance by Huanghe Group rose accordingly. In the futures market, the prices of related commodities fluctuated wildly, and many short-selling institutions suffered heavy losses.

Huang He took advantage of this opportunity to fleece investors in the futures market once again, almost draining the capital of those involved in these resource futures trades.

At the same time, international public opinion began to ferment.

First, industry organizations issued a statement calling on China to ensure the stability of the global supply chain.

Subsequently, official agencies from some countries also spoke out, expressing their concerns through diplomatic channels, demanding that China "resume normal rare earth exports," and hinting at possible further measures.

Domestically, dissenting voices have also emerged.

Some departments have questioned the large-scale acquisition of primary rare earth products by an unidentified company (which has not been made public to protect the Yellow River), arguing that this move has driven up domestic resource prices and disrupted normal market order.

Some media outlets have even published articles implying that certain companies are taking advantage of the situation to hoard goods and speculate, thus damaging the country's image.

Faced with internal and external pressures, He Yuxin traveled back and forth between the mainland and Hong Kong many times, while coordinating relationships with all parties.

Both Lao Fang and Lao Zhao mobilized to help Huang He withstand the pressure.

The ultimate target of Huanghe's operation, which is Xiao Rizi's rare earth company, is not just one company, but is currently in a state of turmoil.

They relied on domestic rare earth resources to reap huge profits, and then used this technology to develop their own, and the company thrived.

Now that the supply is gone, other rare earth producing countries in the world simply won't sell to them, and even if they did, there wouldn't be much profit. In addition, their stock was previously sold out, and they even placed a huge order. If they don't deliver, they will face enormous compensation, the kind of compensation that wouldn't even cover their losses.

While they were still waiting for the domestic rare earth supply to be liberalized, purchasing personnel from N Yellow River Shell companies simultaneously came to their door with order contracts to expedite delivery, including those from Europe, America, and South Korea.

"Baka! Did they plan this out? Why can't they even wait a little while? Have your purchasing team contacted the Chinese side yet?" Maka Heihachiro shouted at his subordinates in the conference room.

"President, we've been communicating with them every day. At first, they told us to wait, but later they stopped responding altogether."

"Baka, baka, are you all useless? Have you ever been to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?" Maka Heihachiro cursed.

"We went there, but they said they couldn't help. Not only them, but other countries also went. China did not respond."

"What do we do now? You guys better think of a solution right now! Where's that bastard who sold out our company's stock?" Maka Heihachiro demanded loudly.

"The president and sales manager ran away a long time ago, taking their families with them."

"What? Did this guy take a bribe?" Maka Heihachiro's face turned even uglier.

"this."

"Let's settle the score with him later. Now, what should we do?"

“The only thing we can offer right now is technology and equipment, which the other side has also mentioned,” a subordinate said.

"Baka yarou, they have wicked intentions. Was this their plan from the very beginning?"

No one dared to answer.

"What will happen if we don't agree?" Maka Heihachiro asked.

"Go to court."

"And then?" Baka Heihachiro asked.

"Bankruptcy liquidation".

"idiot."

Meanwhile, another rare earth company is facing the same problem. Their president, Jiro Koizumi, is performing even worse than Heihachiro Baka.

The companies along the Yellow River didn't give them much time to delay, and soon the court summons were delivered to both companies.

The lawyers hired by these two companies were no match for the Yellow River Law Firm team and suffered repeated defeats in court.

A week later, He Yuzhu received a call: "Boss, Xiao Rizi has admitted the loss and agreed to transfer the technology and equipment. But we just received news that their customs wants to seize all the equipment and documents on the grounds of 'involving the export of strategic technology,' and the ship we ordered is setting sail from Yokohama Port."

"Understood. When you're shipping the goods, mislead the other party. The real goods will be shipped to another location. Tell me the address, and I'll arrange for them to be transported."

"Yes, boss."

"Keep a close eye on the data and equipment, and don't let them try anything funny."

"know."

Three days later, a Chinese man named "Chen Wen" holding a Canadian passport quietly checked into an inconspicuous business hotel in Yokohama.

