dognovel Chapter 1530 The Wutong Tree and the Golden Phoenix
Chapter 1530 The Wutong Tree and the Golden Phoenix
Chapter 1530 The Wutong Tree and the Golden Phoenix
"Don't you really want to relax?"
Xu Sinian had drunk a bit too much, and he had to hold onto the handrail to walk upstairs when he escorted Li Xuewu.
But he was clear-headed and knew how to coax Li Xuewu to go out and play, though he was a little slow in his movements.
"Looks like you're doing well in Yingcheng, Lao Xu." Li Xuewu hung his coat on the hanger, glanced back at him, and said with a light laugh, "Not only do I have food and drink, but I also have fun."
"Hey, when you get to middle age, isn't that all there is to life?" Whether he was genuinely drunk or deliberately trying to give Li Xuewu a break, he shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Don't you think so?"
"Heh—" Li Xuewu smirked, sat down on the sofa, and looked at him, asking, "Is this all you've got in life? What about your ideals and aspirations?"
"Spiritual ideals?" Xu Sinian struggled to sit down on the other sofa and said, "Do you think I, Old Xu, still need to have ideals?"
"I'd like to know what makes you so negative about work and life."
Li Xuewu pointed to Zhang Enyuan, who was coming in through the door, and instructed him, "Brew two cups of tea to help you sober up."
"Yes, sir." Zhang Enyuan followed behind the two, along with Xu Sinian's secretary.
Xu Sinian had just followed Li Xuewu into the room. His secretary wanted to follow, but was afraid he would get drunk and pass out there.
Zhang Enyuan nudged his arm and gave him a warning look.
The two leaders are just rambling on, especially Director Xu, who's making such complicated statements. Could he really be drunk?
It's one thing if others say they don't know, but how could a secretary not know their boss?
Zhang Enyuan didn't know the others at the dinner table, but he had become familiar with Director Xu, who had come to the steel city for meetings several times.
He knew exactly how much the other person could drink.
Today, at the shipyard's guesthouse, as the host, he didn't believe that Director Xu was really drunk.
Besides, even if someone was truly drunk, they wouldn't come to the secretary-general's room to say such things. Anyone who's reached this position has a loose tongue.
So sometimes what you see isn't necessarily the truth, and what you hear is even more likely to be unreliable.
These days, it's not uncommon for women who live in poverty or are inherently promiscuous to take up certain professions.
However, given the current environment, especially in this era, there is almost no place to "relax".
Of course, given Director Xu's position, it's quite normal for him to have two female friends with whom he has a good relationship.
There's no era without people who know how to scheme and are willing to invest.
Don't assume that everyone from this era is innocent just because it's an innocent time. If you think that, you're being foolish.
This massive shipyard involves countless interests and affects the lives and jobs of many people.
While it cannot be said that Xu Sinian's word was law, his words carried the most weight as the top leader.
Especially in port cities, and given the dramatic economic development in Northeast Asia today, this sea is no longer so peaceful because of the coachmen.
It's often said that men with money go astray, while women who go astray get rich, but in reality, it's more about environmental factors.
When trade doors are quietly opened, economic activity is subtly shaken, and more goods and means of production flood the market, inevitably leading to a shift in thinking.
A year ago, talking about going to sea to do something was a pipe dream, even for the locals of Yingcheng.
You can't just say you own a boat and go out to sea to fish. Fishermen, like farmers, are part of cooperative organizations. You can't just say you can fish and make a living from fishing. In this era, you need to plan for everything you do.
What tore through this barrier?
It's the speed of the boat, the speed of the "Mantis Shrimp" speedboat, which increases its speed by one level every six months.
When the first group, adhering to the fighting spirit of "the bold get rich, the timid starve," rushed out to sea and returned with huge profits after suffering heavy losses, everything changed.
Driving a boat for a freight station for a month is better than farming for a year. If you pool your money to buy a speedboat, you can break even after two trips, and from the third trip onwards, it's the road to wealth.
Just tell me, does anyone walk on this road?
