Chapter 1287: Bluffing

"Students, comrades, over the past year, I believe you have all seen reports in the newspapers regarding Jin Ling and the Jin Ling Textile Factory.

The joint inspection team from Beijing has expressed high recognition of the achievements we have made in Jin Ling and high affirmation of the efforts of our Jin Ling people.

At the beginning of the year, major newspapers also reported on the sanitary pads we launched; of course, that was a little trick of ours, using the promotion of women's health knowledge as a pretext to actually promote sanitary pads.

Even some comrades wrote letters to scold me without any courtesy, not because I promoted sanitary pads, but because I spoke extensively about women's matters; naturally, they couched it under other titles, accusing me of advertising and calling me a capitalist.

Just now when I mentioned sanitary pads, I heard some laughter; I do not know what is so funny about it—men are men, women are women, our bodily structures are different, so what is the problem with that?

Seeking truth from facts is the guiding principle of our work; all of you are educated and cultured individuals, so why do you resemble those corrupt Confucian scholars of the Republic of China era? I criticize those students who laughed; go back and reflect on it yourselves, as your ideological awareness still needs improvement."

Wang Yan swept his gaze around the room, letting his eyes linger briefly on a few individuals, then cleared his throat and continued speaking.

"Since we have brought up sanitary pads, let us start with them; the origin of producing them lies in the fact that our factory has many female workers—one or two individuals pose no issue, but one thousand or two thousand makes a difference, making hygiene and safety problems quite prominent.

Therefore, I looked into it and learned that women abroad use these sanitary pads; I even heard that foreign women coming to our side had some complaints regarding this issue...

To date, our sanitary pads have been on the market for five months, with production lines introduced from abroad and adopted across the country; according to incomplete statistics, there are now over forty brands being sold, which shows that while reform and opening-up have relaxed policies, they have also plunged the market into chaos.

Of course, that is not a problem for us to consider; regarding sanitary pad sales, our current monthly revenue is... from spinning to production, and finally to packaging and freight, there are over fourteen hundred workers involved in these areas, covering monthly wages, medical funds, high-temperature subsidies, overtime subsidies, welfare expenditures...

This is just one of our production factories in Jin Ling, which we call the Hygiene Production Department; in addition, there are the Textile Department... the Textile Machinery Department... the Steel Department... the Agricultural Machinery Department... the Chemical Daily Necessities Department... the Agriculture Department... the Chemical Fiber Department... the Construction Department... the Furniture Department... the Meat Processing... the Canned Goods..."

Wang Yan spoke entirely without notes, loudly detailing the status of each production department within the factory, with extremely precise data demonstrating the strength of Jin Ling County.

"Just at the beginning of this month, the number of workers in our factory officially exceeded ten thousand, and our annual output value surpassed forty million; if our foreign trade this year remains the same as last year, then our total annual output value this year is expected to reach sixty million.

Regarding our workers' compensation, combining the piece-rate system of more work for more pay, seniority, job rank, plus various subsidies and benefits, the average wage for all factory workers is sixty-two yuan, the minimum wage standard is forty-five yuan, and the highest wage in the factory belongs to our old factory director, who receives one hundred eighty-nine yuan and sixty-seven fen per month, while I am the second highest, receiving one hundred eighty-one yuan and thirty-six fen per month.

As everyone knows, fifty yuan is sufficient to feed a family of five for a month; calculating thus, the over ten thousand workers in our textile factory cover a population of at least fifty thousand.

In reality, this number is even larger; our factory has numerous workers with rural household registrations who have left their villages and do not participate in village distributions, thereby benefiting the entire village population.

The poorest village in our county has six hundred and eighty-nine people, meaning that on average, each person does not even get two mu of land; the land yield is also very low, and no young woman is willing to marry into such a poor place.

However, in the past year, we recruited one hundred and fifty-seven young men and women between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five from this village, which has increased the per capita arable land in the village to over two mu.

When you all arrived, you saw that construction projects are everywhere in the county; currently, the main projects we are advancing include the construction of worker housing for the factory, starting with forty buildings, and later, as finances became more abundant, an additional twenty were added, along with major traffic routes in the county, water conservancy projects, electrical projects, and so on.

