Chapter 350: Seeking Hu Shiyou's Help

Dongjiang Textile Factory is the largest textile factory in Dongjiangsheng; at its peak it once employed over eight thousand workers.

However, due to blind expansion in the early stage, production capacity became severely excessive, causing the factory's product prices to plummet, which severely compressed profits. This situation lasted nearly ten years, and continuous losses finally overwhelmed the factory.

Before the Provincial State-owned Enterprise Reform Group took over, the factory's workforce was reduced to two thousand, and some excess assets were sold. Even so, it still carried a foreign debt of forty million.

Lu Guojie's forty million only solved the factory's debt problem; wanting to revitalize the enterprise, this is far from enough.

When Chen Yang arrived at the Dongjiang Textile Factory, Lu Guojie was reviewing documents in the temporary office arranged for him at the factory.

"Old Lu, Governor Liu sent me over to supervise you. Is there anything you need help with?"

Lu Guojie saw Chen Yang come, a flicker of joy on his face. "Chen Yang, you came at just the right time. I plan to clear out the factory's stored cloth at low prices to buy new textile machinery. Do you know any garment factory owners who could help promote sales?"

Chen Yang asked, "How much inventory is left in the factory?"

Lu Guojie replied, "The factory's data says there are twenty million meters of inventory. But according to my private investigation, that figure contains significant moisture. However, there should still be fifteen million meters of inventory."

Chen Yang picked up his phone and called Yexin.

"Yexin, do you know any bosses there who need cotton cloth? I have about fifteen million meters of inventory here that need to be cleared."

"No, Lin Wei's maternal uncle isn't the deputy mayor of Shencheng? There should be many garment factories there; let him think of a solution!"

Chen Yang heard that and thought Yexin's suggestion was good. So he called Hu Shiyou again.

"Uncle, I have a matter that needs your help; I don't know if it's convenient."

"You kid, between us there's no question of convenience or inconvenience. Just speak up; as long as it doesn't violate laws and discipline."

"It's like this: I'm currently working at the Dongjiang Provincial State-owned Enterprise Reform Group office. I've encountered a problem I can't solve, and I need your help to find a way."

"What problem?"

"I need to sell fifteen million bolts of cotton cloth to help the Dongjiang Textile Factory achieve industrial upgrading. But with such a large quantity, I can't find a suitable buyer in Dongjiangsheng. So I want to ask whether there are factories in Shencheng that can digest this cloth."

"I need to consult on this first; you hang up. I'll notify you once things are settled."

"Okay, thank you for your trouble."

Chen Yang hung up and gave Lu Guojie an OK sign, because Hu Shiyou's words already clearly hinted that his cloth problem could be solved.

"Chen Yang, thank you!" Lu Guojie looked at Chen Yang with admiring eyes, speaking excitedly: "You're amazing; any problem in your hands becomes very simple."

Chen Yang humbly smiled: "Old Lu, I'm just lucky; I married a good wife. Without her family's connections, I'd probably be helpless on this problem."

"Next time your sister-in-law comes to Xingcheng, let me know and I'll treat her to a meal to thank her." Lu Guojie smiled happily. Although the stock trading matter got him a demerit, meeting Chen Yang as a friend is also an unexpected gain.

"No problem." Chen Yang smiled and then asked Lu Guojie: "For this textile factory, you've put your future on the line—is it worth it?"

Lu Guojie sighed: "Back then I didn't think that much; I just wanted to solve the problem. Now, after calming down, I feel I was still too young. Even though there were better ways to solve the problem, I chose the most extreme method."

Seeing that he had seen through the problem, Chen Yang smiled and said: "I hope you can keep this calmness; I really don't want Governor Liu to nag me again."

Lu Guojie said a little embarrassedly: "I entered society a year before you; I should have been your role model, but instead I've become your burden—truly shameful!"

"Alright, let's not dwell on this." Chen Yang, who doesn't like to fuss, just wanted to settle the textile factory matter quickly, so he got straight to the point: "Besides handling the cotton cloth inventory, is there anything else you need my help with?"

Lu Guojie thought for a moment and said: "I've already contacted the new equipment supplier. Just wait until the cotton cloth inventory is cleared, then we can buy the machines. Once the machine issue is resolved, my work will be considered done."

Chen Yang nodded slightly. That way, he only needs to sell all the cotton cloth inventory to regain his freedom.

Half an hour later, Hu Shiyou's phone call finally came back.

"Chen Yang, I've contacted three factories and three foreign trade companies for you. First bring some samples over for them to see. If they're satisfied, they should be able to digest the Dongjiang Textile Factory's inventory."

Chen Yang had already been in Xingcheng for a while; the matter of Qingshui City Feed Factory remained unresolved, and he had no intention of going to Shencheng for the time being. So he directly had Lu Guojie take people to Shencheng to meet with the individuals Hu Shiyou introduced.

And when Lu Guojie heard that the sales channel problem was solved, he jumped up excitedly. After the excitement, he rushed to the factory manager's office of the Dongjiang Textile Factory to discuss preparations for moving south.

Seeing he had nothing to do, Chen Yang drove straight back to the People's Agricultural Products Trading Company. Since he was preparing to return to Qingshui, he needed to brief Shen Anna beforehand.

However, as he was entering the elevator, she happened to run into Yexin.

"You little punk, I thought you forgot you have two companies here!" Yexin expressed strong dissatisfaction with Chen Yang's frequent disappearing act.

"Yexin, this time I went to the Provincial State-owned Enterprise Reform Group office to work, and I secured shares in Provincial Automobile Manufacturing for the company. That counts as an achievement, right?"

Yexin snorted: "Provincial Automobile Manufacturing actually let that narrow-minded old guy Wu Junhui lead it; I regret investing in it."

Chen Yang laughed: "Wu Junhui's ability is still not bad. If he can help Provincial Automobile Manufacturing undergo a rebirth, we can temporarily refrain from judging his morality."

Yexin said: "What can a person with bad character accomplish? If it weren't for Deputy Governor Liu insisting on letting Wu Junhui lead the team, I would have kicked him out of Provincial Automobile Manufacturing long ago."

Chen Yang soothed her: "Yexin, everything must prioritize the big picture! We can't let personal grudges delay the reform work of Provincial Automobile Manufacturing."

Yexin naturally understood Chen Yang's meaning. For now, Wu Junhui is the most suitable person to lead the reform of Provincial Automobile Manufacturing. As long as the automobile technology problem is solved, the ultimate beneficiary will still be Xingcheng Investment Limited Company.