Even if the sea is rough, the waves are high, and the sacrifices are great, there will always be reckless men on this land who are driven to desperation by poverty.
Therefore, Yingcheng Port, which was used as the home port for import and export trade, became the region with the strongest economic activity.
Some people might ask, if there are products on the market that are clearly not available locally, isn't anyone going to step in and do something about it?
What are you kidding!
Would these reckless brutes, risking their lives, actually bring back rice, flour, and eggs to sell?
of course not!
You have to think about whether the things they bring back are affordable for ordinary people.
If ordinary people can't afford it, then who can? And would those people be so nosy?
The reason why the fleet from Guandong has been able to operate in the Bohai Bay for so many years is not only due to connections, but also because of the extremely skewed supply and demand relationship.
It is the people's need for material and cultural life; who would dare to try to stop the tide of history?
There's a limit to this, it's a very abstract and vague concept, nobody knows the standard for this limit, but it just exists.
When the quantity exceeding this limit reaches a certain level, the subsequent "Yuanhua" debacle will occur.
How many of them didn't crash? We can't find that in history books, and the data passed down by word of mouth is too vague. Even the people involved might not be able to explain it clearly.
Xu Sinian was in charge of the city's ships, and he himself didn't even know how many ships had passed through his own docks.
You asked if Yingcheng Shipbuilding is short of money?
We are indeed short of funds for major projects, and the group's finances are under great strain this year.
But those who live off the mountains and the sea don't necessarily have a hard life; the welfare benefits for those working on ships in the city are not considered difficult.
No matter how pitiful, pathetic, and unambitious Xu Sinian sounds, if he dares to act recklessly, Li Xuewu will be the first to take him down without any leniency.
Conversely, did Xu Sinian really lose hope and drive in his work and life?
Listen to their words and observe their actions.
Li Xuewu knew that although he was having fun, he wasn't putting the money into his own pocket. Not only had the overall welfare of Yingcheng Shipbuilding employees improved, but the factory's infrastructure was also changing every year. Could you say he had no ambition?
If someone truly has no ambition, then keeping that money in their own pocket and managing it properly would be just as honest and upright as keeping a clean reputation.
This old fox also came from the Red Star Factory era; he's a seasoned veteran.
Li Xuewu wasn't surprised at all by Zhang Beinan's attitude towards him, because Zhang Beinan was indebted to him.
Xu Sinian initially wanted to take over the management of Yingcheng Port Area, but Li Xuewu did not agree. This was also the opinion of the Group's Management Committee. Yingcheng Port Area will definitely be directly managed by the Group in the future.
Faced with this situation of not being able to obtain what he wanted, did he give up?
No, it not only guaranteed the welfare and benefits of the ship's employees, but also took into account the welfare and benefits of the port area construction units, so much so that anyone who came to inspect the area would mention the goodness of Director Xu of Yingcheng Shipyard.
That's right. The ship's canteen serves pork, and the construction site canteen also serves pork. Moreover, they can eat pork every month. Just for that alone, how many people would praise him?
Does this mean he lacks ambition?
As far as Li Xuewu is concerned, his ambition is too great.
This is Zhang Enyuan's second year as Li Xuewu's secretary. He has already gained a basic understanding of the information channels that Li Xuewu has given him, and he knows exactly what Xu Sinian has done.
So if leaders get drunk and sit together chatting idly, you're a fool to believe them.
At the very least, he knew the secretary-general's character and that he wouldn't stumble on such a matter.
He wasn't sure if the leader had those kinds of friends, but he was certain he didn't know, and others certainly wouldn't know either.
He placed two cups of tea on the small tea table, ignored Xu's complaints, and turned to leave.
His room was right across the street, and he had the door open. He invited Director Xu's secretary to join him, and the two of them each made a cup of tea and chatted about the local customs and culture of Yingcheng and Gangcheng.
***
"The group's leaders keep saying that the situation is difficult and we should work together to overcome it, but what are they saying?"
Xu Sinian shook his hands, emphasizing with some emotion, "If we spend tens of millions, we'll all have to tighten our belts this year. Is it worth it?"
