At eleven in the morning, two cars departed from the county government and sped along the highway.
After more than half an hour, they arrived at the large gate of a factory complex.
On the cement-gray wall, five words were posted, faded and mottled – Xinhua Electronics Factory!
This was the destination. A group of people were already waiting at the gate, having prepared a welcome ceremony in advance.
"County Magistrate Ye, welcome, welcome!"
A balding man with a bulging belly, smiling like a Maitreya Buddha, walked towards Ye Qingping, extending his plump hand from afar.
He was Qian Baoshan, the director of Xinhua Electronics Factory. Behind him were the deputy director Sun Zheng and several workshop supervisors.
"Hello, Director Qian!"
Ye Qingping shook hands with everyone.
At this moment, a Hootou Ben drove up from behind, and Qin Chuan opened the car door to get out. Li Chunsheng, who was acting as the driver, remained in the car.
His appearance caused Qian Baoshan and Sun Zheng and the others' eyes to light up rapidly, their smiles becoming even more brilliant and enthusiastic.
"Oh, this must be the famous Boss Qin!"
"As expected, he lives up to his reputation. He truly is a rising star in our county!"
Qin Chuan smiled slightly and shook hands with everyone one by one.
"Hello, Director Qian!"
"Hello, Deputy Director Sun!"
Qian Baoshan glanced at the imposing Hootou Ben, his eyes revealing undisguised envy.
"I've long heard that Boss Qin is building properties, opening supermarkets, and collaborating with Director Li from Butterfly Apparel Factory to develop flagship stores. His ventures are blooming on all fronts, bringing in fortunes daily!"
"Seeing you today, your reputation is truly well-deserved!"
"You even drive such a luxurious Mercedes-Benz!"
Qin Chuan maintained his gentle smile and said modestly, "Director Qian is too kind. I am but a junior, and many aspects are still unrefined. I will require more guidance from seniors in the future!"
"Haha! Boss Qin is too modest!"
"Let's go, we'll chat inside the factory. Hot tea and refreshments have been prepared."
Qin Chuan returned to the car, and soon the Hootou Ben started moving.
Watching the luxurious Mercedes-Benz drive past, everyone at the entrance of the electronics factory cast envious and jealous glances.
"This Qin Chuan has really struck it rich!"
"He's even driving a Mercedes-Benz!"
"Of course! Comparing ourselves to others can truly be infuriating! He's only in his twenties, while most of us are half-dead already. At best, we drive a broken Santana, and many can't even afford that!"
"Do you think this electronics factory can be revived if it's handed over to this Mr. Qin to manage?"
Suddenly, a man wearing simple clothes with dark skin spoke.
His name was Jiang Wanpeng, and he was the head of the technical department at Xinhua Electronics Factory.
"Who can tell?"
"Alas, I've spent more than half my life in this electronics factory. With a change of ownership, and not knowing what the future holds, I truly don't know how to describe my feelings!"
Deputy Director Sun Zheng sighed.
"Let's go, no more talk for now. They've already gone inside!"
Director Qian Baoshan said.
A few minutes later, in a spacious room of an office building, Qin Chuan, Li Chunsheng, Ye Qingping, and Wang Pingan were warmly received.
Meanwhile, a thick stack of documents was laid out on the table, containing a detailed introduction to the entire Xinhua Electronics Factory.
Qin Chuan and Li Chunsheng each held a copy and were examining it.
Xinhua Electronics Factory was founded in 1980 and was one of the first local enterprises in Yongnan County. At the time, it carried the hopes of all the people of Yongnan County and involved a large investment.
It covered a total area of twenty mu, over 13,000 square meters, making it an absolute leading enterprise in a small county town.
At that time, the county government spared no expense, introducing top talents from various fields, vigorously building a pillar industry, and focusing on self-innovation and high-tech research and development.
Unfortunately, wishes were beautiful, but reality was extremely cruel.
In the 1980s, domestic technological research and development was the most backward, and the country was still crossing the river by feeling the stones, exploring a path suitable for development.
It was imaginable how difficult it would be for an electronics factory to break through and achieve success.
Xinhua Electronics Factory was established in 1980. For a full ten years until 1990, it still had no outstanding contributions. Talents changed batch after batch, not only exhausting everyone's enthusiasm but also consuming a massive amount of government funds.
The exact amount was unclear, but according to popular rumor, at least one hundred million yuan of state funds were consumed in ten years!
What did one hundred million yuan represent?
It was enough to fully elevate a small county town like Yongnan to a higher level.
However, all these funds were wasted.
Later, the government felt that they could not continue to let Xinhua Electronics Factory bleed them dry and began to transition.
If independent research and development was not successful, they would transition into a contract manufacturer, accepting government orders or seeking orders independently.
Initially, relying on orders secured by the government, Xinhua Electronics Factory finally began to turn a profit, becoming self-sufficient and no longer a leech.
But this only lasted for two to three years. With changes in national policies and the rolling tide of the times, private enterprises rose rapidly, and the contract system emerged.
Xinhua Electronics Factory followed the trend and was contracted out, becoming a private enterprise.
Since it was a private enterprise, the state would not provide support, and the profitability of an enterprise depended entirely on the owner's capabilities.
The first owner to take over Xinhua Electronics Factory was rumored to be a second-generation heir, a typical example of someone with lofty ambitions but lacking practical skills. The outcome was predictable.
In less than two years, Xinhua Electronics Factory lost tens of millions, and was eventually forced to be resold.
The second owner took over. This owner was somewhat talented and had a considerable network. In one year, he turned the electronics factory around, and in the second year, it made a profit of over ten million.
Just as everyone thought good times were about to arrive, another accident occurred!
This second owner died in a car accident on a trip out of town at the age of thirty-something.
Xinhua Electronics Factory, which had only been doing well for less than a year, had no choice but to change to a third owner.
This owner was not much different from the first, still a mediocre talent, who directly sent the electronics factory back to square one.
Two years ago, in 1996, the owner of Xinhua Electronics Factory, under duress, had no choice but to sell the factory as a package to the county government.
Thus, after much going back and forth, Xinhua Electronics Factory, this hot potato, returned to the hands of the Yongnan county government.
For two years, the government sent several experts to try and revive the electronics factory, but unfortunately, the results remained unchanged. They had to lose several million yuan annually.
A factory that bled money every year was unacceptable to any leader.
Therefore, this time, Ye Qingping wanted Qin Chuan to take over Xinhua Electronics Factory, intending to sell it off as a package and no longer manage this hot potato!
At the same time, it was another test for Qin Chuan!
If Qin Chuan could bring Xinhua Electronics Factory back to life, then they would truly be allies on the same boat, with their interests intertwined from then on.