Chapter 111: Give It a Try

  The meeting was over, but Liang Sanping didn't leave. Instead, he pulled Ge Tai and Xia Zhendong to his newly built office. On the desk in the office, a set of Gongfu tea utensils was placed.

  "Hey, Sanping! I didn't expect you to have such a hobby." Ge Tai looked at the simple tea set on the shabby tea table in the office and laughed: "Even in the leader's office in Yangcheng, this tea set is not as complete as yours!"

  Indeed, as of now, the set of Gongfu tea utensils laid out by Liang Sanping on the tea table is quite comprehensive. The five basic items - cup, lid, washer, basin and tray - are not even worth mentioning.

  Even tea wash, tea brush, yellow bamboo clip, cup fork... and so on. Now, even in the leadership compounds of Yangcheng, most leaders still use large teapots to make tea, and a few may use ceramic cups. But such complete tea sets are really rare.

  "This is not something I can buy, it was given to me by Mr. Jiang Li." However, Liang Sanping calmly smiled at Ge Tai and said: "Didn't I tell you about this tea before?! Now I often invite Mr. Jiang Li to taste tea with me, to see if our tea leaves are suitable for making successful husband tea..."

  After a pause, Liang Sanping said to Ge Tai: "I have now asked professors from both universities to help with the research, especially in the field of tea. Let's see what kind of tea is suitable for planting on our island, and then we will conduct preliminary experiments after the research results come out."

  "According to the plan, this process will last for at least one year. After the research results come out, we still need to ask Mr. Jiang Li to help us do market research. What kind of tea leaves are liked by both Chinese and Japanese sides? Are these tea leaves suitable for planting, what is their quality, do they have market competitiveness... etc."

  Ge Tai nodded involuntarily, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart. Many people thought that Liang Sanping's success was just accidental, but to Ge Tai, it was inevitable.

  This young man, despite his youth, handles things with the caution and meticulousness of a 50 or 60-year-old. From self-assessment before starting a task, to technical support and exploration, and then to market acceptance... and so on.

  He would make a complete and detailed plan, even the entire project's progress he had his own way of completing it. For example, the tea leaf project, since he proposed it to himself, he didn't directly force its implementation.

  There was no choice but to give up. Instead, preparations began in this area. Research and planting experiments on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, as well as the acceptance level of Xiangjiang. Even a complete set of Gongfu tea sets was specially brought over for personal experimentation and tasting.

  And also invited Jiang Li, who grew up in Xiangjiang, to taste and evaluate these teas together.

  "Uncle Ge, Brother Zhen Dong, I invited the two of you this time because I have some ideas about road repair." However, Liang Sanping asked them to sit down in front of the tea table and began to boil water by adjusting the charcoal stove.

  Next to the carbon stove was a jar of water. Liang Sanping poured the water into the mud pot with a bamboo ladle and placed it on the carbon stove, stirring the slowly burning carbon stove.

  At that time, there was no such advanced technology as in later generations, but there were electric kettles. However, this made it even more interestingly ancient. These tea sets purchased from the Fragrant River, paired with the mountain spring water from Bao Ting to brew tea, had a more unique flavor.

  "For now, the problem of road repair is imminent. If the road is not repaired, our transportation costs, transportation time and transportation risks will all increase accordingly."

  But then Liang Sanping was fiddling with the charcoal stove, and said to Ge Tai and Xia Zhendong, "The charcoal in this stove is of good quality, it's made by myself. Although there's nothing much on this island, there are plenty of trees. Burning some charcoal is still possible."

  "But the country is definitely not going to allocate funds for us now, and without national funding, where can we get the money to fix the road?!" Ge Tai bitterly smiled at Liang Sanping: "This road repair isn't a small sum of money!"

  "Yes! Sanping, we all know the importance of road repair. But everything can't be rushed, now we have achieved some results. However, the country will not allocate funds for road repairs just because of this achievement."

  But then Xia Zhendong said to Liang Sanping, "As long as we achieve some results in our sales to Japan and Hong Kong this time, we can apply for road repair funds. This way, the national authorities' concerns and obstacles will be smaller..."

  Ge Tai nodded, his thoughts were the same. However, what he thought more deeply was that even if the country allocated funds and Qiongdao achieved some success, the allocation would only be a small amount of 50 million.

  There are too many places where the country needs to spend money now, and it can be seen from the top leaders' determination to cut troops and cut projects. To what extent is the country short of money now?

  In this case, even if Liang Sanping and his team achieved some success, they may not necessarily receive funding from the state. After all, the country is having a hard time now, funds are limited, and money needs to be spent everywhere. Where would there be extra money to allocate for road repairs?