"Oh, I understand now—"
Li Xuewu was holding a teacup, about to drink some tea, when he paused, turned to look at him, and asked, "So your resentment is directed at me, right?"
"Oh dear—how could I dare to offend you!"
Xu Sinian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "That's what I meant, whether the money was well spent or not."
"Why don't you just ask me directly whether Director Li and I embezzled money during this event? Why go through all this trouble?"
Li Xuewu put down his teacup and said, "You, Director Xu, are fully qualified and capable of investigating this matter. I wholeheartedly support it."
"You see, we've gone off on a tangent!"
Xu Sinian smiled ingratiatingly and patted the armrest of the sofa, trying to explain, "What I mean is, money should be spent wisely, shouldn't it?"
"Then tell me, where's the blade?" Li Xuewu asked, looking at him. "Is your nickname, Director Xu, Blade?"
"I was wrong, okay? —"
Xu Sinian knew he was no match for Li Xuewu, especially in terms of eloquence. This guy could hold his own against foreigners at the negotiating table, so what was he compared to him?
So they surrendered very quickly at this point; if they couldn't win an argument, they quickly gave in, no problem.
Li Xuewu glanced at him, reminding him to watch his words, before picking up his teacup and drinking.
"I'm not trying to cause trouble, I just heard about it." Xu Sinian crossed his left leg over his right, leaned against the sofa armrest, and looked at him, asking, "This trip to East Germany didn't go very smoothly?"
“I don’t know what your definition of ‘successful’ is,” Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, “but in my opinion, being able to sit here and listen to you ramble on is already considered successful.”
"That's right! What obstacle can stop you, Secretary-General Li!" Xu Sinian sat up straight with a smile and flattered him vigorously, saying, "With you in charge, one can take on two."
"Director Xu, long time no see, you've gotten more talkative—" Li Xuewu glanced at him, took a sip of tea, put the teacup down again, and said, "Is there something you want to say?"
"Let me remind you, get to the point." He pointed at Xu Sinian and reminded him, "I don't have time to chat with you late at night. Go to bed early and get up early. I still have to test your work performance over the past six months tomorrow."
"I just missed you!"
Xu Sinian said with a smile, "I haven't been able to hear your teachings for many days, and I feel lost about the path of life. I would like to ask you for guidance."
"Are you just bored and have nothing better to do?"
Li Xuewu curled his lip and said, "If you don't tell me, I'm kicking you out. I've been running around all day and I just want to sleep."
"Okay, okay, I'll talk, I'll talk, alright!"
Seeing that he couldn't get past Li Xuewu, Xu Sinian quickly said, "The end of the year is the hardest time, and this year is a crucial year for the group. What do you think I have to worry about?"
Li Xuewu just stared at him without saying a word, wanting to hear him finish what he had to say all at once.
"Secretary-General, could the leadership pay more attention to our shipyard this year?"
Xu Sinian looked at him pitifully and said, "We are all starving and waiting for the leaders to come and guide us in the right direction."
"We've gone a bit off-topic—"
Li Xuewu, with droopy eyelids, said, "When did the group stop paying attention to Yingcheng Shipbuilding? Are you blind or deaf?"
Before Xu Sinian could explain, he tapped the small tea table with his finger and said, "You said it yourself: spending tens of millions is useless. Your Yingcheng Shipbuilding is the one that gets the lion's share."
"We have bought back the cargo ship, container ship, icebreaker and fishing boat technology of the two best shipyards in East Germany, Neptune Shipyard and Varno Shipyard."
Li Xuewu stared at Xu Sinian and questioned, "Are you telling me now that the group has done something wrong?"
"Think about it with your own conscience."
He tapped the small coffee table again with his fingers and emphasized, "When we were introducing automotive technology, we were still thinking about shipbuilding, which led to the development of marine diesel engine production technology at the Ludwigsfeld plant."
"Director Xu, you've been in Yingcheng Management for three years, and this is all the growth you've achieved? If this is really all you've got, then don't bother talking about ideals and spirit. You might as well just wait until retirement."
