Chapter 1316: Please Answer, Professor Zhao Yujing

A scene similar to what happened at the first bar in Houhai was also happening in a seafood hotel in Yangcheng.

"Damn Zhao Liangping, don't let me run into him, or I'll definitely kill him."

In a private room sat more than a dozen people, including Zhang Sihe and Tian Tian.

The one cursing Zhao Liangping was a lean young man with a head a circle larger than the average person.

He looked like he had drunk too much; his face was flushed red, and he was sitting unsteadily, his upper body swaying non-stop.

These people were the ones who, just a short while ago, had exchanged 12 million US dollars from Zhao Liangping at a price of 14.5.

But they hadn't been happy for two days before the official RMB exchange rate and the foreign exchange adjustment price were officially merged, causing them to lose nearly 80 million overnight.

More importantly, for some, the money in their hands was borrowed at high interest, which had caused them serious injury.

Zhang Sihe's face was uglier than the others, and he had been restless these past few days.

Because this incident was something he had instigated Tian Tian to invest in, and it was even money embezzled from the factory's public account.

Losing over three million in one go—his father-in-law didn't know about this yet.

If he found out, he would definitely break his legs and then kick him out.

Still wanting to marry Tian Tian? That was just wishful thinking.

Tian Tian's face was gloomily terrifying; over three million wasn't a small amount for their family either.

She had originally thought she would make a big profit, but she never expected the country to suddenly implement free foreign exchange adjustment.

Over three million didn't even make a splash before disappearing; she didn't know how to tell her family.

They were here cursing Zhao Liangping, while the person involved was also drinking, but his mood was just the opposite.

This guy was quite happy, in a private room of a dance hall, hugging a pretty big babe in each arm.

"Slap!"

Zhao Liangping pulled a stack of old-man-heads (100-yuan bills) from his pocket and slapped them onto the coffee table with a slap.

"There are five bottles of beer here; whoever drinks them in one breath, this money is hers."

"I'll drink!" One of the big babes didn't say a word, picked up a beer bottle, and poured it into her mouth. She looked like a veteran of the "alcohol" battlefield.

"Good!"

Zhao Liangping shouted "good." This big babe drank the five bottles of beer, her face still not red or white; one look and her alcohol tolerance was quite good.

The big babe threw a flirtatious glance at Zhao Liangping, her hand quickly grabbed the money, and then she stuffed it into her collar in front of her chest.

"Brother Zhao."

The other big babe rubbed against Zhao Liangping coquettishly, the two big leather balls in front of her chest making Zhao Liangping exclaim that he couldn't take it.

"Good, good, good, you go, you go."

Zhao Liangping was quite generous, grabbing another stack of old-man-heads from his pocket and slapping them onto the coffee table.

"Drink!"

At this moment, the door to the private room was knocked, and a man's voice came from outside.

"General Manager Zhao!"

Zhao Liangping shouted: "Come in."

A young man pushed the door and walked in, standing quite properly in front of Zhao Liangping.

"The ticket has been booked for 9:15 tomorrow morning."

Zhao Liangping smiled quite happily: "I'll be able to see Boss Zhou tomorrow night; I must thank him properly."

…………………………

The next day, Elder Jian went to a meeting, and when he returned at noon, he went into the study and picked up the People's Daily on the desk to read.

"Hmm?"

The front-page headline, in bold, immediately caught Elder Jian's attention.

"Please Answer, Professor Zhao Yujing!"

Food is the essential material on which human survival and development depend; its importance is self-evident.

The issue of food security is always an important issue, relating to the national economy and the people's livelihood.

A country is based on its people, and people regard food as their heaven. Food is a commodity, but also a special commodity; it is an important material guarantee for economic development and political stability.

Therefore, food security is particularly important, and the food issue must be grasped firmly at all times.

Times are changing, and the concept of food security is also constantly enriching.

To fully and effectively guarantee food security, one must very clearly understand what food is, what food security is, and its important significance to the country.

But before that, I must first introduce to everyone the identity of this Professor Zhao Yujing.

He is a council member of the Economic Research Institute of the College of Agriculture at South China Agricultural University.

Everyone, look, doesn't this title sound very authoritative?

So Professor Zhao Yujing proposed fully opening up the food market.

Arable land and food production have no direct relationship; if there is a famine, one can buy it internationally.

Do you all also feel that these remarks of his make some sense?

After all, Zhao Yujing is a professor and a council member of the Economic Research Institute of the College of Agriculture.

Words spoken by such an authoritative person certainly aren't nonsense; they must have factual basis.

However, in that article by Professor Zhao Yujing, I didn't see any factual basis.

And I have quite a few questions in my heart that I want to ask Professor Zhao Yujing.

From 1972 to 1974, major food-producing countries and regions in the world experienced continuous natural disasters.

This led to a significant reduction in food production, and global food prices rose by nearly two times.

Many developing countries and regions suffered from severe food shortages; this was the most serious worldwide food crisis since World War II.

Please answer, Professor Zhao Yujing: if we encounter such natural disasters again, can our China's population of over a billion really fill their stomachs just by buying food internationally?

Currently, the annual global food trade volume is only over 200 million tons, while our China's annual food demand is 500 million tons.

Please answer again, Professor Zhao Yujing: if we are short of food, who can afford to supply us?

In the long river of history, the Chinese people, who have been ravaged by famine, have an extremely profound understanding and experience of food security.

As early as the book "Book of Rites: Royal Regulations," it was recorded: "Cultivate three, have one left over; enriching the country must be based on the fundamental industry and accumulation, which is the great mandate of the world."

And food is also a necessity of war; as the saying goes, "Before troops and horses move, food and fodder go first." In times of war, food plays a crucial role.

"Preparing for the border and satisfying the military is a major matter for the country. Managing troops and satisfying food is the great classic of defense."

Cao Cao believed that to pacify the country, one must first have strong troops and sufficient food, so in the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao burned Yuan Shao's large batch of food, ultimately winning with fewer against more.

"Those with much grain are rich; if the country is rich, the troops are strong." Abundant food is an important weapon against natural disasters and war.

Some countries use food as a bargaining chip to exert economic and political pressure.

They interfere in other countries' internal affairs and diplomacy through food imports and exports, food aid, or other means.

They even hold the power of life and death over some food-deficient, underdeveloped countries.

A high-ranking Western official once said in public that food is a weapon to constrain other Third World countries that lack food.

Whoever controls food controls everyone.

In 1985, the German newspaper "Daily News" pointed out an article: Food is an extremely important raw material and strategic weapon, which no other material can compare to.

Food blockades, embargoes, food aid, and restrictions on imports and exports are diplomatic means frequently used by some major powers.

Between 1965 and 1967, the United States restricted food exports to India.

This measure ultimately forced India to stand on the neutral side in the US war of aggression against Vietnam.

Please answer, Professor Zhao Yujing: once a war occurs and foreign countries impose a food blockade on us, what should we do?

Do you expect to defeat the enemy with that mouth of yours that eats human food but doesn't excrete human waste?

"The essence of governance lies first in sufficient food; food relates to the national economy and the people's livelihood, and no other material can replace it."

Food is even more the foundation for governing the country and pacifying the people; it is a sharp weapon for stabilizing the situation..." ===== CHAPTER 1317 =====