Chapter 407: No Money, No Way
Just as Wang Deming and Li Dongdong got in the car and continued to rush to the project site, Chief Fang also reported to the top leaders with the report materials provided by Director Zhan that he had revised.

As expected, he was scolded.

"Lao Fang, where is your sensitivity?"

"Do you know that the current economic situation is very bad?"

“If we approve money for these projects now, will the rest of the country not develop?”

"Our goal is to make people live a good life. With so much investment, we still owe loans to foreign banks. Where can I get the money from?"

Chief Fang said softly: "Big leader, our leader Zhou said in 69 that our country has neither domestic debt nor foreign debt."

"Bang, bang!" The table was slammed. The leaders were very angry and shouted angrily: "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Can't you slow down a little bit?"

"Yes, you said someone can help solve the funding problem. Does that mean we don't have to pay this money back in the future?"

Seeing that Chief Fang was about to say something, the senior leader said, "Alright, you can go down."

Chief Fang remained motionless, "Leader, just arrange a meeting with the Americans."

"It's hard to say what our relationship with the Americans is right now, at least we haven't established diplomatic relations yet. If you discuss things at this time, it will put us in a very passive position."

"We are just discussing a previous cooperation project." Chief Fang was still unwilling to give up. "Even if the other party disagrees, it won't be a big problem for us to pay a courtesy visit."

"Don't say any more. We need to discuss such an important matter."

"I'll give you the answer later, you can go back first."

"Yes." Commander Fang turned around and prepared to leave.

"Wait, the Ministry of Foreign Trade has a heavy target for next year. You should focus more on export earnings. Fortunately, we have achieved the set target at the Canton Fair this fall. Next year, we will increase this target by 50%."

Chief Fang was stunned. "Big leader, how is this possible?"

"We have always focused on earning foreign exchange domestically, and the Canton Fair has set new records every year. However, domestic projects that can currently earn foreign exchange are already being supported as much as possible, so there will not be such a big increase in a short period of time."

"A mission is a mission, there is no room for negotiation. Lao Fang, you are also an old man, responsible for foreign trade for so many years. We all trust you very much. Don't let our trust disappear in the end."

"All right."

After Chief Fang left, he looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes at the sun that was already high in the sky. It was rare to have such a warm sunny day in the winter in Beijing. He really wanted to find a place to bask in the sun and do nothing but kill time.
He looked back at the office that was several courtyards deep. The golden glazed tiles on the roof reflected the sunlight, which was very bright and dazzling.

"Alas," the task was not accomplished, and the leader demanded a 50% increase in foreign exchange earnings next year. He also understood that the leader wanted him to focus all his energy on foreign exchange earnings.

We will continue to invest in several projects now when we have sufficient funds in the future.

He felt extremely helpless, as the sooner the project was implemented, the sooner the profits would be realized.

Many people in the original project team have been replaced for various reasons, not only the chief technical engineer, but also the person in charge of each project.
The chief engineer is okay. The new guy knows some technology and is not incompetent. It’s just that he has not been exposed to the latest foreign technology before. After he makes up for his shortcomings, there will be no major problems.

The most important thing is that the dominant technology in the project construction is from foreign friends.

The new person in charge had just returned from a cadre school and had not been involved in the construction management of a large project for many years. Now he was in charge of the project and the overall coordination. The arrangement and planning of the project was a mess.
In the Tianjin Petroleum Refining and Chemical Plant, on the third floor of a temporary three-row house, the project prime minister's office, Li Dongdong was introducing Wang Deming and the other party.

"Mr. Li, this is Wang Deming, the deputy director of our Foreign Trade Department." "This is Mr. Li from Tianjin Petroleum Refining and Chemical Plant."

Mr. Li is an old man in his 70s with gray hair and wrinkles all over his face. He wears a washed-out Zhongshan suit and a pair of reading glasses.

Wang Deming and Li Dongdong were looking at some documents when they were led into the office by his secretary.

He snorted in a neutral tone towards Wang Deming and Li Dongdong, and continued to sit and read the documents.

Li Dongdong gently pulled Wang Deming's sleeves, sat down on the sofa beside him, and whispered in Wang Deming's ear about Mr. Li's experience.

Mr. Li is an old revolutionary who went to the countryside to work during a special period and has just been reinstated recently.

Mr. Li has many students and old friends in the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Department.
Wang Deming understood what he meant, so he kept silent and just observed this temporary office.

Although it is called a temporary office, the area of ​​this office is not small, more than 70 square meters. There is also a small door behind Mr. Li’s desk, which is probably the bedroom for his rest.

There are several metal cabinets against the wall in the office, which are filled with paper documents. There are two telephones on the desk, one blue and one red.

There are also several pots of flowers, Clivia, in other places.
Wang Deming was bored and kept counting the leaves of the Clivia. The wall clock kept ticking and almost 20 minutes had passed.

Li Dongdong beside him had the same dull and lifeless eyes as him, and no one knew where his mind was wandering.

On the way here, Li Dongdong introduced Mr. Li to Wang Deming. He was a leader who was particularly a stickler for rules and actually didn't want the Ministry of Foreign Trade to provide any work guidance.

Especially when Wang Deming and Li Dongdong’s level was not high enough.

Mr. Li’s rank is the same as that of the chief.

As expected, the rules were really followed and no one came to report during this period. They were just left alone. Wang Deming thought, no wonder this kind of scene always happens in TV dramas when people meet some big leaders in later generations. It turns out it has a basis in reality.

I don’t know why this leader, even at such an old age, still has such focused attention.

He had long observed that Mr. Li had not turned over the document in his hand for a long time.
"Ahem!" Finally there was movement. General Manager Li reached out and picked up the large teapot, taking a sip of tea. "Comrade Wang Deming, right?"

"Xiao Li came here with Lao Fang before." Mr. Li looked at Li Dongdong with a serious face and said, "Thank you for the Ministry of Foreign Trade's concern and support for our Tianjin Petroleum Refining and Chemical Plant."

"Are you here this time to inform us that the second payment is ready so that we can discuss the next step of project construction with our foreign friends?"

"Boss Li!" Li Dongdong straightened his body quickly, "Our leader has already tried to get funding from the higher-ups again, wait."

"Bang!" Mr. Li slammed the big teapot on the desk with all his strength, his hair and beard standing up: "Wait!"

"When?"

He pointed to the construction site outside and said, "Do you know how much a project this big costs per day?"

"Do you know how much we have to pay foreign friends to stay at our construction site for a day?"

"Because you have been slow to disburse the second installment, our project has made no progress at all!"

“This is how you do external work!”

(End of this chapter)