Chapter 20: State-owned Enterprise

  In the late 1980s, Jeep was still quite formidable.

  The whole city of Dongying, except for administrative cadres, only a few rich oil tycoons and clothing traders dared to drive Jeeps around. Every time the sound of car horns was heard from afar, it was mostly the nouveau riche showing off.

  Lao Liu is a retired military officer, pulled Su Cheng around for a few laps, and then sat in the passenger seat pointing directions.

  Su Cheng drove slowly and nervously for a while, then Old Liu said: "Alright, Su Ke, you can drive now, just practice more and you'll be fine."

  "Then after getting a driver's license, can I drive?" Su Cheng stroked the steering wheel, feeling pretty good.

  Lao Liu burst out laughing and said: "Want a driver's license? Just step on the gas pedal here and you're good to go."

  "Will you not be caught by traffic police?"

  "If you're really so unlucky, then get your work unit to write an introduction letter." Old Liu didn't think much of it.

  Su Cheng silently stared at him.

  Although it was clear that the oil field cadres had great power, it wasn't until I saw it with my own eyes that I truly felt it. After all, even if China National Petroleum Corporation becomes very powerful in the future, it will still be just a central enterprise that makes money. At this time, however, the Shengli Oil Field is like a small kingdom in the local area. Not only did Dongying City develop relying on the oil field, but the leaders of the oil field also concurrently held leadership positions in Dongying City, and this situation would continue for many years to come.

  In Oil City, people actually regard Dongying as the headquarters of the oil field rather than a city.

  Su Cheng used to be in the oil extraction team, where he only came into contact with basic workers. After arriving at the Dongying Command Center, he saw the arrogant and proud oil field cadres, and gradually had a sense of "being awesome".

  Laizhou Restaurant.

  A Beijing Jeep was stopped horizontally about one meter away from the pillar, like a wild rabbit that had slammed on its brakes.

  Su Cheng's face lit up with a smile as he happily jumped out of the car. He had traveled over 100 kilometers, feeling quite pleased with himself.

  The four people in the same department couldn't wait to get off the car, their legs trembling slightly. Old Feng's face was already pale yellow, and he swallowed his saliva, saying: "Su Ke, this meal of yours is too difficult to eat."

  Su Cheng rubbed his hands together, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, and smiled somewhat awkwardly: "I'm just starting out, I think it's not bad at all. Old Liu, what do you think?"

  "It's a bit faster than opening." Old Liu rubbed his buttocks and didn't dare to tell the truth.

  Su Cheng smiled and said: "Alright, when we go back later, I'll drive slower."

  "Let's just open it for Old Liu."

  "How can we let Master Liu rest early?"

  Lao Liu hastily said: "I'm not tired."

  "That won't do, I'm young and can handle it, let me go instead." Su Cheng insisted.

  Everyone was shocked and lost their color. Xiao Qi took a look and quickly said: "I have an aunt in Dongying, I promised to go see her today."

  The conversation was interrupted. Jiang gave Qi a dissatisfied look and thought for a moment, "I also have an old classmate who keeps asking me to visit him, I won't be lonely either."

  Su Cheng suddenly realized and said: "Ah, then there are only 3 people left, who will sit in the back?"

  "Him!" Old Liu and Old Feng exclaimed in unison.

  "You guys discuss, I'll go order." Su Cheng seemed like a kid with a big toy, happily went inside and sat down.

  Lao Liu and Lao Feng stared at each other for a long time.

  After a long time, Old Feng said: "Old Liu, look at my butt, if I sit in the back again, won't it become four pieces when we get back?"

  Old Liu said with a bitter tone: "Old Feng, you can't drive. If you sit in the front and something happens, what are we going to do? Even if your butt gets split into four pieces, it's no big deal, but if you get split into four pieces, that's irreparable."

  Lao Feng listened and seemed to make sense. His eyes suddenly became deeper, and after a long time, he said dryly: "Then you follow me back. I... will find a place to spend the night. You see, teaching Su Kexue to drive, how did it become like this."

  Old Liu sighed, "Alas, it's all my fault. When he asked me if I wanted a driver's license, I thought to myself, 'I'm a good person, I've been driving for two days and everything is fine, who needs a driver's license?' How stupid was I back then? If only I had said I wanted a driver's license, the traffic police would have definitely not issued it to him if they weren't blind..."

  "Sukou does things quite authentically, it's just this move... too trendy."

  Xiao Qi said, and everyone nodded in agreement.

  As they sat down at the table, the delicious dishes made by the special-grade chef finally calmed their still-racing hearts.