Therefore, at the same time, male laborers in this poorest village who are between twenty-five and fifty-five years old, with sound limbs and intellect and in good physical condition, can go to various construction sites to work during the agricultural slack season, which has increased income for nearly two hundred more people.

Simultaneously, our Agricultural Machinery Production Department has provided them with more agricultural machinery, helping them complete farm work more quickly and further releasing labor power.

Thus, this formerly poorest village can be said to have completely escaped poverty; no one goes hungry, and everyone can eat meat during festivals; the registered population has increased from six hundred and eighty-nine to seven hundred and fifty-six, accounting for newly married wives and newborn children, minus women who married out of the village and elderly who passed away naturally.

And this is just one village; such occurrences are common throughout our Jin Ling; according to our plan, within five years, that is, by the end of 1984, Jin Ling will entirely escape poverty; at that time, even our poorest village and poorest individuals will, at the very minimum, eat meat once a month..."

"I have said all this for two reasons: first, to give a comprehensive report to you students and comrades, allowing you to understand our Jin Ling and our rapidly changing development speed more clearly; second, to let everyone know why our Jin Ling has been able to develop this way.

It is because we research new things and improve productivity, and ultimately, all of this depends on talent; this is also why I went to give a lecture at Peking University; some criticized me, calling me a clown seeking popularity, and I do not deny that; but if I had not gone, there would be no today, and you would not be sitting here.

The amount of talent we have determines how high our Jin Ling can develop in the future, and where that talent goes also affects your own futures.

Currently, the state assigns jobs, and university graduates are indeed scarce; arriving at a government office, one can immediately become a section chief, and arriving at a factory, one can immediately become a supervisor; however, comrades must also consider the actual situation.

The only places where one can become a section chief are poor areas like our Jin Ling used to be; of course, that refers to the Jin Ling of the past; in today's Jin Ling, it is unrealistic to think that just anyone can come and become an official; similarly, the factories one would go to would certainly not be good factories.

I have told my brother-in-law that large enterprises do not lack university graduates; their benefits and treatment are good, their ranks are high, and when everyone rushes to one place, university graduates there count for nothing.

Moreover, there is another extremely important factor, which is background; even today, you must admit that people with background are trusted more and advance faster; not all leading cadres possess the ideological awareness of our great mentor; if you have no background, then in a large factory, your path to advancement will certainly be rough, and your official career will certainly be smooth.

Another point is that seniority determines ranking and factions form; large factories have many people, many children of staff, and thus more contradictions; none of you are children, so you should all be aware of these matters."

Wang Yan swept his gaze across the entire venue, looking at the university students who were each lost in different thoughts, took a sip of water, and continued speaking.

"Why do I say all this? Because here with us, there is no such thing! If you are capable, you step up and demonstrate; if you are not, you honestly complete your own tasks; it is that simple.

Last year, our factory established an internal supervision and inspection group; we investigated and dealt with forty-seven senior leading cadres, one hundred and sixty-nine personnel in various management positions, two hundred and eighty-four people who stole collective property, and adjusted the posts of three hundred and forty-seven people who formed factions to create internal conflicts or looked down on rural workers and considered themselves superior.

In terms of the working environment, we have a significant advantage; regarding personal treatment, you still have more than a year before graduation, and we will definitely build more apartment buildings; I can guarantee that housing will be assigned immediately upon your arrival; if there are no houses, I will move out myself to ensure you have a place to live first.

At the same time, those who bring their families will have jobs arranged for all of them; for those without partners, the factory will provide introductions; regarding specific wages, based on this year's conditions, the guaranteed minimum is one hundred yuan, and bonuses will be provided for research and development achievements; in terms of treatment, this is absolutely the best our factory can offer; as for the simplest issue of food and drink, needless to say, eating meat every day and at every meal is the most basic standard.

Of course, these are only the current conditions; because there is still more than a year of time, our development will only be faster and better; by that time, wages and treatment will certainly be improved further..."

"Alright, now for the Q&A session; let us all communicate and exchange ideas; do not limit yourselves to just Jin Ling or this one factory; feel free to speak your minds..."

And so, Wang Yan began to communicate with the university students, mainly discussing future development plans for Jin Ling, views on the current domestic situation, and perspectives on various international issues.

