Chapter 1306: Cheng Kaiyan

With the manpower of two counties merged in and a vastly larger territory available for development, progress became evident across all sectors once industrial adjustments were completed.

As industrial restructuring concluded, remarkable advances were achieved in every aspect.

For textile machinery production, two-thirds of the components were outsourced to the other two counties, while Jin Ling shifted to manufacturing the final high-difficulty, high-precision, high-standard parts and handling final assembly; this expanded supply chain naturally boosted output significantly.

In fact, Jin Ling's textile machinery had always been in short supply; Wang Jingwei, affected most severely, was now scrambling frantically, having previously ignored Jin Ling but now resorting to various tactics.

Foreign competitors fared even worse; by this stage, their machinery could no longer compete with Jin Ling's. Although the technological gap wasn't enormous, performance metrics were gradually widening, and with Jin Ling's lower prices, how could foreigners possibly compete?

Jin Ling Machinery's strategy was simple: rather than waiting for foreigners to initiate a price war, Jin Ling would leverage its advantages to drive prices down first. Jin Ling's lower costs meant greater profit margins, whereas foreigners' higher costs and inferior output meant that lowering prices would severely hurt their profitability, reduce R&D investment, and essentially sentence them to death within three to five years.

Jin Ling intended to crush foreign machinery manufacturers first.

Of course, full openness hadn't yet been achieved, and true global trade didn't exist; if this were after the new millennium, foreign textile machinery would have collapsed even faster...

Agricultural machinery production followed the same model, with even greater necessity for expansion to release labor forces, enabling fewer people to cultivate more land while transferring freed labor into industry.

Thus, for Jin Ling's various models and types of agricultural machinery, most components were produced in the other two counties, with Jin Ling's main factory handling final assembly.

Similarly, production of motorcycles, tractors, synthetic fibers, chemicals, canned goods, meat products, and aquaculture was all relocated, divided into zones, scaled up, and expanded to increase output, simultaneously creating numerous urban jobs for rural populations from the other two counties.

Footwear, apparel, and daily chemical products were distributed among several different factories, each producing distinct series covering everything from low-end to high-end markets.

With this surge in production capacity, the profits generated were divided into multiple portions: one part funded wages and benefits for workers in the two counties, another supported infrastructure and public construction in those counties, while the remainder was invested in newly planned facilities, with the majority directed toward Jin Ling's headquarters construction and agricultural machinery production to liberate productive forces.

Two matters deserve special mention.

Throughout 1983, Jin Ling earned over 140 million US dollars in foreign exchange.

Besides Jin Ling's existing foreign partners and new clients from the Canton Fair, the most significant contributor was Lawrence Harris, the foreigner met at the 1982 Canton Fair.

Under Wang Yan's remote guidance, supported by ample supplies of high-quality, innovative, and effective footwear, apparel, and daily chemical products, assisted by Jin Ling personnel stationed abroad, and driven by Lawrence's desperate hope to defy fate and become a multimillionaire, Jin Ling-branded products successfully launched and sold in the American market.

Wang Yan provided some US dollars to establish direct-sale stores in America, while Lawrence mortgaged his house and car to fund various marketing campaigns; after a year of diverse promotional activities, Jin Ling brands gained recognition and sales volume in the US, thereby generating profits.

However, in America, Jin Ling brands were not called "Jin Ling" but "JL," though the brand logo remained identical, both featuring the character "兀"; as for potential conflicts over the "JL" abbreviation, it didn't matter—since both were abbreviations, they could always settle disputes in court if necessary.

The profits earned were partially distributed to Lawrence, partially reinvested in constructing direct-sale stores, and partially used to purchase equipment globally; whatever could be bought was acquired and shipped back to China, while a portion of the foreign exchange was also remitted to the state.

This was no secret operation requiring stealthy actions; concealment was impossible anyway.

Therefore, since concealment was neither possible nor necessary, large-scale domestic publicity was naturally pursued; this was one reason for such actions—to leverage export success to boost domestic sales.

Thus, Jin Ling poured money into aggressively promoting its overseas sales figures, even publishing seemingly authentic interviews with foreigners and numerous photos of crowded stores with frantic shoppers, emphasizing the message: "Even foreigners recognize our Jin Ling brands, so these must be genuine premium products—just buy them."

This approach was disgusting yet highly effective.

Domestic marketing campaigns began in the second half of 1983, reflected in financial reports as a straight-line surge in sales; especially after October, as Jin Ling's direct-sale stores sequentially opened, the fervor within these shops became even more apparent.

