Chapter 69

Chapter 8: County Chief Yang's Ambition

"Stop for a moment, gentlemen, and have some fruit first."

Su Chen entered the living room with a plate of freshly washed fruit, her smile warm and inviting. Today, she was wearing a cozy coral fleece dress and a pair of fluffy slippers, looking pure and adorable. This youthful image was a stark contrast to the mature and elegant Su Chen that Yang Zixuan remembered from his past life. However, this youthful version of Su Chen had its own charm, providing Yang Zixuan with a fresh and delightful experience.

Although Su Chen had been in Zijin, a sub-provincial city in Luofu Province, for some time, Zijin, as a major city, led the fashion trends in southern inland areas. Many girls on the streets of Zijin dressed in elaborate and colorful outfits, but Su Chen's appearance and style remained simple and understated, unlike Lin Ruoshui's refined and fashionable look. In Yang Zixuan's view, this might also be related to Su Chen's naturally calm and simple personality.

"Have one." Su Chen handed a peeled fruit to Yang Zixuan and then gave one to Su Ming.

This subtle order of actions made Su Ming, who had always doted on his sister, sigh inwardly. Girls grow up and leave, but he dared not express this sigh in front of Yang Zixuan.

Regarding the relationship between Yang Zixuan and his sister, Su Ming and his parents had their speculations. Su Ming himself did not dare to ask his sister, so it was left to Su's mother to inquire. However, Su Chen always told her mother that she and Yang Zixuan were just good friends, and that Yang Zixuan had arranged her job in Zijin. Su's parents had always regarded Yang Zixuan as a benefactor, and with their daughter now earning more than Su Ming, the deputy factory manager of Hongfang, and having a respectable job in Zijin, they did not dare to ask more questions, only speculating in secret.

After Su Chen went downstairs and returned to the kitchen, the two men's conversation returned to the topic of Hongfang.

"County Chief, do you have any other suggestions for the management of Hongfang besides what you mentioned earlier?"

Yang Zixuan's words on corporate reform and management had greatly impressed Su Ming. After all, this was the beginning of the era of state-owned enterprise (SOE) reform, and the discussions on SOE reform in the economic and political theory circles had not yet delved deeply.

"To truly restore Hongfang to its former glory and compete with the giants of the textile industry in southern Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Jiangnan, and northern Liaoning in the domestic and even European and American markets, what I mentioned earlier is far from enough."

Yang Zixuan sighed. He knew that in the future, the profit margins in the domestic textile industry would be increasingly squeezed, and the major players in the textile industry would mostly be private enterprises in the eastern coastal regions, accounting for over 70% of the industry. Apart from a few state-owned enterprises in places like Qinghe in Beijing and some raw material-producing areas in northern China, many state-owned textile enterprises would struggle to survive, with many going bankrupt.

During the pause in Yang Zixuan's speech, Su Ming had already taken out his small notebook and began to record the key points of Yang Zixuan's words, just as he used to do when he was a secretary.

The sound of the door opening, and in came Su Ming's fiancée. Su Ming had originally planned to get married at the end of the year, but in the small county of Hongshui, there was a custom of choosing auspicious dates for weddings and funerals. The end of the year was considered inauspicious, so the wedding was set for the first month of the lunar new year. Su Ming's fiancée had come to help, checking if any relatives needed assistance in the kitchen. As she entered, she saw Su Ming sitting formally in the living room, listening to a young man who was even younger than Su Ming.

Su Ming's fiancée was a perceptive person. From Yang Zixuan's straight posture and tone, she could guess his identity with a high degree of accuracy. In her view, the young man speaking was likely the young county chief of Hongshui, Yang Zixuan, who had recently been the subject of much talk.

Since Yang Zixuan's decisive handling of the Tianma Mountain incident, where he had forcibly removed the main leaders responsible for the head tax, adjusted Liu Jian's position, and thrown several corrupt officials from the Qichi Family Planning Office into prison, his reputation had not only grown within the county government but also among the ordinary people of Hongshui. Many farmers who had suffered from the head tax and multiple social抚养 fees had a high regard for the young county chief.

Simple and honest farmers are like this: they support those who truly do good for them!

Not wanting to disturb their conversation, Su Ming's fiancée quietly slipped past the living room and went into the kitchen to help.

"Besides management issues, Hongfang must also start building its brand to cope with increasingly fierce market competition. Branding is the key to standing out in the increasingly intense competition. To enter a broader market and expand sales, Hongfang must put in a lot of effort in branding, clearly define its brand development strategy, and focus resources on building strong brands while phasing out weaker products."

"Moreover, during production, Hongfang should pay attention to the use of new textile machinery, improve technical equipment and the level of electromechanical integration, and accelerate the elimination of outdated and obsolete textile equipment. Although Hongfang has been in a loss for the past two months, the situation has improved significantly. You can allocate some funds for equipment purchases, and this money must not be spared!"

"For example, Hongfang has a strong advantage in high-end wool textiles in our province, with a large market share. Hongfang must put in a lot of effort in building its wool textile brand, focusing on the high-end market. Timely improvements should be made, such as in packaging, using distinctive and innovative brand logos. You can also develop anti-static and elastic wool products to meet market needs. Additionally, you should update your advertising, and after establishing a strong brand in high-end wool textiles, you can then develop other product lines."

Yang Zixuan spoke confidently, while Su Ming quickly took notes. Although he did not fully understand everything Yang Zixuan said, he recorded every word, planning to discuss and study Yang Zixuan's suggestions with the Hongfang leadership, who had years of experience in the textile industry.

"In short, the county government and I have high hopes for Hongfang. You must not let us down." Yang Zixuan patted Su Ming on the shoulder and sighed.

Improving Hongfang was not just about improving a single enterprise. Yang Zixuan's intention was to use Hongfang's reform as a model for the transformation of state-owned enterprises in Hongshui County. If Hongfang succeeded, its political and exemplary significance would be a crucial part of the county's economic development this year.