Chapter 56 caused a big stir.

"Of course it's delicious. The bigger the carp, the better the spicy fish head. It's fresh and fragrant, and I guarantee you won't forget it after one taste..." Thinking of the delicious spicy fish head, Chen Geng's mouth started to water. He wiped the corner of his mouth, and with his foodie nature fully activated, his eyes sparkled: "Forget the tofu hotpot with carp this afternoon. We're having spicy fish head."

Spicy fish head is a famous dish in Hunan cuisine, known for its rich flavor, tender and fatty meat, and the perfect balance of freshness and spiciness. However, Jiangnan Province has a lighter taste and is not particularly fond of spicy food. In the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory, there are more soldiers from Haidai Province, so Shandong cuisine is more popular. However, the spicy Hunan cuisine is rarely eaten. The chef in the factory canteen is excellent at cooking large pot dishes, especially braised pork, but he can't cook Hunan cuisine. When Chen Geng saw the large carp in Qian Mo's hands, he couldn't resist.

Qian Mo had never tasted spicy fish head. Chen Geng, who had "wandered" in Germany for many years, had suffered from German cuisine and was forced to develop excellent cooking skills. Spicy fish head and tofu hotpot with carp were his specialties. This seven to eight-pound grass carp had a head weighing nearly three pounds, which was enough to satisfy his craving.

Hearing Chen Geng describe the deliciousness of the spicy fish head, Qian Mo couldn't help but swallow a couple of times.

At first, she was skeptical of Chen Geng's "dishes," thinking that such a smart and studious person couldn't possibly be a good cook. However, after eating a few meals made by Chef Chen, she became his first loyal fan.

The little girl blinked a couple of times and was about to speak when she heard the sound of car tires outside. She glanced out the window and said in surprise, "Third Brother, several cars have arrived, including a Volga. Could it be that a high official has come?"

High official? Chen Geng hurried to the window and looked out. The Third Military Equipment Repair Factory had no buildings, only tile-roofed houses, making it easy to see outside. A Volga, a Shanghai, and two 212 Jeeps were parked there. The leader, a middle-aged man with a large backhead and about half a bottle of hair wax, was dressed fashionably for the era. A middle-aged woman with short hair was slightly behind him, gesturing and talking to him. The people behind him were all officers from the military region, but what surprised Chen Geng the most was that Peng Guangming and Liu Jinjin were also there.

They were indeed here for him.

Although he didn't know their purpose, Chen Geng couldn't think of any other reason.

The current leaders are too straightforward, Chen Geng thought, always liking to surprise people. In a few years, leaders visiting the grassroots would notify a week in advance. He quickly checked his appearance and the office for anything inappropriate.

Just as he confirmed there were no issues, the office door opened. Qian Mo, the little girl, just glanced up and continued doing her homework at the table by the window.

The middle-aged man with the large backhead paused, scanned Chen Geng's office, and then walked over to Chen Geng, extending his hand warmly: "Hello, Comrade Chen Geng. I am Guo Haijun from the Military Reform Group. I am here on behalf of the East China Military Region to discuss your investment in the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory's tertiary industry office."

To prevent Chen Geng from accidentally offending the leader, Guo Haijun's words were immediately followed by Peng Guangming: "Comrade Chen Geng, Comrade Guo is specially borrowed from the State Council's Economic System Reform Commission to ensure the successful completion of this reform. He is in charge of military enterprise reform in the Military Reform Group."

What!

The Economic System Reform Commission?

In charge of military enterprise reform in this military reform?

Chen Geng was genuinely shocked!

This was a real, no-nonsense, and highly respected official. The Development and Reform Commission (DRC) is powerful, often referred to as the "little cabinet," but in the 1980s, the Economic System Reform Commission was even more powerful than the DRC would be 20 years later. Even a dog from the Economic System Reform Commission would be treated like a VIP by provincial leaders. This was no exaggeration.

Chen Geng knew that people from the Economic System Reform Commission were powerful and had heard that the central government had specially borrowed elite personnel from the commission for this military reform. However, he never imagined that his simple desire to invest in the factory's labor service company would attract the attention of the Military Reform Group, let alone the person in charge of military enterprise reform in the group.

