Chapter 78 Seeking Sponsorship (Previous two were 76)

  In a desolate factory, I met a middle-aged man full of resentment. Su Cheng would not understand what had happened.

  "He immediately explained: 'We are here to inspect the factory.'"

  The other party didn't pounce on them, but their face was extremely unpleasant, and they said in a harsh tone: "You two little kids, what are you investigating?"

  Su Cheng estimated that the other party was in his forties and couldn't help but think to himself: You must have married early and had children early, what kind of situation would make you call us young kids.

  He didn't answer, but stretched his neck to take a look around the workshop and said: "The machine maintenance is quite good. When we came in from the main gate, the workers were just getting off work. Are they working in other workshops or are they specifically responsible for maintaining machines?"

  "It's just idle talk." The other party didn't want to give a proper explanation either.

  "That's just taking care of the machine." Su Cheng said in a very low voice.

  The factory that is still maintaining its machinery has not completely collapsed yet. However, the halt in production is equivalent to a critical illness notice for the factory.

  Such a large-scale factory, whether it is in production or not, the workers' salaries, depreciation of the factory buildings and machinery, administrative expenses for maintaining operations, bank loans and interest on debts - none of these fixed expenditures can be reduced. Once even these costs cannot be balanced, it will be very difficult for the factory to recover.

  However, Su Cheng clearly remembered that Jinan Power Machinery Factory was revived and lived a brilliant life - after CNPC was established, it injected a large amount of cash into Jinan Power Machinery Factory with its wealth and threw in a huge number of orders, which brought a dying factory back to life.

  The main reason they did this is because of the importance of the power plant factory.

  Oil exploration in the wilderness requires high-horsepower diesel engine support; offshore drilling platforms require powerful and durable power units; temporary or long-term outdoor settlements also need various types of power engines, as well as shipboard power and military transport vehicles...

  The difference between it and an ordinary internal combustion engine factory is that the latter produces internal combustion engines that can only be used as car or truck engines, while Jinan Power Machinery Factory produces internal combustion engines that can only be used as tank or warship engines.

  When graduating from Suzhou University, if a student could get into Jinan Power Machinery Factory, it was worth celebrating with a treat.

  However, the late 1980s was the most difficult time for Jinan Power Machinery Factory. Just by looking at this middle-aged man's clothes, you can tell. The wrinkled sweater is of good quality, indicating that his previous standard of living was not bad. However, his recent situation has been poor, and after repeated wear and washing, it has become deformed due to poor ironing...

  Su Cheng had an idea in his mind. If he could buy Jinan Power Machinery Factory now, it would be a great industrial bargain. However, seeing the other party being so cautious, Su Cheng showed his signature silly smile and didn't say much before turning around to leave.

  The middle-aged man looked at this smiling young man and suddenly felt a little familiar, so he ran back to the office.

  Su Cheng thought about the problem while subconsciously holding Shu Lan's hand: Jinan Power Machinery Factory is a company that was founded in the 1920s. It has a history of 67 years, but it is precisely because of this history that CNPC wants to raise its own child even more. However, heavy industry factories are not so easy to build, and new factories are as soft as noodles. Under helplessness, CNPC had no choice but to reinvest heavily to revive Jinan Power Machinery Factory.

  Such a factory with a solid foundation, even if it only maintains for several years, can make extra profits from CNPC, but the thoughts of the workers are unknown.

  Shulan's face was flushed, thinking that Su Cheng was being serious and had no intention of teasing her. At this moment, she was far away from Dongying, so she just symbolically struggled a bit and obediently let Su Cheng lead her. However, in her heart, she couldn't stop the bubbles of happiness, feeling that Su Cheng was good at making her feel happy, and deliberately brought her to this machinery factory.

  Two people with different thoughts in mind walked out of the gate, and suddenly someone behind them shouted loudly:

  "Wait a minute, Director Su, wait a minute."

  Su Cheng turned around in shock.

  The middle-aged man ran over, panting, with a newspaper still in his hand. Behind him, an older cadre was following, seemingly unable to keep up the pace.

  "Are you Director Su?" The middle-aged man walked up to Su Cheng and directly held the newspaper next to his face, comparing while saying: "I thought it looked like him, indeed it is. Right? Director Su, didn't you just say that you came to inspect the factory?"

  He was extremely excited, and his old face revealed the infatuated expression of a crazy fan from later generations, which scared Su Cheng to take a step back while holding Shu Lan's hand.

  At this moment, the middle-aged talent didn't care about Suzhou's fright, he was very grateful for the mandatory subscription requirement of the party newspaper. It doesn't matter if you can't eat, but you can't do without newspapers. Isn't it a great opportunity in front of you? Almost missed by yourself.

  Su Cheng saw someone holding the "People's Daily" and comparing it with their own head, couldn't help but admit, just for a moment of loss of composure, then smiled foolishly and nodded.

  "It's you, you see, laughing just like that." The middle-aged man slapped his thigh with a loud noise, attracting many people.

  Shulan burst out laughing, this bad guy from Su City, every time he shows a smile like that, nothing good will come of it.

  The middle-aged man continued to gesticulate: "I knew it was you, you're the Su factory director who gave out pork, and you really look innocent."

