4: Dragon Steel! The country needs you to compromise!

Industrial and commercial inspection?

Ma Quanlin frowned, "Director Lu, don't worry. I'm well acquainted with Director Zhou from the Qinchuan Administration for Industry and Commerce. I'll handle it."

"I'd better go with you, after all, I am the legal representative of the steel factory."

Lu Shenwei was also pondering. The Qinchuan Administration for Industry and Commerce had shown up early in the morning without even giving a heads-up; there must be something fishy going on.

Three minutes later, after the two sides met and exchanged pleasantries, Lu Shenwei finally understood the purpose of the Qinchuan Administration for Industry and Commerce's visit.

"To be honest, we only learned about being sanctioned from the news," Lu Shenwei said with a wry smile.

Zhou Wen handed over an investigation letter, "It's just a routine matter. Director Lu, don't be nervous. I understand the situation at your steel factory. It's not easy for you and Old Ma to keep such a large operation running."

The restructuring of the Julong Steel Factory had been completed under his, Zhou Wen's, watch; fundamentally, it was because the state-run enterprise could no longer sustain itself.

Coupled with the major policy of streamlining and efficiency at the time, old factories with glorious histories like the Julong Steel Factory had no choice but to be closed, suspended, merged, or transferred.

But fortunately, there were descendants willing to take it over, which counted as proper resettlement.

Zhou Wen had originally thought that the Julong Steel Factory would be like other old factories in Qinchuan, relying on leasing factory buildings to get by after the restructuring was completed, and eventually gradually disappearing into the torrent of the market.

He hadn't expected that under the leadership of the young man in front of him, the Julong Steel Factory would actually take on a new lease of life.

"Uncle Ma has told me about you. Thank you for your support during the restructuring; without your support, our factory wouldn't be where it is today," Lu Shenwei said respectfully.

Zhou Wen said politely, "Director Lu, you are too kind. It's because of your leadership. Regarding the matter of the Eagle Sauce Defense Department sanctioning you, is there anything you'd like to say?"

"You know the situation of our factory. We just manufactured some Julong Steel Pipe and gas cylinders to supply the Desert Camel region. Could it be related to that?" Lu Shenwei said.

"Oh, and some steel cables. Would you like to take a look?"

Ma Quanlin added, "We were just sanctioned yesterday, and today the international shipping company stopped working with us. There are still over a thousand gas cylinders in the warehouse that haven't been shipped out."

"Director Zhou, could you think of a way to let us ship the remaining goods to the Desert Camel Company? We can't break our word in business, right?"

Seeing Ma Quanlin seize the opportunity to push forward, Lu Shenwei cast an approving glance at him.

"Steel cables? Let's skip looking at those. And Old Ma, we are here to investigate you, yet you're actually making demands of us." Zhou Wen couldn't help but laugh.

Ma Quanlin replied shamelessly, "The Julong Steel Factory has paid quite a lot in local taxes to Qinchuan every year. If these thousand-plus items can't be shipped out, the taxes we pay this year will be reduced by over 2 million."

"2 million longxia currency?" Zhou Wen asked.

Julong Steel was one of the few enterprises in Qinchuan that paid foreign exchange, so if he really didn't help them, it would be difficult for him to complete his annual target.

"It's 2 million dollars," Ma Quanlin said with a smile.

Zhou Wen smacked his lips, "Fine then. Land transport is nothing more than some train cars. I'll take care of it for you."

"Thank you for the government's assistance! Our 211 employees at the Julong Steel Factory will not fail the government's trust!"

Lu Shenwei said with a smile. Zhou Wen took a sip of water, "That's it then. I've seen it for myself; with the scale of your factory, you could sponsor an international war? It must be those fools at the Eagle Sauce Defense Department who made a mistake."

"Exactly! Eagle Sauce has a precedent of using laundry detergent as a weapon of mass destruction," Ma Quanlin added sarcastically.

Zhou Wen asked, "Is the investigation record ready? Let Director Lu and Director Ma take a look. If there are no issues, sign it."