"I do want to improve myself, but is there still a chance for me?"
Xu Sinian saw that he had deliberately steered the conversation toward technology import, but that was not what he wanted to talk about. Instead, he wanted to talk about the leader's attention, and the person being paid attention to was him.
Everyone wants to be on the Investiture of the Gods list; who wouldn't want to be near the front?
He has transformed Yingcheng Shipbuilding from a closed operation to its current scale, and he deserves credit for his efforts. However, he fears internal power struggles within the group, where he might become a victim.
In the past two years, how many of the former middle-level managers from the Hongxing Factory who were transferred to various enterprises to take charge have been able to return to work at the group?
They were full of ambition when they first came down to the country, but a year or two later they found that their initial ambitions had long been forgotten under the weight of responsibility and duties.
In addition, there will inevitably be various irregularities in the process of coordinating with local governments and various units. At that time, we were thinking of the company's interests, but what about now?
When faced with a major test, these issues are likely to resurface and become stumbling blocks, hindering their progress.
To put it simply, with the formal grouping of Hongxing Factory, everyone's job level and position will face formal appointment and phased solidification.
To put it bluntly, unless they have real achievements at work and a widely respected influence, they will have no chance of being promoted in the next two or three years.
In other words, being able to upgrade to a higher level this time is equivalent to saving two to three years compared to potential competitors.
You should know what these two or three years mean for a cadre; it could be a critical juncture for both superiors and subordinates.
He can't compare to Li Xuewu. If Li Xuewu stays in this position for another ten years, he will still be a young cadre with many opportunities. What about him?
Therefore, you should fight when you should fight, show your abilities when you should show your abilities, and be shameless when you should act like a rogue and complain about being wronged.
Li Xuewu gave him a careful look and asked casually, "Have you resolved your family issues?"
"Sigh—what's the point of solving anything? Let's just leave it at that." Xu Sinian sighed deeply and said, "She doesn't need to worry about me, and I don't need to worry about her."
Li Xuewu frowned slightly and reminded him, "You should know what lifestyle issues mean to you."
"Yes, of course I know."
Xu Sinian looked up at him and said, "She guessed what happened to me, but I stumbled upon what happened to her. I saw it with my own eyes. What could she possibly complain about?"
"You two really know how to stir up trouble."
Li Xuewu pursed his lips, nodded admiringly, and said, "I don't want to hear about or care about these messy things. I'll just remind you that at this time, principles cannot be compromised."
He tapped the sofa armrest and emphasized, "I won't listen. At least you have to make sure no one can hear me."
"Don't worry, if it weren't for the children and the impact on each other, we would have gotten a divorce certificate long ago." Xu Sinian explained frankly, "The formalities have all been drawn up in private, and we're just waiting for the right time to go our separate ways."
"This is your business; you can decide for yourself."
Li Xuewu sat up straight and said, "You can't have any problems on your side during this period, and neither can she. Otherwise, your abilities will be lacking. Do you understand?"
"Understood. I'll pay attention."
Xu Sinian sighed and looked at him, saying, "I never imagined the competition would be so fierce that people would resort to such underhanded tactics."
"You're accusing others?" Li Xuewu glanced at him sideways and said, "Haven't you used such underhanded methods on others yourself?"
"I don't even want to talk about you anymore—"
He stood up and said, "Let me give you a piece of advice: details determine success or failure. You know best what you really want."
As he spoke, Li Xuewu walked to the door and called to Zhang Enyuan and the other man across the hall, instructing them, "Take Director Xu back to rest; there's still work to be done tomorrow."
"Yes, boss, I understand."
Xu Sinian's secretary was a rather honest person. Seeing Li Xuewu's arrangement, he cautiously agreed and, with Zhang Enyuan's help, helped Xu Sinian up and left.
Working under such a strong leader, it's rare to find a strong secretary, and Zhang Enyuan's situation was similar.
The difference is that Li Xuewu is a group leader, and he is very principled in both his work and his personal conduct.
That's why everyone says business operations are difficult to do and manage. How many risks must such a large company face?
