OBS Chapter 1341 Two Plans
Chapter 1341 Two Plans
Chapter 1341 Two Plans
The seminar continued.
The conference room at the Donghai Chemical Project Department was filled with smoke. Song Yunhui sat at one end of a long table, his face covered in dense notes on the documents spread out in front of him. He pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the sunlight from the window, obscuring the determination in his eyes.
"I believe that Loda Chemicals' equipment technology is more advanced," Song Yunhui said in a low but firm voice. "Their catalytic cracking unit can achieve a conversion rate of 92%, which is 8 percentage points higher than Mitsui Chemicals."
Upon hearing this, Han Zegang immediately put down his teacup, the ceramic cup making a crisp sound as it struck the table.
"Team Leader Song, I admit the American technology is indeed superior. But what about the price?" He flipped open the price list in front of him: "For the same production capacity, American equipment is a full 40% more expensive than Japanese equipment!"
The atmosphere in the meeting room froze instantly. The leaders sent by the ministry exchanged glances and tapped their fingers lightly on the table.
Song Yunhui calmly pulled a stack of documents from the folder: "Team Leader Han, please take a look at this." He pushed the documents to the center of the table: "The American equipment consumes 15% less energy than the Japanese one. Although the catalyst is more expensive, its lifespan is twice that of the Japanese one. Considering the total cost over five years, it's actually only about 10% higher than the Japanese plan."
Han Zegang took the documents and quickly scanned them, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. He took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "Team Leader Song," he said, "you can't calculate it like that. Our country's foreign exchange reserves are tight right now; every little bit saved counts. Besides, while Japan's technology is slightly inferior, it's perfectly capable of meeting our current production needs."
"Meet the current needs?" Song Yunhui's voice suddenly rose: "Team Leader Han, Donghai Chemical is geared towards the 21st century! We can't just focus on these short-term gains."
"A pittance?" Han Zegang's face flushed red. "Team Leader Song, you should know better than me what proportion of production costs the catalyst accounts for. Is this still a pittance?"
As the debate intensified, the leader at the head of the table cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on the table. "Alright," he said, "both of you are acting in the best interests of Donghai Chemical." He looked around. "Here's what we'll do: Team Leader Song will handle contact with the American manufacturers, and Team Leader Han will handle the Japanese manufacturers. In two weeks, we'll invite the ministry's expert team to conduct a comprehensive evaluation."
After the meeting, Han Zegang quickly caught up with Song Yunhui, who was about to leave. The fluorescent lights in the corridor cast long shadows of the two of them.
"Team Leader Song, wait a moment." Han Zegang's voice was a little hurried: "I was only addressing the issue, not the person, at the meeting just now. Please don't take it to heart."
Song Yunhui stopped and turned around with a faint smile on his lips: "You're overthinking it. It's all for the future of Donghai Chemical. I'm just... stating the facts, not personalities. Technical solutions require debate to find the most suitable one."
Han Zegang carefully observed Song Yunhui's expression, trying to find any trace of dissatisfaction. He knew very well that no matter which country's equipment was ultimately chosen, the foreign exchange would not be enough, and they would ultimately have to rely on Song Yunhui's brother-in-law's connections to go through the "equipment for products" route. Offending Song Yunhui would be tantamount to cutting off this path.
"That's good, that's good." Han Zegang breathed a sigh of relief and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket: "Want one?"
"Thank you, but I don't smoke," Song Yunhui politely declined. "I have something to attend to, so I'll be going now."
Watching Song Yunhui's hurried departure, Han Zegang stood there stunned for a few seconds, only snapping out of his daze when cigarette ash fell onto the back of his hand. He turned and went back to the conference room, where Ma Baoping was organizing documents.
"Old Ma, do you think he really didn't take it to heart, or..." Han Zegang's voice was uncertain.
Ma Baoping continued tidying up the documents without looking up: "From what I've seen of this Team Leader Song, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who plays dirty tricks. Look at him arguing heatedly about technology in meetings, his eyes so pure, he just wants to make the project the best it can be. Go ahead and work with your Japanese clients; if your proposal is solid and your reasoning is clear, things will naturally improve."
"Well, I hope so." Han Zegang nodded, but he still felt uneasy.
Meanwhile, Song Yunhui had already arrived at Haoran International Donghai Industrial Park by bicycle.
Song Yunhui nodded slightly and walked smoothly to Qin Hao's office. When he pushed open the door, Qin Hao was reviewing documents. Hearing the noise, he looked up and smiled.
