Siheyuan: a better life

Chapter 826: Do your job well!

Vice President Zhao’s ability to become the Vice President of the Ministry of Commerce was inseparable from the strong support of the You family. For this reason, when Li Jianshe sent someone to submit the application to him, Vice President Zhao signed his name on the application even though he knew that the application was not in compliance with the rules.

After returning to his office, Vice President Zhao felt uneasy. Thinking back to what President Kou said to President Yan when he left, Vice President Zhao became more and more nervous, because he knew clearly in his heart that once this matter was reported to the State Council, as the approver of this work, the first person his superiors would deal with would definitely be him.

Considering his own future, Vice President Zhao immediately pressed the red phone on the desk and shook the handle vigorously several times.

"Hello! This is the Ministry of Commerce. Could you please transfer me to the office of Vice Director You of the State Council?" The call was quickly connected. When Vice President Zhao heard the operator's question, he quickly spoke to the operator politely.

"Hello! This is Vice President You's office. Who are you?" Vice President Zhao didn't have to wait long before a middle-aged man's polite voice came over the phone.

When Vice President Zhao heard the familiar question from the middle-aged man, he immediately introduced himself respectfully: "Director Gu! Hello! I am Xiao Zhao from the Ministry of Commerce! Is Director You in the office? I have something very important to report to Director You."

The middle-aged man on the other end of the phone smiled warmly upon hearing what Vice President Zhao said. He said to Vice President Zhao in a very gentle tone, "It's Xiao Zhao! Director You just returned to the office after a meeting. Please wait a moment. I'll help you check if Director You has time to answer the phone."

"Is this Xiao Zhao? Xiao Gu said that you have something very important to talk to me about? I wonder what it is?" After waiting for a few minutes, You Guokai's inquiring voice came from the phone.

When Vice President Zhao heard You Guokai's question and thought of the reason why he called You Guokai, he hurriedly and respectfully reported to You Guokai: "Old leader! The situation is like this. Two days ago, Manager Li sent someone to our department with an application to ask me for approval."

"Xiao Zhao! What's the request?" When You Guokai heard the situation introduced by Vice President Zhao and thought of Li Jianshe's character, he frowned and asked Vice President Zhao curiously without waiting for Vice President Zhao to finish his words.

When Vice President Zhao heard You Guokai's question, he quickly reported to You Guokai: "Old leader! The situation is like this. Manager Li submitted an application to require all supply factories to increase production capacity and reduce the sales price of products. Because of your previous instructions, I signed the application."

When You Guokai heard what Vice President Zhao said, his face suddenly darkened. He asked Vice President Zhao in a very serious tone, "Xiao Zhao! What did you say? Li Jianshe asked all foreign exchange earning factories to increase production and reduce product prices. Isn't this nonsense? If the Ministry of Industry knew about this, they would have a big fight. How could you approve such an application?"

Vice President Zhao heard You Guokai's reprimand and felt You Guokai's anger, so he could only bite the bullet and report to You Guokai: "Director You! This morning, President Kou from the Ministry of Industry came to our department specifically to question us about this matter, and also said that he would complain to the State Council about us."

You Guokai could never have imagined that Li Jianshe would be so stupid that he would do such a shameless thing before he even had a firm foothold in Red Star Trading Company. This made You Guokai very angry and he yelled on the phone: "Zhao Hongbing! I asked you to support Li Jianshe's work, not to support him blindly. Don't you know that earning foreign exchange is the key task of the State Council?"

Facing You Guokai's angry rebuke, Zhao Hongbing felt extremely aggrieved, because it was You Guokai who told him to support Li Jianshe's work more at work. Otherwise, would he have risked being punished and signed his name on the application?
Thinking of what Mr. Kou said when he left Mr. Yan's office, Zhao Hongbing felt overwhelmed! He quickly explained to You Guokai: "Old leader! Manager Li promised me in the letter that no matter how much the factory lowered the price, he would never sell the goods at a low price, so I signed and agreed."

You Guokai heard Zhao Hongbing's explanation and learned the whole story. He ordered Zhao Hongbing in a serious manner, "Xiao Zhao! Send a telegram to Red Star Trading Company immediately and ask them to withdraw their decision to ask the factory to reduce prices. Also, tell Li Jianshe that everyone should do their job well! Don't engage in formalism!"

Zhao Hongbing heard You Guokai's instructions and felt You Guokai's majesty. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied respectfully, "Director You! I understand. I will send a telegram to Red Star Trading Company and ask Manager Li to withdraw the original decision."

When You Guokai heard Zhao Hongbing's promise and thought of Mr. Kou's character, he did not forget to instruct Zhao Hongbing: "Xiao Zhao! Xiao Kou is a person who cannot tolerate any grain of sand in his eyes. If I am not mistaken, he should arrange for those factories to start reducing production to protest the decision of Red Star Trading Company."