Late at night, at a container terminal in Yokohama Port, He Yuzhu avoided the searchlights and patrol teams and used a key to open a warehouse.

A dozen minutes later, the warehouse was empty. The following evening, Mr. Chen Wen boarded a plane to Singapore.

A few days later, a cargo ship belonging to the Huo family departed from Singapore, bound for Qingdao Port.

The core equipment and key technical data contained therein were only a part. He Yuzhu made a copy of all the data, but kept a portion of the equipment that would be needed for the future development of the Yellow River.

The remaining portion is enough to bring China's rare earth refining to the world's advanced level. He Yuzhu felt that was enough; too much of anything is bad.

After receiving the notification in Beijing, He Yuxin breathed a long sigh of relief and immediately reported to Zhou's father.

Mr. Zhou was very excited after receiving the call: "Did it really work out?"

"Yes, the equipment is already on its way and will arrive at Qingdao Port in three days. The documents will be delivered to Beijing by a specialist."

"Great! Can the person delivering the documents guarantee their safety?" Zhou's father was excited because he knew all too well the importance of these documents.

"Yes, it's not just one person."

"Okay, I'll report to the higher-ups right away. You've done a great job this time."

"You've caused a lot of trouble, haven't you?" He Yuxin said.

"Haha, your brother is really amazing. But this little trouble is nothing. With these, we can handle a lot of things ourselves. Let the outsiders talk."

"By the way, Uncle Zhou, my brother said that rare earth supplies can start now, but the price and quota are up to them."

"Don't worry, they're not stupid. Everyone knows how important this is right now. They can't follow the original plan anymore."

"That's good."

"By the way, Yuxin, regarding the issue with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, we will have a clear stance soon, and we will try our best to create a fair competitive environment in the future."

“Great, competition is the least of our worries.”

"Then you'd better go easy on them, or I'm afraid your rival company will be driven out of business." With the matter settled, Zhou's father rarely made a joke. He had been under a lot of pressure lately, and if it weren't for Lao Fang, Lao Fan, Lao Zhao, and others supporting Huang He, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle it.

“The business world is like a battlefield, Uncle Zhou!” He Yuxin laughed as well.

"Hey kid, bring Ningyu over for a visit sometime. Your auntie adores that kid."

"Okay, I'm hanging up now. I won't delay your report any longer." "Hahahaha."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuxin let out a long sigh of relief. He had been exhausted both physically and mentally during this period, but now that everything had settled down, he finally felt relieved.

He really didn't expect his brother to make such a big fuss, involving the entire global rare earth market. He really dared to play this game. As for how much the group made this time, he didn't know, but he figured it wouldn't be too little.

A few days later, the equipment arrived, and He Yuxin personally handed over the technology and equipment to the receiving unit designated by the relevant department.

As a result, the Yellow River Group acquired a portion of the company's shares, but not the right to operate them; this was considered compensation for the equipment costs.

As for the hidden benefits, we'll have to wait and see.

The rare earth controversy has gradually subsided, but its impact is far-reaching.

China began to truly value this strategic resource, strengthened control over export quotas, and raised prices to international levels.

As for public opinion, it's neither important nor unimportant. If they're just trying to fool us because we don't understand, then they're fooling us. Now that we understand, they want to take advantage of us? Dream on.

Of course, the country has also become more aware of the gap between itself and the outside world. While the outside world is experiencing such a major financial crisis and other major events, the country remains completely calm. This is not what a great power should be like.

In the rare earth battle, Huanghe Group appeared to keep a low profile, but in reality, it stirred up quite a wave in the international market.

Although the specific operational details were kept strictly confidential, some rumors had been circulating within the industry.

He Yuzhu didn't care about this.

Within the group, following previous rectification efforts and this round of high-intensity, cross-regional collaborative operations, the cooperation among various departments has become more seamless.

He Yaozu was in charge of a small team in this operation and grew a lot through this experience.

"Dad, I'm planning to travel to North America and Europe."

"What time?" He Yuzhu asked.

"After the New Year."

