9: I can tolerate the sanctions from the Eagle Sauce, but why does my own mother want to target me too?

"What? Our factory's production capacity has been restricted again? That can't be! Didn't we already settle this with Director Zhou?" Lu Shenwei asked, puzzled.

Ma Quanlin smiled bitterly. "Director Zhou told me this news just half an hour ago."

"I'm going to find him."

Lu Shenwei said as he prepared to go find Zhou Wen. The drone research and development had been successful, and it was about to go into production.

They needed a large amount of capital now, and the technically savvy Desert Camel Company was a reliable source of funding. Suddenly restricting steel production capacity—wasn't this going to be the death of him?

At the Qinchuan Administration for Industry and Commerce, Zhou Wen was also looking confused after receiving the document from his superiors.

What on earth were his superiors doing? One moment they told him to take care of Julong Steel Factory and lift the restrictions, and the next they wanted to restrict their production capacity?

"Director, where are you going?"

"Where? I'm going out to hide. I reckon Lu Shenwei from Julong Steel will be here to find me any second."

"You're the Director, why should we be afraid of a tiny Julong Steel?"

"It's not fear, it's a guilty conscience. Sigh, this matter is impossible to explain. You block him for a while."

"Don't worry, Director, I'll..."

"Director Zhou, why are you here?"

Speak of the devil; before Zhou Wen could run, he was blocked in the hallway by a grim-faced Lu Shenwei.

"Oh, Little Lu. There's a meeting at the provincial level, and they're waiting for me to go attend it," Zhou Wen said awkwardly.

Lu Shenwei's face darkened. "A meeting? Fine, I'll wait for you in the reception room."

"Is it urgent? How about we talk after I finish the meeting?"

Zhou Wen asked, knowing full well the answer. Lu Shenwei replied nonchalantly, "It's nothing much, I just feel that the business environment here in Qinchuan isn't great, and we at Julong Steel are thinking of relocating entirely."

This kid, he was clearly coming here to settle scores.

"Young people shouldn't be too impulsive. Qinchuan has abundant coal resources, which is most suitable for large steel producers like you to operate," Zhou Wen advised.

"It's not that I want to relocate, but the uncles in the factory are getting old. We've earned some money, so we were thinking of going south to start a retirement industry," Lu Shenwei said, not meaning a word of it.

Ma Quanlin immediately chimed in to back him up. "Director Zhou, you can see for yourself, my hair has turned quite white over these past few years. I really can't keep working like this."

You can run from the monk, but you can't run from the temple. If they didn't clarify the issue today, Lu Shenwei and Ma Quanlin wouldn't leave easily.

"I'm afraid of the two of you. Let's go to my office and talk."

Zhou Wen sighed and led the two back to his office.

"I have already conveyed your thoughts to the superiors, and they are very supportive, saying that we need to eliminate outdated production capacity first."

"Is that what it means? Why does it feel like the higher-ups are playing us for fools?"

"Director Zhou, just give us the bottom line. Can we still do this steel pipe business in the future?"

Zhou Wen shook his head, then nodded.

This left Lu Shenwei and the other man confused. What was that supposed to mean?

"You can do it, and you can't. The attitude of the superiors is ambiguous, but overall, they still support you. There's no need to doubt that."

Zhou Wen's words served as a reassurance for Lu Shenwei. The latter let out a long sigh of relief. "Director Zhou, have you ever ridden a roller coaster? My mood is rising and falling just like that right now."

"I will try my best to solve the company's difficulties, but Chairman Lu, don't go around talking about moving out of Qinchuan at every turn," Zhou Wen said with a dark face.

"It was all just angry talk. Uncle Ma and I both know what your attitude toward us is, Director Zhou. But with the production capacity restricted, we won't have enough capital for our subsequent development."

The drone R&D had just started to show results; without tens of millions, it would be impossible to organize the production line.

Lu Shenwei was desperate for funds, otherwise he wouldn't have made threats about relocating the company earlier.

"How much are you short?"

Director Zhou was sensible after all; this was the real show he wanted to see!

"80 million? Can you solve it? We can mortgage the factory buildings."

Pfft—

Before Zhou Wen could finish listening, he nearly choked on his tea.

80 million? Do you think the Administration for Industry and Commerce is Cosmos Bank?

Your shabby little factory is worth 80 million?

"No! Not a single cent! You kid, are you trying to slaughter your Uncle Zhou like a pig? You really don't hold back at all," Zhou Wen said irritably.

Lu Shenwei chuckled. "Uncle Zhou, what are you saying? It's just a matter of asking a high price and negotiating on the spot."

"At most, I can guarantee a loan of 30 million. Not a penny more!"

"30 million is too little, add a bit more—make it 60 million."

"40 million. Don't go too far. If you can't pay it back, I'm the one who will face disciplinary action."

"Uncle Zhou, don't you trust me? Final price: 50 million. As long as our drones go into production, I guarantee we'll pay off the loan within two years!"

Zhou Wen said worriedly, "There aren't many large-scale drone companies in the country right now. You kid, you're gambling."

"I want to play it safe too, but I can't figure out what the higher-ups mean. However, I know they won't harm us."

With Lu Shenwei's words, Zhou Wen felt relieved.

"50 million is fine, but you'll have to mortgage your factory's land and real estate. You go back and prepare."

"Don't worry, Uncle Zhou, we will definitely double our tax payments next year."

Lu Shenwei stood up with a grin, and Ma Quanlin followed him out.

Zhou Wen saw them to the door. "Old fox and little fox, stop bothering me in the future!"

"Hmm? You said that yourself. Then I won't go to tomorrow's commendation meeting."

"Not going? You want to try that, kid?"

Zhou Wen threatened half-jokingly, and Lu Shenwei grabbed Ma Quanlin and trotted out of the Administration for Industry and Commerce.

"Director, are you really agreeing to guarantee the loan for Julong Steel?"

"What else? Julong Steel is the only remaining seedling of our Qinchuan enterprise restructuring. If it dies in the big market, our Qinchuan enterprise restructuring will be considered a complete failure."

The reason Zhou Wen agreed to guarantee the loan was, on one hand, that he believed in the abilities of Lu Shenwei and Ma Quanlin, and on the other, from the perspective of the municipal bureau, he wanted to preserve this last pearl of restructuring.

"Will the province agree?" the Director's secretary asked hesitantly.

"They don't agree? Then let Lu Shenwei go bother them. Also, have the people from Shanmao Tractor Factory arrived?"

"They've been here for a while, waiting for you in the reception room. However, the situation at their company is even more serious."

"What do you mean? Can they be more troublesome than that father-son duo from Julong Steel?"

"That's not it. Shanmao Tractor is also here to borrow money, but you know their situation. Without a thorough restructuring, no amount of borrowed money can reverse their decline."

"Sigh, why do these kinds of things always fall on me?"

Zhou Wen sighed and took his secretary to the reception room.

Qin Chuan Julong Steel Factory.

After returning to the factory, Lu Shenwei announced the first thing: the funding for the drone production line had been resolved, and they could officially set up the production line before next month.

"Our Chairman really has a way; he managed to get 50 million in just one afternoon."

"If the higher-ups hadn't restricted our factory's steel pipe production capacity, we wouldn't have had to go to Cosmos Bank for a loan."

"The higher-ups must have bigger difficulties; I guess they have no choice either."

Julong Steel began to restrict its production capacity, while the Naval Equipment Procurement and R&D Department of Dragon Xia began negotiations with Locke Dongde Niu Ding Company again.