Chapter 88: The Feed Factory and the Breeding Farm Take Charge Together

The news that the county party secretary, who ranked second, had lost the election was explosive. Chen Shuli, who was attending the party congress, had not yet returned, but the news had already spread. Speculations and bold guesses were rampant. Zhu Daodong did not participate in the discussions; this outcome was within his expectations. What surprised him was the significant impact of the incident. When the news broke, Wang Wentiger's name became the most frequently mentioned.

Chen Shuli returned in the evening. He had originally planned to stay overnight in the county town but canceled it at the last minute. In the past, when the township's jeep returned, it would honk twice at the gate, signaling to all the township officials that Chen Shuli, the patriarch of Shumuling, had returned. But today, there was no honking.

Zhu Daodong took the initiative to go to Chen Shuli's office. Seeing Zhu Daodong, Chen Shuli stared at him for a while before saying, "You know?"

"How could this happen?" Zhu Daodong nodded. He had known about this a month ago, but he still had to feign surprise and confusion.

"Wang Secretary has offended too many people. This time, he was too careless and didn't guard against others plotting against him." Chen Shuli sighed, not knowing who had orchestrated the whole thing. The entire incident was airtight, and he hadn't even heard a whisper beforehand.

"Is there no hope...?" Zhu Daodong asked, knowing it was a futile question but feeling compelled to ask.

"Do you think this is what? A re-election? You must be joking!" Chen Shuli said. After a pause, he continued, "The township's feed factory can no longer rely on county funds. It's also unrealistic for the township to fund it. I think we should follow your suggestion and have the breeding farm take charge of the feed factory."

Due to Wang Wentiger's unexpected loss, the invisible barrier between Chen Shuli and Zhu Daodong immediately softened and dissolved. With Wang Wentiger out of the picture, Chen Shuli still held the position of party secretary. He not only had to secure his position but also achieve results. The hope of advancing had vanished, and Chen Shuli's primary goal was to solidify his position as party secretary. Without Wang Wentiger, he had to rely on himself.

"But the breeding farm only has 400,000 yuan, which is not enough," Zhu Daodong sighed.

"If it's not enough, find a way. Our job is to solve problems. We must overcome difficulties and create conditions if necessary. As long as the methods are reasonable and legal, they can be used," Chen Shuli said. "Next year, the township will provide some funds, but not much. Regardless, you must do a good job with the breeding farm and the feed factory. I'm counting on you."

Chen Shuli, as the party secretary, was naturally in charge of assigning tasks, and Zhu Daodong had to earnestly follow the secretary's instructions. However, Chen Shuli used the word "please" this time, indicating the significant impact of Wang Wentiger's loss. To achieve results quickly, Chen Shuli had to rely on Zhu Daodong's wealth-creation project. This was the fastest and most feasible way for him to make a mark!

"Alright, I'll start building the feed factory. There are 20 days until the New Year, and I'll try to have all the equipment ordered before the New Year so that production can begin immediately after the holiday," Zhu Daodong said. "But the procedures for approval and review will be a hassle. I don't have the capability to handle that."

"Alright, I'll handle the approval procedures personally. I'll ensure everything is in order before your equipment arrives," Chen Shuli said with a light laugh. Helping the feed factory with the procedures was something he could manage.

The next day, Chen Shuli proposed at the party committee meeting that since the township had no funds to invest in the feed factory, the breeding farm should take charge. Although the feed factory would be downgraded from a township enterprise to a collective enterprise, the township's support for the feed factory would continue. Chen Shuli's sudden change in attitude towards the feed factory sparked many speculations. The most credible explanation was that, with Wang Wentiger's loss, Chen Shuli needed to achieve real results to advance, and the Shumuling wealth-creation project, based on the feed factory and the breeding farm, became his top priority.

After the party committee meeting, Zhu Daodong convened a meeting with all the village party secretaries. The breeding farm's funds would now be used to establish a feed factory, and the village party secretaries would represent their respective villages in a collective discussion on the matter. The main topic was not whether to establish the feed factory but how to do it without affecting the breeding farm.

Zhu Daodong proposed two methods: to save funds, the breeding farm would not provide piglets, chicks, and feed for free. Second, each household in the township would be required to contribute 10 yuan, which would immediately raise 100,000 yuan and help alleviate the funding shortage.

Most village party secretaries favored the first method. While raising funds in the village might not be difficult the first time, continuing to increase contributions without seeing benefits would be challenging. This meant that Zhu Daodong had only 400,000 yuan, but both the feed factory and the breeding farm needed to be established.

This put a lot of pressure on Zhu Daodong. According to the original plan, the breeding farm's funds were sufficient, but now, with the feed factory included, the financial situation would be tight. The Shumuling wealth-creation project was intended to serve the entire township, not for profit, and the capital recovery process was slow. Raising chickens was better, as their growth cycle was short, and they could lay eggs after maturing. However, raising pigs took at least six months, during which the breeding farm would incur significant costs.

To save as much money as possible, after seeking approval from the township party committee and government, Zhu Daodong decided to go to Shanghai before the New Year. He had learned from a classmate in Shanghai that the feed processing equipment there was better and cheaper than in the provincial capital. The final cost, including transportation to Shumuling, was 20% cheaper in Shanghai.

A feed processing plant with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tons required over 100,000 yuan. A 20% discount was a significant amount. With the current tight funds, even a 5% discount would make him consider buying the equipment from Shanghai.

He invited a technical officer from the county livestock bureau, along with Hou Feng, the accountant from Houjiatang Village, and Hu Zhengqing, the accountant from Jinsha Village. The four of them took a train from the provincial capital to Shanghai. It was already the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, and the New Year was less than 20 days away. They had to return before the New Year.

In the township-wide fundraising initiated by Zhu Daodong, Houjiatang Village and Jinsha Village contributed the most. Therefore, Zhu Daodong appointed Hou Feng as the accountant for the breeding farm and the feed factory and Hu Zhengqing as the cashier.

After a 50-hour train ride, they finally arrived in Shanghai. Although the four were exhausted, they were invigorated when they stepped out of the station and saw the bustling city with its towering skyscrapers.

"Zhu Daodong!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Zhu Daodong knew his classmate Li Yang had come to pick him up. Following the sound, he quickly saw Li Yang and hurriedly smiled and greeted him...