"Go ahead, take a few more people with you," He Yuzhu said.

"Dad, aren't you going to stop me?"

“Why should I stop you? You should go out and see the world, otherwise how will you grow? But you can’t go using your own identity,” He Yuzhu said.

"I know this."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work these past few days," He Yuzhu said.

"It wasn't hard work, I learned a lot."

"Then keep up the good work," He Yuzhu said.

"it is good."

Then another matter also came to a conclusion: the postal and telecommunications department's bottleneck measures were lifted, and the Yellow River Group's communications business experienced explosive growth.

Large-scale program-controlled telephone exchanges were successfully included in the procurement catalogs of postal and telecommunications systems across the country, and orders poured in. What excited Xu Damao even more was that postal and telecommunications bureaus in major cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin took the initiative to send people to discuss cooperation on paging services.

Inside the pager production workshop of the electronics factory in the special economic zone, the lights were on and the production lines were running at full speed. Workers worked in three shifts, and the roar of the machines was almost never stopped. Even so, the mountain of orders still stretched production capacity to its limits.

Xu Damao stood at the workshop entrance, looking at the bustling scene inside, his face showing both joy and worry.

Holding the latest production report, he said to the factory manager beside him, "The output still can't keep up! This month's orders have doubled compared to last month. At this rate, we won't be able to deliver all the goods by the end of the year."

The factory manager wiped the sweat from his brow: "President Xu, we've already brought in all the workers we can, and we've optimized the production line, but we've really reached our limit. How about... we consider adding another production line?"

Xu Damao frowned and pondered: "Expanding the production line is no small matter. It will take at least half a year to import equipment and train workers. It's a long-term solution that can't solve the immediate problem."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "How about this, you first scrutinize the efficiency of this line again and see if there's any room for improvement. I'll discuss with General Manager He later to see if we can temporarily borrow some skilled workers from other joint venture factories to provide support."

Back in his office, Xu Damao immediately called He Yuzhu to explain the situation.

On the other end of the phone, He Yuzhu remained calm after listening: "This is a good thing, it means we're on the right track. I'll find a way to coordinate the production capacity issue. You should first stabilize the existing production. Quality is the key; we can't afford any mistakes because of rushing to meet deadlines."

After hanging up the phone, Xu Damao took a deep breath. Although the pressure was immense, he was filled with enthusiasm.

He knew that Huanghe Group's first step in the communications field was a real step forward for the domestic market.

He never expected that simply venting his frustrations would cause such a commotion; it startled him at the time. Fortunately, the outcome was pleasing.

As we entered 1988, it was the twelfth month of the lunar calendar.

There was no wind, the weather was clear, and it was No. 95 Courtyard in Beijing.

He Daqing held He Ningyu in his arms as they sunbathed in the yard, while Chen Lanxiang and Wang Hongxia sat nearby picking vegetables and chatting.

Old Fang and Old Zhao played chess under the sun, arguing heatedly over a single move until their faces turned red.

He Yuxin had just returned from inspecting a plot of land in Tianjin and entered the courtyard looking travel-worn.

"Father, Mother, Uncle Fang, Uncle Zhao, Aunt Wang," he greeted them one by one.

"You're back? Did things go smoothly?" Chen Lanxiang asked with concern.

"It's going quite smoothly," He Yuxin said with a smile, taking the towel Chen Lanxiang handed her and wiping her face. "The things my brother asked me to do are starting to look promising."

"Your brother is the same, always ordering you around, doesn't he care if you get tired?" Chen Lanxiang complained, but her face showed pride.

“My brother trusts me.” He Yuxin squatted down and teased He Ningyu, who was just learning to speak. “Besides, it’s worth it to be able to do something for my family and my country, even if it’s tiring.”

At this moment, He Yuyan and Zhou Baige also returned from Huacheng. Zhou Baige's belly was already noticeably protruding, and He Yuyan carefully supported her.

"Fifth Uncle, Fifth Aunt!" He Ningxue, who had come back from her holiday to visit her grandparents, ran out of the house and excitedly circled around Zhou Baige.