"Xiao Hui's here, please have a seat." Qin Hao gestured to the sofa. "I'll approve these documents first, then we'll go eat."
The assistant quickly brought over a cup of hot tea, which Song Yunhui thanked and accepted. The tea was top-quality Longjing, with tender green tea leaves unfurling in the clear tea liquor, emitting a faint fragrance. He had just taken a sip when there was another knock on the office door.
"Come in," Qin Hao said without looking up.
The door opened, and a smartly dressed young woman walked in. Ren Xia'er held a document in her hand, her steps light yet steady.
"Mr. Lei, this is my application for training in Shanghai. I need you to sign it here." Ren Xia'er's voice was clear and pleasant.
Qin Hao then looked up, but did not immediately take the documents: "Manager Ren, please sit down for a while. I still have some important documents to sign."
Ren Xiaoer had no choice but to stand aside and wait. Her gaze inadvertently met that of Song Yunhui on the sofa. She smiled and nodded politely, and Song Yunhui returned the same gesture.
The atmosphere in the office became somewhat awkward. Qin Hao pretended not to notice their interaction and continued to bury himself in reviewing documents. The scratching sound of the pen on the paper was the only noise in the room.
About ten minutes later, Qin Hao finally put down his pen and stretched. He picked up Ren Xia'er's training application, quickly glanced at it, and signed his name.
"Xiao Hui, let me introduce you." Qin Hao's voice broke the silence: "This is Ren Xia'er, the finance manager of our Donghai branch, and this is my brother-in-law, Song Yunhui."
Song Yunhui and Ren Xiaer were both stunned for a moment.
Ren Xia'er's uneasy feeling instantly intensified. The boss specially introduced his brother-in-law to me? What does this mean? Her gaze quickly swept between Qin Hao and Song Yunhui, a slight alarm bell ringing in her heart, but she maintained a professional smile on her face.
“Hello, Mr. Song.” Ren Xia’er extended his hand first, his voice slightly lower than before.
Song Yunhui also stood up and gently shook her hand: "Hello, Manager Ren."
Their hands touched briefly before parting, both appearing somewhat reserved. Qin Hao observed this, inwardly amused, but remained outwardly composed. He knew that blind dates couldn't be rushed; being too deliberate would backfire.
"Alright, Manager Ren, I hope you have a pleasant six months in Shanghai." Qin Hao handed the signed application back to Ren Xia'er.
Ren Xia'er took the document and bowed deeply: "Thank you, President Lei, for giving me this opportunity. I will not let you down."
As she turned to leave, her steps quickened slightly compared to when she entered, her high heels barely making a sound on the carpet. After the office door closed softly, Song Yunhui visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Hao stood up, picked up his suit jacket from the hanger, and said, "Let's go try the cooking of the chef at our industrial park's cafeteria and see if it's as good as Jingzhou Chemical's."
The scale of the industrial park's canteen far exceeded Song Yunhui's expectations. Even though it wasn't peak mealtime, the scene before him still left him speechless: the entire canteen adopted an assembly line layout, with dozens of windows lined up like a long queue. What surprised him even more was that the content of the signs hanging above each window was completely different!
There are dedicated counters for steaming various kinds of steamed buns, twisted rolls, and dumplings, where pastry chefs deftly arrange the ingredients amidst the rising steam; there are stalls specializing in noodles with different toppings, where wide and thin noodles tumble in pots of hot water; there are stalls serving local Donghai cuisine with a strong local flavor, where seafood gleams enticingly under the lights; not far away, there are stalls serving Sichuan cuisine with bright red and tempting colors, the aroma of chili peppers filling the air; and on the other side, there are stalls serving Hunan cuisine with a rich, savory sauce...
"Brother-in-law, your cafeteria has a much wider variety of dishes than the one at Jingzhou Chemical Plant," Song Yunhui couldn't help but exclaim.
Qin Hao explained with a smile, "More than half of the employees in the industrial park are from Donghai, and the other half come from all over the country. As the saying goes, 'Food is the first necessity of the people,' and tastes can't be easily changed after decades of nurturing. Only when employees are happy with their food and well-rested can they have the energy to create value. So we've recruited some of the most skilled chefs from all over the country."
Song Yunhui nodded thoughtfully: "It's all thanks to Haoran International's wealth. Even if an ordinary factory wanted to, it couldn't afford such a 'luxurious' canteen."
