Chapter 2079: A Small Matter

Looking at Yang Luo's listless, carefree appearance, the old man felt his heart weary, and doubts arose about his decision.

"Ah!"

The old man sighed: "As for enterprises already bankrupt or undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, I won't mention them; let's just talk about the forty state-owned large and medium-sized enterprises that have been continuously losing money for over three years.

Among them are two: one is Beiqi, the other is Jingcheng Woolen Mill. I won't speak of Beiqi—you poached quite a few people from there for your radiator factory, so you should know Beiqi better than I do."

Zhou Andong said weakly: "I personally poached only one person, now deputy factory director in charge of technology, a very capable one; as for the others poached, I don't know."

"I'm not talking to you about poaching people."

The old man snorted, no longer bothering with Zhou Andong, and continued speaking.

"Let me talk about the woolen mill: its predecessor was the Qinghe Boli Wool Factory, established in 1908, built under the influence of the Westernization Movement, with Empress Dowager Cixi personally approving its construction.

The wool produced was directly supplied to the Qing government's army for making uniforms; in today's terms, it was a military enterprise. During the Republican era, Mr. Zhongshan once visited for inspection and took a commemorative photo with the factory's managers and workers, a photo preserved to this day.

Until the peaceful liberation of Jingcheng, the Qinghe Boli Wool Factory, along with Jingxi Power Plant, Shijingshan Iron Factory, and Jingcheng Match Factory, remained among Jingcheng's larger industrial enterprises, directly under government control, with officials stationed at the factory to implement supervision.

After the September 18 Incident, the Japanese invaders again encroached upon North China; at that time, the Nationalist government, to prevent important supplies from falling into Japanese hands, organized the southward relocation of Palace Museum artifacts, universities, factories, etc.

The Qinghe Boli Wool Factory, as a Nationalist government enterprise, had its main machinery and part of its workforce relocated to Wujian and Shancheng. After the Lugou Bridge Incident, North China fell, the Japanese invaders occupied Jingcheng, and the Qinghe Boli Wool Factory also suffered under the Japanese invaders' iron hooves.

The Japanese brought in machinery and equipment, forcing workers to produce wool for them. Under the threat of Japanese bayonets, workers performed arduous labor; the factory gate had a pillbox with machine guns, and Japanese military police, bayonets fixed and wolf dogs snarling, stood guard.

To resist Japanese oppression, workers also once carried out special forms of resistance and struggle such as stealing and destroying raw materials, sabotaging machinery, and passive slowdowns.

In 1945, after the nationwide victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Nationalist army took over the factory; workers had barely caught their breath before, under the control of Nationalist military police, they continued military production, with the wool used for fighting the civil war.

The Party's underground organization penetrated the factory, united and mobilized the broad masses of workers, and engaged in active political struggle against the Nationalist military police rule.

By the end of 1948, the Pingjin Campaign erupted; our army advanced toward Jingcheng, while the Nationalist troops made a desperate resistance at Shangdi and Shucun west of the factory, were soon defeated by our army, and immediately we surrounded the factory guarded by Nationalist military police.

Not long after, seeing the tide turn, the Nationalist military police surrendered their weapons. Our army, with the active cooperation of the worker masses, took over the factory, implemented military control, swiftly restored production, and welcomed Jingcheng's peaceful liberation.

During the military control period, registering names and implementing the supply system—this register recorded the managers and workers who, after retirement post-liberation, were counted as having participated in revolutionary work before liberation according to state policies, thus enjoying retirement or 100% pension benefits.

After the founding of New China, the Qinghe Boli Wool Factory remained an important enterprise in Jingcheng; the leadership taking over Jingcheng dispatched large numbers of cadres from the liberated areas to fill enterprise leadership posts.

Due to the high attention of the Party and government, this old enterprise spanning three dynasties from then on radiated revolutionary youth, producing large quantities of wool for the country and the troops, strongly supporting New China's construction and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

At that time, most leaders had inspected the woolen mill, chatted amicably with workers, and understood the factory's production and workers' living conditions..."

Zhou Andong blinked his clear yet foolish big eyes, pondering in his heart: Is the old man telling me all this to sell Beiqi and the woolen mill to me?

But he quickly dismissed this unrealistic, daydreaming notion—Beiqi, like FAW, is just mud that can't be piled up; no matter how many billions, tens of billions, or even hundreds of billions in support, it can't produce a truly indigenous car.

Yet why doesn't the state sell them? Because these two enterprises hold extraordinary significance for the state—they absolutely cannot be sold.

As for the woolen mill, he doesn't understand it; this is also the first time he's learned of it, but from the old man's narration, the mill's existence also carries extraordinary significance.

Of course, woolen milling belongs to light industry; no matter how important its significance, it cannot compare to heavy industry enterprises like Beiqi; initially, support will surely be attempted, but when truly beyond cure, it will definitely be abandoned—absolutely no bottomless support like that given to Beiqi and FAW.

But for now, whether Beiqi or the woolen mill, neither has reached the point of life hanging by a thread; he truly can't fathom what the old man's purpose is in telling him all this.

The old man, feeling somewhat thirsty, picked up his teacup, took a sip, then continued: "In 1956, with the nation's economic construction booming, the municipal government decided to expand three woolen mills on the foundation of the original Qinghe Boli Wool Factory.

After completion, the site was called the Jingcheng Woolen Mill Base; the three woolen mills became pillar enterprises of Jingcheng's textile industry and even Jingcheng's industry as a whole.

Output value reached over seven hundred million by the late 1970s; products supplied the domestic market, military needs, and were exported to Europe and America, earning the state large amounts of foreign exchange.

But the good days lasted only seven or eight years; by the late 1980s, internationally, the woolen industry, whether in industrial upgrading or enterprise growth, entered a period of rapid development.

Especially with the implementation of our country's reform and opening-up policy, many southern regions and rural towns established numerous woolen enterprises; some were large-scale, some had advanced equipment, some had flexible mechanisms, forming a major impact on Jingcheng's woolen mills..."

Zhou Andong scratched his head: "Grandpa, you've said all this, and I now understand the woolen mill's importance; so, what exactly do you want me to do?"

Zhou Andong being so sensible, the old man smiled satisfactorily: "Whether Beiqi or the woolen mill, let's not speak of their significance to the nation for now; just say, for the bellies of tens of thousands of workers, they absolutely cannot go bankrupt.

Therefore, we must find someone with both brains and ability, and moreover, with means, to rescue these two enterprises. This person needs sufficient wisdom and courage to face various difficulties and challenges, while also possessing keen insight and decisive decision-making power."

"I understand." Zhou Andong stood up again, heartily patting his own chest: "Isn't it just about finding a capable management talent? I'm your grandson; from now on, if there's anything, just tell me directly—no need to tell me stories."

Having said that, he helped Jian Qiu up: "Wife, let's go; Grandpa's matter, you also need to pay attention, after all, talent is hard to come by, Beiqi and the woolen mill are no different from other state-owned enterprises, so we can't be careless."

The old man nearly choked with anger: "Sit down for me."