"Slow down, slow down, don't bump into your fifth aunt." He Yuyan quickly protected her.

The yard suddenly became more lively.

Looking at the sight of his children and grandchildren, He Daqing beamed with joy and said to Old Zhao and Old Fang, "Look, this is what life is all about!"

Old Zhao placed a chess piece down and laughed, "Yes, Old He, your family's life is truly enviable."

Old Fang, however, was staring at the chessboard when he suddenly shouted, "Hey, Old Zhao, don't interrupt me. I've decided on my move: checkmate!"

Just after the Lantern Festival, the Ho family in their Mid-Levels mansion in Hong Kong were preparing to return to Beijing for the Lunar New Year.

He Yuzhu put down the phone and said to Xiaoman, who was packing her luggage, "I've already talked to Yuyao. This year, his family, Aunt Wang, Uncle Yu, and Aunt Siyu's family will all go back."

Xiaoman, without stopping her work, laughed and said, "That's great! It's been so many years since we've had such a complete set. But have Lao Fan taken care of Yuyao and the others' identities?"

"Yes, Lao Fan has taken care of everything, no problem." He Yuzhu nodded. "Aunt Wang was overjoyed to hear that she could go back, and kept saying that she missed the frozen persimmons and Laba garlic from Beijing."

He Yaozu came in from outside and, having overheard the conversation, chimed in, "Dad, Mom, I've arranged the plane tickets and the pick-up vehicles over there. It's just that there are a lot of people this time, so we'll have to go in two batches."

"I trust you to handle things." He Yuzhu patted his son's shoulder. "By the way, have you prepared all the New Year's gifts for Grandpa and Grandma, and your Grandpa Zhao and Grandpa Fang?"

“I’ve already prepared everything. I bought everything according to your list: Hong Kong snacks, Southeast Asian dried goods, and new toys for my sister and brother.”

A few days later, the group arrived in Beijing in a grand procession.

He Yuyao held his son He Yaochen in his arms, with Cherie Chung holding his arm, both wearing happy smiles.

Wang Cuiping and Yu Zecheng seemed even more excited. Wang Cuiping looked at the familiar street scene outside the car window, her eyes welling up with tears.

Wang Siyu's husband, meanwhile, curiously surveyed the long-renowned ancient city.

At courtyard number 95, He Daqing and Chen Lanxiang were already looking out the door. When they saw the convoy arrive, their faces lit up with smiles.

"You're back! You're all back!" Chen Lanxiang stepped forward and grabbed Wang Cuiping's hand. "Sister, you're finally back!"

Wang Cuiping's voice choked with emotion: "I'm back, I'm back. Look at this courtyard, it's still the same as before."

The younger generation came forward to greet him, but He Yaochen was clearly a little shy and babbled, refusing to greet anyone. He Daqing picked him up and gave him a big kiss on the cheek, and the little guy cried out, "Mommy, Mommy, I want Mommy!"

Everyone burst into laughter. He Daqing blushed and handed the child to Chung Chuh-hung. Chung Chuh-hung said to He Yaochen, "Then your grandfather, call him grandfather!"

The little guy shook his head like a rattle drum.

Old Zhao and Old Fang also rushed over upon hearing the news, and the courtyard was immediately filled with the sounds of greetings from long-separated friends.

Looking at the familiar yet slightly unfamiliar courtyard, He Yuyao took a deep breath of the cold air and whispered to He Yuzhu beside her, "Brother, home is still the best."

He Yuzhu smiled and said, "I'll come back to visit more often when I have the chance."

The family reunion dinner had three large tables, but it still wasn't enough, so they added another table, filling the room to capacity.

He Yuzhu personally cooked several of his signature dishes.

During the meal, the adults chatted about the changes over the years, while the children played around the tables.

Wang Cuiping, Chen Lanxiang, and Wang Hongxia sat together, talking intimately and reminiscing about the past.

Old Fang and Old Zhao pulled Yu Zecheng aside and asked how he had been doing all these years. Strictly speaking, they used to be in the same system, and they had long admired him, but this was their first time meeting him.

(End of this chapter)