Chapter 77: That Truly Makes Sense

The final half week of the new book’s launch is upon us. I hope those who enjoy it will show their support—add it to your favorites, click, vote, reply to the thread. My deepest thanks!

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Seeing that Liang Hongjun seemed to have grasped the situation, Zhao Guoyang simply smiled without saying a word. Conversing with someone as clever as Liang Hongjun was always effortless.

Zhao Guoyang’s guess was right. Liang Hongjun was stunned for only a dozen seconds before regaining his composure.

He stepped forward, grasped Zhao Guoyang’s hand, and said with heartfelt gratitude, “Zhao, I truly have to thank you this time.”

“Our chassis blueprint does have a flaw in the design. When I get back, I’ll have the team correct it! But Shunxin has already delivered several hundred chassis—are we really supposed to have them redo everything?”

Liang Hongjun’s concern was something Zhao Guoyang understood well. After all, Shunxin Machinery was manufacturing according to the blueprint—there was no fault on their part. Forcing them to rework everything would be unreasonable by any standard.

Zhao Guoyang tilted his head, pondering for a moment before replying, “Actually, reworking isn’t necessary. Minister Liang, you could temporarily split the C100 model into Type A and Type B.”

“Type A would target the domestic and Southeast Asian markets; Type B could be designated for the Latin American market. That way, there’s no need for rework, and it won’t cause any delays.”

Liang Hongjun slapped his forehead and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, yes, Zhao, your method is excellent. We’ll handle this batch from Shunxin like this… Once we move to larger volumes, we can unify them.”

Seeing the relief on Liang Hongjun’s face, Zhao Guoyang felt a pang of emotion. This practice of splitting the same model into Type A and Type B was something he had witnessed countless times in his previous life.

Many foreign car companies offered the same model to the Chinese market with noticeably lower quality—yet at a higher price—than for other regions.

But there was nothing to be done: with their advanced technology, if you didn’t buy, there were plenty of others who would.

If that was all, it might be bearable. What troubled Zhao Guoyang more was that some domestic enterprises began to imitate this approach, offering inferior products for the domestic market compared to those destined for export.

Now, a single offhand suggestion had solved Liang Hongjun’s dilemma, which was good—but he must be careful not to open the door to such discriminatory practices.

With this concern in mind, Zhao Guoyang gently reminded him, “Minister Liang, separating Type A and Type B is fine for now, but in the long run, it’s best to unify them. After all, our domestic market isn’t short of big fellows either, is it?”

Liang Hongjun laughed heartily, “You’re right, thanks for the reminder. That’s exactly how it should be.”

Nearby, Station Chief Xiao and several staff from the inspection station looked utterly confused by the cryptic conversation between Zhao Guoyang and Liang Hongjun, exchanging puzzled glances.

Chief Xiao mustered his courage to ask, “Minister Liang, did we get the material wrong in the blueprint? If it’s really mistaken, why aren’t we changing everything?”

“Xiao, strictly speaking, there’s nothing wrong with our blueprint. It’s just that we overlooked the load-bearing aspect a bit.”

“If we go by our domestic standard—a load of 150 kilograms—Q345 steel is more than sufficient. But you know, over in Latin America, many people are tall and robust. In extreme cases, the driver and passengers together could easily exceed 200 kilograms…”

Hearing this, Chief Xiao suddenly understood. His mouth gaped as he said, “Minister Liang, you’re right. When I watch football matches on TV, there are plenty of hefty fans in the crowd, and they’re not small either. Our domestic load standard really isn’t up to it…”

“Haha, Xiao, you’re something else—learning from football matches!” Liang Hongjun laughed, patting Chief Xiao’s shoulder.

With this minor interlude, the chassis inspection proceeded smoothly.

Liang Hongjun carefully examined the seams on the chassis and was greatly satisfied.

In terms of workmanship, the chassis from Hongda Machinery was fully qualified, rivaling that of the established machinery plant.

After inspecting the entire chassis, Liang Hongjun’s smile grew even brighter.

He grasped Zhao Guoyang’s hand. “Section Chief Zhao, your plant’s chassis is fully up to standard. No issues. Next, please produce a small batch for us—about fifty units. If the quality holds up, we can sign a long-term contract.”

Perhaps worried that Zhao Guoyang might have concerns, Liang Hongjun added, “Zhao, honestly, there’s no problem signing a long-term contract right now. With you here, I’m confident Hongda Machinery won’t disappoint us in quality.”

“The only reason I’m asking for a small batch first is to make sure your production speed can keep up. No other reason.”

“Minister Liang, I understand,” Zhao Guoyang replied sincerely. “Actually, even if you wanted to sign a long-term contract with me, I don’t have the authority. We’d have to wait for Director Ma’s next visit.”

“Haha!” Liang Hongjun chuckled and patted Zhao Guoyang’s shoulder. “You’re too modest, Zhao. Last time, I could see how much Director Ma values you. If you called him now, he’d agree without hesitation!”

After being teased by Liang Hongjun, Zhao Guoyang remained humble. Noting the glances from Chief Xiao and the others, he felt a sense of assurance.

It was clear that Minister Liang truly appreciated him. By showing such friendliness, he was signaling to his own subordinates not to try any petty tricks or extortions.

Otherwise, why would a division-level manager from a major state enterprise be so amiable?

After their business was concluded, Liang Hongjun hosted Zhao Guoyang for dinner at the hotel.

This time, Wang Hongxi and the manufacturing department weren’t present—just the two of them.

Before the meal began, Liang Hongjun asked the server to bring over a prepared gift, handing it to Zhao Guoyang. “Guoyang, you’ve helped me again. This suit is a personal gift; try it on later, and if it doesn’t fit, exchange it.”

He gestured at Zhao Guoyang’s worn jacket, “Last time you came, you wore this old thing. What’s the matter? Saving up for a wife?”

“Ah, no, no! Minister Liang, this is too embarrassing…” Zhao Guoyang blushed.

“Come now, just take it. Our factory works with Sansan Suits—all our uniforms are custom-made by them. This set didn’t cost much!” Liang Hongjun dismissed his protest.

“All right, I won’t refuse. Thank you, Minister Liang!” Zhao Guoyang accepted graciously.

After a satisfying meal, the two strolled into the hotel lobby. When Zhao Guoyang noticed that Minister Liang wanted to see him off, he quickly said, “Minister Liang, no need to send me. I’m heading back now.”

Liang Hongjun was momentarily surprised, “Uh… You’re leaving so late? Planning to travel at night?”

Zhao Guoyang smiled, “Something like that. I need to see a friend in the city, then, since the highway’s quiet at night, I’ll head straight home.”

Hearing this, Liang Hongjun didn’t press further. He nodded and shook Zhao Guoyang’s hand. “All right, Guoyang, I won’t keep you. Safe travels!”