  "I had considered this situation a long time ago. But the road has now reached a point where it cannot be avoided...” Liang Sanping sighed helplessly, China is not the country with the largest foreign exchange reserves in the world as it was later on.

  The country's foreign exchange reserves are now less than $10 billion, and there is even a deficit, with a certain amount of foreign debt owed. What can Liang Sanping say about this? He can only sigh helplessly.

  "We don't have the money, but that doesn't mean others don't either..." Liang Sanping said, nodding towards the tea tray on the coffee table. Ge Tai and Xia Zhendong were taken aback for a moment, but quickly reacted and felt a chill run down their spines!

  "Three Pings. You... you wouldn't be the one who came up with that idea for those businessmen in Xiangjiang, would you?!" Ge Tai asked hesitantly and disbelievingly to Liang Sanping, who nodded his head smilingly.

  "Why not?! We don't have the money, they do. We need to fix our roads and it's a good thing for them too. They can invest in Hainan's agriculture, animal husbandry or even tourism. Our resources on Hainan are not bad at all!"

  Ge Tai and Xia Zhendong couldn't help but exchange a bitter smile, then Ge Tai said to Liang Sanping: "Sanping! You're being too idealistic. Although the policy has been relaxed somewhat, introducing foreign capital to build roads is still too sensitive. Especially when it comes to road construction, which involves issues like national land surveying, usage rights, ownership... and a whole series of problems that aren't easy to deal with."

  If we had the money to fix the road, or if the country had it, would I still have to think of this way?! Liang Sanping was also secretly sighing in his heart, isn't this because there's no money?! Without money, one can only think of ways to get money, and the ones closest to us, most likely to invest, and with the least resistance are those merchants from Xiangjiang. Who else could we look for?!

  "I'm not unaware of the difficulties, but who made us short of money now?!" Liang Sanping sighed helplessly: "These are indeed problems, but if we don't do it, our problems will be even bigger. Once the rainy season comes, our vegetables and live poultry cannot be transported out. The problem will be even more serious!"

  "If the road is not well-maintained, who will invest in us?! A passable road means wealth can flow. Without a good road, external wealth cannot come in and our local products cannot go out. Even if we hold golden rice bowls, we can only be trapped here..."

  As for the importance of roads, perhaps no one is clearer than Liang Sanping. Later generations even opened a green channel during the vegetable transportation season to ensure the supply of vegetables from Qiong Island to inland areas in winter.

  Qiong Island has not only built two ring-island highways, but also made great efforts to widen and pave the middle road. At the same time, it has implemented "village-to-village connectivity".

  The results of the road repair are evident, and the island's fruit and vegetable, economic crops, and tourism industries have grown significantly. Self-driving tours and motorcycle, bicycle island tours have gradually become popular.

  "So, no matter how difficult it is, we have to try. Find a suitable way, a way that both parties can accept. Bring in investment and build the highway."

  Liang Sanping's words made Ge Tai and Xia Zhendong smile wryly, can't they just have a few quiet days?! Now Liang Sanping is going to stir up trouble again, this time the commotion will probably be even bigger, no one dares to say how far it will go.

  Li Sanping himself was not comfortable in his heart, this year is really a troublesome year. Doing something doesn't work out, no money, policies are demanded like life and death, doing something is still hindered by many obstacles.

  But there's no turning back now, what else can Liang Sanping do but keep going?! Is he supposed to watch his hard work go down the drain?! He just made some progress, and Liang Sanping is not willing to give up halfway.

  This is not his style of doing things, and it also goes against his will to establish "An Tianmin".

  "When are we going to the Imperial Capital?!" Ge Tai asked, breaking his silence. Liang Sanping looked at him in utter astonishment. He had not expected Ge Tai to agree so readily.

  He had already made up his mind to persuade Gai, and was even prepared for the possibility of Gai storming off. But what he hadn't expected was that Gai would choose to support him with such firmness and simplicity.

  "I've told you, as long as you can bring wealth to the people of Baoting and Qiongdao together, I'll leave my hundred or so kilograms here!" Ge Tai gritted his teeth and said: "As long as you're willing to do it, Little Liang, how can this old bone not follow you in madness?!"

  Li Sanping listened, his heart trembling. This old general who had fought through the storm of bullets thought most about whether this could really make the common people live a better life, not about his own political future or what impact this would have.

  "Director Ge is accompanying you in madness, I naturally have no reason not to accompany you in madness." Xia Zhendong smiled freely and said: "Although my old bones are not as heavy as Director's, they can still add some weight on the scale."

  "This matter cannot be rushed, Little Liang you first prepare the necessary documents. Then we will make a trip to Yang City and strive for the support of the Guangdong Provincial Committee. Only then can we go to God!" Ge Tai said seriously to Liang Sanping.