My girlfriend is from 1949

A car slowly drives along the wide, clean streets of Shanghai.

Victor sat in the back seat, observing the largest metropolis in the Far East through the car window.

This trip to China is on a spying mission.

Seeing the people of Shanghai living in peace and contentment, a scene of prosperity, it's hard to believe that this is a city that has just been liberated.

According to the intelligence he obtained in Shanghai, it was a paradise for the rich, while the lives of ordinary people were difficult.

The streets were full of homeless people and beggars, as well as old police officers and soldiers who bullied ordinary people; robbery and murder were the norm.

But now it looks perfectly normal, without any sign of chaos.

Of course, he saw it too. Every so often, there was a squad of armed soldiers patrolling.

When Shanghai was first liberated, the public order was indeed very chaotic.

Unwilling to accept defeat, the Kuomintang reactionaries deliberately carried out large-scale sabotage in Shanghai.

In addition to wanting to blow up power plants, water plants, and other factories, they also released thugs from prison.

So at that time, robberies and fights were rampant on the streets.

Even when Old Mi was on his way home at night, he was robbed by thugs and beaten up.

Fortunately, the People's Liberation Army arrived in time and arrested the rioters.

Afterwards, many patrol teams were dispatched, and all those involved in robbery and fighting were arrested.

In order to deter petty thieves and to show their stance, even one of the three once-powerful tycoons was assigned to sweep the streets.

Of course, this is just propaganda, indicating the attitude towards gangs and thugs.

It's impossible to really make an eighty-year-old sweep the streets.

At that age, even if I really wanted to sweep, I wouldn't be able to anymore.

After taking the photos, they were safely sent home.

After a period of crackdown and the imprisonment of all those destabilizing elements, Shanghai finally returned to peace.

Victor saw that the people were full of energy and spirit, all thanks to the efforts of the new government.

The car drove all the way to a three-story factory building.

This is where Watson's Soft Drinks Company used to produce Coca-Cola.

However, it's not really production; it's more like importing raw pulp from the United States and bottling it at this factory.

It was all the rage at the time, and Coca-Cola was sold everywhere in Shanghai.

Since the original brew was imported from the United States, it can be considered a decadent beverage in a strict sense.

Therefore, even if the Soviet Union had a huge market, it would be impossible for it to import goods from Shanghai.

Moreover, given the size of this factory, it was insufficient to supply the Soviet Union.

Later, as the situation changed, the factory also ceased production.

Now it has been taken over by the People's Government and is running again.

Trucks drove out of the factory gate one after another, carrying loads of goods to the train station.

These goods were all being transported to the Soviet Union.

After all, the country had just been reborn and needed foreign exchange and resources, so the main focus was on foreign trade to exchange for goods.

Only a small amount is supplied domestically.

However, this problem can be solved once modern machines begin production.

Accompanied by the factory manager, Victor toured the Coca-Cola production plant.

He frowned when he saw the production machines.

"Such old machines...no wonder production is so low!"

Although he didn't understand machines, he could tell that these machines were really old.

The factory manager hurriedly explained with a smile, "After all, it has been in use since 1927, and it was originally a machine that was phased out from the United States, so it's normal for it to be a bit old."

Actually, these machines are a bit old, but their production capacity is still quite good.

With enough raw pulp, 1000 million bottles can be produced per year.

However, the factory was left idle after trade was cut off.

In 1956, these machines were transported to Beiping (Beijing) and donated to the Beibingyang Soda Factory.

Now that production has resumed, it's unlikely that the factory will relocate north again.

However, with modern global procurement, more advanced machinery and equipment can be used in advance.

Victor walked around the factory, his face full of doubt: "Why don't I see the pulp production workshop?"

When the translator relayed the question, the factory manager was taken aback.

He began by saying, "Our factory doesn't have equipment for producing raw pulp; we only handle bottling."

The simple answer sent a shiver down Victor's spine, as if struck by lightning.

His eyes were serious, and cold sweat had seeped out of his back.

If Coca-Cola factories don't produce the original brewing liquid, then how do they produce Coca-Cola?

The only explanation is that the raw pulp was sourced from elsewhere.