The two ordered several dishes from the local Donghai restaurant: braised pomfret, braised bamboo shoots, stir-fried shrimp, and a bowl of seafood soup. After finding a corner seat by the window, Song Yunhui couldn't wait to start talking about work.
“Brother-in-law, Donghai Chemical will probably still need Haoran International’s help to import equipment this time.” Song Yunhui lowered his voice a few decibels.
Qin Hao picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks, looking at him with a half-smile: "The budget from the ministry isn't enough?"
Song Yunhui nodded somewhat embarrassedly: "With only $1800 million, we can't even afford the cheapest Japanese equipment."
"From the moment I learned you were being transferred to the East China Sea project team, I guessed the ministry was planning this." Qin Hao took a sip of soup. "Don't worry, I'll make the arrangements. However..."
He put down his chopsticks, his expression turning serious: "Xiao Hui, have you considered this issue? The embargo."
Song Yunhui's brows furrowed instantly, his eyes behind his glasses filled with astonishment and confusion: "An embargo?! Brother-in-law, you mean... even if we have enough foreign exchange, they might not be willing to sell?"
“It’s not that they might not be willing to sell.” Qin Hao shook his head, his tone grave. “It’s absolutely impossible for you to buy the latest and most cutting-edge equipment! Xiao Hui, you still don’t deal with foreigners enough. Developed economies like the US, Europe, Japan, and South Korea impose export controls on high-tech equipment on us. These are ironclad rules written into their national laws and international agreements! They have a clear ‘generational gap red line’—only when they have developed two generations of technology and their existing equipment has been phased out and entered a ‘safe period’ will they be allowed to sell to us! This is their tool for maintaining their technological monopoly and long-term profit.”
Song Yunhui suddenly remembered something: "Wait a minute, brother-in-law! Aren't those German five-axis CNC machine tools in your industrial park the latest models? How did you get them?"
Qin Hao looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before leaning close to Song Yunhui's ear: "These CNC machine tools were all handled by companies I registered in Southeast Asia beforehand, passing through multiple layers of dealerships without any Chinese person openly involved in the transactions. Afterwards, I secretly sent people to disassemble the machine tools and smuggle them in. That's why the actual accuracy of the machines in our factory is always slightly lower than the standard values tested in Europe. This is already the maximum limit we can operate within these constraints."
Song Yunhui's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! Let's..."
"Silly boy," Qin Hao laughed and scolded, "CNC machine tools are nothing compared to what you have! Huge reaction towers tens of meters high, compressor units weighing tens of tons, and pipeline systems stretching for kilometers! Customs isn't blind; why would they let you smuggle them back?"
Song Yunhui realized his mistake as soon as he said it, but he still said unwillingly, "Brother-in-law, so according to you, Donghai Chemical will not be able to use the most advanced equipment?"
"At least I have no way of getting that large chemical equipment back without going through the embargo checks," Qin Hao sighed. "Besides, just getting the equipment back isn't enough; you also need to use American technology and catalysts. If these two problems aren't solved, the equipment will just be a pile of scrap metal."
Song Yunhui's chopsticks froze in mid-air, his appetite completely gone. He stared at the rice in his bowl, but his thoughts drifted far away.
"It's better to rely on yourself than others." Qin Hao's voice pulled him back to reality: "I think you can prepare two plans. One is from an American equipment manufacturer, and the other is to integrate existing domestic chemical equipment manufacturers and customize an equipment specifically for Donghai Chemical."
Seeing that Song Yunhui's brows remained furrowed, Qin Hao continued, "Although there may be a generational gap in technology, this is a rare opportunity for the entire chemical equipment industry."
“But…” Song Yunhui hesitated. He had always advocated “technology first”, and it was hard for him to accept that there was a better technology at hand that he couldn’t use.
"Xiao Hui." Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder. "Xiao Hui, even foreigners understand the saying 'teaching a disciple can starve the master.' They blockade cutting-edge technologies to maintain a technological gap with us, so they can continuously sell us outdated technologies, forcing us to sell cheap labor for meager profits. If we don't master independent research and development capabilities, we'll always be held back."
Qin Hao patted Song Yunhui on the shoulder: "Besides, you're just preparing an extra plan. As for which plan to choose in the end, it depends on how things develop."
Song Yunhui suddenly stood up: "Brother-in-law, I'm full, I'm leaving now."
"You brat, finish your food before you leave. You're wasting food." Qin Hao shook his head helplessly as he looked at the food that Song Yunhui had barely touched.