They face not only temptations and predators, but also work pressure and career risks.
Perhaps only those who climb step by step can possess the ability and talent to withstand any storm.
-
On the morning of January 10, Li Xuewu and his delegation, accompanied by Xu Sinian and other key leaders of the shipyard, inspected Yingcheng Shipbuilding Plant.
Generally speaking, an important industrial enterprise like Yingcheng Shipbuilding would have a code name within the heavy industry sector. For example, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation internally calls it Factory 112, or it is referred to externally as Songling Machinery Manufacturing Plant.
However, Yingcheng Ships did not have a code name because its fate was already quite tortuous from the beginning. Before it was even officially completed, it almost got scrapped due to years of work stoppage.
After being acquired by Hongxing Factory, it lost its right to name itself and became a non-specialized branch factory under Hongxing Factory.
Even after so many years of investment, expansion, and hard work, Yingcheng Shipbuilding is no less than other mainstream shipyards in terms of scale and shipbuilding capacity, but it still cannot change the fact that Yingcheng Shipbuilding is a branch of Hongxing Steel Group.
Of course, perhaps precisely because of this, in this special era, the ships and their staff in Yingcheng were able to work and live under relatively stable and relaxed conditions.
Seeing that the neighboring Yingcheng Port Area is a huge construction site, isn't Yingcheng Shipbuilding also a construction site?
Don't forget, when the Yingcheng Port Area project started, the several docks and corresponding shore-based factories that Yingcheng Shipbuilding was continuing to build were not yet completed.
The project is still ongoing this year, so there are quite a few construction workers stationed here. When the convoy passed by the construction site, Li Xuewu even asked the convoy to stop and got out of the car to take a look.
"Workshops 70 and 71, as well as docks 9 and 10, will be completed in July next year." Xu Sinian, who was in the same car, stood next to him and personally introduced, "By next year, Yingcheng Shipbuilding will surpass Bincheng Shipbuilding in both total dock volume and total shipbuilding tonnage."
What's your relationship with them like?
Li Xuewu stood on the construction site and looked around. The sun was shining brightly today, but the wind was also strong, causing the corner of his coat to flutter from time to time, and the cold wind pierced his kneecaps.
“Bincheng Shipbuilding? Our relationship is alright.” Xu Sinian stood sideways and introduced, “We have always cooperated with Bincheng Shipbuilding, including on parts and components.”
He pointed to a cargo ship that was being outfitted and introduced it: "We also invited designers from Bincheng Shipbuilding to come and exchange ideas, which led to the creation of this new type of cargo ship."
"Any new tricks up your sleeve?"
Li Xuewu smiled, looked up at the distant shipyard, and asked, "If the entire line is completed next year, how much tonnage can be manufactured in a year?"
"It's really hard to say," Xu Sinian said confidently. "If I say too much, you'll say I'm bragging; if I say too little, I'll feel really guilty."
"You'll see the report later."
He glanced back at the team members of Yingcheng Shipbuilding, and they all smiled confidently, as if they had everything under control.
Seeing their reaction, Li Xuewu knew that Yingcheng Shipbuilding had a bright future and a promising outlook. He nodded with relief and said, "Then I'll wait and see."
As he said this, he turned his attention to the construction site and observed the workers' work for a while.
Are there still many people receiving labor education here?
Li Xuewu asked with particular concern, "Is your living standard guaranteed?"
"Secretary-General, I, Lao Xu, am not a heartless person."
Xu Si spoke softly for a moment, then frankly began to describe the work and living conditions of the inmates here.
It's still Li Huaide's fault. When Deputy Factory Director Nie got into trouble, Xu Sinian got himself into a mess, and he's still angry about it.
As a result, Shi Ruoweng was almost killed by him during his time in the labor camp.
If Li Huaide hadn't acted quickly and transferred Shi Ruoweng back to the group, Xu Sinian would have already worked him to death on the construction site.
Of course, Shi Ruoweng didn't get any good things after returning to the group. Li Huaide was more afraid that Shi Ruoweng would cause trouble behind the scenes or that he wouldn't keep his mouth shut.