This factory is the same as before, except it's responsible for filling.

If that's the case, then where does the raw liquid come from?

The first thing that came to Victor's mind was America.

After all, capitalists don't care who they cooperate with in order to make money.

But if the original brew really comes from the United States, then it is a decadent capitalist beverage, and drinking it would be a mistake.

As the one who spearheaded the introduction, I must bear full responsibility.

The greater the initial profits, the more severe the punishment!

There's also the possibility of being accused of colluding with Western capitalists and being executed!

Such a serious crime, even a general wouldn't protect himself.

They even demanded swift action in order to draw a clear line!

It's no wonder he turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat when his life was on the line.

Victor's body trembled slightly as he turned and gritted his teeth, asking, "Du Hengtai, didn't you say the cola was self-produced? Why isn't there a raw material processing plant?!"

His voice trembled slightly, and the question was almost a roar.

Because of tension and anger, they forgot to address each other as brothers and instead called out their names directly.

He was clearly terrified.

After all, once he is accused of a crime, not only will he go to jail, but his wife and children will also be implicated.

How could I not be afraid?!

Du Hengtai blinked, looking puzzled, and replied, "Because this is the bottling workshop."

The answer, which is taken for granted, sounds a bit convoluted.

But Victor keenly grasped the key point, a glimmer of anticipation flashing in his eyes.

"My brother, you mean the raw pulp production facility is somewhere else?"

Overwhelmed with emotion, he gripped the other person's shoulders tightly with both hands, his eyes filled with anticipation and worry.

"Nowhere. The bottling plant is elsewhere. Shall we go take a look?"

I breathed a sigh of relief only after hearing an affirmative answer.

He urged impatiently, "Let's go take a look!"

After all, business negotiations and cooperation are in the national interest, and reaching an agreement is a merit.

But once you get the Coca-Cola deal done, that's when you truly have your own network of connections.

Only by making the general drink to his satisfaction and happiness will he be more supportive, right?

Merit doesn't necessarily guarantee a promotion, but having powerful connections and backers will definitely lead to one!

Urged on by Victor, the group arrived at another factory.

When they saw that the factory was five or six times the size of the previous one, they were astonished and their eyes widened.

Where is the syrup production workshop?

Upon entering the factory area, the first place Victor wanted to visit was the syrup production workshop.

The factory manager had already received the reception notice and immediately led everyone to a workshop.

When you hear the roar of the huge machines and see the dark brown syrup being produced in a continuous stream.

Victor let out a long breath, as if he had come back to life.

In a daze, I felt a sense of relief that I had just narrowly escaped death.

This is what I really wanted to see on this trip.

Whether or not we can increase the total trade volume with China is merely a task for someone in this position.

Even if you do nothing, someone else will do it for you.

When it comes to the final credit, I'll definitely get my share.

However, the production of Coca-Cola was related to his career and the fate of his family.

In today's environment, whether it's "a decadent Coca-Cola" or "the Coca-Cola of the socialist camp" is very important.

Fortunately, after seeing it with my own eyes, I realized it was a cola from the socialist camp.

Political correctness is more important than anything else!

"Phew~".

Victor let out a long sigh of relief, a relaxed smile spreading across his face.

Without thinking, he raised his hand and gently touched the machine, a hint of doubt flashing across his face.

These machines look quite old; were they secondhand goods imported from the United States?

He simply didn't believe that these machines could have been made by the Chinese themselves.

Du Hengtai also provided an explanation.

It refers to used equipment imported from abroad.

This answer perfectly matched my initial guess.

Victor visited the pulp production workshop and then went to the adjacent bottling workshop.

When they saw those large pieces of equipment, a look of surprise was clearly visible on their faces.

Although he was involved in politics, he knew nothing about machines and technology.

But I've seen our own Coca-Cola factory before, and the machines weren't this big or that complicated.

Moreover, China's production machinery seems to be more advanced.

Victor could only tell that the machines looked obviously refurbished.

They are all likely imported from abroad, or are second-hand equipment imported from the United States.

Although there is no official public trade cooperation between China and the United States.

But there must be business dealings between them privately.

