Chapter 53: Danger and Opportunity

When he was already in despair, the situation took a turn for the better. Not only did he not have to give up the factory's shares, but he could still make money. Song Junwei was so excited that his eyes turned red. If it weren't for the lack of options, who would willingly give away their shares for free?

It was like the first time he held a young girl's hand; Song Junwei didn't want to let go of the other person's hand: "Thank you, thank you, I'm so grateful. Thank you, Manager Lin, thank you, Old Peng, thank you, Old Liu..."

"The general framework is like this, but we still need to discuss the details of the cooperation..." Chen Geng said.

Song Junwei, Liu Qianjin, and Peng Guangming were immediately taken aback: "We still need to discuss? What else is there to discuss? Isn't this cooperation good enough?"

"Many military enterprises are having a hard time due to this military reform. We can't control others, but for those we know and have a good relationship with, we should help as much as we can. If we can help one more, we should," Chen Geng, facing the astonished looks of Song Junwei, Liu Qianjin, and Peng Guangming, scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "They are all old friends we know. If we can't help, that's fine, but if we can, we should. Otherwise, it will always feel wrong. At least, that's what I think."

Song Junwei, Liu Qianjin, and Peng Guangming stared at Chen Geng, speechless. After a while, Peng Guangming sighed and said to Liu Qianjin, "Old Liu, look at this. The young people nowadays are amazing. We are struggling to take care of ourselves, but Xiao Chen is already thinking about helping others."

"I think Xiao Lin is doing the right thing," Liu Qianjin said. "When we are doing well, some friends are struggling to even have a bowl of soup. When it comes to that, they are our longtime comrades and brothers. Who could bear to see them suffer? I think Xiao Lin has thought it through."

"But with so many enterprises, helping one or two is fine, but even if Lin Jili has the intention, can he really help them all?" Song Junwei frowned, worried. "We might end up exhausting ourselves by helping others."

"That is indeed a problem," Chen Geng nodded. "So we need a plan and also assess our own capabilities, acting within our means."

When Chen Geng said he wanted to help more enterprises, Song Junwei was somewhat disappointed. In his heart, he naturally hoped that this business would be done between his factory and Huayu Industry. But thinking is one thing; Song Junwei also knew that even if the Third Armament Repair Factory became a civilian enterprise after the military reform, the leaders of various enterprises were all acquaintances. If an old friend in need came to you for help, could you refuse? Could you bear to refuse?

Not only would the Third Armament Repair Factory face this issue, but his Jiangnan Provincial Military District Vehicle Repair Factory would also face the same problem. So what Chen Geng said made sense. Helping others is fine, but they should carefully plan to avoid helping others to the point of collapsing themselves. He nodded, "Manager Chen is right, we do need a plan... Old Peng, Old Liu, Manager Lin, it's getting late. Let me treat you to a meal?"

He wanted to use the meal to secure the benefits for the Jiangnan Provincial Military District Vehicle Repair Factory as much as possible.

But Peng Guangming and Liu Qianjin knew what Song Junwei was thinking. If it were any other time, Song Junwei wouldn't be able to skip this meal. But now, it seemed that Chen Geng had more important things to say. Compared to this, the meal was nothing. They naturally refused.

...

After seeing off Song Junwei and Lin Shuyao, Peng Guangming immediately asked, "Brat, speak up, what are you hiding?"

In front of Song Junwei and Lin Shuyao, there were some things he couldn't say or ask. Now that they were gone, he couldn't hold back any longer.

Peng Guangming couldn't help it, and Liu Qianjin wasn't much better. He complained, "Xiao Chen, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but why are you sharing the profits with others in this profitable business?"

Chen Geng said helplessly, "It's not that I want to share, but it's a situation where we can't avoid it."

Liu Qianjin, who was more impulsive, immediately became dissatisfied and glared, "What do you mean we can't avoid it? The technology is yours. If you don't want to, who would dare to take it? Besides, do you think Peng and I are just sitting around, watching you get bullied?"

Peng Guangming, who had worked in political affairs, was more thoughtful. He felt something was off and the more he thought about it, the more he felt there was a problem. Seeing Liu Qianjin about to get angry, he quickly stopped him, "Old Liu, listen to what Xiao Chen has to say... Xiao Chen is young and has a flexible mind, unlike our rigid ones. He might have noticed something we didn't."

Liu Qianjin paused and nodded to Chen Geng, "Xiao Chen, tell us, why can't we avoid it?"

