Rebirth of Siheyuan starts in the 1980s

Chapter 391 Is it worth it for you to do this?

Xiang Dongfang's sudden possessed whisper immediately startled Cao Zhiqiang.

Subconsciously, he turned his head and happened to look at the possessed Xiang Dongfang at close range.

The two sides were so close at this time that they could even hear each other's breathing clearly.

This sudden change immediately made Cao Zhiqiang realize that something was wrong.

"Ahem!" Cao Zhiqiang quickly turned his head and stopped looking at Xiang Dongfang. At the same time, he pretended to be calm and said, "Okay, that's it. No need to press your head."

Xiang Dongfang silently stopped his hand, and then stood aside silently, lowering his eyebrows and lowering his head. He didn't ask or say anything. Only his cheeks on both sides began to turn red.

Cao Zhiqiang did not look at Xiang Dongfang, but took a deep breath, and then suddenly said: "Secretary Xiang, please give me the keys to my special car. I want to go out."

Only then did Xiang Dongfang come back to his senses, raised his head suddenly and said, "Ah, President Cao... where are you going? Do you want me to drive you?"

"No, I can just drive by myself." Cao Zhiqiang said, "Just stay here and keep an eye on me."

"Then where are you going?" Xiang Dongfang asked, "I mean, in case someone asks, I can have something to say."

"I'm going to Beijing Film Studio." Cao Zhiqiang smiled and said, "Go to Director Xu Qingdong Xu."

After a brief pause, Cao Zhiqiang turned to Xiang Dongfang and said: "Now that we have the script, the equipment, and the film studio, the filming of the movie I discussed with him before can officially start.

After all, my movie is about summer. It's already August. If I don't shoot it, I'll miss the season.

As the saying goes, time waits for no one. If you finish filming as soon as possible, you will have nothing to worry about."

"I understand." Xiang Dongfang nodded, "But in this case, why can't we ask him to come over?

After all, you are now the director of a film studio, and Director Xu seems to be inferior to you in terms of status."

"I said you were smart before, why can you ask such a question now?" Cao Zhiqiang smiled slightly.

"Even if I set up a film studio, it would be just a little-known small studio. It can be said that apart from money and fame, I have nothing else.

Director Xu is different. Although he is still a newcomer in the directing circle, he has a wide network of contacts and rich experience.

Therefore, at this time, we must be more humble, so that others will be willing to do their best.

If we can find a way to bring Director Xu to our factory, I would be happy to work for him as deputy director."

Xiang Dongfang's eyes lit up and he immediately laughed: "I understand, you are a drunkard and don't care about drinking. In fact, you are attracted by Director Xu's ability and want to recruit him to join us to improve our film studio as soon as possible, right?

?”

"That's right!" Cao Zhiqiang said with a smile, "For a new film studio, an experienced director is the most important. With a director, others can slowly come over.

Although I have set up a film factory and have members from the art troupe of the machinery factory available, to be honest, most of the people in the art troupe are middle-aged women nowadays. Even if they have some talent, they can only be extras in the movie.

It is impossible for them to take the lead.

In addition, although our factory also has a film team and directors who can organize programs, they can just do a cultural performance. If they want to make a movie, it will definitely be difficult for them.

Therefore, it is still necessary to invite a professional director and some related professional personnel, such as lighting engineers, to make sense.

Also, although I am the director of a film studio and Lao Chen is the deputy director, neither of us has experience in running a film studio.

Director Xu is different. He has a serious academic background. He was a cadre in the Art Bureau before, and later went to Beijing Film Studio to be a director. He has rich directing and management experience.

In addition, Director Xu has a strong background and wide connections. It is more than enough for such a person to be the deputy director.

Once I can convince him to join our factory, I will be completely relieved."

"That's it." Xiang Dongfang nodded, "But President, if that's the case, then you should really take me with you."

"Oh? Why?" Cao Zhiqiang asked.

Xiang Dongfang smiled slightly: "First of all, you are too young and unknown. If you don't bring me as your secretary, you will easily be looked down upon when you enter the Beijing Film Studio, and you may not be allowed to enter the factory.

But if you bring me with you and others ask, I can introduce you as a secretary, so that others will believe that you are really a big shot and will not embarrass you.

Nowadays, which real leader travels without a secretary by his side?

Secondly, since your purpose of meeting Director Xu is to get him to join the team, it would be more formal to bring me with you.

When Liu Bei visited the thatched cottage three times to invite Zhuge Liang, he did not go alone. He always took Guan Yu and Zhang Fei with him, just to appear serious and solemn.

