Lu Yiwei also contacted the glass factory and silkworm factory. Feng Yu had wanted to visit them, but he did not have the time. He decided to give it a try if he could "beg for alms" at the company.
"Xiaokang, come over."
Zhao Xiaokang heard Lu Yiwei calling him and ran over. "Secretary Lu, are you looking for me?"
Lu Yiwei stood up and said. "Let's go to the glass factory."
Zhao Xiaokang immediately asked. "Do we need to contact the TV station and news agency?"
"Bring them along. This is not an investigation." The County's news agency is useless. It will be a pity to throw them away, but it will be useless if they are not thrown away. What kind of news could there be in a small county town? It was nothing more than trivial family matters. But as the Party's mouthpiece, it is more used to promote the County's leaders. Lu Yiwei is the County party committee's Deputy Secretary, and he will be the focus of the news. But Lu Yiwei does not like to brag. If he has the time to brag, he should do more practical things.
The glass factory was located in the southernmost part of the county. As soon as Lu Yiwei entered the yard, he saw dust flying everywhere and black smoke coming out of the chimney. It was a completely different world from the outside. Lu Yiwei could not help but frown.
Zhao Xiaokang had called the factory's director, Zhu Xiaobo, and he is waiting at the entrance. Lu Yiwei saw a man in ragged clothes with a face full of dirt standing at the gate and smiling at him. He thought he was a factory worker. He did not expect Zhu Xiaobo to walk up and welcome him warmly. "Secretary Lu, I have been waiting for you. You are finally here."
Zhao Xiaokang whispered. "This is the factory's director, Zhu Xiaobo."
Lu Yiwei did not expect a factory director to behave like this. Never judge a book by its cover. Feng Yu had never looked down on others because of their occupation. He extended his hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Director Zhu."
"Ah … forget it. Let's shake hands. Look …" Zhu Xiaobo knew his place and rubbed his hands nervously.
Lu Yiwei didn't care and didn't put on airs. He grabbed the other party's hand and said, "It's our first time meeting. How can I be rude? Hehe."
Lu Yiwei's small action had quickly closed the distance between them, and Zhu Xiaobo was very touched. In recent years, the leaders in the county all thought that his place was dirty. Almost no one cared about it, and no one asked about it. Yan Bugao and Jin Rongguang had only been there once. After seeing the benefits of the factory, they had never stepped inside again.
Zhu Xiaobo hurriedly explained, "Secretary Lu, when I received the notice from Director Zhao, I was still working on the production line. I didn't even have time to change my clothes. I'm really sorry."
"I'm not some big leader. Why would I need those formalities?" Lu Yiwei didn't mind at all. He asked curiously, "You're a factory director, and you still have to work on the production line?"
"Sigh!" Zhu Xiaobo sighed. "Our days aren't good either. The factory's profits aren't good, and it's hard to recruit workers. Even if we manage to recruit them, we often can't pay them their salaries. The workers are complaining a lot. They come and go, and the turnover rate is very high. Furthermore, they are all novices and don't know the technical operations. I have to personally supervise the production line. There's no other way. Sigh! "
Lu Yiwei had wanted to beg for alms, but his heart turned cold when he heard this. But since he was already here, it wouldn't be right if he didn't go in. So, he followed them in.
Once they entered the courtyard, they were greeted by the style of the 1980s. All the buildings had the same red walls and grey tiles. The slogans from the Great Leap Forward era could still be seen on the walls. In a corner, there was even an old truck parked there. Even the factory's door was made of wood. The paint had peeled off, and it was mottled with age.
Even after entering the office building, there were no changes. The door and window frames were painted green, and the blackboard at the entrance was still written with a brush. Inside the office, there were large and cumbersome old-fashioned office chairs and benches. There were portraits of Chairman Mao and Stalin pasted on the wall. There was an old-fashioned telephone on the desk, and a 286 computer was stacked in the corner. It was covered in dust, and it seemed like it hadn't been used for a long time. The only thing that gave off a modern vibe was the water dispenser in front of the desk.
"Secretary Lu, I didn't know you were coming. I didn't prepare anything. Look at this mess." Zhu Xiaobo kept blaming himself. He was busy pouring tea and handing out cigarettes, afraid that he wouldn't be a good host.
"Alright, Old Zhu. Don't be so busy. We're all friends here. There's no need to be so polite." Lu Yiwei pulled Zhu Xiaobo to sit down and said, "It's just a spur of the moment idea. I just happened to pass by and came over to take a look."
"You coming here is the greatest encouragement for our glass factory. Thank you very much." Zhu Xiaobo said affectionately.
After chatting for a while, Lu Yiwei said, "I heard you say that the factory is not doing well. Is the situation not looking good?"