The boom extended beyond footwear, apparel, and daily chemicals, because Jin Ling's direct-sale stores, similar to supermarkets, occupied considerable space divided into zones; virtually all Jin Ling-produced goods intended for the public were displayed, including footwear, apparel, daily chemicals, furniture, food, and daily necessities, generally priced slightly higher than ordinary products.

Jin Ling products would absolutely never reduce prices; maintaining their premium image from the outset was essential, as any price cut would ruin everything.

The second matter was the official establishment and commencement of operations of the Jin Ling People's Development Bank; with equipment installed and networks established, operations began smoothly—simply finding a location and connecting the necessary equipment sufficed.

The bank's first transaction involved issuing bank cards to workers and government employees across the three counties, while other interested citizens could also apply.

The primary reason was that the bank card system was still in trial; it required a period of operation to resolve various issues before being fully implemented across the three counties, after all, information technology at this time was merely barely functional, with numerous problems still existing.

Nevertheless, Jin Ling's available funds increased significantly, since workers' salaries were directly transferred by the finance department into their bank cards, and wages, benefits, and subsidies for workers constituted the largest portion of expenditures.

By the end of 1983, Jin Ling's average monthly income had reached 80 yuan, with the lowest income at 67 yuan; that year, the national average annual income for workers was 826 yuan, meaning Jin Ling had already surpassed the national average.

Year-end statistics showed the workforce numbered over 190,000, including newly hired workers from the two additional counties, with monthly wage disbursements totaling 16 million yuan.

Adding various in-kind benefits such as staff housing, three daily meals in cafeterias, holiday gift packages, free education for children, free school supplies, medical expenses, and pensions, the monthly equivalent in monetary terms alone would exceed 30 to 50 million yuan.

However, due to Jin Ling's unique operational model, except for externally procured items, internal production costs were extremely low, covering only raw materials and workers' wages, with R&D expenses further amortized; thus, the actual labor cost monthly capped at around 30 million yuan.

Yet the productivity of 200,000 workers was absolutely far more significant than merely 30 million yuan; otherwise, how could buildings have been constructed, roads repaired, various tractors distributed, grand operas performed, textile machinery kept ahead, and semiconductor research dared to be undertaken from virtually nothing?

It was all derived from the surplus value created by the people!

Previously, Jin Ling County's 240,000 residents had propelled the Jin Ling Group to its current status; henceforth, the million residents across the three counties would elevate Jin Ling to even greater glory...

In the blink of an eye, time reached July 1984, when Song Yunping successfully gave birth to a baby boy weighing six jin and three liang at Jin Ling People's Hospital; Wang Yan, the biological father, named the child Wang Jin.

Upon receiving the news, Song Yunhui immediately requested annual leave from his factory and returned to Jin Ling with Cheng Kaiyan, as depicted in the original drama.

"Jin Ling is truly wonderful!"

Stepping out of the train station, Cheng Kaiyan looked around in all directions, overwhelmed by the endless vehicles, crowds, and various shops; she remarked, "It's far better than Jinzhou; I'd heard Jin Ling was good before, but I never imagined it could be this excellent."

"Two years ago, prefabricated houses still stood here; now they've all been demolished. There are more shops, more food options—the changes are truly enormous."

"Why don't we skip the ride and walk back?" Cheng Kaiyan suggested.

"It's three or four kilometers away," Song Yunhui replied, somewhat tempted but declining; "We're carrying luggage and have just endured a long train journey..."

"It's fine; honestly, I felt quite tired before disembarking, but seeing Jin Ling's condition now, I'm not tired at all. The newspapers stated that former Jin Ling residents have basically achieved socialism; I want to see exactly what that looks like."

"Actually, you can't really perceive it; Jin Ling hasn't become wealthy enough for that yet. Currently, all Jin Ling people have enough to eat, the young are cared for, the elderly are supported, and nobody worries excessively, as the Jin Ling Group covers all life events from birth to death. Everyone labors collectively and shares collectively. This is indeed a great achievement, but we still have a long way to go and much more to accomplish."

"Still, we should take a look; why aren't you, as a Jin Ling native, more enthusiastic?"

"I'm quite eager to see the changes over these two years; actually, Jin Ling has transformed rapidly. Compared to when I left home for university, it's now completely different."

Song Yunhui smiled and said, "What I just told you were my brother-in-law's exact words, not mine. He said we've only achieved phased successes and comrades must continue striving. Since you don't feel tired or hot, let's walk."

"Hey, is your brother-in-law particularly serious?"

"Not serious at all; he's a very approachable person—you'll know once you meet him. No need to be afraid; do you think my brother-in-law would eat you? Come on, let's first buy a bottle of iced soda to cool down."