  After three rounds of wine, Su Cheng put down his cup and said: "In the past few days, everyone has a good understanding of the basic five elements. Old Feng, what do you think? Tell us."

  Lao Feng felt more comfortable after drinking wine. He had expected Su Cheng to ask, and thought for a moment before responding seriously: "I think the first thing we need to consider is whether the materials should be purchased by ourselves or by the construction team."

  "Oh?"

  "On top of the inspection, apart from checking the progress, we also need to examine the building quality and construction cost. If we adopt the method of self-purchasing materials, where we uniformly buy tiles, pipes, cement, sand, doors and windows, bricks etc., the quality is relatively easier to control, and the price is relatively more fixed, but the progress might be delayed. If we choose to have the construction team procure, then it's just the opposite."

  Su Cheng snorted and said: "In other words, if we don't let them make a profit from the materials, they'll slack off?"

  Old Feng nodded.

  Su Cheng pouted and looked at Old Liu again.

  Lao Liu smiled and said, "Old Feng is more familiar with the business, I'll just say something. This, matching good jobs and bad jobs is also important. Otherwise, everyone will rush to do the good jobs, and the bad jobs will be done slowly."

  "You said." Su Cheng took out a notebook and wrote some words on it. This was mainly to show respect, whether or not he actually remembered them was no longer important.

  Old Liu was indeed encouraged, straightened his waist and said: "The bathroom is a good life, to walk down the water, lay bricks, install showers and boilers, high quality, expensive price. The sports field is a bad life, large earthwork quantity, need big machinery, give little money, no equipment. The remaining toilets and study rooms are just ordinary."

  Su Cheng put down his pen and raised an eyebrow: "In other words, if I don't match the bathroom with the gym, they would rather not build a gym?"

  "We don't have enough money, so we'll probably have to ask him to do it for us."

  Su Cheng almost laughed out loud. As a 21st-century person, he really couldn't understand this kind of self-inflation under the scarcity model.

  Old Feng helplessly said, "The current situation is like this. You are like our Fifth Little Project. Those directly affiliated large factories under the Command Center may look down on you, but if we don't give them any at all, it's also unreasonable."

  Old Liu solemnly agreed: "Whether or not to give is one thing, but not even asking about it makes me lose face."

  Su Cheng's complicated relationship with state-owned enterprises was neither affirmed nor denied, and he asked: "Little Qi, what do you think?"

  Xiao Qi continued to stroke his fluffy mustache and said, "I think we should also pay attention to the payment. It's like buying materials, it's possible to owe money, but the construction team won't allow it. Wu Xiao Construction is done in installments, so it's best for the finance department to make arrangements."

  Construction teams during this period mostly belonged to state-owned enterprises, and unlike migrant workers, they were not easy to bully. Migrant worker groups worked without pay, while state-owned enterprise engineering teams would first collect money before discussing whether or not to work.

  The Victory Oil Field has two oil field construction headquarters under it, which are at the same level as the Gudong Command. Each headquarters has several battalions under it, and each battalion has several companies under it, with a complete establishment and complicated procedures.

  No matter which engineering team they send over, it's not something Su Cheng can handle.

  Everyone spoke freely and the locals of Suzhou also had more to say. A meal surprisingly lasted for 4 hours.

  "Waiter, bring the bill." Su Cheng stood up and beckoned.

  The waiter, who had been standing for a long time, bent his waist and smiled: "The bill for your table has already been paid by someone."

  "Paid?"

  "He left this." The waiter handed a business card to Su Cheng.

  This is still a very primary whiteboard paper, with the words "Shandong Province Dongying City Pipeline Valve Factory" printed at the top, and the three characters "Wang Xueming" in the middle. At the bottom, there are two lines of small text, which are the address and phone number respectively.

  On the back of the business card, there is "Business Scope" and a string of dense fine print. This is a typical business card, rough and cheap, straightforward and plain, hard to give people an impression of value.

  Just by looking at the name on the business card, you can tell that its owner is in charge of pipeline engineering for the foundation of a building. To say the least, this is indeed one of the most difficult items to procure, second only to earthwork. The best part is that it can be manufactured in a factory rather than being installed on site.

  Su Cheng looked around, but couldn't find Wang Xueming anywhere. He could only put the business card in his pocket and sighed: "I originally wanted to invite everyone for a meal, it seems someone doesn't want me to be the host."

  "Look what you said, and yet you still managed to get some of Director Ke's credit." Old Feng said, following Su Cheng out the door.

  A few people patted their bellies and retreated far away from Beijing Jeep in Su City.

  ……