readsfreenovel Chapter 1172 The Covetousness of the Port
Chapter 1172 The Covetousness of the Port
Lin Ze first inspected the completion status of the port's ground buildings, and then went to the adjacent industrial zone with Zhou Xuejin and others.
Because we were concerned about how the workers could stay cool in the heat, our first stop was the ice factory.
From a later perspective, this small factory, with its low-rise buildings and less than four acres of land, was as rudimentary as it could be. However, at that time, the ice-making plant attached to the Tianjin Port construction site basically represented the highest level of ice-making in China during that period.
Because Lin Ze repeatedly requested that normal production not be disturbed, apart from Guo Xianqing and Yang Congxuan greeting people at the door, there was no situation where production was stopped to allow workers to line the streets to welcome them.
Along the way, the entourage was already drenched in sweat, but Lin Ze remained calm and composed, without a single bead of sweat on his forehead. Although he was only wearing a simple shirt and linen trousers, he exuded an aura of composure and authority, making him a figure that people dared not look directly at for long when he walked among the crowd.
Ever since Guo Xianqing saw Lin Ze, his palms have been sweating, his throat has been tight, and his mind has gone blank.
He had never been in close contact with Lin Ze, but Lin Ze had indeed changed his destiny.
If it weren't for Lin Ze, what would he be doing now? Would he still be selling plum juice on the street? Or would he have his belongings smashed because he couldn't pay his share to the street thugs, and starve to death on the street?
Or they might rent a rickshaw and drive around the streets all day long, from dawn till dusk. After paying their share, they could only afford to eat a few cornbread buns. If they got a headache or fever, they might just collapse there and die.
Guo Xianqing choked up a little. This was truly his savior! Lin Ze not only gave him a way to live, but also allowed him to live with dignity and enjoy life!
At this moment, Lin Ze had already walked up and took the initiative to extend his hand, "You must be Director Guo, right? I heard from Zhou Xuejin that this ice factory will be put into production in a few months. You live in the factory every day and keep an eye on production. Old Guo, you've set a good example for everyone!"
Yang Congxuan nudged Guo Xianqing, who quickly extended both hands to shake hands with Lin Ze.
At first, he didn't dare to use much force, but Lin Ze gripped his hand tightly and shook it twice.
In that instant, Guo Xianqing's throat tightened and his mind cleared, and he blurted out a string of words, "Commander Lin! I've been longing for you to come and see me! When I was a child, my family ran an ice cellar. Back then, only wealthy families and government offices used ice. But now, the ice we produce is delivered to factories and construction sites to cool down our brothers. We also produce edible ice, which we make into food, popsicles, and the like, and distribute to everyone. We're all working with great enthusiasm!"
Zhou Xuejin took a look and exclaimed, "Wow, this is the most words Lao Guo has ever said in one breath!"
Lin Ze said gently, "The weather is so hot, yet everyone can still keep working. Your ice factory deserves a lot of credit!"
He then looked at Yang Congxuan and said, "I remember you. You were the team leader in the refugee camp. You did a great job. Now you've been transferred here?"
Yang Congxuan straightened up and saluted Lin Ze according to the etiquette regulations of the Assistant Management Bureau. "Reporting to the Commander! As assigned by the Port Construction Site Branch of the Assistant Management Bureau, I am now serving as the resident representative at the factory!"
Lin Ze returned the greeting and shook hands with Yang Congxuan. "Production and construction are important, but safety is equally important. Your port branch has done a great deal of work to protect the port construction site and the industrial zone. In your new position, you must not only focus on safety but also help with production. You need to be versatile!"
Yang Congxuan was extremely excited. This was a face-to-face instruction. If it were before, he would have called Lin Ze "Teacher Lin Ze" after hearing what Lin Ze said!
Zhou Xuejin suggested, "Master Lin, let's go inside and take a look. Don't stand in the blazing sun."
Lin Ze led everyone into the factory. To the right of the entrance was a large ice storage room. The ice produced in the workshop was transported here. The ice storage room had a door facing the road outside, through which vehicles transporting ice were loaded.
Guo Xianqing explained, "This is industrial ice. There's also a small warehouse on the west side that's full of edible ice. We have our own molds, and a couple of days ago we even made a batch of orange-flavored popsicles, which were a great success and very popular."
Lin Ze nodded. "If there is still capacity left after ensuring the supply of ice for industrial use, we can expand the production of food products. I see that there are quite a few children on the construction site and in the industrial area. On such a hot day, it would be a good thing if they could buy an ice cream after school."
A young man in charge of publicity at the construction site command center was very perceptive and immediately chimed in, "These used to be things only young masters and rich kids ate, but now even the kids on our construction site can have them. If Director Guo can develop cream popsicles, then our lives will be just as good as those big-nosed foreigners in the embassy district back then!"
Everyone laughed, and Zhou Xuejin nodded slightly; this was indeed a good point for publicity.
Publicity can foster cohesion; often, a small thing can evoke an extremely strong sense of happiness.
Ultimately, what gives people a sense of identity and belonging is their lifestyle. Someone who has eaten sweet tofu pudding since childhood will naturally not understand why someone would eat savory tofu pudding. Similarly, workers who eat popsicles, watch movies, live in tenement buildings, and bathe in public bathhouses will naturally want to defend this lifestyle from the bottom of their hearts.
The group changed their clothes and went to inspect the workshop.
Guo Xianqing explained, "Commander Lin, as you can see, we mainly use anhydrous ammonia as a refrigerant, which is currently the mainstream ice-making technology in the world. This rectangular galvanized iron tank is a specially made ice-making tank. The workers immerse the ice-making tank in a brine pool. The submerged ammonia evaporator cools the brine pool to minus eighteen degrees Celsius or even lower. After freezing, we use hot water to melt the ice, demold it, and then transport it to the ice storage. This large block of ice weighs 136 kilograms. In other factories, this kind of ice is often placed in the workshop to cool the workers. This large block can last for a whole day!"
At noon, Lin Ze returned to the construction site command center and had lunch with Zhou Xuejin.
The meal was simple: four dishes and a few steamed buns from the construction site canteen. No alcohol was served, as Zhou Xuejin had work to do and couldn't drink.
During the meal, Zhou Xuejin hesitated and said, "Master Lin, I've always been unsure of myself."
Why are you unsure?
“Our port and industrial zone are so well built! Others may not know how much money you’ve invested, but I know it all too well. Others may not know how much benefit this place will generate in the future, but I still know it all too well. In the past, Tianjin was only prosperous in commerce, but after this port is built and put into use, together with the comprehensive industrial zone, this place is likely to become the industrial and trade center of the North and even the entire Far East. How could such an important place not be coveted?”
Lin Ze nodded, picked up the warm towel next to him to wipe his mouth, and took a sip of tea.
"Xuejin, you've got a much higher and longer-term perspective on things now. People don't have to wait until it's built and in use for them to start eyeing it; they're already eyeing it now, and they're quite powerful!"