  When people around heard that pork was being distributed, their eyes lit up instantly. Jinan Diesel Engine Factory is also a subordinate unit of Shengli Oilfield, and the news of Dahua Industry is overwhelming, how could they not know? It's said that the 300-catty big fat pig has a layer of fat as thick as five fingers. People are envious to death, they can't even get their salaries paid on time, let alone fatty meat. They don't understand what the factory director and company are boasting about, but getting pork is real, at one point, there were at least 40 or 50 people gathered around, with some cadres dressed up among them.

  Su Cheng couldn't help but laugh and cry, but seeing the gaunt faces of these people, he could understand. He raised his voice slightly and said: "I am Su Cheng, the deputy factory director of Dahua Industry. I'm in Jinan on business today and stopped by to take a look."

  In the SOE reform I saw before, it was often accompanied by fierce conflicts and irreconcilable contradictions. So, without a stroke of luck, how dare Su Cheng say that he wants to buy this company?

  Isn't this looking for trouble?

  The middle-aged man felt a little regretful after hearing this. He had just heard the young man say that he came to inspect, but now it seemed like he had come to handle affairs instead.

  It's all my fault, I didn't recognize him just now, and now I've let it slip.

  Jinan Power Machinery Factory has been struggling for a long time. Since the production was suspended for one year, workers can only get the minimum living allowance. Even one-third of their salary is not always available.

  Director Chen and others have sought a way out more than once.

  There are foreign investors coming to inspect. They took a stroll and left; There are state-owned enterprises coming to inspect, eating and drinking, and leaving; There are township enterprises coming to inspect. As soon as they opened their mouths, they asked: Can the start-up capital be borrowed from the bank?

  If the bank could lend money to the diesel engine factory, why would they need to find them?

  But in the late 1980s, those who could take out hundreds of thousands or even millions to resume production were truly rare. Wealthy individuals would rather invest tens of millions in light industrial products such as clothing, furniture, and hardware. Wealthy collectives, on the other hand, preferred household appliances and motorcycles.

  In an era of making quick money, the thin profits of heavy industry are really uninteresting.

  It's easy to see Su Cheng, and middle-aged people think: This is also a legendary figure in the oil field, and it can be considered a great god of wealth.

  He mistook a dead horse for a live one and called out: "Director Su, now that you're here, we'll give you a detailed introduction."

  Su Cheng was surprised by his change in attitude. However, he did not refuse.

  Only listening, the middle-aged man kept saying how good their factory was, speaking with flying spittle. The surrounding workers looked embarrassed and uncomfortable, but still had an expectant expression as they watched Su Cheng, making him feel like a big fat sheep at this moment.

  "Ah, what should I call you?" Su Cheng finally managed to interrupt the middle-aged man's speech.

  "Director Su, just call me Little Liu. This is our director Chen Zuyan." The middle-aged man said and pushed out an even older cadre.

  Su Cheng looked at the man in his 40s, and Xiao Liu couldn't utter a word. He could only smile foolishly and greet another person: "Director Chen, I've heard some stories about Jinan Power Machinery Factory, so I came to take a look today. As for other aspects, I haven't considered them yet."

  The factory director seemed more reliable than the middle-aged man. He stared at the middle-aged man, smiled and shook hands with Su Cheng, and directly said: "Director Su, I am Chen Zuyan, the director of Jinan Motor Factory. Let me say a few words on behalf of our employees. We have actually applied to the superior authorities for restructuring. We only have two requirements. First, the factory starts work. Second, the treatment of workers is equal to that of other state-owned enterprises. As long as these two points are met, we will unconditionally support the restructuring."

  He looked deeply at Su City after he finished speaking.

  Middle-aged Xiao Liu had an expectant face, a disgusting expression that seemed to say "Support me, support me".

  Su Cheng was completely bewildered and asked: "Are you willing to reform?"

  "Of course."

  Su Cheng looked around and everyone was in agreement.

  State-owned enterprises are not all awesome, why are people here so open? It's unscientific!

  In fact, the reform of state-owned enterprises in the 1980s and the massive layoffs in the 1990s were vastly different.

  The reform of the shareholding system was not initially driven by the state, but rather because local state-owned enterprises took the initiative to reform and operate, producing very good results, which then promoted the shareholding system from bottom to top. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was often the case that enterprises were competing to demand a shareholding system, but few could get it, such as military factories and heavy industry factories, many of which waited until they went bankrupt.

  Enterprises like Jinan Power Machinery Factory only pay salaries for four or five months a year, while others not only pay bonuses but also give meat. In such a comparison, who still cares about state-owned enterprises?

  Su Cheng originally came to pick up the leftovers, but looking at the group of big men surrounding him with a deep and longing expression, asking for patronage, he couldn't say anything.

  He smiled again with a silly grin.

  "If I could take over the Jinan Power Plant, I would do my best to resume production and workers' treatment will be comparable to that of Dahua Industry. As long as the price is not too outrageous, I will try my best."

  When he heard about the treatment of Dahua Industry, Xiao Liu didn't hesitate anymore and shouted out: "They still dare to bargain, first ask them to pay me my salary."

  A group of people chimed in: "Right, pay wages."

  Su Cheng said: The salary is just a few dollars. This is China's most promising diesel engine factory. Acquiring from the bottom up doesn't seem bad either.