78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 148 Turning Point

The meeting continued after Ye Bingwen stepped down.

Ye Bingwen sat below, but he couldn't concentrate on what was being asked; his mind was still preoccupied with the question from earlier.

Who is that person sitting next to Principal Zhao? He doesn't say much, but every question he asks hits the nail on the head.

After the meeting, Ye Bingwen packed his things and prepared to leave.

Zhao Zhiyuan walked over, followed by that person.

"Xiao Ye, come here, let me introduce you."

"This is Vice Mayor Liu from the city, who is in charge of industry and science and technology."

Upon hearing this, Ye Bingwen quickly wiped his hands and extended his hand to shake hands: "Hello, Mayor Liu."

Vice Mayor Liu shook hands briefly, but didn't immediately let go.

"Is everything you just said true?"

"Really, all the materials are here; you can check them anytime."

"What's the name of that Engineer Sun from the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense?"

"Sun Jianguo. I don't know his specific position, but his business card says Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense."

Vice Mayor Liu nodded and then released his grip.

"Let me see the test report."

Ye Bingwen quickly handed it over.

Vice Mayor Liu took the book and turned the pages one by one, reading it carefully.

How many people work in your factory now?

"A total of twenty-six."

"How many technical personnel are there?"

There are three in total.

"Just these few?"

"Just these few."

After hearing this answer, Vice Mayor Liu handed over a business card.

"After you get back, compile the materials and send them to this address."

Ye Bingwen took the business card and saw that it only had a name and a phone number written on it.

"Mayor Liu, this—"

"Don't ask so many questions, just send it."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Ye Bingwen stood there dumbfounded, staring blankly at the business card in his hand.

Chen An leaned closer with a sly grin: "Did Vice Mayor Liu ask you to send the documents?"

"Um."

"What does this mean?"

"have no idea."

The two then rode their bikes back to the factory.

Ye Bingwen kept thinking about it on the way back.

Vice Mayor Liu asked for information, indicating his interest in the Hongqi Factory. However, as the vice mayor in charge of industry, he visits so many enterprises every day. Why would he value a school-run factory?

Back at the factory, Liu Xiaojun greeted him: "Uncle Ye, how did it go?"

"Someone asked me to send some documents."

"Who?"

"Vice Mayor Liu."

"mayor?"

"Deputy Mayor."

"Then let's—"

"Send the documents first, then we'll talk."

Ye Bingwen walked into the office and reorganized today's materials.

He arranged the test reports in chronological order, bound the process records into a book, redrawn the pass rate curve, and even made a copy of the official document from the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Ye Bingwen wrote a letter, put the letter and all the materials into a file folder, and asked Chen An to mail it out.

Liu Xiaojun stood at the office door, watching Chen An's back.

"Uncle Ye, do you think Mayor Liu will help us?"

"have no idea."

"Will we be able to get a loan?"

"have no idea."

Liu Xiaojun didn't ask any more questions and turned to go to the workshop.

Ye Bingwen sat in his office, opened a drawer, and inside was the charred wooden mold.

The next day, Liu Xiaojun arrived early.

Liu Xiaojun wiped both mixers clean again and again, not even sparing the spare machine.

Everything at the factory remains the same.

On the fifth day, the factory phone rang.

"Is this Comrade Ye Bingwen from the Hongqi Machinery Factory?"

"It's me. Who are you?"

"I'm Zhang, from the Municipal Government Office, Mayor Liu's secretary. Mayor Liu has reviewed your materials and has a few questions he'd like to ask you in person. Could you come over tomorrow morning?"

Ye Bingwen gripped the microphone tightly: "Yes, I can come."

"Tomorrow morning at 9:30, room 618 of the City Hall building."

"Okay, I'll definitely be there."

Ye Bingwen hung up the phone and sat in his chair for a long time without moving.

Chen An walked in: "Director Ye, whose call was that?"

"Mayor Liu's secretary asked me to go there tomorrow."

"real?"

"real."

Liu Xiaojun poked his head in from the doorway: "Uncle Ye, is that Mayor Liu?"

"right.

"He wants to see you?"

"right."

Liu Xiaojun grinned and looked very happy.

Master Li also appeared at the door at some point.

