Rich, Rhine Metal; poor, Rhine Steel. 82

Chapter 82: OEM Factory! (First Update!)

“Even if it breaks us, we have to borrow the money from you!”

This statement was incredibly impactful. Liu Jun, who had been pretending to be invisible on a nearby chair, sprang up like a startled carp.

His aging lower back let out a loud crack from the sudden movement.

Then, Liu Jun cried out in pain and slumped back into his chair, unable to get up again.

Meanwhile, Kong Hui, who had been looking at Lin Yu, shuddered. His glass slipped from his hand, crashing onto the terrazzo floor with a loud thud, shattering into pieces.

His eyes cast down, staring at the scattered shards of glass and spilled tea for a long while, Kong Hui slowly raised his head, looking at Lin Yu in disbelief.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I’ll lend you a million, even if it means crippling my finances. Even if I have to take the 567 Base people out to beg, I’ll lend you the money.”

“Uh…” After receiving confirmation from Lin Yu, Kong Hui was at a loss.

Borrowing money wasn’t the goal!

Taxes and industry were the goals!

He glared fiercely at Liu Jun, who was still groaning nearby—it was all your bad idea! Sighing heavily, he finally spoke.

“Mr. Lin, actually, we’re not aiming to borrow money; the main goal is the industry.”

“Since the beginning of the year, a large number of young laborers have migrated south to the southeast and south China coast.”

“Although these people can bring extra economic income to our Lanling in the short term,”

“If this continues long-term, our local industries will collapse and never catch up with the developed coastal regions.”

“That would be very detrimental to the future.”

Lin Yu listened with a shocked expression, then poured another cup of tea for the director and offered it, asking,

“Director Kong, you’re thinking so far ahead?”

Without waiting for a response, Lin Yu turned and went out, grabbing a broom from the corridor to sweep up the broken glass.

Only after he finished did Kong Hui blush slightly and say, “Actually, everyone is quite young.”

“Oh—” Lin Yu gave a long “oh.”

Understood.

Young and promising.

Many hands make light work (meaning a task is easier with many people helping); he naturally wouldn’t be the one to obstruct, but before that, he needed clarity.

Lin Yu returned to his desk, opened a new notebook, and gestured to Kong Hui. “Director Kong, tell me your plan.”

“I… I don’t have a plan.” Kong Hui lowered his head, beginning to list Lanling’s shortcomings.

“Since last year, I’ve been running all over the coastal areas, and the more I run, the more anxious I get.”

“Because we don’t have any advantages. Whether it’s energy, labor costs, or other communication costs, we have no advantages.”

“And we’re not by the sea, and we lack transportation advantages.”

“After the start of this year, I spent another two months in the south. Compared to the beginning of the year, places like Shenzhen have undergone earth-shattering changes in just two months.”

“While we can’t say we haven’t changed at all, at the very least, there’s another layer of dust on the roof.”

He delivered a mildly humorous jab, then paused, seeing Lin Yu wasn’t responding, so he continued,

“We’ve been trying to do other things, but in the end, it’s just wasted time and money with little effect.”

“But then, you!”

At this point, Kong Hui’s eyes widened, like a wrathful Vajra (a powerful Buddhist deity), his large eyes fixed on Lin Yu, his voice rising,

“You! Lin Yu! At this time, you completed an order that was 1/226 of our city’s GDP last year!”

“Combined with your previous order, the proportion is even higher.”

“We know your business is a little unconventional, but there are some less unconventional aspects to it.”

“Those less unconventional parts, you could easily subcontract them out, driving everyone’s development.”

“The city’s steel mill, chemical plant, clothing factory, and tractor factory perfectly fit your requirements. I believe that under your leadership, they can continue to shine, earn more money, and create more jobs!”

Kong Hui looked expectantly at Lin Yu, hoping for an answer.

Liu Jun, no longer groaning, listened attentively.

After a few minutes, Lin Yu put down his pen, propped his elbows on the table, his fingers intertwined, gently supporting his chin, his brows furrowed, and asked,

“Director Kong, can you make the decisions? I mean, the heads of those factories?”

“If we’re going to cooperate, it has to be on my terms. My requirements might seem nitpicky to them. Will those factory owners agree?”

“Will the city agree?”

“Or rather, will they agree now, and will they agree later?”

“Business has its ups and downs. Investments require costs. The idea that you invest today and see results tomorrow simply doesn’t exist in our line of work.”

“What if the fruits don’t grow as expected? Who takes the blame?”

“What if the yield exceeds expectations? How do we share the profits?”

“To put it more bluntly, today we talk about planting fruit trees, tomorrow we talk about planting corn, the day after tomorrow we talk about digging ponds for fish farming—who are we going to listen to then?”

“If these things aren’t made clear, it will all be trouble in the end!”

“So, I ask again, Director Kong, can you make the decisions?”

Lin Yu’s voice grew stronger, and he even stood up to pressure Kong Hui.

Unexpectedly, Kong Hui calmly opened the briefcase on his side.

He took out a meeting resolution and handed it to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu glanced at it and saw it was an official document with a file number.

[Lanling [2002]007 Industrial Development Conference Resolution]

His eyes quickly scanned the document, skipping the preamble and focusing on the key points starting with “however”.

[However, our economic development is still mainly characterized by scattered and uncoordinated efforts, with various industries developing simultaneously; while this appears to be diversification, it is actually a waste of resources…]

[Therefore, it is recommended that within this city, leveraging the opportunity of joining the WTO, we focus on two or three key industries to prevent spreading ourselves too thin…]

When Lin Yu finished reading, Kong Hui spoke again, “The official version of this resolution hasn’t been released yet. If Mr. Lin agrees, everything you mentioned can be added.”

“Turning this resolution into a real industrial guidance document.”

“Once the document is officially issued, everyone can follow the regulations. At that time, there will be more order!”

“I don’t know…”

Before he could finish, Lin Yu raised his hand, interrupting him.

A few seconds later, Lin Yu said impassively,

“If you want me to help them make money, it’s simple. Become my OEM factories, upgrade your industries according to my plans, and unconditionally follow my instructions.”

“Whether it’s industrial technology upgrades or product manufacturing.”

“If you have questions, do it first, then we’ll talk.”

“If you can do it, I’ll help you make money. If you can’t, then good luck with that.”
(End of Chapter)

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