On the contrary, you go alone, which is a bit too casual.

Finally, after you meet Director Xu, you will definitely have a lot to say, which is very tiring.

So, if you let me drive, you can take a rest in the car without being distracted while driving.

With these three points in mind, do you think you should take me with you?"

Cao Zhiqiang was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said: "That makes some sense, but is it too much? Director Xu and I are old friends, so there's no need to be like this, right?"

Xiang Dongfang shook his head and said: "President Cao, I know that you are more spontaneous and don't care much about these bureaucratic forms, but just because you don't care doesn't mean that others don't care.

Sometimes, some necessary forms still need to be present.

For example, in your current position, if you go out to formally introduce yourself to people without a secretary by your side, you will indeed be easily ignored.

Especially for a young person like you, it would be outrageous not to have a secretary to support the occasion.

As for Director Xu, he must also be eager to be respected.

But respect is different from respect.

The respect of an ordinary person and the respect of a leader are two completely different situations.

If you rashly meet him alone, he will not feel valued by the leader.

But if you take me as your secretary, he will immediately realize that your status is different.

When he realizes that you are actually the president of a publishing house and the director of a film studio, he will subconsciously feel relieved when he talks to you again.

When the time comes, if you ask him to come, it will be a sign of your thirst for talents, and it will not be considered as being groveling, do you understand?"

Hearing this, Cao Zhiqiang frowned, then nodded in agreement.

Indeed, it will not be mentioned in future generations, but in this period, a decent leader must have a secretary by his side when traveling.

If you don't have a secretary, it only means that you are not a big official and you are not an important person.

For example, Cao Zhiqiang had dinner with some leaders before, and those leaders were always accompanied by secretaries.

Unless there are some special occasions, the secretary does not come to the table, but usually he waits outside.

For example, when Cao Zhiqiang first met Director Shi of the Film Bureau in the guest house of Hongguang Machinery Factory, although he didn't have a secretary with him, it didn't mean that he didn't have a secretary with him.

Because at that time, his secretary opened another table outside and did not show up until Director Shi left.

At that time, not only Director Shi had a secretary, but Secretary Dong and Factory Director Li also had secretaries.

In fact, Cao Zhiqiang also took his secretary Xiang Dongfang with him at that time. After Xiang Dongfang did not enter the room where Cao Zhiqiang was eating, he was led by the waiter to the next room to eat and communicate with other secretaries.

It can be said that with Cao Zhiqiang's current status, if he goes out without a secretary, it will indeed seem unofficial.

Although this is just a formalism, it is popular in this period. If you don't do this, in the eyes of some people, you are looking down on the other party.

"Hey, I understand!" Cao Zhiqiang, who wanted to understand, nodded solemnly, "What you said makes sense. It's fine if it's informal. Since I want to formally invite Director Xu to join our factory this time, I should be more serious.

If that's the case, then you come with me."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Dongfang immediately beamed with joy: "Yes, I'll go prepare it right away... Oh, by the way, there's one more thing, I almost forgot to tell you."

"What's going on?" Cao Zhiqiang was stunned.

Xiang Dongfang said: "That's right, President, I think it would be inappropriate for you to continue driving that Citroen in your current capacity. A car like the Crown is more stable and more gregarious.

Although the Citroen car is good, it is too unique and does not suit your status as a leader, so you might as well buy a Crown."

Cao Zhiqiang frowned: "Crown? I want it too, but this thing requires approval, and you don't have to be rich."

Indeed, in the 1980s, although the Crown car was already very popular in China, it was not actually something you could buy with money.

Because during this period, imported cars were limited in quantity and you had to have an approval before you could buy one. Without an approval, you couldn’t buy an imported car even if you had money.

As for smuggling cars, it's not that rampant these days.

In fact, in April of this year, that is, in April 1983, Hainan had just issued the "Minutes of Discussion on Accelerating the Development and Construction of Hainan Island."

To put it bluntly, this so-called record is to grant Hainan Island the right to use precious foreign exchange to directly import industrial and agricultural production materials, as well as various consumer goods that are in short supply in the domestic market, including foreign cars.

But this minute also stipulates that things imported from Hainan Island are not allowed to leave the island and are not allowed to be resold inland.

If nothing changes, then according to history, the policy that imported goods are not allowed to be sold exclusively to the island will still be strictly enforced at this time.

It was not until next year, that is, after 1984, or in the second half of 1984 to be exact, that Hainan began to frantically resell cars to the inland, kicking off the frenzy of reselling cars in the 1980s.

Of course, if nothing unexpected happened, this carnival did not last long, and in 1985, it was strictly banned, and this reverse frenzy came to an abrupt end.