"Xiao Ye, remember to wear that Zhongshan suit tomorrow."

"I know."

"Bring all the materials, don't forget anything."

"Know."

"When you get there, don't rush to speak. Answer questions directly and don't interrupt."

"Understood, Master Li."

When Ye Bingwen got home that night, he laid out and checked everything he needed to bring the next day.

Zheng Shuyun watched from the side.

An'an ran over at this moment and picked up the photo of the wooden model.

"Dad, what's this?"

"Wooden mold".

"So ugly."

An'an put the photo down, hugged the little panda, and ran away.

Zheng Shuyun walked over: "Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?"

"No need, I'll go myself."

"nervous?"

"A little."

"Don't be nervous. If you're not even afraid of Engineer Sun, why would you be afraid to meet the mayor?"

Ye Bingwen got up at seven o'clock the next morning and started tidying up.

Ye Bingwen put on a Zhongshan suit, polished his leather shoes twice, and looked very energetic.

Ye Bingwen then set off, arriving at the municipal government building at exactly nine o'clock.

Ye Bingwen registered and went upstairs, where he found room 618.

A young man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing glasses, was sitting at the entrance.

"Are you Factory Director Ye?"

"it's me."

"My surname is Zhang. I'm Mayor Liu's secretary. You can just call me Xiao Zhang. Mayor Liu is still in a meeting. Please wait a moment."

I waited for twenty minutes.

At 9:25, Vice Mayor Liu came out after finishing the meeting.

"Xiao Ye, come in."

Ye Bingwen stood up and followed him inside.

The mayor's office is small, with only a desk, a row of bookshelves, and a few chairs.

"Sit down. I've looked at your materials."

"A 100% pass rate, how did you achieve that?"

"Every single one was tested, and then retested. Any item that didn't meet the standards wasn't shipped. The first batch consisted of 102 pieces. 100 were delivered, and two were kept as spares. All of them passed the test."

"What about the two spares?"

"It's still stored at the factory."

Vice Mayor Liu nodded.

"You said you lack equipment and factory space, but what exactly are you lacking?"

"The press we have now is too old and the temperature fluctuates a lot. The current testing equipment can only measure dimensions and can't detect internal defects. The factory is too small; the workshop is only a little over 200 square meters, there's no room for the equipment, and there's nowhere to put the materials."

"How much?"

"One hundred thousand."

"If I give you 100,000, how long would it take you to pay it back?"

"One year. The first payment of 80,000 will arrive this month. The second payment is even more, 150,000. The third payment of 300 pieces is already under negotiation. The annual payment of 100,000 is no problem."

Vice Mayor Liu didn't speak immediately. He stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and took out a document.

"The city has a technology upgrading interest-subsidized loan specifically to support the technological upgrading of small and medium-sized enterprises. The amount is not large, with a maximum of 100,000 yuan per enterprise, a three-year term, and half of the interest is subsidized by the municipal finance."

Vice Mayor Liu handed the document to Ye Bingwen.

"Take it back and take a look. If it meets the requirements, then apply."

Ye Bingwen took it and turned to the first page—"Notice on Implementing Subsidized Loans for Technological Upgrading of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises".

Mayor Liu, this loan—

1

"You have contracts, orders, and performance records, which meet the requirements. But whether or not it will be approved in the end depends on the review by the Economic Commission and the bank."

"How is it judged?"

"Fill out the application form, prepare all the materials, and submit them to the Economic Commission. The Economic Commission will organize experts to review the application, and if it passes, the loan will be disbursed."

Ye Bingwen closed the file.

"Mayor Liu, thank you."

"Don't thank me. I'm not helping you, I'm helping your factory. Twenty-six people, old equipment, dilapidated factory buildings, it's not easy to get the work done for the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense."

He paused for a moment.

"Go back and prepare well, and don't mess up during the review."

No, it won't.

"Mayor Liu, that Engineer Sun said something similar."

"What did you say?"

He said, "Your factory is quite interesting."

Vice Mayor Liu smiled.

"That's interesting."

"9

Ye Bingwen stepped out of the municipal government building, the sun shining on his face.

Ye Bingwen felt relieved. He had a chance, so he didn't dare to delay and immediately rode his bike towards the factory at breakneck speed.