Gu Xingdong had been watching silently from a distance. It wasn't until he saw the enemy's commander captured and Li Weimin gesturing towards him that he patted Wu Zheng on the shoulder and said, "Let's go."
"The practical exercises have increased significantly this year; we've already had two this month alone." Wu Zheng sighed helplessly, especially with this dreadful weather.
"The south is unsettled, so we can't afford to relax; we must always be prepared."
Wu Zheng exclaimed, "Are you saying we might?"
"The higher-ups naturally wouldn't take them seriously, but this is a good opportunity for training."
After Gu Xingdong finished speaking, their pace quickened. Before long, they arrived at the Blue Force's main camp.
...
Chen Lishu sent Rui Rui to school early before reporting to school herself.
"Lishu, you're finally back! I missed you so much while you were gone. I've been diligently taking notes every day. When did you ever see me take notes? I was just afraid you wouldn't catch up with the curriculum when you returned," Zhang Xue said, delighted to see her enter.
"I know you're the best to me. I specifically brought you some specialties from over there this time. I'll give them to you after class."
"Chen Lishu, is there anything for me?" Li Zhiwei interjected from behind.
Chen Lishu smiled, "There's something for everyone."
She had bought quite a few local specialty pastries this time. If it weren't for the long distance and the hot weather that made it difficult to preserve most food items, she would have bought more.
After class, she distributed portions of the pastries to Zhang Xue, Li Zhiwei, and Feng Pangzi. Chen Lishu then took out two more packets to deliver to Chen Yin Chu.
"I didn't bring much, just some local pastries. A small token of my appreciation for you and Madam to try."
"Did you gain anything from being away for so long?" Chen Yin Chu smiled as he accepted the gifts, gesturing for Chen Lishu to sit down.
Chen Lishu nodded with a smile, "Going this time made me truly realize how much the country has changed. I also gained a lot of insight; every day I encountered..."
As Chen Lishu spoke, a vibrant picture of prosperity unfolded before Chen Yin Chu's eyes.
After leaving Chen Yin Chu's office, since she had no classes in the afternoon, Chen Lishu first called Lin Qi. Upon confirming that everything was normal on his end, she went to Wang Aixiang's home.
The batch of goods she had ordered from Yangcheng had not been shipped back to the county town but directly to the provincial capital.
After all, the provincial capital would undoubtedly be more accepting of bell-bottom pants than the county town. Therefore, Chen Lishu planned to sell this batch of goods in the provincial capital.
"Comrade Nan mentioned a few days ago that you would be back, and it seems he was right," Wang Aixiang said as she saw her enter, quickly fetching a stool.
"Sister, you are truly amazing! You went down south and brought back over six thousand pieces of clothing, filling dozens of bags. I was worried about how to transport them, but that Comrade Nan had a solution and directly found a truck to haul them back."
Chen Lishu smiled, "Sister Aixiang, let me take a look."
Wang Aixiang nodded and accompanied her to the room where the goods were stored.
Wang Aixiang was very meticulous. All the goods were neatly stacked in bags on the kang, and wooden boards were placed on brick risers on the floor, topped with the fabrics shipped back from the textile factory.
"This batch of clothing shouldn't be sold anytime soon. Sister Aixiang, please take good care of them. Be sure to pay attention to safety, keep them from getting damp, and most importantly, ensure fire safety."
Wang Aixiang nodded, "Sister, don't worry. I'll come and check on them every day."
Chen Lishu knew Wang Aixiang was capable and didn't need further reminders. She then asked Wang Aixiang to accompany her to the textile factory.
She had been thinking about the swimwear and decided it was a good time to inquire about the gauze fabric.
...
At the textile factory, Li Zhengxing was startled when he saw the man entering but quickly recovered, smiling and saying, "Old Jiang, why do you have time to visit today? Come in and have a seat."
Jiang Weiguo sat opposite him as invited, "I've come today hoping you can help me with something, Old Li."
Li Zhengxing stood up, poured him a glass of water, and handed it over, "Are you kidding me? You, a big manager, what business could you have that requires my help?"
"It's serious."
Jiang Weiguo said with a serious expression, "All over the country is undergoing modernization. The policies have opened up, and a relative of mine at home also wants to respond to the nation's call and open a small shop for themselves."
Li Zhengxing smiled, "That's a good thing."
Jiang Weiguo continued, "They don't have much skill, so they thought about selling some clothing and fabrics themselves. They approached me, and after much thought, I thought of you."
Li Zhengxing instantly understood his meaning.
"Coincidentally, the higher-ups have a new policy. Our factory, as a pilot, is allowed to expand its operational autonomy. For parts outside the plan, we can negotiate prices, though they will certainly be more expensive than those within the plan."
Jiang Weiguo sounded a bit troubled after hearing Li Zhengxing's words, "My relative just wants to run a small business. Renting a shop isn't cheap these days, and it's uncertain how much they'll earn. Perhaps we should just follow the previous procedures."
Since the personnel changes, another person had been transferred to the unit, and his authority had greatly diminished. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to find Li Zhengxing.
Li Zhengxing, though outwardly calm, inwardly sneered at Jiang Weiguo's words.
Jiang Weiguo wasn't ordering fabrics under his unit's name but wanted Li Zhengxing to create a "shortage." In the end, all the risks would fall on him. Li Zhengxing wasn't foolish, and besides, after cooperating with Chen Lishu, he had started pushing away others who sought his help.
Firstly, cooperating with only one person reduced risk. Secondly, the commission Chen Lishu offered was truly high. For such a good partner, he'd have to be out of his mind to jeopardize his current position.
"Alas."
Li Zhengxing sighed, "Old Jiang, you don't know my current situation. I'm not afraid to tell you, we still have a large backlog of gabardine fabric in the factory's warehouse. I'm so worried about it that I can barely eat. The factory leaders talk to me every day. To be honest, I don't even know how long I can keep this position. I truly want to help with what you've mentioned, but with so many eyes watching, I really can't, alas!"
What was meant to be a request for help had turned into Li Zhengxing pouring out his troubles. Jiang Weiguo's expression soured, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes. He was a manager, after all, and Li Zhengxing showed him no respect.
"Fine. Let's consider today's conversation unsaid. Section Chief Li, you must be busy. I'll be going now." Jiang Weiguo said as he stood up, forcing a polite farewell before leaving.
It truly was a case of a fallen tiger being bullied by dogs, a deposed phoenix faring worse than a chicken. As Jiang Weiguo walked away, he gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Li Zhengxing would eventually beg him for help.
...
When Chen Lishu arrived, Jiang Weiguo had only left a short while ago. Li Zhengxing was very pleased to see her and invited her to sit down.
When she learned that the textile factory could have autonomous price negotiations as a pilot program, Chen Lishu was overjoyed, even a little excited.
"Everything has its pros and cons. The price will certainly be higher than within the plan. If you feel it's not cost-effective, we can still proceed as before..."
Before he could finish, Chen Lishu quickly waved her hand, "Section Chief Li, this is great news. From now on, private business owners can also do business openly. Even if it costs a little more, it's no big deal."