Of course, by 'international,' he mainly referred to developed regions and countries in Europe and America; there were comparisons between domestic and foreign environments, debates on differences in political systems, and some even expressed admiration for foreign countries.

Wang Yan presented many of his viewpoints and convinced many university students; however, there was one point he could not argue: when comparing domestic and foreign conditions, as soon as someone asked if he had ever been abroad, and pointed out that without actual verification he had no right to speak, it directly negated many of his views on the matter; nevertheless, he did not dwell on it, continued speaking his mind, and even began making predictions directly—believe it or not.

But overall, the students were convinced by many of his words and viewpoints, with a considerable portion shifting from disbelief to belief.

Therefore, comprehensively speaking, this early-organized recruitment presentation was successful and would definitely trick some people into coming.

Especially since this was a public event, it was not just about people showing up; if Wang Yan lost money on this, it would be a loss; he invited newspapers from both the provincial and municipal levels, as well as several from Beijing, precisely for publicity and marketing.

In fact, this was indeed worth publicizing; after all, such an event could be said to be unprecedented, involving excellent representatives of university students and local enterprises, encompassing local development, university student employment, and the implementation of national reforms—it was all a story.

With further nationwide reporting, Jin Ling would become even more deeply ingrained in people's hearts.

What is Jin Ling? It is the vanguard of reform!

After the speech, questions, and answers concluded, it was already past seven in the evening, and a large group went to the Dashitang of the Textile Factory for dinner; this hall can accommodate over two thousand five hundred people dining simultaneously; although they served big-pot dishes, they were prepared by the factory's most skilled chefs, specifically the LV4 top-tier head chef who usually prepares the special small meals, so the quality was guaranteed.

Therefore, coming at this time was also to avoid the workers' dinner hour, allowing this university student inspection team to eat and drink in peace; otherwise, if the workers stared at them like they were monkeys, they would not have felt comfortable either.

Not only were good dishes prepared, but also a great deal of alcohol; the variety of alcohol prepared was very complete, including baijiu, yellow wine, and beer; of course, not all those who came were male university students; there was also a considerable number of female university students, and even if they were all men, one still had to consider those who do not drink, so many beverages were also prepared.

As for cigarettes, needless to say, they were all taken from the warehouses of state-owned stores; every type of cigarette was available, so one could smoke whatever one wished.

The Textile Factory had indeed shown the utmost sincerity, and the county was no less generous; County Head Xu had personally come over to accompany them in drinking...

The festivities continued until past ten at night before finally dispersing; the group of young men and women in the factory responsible for reception duties only considered their work truly finished after confirming that everyone had returned to the guesthouse to settle down for the night...

The guesthouse had also undergone expansion, funded by the Textile Factory, mainly due to Jin Ling's rapid development and the increase in outsiders; whether it was freight drivers, inspection and research teams from various places, or salespeople coming to discuss business, there always needed to be a place to host them.

Furthermore, since the itinerary for the university student inspection team had already been set last year, the area of the guesthouse was expanded early on, and the accommodation conditions were simultaneously upgraded...

Wang Yan, who had drunk a lot of alcohol, personally watched until everything was properly arranged, then lit a cigarette, got into the car, and rode home together with his brother-in-law.

Song Yunping naturally did not come; her longing was expressed very intensely, leaving her with neither the spirit nor the energy for any additional activities...

The windows on all four sides of the little broken car were open, and the evening breeze was quite cool.

Stretching his hand out to feel the evening breeze while watching Wang Yan drive one-handed and casually smoke, Song Yunhui asked, "I didn't know before, but seeing it today, your factory is truly willing to spend money."

"I told the people at the factory before: among these three hundred-plus college graduates, if even ten stay, we've already profited; the money invested now is just a drop in the bucket. If thirty stay, it will be even more incredible—the factory's development speed will absolutely exceed your imagination."

"Brother-in-law, your situation is very good; you achieved all this today even without college graduates. What exactly are you planning to develop?"

"Everything achieved up to today was done entirely by myself. With college graduates, they can shoulder a considerable portion of my work, accelerating the progress of various research projects. Naturally, the speed of making money will also increase; Jin Ling's development will have entered the fast lane."

