Frankfurt in early summer 1985.

Outside the gate of the International Exhibition Center, colorful flags are displayed, and countless large billboards are printed with the names of many internationally renowned large enterprises: General Motors, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Toshiba...... The small sign of "1985 International Machinery and Equipment Exhibition" erected by the organizer itself was drowned out without a trace.

More than 40 people from the China Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Pavilion, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Trade of China and the Machinery Industry Commission, stood at the gate of the exhibition center at this time, looking at this grand momentum, full of emotion.

"I don't have a Chinese company's name." A director named Zhu Jinwen appointed by the machinery industry said in a sighing tone.

"Anyway, let's come anyway, it's called a breakthrough at zero." Gao Zuxing, vice minister of foreign trade, said with a smile, "We are nervous about foreign exchange and can't afford to advertise, so we won't follow them." ”

Zhu Jinwen said: "This is not a matter of whether you can afford advertising, but no one knows who you are after advertising, our China's equipment industry, and the world's advanced level, the gap is too big." ”

Gao Zuxing said: "Lao Zhu, why did you say this again?" Since you don't feel confident, let's just go home and save some foreign exchange for the country. ”

Zhu Jinwen said with a smile: "Minister Gao, if you come, you will be safe." Besides, the manager Xiaolin you recommended was right, we can't afford to play high-end, can't we play low-end with others? ”

Speaking of Xiao Lin, Gao Zuxing shook his head and said: "This Lin Zhenhua from Jiangnan Province is indeed a freak, he can come up with such a crooked trick." Don't say it, I really have some expectations for this manager Xiaolin. ”

It turned out that the International Machinery and Equipment Exhibition in Frankfurt has been held for more than 20 years, and China has never sent a pavilion to participate in the exhibition. Earlier, due to the ideological conflict between the East and the West, China basically did not participate in such exhibitions held in Western countries. In recent years, the country has implemented the policy of reform and opening up, broken through the limitations of ideology, and began to participate in various international activities, but such as the International Machinery and Equipment Exhibition such a high-level exhibition, the Chinese side only sent a purchasing delegation to participate, and never thought that it should also go to the exhibition to exhibit its own products.

The reason for this situation is naturally due to the fact that there is a big gap between China's equipment manufacturing industry and the world's advanced level; although there are a few fields that can reach or approach the world's advanced level, most of these fields are related to the advanced technology of national defense, and they cannot be easily made public. In terms of civilian technology, it is really very difficult for China to come up with some products that are sufficient to compete with world-class equipment enterprises.

This year, the Ministry of Foreign Trade received an invitation from the organizers of the Frankfurt Fair, inviting the Chinese side to visit and purchase. With the advancement of reform and opening up, Chinese enterprises have increased their demand for international advanced equipment, and have gradually become a noteworthy buyer at the Frankfurt Fair. After receiving the invitation, the Ministry of Foreign Trade forwarded the news to all ministries and commissions and provinces and municipalities as usual to understand the purchasing intentions of all parties.

As in previous years, all provinces and ministries and commissions have submitted some procurement lists, some of which are directly entrusted to the Ministry of Foreign Trade to procure, and some of which need to be personally negotiated by the purchasing units. Of course, if you apply to send someone to procure, all the relevant costs need to be borne by the purchasing unit itself, and the unit that does not have any strength will not make such a request.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade is responsible for reviewing these application reports by a female cadre named Xie Yunjuan, who has been in this position for more than ten years and is experienced and familiar with the business. She can tell from each report whether these procurement applications are reasonable, and which of them are not really necessary, but that some local cadres want to take the opportunity to get an opportunity to go abroad. In addition to reviewing the content of the reports, she is also keen to revise the grammar and typos in these reports as a remedial part of the intense work.

"What's going on in this Jiangnan Province, I can't write a purchase application well, just thinking about going abroad to buy large items, right?" Xie Yunjuan held a rather thick application report and muttered with a frown.

"What's wrong, Sister Xie?" Xu Liya, the director of the same office as Xie Yunjuan, asked casually. He knew that this eldest sister Xie loved to nag, and when she started nagging, you couldn't talk to her if you wanted to.

Xie Yunjuan said: "Look at it, their title is: "Application for Organizing a Group to Participate in the Frankfurt International Machinery and Equipment Fair to Carry out Domestic Equipment Sales". ”

"Well, that's fine." Xu Liya replied that although the title was a little longer, there was nothing wrong with the grammar. Besides, it's common sense that the title should be long.

Xie Yunjuan said: "Xiao Xu, you didn't hear the problem, did you?" They used the word backwards, it should be purchasing, not selling. ”

"Oh, yes." Xu Liya laughed, "Buying and selling are reversed, I guess it's a report written by a temporary worker." ”

Xie Yunjuan was echoed by Xu Liya, and she was quite proud. She crossed out the word sales on the report and changed it to the word procurement, and then read it again: "Application for Organizing a Group to Participate in the Frankfurt International Machinery and Equipment Fair to Carry out Domestic Equipment Procurement", Xiao Xu, you see that if you change it like this, won't it ...... No, why do I still feel awkward? ”

"It's a little awkward, Sister Xie, you read it again." Xu Liya also felt that something was not quite right.

Xie Yunjuan read it again: "Application for Organizing a Group to Participate in the Frankfurt International Machinery and Equipment Fair to Carry out Domestic Equipment Procurement". ”

"The report says that domestic equipment?" Xu Liya finally heard the problem.

"That's right, this is it." Xie Yunjuan also reacted, "Domestic equipment procurement, domestic equipment sales? Oh my God, do they really want to go to the exhibition and sell? ”

"You just said it was a report from Jiangnan Province? Which unit is it from? ”

"Jiangnan Hanhua Heavy Industry Group Corporation."

