Chapter Eighteen: One After Another

  In just a few days, Liu Lao and others received a notice from the Ministry. The Ministry asked them to go to the Imperial Capital for a face-to-face report, while assessing the potential benefits that out-of-season melons might bring.

  At that time, Nongken was still very powerful, and the state had a special department directly under the highest decision-making level called "Nongken Department". At the same time, there were also "Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry" and "National Bureau of Aquatic Products".

  The Ministry of Agriculture was not formally merged with the other three departments to form the "Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries" until 1982. In 1988, due to strengthened and expanded functions during the reform, the current Ministry of Agriculture was formed.

  In fact, the Ministry of Agriculture and Reclamation is at the same level as the Ministry of Agriculture. However, due to the division of functions, many times the Ministry of Agriculture and Reclamation needs to communicate and cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture.

  "What?! I'm going to the Imperial Capital?! This... this... is suitable?!" When Liu Lao and others found Liang Sanping and proposed that he go with them to the Imperial Capital, Liang Sanping was stunned.

  Returning to this era, Liang Sanping felt extremely honored to have seen Liu Lao and other big shots. But he never thought that he would be able to go to the Imperial Capital.

  "You young fellow must accompany us old guys!"

  Liu Lao burst out laughing and said, "This matter was proposed by you, and you participated in all the investigations from start to finish. Now that it's come to this point, are you going to back down?! There's no such easy way out!"

  Liu Lao smiled as if blaming him, but Liang Sanping knew that the old man was paving the way for himself. For a moment, this moved him somewhat.

  "Old Liu..." He was about to say something, but saw Old Liu wave his hand.

  "We've all grown old, though we don't admit it, but indeed we have. How many more years can we keep going?! This world ultimately belongs to you young people."

  But then Liu Lao patted Liang Sanping's shoulder and said, "We're all old, our ways of thinking have become rigid. We can't keep up with the times! The idea you've come up with has really surprised us! If this thing succeeds, it'll be a great achievement for the country!"

  Liang Sanping looked rather embarrassed upon hearing this, and in fact, this is indeed the biggest problem with people of his generation. They are willing to make sacrifices, they work hard and study diligently. However, they do not pay much attention to economic changes, or rather, they have not put their minds to it.

  But as a person from later generations, I have a huge difference with them in this regard. In the highly developed economic environment of later times, everything "looking at money" has become a normal state.

  The standard for measuring a person's success, apart from his achievements, is more important than his economic strength. Having worked in that environment for decades, Liang Sanping naturally placed his eyes on economic benefits.

  The period Liang Sanping went through is now unimaginable for Liu Lao and others. Everything was about GDP supremacy, with economic benefits being the criterion for heroism.

  But it's hard to say whether this was right or wrong, at least during that period the country did achieve great and rapid development due to economic dominance. However, this development model later triggered a series of ecological and social problems.

  Later generations have talked about this issue a lot, but no one has noticed that in fact any country wants to develop and will inevitably go through such a period.

  During the period of great industrial development in Britain, the whole of London was shrouded in coal smoke. The Thames River directly became a stinky ditch. In the United States during its period of rapid growth, the Mississippi River was polluted even more severely. At one point, it was even possible to ignite an open flame on the river itself.

  President Roosevelt was once afraid to eat his favorite sausage because the "muckrakers" had exposed the dark side of food manufacturers. At that time, America was in a state of extreme chaos, with corruption and collusion between the mafia and officials, financial insurance fraud, adulteration of medicines and food, mistreatment in prisons, and even scandals within the church...

  But now Japan looks very "clean", in fact it is not much better.

  After World War II, Japan's economy recovered and industry developed rapidly. However, due to the lack of corresponding environmental protection and pollution control measures at that time, industrial pollution and various pollution-related diseases spread widely. Minamata disease, "itai-itai" disease, Yokkaichi asthma... and other pollution-related diseases all occurred during this period.

  These things are not just happening, but more importantly, Japan's official indifference and rudeness in dealing with such matters.

  The Japanese government's attitude towards this matter was extremely negative: ignoring the victims' cries, ignoring calls for a fishing ban in Minamata Bay; In 1962, Kumamoto University published an article on the relationship between Minamata disease and factory pollution, and as a result, research funding was cancelled.

  Dr. Hosokawa of the fertilizer plant's affiliated hospital concluded that "Minamata disease was caused by pollution from the factory" and was immediately dismissed; lawyers proposed to meet with patients, investigate the factory, and the factory tried every means to obstruct them; even in court, workers were afraid to testify for fear of being fired by the factory...