"As for what specifically we are developing, there is no fixed conclusion. The factory's current overall plan is to focus primarily on the textile industry, with all those other factories serving as supplements. But one thing is certain: we must continuously progress and continuously break through to guarantee our advantages."

"Our looms are not the most advanced in the world, but neither are they lagging behind; at least, there isn't such a huge generation gap. Our goal is to eliminate these gaps, become leaders in the textile industry, and master the most advanced technologies. Only then can Jin Ling make money for the long term and have the ability to seek well-being for the people of Jin Ling."

"If I must be more specific, it means researching computers and researching automation. In the future, mechanical productivity will definitely grow higher and higher, replacing repetitive human labor; this is the trend of the future."

"These are the most cutting-edge projects." Although he already knew his good brother-in-law possessed long-term vision, discussing such world-class cutting-edge matters in a place like Jin Ling still made Song Yunhui unable to help marveling at his brother-in-law's foresight.

He asked in astonishment, "Have you already started researching?"

"You could say we've started. Recently, I am researching semiconductors, planning to first manufacture electronic watches."

Song Yunhui was somewhat speechless: "The gap between those two is far too large."

"Otherwise what? The investment required for this matter is too huge; just the various equipment alone represents no small sum. Currently, Jin Ling is not yet that wealthy; we must slowly accumulate our family assets. Electronic watches, however, appear to be very popular right now. They say they came from Hong Kong; some people in our city ran over there to trade them back, and they've all been sold here."

"Go stroll the streets tomorrow; they're selling everything. Our factory's workers are relatively well-off, so these peddlers are earning pots full and brimming."

"Isn't this just buying low and selling high? Doesn't the county govern this?"

"The county specifically convened a meeting; after discussion, they felt this matter wasn't a big deal. They designated a street for these people to set up stalls; the county collects stall fees, the Gongan Bureau dispatches police to maintain order and catch thieves. So far, the general response from the masses has been good. People from the city saw it and said nothing, tacitly approving it."

"You played a major role in this, didn't you?"

"Ah, it was still County Head Xu who had the strength; not all leaders dare to do such things. Actually, I didn't say much; I only said that instead of chasing people everywhere, it's better to gather them together for management. If our superiors don't agree, at worst we get scolded and shut down; what's the big deal?"

"Everyone talks about reform, yet to this day no specific documents have come down telling us what to do or how to do it. What we are doing is also a kind of exploration. Even if we went to Beijing, we would have reason on our side; no one could say anything against it."

"Go stroll around tomorrow and you'll see; it's still very lively."

"Brother-in-law? I just remembered. Doesn't our county still have quite a few college graduates? You treat college graduates from other places so well; wouldn't it be easier for our county's college graduates to return?"

"Not necessarily." Wang Yan shook his head. "Life in our county is bitter; how long have good days actually lasted? College graduates struggled hard to test their way out; why would they so easily return? Not to mention others, even you aren't willing to come back; how can we count on them?"

"That was because I wasn't willing to trouble you or put you in a difficult position."

"You've improved; now you tell lies without even blushing. Before, you said you looked down on the county, claiming there were no conditions here for you to display your talents."

"No, I..."

"Enough. You have your own path to walk; the choice is yours. I haven't tied you down, forcing you to return. It's not impossible if you don't come back." Wang Yan smiled. "For these college graduates who left the county, on one hand I provided study subsidies, and on the other hand I improved some benefits for their families; that's already quite good."

"Additionally, during this year's Spring Festival, we will reimburse their round-trip train tickets so they can all return home to take a look. At that time, just like today, we will organize all the county's college graduates; I will give them a speech and have a good chat, hoping to touch their hearts and persuade them all to return to build their hometown."

"For the sake of Jin Ling, you have truly bent your back to the task until your dying day."

"Everyone must realize their own value and ideals. My value and ideals are to lead the people of Jin Ling to live good lives."

"Zhu Ni Cheng Gong," Song Yunhui said, opening the car door, getting out, and returning on his own to sleep in the living room of the fifty-five-square-meter house where Song Father and Song Mother lived.

Wang Yan, of course, returned to embrace Song Yunping, who was still waiting for him; husband and wife shared late-night whispers...

Indeed, there were many things to say, only the battle situation had been fierce in the afternoon, leaving no time to speak in detail...