Speaking of the factory, Zhu Xiaobo sighed again and said, "Secretary Lu, I'll be honest with you. The glass factory is on the verge of closing down. We're barely getting by. If we lose money again this year, I'll really sell the factory. We can't afford to delay it any longer."
Lu Yiwei looked at Zhu Xiaobo's worried face and said, "Old Zhu, don't get agitated. Sit down and talk slowly."
As it was Lu Yiwei's first time here, Zhu Xiaobo started to talk about the background of the glass factory. "The history of this glass factory can be traced back to the 50s and 60s of the last century. It's also a third-tier factory. Later, due to the cultural revolution, it stopped production for nearly a decade. It was restarted in the early 80s and has been working ever since. In the beginning, the company's profits were very good. Orders came one after another, and the supply could not meet the demand. But in the 90s, with the improvement of technology, the factory's profits suddenly dropped. We tried to change the production lines and equipment, but we can't afford a few million yuan. We don't dare to try. "
"If the equipment can't keep up, the output value will naturally drop. We can't even receive orders for the next two years. It's really tough."
After Lu Yiwei heard this, he said, "Then have you thought of taking the path of restructuring?"
"Why not? I've thought of it even in my dreams." Zhu Xiaobo said, "Isn't the Provincial Government going to reform the factory? I'm eager to do so. I'm even willing to sell the entire factory. I'm heartbroken to see the factory in this state. "
"Yes. The reform is still in the pilot stage, and it will surely be implemented in Black Mountain County in the future." Lu Yiwei said, "What I mean is, have you thought of letting in external investors?"
"I've tried, but it's useless." Zhu Xiaobo said, "Two years ago, there was a company that wanted to invest in our factory. For the benefit of our employees, I couldn't stop them and agreed on the spot. However, for some unknown reason, when the negotiations had reached the substantive stage, the company had suddenly disappeared without a trace, and no one could be found anymore. I found out that the company had gone to the neighboring province to invest, complaining that our investment environment here is not good. "
"It must be hard on you to maintain the factory for so many years." Lu Yiwei is very sympathetic to Zhu Xiaobo. "Do you need the County to do anything for you?"
Zhu Xiaobo doesn't know what to say. "We need too much. What we need the most now is funds. If the County can pay us to replace our equipment, we have nothing else to ask for. "
"How much does one set of equipment cost?"
"We are mainly producing the most common glass now. The production structure is simple, and the profits are very low. The other glass factories have started to produce tempered glass, hollow glass, etc., and we are far behind them. If we include the tempered glass production equipment, Japan will import at least a few million RMB. "
Fine! He was asking for money, and now the other party is asking for money. Dong Xuebing cannot reveal any flaws. "Have you reported this situation to Secretary Yan and Mayor Jin?"
"Why not? We have reported this to them several times, but there is still no reply." Zhu Xiaobo replied helplessly. "You cannot blame Secretary Yan and Mayor Jin for this. No one will be able to manage their family well."
"I know what to do now. I will come over to discuss this with you later." Lu Yiwei got up and said, "Old Zhu, there's nothing wrong with your thinking and train of thought. You can keep up with the times. Although the glass factory is owned by the County, we cannot just sit back and do nothing. We must think of a way out. Our County does not have many businesses, and if this factory closes down, there will be nothing left in the County. "
Zhu Xiaobo also does not expect Lu Yiwei to solve this problem. All the leaders are only here to take a look and will back off when there is a problem. Zhu Xiaobo is disappointed, but what can he do? "Secretary Lu, I will remember what you said. I will do my best."
After leaving the glass factory, Lu Yiwei asked Zhao Xiaokang. "Is the silkworm factory like this?"
Zhao Xiaokang replied honestly. "Secretary Lu, the silkworm factory is not as good as the glass factory. The factory cannot make ends meet and is facing closure. Although it is owned by the County, it has been privatized a long time ago. "
"Oh." Lu Yiwei's heart turned cold. He turned to Li Ermao. "Let's go back to the County party committee."
"You're not going?"
"Not for now."
Now is not the time to solve the problem of the factory. The most important thing now is to solve the education problem. Zhou Dake has increased his expenses. If he does not solve it soon, all his efforts will go to waste.
Back in his office, Lu Yiwei thought for a long time but could not come up with a solution. He had asked his coal mine to donate in the name of education, but Dong Cheng Coal Mine is in Eastern State. If he really donated it, it might cause unnecessary trouble. This method will not work.
Should I ask Niu Fuyong to donate some money? But considering that he is in urgent need of money, he can only give up.
That box of stuff has not been sold yet, and there is no sign of the foundation. He cannot pay for it himself. He couldn't go to the City Government to ask for it. Guo Jinzhu had just given him 2 million RMB, and it was already a big favor. He wouldn't be able to ask for it again. No matter how he thinks, he seems to have reached a dead end.
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