Chapter 224

Comrade Qin Miao, I just heard what you said and I'm deeply moved. Back when the country was just founded, we focused our efforts on big undertakings, and the path we took was correct. Relying on a single five‑year plan, we transformed from an agricultural nation into an industrial one. However, after decades of development, we have indeed accumulated many problems.

Factory Director Wang is also an old comrade; in recent years he has indeed seen many bad phenomena in the factory—few people actually work while many just loaf around, spending the day with a newspaper and a cup of tea. If this continues, the factory's operation will surely deteriorate.

But he had never considered the deeper issues; now, when Qin Miao spoke, it woke him up. If in the future the state no longer intervenes and lets the factory enter the market, such an enterprise would have no competitiveness at all!

Moreover, Qin Miao also provided a complete plan; the divestment process is not a blunt cut‑off but aims to give as many outlets as possible, all properly arranged. Even if it develops well, those spun off could earn more than those kept.

What moved him was that last sentence: a factory that needs state subsidies to survive not only fails to create value for the nation but also drains it—a situation that should make every worker and leader, from top to bottom, feel ashamed!

Without reform, there is only death!

He wants to give it a try!

"Comrade Qin Miao, can you…?"

"I really have no time—Ha Gong Da has accepted an important mission and I must return to make arrangements. As for your reform, if you truly follow my advice, I can predict that the Yellow River Factory will definitely become a top‑class automobile plant domestically, and even secure a place internationally!"

All I can give is encouragement, and this is absolutely the first to dare to try it!

"Furthermore, when you encounter technical problems in producing Steyr heavy trucks later on, you can come to us; we will do our utmost to help. After mastering the technology, it's time to upgrade, and Ha Gong Da can also provide technical support!"

"Good!"

Beside him, the head of the old district factory also felt some inclination, but he restrained himself, deciding first to see how the Yellow River Factory proceeds down this road; if they succeed, our side can follow later without being too late.

At this moment, Leader Rao finally spoke: 'Old Wang, don't rush—first draft a reform plan and submit it; we will forward it to the senior leaders and strive to turn your reform into a national‑level project.'

"Hmm!"

Others don't know, but Leader Rao is clear that Qin Miao and the old leader had a conversation, and those three beneficial points are truly eye‑opening.

Now, the people below are still sticking to old ways, but the Yellow River Factory's reform will certainly attract the senior leaders' attention—especially since this is the plan Qin Miao provided!

The Red Rock Factory… is likely to disappear in the long river of history; all I can do is this much.

This time Qin Miao came to the Capital merely to push for Steyr's entry into the Eastern process, but he didn't expect so many other things to happen. He also looks forward to the Yellow River Factory's reform revitalizing it and setting an example for other enterprises—perhaps then there would be no layoff wave in the 1990s…

Especially in the old Northeast, the lives of laid‑off workers are truly miserable!

Carrying mixed feelings and the design drawings, Qin Miao boarded the train back to Ha Cheng; upon arrival he had no time to rest, just various arrangements.

Qin Miao never does everything himself; otherwise he'd end up like Zhuge Liang, a model worker who only exhausts himself. What matters most is making good plans and mobilizing the enthusiasm of all teachers and students at Ha Gong Da—many hands make light work.

Computer Science Department.

"Great, a major project urgently needed by the military—we like it, because it shows our strength!" Professor Hu, face full of excitement, added: "Besides, there's the program flowchart; the coding task will be handed to us. Once the hardware is ready, we can go straight to machine debugging."

Aerospace Department.

"San Shui, look—we've already built a prototype of this satellite, and I heard the launch vehicle project is also progressing smoothly. In another one or two months we should be able to launch it; during the summer vacation we can finish the satellite debugging and make it in time."

Zhou Ding's face lit up with excitement: 'I never imagined Ha Gong Da could handle such a high‑level aerospace project! San Shui, rest assured—we guarantee we won't hold you back, but the ground receiving station is to be developed by the Radio Engineering Department.'

Radio Engineering Department.

"Excellent, San Shui, your idea is brilliant! Rest assured—we've completed the preliminary design. As long as the crystal fab can supply us with matching crystals, we can go into mass production; if the dedicated crystals aren't available, we also have a discrete‑component alternative… By the way, when exactly are we getting our microelectronics company off the ground?"

"Professor Liu, we can start construction first, wait for the higher‑level approval, then launch formally. I suspect someone's grandson is holding it up. Let's wait a bit longer; if that doesn't work, we'll file a petty complaint against him!"

"Hmm, whoever dares to block Ha Gong Da's project won't get away with it!"

President's Office.

"The Ha Cheng government has already approved a new plot of construction land for us, specifically for our microelectronics company. San Shui, rest assured—this company must be established! We just need talent, and you'll have to recruit it, especially from the Institute of Computing at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where there are many capable people…"

"Well, once our company is officially registered, I'll go invite them! If I can't persuade them, I'll have my father‑in‑law do the asking!"

In the 1980s, there were still a few capable people in the Eastern crystal field—Old Huang, Old Ni… Qin Miao will never forget that saying: 'My greatest wish in life is to prostrate myself on the ground and wipe away the humiliation of our motherland!'

Of course, there are also traitors like Liu Zhonglie; they must be ruined, otherwise I would be unworthy of the second chance I've been given through rebirth…

Qin Miao assigned the work and then wandered among these R&D projects every day; although he didn't need to handle everything personally, any problem that arose had to be dealt with promptly, and he also had to push forward the missile‑vehicle project, which bears on Ha Gong Da's future profitability.

He was so busy his feet never touched the ground; each day he came home, fell straight into bed, sometimes not even taking off his clothes or shoes. Chu Miaomiao would return each day with a foot‑washing basin to wash his feet, and he would watch his beautiful wife, moved, wondering whether to… but within seconds he was already leaning against the wall, snoring loudly.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed; that day Qin Miao was still in the Computer Science Department looking at debugged bugs when the phone rang.

"President Qin, this is the school‑run factory; a German engineer has come and wants to see you."

"A German engineer?"

"Yes, from Mercedes‑Benz heavy trucks."

It seems the earlier groundwork has paid off—alas, if I had known I'd be this busy now, I wouldn't have bothered baiting the Germans.