  Under the influence of enterprises and governments, some universities and research institutions have shamelessly provided false evidence that Minamata disease has nothing to do with pollution! Neglect, cover-up and obstruction led to a greater disaster.

  In 1956, Minamata disease was diagnosed, but the company and the Japanese government were not forced to acknowledge its cause until 12 years later in 1968. How much wastewater was discharged into the sea during this time? How many polluted fish and shellfish were sold? And how many people became new victims? No one can say clearly.

  And food safety, Japan has also reached the pinnacle of it. For example, poisonous milk powder.

  MORINAGA, the leading Japanese dairy company at that time, produced powdered milk that accounted for more than half of the market share under the promotion of huge advertising expenses. Fresh milk was in short supply, so non-fresh milk was used as raw material, and a stabilizer called sodium phosphate was added to it.

  Sodium phosphate is also divided into medicinal and industrial uses, and in order to save costs, the Sengoku Island factory recklessly chose industrial sodium phosphate containing arsenic for insecticidal purposes.

  Their actions resulted in the deaths of over a hundred children and poisoning of tens of thousands.

  Those countries that are now loudly boasting, if you turn over their history and take a look, will find that during that period, they actually did more than anyone else.

  First development, then governance. Almost all have gone through this way, wanting to develop requires paying a certain price. There is no free lunch in this world.

  "Teacher Liu, if you and the other teachers think it's necessary, I'll naturally accompany all of you on a trip." Liang Sanping thought for a moment before saying. This is indeed an unavoidable situation.

  Nowadays, there are hardly anyone who is familiar with this operation, except for Liang Sanping, it's really not reassuring to let others do Liang Sanping. Currently, the external thought trends are no more than two kinds.

  One is extreme self-abasement, similar to Qu Yu. This extreme self-abasement makes them unable to lift their heads in front of any foreigner, and they are used to bowing their waists.

  If you let this kind of person go negotiate, it's definitely going to be a disaster. They'll give away everything.

  Another is extreme hostility, treating foreigners as enemies. Being vigilant and cautious in everything, with fists clenched tightly, even a bit unwilling to make contact.

  It's also troublesome for people like them to do business with others.

  At least for now, there is no one more suitable than Liang Sanping to do this job. Although he does not currently have a good grasp of foreign languages, in terms of seeking economic benefits and handling these issues.

  At least no one has more experience than him at present.

  "I can only say that I will do my best and exhaust all my efforts!" Liang Sanping said in a low, firm voice after a moment of silence, looking at Liu Lao and the others.

  At this moment, Holl was sweating profusely, holding the phone in a hotel in Tokyo, bowing his head to listen to the scolding on the other end of the phone.

  "Hall! You bastard, have you been kicked in the head by a donkey?! Now Red China has just opened its doors, and there are countless opportunities waiting for us, and a lot of money waiting for us to make! And you, this idiot, actually said those words to them?! Do you think you can already represent the attitude of the entire Karl Company?!"

  Holl's face was already covered with cold sweat, and his lips were trembling, unable to say a word.

  "You stupid thing, are you still threatening to sue? What identity and status do you have to bring up this matter?! Have you already treated the Karl company as your own company?!"

  Holl lowered his head, speaking in a voice that was not at all loud but extremely conciliatory: "No, sir! I absolutely didn't mean it that way. I just think we seem to be treating them too well. It's appropriate for us to make some threats and sell them short...”

  "But your remarks are utterly inappropriate! The Presidential Palace has already started inquiring about this matter, and several companies including Coca-Cola have directly inquired with the board of directors to ask if we really have such intentions!"

  "Do you know or don't you know that your one sentence of nonsense has caused so many actions?! You must personally explain this matter to the board!"

  To be honest, Hol was so angry that he wanted to slap himself. He had never thought that his nonsense would cause such a big stir, and if he had known, he would rather die than say those stupid words.

  But what he didn't know was that his superior in the US couldn't wait to strangle him to death. Because after Holl, this scumbag, was severely reprimanded by the chairman himself and was forced to make an explanation at the board meeting.

  So Hall's superior in the US would have liked to kill him, while being scolded by the board of directors like a dog. And that idiot who caused this trouble is living comfortably in China.

  How could he not be furious?! This phone call was a manifestation of him being scolded. To be honest, Williams also had the right to be angry, as he was just fulfilling the request of a certain director on the board.

  But unexpectedly, that bear child actually got the black pot to come from a thousand miles away and make himself take the blame. The legendary sniping in the Jianghu, nothing more than this...