Although shocked, Chen Geng's mental fortitude was strong. He showed an appropriate level of respect and immediately said, "Hello, Comrade Guo. Hello, all the leaders."

"Comrade Chen Geng, don't be nervous. We are not really leaders," Guo Haijun waved his hand and smiled. As a high-ranking official from the central government, he was always willing to show his friendly side to someone like Chen Geng, appearing very approachable and kind. "We are here to bring you some good news."

Chen Geng immediately assumed a posture of eager listening.

The female official who had been slightly behind Guo Haijun before entering the room cleared her throat and said seriously, "Comrade Chen Geng, the leadership of the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory of the East China Military Region has, in principle, agreed to your request to invest in the tertiary industry office. Your request has been reported to the military region, and the leaders of the military region are very interested in your request. Given that this is the first case of an individual requesting to invest in a military enterprise in the East China Military Region and the first such case in this military reform, after careful consideration and discussion, the leaders of the military region have, in principle, agreed to your request to invest in the tertiary industry office with your technology and management. We are here to handle the matter on-site."

No way...

Chen Geng was so shocked that he almost fainted. He never imagined that his request would be the first of its kind in the entire military region, let alone the entire military!

Not everyone can be a pioneer. Only truly outstanding people can be called "pioneers." For someone like Chen Geng, this was more like sticking out and inviting trouble. Chen Geng felt extremely depressed, as if he had swallowed five pounds of bitter herbs: If he had known this would be the first case in the entire military region, he would never have made such a request. This was like asking for trouble!

Swallowing hard, Chen Geng cautiously asked, "Leader, is this not... embezzling state assets?"

"Ha ha ha..." The female official hadn't spoken yet, but Guo Haijun was already laughing heartily. He looked at Chen Geng with interest and asked, "Comrade Chen, why would you think that?"

Why wouldn't I think that? Chen Geng's mouth felt bitter. Although it seemed that the higher-ups had already made their stance clear, and since the leaders of the military region had spoken, and the military reform group had come in person, it was almost certain that they wanted to use this case to explore a new path. They wouldn't label him as "embezzling state assets." If they intended to do that, they wouldn't have sent these people.

But knowing one thing is different from another. The political climate of the 1980s was undoubtedly conservative, and Chen Geng couldn't help but feel nervous before receiving confirmation.

"About this..."

Just as Chen Geng was hesitating about how to respond, Guo Haijun spoke: "Comrade Chen, don't have any concerns or worries. We are here to solve this problem. I understand your concerns, but rest assured, the leaders are very interested in your idea. As part of this military reform, not only do the leaders of the East China Military Region support your idea, but we also hope you can help our military enterprises explore a new path. However, you should be prepared that the final amount of shares you receive will be determined based on the actual situation and the opinions of the workers. If the final number of shares you receive is less than what you expected, don't blame us."

After saying this, Guo Haijun laughed heartily.

The people around him also laughed in agreement.

Compared to Chen Geng, Guo Haijun's position allowed him to speak without any reservations or concerns. He had been observing Chen Geng's reaction since entering the room. While Chen Geng was indeed nervous, Guo Haijun found this normal. No junior official could remain calm in his presence. Chen Geng's composure and adaptability impressed Guo Haijun, making him wonder: Are students from Huqing University really this capable?

This discovery made Guo Haijun even more curious and hopeful about Chen Geng and his Huacheng Industrial Development Co., Ltd.

"I understand," Chen Geng sighed in relief.

Only at this moment did his heart finally settle. But the next moment, it leaped again: He suddenly noticed a word in Guo Haijun's speech: "leader"!

As an official from the Economic System Reform Commission, as the deputy head of the military reform group, and the head of the military enterprise reform group, how many people could be called "leaders" by Guo Haijun?

No way? Could it be that even the central leaders know about my desire to invest in Huacheng Industrial?

Chen Geng didn't know what to say: I'm just investing in a large collective enterprise, and it's causing such a stir?

PS: As expected, today is a day of celebration, and giving the child a birthday is just an excuse! An excuse! Everyone is using this opportunity to have fun.

After a day of fun, everyone will go singing tonight. This chapter was revised in the car. I can't eat two meals, and I'll sneak away during the evening fun. Everyone says, is that right? There's only one update today, brothers, I'm really sorry. Starting tomorrow, I'll resume two updates per day.