After the incident with Nie Chenglin, no matter how seriously Li Huaide demanded that Yingcheng Shipbuilding increase the workload and management intensity of the labor camp personnel, Xu Sinian would no longer listen to his advice.
On the surface, they were all smiles and laughter, but in reality, things were becoming more and more relaxed. According to Xu Sinian, the living conditions and benefits of the labor camp inmates on the construction site were basically no different from those of the workers in the engineering company.
Apart from the policy benefits that could not be provided for returning to Beijing to visit relatives and for the ships operating in the city, Xu Sinian gave them whatever he could, and there have been no more suicides in the past two years.
Where do people undergoing re-education through labor come from?
Without Li Xuewu needing to explain, everyone knew perfectly well that Xu Sinian, who was in charge of the Yingcheng ships, was extremely familiar with the backgrounds and experiences of these people.
He knows exactly who has a problem and who doesn't. He can treat everyone equally now, and in the future, these people won't treat him differently.
So much so that when Li Xuewu inquired about the living and working conditions of these people, the inmates could still report their thoughts in a relaxed tone.
Xu Sinian said he wasn't a heartless person, but Li Xuewu wasn't a mean-spirited person either. If it weren't for Li Xuewu holding things together and maneuvering things around him these past few years, could Xu Sinian have protected these people so easily?
Who is the good guy and who is the bad guy? Everyone has their own answer in their heart.
When Li Xuewu, the group's secretary-general, came to the construction site for research, he stood in front of the workers, and they only showed respect, with little fear or timidity, unless they had done something wrong and had something to hide.
"You don't need to build a factory for marine diesel engines; the group has other considerations."
During his inspection of the assembly workshop, Li Xuewu explained, "Shenyang Aircraft Corporation has expressed interest in cooperation, and we can take advantage of the convenience of Liming Engine Manufacturing Plant."
"Is it contract manufacturing or collaborative manufacturing?"
Xu Sinian asked with concern, "If we're cooperating on production, I can rest assured using your management standards; otherwise, there's the quality issue—"
"It's not decided yet, we'll talk about it later."
Looking at the massive ship, Li Xuewu nodded slightly and said, "Every form of cooperation has its advantages and disadvantages, and what the group can do is to take a comprehensive approach."
"Of course, it's up to the group leaders to make the decision." Xu Sinian smiled and said, "We will obey orders and follow commands."
These words are quite different from his grumbling tone last night. It shows that he says what he means in different situations, otherwise he would really be talking nonsense.
"Engineers and technicians from Neptune Shipyard and Valno Shipyard should be able to arrive in March, and there will be a complete team, including ship designers, to build the ship."
Li Xuewu didn't want to listen to his nonsense, and bluntly emphasized: "Your Yingcheng ships need to be prepared for docking. Don't waste time, otherwise you'll be wasting our funds."
"Cargo ships, container ships, icebreakers, fishing boats." He counted on his fingers as he spoke to Xu Sinian and the main person in charge of Yingcheng Shipbuilding, "Whether we can achieve technological and industrial upgrading depends on how much you can extract from your teacher."
"We all learned from the experience with the Russians last time, so let's not be reserved or hesitate this time. I allow you to use your skills, and whoever learns it will keep it."
"Hehehe——"
A burst of light laughter rang out, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "I don't understand German, which is a big disadvantage. If any of you or the technicians here understand German, that would be amazing. Your innate advantage would be too obvious."
Upon hearing his words, everyone who had been chuckling just moments before froze, their gazes shifting, their thoughts immediately clear.
When Li Xuewu saw this, he just chuckled and said, "I've informed the vocational college that a German professor will be coming over to give us guidance in the next few days."
Just as surprise and delight flashed in everyone's eyes, he emphasized again: "Of course, resources are limited, and how much you can learn depends on your personal efforts."
"To be honest, I'm also preparing to learn German."
He looked at the engineers and technicians standing around him and said, "I can speak English, Russian, and French, and I can also speak a little Japanese."