As an official in the Ministry of Commerce, I am all too familiar with this system.

Therefore, it is not uncommon for China to purchase machinery from the United States through other channels.

There has been no Korean War yet, and trade has not been completely blocked.

It's perfectly normal to have business dealings on the side.

Anyway, on the surface, everything looks clean and tidy, so there's not much to say.

Du Hengtai smiled and introduced, "This is the bottling workshop!"

Upon entering the workshop, I saw workers standing beside the production line, efficiently performing their tasks.

After four months of debugging, the Coca-Cola factory, which was purchased from Hyundai, has finally completed its commissioning and entered production.

In the modern world, everything is about efficiency.

The fastest recorded relocation of a Coca-Cola factory took only 34 days, from complete relocation to resuming production.

In fact, after the liberation of Shanghai, they found an existing factory building to house them.

Moreover, the entire factory was moved here, so it wasn't too much trouble.

However, a lot of time was spent on training and debugging.

Fortunately, it was old equipment from decades ago and didn't have much advanced technology.

Therefore, both engineers and technicians can get started quickly.

Even if there are some minor issues, there is time to gradually figure them out during the production process.

Victor watched as the cola was continuously produced on the production line.

A good question to ask: "How many bottles of Coke can you produce per day now?"

This is a very important issue, as it relates to whether or not supplies can be provided.

He's been having a really tough time lately because of the Coca-Cola shortage.

It feels good even though others have something to ask of you.

But the constant phone calls are quite annoying.

If we can solve the production problem, my life will be much easier.

Only when we can get enough stock can we feel confident, right?

Du Hengtai simply smiled and did not answer, as this was not his area of ​​responsibility.

The factory manager immediately understood and said with a smile, "Our production lines are running at full capacity, and we can produce 1000 million bottles a day! According to the plan, we will increase that to 3000 million bottles a day next year!"

When he mentioned this number, his voice was filled with pride, and he even straightened his back.

The saying goes, "Without comparison, there is no harm."

A daily production of 1000 million bottles is insignificant in the modern world.

In the modern world, beverage production reaches a staggering 20 billion bottles per day!

A mere 1000 million bottles isn't even a warm-up.

But compared to the same period, that's impressive!

The beverage bottling plant I just visited only bottles 1000 million bottles a year!

At this output level, one day's production is equivalent to a year's.

Moreover, the production lines can be expanded further, and production output can be increased again.

No wonder the factory director held his head high, his voice and face full of pride.

Both are factory managers of a Coca-Cola factory, but their administrative ranks are different!

With the current production capacity, it could easily supply the Soviet Union and even export to the West, let alone supply the Soviet Union.

However, it will not be exported to the West at the moment, but will be sold within the socialist camp.

They will enter the West after the Korean War ends.

Moreover, this time, having a greater advantage in the war, they can also include trade in the negotiations.

For those Western robbers, the weak can only be plundered, while they will adopt a more humble attitude and negotiate on an equal footing with the strong.

The recent trade war is the best example.

The US picked up a big stick to threaten, but we gave it a firm and resolute response.

Then, sit down for peaceful negotiations.

On the contrary, those sycophantic allies were ruthlessly exploited.

Therefore, after the Korean War, the new China will be able to rebuild its image in front of the world.

Then, we will trade with the whole world on an equal footing.

Only then will we be qualified to trade, and will we no longer be regarded as the backward and weak country that could only be plundered!

Glug~!

Victor swallowed hard, startled by the terrifying production figures.

At the same time, a surge of ecstatic joy welled up inside him.

With enough Coke, the person in charge of distributing it can reap even greater benefits!

Du Hengtai squinted, not wanting his old friend to continue wandering around the factory.

After all, these machines were purchased from the future world and are the country's biggest secret!

In other words, Victor is a politician who doesn't understand technology, which is why they approved his visit alone.

If you bring technical personnel, you will absolutely not be allowed to enter here.

They can just find any excuse to shut it down.

Now that his concerns have been dispelled, it's time to move on to the next place.

"Why don't we take a look at the grain production base?"

Victor came with a mission, and Du Hengtai also had a mission to deal with.

The two exchanged a smile: "Time to get back to work!"