Chapter 66

"Have you heard of the Huili tires?"

Chen Geng immediately laughed. How could he not have heard of them? He had heard of them so much. Not only himself, but the entire era, the entire republic, there were very few people who hadn't heard of "Huili." Who in the 1970s and 1980s hadn't heard of the great name of Huili sneakers? If someone could have a pair of Huili basketball shoes, it would be far more impressive than wearing a limited edition, custom-made calf leather shoe 30 years later.

Thinking of Huili sneakers, and then Huili tires, Chen Geng couldn't help but tap his head, cursing himself for being a pig-brain. How could he forget about Huili tires and the Huili tire factory? The Great China Rubber Factory, also known as the Huili Rubber Factory, had produced China's first radial tire for passenger cars as early as 1982. Since then, Huili tires had become the exclusive tire brand for the Shanghai and Hongqi sedans.

It was a shame that he, who was in the automotive industry, had forgotten this. Strictly speaking, this wasn't entirely Chen Geng's fault. A car has tens of thousands of parts. When the Santana was introduced, even the most common screws and nuts were imported directly from Germany. Although the Great China Rubber Factory could produce tires for cars, the specifications of the tires they produced did not match those of the Santana, and their performance indicators were slightly lower. For the Great China Rubber Factory to become a tire supplier for the Santana, they not only had to improve their tire production molds but also their formulas and manufacturing processes, which was not something that could be achieved easily.

For the Great China Rubber Factory, which only produced its first radial tire for passenger cars in 1982, producing tires that met the performance standards set by Wolfsburg was not a simple task. There was still a lot of work to be done and many challenges to overcome. The most important reason was that no organization had given the Great China Rubber Factory a mandate to produce qualified Santana-specific tires within a certain time frame. For enterprises accustomed to relying on state plans for production, without a state order, no one was willing to take action: what if they failed? Who would bear the responsibility? There were too many issues to consider.

On October 10, 1984, the Santana Automotive Co., Ltd. was officially established in the Great Hall of the People. From then on, the Great China Rubber Factory managed to provide qualified radial tires for the Santana within less than a year, which was already a remarkable achievement in terms of initiative in that era.

"Chen, are you coming to Shanghai?" Kindele said cheerfully over the phone. "If you come to Shanghai, I can arrange a visit to the Great China Rubber Factory for you."

"Sure," Chen Geng agreed without hesitation. "Mr. Kindele, thank you very much. And we can have a drink together."

"Ha... Sure, let's have a drink together!" Kindele was in a great mood. Any opportunity to make money made him this happy. Sometimes Chen Geng even suspected that the guy had Jewish blood; otherwise, how could he be so unlike a German?

...

"This is a soft sleeper, huh. Tsk tsk... It's much more comfortable than the hard seat," Zhang Xiangyang sat down on the soft sleeper a couple of times, half-closing his eyes in satisfaction. His contented look made Chen Geng feel a bit heartache: "A good night's sleep on the train, and we'll be in Shanghai early the next morning. It's much more comfortable than when my dad goes on business trips... This sheet is so white. Lao San, what do you think if we take this sheet with us when we get off?"

This time, Chen Geng brought Zhang Xiangyang to Shanghai. Zhang Xiangyang, who was experiencing a soft sleeper for the first time, was like a curious child, finding everything in the soft sleeper compartment interesting. He was curious about the hot water bottle under the table, excitedly shouting at the rapidly disappearing scenery outside the window, and now he couldn't even let go of the bedsheet.

Chen Geng lay lazily on the bed, not even lifting an eyelid. "You can take it, but can you afford the embarrassment?"

"What's embarrassing about it?" Zhang Xiangyang opened his eyes wide, incredulously. "When my dad goes on business trips, he brings back the towels from the guesthouse for home use."

"..." Chen Geng was speechless. That was a powerful reason. "If you're not afraid of being caught by the conductor, then go ahead."

"What? The conductor checks?" Zhang Xiangyang, who was enthusiastically considering whether to take just his own sheet or all four in the compartment, was immediately stunned.

"What did you think?" Chen Geng scared him. "You don't think you're the only one who wants to take the sheet with you, do you?"

As a first-time sleeper passenger, Zhang Xiangyang really didn't know if they checked luggage when getting off the train. But since Chen Geng said so, he subconsciously assumed it was true. After all, if he had the impulse to take the white sheet, others would probably do the same.

