Ding Shikuan, who is already a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, lifted his myopic glasses and said seriously: "You are wrong, I only brought my eyes and ears this time, not my mouth, so I can't put a mouth cannon." The central leaders attached great importance to the revitalization of Yubei and instructed the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences to send experts to investigate and investigate, sum up the experience when they found it, and expose the problems in a timely manner. I'm here to collect relevant materials, and you, the deputy head of the revitalization working group, can help me in this regard. ”

Feng Xiaochen said with a smile: "I can't help you, since you want to investigate, you should go deep into the masses and listen to the voices of the masses." If I had to provide information, I would have said all the good things, wouldn't that be meaningless?"

Of course, Ding Shikuan knew that Feng Xiaochen was being funny, and he also said with a smile: "I must be going to visit the homes of laid-off workers, and this time I will come with me, as well as several other teachers from the Academy of Social Sciences, as well as more than a dozen graduate students, and we will visit people at all levels." As the official in charge of the revitalization of Yubei, you are naturally also among our investigations. ”

"No problem, I am waiting for Professor Ding's summons at any time to ensure that I know everything and say everything. Feng Xiaochen responded.

Knowing Ding Shikuan's intention, Feng Xiaochen asked Qi Ruicang again: "Lao Qi, won't you also come to investigate?" I have the impression that the argument between you and Lao Ding has not yet reached a conclusion, why, are you going to come to Yubei to find some information?"

Ding Shikuan and Qi Ruicang are the only two remaining academics in the strategy class, and they are also two people with completely different views. Ding Shikuan believed in the government's dominance of the economy, while Qi Ruicang was a staunch liberal economist. Feng Xiaochen works in an equipment industry company, and what he does is the work of industrial coordination, and Qi Ruicang has always been critical of this. According to Qi Ruicang's viewpoint, the state should not engage in any industrial policy at all, as long as the economy is liberalized and enterprises are allowed to compete freely, all industries will develop by leaps and bounds. Like Feng Xiaochen, they have restrained the vitality of the enterprise.

Feng Xiaochen was naturally very dismissive of Qi Ruicang's opinion, but he didn't bother to reason with Qi Ruicang. In economic matters, it is not possible to compete for a conclusion, and the final success or failure is the only criterion for testing theories.

This Yubei revitalization action is another government action, and it is obviously contrary to the free market principle that Qi Ruicang adheres to. Ding Shikuan came to Yubei, it can be said that he came to sum up experience, so Qi Ruicang came, I'm afraid he came specifically to find fault, right?

Seeing Feng Xiaochen's vigilant look, Qi Ruicang smiled and said, "Boss, you guessed wrong, I'm not here to find information, I'm here to take up a temporary post in Yubei." ”

"Temporary post?" Feng Xiaochen was really stunned, "Lao Qi, aren't you working at the National Development Research Center, how did you come to Yubei for a temporary post?"

As a doctor of economics who came back from the United States, Qi Ruicang has a very high gold content, and several universities and research institutions have sent invitations to him. In the end, he chose the National Development Research Center, where he became a researcher. According to his own account, he went to the United States to study China's development strategy, and the National Development Research Center is clearly a place where he can realize his ambitions.

The Development Research Center is one of the country's highest-level think tanks, and undertakes a large number of research topics related to the country's economic management. Qi Ruicang stayed in the United States for six years, during which he also participated in some international research projects, had a good understanding of foreign economic management, and put forward many policy suggestions with an international perspective in several topics, which were well received by the central leaders. However, his liberal views have repeatedly failed to be adopted, which is also something that makes him quite puzzled.

A few days ago, the central authorities held a discussion meeting on the revitalization of Yubei, and Qi Ruicang was also invited to participate. At the meeting, Meng Fanze, as the leader of the Yubei Revitalization Working Group, introduced some information and implored the participating experts to put forward valuable opinions for the revitalization of Yubei.

In his speech, Qi Ruicang sharply criticized Yubei's work, and the tone of his argument naturally came from his liberal theory. He believes that the root of Yubei's problem lies in the fact that it is an industrial city that grew up during the period of planned economy and cannot meet the requirements of the market economy. To revitalize Yubei, it is necessary to introduce a market mechanism and advocate free competition. However, the current approach of the revitalization working group is still the one led by the government, which is equivalent to changing the soup but not the medicine, which is completely ineffective.

Regarding Qi Ruicang's speech, the officials and experts attending the meeting had mixed reviews. Most people believe that the symptoms he analyzed are correct, that is, the crux of Yubei's problems lies in the various inconveniences in the process of transforming the planned economy into a market economy, but his proposal to give up government intervention and let Yubei get out of trouble by itself is somewhat taken for granted.