"I'm learning German now purely for work purposes. I may not have as much time as you guys, but I'm trying my best to adjust my schedule."
"You will definitely learn faster than us."
One of the workers laughed and shouted, "After all, you're a college graduate, while I'm only a high school graduate."
"Who didn't graduate from high school—"
Li Xuewu smiled and tapped him, saying, "Those who know my background should know that I joined the army after graduating from high school and went to university after returning."
"Don't tell me you didn't have the opportunity to go to school. Looking at your face, you could definitely have gone to university back then."
"Hahaha--"
The laughter suddenly grew louder, and the person who had just spoken blushed.
Li Xuewu continued the previous topic, saying, "You've also caught a good time. The group's vocational and technical college is preparing to open a continuing education college this year."
He nodded to the crowd and introduced, "Those who want to improve themselves and pursue further studies can contact the union to request the examination regulations."
"Also, those who want to learn German can contact the union to register. Remember, opportunities are for those who are prepared."
Amid laughter and chatter, Li Xuewu concluded his research at the shipyard and returned to the guesthouse to rest. He still had to visit the construction site of Yingcheng Port in the afternoon.
At lunch, Song Heping, deputy director of Yingcheng Shipyard, asked a question about the continuing education college of vocational and technical college that Li Xuewu had mentioned that morning.
"Secretary-General, what is the significance of establishing continuing education channels?"
He asked earnestly, "If the goal is to provide workers with opportunities to improve their skills, then we already have technical training courses, so why go through this extra step?"
"As you may know, some workers do not have the overall skills to receive higher education. Even if they are recruited, how much can they learn?"
Seeing that Li Xuewu was not annoyed by his question, Song Heping continued, "A very practical question: after workers enroll in vocational and technical colleges, how are their organizational affiliations handled? Will they receive wages? If not, how will they support their families and themselves?"
"Let me answer your first question first."
Li Xuewu nodded, signaling Xu Sinian to be quiet. He then explained, "The significance of establishing the Continuing Education College is to give all factory employees a chance to choose their lives anew. In the view of the Group Management Committee, the importance of talent far outweighs the investment."
“You’re right. If the goal is simply to improve workers’ technical skills, we can run technical training courses, but that’s not enough to cultivate higher-level talent.”
He pointed to the dining table and said, "This year, vocational colleges will release a large number of graduates to various companies. Have you considered that their arrival will create competition for existing employees?"
"And if these individuals, who possess learning ability, ambition, and practical work experience, pass the exams and then pursue higher education, what would that mean for companies?"
“When he comes back, he can be placed in a grassroots management position.” Xu Sinian gave Li Xuewu the answer. “If he has excellent overall qualities and potential for development, he can be placed in a key management deputy position for a period of time to train, and then he can be promoted immediately.”
"It's what Director Xu was talking about."
Li Xuewu pointed with his finger and looked at Song Heping, saying, "These employees who have been reborn after receiving higher education and acquiring management skills are not necessarily worse than recent graduates, and may even be better."
“It’s just that talented people are hard to find.” Xu Sinian nodded in agreement. “Since they’re already workers, how many of them can still pick up a book, be absorbed in it, and be willing to give up their current job to gamble on their future?”
"That's what I wanted to say too." Li Xuewu looked at everyone and said, "Since we give a chance to recent graduates, we should also give a chance to veteran employees. That's what fairness is all about."
"As for how to take the exam, whether one can pass, whether one's current salary will be suspended if one passes, and whether future career prospects will be better, I think the employees will think it through themselves."
He tapped the table with his finger and said, "What we need to do is select talents and provide them with fertile ground for learning and advancement, but we must never do anything that forces them to grow too fast."
-
On the afternoon of the 10th, Li Xuewu, accompanied by Zhang Beinan and Xu Sinian, inspected the construction site of the Yingcheng Port Area project.
Xu Sinian came along because of his ambition.
Of course, as a member of the Liaodong Industrial Leading Group, he also has an obligation to assist in the construction of Yingcheng Port Area, a directly affiliated enterprise of the group, so it's not wrong for him to come along.