You Guokai said this, thinking of Mr. Kou's character, and reminded Zhao Hongbing: "Xiao Zhao! Xiao Kou is a straightforward person. Remember to call Xiao Kou and tell him that you have withdrawn the application. You must not let Xiao Kou report the matter to the State Council."

When Zhao Hongbing heard You Guokai's instructions, he immediately replied respectfully, "Old leader! I will call Mr. Kou later to discuss this matter with him."

When You Guokai heard Zhao Hongbing's promise, he reminded him, "Xiao Zhao! I asked you to support Li Jianshe's work, but I didn't ask you to support him blindly. In the future, when you encounter similar issues of principle, you must never support him unconditionally like this." Zhao Hongbing almost cursed when he heard You Guokai's advice, but he replied respectfully, "Old leader! I understand. I promise I will never make this mistake again."

Zhao Hongbing was so angry that he hung up You Guokai's phone and yelled, "Old bastard! You told me to fully cooperate with you, and now that something is almost wrong, you are disassociating yourself from the matter and blaming me for unconditionally supporting Li Jianshe's work."

Cursing aside! To protect himself, Zhao Hongbing stood up from his desk, walked quickly to the next office, and said to the middle-aged man sitting in the next office: "Xiao Liu! Come to my office."

When the middle-aged man heard Zhao Hongbing's instructions, he immediately followed Zhao Hongbing to his office and asked respectfully, "Boss Zhao! What do you want to talk to me about?"

When Zhao Hongbing heard the middle-aged man's question, he said to him in a serious tone, "Xiao Liu! Go to the post office now and send a telegram to the Red Star Trading Company in Hong Kong, telling Manager Li that the superiors do not agree with the Red Star Trading Company's application to reduce procurement costs! The approval made by the department before is directly invalidated."

When the middle-aged man heard Zhao Hongbing's instructions, he immediately nodded and replied respectfully, "Mr. Zhao! I understand. I will go to the post office now and send a telegram to inform Red Star Trading Company."

After Zhao Hongbing watched the middle-aged man walk out of the office, he thought of You Guokai's instructions, reached out and pressed the phone on the desk, shook the phone handle vigorously a few times, then picked up the receiver and said politely: "This is the Ministry of Commerce! Please help me transfer to the Ministry of Industry, Mr. Kou's office!"

"Hello! This is the office of Mr. Kou from the Ministry of Industry. May I ask where you are?" Zhao Hongbing didn't have to wait long before a middle-aged man's polite voice came over the phone.

When Zhao Hongbing heard the middle-aged man's question, he immediately introduced himself: "Hello, comrade! I am Zhao Hongbing from the Ministry of Commerce. Is Mr. Kou here? Could you please ask him to answer the phone?"

The middle-aged man on the other end of the phone, upon hearing Zhao Hongbing's self-introduction, immediately remembered who Zhao Hongbing was, and hurriedly greeted Zhao Hongbing politely, "Deputy President Zhao! Hello! Our President Kou went out this morning for something, and hasn't returned to the office yet."

When Zhao Hongbing learned that Mr. Kou had gone out and had not returned, his first thought was that Mr. Kou had gone to the State Council to complain. Feeling guilty, Zhao Hongbing quickly asked the middle-aged man, "Comrade! What's your name?"

When the middle-aged man heard Zhao Hongbing's question, he hurriedly introduced himself respectfully: "Vice President Zhao! My surname is Chen! My name is Chen Dongming, and I am an ordinary employee in the office."

When Zhao Hongbing heard Chen Dongming's self-introduction, he immediately said to Chen Dongming, "Comrade Chen! When your boss Kou comes back later, please tell him that our Ministry of Commerce has withdrawn its previous decision on the price reduction of each factory, and the content of the telegram sent by Red Star Trading Company to each factory can be ignored!"

Chen Dongming had heard from his colleagues in the office about the Red Star Trading Company's request for a price reduction, and he also knew that President Kou had personally gone to the Ministry of Commerce to question the company about the matter.

After hearing what Zhao Hongbing said, Chen Dongming immediately realized that Mr. Kou's visit to the Ministry of Commerce had already achieved its goal, so he promised Zhao Hongbing, "Deputy Mr. Zhao! Don't worry, I will report this matter to Mr. Kou as soon as he comes back."

When Zhao Hongbing heard Chen Dongming's promise, he said to him in a very cordial tone: "Xiao Chen! Thank you for your help!"

When Chen Dongming heard what Zhao Hongbing said, he replied politely: "Vice President Zhao! This is my job, so don't be polite to me!"

When Chen Dongming said this, he happened to see CEO Kou passing by the office door, and he quickly said to Zhao Hongbing, "Vice CEO Zhao! Our CEO Kou is back. Please wait a moment, I will help you ask CEO Kou to answer the phone."

(End of this chapter)