In other words, in 1983, if you had to ask if there were any smuggled cars in China, there would definitely be some, but they had not become a phenomenon at all.

Moreover, cars with unknown origins are generally found in southern cities. In sensitive places like Beijing, it is difficult to sell cars with unknown origins.

Especially Cao Zhiqiang, who has a well-established background and is an upright state-owned enterprise, is even less likely to be involved in such illegal and disciplinary matters.

Therefore, even if Cao Zhiqiang is not short of money now, and the publishing house he controls is not short of money, he still cannot buy an imported car like the Crown Car.

Without him, it's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't get the approval.

Therefore, although Cao Zhiqiang used a special amount of money to buy a batch of cars in the name of Hongguang Publishing House, they were all domestically produced cars, with trucks as the main component and sedans as the supplement.

The trucks ordered are all specially ordered Huanghe brand eight-ton heavy trucks from Jinan Automobile Factory.

As for the so-called cars, I just went to the automobile factory in Jiading County and ordered three Shanghai brand cars.

Due to production capacity constraints, those eight-ton trucks will not be delivered until September this year.

As for the three Shanghai-branded cars, they are also limited by production issues and will not be available for delivery until October at the earliest.

Therefore, now Cao Zhiqiang does not have a serious car at all, and still uses the old Jiefang from the machinery factory.

As for official vehicles, except for the Citroen CX20 used by Cao Zhiqiang himself, all others use old jeeps from the machinery factory.

Cao Zhiqiang has trouble even buying domestic cars, let alone imported cars that require approval. With his current strength, he simply can't get approval for imported cars.

Upon hearing what Cao Zhiqiang said, Xiang Dongfang suddenly smiled: "What a coincidence, I was able to get an approval document for importing the Crown car, but I don't have the money. Are you interested in buying it?"

"Ah?" Cao Zhiqiang was dumbfounded, "Can you get the import car approval document? Is it true or false?"

"Of course it's true." Xiang Dongfang smiled slightly, "Can I still lie to you?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhiqiang suddenly fell silent, and then looked at Xiang Dongfang with a complicated expression: "Are you looking for your dad?"

Xiang Dongfang lowered his eyelids naturally: "No, I just... asked an uncle of mine, well, he is a comrade of my father's, and asked him to help me."

Cao Zhiqiang frowned: "Why bother? Is it worth it for you to do this?"

Xiang Dongfang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly raised his head, looked at Cao Zhiqiang firmly, and said with a serious expression: "It's worth it!"

Cao Zhiqiang opened his mouth, then exhaled, and said in an indifferent tone: "Okay, go prepare the car, we are leaving!"

"Yes, President!" Xiang Dongfang suddenly saluted Cao Zhiqiang with a military salute, and then left with a serious expression.

As soon as Xiang Dongfang walked out and closed the door, he immediately covered his face with his hands, showing a shy and happy expression.

After taking a few deep breaths, Xiang Dongfang turned red and walked forward with a smile on his face, as if he had stolen a jar of honey.

As a result, Xiang Dongfang, who was walking away calmly with his head bowed, came face-to-face with Xu Jingli, who was holding a folder and walking towards her.

"Huh? Teacher Xiang, no, Secretary Xiang?" Xu Jingli was the first to say hello with a smile, "With a smile on your face, what are you so happy about?"

Xiang Dongfang quickly put away his wanton steps and couldn't help chuckling, returned to his gentle and generous look and smiled slightly: "Ah, it's nothing, I suddenly thought of something happy... By the way, what are you doing here, looking for the president?

?"

"Yes!" Xu Jingli nodded, "The first edition of the white paper of our "Confidant" magazine has come out. I want to show it to the president. If possible, we will prepare it for official publication. By the way, the president is now

Are you free?"

"He..." Xiang Dongfang frowned and looked back at the door of the president's office, "The president is going out later, and now... there is still some free time. If you want to deliver magazines, hurry in now, there is still time."

"Yes, I understand." Xu Jingli nodded.

Xiang Dongfang smiled slightly and then walked away.

Xu Jingli looked at Xiang Dongfang's back, narrowed her eyes and smiled playfully, then turned around and walked outside the president's office door.

After arriving at the door, Xu Jingli took a deep breath and knocked gently on the door with a serious expression: "President, are you there?"

"Who?" Cao Zhiqiang asked.

"It's me, Xu Jingli." Xu Jingli said seriously, "President, is it convenient for you now? I'm here to give you the first edition of the white paper of "Confidant" magazine."

(End of chapter)