"Why is it taken for granted, the market can play a role in the survival of the fittest, as long as we give full play to the market mechanism, encourage Yubei's entrepreneurs to start their own businesses, free competition, then outstanding entrepreneurs will naturally be able to stand out, so as to drive the economy of Yubei to a comprehensive recovery......"

Qi Ruicang made such an impassioned speech at the meeting, and he also quoted scriptures to talk about a set of theories, which is naturally the free market theory that the Chicago School believes in.

"Comrade Ruicang, have you ever been to Yubei?" Meng Fanze spoke.

"Not yet. Qi Ruicang replied.

"So, have you ever worked in economic management at the local level?"

"Before I went to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences for graduate school, I worked in a company for a few years. ”

"Oh. Meng Fanze nodded, and then said, "Comrade Ruicang, I have a suggestion. We always say that practice makes true knowledge, and no matter how advanced the theory of the Chicago School you are talking about, it needs to be tested by practice in the end. Since you have so many ideas, can you go to Yubei to work for a period of time and test the correctness of these ideas with practice......

"In this way, Minister Meng personally instructed me to come to Yubei to take up a temporary post and serve as the deputy director of the Yubei Investment Promotion Bureau for two years. Qi Ruicang introduced to Feng Xiaochen with a smile.

Feng Xiaochen then understood, and he sighed with emotion: "It is really overkill to let you, a doctor from the University of Chicago, come to Yubei to be the deputy director of the China Merchants Bureau." ”

Qi Ruicang said: "I don't think it's overkill. In fact, even without Minister Meng's arrangement, I still want to find a place to do practical work for a while. After I returned to China, I felt that the situation in China was very different from what I had heard abroad, and there were many economic phenomena that had not been studied in the theoretical circles. These phenomena must be felt in person in order to be truly understood. I am very happy to be able to come to Yubei for a temporary post this time. ”

"Haha, it seems that among our classmates, you are still the most sincere, and you will directly come to fight side by side with me. Feng Xiaochen patted Qi Ruicang's shoulder and said.

Qi Ruicang said: "Boss, I can tell you, you are engaged in the kind of government intervention, I went to China Merchants Bureau, I plan to do things according to my philosophy, advocate free competition, and believe in the regulating role of the market." Let's see whose means are more effective. ”

"No problem, as long as I can make Yubei better, I will support any means. Feng Xiaochen said.

Yu Rui interjected: "Xiao Feng, Xiao Qi wants to engage in his free market, and he will do it." I'm here this time, but I'm here with a mission, can you introduce me to some projects for women's reemployment, and we're going to do some pilot projects here. ”

Feng Xiaochen pointed at Pan Caishan with his hand and said: "Sister Yu, it's better to come early than to come by chance, in fact, I and Director Pan and Director Zhang were talking about a project related to women's reemployment just now. ”

"Really, what project?" asked Yu Rui happily.

"Housekeeping. Feng Xiaochen said.

Then he told Nguyen Phuc Gen that he was going to recruit a group of workers to work in the south, and that these workers were worried that there would be no one to take care of them at home, and finally said:

"We have analyzed that there are hundreds of thousands of workers in Yubei, and it is definitely impossible to resettle all of them in Yubei. In the next step, we plan to contact enterprises and labor departments in the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta to recruit a group of workers from Yubei to work there. If possible, the size of the enrollment should be more than 100,000 people.

Most of these 100,000 people are young and middle-aged, belonging to the group of people who are old and young. Once these people leave, there will be no one to take care of the elderly and children in the family. So we are thinking about setting up some domestic service companies, which can not only meet the domestic service needs of these families, but also accommodate a large number of jobs. Housekeeping must be dominated by women, does this count as the scope of your Women's Federation's work?"

"Of course it is!" Yu Rui is also a graduate student of the Academy of Social Sciences, her mind is very clear, and she understands what is going on as soon as she hears it, she said without hesitation: "We took this matter, not only in Yubei Heavy Machinery, but also in the entire Yubei City, I am afraid that this kind of housekeeping service is needed." If possible, we will cooperate with the Yubei Women's Federation to set up 100 domestic service companies, what do you think?"

"In terms of start-up funds, our Ministry of Finance has contracted. Shekli wasted no time in showing off his presence. He calculated very well that the investment of the housekeeping company was very small, and how much money could it cost to set up a canteen and buy a few handfuls of sewer skins? Compared with the special funds prepared by the Ministry of Finance, it can be said to be a drop in the bucket, but the effect is very obvious.

"That's great. Zhang Yue clapped his hands and praised, "We can run three or four in Yuzhong alone, and they can also compete with each other, by the way, didn't Professor Qi say that free competition is the most efficient?"

Qi Ruicang frowned and said with a wry smile: "The National Women's Federation takes the lead, and the Ministry of Finance provides start-up funds, what kind of free market is this, isn't it still a planned economy? Alas, it seems that it is really difficult to change the concept. ”