Lu Shenwei scanned it and signed his name.

"I'll have to trouble Director Zhou more regarding the train cars," Ma Quanlin said after signing.

Zhou Wen said casually, "Leave it to me. A thousand gas cylinders won't take up many train cars."

Lu Shenwei and the others saw Zhou Wen and his group out to the factory gate. Ma Quanlin said with a smile, "Director, the train cars are resolved, aren't they?"

"Ginger is still spicier when it's old. Uncle Ma, you're impressive," Lu Shenwei chuckled.

That night, the workshop of the Julong Steel Factory was brightly lit, and the production of gas cylinders resumed.

"Every team, give me your best effort. Starting today, we're going all out for 14 days."

"For every one we produce, we can earn another dollar!"

"The Director said, overtime pay and production subsidies will be plentiful!"

The workers in the production workshop were full of energy. In the office, Lu Shenwei gathered the senior management of the steel factory to discuss the future development direction.

"Continuing with the high-quality steel strategy is definitely the right direction, but as I've said before, we need to walk on multiple legs."

Lu Shenwei finished speaking and looked at Ma Quanlin. The latter cleared his throat and said, "The Director and I have discussed it. We need to gradually phase out the crude, heavy, and simple production capacity and develop towards high-precision and advanced technology."

"There happens to be a drone R&D enterprise in the Qinchuan Industrial Park that is for sale. We plan to buy it out entirely."

Buying a drone R&D enterprise was a strategy Lu Shenwei had planned long ago. The steel factory could not rely solely on low-end manufacturing like producing gas cylinders and steel pipes.

It needed to diversify and follow a high-end path.

As a person who had been reborn, Lu Shenwei knew that drones were synonymous with high-end manufacturing.

The future unicorn enterprise Xiaojiang Drone, at its peak, held an 80% market share, and its civilian drones could even influence the wars of small countries at one point.

"Old Ma, you and the Director discuss it. The rest of us are just rough guys from steelmaking backgrounds."

"Exactly. Whatever the Director says goes. Even if it's a mountain of knives or a sea of fire, I, Zhao Tieniu, will never frown."

The two deputy directors in charge nodded. Lu Shenwei said, "My initial idea was just to take over the steel factory and spend time settling everyone down. I never thought it would come to this."

"But since God has given us this opportunity, I will definitely seize it and lead everyone to live a good life."

Ma Quanlin and the other two nodded. Lu Shenwei said seriously, "We will acquire the Qinchuan Xiongying Drone Company for 60 million. Let's vote now."

Ma Quanlin and the other two raised their hands in unison. The next day, the Julong Steel Factory officially issued an acquisition offer to purchase Xiongying Drone for 60 million in cash.

The employees of Xiongying Drone Company were dumbfounded when they heard the news, but then they were unexpectedly ecstatic.

If it weren't for the Julong Steel Factory's acquisition, Xiongying Drone Company would have gone bankrupt by the end of the year after burning through its angel funding.

The next day, Director Zhou of the Qinchuan Administration for Industry and Commerce personally signed the investigation report and submitted it to the Dragon Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Dragon Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs shelved the investigation report because they had already figured out the real reason why Julong Steel was sanctioned by Eagle Sauce.

The Julong Steel Pipe sent to the Desert Camel region became the base material for manufacturing Qassam rockets, and the Julong gas cylinders were hand-crafted by resistance organizations in the Desert Camel region into a desert version of the "conscienceless cannon."

That afternoon, the Dragon Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Dragon Summer National Bureau of Industry and Commerce, requesting that the Qin Chuan Julong Steel Factory reduce production, with the reason being to phase out backward steel production capacity.

The Dragon Summer National Bureau of Industry and Commerce, knowing the inside story, was puzzled. Shouldn't they be frantically playing tricks behind Eagle Sauce's back? Why ask Qinchuan Steel to reduce production?

The Dragon Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that the first Dragon Xia aircraft carrier, the guangyu silent, was about to leave the dry dock, and there was an urgent need for Eagle Sauce's arresting gear technology, so some things required compromise.