A passing police officer overheard this remark, stopped, and said, "Hello, comrade; do you see that stall under the sunshade over there? They serve free mung bean soup, specially provided by Jin Ling to help travelers beat the heat."

"Thank you, Officer; actually, I'm from Jin Ling myself; I just haven't returned for two years."

"Oh! Then you must be a talented individual; take a good look at our hometown's changes and consider returning to contribute; Jin Ling desperately needs talent. Where are you heading? Shall I arrange transportation for you?"

"No need, no need; we'll walk and observe our hometown's transformations ourselves."

"Very well; if you need any assistance, just seek help from the police, militia, or internal security forces."

The police officer waved goodbye and resumed his patrol.

Song Yunhui and Cheng Kaiyan approached the stall offering free mung bean soup, where two workers busily and skillfully prepared a large plastic cup, scooped ice from a large freezer into it, stirred the mixture in a big barrel, then ladled in mung bean soup until nearly full, ensuring it wouldn't spill during transport.

"Jin Ling is truly wealthy," Cheng Kaiyan remarked with admiration.

Whether it was mung bean soup, ice cubes, or the ice chest itself, it all cost money. Jin Ling Station handled a massive flow of passengers; with so many people, the daily expense for this alone was no small sum.

"Jin Ling can afford this little bit. Since they have it here, the staff canteen must have plenty too, and the school surely distributes it for free. Let's go."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked along the asphalt road toward the residential district.

This was a central axis: from the station, one walked to another parallel road; straight ahead lay the county government office building, beyond which was the residential district, and past that, some factories. Going the other way, just one kilometer further led to the large market provided for outside vendors.

Traffic at the station was already dense, and the market was packed shoulder to shoulder; avoiding greater congestion was essential. Especially during festival seasons, vendors arriving from everywhere could line up all the way to the county government gates. With trains and buses also at their busiest, such congestion had to be avoided.

Along the way, Song Yunhui explained the situation to Cheng Kaiyan, occasionally asking passersby for information, thus learning the full picture.

"Originally, this was our county's government building. The street facing it was the most prosperous area in our county. Even two years ago, it still had bookstores, general stores, restaurants, ready-made clothing shops, furniture stores, and so on. The residents of the old houses on both sides of this street moved into staff housing; later, rural populations entered the factories and settled here. Who would have thought that now everything has been demolished? We don't even know what they plan to build..."

The area was already fenced off, so the two could only carry their things and take a detour.

Only then did they realize that the original city center had become a huge construction site, filled with fences everywhere, with construction underway in every direction...

There was nothing much to see there. After detouring for a while, they finally reached the densely populated area. This was where the old residential houses had stood; the government was temporarily operating here, and various shops had also relocated here temporarily.

It occupied half the area of the old county town. Presumably, once the fenced-off area was completed, they would turn back to develop this side...

Jin Ling was not as prosperous as imagined. Although there were many shops along the streets, their setups were essentially identical. Restaurants offering various flavors, snack stalls with different specialties, plus general stores, bathhouses, mahjong parlors, and card rooms, together formed the street's commercial and recreational activities.

Having seen one street, one had seen the appearance of the entire county town. However, the control of distances was very good: no household was too far away, nor were these commercial streets overly overlapping. Within a fifteen-minute walk at most, one could buy goods, eat, find the sub-district office, or locate a police station.

Everything consisted of life-related services. As for theaters, cinemas, and the like, they were located farther away, but they covered larger areas and could accommodate more people...

Overall, it was better than other places, but not by much.

Yet the spirit of the people was different. The elderly were at ease, the children lively, the youth high-spirited, and the middle-aged had few worries. On the entire street, few people hurried hastily, and few rode bicycles fast; the whole atmosphere was slow-paced.

Everyone walking on the street held their heads high, their eyes bright, their speech forceful. What they radiated was a powerful confidence; this was the style of Jin Ling.

This was everyone relaxing without worries, yet inside the factories, each person remained full of passion and drive. The collective allowed fools and simpletons to exist, but it did not permit those who shirked work through cunning tricks. If one lacked motivation working in the factory, they would be sent to do infrastructure construction, subjected to high-intensity management like those criminals; within three days, they would be crying out to their fathers and mothers, but they should not expect to return within three months.

Therefore, the people of Jin Ling had become accustomed to the fast pace in the factories and the slow pace in daily life; they were relaxing their bodies and minds...

Thus, the two made a large detour, walking and observing while eating and drinking. Although the shops on every street were much the same, their number was considerable. Compared to two years prior, they had nearly doubled, offering all kinds of food.

Only after eating and drinking their fill did they return home, exhausted...