Chapter 1018: So Few Visitors a Sparrow Could Set a Net, Now the Courtyard is Bustling

As soon as Li Long left, Li Xiang Qian immediately convened a meeting.

Once everyone had assembled, he read aloud the notices from the county and the prefectural supply and marketing cooperative, then swept his gaze around the room and asked, "You all know the superior's task: fifty tons of mutton and fifty tons of beef, with a tight deadline of one week.

Let me be clear: this is not only a test from the prefectural cooperative and the county, but also an urgent, major task issued by the Autonomous Region; it is the Autonomous Region's test for us.

Very well, let us now discuss who has the capability to take on this job. I will say this plainly: whoever can take on this task and complete it splendidly will receive the year-end Advanced Worker designation.

Zhou Yuan was somewhat surprised to hear this, since he knew Li Long had already accepted the job. Moreover, currently in the entire county, only Li Long could complete this task. After the Director had just met with Li Long, Zhou Yuan believed the job had certainly been assigned to him; so what was the meaning of the Director holding such a meeting and saying such things now?

However, he soon realized: Director Li Xiang Qian was preparing to warn the others.

In fact, within the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, only a few people close to Li Long knew he had recently been purchasing large quantities of beef and mutton, and only Zhou Yuan and the Director knew that the beef and mutton Li Long had purchased was currently stored and not yet sold.

Indeed, every year when Li Long took on tasks from the cooperative, especially that giant broom made of Achnatherum splendens, there were bound to be objections.

After all, working on such a task for one or two months could earn a considerable sum. Previously, such jobs were broken down and assigned to several people; although the quality of the final delivered goods was merely average, at least everyone benefited, so no one complained.

Later, ever since Li Long took over the tasks and completed them with outstanding results, catching the eye of the Autonomous Region's leadership, these several tasks were assigned solely to Li Long.

Although the jobs for carrying poles and reed brooms were gone, just the single item of the giant broom brought the contractor an annual profit of at least tens of thousands.

For the past two years, Li Long had done this work, and more than one person was green with envy.

Certainly, some had reported their grievances upward, but reports at the county level were suppressed by Li Xiang Qian, and those reaching the prefectural cooperative level were suppressed by Director Qian.

Although these people were dissatisfied, they would not escalate the matter to the Autonomous Region level, as their rank was insufficient.

Yet, suppressing these emotions would inevitably cause some problems to burst forth.

After all, watching others make big money while one could only look on helplessly meant that some people's "red-eye disease" was hard to cure.

Li Xiang Qian had more than once used the issue of quality to respond to the problems raised by these people; after all, the quality of the giant brooms Li Long delivered was evident, leaving no room for objection, yet others always felt that if Li Long could do it, they could too.

Now Li Xiang Qian had thrown out the matter of massively purchasing beef and mutton; for those who thought that if Li Long could do it they could too, let them try—let us see who can produce fifty tons of beef and fifty tons of mutton within one week?

As expected, after Li Xiang Qian finished speaking, those below looked at each other in dismay, and not a single person spoke up.

"Section Chief Zhang, I recall you said this autumn that certain tasks should be distributed for everyone to handle rather than being rigidly assigned. How about this one? You heard the price: mutton at two yuan fifty, beef at three yuan, far higher than the market rate. Are you interested in taking it?

Let me state clearly: the price offered by the prefectural cooperative will not be deducted by even a fraction at our county cooperative; whoever has the ability can take it. I only require the meat to be qualified and the task completed on time."

Section Chief Zhang hurriedly shook his head. Are you kidding? If the deadline for this task were extended to a month, he might possibly complete it. After all, the county had an existing livestock team; by using the time to leverage connections, he might succeed within a month.

But a deadline of one week? That was no joke. He vaguely recalled the incident when the food processing plant had massively purchased beef and mutton; even then, they only managed one or two thousand sheep in a week, and that wasn't even fully processed.

After all, under current circumstances like this severe snow disaster, many herders were trapped in the mountains and unable to get out; the roads leading to the pastoral areas were buried under a meter of snow. By the time everyone was notified, who knew how long it would take?

Of course, some might argue that every herder family owns three to five hundred sheep, so gathering ten families would be enough.

However, no herder family would slaughter all their cattle and sheep; slaughtering even one-fifth or one-sixth would already constitute a very large portion.

