Cloud City, Development Office of the Industrial Bureau. Director Li's expression froze for a moment upon hearing Wang Ye's voice.
"Wait, what did you say? Repeat that, I didn't catch it clearly."
As Wang Ye's words fell, Director Li put down his pen, pushed the documents aside, and focused on the phone. He even used his pinky finger to clean his ear, as if excess earwax was affecting his hearing.
On the other end of the line, Wang Ye paid no mind to Director Li's reaction. Leaning back in his chair, he held the newspaper in his left hand and the phone in his right, smiling as he said, "Director Li? It's Wang Ye!"
"The Canton Fair is about to start on the 20th. Why didn't you inform us?"
"Our Red Star Machinery Factory is going to participate!"
With these words, Wang Ye directly left Director Li, who had been busy reading documents, dumbfounded!
Director Li had a hearty laugh at Wang Ye's response. "Wang Ye, did you have a drink yesterday? Are you still hungover?"
"Just what products from your machinery factory can be presentable? What can be openly displayed? The Canton Fair is a legitimate import and export fair. Only legitimate products are sold there. What are you going to do?"
"If you embarrass yourself, it's one thing, but if you cause trouble, it's another matter!"
"If we must talk about it, your factory's products might be eligible to be sent over. Electric fans and washing machines meet the criteria, but foreigners aren't short of these items! Importing electric fans and washing machines? I doubt it."
"But it's all pointless. The only Canton Fair spot allocated to our Cloud City has been taken by the Third Food Factory of the city. They're going to sell vegetables."
"You'd better focus on fulfilling orders promptly! You've already got six million dollars; why bother with the Canton Fair?"
"If you miss delivery, you'll regret it!"
Hearing Director Li's words, Wang Ye's heart sank halfway. At the same time, he couldn't help but blame himself for overlooking such a significant issue!
Decades later, the timing of the Autumn Canton Fair was usually in October. Normally, the dates didn't change much, but Wang Ye forgot that in this era, the timing of the Canton Fair each year was uncertain, sometimes earlier, sometimes later, depending on the merchants!
Thinking of this, Wang Ye decided he needed to make a last-ditch effort.
"Director Li, you can't say that!"
"The way you put it, it sounds like our machinery factory is engaged in some shady business. Aren't our products presentable? I feel our products are all legitimate and excellent. Foreign friends who've used them have praised them!"
"Furthermore, you're right; the Canton Fair is indeed a trade fair for import and export goods. But the regulations don't say we can't go to the Canton Fair to sell gas cylinders, do they?"
"Right? Do you agree or not?"
"Moreover, doing foreign trade business is consensual, isn't it? We sell gas cylinders, customers buy gas cylinders, it's a straightforward transaction, isn't it?"
"How could it cause any trouble?"
Listening to Wang Ye's sophistry, Director Li couldn't help but smile wryly. To be honest, Wang Ye's arguments weren't wrong. Who said gas cylinders couldn't be sold at the Canton Fair? Gas cylinders weren't restricted items.
But the problem was, it just didn't feel right!
"Wang Ye, crying to me won't help!"
"We only have one spot for the Canton Fair in our city, and it's already been taken by the Third Food Factory. They're going to sell vegetables."
"Better focus on fulfilling orders promptly! You've already got six million dollars; why bother with the Canton Fair?"
"If you miss delivery, I bet you'll be in tears!"
Upon hearing Director Li's words, Wang Ye's heart cooled considerably. Meanwhile, he couldn't help but reproach himself internally. How could he overlook such a big problem!
In the silent seconds after the call fell quiet, Wang Ye cleared his throat and said, "Director Li, take a cigarette break on me."
"During this cigarette break, let me share my skewed reasoning with you. See if it makes sense."
Hearing Wang Ye's proposal, Director Li chuckled and said, "Okay, okay. This is the first time I've heard of a virtual cigarette toast. Alright, I'll have a smoke, and you can start with your skewed reasoning."
"Let me hear your twisted logic!"
Wang Ye briefly organized his thoughts and then smiled, saying, "I have three pieces of skewed reasoning for you to listen to."
"First, in my view, our biggest difficulties, contradictions, troubles, and problems all stem from one thing—poverty! It's simply a lack of money!"
"Frankly speaking, we're patching up our backsides with patches. We're so poor that as long as we're not stealing or robbing, any way to make money is acceptable. Isn't everything greenback dollars, the almighty currency? Isn't that the truth?"
"Second, the Canton Fair is a rare opportunity that comes once a year. Since we're open now, it's a matter of the capable going up and the less capable stepping down. At the very least, we're the pioneers of our Cloud City and even our Luqi Province in terms of foreign exchange. Let me boast a bit; isn't that reasonable?"
"If that's the case, why can't we go? Take the Third Food Factory, for example. How much foreign exchange can they generate by selling vegetables?"
"If you let us go, I can guarantee a minimum of ten million US dollars in foreign exchange. If we exceed that, I won't say anything more. If we don't meet the target, you can subsidize us tenfold for whatever amount of foreign exchange we generate. Thirty percent of the surplus will go towards subsidizing the offices of the municipal and provincial committees."
"Third, I know the allocation of spots is decided by the National Economic and Trade Commission. But the total number of spots is distributed to the provinces, and then the provinces distribute them to the cities. The reason why our Cloud City has only one spot is that in the past years, we didn't have any units that excelled in foreign exchange generation."
"But this year is different. Our Red Star Machinery Factory has stepped forward. We should rightfully receive an additional spot, don't you agree?"
"Furthermore, I understand that going to the Canton Fair is a half-allocated task. Many factories are reluctant to go, and many are coerced by the municipal and provincial committees."
"So, since they don't want to go, why not allocate the spot to us?"
Wang Ye finished, and Director Li had only smoked half of his cigarette because he was too engrossed in listening, barely having time to smoke!
At this moment, Director Li was already convinced by most of Wang Ye's skewed reasoning. Indeed, as Wang Ye said, the spots for the Canton Fair were distributed by the Yanjing Economic and Trade Commission to the provinces, and then to the cities.
Under Wang Ye's gaze, he suddenly exclaimed, trembling all over:
"Our Chen family won't produce any weaklings! Damn it!"
With that, he handed the tray directly to Wang Ye, then picked up the big red flower on his own and walked over to his son. After putting it on him, he turned around unable to contain himself anymore, sobbing as he walked into the workshop.
It was nine in the morning. The visibility was high, and there was a southeast wind at level two on the ground.
On the vast hardened ground in front of the workshop, there were already thousands of people watching from a distance. The rotorcraft was parked right in the middle, with Chen Hang sitting alone inside. Over fifty meters away, Wang Ye shouted:
"For the first test flight, the goal is to leave the ground, with an altitude not exceeding two meters!"
"Take off!"
Instantly, the roar of the engine echoed through the sky!