Chen Geng didn't hesitate and said directly, "As of yesterday, we have 389 212 Jeeps waiting for modification. With our current technical conditions and capabilities, we can complete a maximum of 200 modifications per month. If the customer's requirements are higher, such as adding a heating system in addition to modifying the chassis, suspension, and seats, this number will decrease further. So the queue for modifications is already scheduled for the month after next..."

Liu Qianjin became even more dissatisfied, "This shows that our business is good."

In his view, the better the business, the more dividends the parent company would receive. Sharing the business with the Jiangnan Provincial Military District Vehicle Repair Factory would be like taking money out of his own pocket to give to others.

Peng Guangming, however, frowned. After Chen Geng's explanation, he realized the problem was serious. He waved his hand to stop Liu Qianjin, "Old Liu, don't speak. Listen to Xiao Chen. I feel something is off, but I can't quite put my finger on it... Xiao Chen, continue."

"Sure," Chen Geng responded, "This military reform is affecting almost all military enterprises. If we are living a luxurious life while others can't even have a bowl of clear soup, won't some people be envious? If it's just envy, it's not a big deal, but if someone starts to sabotage us behind our backs..."

Liu Qianjin and Peng Guangming's faces changed immediately.

The People's Republic of China's military is a heroic and people's army, a fact that has never changed and no one dares to deny. However, with over 4 million personnel, it's like the saying goes, "Where there are people, there is a江湖 (jianghu, a term for the complex social network in Chinese culture)." The nature of our people's army in protecting the country has not changed, but no one can deny that there are some bad apples and scoundrels within. These bad apples and scoundrels are not good at doing good things, but they are very good at ruining good things. If Huayu Industry is targeted by these people, the consequences...

You can imagine the worst. When it comes to individuals, it can be as bad as it gets.

Peng Guangming nodded solemnly, "Old Liu, Xiao Chen is right. This is indeed a serious issue. It's embarrassing that we old guys overlooked it and let Xiao Chen think about it for us. We need to consider these issues in advance to avoid being passive in the future... Xiao Chen, tell us, how do you plan to avoid this trouble?"

This statement was equivalent to agreeing with Chen Geng's assessment of the situation.

"Simple, share the benefits," Chen Geng's voice was not loud, but it was firm. "As long as we don't just focus on our own wealth and help everyone as much as we can during this military reform, then even if we live a good life in the future, no one will have anything to say. Those who try to defame us and smear us are actually helping us gain recognition and fame. The more bad things they say about us, the better our image will be with the leaders."

After a long thought, Peng Guangming finally nodded slowly, "This is a method..."

Liu Qianjin, however, was still reluctant and muttered, "But this way, we will suffer a great loss."

The military abhors monopolizing benefits, and he understood this, but understanding and accepting it were two different things. "This is my benefit, why should I share it with others?!"

Chen Geng, however, smiled, "I have a different view from the factory manager. In my opinion, the more partners we have, the more we will earn."

When Chen Geng said this, Liu Qianjin and Peng Guangming were both stunned. Liu Qianjin, being more impulsive, confirmed that he hadn't misheard and immediately asked, "The more people who learn to modify from us, the less money we will make. How can we earn more with more people? Xiao Chen, explain it to me clearly."

"What are you shouting for?" Peng Guangming was unhappy. Now he saw Chen Geng as a lucky charm, and he was afraid that even a touch might damage him. Liu Qianjin's shout was like a naughty child getting too close. He glared at Liu Qianjin and said irritably, "Xiao Chen is a top student from Huqing University. With your limited knowledge, it's normal that you don't understand. Xiao Chen, explain it to this guy. Really... uneducated! I told you to study more, but you never listen."

"Like you understand it..."

Chen Geng ignored the old partners' bickering, "Actually, it's simple. The number of 212 Jeeps on the market is huge. Including the latest 2020 units, the market has at least 700,000 212 Jeeps. Previously, we only considered the non-military numbers, which were at least 300,000. We said that if we could secure 10,000 modification orders from these 300,000, we would be very comfortable. But does the military have a need for modified Jeeps?

Of course, they do!

PS: There are a bunch of naughty kids setting off fireworks downstairs. They've been doing it all afternoon, and I'm completely distracted. It's driving me crazy.

Also, we've made it to the Three Rivers this week. Brothers, if you don't mind, go to the Three Rivers channel and get a Three Rivers ticket to vote for Qian Nian. I would be very grateful.

[AD begins]

[AD ends]