Sail across the sea

Chapter 325 He Came to Visit You Specially

In the workshop of Maolin Chemical Machinery Factory, on the outskirts of Ruizhang City.

The machine rumbled, the workpiece spun, and the cutter spit out strips of iron shavings that scattered on the ground. The workers stared at the machine tool intently, turning the hand wheel from time to time to adjust the scale of the cutting.

In the aisle of the machine tool room, an old foreign man was walking slowly back and forth, staring at the operations of the workers on both sides, and occasionally giving instructions in English mixed with a few Chinese words. An interpreter following him quickly translated his instructions to the corresponding workers.

The old man was not tall. He was wearing a Maohua Machinery work suit and a work hat. If you ignore his skin color and high nose, he looked no different from an ordinary workshop director.

After walking past all the machine tools and arriving at the door at one end of the workshop, the old man was about to turn around and walk back when he saw four people coming in from the door, three men and one woman, three of whom he knew.

"Ms. Director Xu, Mr. Director Guo, and you, young man, I haven't seen you for a long time!"

The old man stopped and greeted the three people he knew. He spoke stiff Chinese to the first two, but switched to English to the last one, and his tone was obviously more intimate.

Among these three people, the first two are Xu Ying, deputy director of the Maolin Chemical Industry Department, and Guo Jiahua, the Chinese director of Maolin Chemical Machinery, and the last one is Gao Fan, who just came from other places.

"Mr. Valance, I haven't seen you for a long time. I think you look much better than when you were in the United States."

Gao Fan walked forward cheerfully and greeted the other party in English as well.

This foreign old man is Valance, the director of the American Odin Factory. After Maolin Chemical Machinery Factory and Odin Factory signed a joint venture agreement, the factory name was changed to "Sino-US Joint Venture Maoao Chemical Machinery Factory", and the abbreviation is still Maohua Machinery. Valance served as the foreign director of the enterprise.

According to the agreement, the Maolin Provincial Chemical Industry Department has a controlling stake in Maolin Chemical Machinery, and Guo Jiahua, as the Chinese factory director, is the head of the company. However, based on Gao Fan's previous suggestion, the Chemical Industry Department and Valance reached a verbal agreement, that is, Valance will be fully responsible for production affairs, have the power to schedule production and reward and punish workers.

After the joint venture agreement was signed, Maohua Machinery sent a group of workers to the United States for training, and Valance came to China in person to observe and guide Maohua Machinery's production on site. So far, he has been in China for more than a month.

"Gao, you asked me to come to China to guide production, but you disappeared. I heard from Ms. Xu that you went to work for the military. What's going on?"

Valance nodded casually to Xu Ying and Guo Jiahua, and then focused his attention on Gao Fan. During this period, he had met Xu Ying several times, and communicated with Guo Jiahua more frequently. In addition, he had contact with many cadres and workers in the factory, and even had a few drinking buddies. However, he could feel that all these Chinese were a little cautious when they contacted him. The only Chinese he knew who was not shy with him was the young man in front of him. In the past month, he really missed this young man.

"It's not the military, but a research institute invited me to participate in the development of a resin." Gao Fan said modestly. At present, Sino-US relations are in a honeymoon period, and there is some cooperation between the militaries of the two countries, so issues involving the military are not very sensitive. But Gao Fan knows that this situation will not last long. After the 90s, the United States has repeatedly blocked and attacked Chinese companies and Chinese scientists in the name of "military-related", so he does not want to leave an impression of being related to the military in the minds of American personnel.

"By the way, Mr. Vallance, are you used to life in China?" Gao Fan changed the topic about himself and asked Vallance.

"I'm used to it." Valance showed a slightly exaggerated smile. "Ms. Xu and Director Guo took good care of me, and the workers in the factory were also very friendly. Also, the food in China is so delicious, and the variety is very rich. Just now you said that my complexion is better than when I was in the United States. This is because I eat twice as much here every day as I did in the United States."

Valance didn't have the language talent that Bob did, and he was also older, so he hadn't learned much Chinese in the more than a month he had been in China. He spoke to Gao Fan in English. The translator was explaining things to Xu Ying and Guo Jiahua. When Xu Ying heard Valance talking about the food, she smiled and asked Guo Jiahua, "Director Guo, our Maolin cuisine is very spicy. Can Mr. Valance accept it? Didn't you make a special arrangement for him?"

Guo Jiahua said: "We initially arranged a special meal for him and even hired a chef who could cook Western food to cook for him. However, he said he wanted to try local food. After eating it once, he insisted that we arrange local food for him."

"He can accept such spicy food?" Xu Ying was a little surprised.

"I think it's very good." Valance answered for Guo Jiahua. "When I first came here, I did think the food here was too spicy, as if my mouth was on fire. However, after I got used to it, I found that the food without chili was too bland. What I am most worried about now is that when I return to the United States, I am afraid I won't even want to eat without this kind of chili."

"You can bring some Maolin's hot sauce back." Gao Fan gave a bad idea.

Everyone chatted a little nonsense. Valance caught a glimpse of the man he didn't know who came with them. He smiled at him politely and asked Gao Fan, "Gao, is this gentleman here with you? Can you introduce him to me?"

"Yes." Gao Fan nodded. "Mr. Valance, let me introduce you. This gentleman is Mr. Pan Yue, the chief engineer of the Shuinan Chemical Equipment Factory. He has come to visit you specially."

"Hello, Mr. Pan." Valance nodded to Pan Yue, greeted him in the same stiff Chinese, and extended his hand.

Pan Yue reached out his hand and shook hands with Valance, and replied in the same stiff English: "Hello, Mr. Valance."

Valance accepted the other party's kindness with a smile, and then asked Gao Fan: "Gao, you said that Mr. Pan came to visit me specially, what's the matter?"

Gao Fan looked at Xu Ying and Guo Jiahua. Guo Jiahua said, "Mr. Valance, Chief Engineer Pan came here this time to discuss cooperation with our Maohua Machinery. This matter is quite complicated. Let's go back to the conference room to discuss it."

(End of this chapter)