"Director, I cannot do this job; I truly lack the ability. Whoever wants to earn this money can earn it; I am not the least bit envious." Section Chief Zhang naturally knew Li Xiang Qian's words were a warning aimed at him, so he waved his hands and said:

"I think the timeline given by our superiors is problematic; how is it possible to complete this task within one week now?

Not to mention our county, even Gucheng County, a major livestock region, could not do it; this is simply making unreasonable demands."

Li Xiang Qian smiled and then asked another person:

"Old Zheng, you often say that profitable businesses within our cooperative should be enjoyed by our own cadres and staff, not handed over to outsiders.

Currently, the market price for mutton is one yuan eighty, while the purchase price offered by the prefectural cooperative is two yuan fifty; the difference is seven mao per unit, which amounts to thirty-five thousand for fifty tons. If you take on this job, gather some people to work together, and then split the earnings, how about that?"

"Can't do it, can't do it." Old Zheng was no fool; while the money to be made from this job was indeed substantial, the problem was the extremely tight deadline. Moreover, handling so much meat in the dead of winter would surely be arduous labor, inevitably requiring interaction with ethnic minorities. Currently, most minority herders were huddled in their winter camps; going door-to-door to find them all—who knew how long that would take?

He stated plainly that he could not do this job.

"What about the others? Speak up; does anyone have Ji De Kan Fa? Is anyone willing to step forward to share the burdens and solve difficulties for the cooperative?" Li Xiang Qian asked again.

No one responded; this job truly could not be done.

"You see, you always complain that all the profitable jobs in our cooperative are taken by others, but now that a profitable job is placed right before your eyes, you lack the ability to do it." Li Xiang Qian sneered. "When others do it well, finish the work, and earn the money, you get envious..."

"Not envious, not envious. Whoever does the job earns the money; that is their due," Section Chief Zhang said sincerely. "Not only is it arduous labor, but it also requires skill and significant personal connections; I feel it is simply impossible to complete."

"Exactly, exactly. One week is too much of a hardship; if it were a month, that would be more reasonable," Old Zheng said. "Even with a month, I might not be able to handle it. If someone can finish and complete the task, then they deserve to earn that money."

Li Xiang Qian smiled: "Are these your true feelings?"

"Certainly; it could not be more true," Section Chief Zhang said.

"Very well, then prepare the vehicles. If you cannot do it but others can, then others deserve to earn that money," Li Xiang Qian said. "Based on what you have just said, even the other eight counties and one city might not be able to complete it within the stipulated time, but we are different.

With this job, we will make a fine showing this year."

"Director, then who will do this job?" Old Zheng asked in confusion. "Fifty tons of beef and fifty tons of mutton—where can we find them so quickly? The Food Company does not have that much inventory, and even if they did, they would not give it to us; they must guarantee the meat supply for the entire county."

"There is no need to go to the Food Company; we will go to Li Long. Didn't you often say that Li Long makes money by taking jobs from our Supply and Marketing Cooperative? Then let us see how he completes this task that we deem impossible."

The few people looked at each other in disbelief. They did not know that Li Long had been purchasing beef and mutton during this period; the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had its own affairs, with everyone assigned specific duties, and not everyone had a relationship with Li Long as good as Zhou Yuan's, knowing his situation.

After lunch, more than ten large trucks arrived at the purchasing station. Li Xiang Qian led most of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative's staff into the station's courtyard.

At this moment, there was no one around; the sellers had all gone to eat, and the second-hand dealers also knew that during lunch hours, business here basically stopped.

Li Long and Gu Gu Bo Yuan had actually arrived early, while Sun Jia Qiang and Liang Shuang Cheng were standing by in the back courtyard.

Upon seeing Gu Gu Bo Yuan, Li Xiang Qian greeted him with a smile: "Old Gu, seeing how well you have managed this place, why not come work for us? We can arrange a formal establishment position for you, allowing you to eat commodity grain. How does that sound?"

"Not good at all; your place lacks freedom," Old Gu spoke honestly. "Here, I work when I want to and stop when I don't; I am considered a partner. At your place, I would have to do whatever the leaders order; I am used to my freedom and cannot endure that."

Li Xiang Qian smiled and did not pursue the topic further, instead leading the group to the back courtyard.

Li Long opened the warehouse doors, and those who did not know, those who were clueless, saw several warehouses filled to the brim with young cattle and sheep, and one by one, their jaws dropped.