The two of them discussed the factory's development over the past two years. Lu Weimin's views on the current state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform mechanism refreshed Zhen Jingcai's perspective, especially Lu Weimin's proposal that state-owned enterprises also need to establish modern enterprise systems while gradually adapting to the market economy, to keep up with the continuously evolving economic situation.
"Da Min, I remember you studied history in college, right? How come you seem to be quite familiar with economics and business management as well?" Zhen Jingcai asked, somewhat surprised.
"Uh, Uncle Zhen, you know, although I studied history, I have always been very interested in Western economic history. In my sophomore year, I took elective courses in Western economic history and business management. In Lingnan, private and foreign-funded economies are very developed. A friend of mine's family runs a business. Of course, it's not a large enterprise like Factory 195. Initially, they did processing and assembly work for toys and handbags, then they started taking orders and producing on their own, exporting back to Hong Kong, and the business was quite profitable. During the summer of my junior year, I interned at their factory for more than a month, and it left a deep impression on me."
Lu Weimin remembered that the SOE reform had been in a state of hesitation and exploration. How to deal with the increasingly loss-making state-owned enterprises had sparked significant controversy among the central leadership. The prescriptions offered by experts and scholars were varied, and under the rigid constraints of the ownership of means of production, many suggestions were vague and avoided touching on deeper issues.
"What kind of impressions did you have? Tell me more," Zhen Jingcai said, not too concerned. He knew that private enterprises in the coastal regions were developing rapidly, but those small businesses were incomparable to state-owned enterprises like Factory 195, so he just asked out of curiosity.
"Well, the most profound impression was how sensitive these enterprises are to the market. I remember my classmate's father, the owner of that factory, told me a phrase: 'Orders determine everything.' To put it more deeply, the market determines everything. They only produce what the market needs. So, even though their factory only has about fifty to sixty workers, they have seven or eight people dedicated to market research and sales," Lu Weimin explained. "I asked him why he didn't continue with the original processing work, which would have spared him the need to consider other things. He replied that the market cannot be controlled, and the enterprise must adapt to market changes with targeted development. They need to always stay on top of market trends, even lead them, to remain invincible. He also said that as a boss, one must always maintain a sense of crisis, or else they will stumble."
Zhen Jingcai nodded. "For light industrial consumer goods production, it is indeed necessary to always grasp market changes. However, for large military enterprises like Factory 195, it's different. We can only produce according to the plans set by the competent authorities. In recent years, the state has been deliberating on this issue, but there has been no clear direction. The situation at Factory 195 is not good right now. After Liang Zhongda became the factory manager, he proposed some ideas for military-to-civilian conversion and diversification, which were good, but implementing them has been difficult, especially for a large military enterprise like ours. It's not realistic to suddenly shift into a new field. Personally, I think we should focus on our existing foundation, find breakthrough points, and propose our own development direction to the central government, ..."
The two of them had a very engaging conversation. Lu Weimin knew that Zhen Jingcai was a very insightful person, who had a much deeper understanding of issues than most people. Otherwise, in his previous life, Zhen Jingcai would not have decisively left Factory 195 after a setback and later become the executive vice president of a large private enterprise group.
Lu Weimin's novel ideas also greatly impressed Zhen Jingcai. Establishing a modern enterprise system, implementing shareholding reforms, proposing the strategic idea of reviving the large aircraft program to promote the recovery and development of the entire aviation manufacturing industry, and conducting research and analysis on the importance of the aviation manufacturing industry to China's defense industry and strategic infrastructure, proposing feasible reports, and mobilizing various people to write articles to influence the central government—these ideas were particularly astonishing to Zhen Jingcai.
Zhen Jingcai could not imagine how a newly graduated college student like Lu Weimin could have such forward-thinking and strategic insights, and even propose such sharp and unique measures to push for them. Lu Weimin's ideas came in waves, leaving Zhen Jingcai in awe.
It wasn't until Zhen Jie and Zhen Ni, the two sisters, came to urge them that the two finally sat down to eat, still feeling unsatisfied.
By the time they finished the meal, it was almost eight o'clock. Lu Weimin had made plans with Xiao Jinfeng to go to the karaoke hall on Park Road to prevent a tragedy from happening, which made Zhen Ni, who wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend, quite unhappy.
When Lu Weimin found Xiao Jinfeng, he was already waiting impatiently on his bicycle at Lu Weimin's house.
"You mean that scoundrel Yao Ping might make a move on Mo Dan?!" Xiao Jinfeng was shocked and pedaled faster. "He dares? Does he really think that his family's connections and money mean he can do whatever he wants?"
"Jinfeng, many things are not as simple as you think. Of course, this is just a concern of mine. Mo Dan grew up under our watch. This afternoon at the swimming pool, I felt that Yao Ping was circling around Mo Dan, and I think he has something in mind. So, we should be careful."
Lu Weimin sat on the back of the bicycle as it glided down the tree-lined avenue of Park Road. The area was shaded by small-leafed fig trees, very quiet, with the botanical garden behind it. To the south, less than three kilometers away, was the consulate area, where the U.S. and Japanese consulates in Changzhou were located. The location was excellent, the environment elegant, and the recently popular karaoke bars in Changzhou were lined up along Park Road.
When they reached this area, Lu Weimin was surprised. He had thought there were only a few karaoke bars here, but there were actually more than ten, with neon lights twinkling in the night, and the once quiet Park Road had become a bustling commercial district with people riding bicycles, motorcycles, and walking.
Lu Weimin's heart sank. He had not expected such a significant change here. He remembered that during the Spring Festival, there were only two or three karaoke bars open in this area. How could there be more than ten in just half a year? He hadn't thought to ask Mo Dan which one they were going to, and now it would take a lot of time to find them, and if they didn't, a tragedy might really happen.
"Da Min, what's wrong?" Xiao Jinfeng noticed that Lu Weimin's mood was off. "Where are they?"
"I don't know. I thought there were only a few, and I could ask around to find out. I didn't expect there to be so many. Where do we even start?" Lu Weimin took a deep breath. Was the tragedy that was destined to happen still going to happen? If so, wouldn't his extra life be for nothing?