This time, however, it was Zhang Beinan who made the introduction, and he became a silent observer.
"The underground works in the port area are almost finished, and the overall construction progress has started ahead of schedule. We managed to save some time before the ground froze."
Zhang Beinan stood in front of a huge map in the command center and gave Li Xuewu a presentation, including each functional area of the port and the construction progress.
Li Xuewu had already reviewed the design drawings and even offered many suggestions, so Zhang Beinan didn't need to explain the significance of the functional areas to him; he only needed to report on the construction progress.
Li Xuewu inquired about issues such as project supervision, material supply, coordination with construction units, and living conditions, and Zhang Beinan, representing United Construction, reported on each of these matters.
Hongxing Steel Group United Construction Corporation is the general contractor for the Yingcheng Port Area project. Not all the workers working in the port area belong to the construction corporation; some come from Dongfeng Sany Construction Cooperative and other construction companies in Liaodong.
As one of the shareholders of United Construction Engineering Corporation, Dongfeng Sany Construction Cooperative retained its design and some construction departments after merging some construction and supervision units.
On-site decoration and landscape design projects were undertaken by staff from Dongfeng Sany Construction Research Institute and construction workers from the landscape engineering company.
For Yingcheng Port Area, using local construction companies is a necessary condition for saving costs; otherwise, the construction materials alone would have been a huge problem for Honggang Group.
It's not that the local government has to beg for donations when building Yingcheng Port. It's a two-way process. The construction of Yingcheng Port requires the participation of local construction companies, and these companies also need the project to generate revenue, which leads to the supply of building materials.
In this regard, Yingcheng Industry and other departments provided considerable assistance, almost eliminating the need for Honggang Group to come and coordinate relationships.
We can already feel the vibrant energy that ports bring to the economy. The opening of a port that truly meets international standards will be a once-in-a-century opportunity for Yingcheng.
Yingcheng Port was not among the eight ports announced for construction last year. This was not because Hongxing Steel Group had built the port first. Even if Hongxing Steel Group had not built the port, Yingcheng Port would not have been on the list of eight ports.
Yingcheng is now competing with each other, investing and building ahead of others, and Honggang Group has a presence throughout Liaodong. They want to see who can develop better.
At this time, Bincheng Port has already entered the design and planning stage, and construction will definitely start next year. Given the proximity, it will become a competitive relationship.
Li Xuewu spent an afternoon at the Yingcheng Port construction site, enduring the biting cold wind, trying his best to observe and ask questions to express the group's concern for the port construction.
When the research work ended, night had fallen. The construction site was brightly lit, illuminating the bright future of the port area.
"Looking at the scale of the site now, I can't even imagine how big and magnificent the port area will be, which will take three years to build."
Xu Sinian and Li Xuewu looked out the car window at the city lights and shook their heads slightly, sighing.
Li Xuewu nodded silently, his eyes shining with longing and hope.
The Liangmahe Industrial Zone was built over two years ago, the Gangcheng Industrial Zone over one year ago, while the Yingcheng Port Area used a large amount of construction machinery from the beginning, yet the design period was a full three years.
This doesn't even mention how much engineering and construction resources Honggang Group invested in the port area. In those days, more than 20 million yuan was poured in, so you can imagine how powerful it was.
Li Xuewu emphasized from the beginning of the design that it is essential to leave room for development, to connect with the future, to do a good job in basic construction projects, and to benchmark against international ports.
At the cadre meeting of Yingcheng Shipbuilding Plant and Yingcheng Port Area Construction Project held on the morning of January 11, after conveying the latest instructions from the Group Management Committee and emphasizing the guiding principle of "one focus and three promotions", he once again spoke about the importance of Yingcheng Shipbuilding and Yingcheng Port Area to the Group.
To build a high-quality international trade enterprise that focuses on import and export and connects with the world's advanced industrial and trade markets, how can a port with excellent quality compete with its counterparts in the world trade market?
Conversely, without Yingcheng Port as a sycamore tree, how could the golden phoenix be attracted?