"Hanhua!" Xu Liya jumped up. Growing so big, what impressed him the most was a company called Hanhua, he clearly remembered that this company was called Hanhua Industrial Company, how did it become Hanhua Heavy Industry Group in two years?

Xu Liya left his desk, came to Xie Yunjuan's desk, leaned down and read the application report with Xie Yunjuan. After a careful reading, they realized that the words on the title were not misused at all, and the company, which claimed to be Hanhua Heavy Industries, had indeed applied to attend the exhibition as an exhibitor, intending to sell its own chemical equipment at the exhibition.

"Take the road of encircling the city from the countryside and occupy the international low-end equipment market...... This is nonsense! Xu Liya pointed to a paragraph on the report with his hand and said indignantly, "What age is it, and you still use this kind of ultra-left thinking." ”

"Far-left thinking?" Xie Yunjuan looked at Xu Liya curiously, "How is this linked to ultra-left thinking?" ”

Isn't this the same argument used to criticize the philosophy of foreign slaves? Blindly emphasizing what self-reliance, what is the local method, and what is the small sickle defeats mechanization......" Xu Liya said with a few treasures.

"Xiao Xu, are you okay?" Xie Yunjuan asked unceremoniously. Although Xu Liya is her director, she doesn't think she should have any respect for Xu Liya at all. She is an old qualification in the department, not to mention this young director, even the director is polite when he sees her.

Xu Liya realized that he seemed to be a little overperformed, and for some reason, when he heard the word Hanhua, his blood pressure began to rise, and then his brain was a little insufficient. What did you just say? Far left...... This report from the Chinese company seems to be a little far away from the ultra-left. Buckle the wrong hat, I knew it was so, it should be said that they admired foreign flattery and rejoiced in their achievements.

"Sister Xie, don't you think this report is very unreliable?" Xu Liya began to pull the allies.

Xie Yunjuan did not pay attention to Xu Liya, but read the summary of the report word by word. There is a thick stack of technical data and market analysis data attached to the back of the report, and Xie Yunjuan has not had time to read it for a while. Just from these summaries, Xie Yunjuan can sense something valuable. After all, she has been doing foreign trade for so many years and has some understanding of the international market.

"Xiao Xu, I think this report makes a bit of sense. They also said in the report that they had taken back four sets of orders for large fertilizer equipment from Thailand last year, and they snatched them from the mouth of Bennyon Heavy Industries. There is a gap between the level of China's equipment industry and that of developed countries in the West, but it still has advantages compared with developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. If we can compete with developed countries at lower prices in the lower and middle ranges, there will not necessarily be no opportunities. I think the people who wrote this report really have some vision. ”

"What kind of vision, this is completely Lin Zhenhua's wishful thinking!" Xu Liya blurted out.

"Lin Zhenhua?" Xie Yunjuan asked strangely, this name did not appear on the report, how did this Director Xu think of this person?

Xu Liya was a little embarrassed, but the words had already been spoken, and he couldn't take them back. He said hesitantly: "This Lin Zhenhua is the manager of Hanhua Company. However, this company was originally called Hanhua Industrial Company, which was engaged in light industrial products, and I don't know how to start getting involved in the equipment manufacturing industry. Lin Zhenhua is a person who is ambitious and very arrogant, and I have been in contact with him before. ”

"Oh......" Xie Yunjuan nodded. She remembered who Lin Zhenhua was, and she also knew where Director Xu's annoyance came from. The incident at the Canton Fair the year before last was rumored in the Ministry of Foreign Trade for a long time, and a female cadre like Xie Yunjuan would not know about the gossip in any unit?

"Xiao Xu, what do you think of this report?" Xie Yunjuan asked as if she was asking for instructions.

"The director explained that the work of our department is to summarize the procurement requirements, and this report is not a procurement report, of course, it is directly returned." Xu Liya said lightly.

"No, no, the job given to us by the director is to summarize the requirements for participation, and the exhibition is also to participate in the conference, how can we go back?" Xie Yunjuan retorted evilly.

"Is that what the Director said?" Xu Liya's mind was still spinning slowly.

"That's right. Why don't we go and ask the director again? Xie Yunjuan said unusually positively, and at the same time looked at Xu Liya's face with a smile.

Xie Yunjuan didn't know Lin Zhenhua, let alone have any good feelings for Lin Zhenhua, and at the same time, she didn't have any ill will towards Xu Liya. However, as a gossip girl, her favorite thing to do is to make others entangled, especially those young and ambitious cadres. Since Xu Liya cares so much about this matter, she doesn't stir up the situation, she is really sorry for her more than ten years of age.

"This ......" Xu Liya was really entangled. Lin Zhenhua's report, if Xie Yunjuan pressed it down, then there would be nothing, and he could completely disgust Lin Zhenhua without pretending not to know. But when Xie Yunjuan said this, if he stood up against it, he would fall into a trick. Xie Yunjuan is by no means a person who can keep his mouth shut, in case this matter comes out in the future, saying that he Xu Liya has a small belly and chicken intestines, and he made things difficult for local enterprises for the sake of what happened two years ago, which is quite an impact on his career.

"Sister Xie, you're right, then summarize and report it according to the regulations." Xu Liya depressedly returned to his seat.

Xie Yunjuan saw that Xu Liya was deflated, her heart was extremely happy, she put Lin Zhenhua's report in a paper folder, stood up, and said, "Xiao Xu, since you also agreed, then I will send this report to the director now." ”

(To be continued)