"Then forget it," After hesitating for a while, Zhang Xiangyang reluctantly gave up the tempting idea. "It would be too embarrassing if we were caught... Why is the railway so stingy? They can't even spare a sheet?"

"Um... They are pretty stingy..." Chen Geng responded casually.

Fortunately, Zhang Xiangyang's interest in the sheet quickly shifted. After a while, he stopped worrying about the sheet and asked Chen Geng, "Hey, Lao San, do you think we'll be able to ride in a sleeper again in the future?"

This time, getting a sleeper ticket to Shanghai was thanks to Chen Geng's connections in the military. Zhang Xiangyang thought that getting a sleeper ticket this time was a one-off. Besides, how could they always travel in a sleeper on business trips? That would be too wasteful and luxurious.

"Sleeper? Ha ha..." Chen Geng laughed. "Forget about sleepers. Once our company grows, you'll be flying frequently, even if you get airsick."

"Fly? Really?" Zhang Xiangyang's eyes widened in surprise. "You're just boasting," he said, then, without waiting for Chen Geng to respond, he said dreamily, "Forget about flying frequently, I'd be content if I could fly once in my life."

"Content with flying once in your life?" Chen Geng laughed. "That's a pretty low goal. How about this: when we get to Shanghai, I'll ask someone to check if there are any flights from Shanghai to our city. If there are, we'll fly back."

Zhang Xiangyang, who had just lain down, sat up straight. Excitement, anticipation, and disbelief alternated on his face. "Lao San, you're not joking? We really can fly back?"

"Is it that exciting just to fly?" Chen Geng said, speechless.

"How can I not be excited? This is flying, flying!" Zhang Xiangyang emphasized the word "flying" twice, as if saying it once wasn't enough to convey its importance. "Our factory manager hasn't flown, and even in our military district, very few officers below the division level have flown. Now I can fly!" He chuckled. "Ha... I can actually fly?"

"Here's the deal," Chen Geng thought for a moment. "I'm not joking. As long as we get this done and there are flights from Shanghai to our city, I'll have the Santana people book us two tickets as a reward. How about that?"

For Chen Geng, who was used to traveling by car for short trips and by plane for long trips, taking a non-air-conditioned sleeper was already a compromise. Squeezing into a hard seat that felt like a sauna? Chen Geng would rather die.

If they couldn't get a sleeper, he would rather drive all the way to Shanghai. This wasn't just about being picky; it was simply that once you get used to luxury, it's hard to go back to simplicity. It's like asking someone used to eating rich food to eat cornbread; one or two meals might be okay, but every meal would be unbearable.

But Zhang Xiangyang, who had been eagerly looking forward to flying, hesitated when he heard Chen Geng's words. "But... I heard plane tickets are very expensive."

"Then we'll have someone else buy them for us," Chen Geng said casually.

"Who would buy them for us?"

"You'll see..."

The two brothers chatted casually. After a few stops, a middle-aged man in his thirties entered Chen Geng's compartment, carrying a small travel bag. He was dressed quite neatly, which was understandable, as those who could afford a soft sleeper were usually government officials or leaders of state-owned enterprises. Few people dressed poorly.

Seeing the two young men in the soft sleeper compartment, the middle-aged man was slightly surprised but still smiled and nodded at them. In those days, those who could afford a soft sleeper were people of some status and ability. Ordinary people couldn't even afford the price, let alone get a ticket. Although Chen Geng and Zhang Xiangyang were young, the middle-aged man didn't dare to underestimate them.

After settling his things, the middle-aged man politely asked Chen Geng and Zhang Xiangyang, "Young brothers, where are you headed?" He then took out a pack of Shilin cigarettes and offered them, "Here, young brothers, have a smoke."

"Have mine," Chen Geng took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket.

"Wow! Zhonghua, good cigarettes!" The middle-aged man put his Shilin back in his pocket, took a Zhonghua cigarette, and lit it, taking a deep, satisfying puff. "Tsk, good cigarettes are good, smooth!"

"We're going to Shanghai," Chen Geng looked at the middle-aged man and asked, "Comrade, are you... on a business trip?"

PS: Brothers, there's only one update today. The reason is that today is my birthday, February 29. It only comes once every four years, so it's not easy. I hope you can forgive me for taking a half-day off.

Yes, today is my birthday, and we had a hot pot together, but there was no cake, which was a bit of a letdown...

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