allonlinenovel Chapter 466 Giving Vice Minister Wang Some Advice!
Chapter 466 Giving Vice Minister Wang Some Advice!
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the little girl jumped out of bed.
My daughter is truly thoughtful, but her energy is just too boundless. Except when she's asleep, she's constantly on the go, never taking a break. She's reached that lively age that even dogs would find annoying.
Barefoot and wearing only thin cotton clothes, she ran to the big bed, climbed up on all fours, and started jumping happily between her parents, making the mattress thump-thump.
"Daddy! Mommy! Wake up, the sun's already high in the sky!"
She played and giggled, completely absorbed in the joy she created, utterly oblivious to whether the two adults were conscious or not. Her father, mother, hair, belly, legs—every part of their bodies suffered, enduring the pain while they had to prevent her from falling.
Zhou Xiaobai was so sleepy that her eyelids felt like they were made of lead. She groggily nudged the man beside her, her voice muffled:
"Yuemin, help Ling'er get dressed so she doesn't catch a cold. I'm going to sleep a little longer..."
She was truly exhausted. Last night, this "bullish bull" beside her worked tirelessly until the wee hours, still full of energy even after drinking. Now, she was too lazy to even move her toes; her whole body ached and felt weak.
"Um……"
Zhong Yuemin responded groggily, and after a moment, resignedly got up. He first put on his clothes, then scooped up his still-bouncing little daughter and skillfully dressed her in her coat and pants.
"Come on, little Ling'er, Daddy will take you to brush your teeth and wash your face, so Mommy can rest a little longer."
The little girl nestled obediently on his shoulder, glanced back at her mother who was covered by a blanket, and whispered:
"What about mom?"
"Mom is tired from taking care of Dad last night. Let's let her get some more sleep, okay?"
"Oh!" Ling'er nodded, seemingly understanding.
After finishing a simple breakfast, he received a call from his father-in-law. The Vice Minister Wang, who had previously wanted to see him, was available this morning and asked them to come over.
Before leaving, he handed the child to his father, who, holding his granddaughter, didn't forget to give his son some instructions:
"When you get there, watch your words. Say what you should say, and don't say anything you shouldn't. Be careful."
"Dad, you can rest assured!"
Zhong Yuemin nodded in agreement. They first went to his father-in-law's house, and then the two of them drove together to the ministry building. After checking and registering at the ministry entrance, the vehicle drove inside.
In a spacious but simply furnished office, they met Vice Minister Wang.
Before coming, I heard from my father-in-law that this man held the title of "Executive Director," making him a true ministerial-level leader. He was about the same age as my father-in-law, dressed in simple dark casual clothes. When he saw them come in, he got up from behind his large desk, walked around the desk, and warmly greeted them.
"Old Zhou, thank you for making this special trip." Vice Minister Wang shook Zhou Zhennan's hand with a hearty smile.
Zhou Zhennan smiled and waved his hand:
“I’m just a retired old man, I’m just killing time anyway, what trouble is there for me?”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Vice Minister Wang's gaze immediately fell on Zhong Yuemin, who stood to the side, with an air of elder-like scrutiny and a hint of judgment:
"This must be your son-in-law, Comrade Zhong Yuemin?"
Zhong Yuemin stepped forward half a step and bowed slightly:
"Minister Wang, hello."
"well."
Vice Minister Wang nodded, his gaze lingering on the man for a moment, and smiled, saying, "Tall and imposing, with a particularly spirited look in his eyes."
"Like father, like son! Not only did you, Battalion Commander Zhong, fight brilliantly in the southern battles, capturing the enemy division commander alive, but you're also a shrewd businessman. You're both literate and martial, truly remarkable!"
Zhong Yuemin quickly replied modestly, "Minister Wang, you flatter me. I don't deserve such praise."
"Yuemin, don't be so reserved."
Vice Minister Wang's tone softened into a more conversational one, and he gestured to the sofa beside him.
“Your father, your father-in-law, and I have a long-standing relationship. I called you here today not for a formal talk, just to chat casually and catch up on everyday matters.”
The three of them sat down, and Vice Minister Wang personally picked up the thermos and made tea for the two of them. He quickly stood up and took the thermos with both hands.
"Sit down, sit down, don't be shy."
Vice Minister Wang sat down on the single sofa next to him, took a sip of tea, and remarked to Zhou Zhennan with emotion.
"Old Zhou, your son-in-law is quite remarkable. I've looked into his clothing brand and beverage factory, and it's only been a year or two, right?"
They built a household name brand from scratch, and I heard their products are even sold overseas.
With such business acumen and a pragmatic spirit, I felt it was a bit of a waste for him to stay in the military a few years ago.
In my opinion, he should be placed in the policy research office of our department to truly utilize his strengths. That would be making the best use of his talents!
Zhong Yuemin felt ashamed upon hearing this and quickly waved his hand:
"Minister Wang, I absolutely cannot accept such a statement."
The policy research office is full of leading figures and elites in the economic field; he is hardly qualified.
"I just happened to catch a good policy, a good time, plus a bit of luck, and stumbled upon it by chance..."
"Yuemin, your 'accidental' actions are really hurtful."
Vice Minister Wang interrupted him with a smile, "If that's how it is, then where do we old guys who study economic policies all day long put our faces? How come we haven't had your 'good luck'?"
He put down his teacup, his expression becoming more formal and sincere.
"The achievements are real and undeniable, so there's no need to be overly modest. The reason I called you here today is to put your mind at ease. Future policies will only become more and more open. The country genuinely encourages and supports more capable individual business owners to expand and strengthen their businesses and set an example."
We'd also like you to talk about how our country should proceed with its development and reforms, and give us some suggestions!
Zhong Yuemin rubbed his nose, thinking to himself that he was just a self-employed individual, how could he dare to make suggestions to ministries or national-level departments? But seeing the earnest look in the leader's eyes, he had no choice but to speak up.
He covered his mouth with his hand, cleared his throat twice, and then said:
"Minister Wang, I wouldn't dare to offer a suggestion, but I'd like to share some of my experiences and insights from doing business."
Vice Minister Wang nodded, took out a cigarette, offered one to Old Zhou, and lit one for himself.
"Tell me!"
"Look at my clothing business, it's been able to achieve such results in a short period of time. Appearing on the Spring Festival Gala, sponsoring Olympic athletes—this kind of advertising and promotion has indeed had a good effect."
But the most important point is still the price advantage; our prices are lower than similar products. I dare to lower prices mainly because our costs are lower, as we use inland labor. However, I don't think this advantage can last forever, because others will follow suit. Therefore, in addition to continuing our OEM cooperation with state-owned factories, I've also opened my own garment factory, importing advanced foreign machinery to minimize costs as much as possible.