Chapter 114: How Did I End Up Involved In This?

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It turned out to be a key economic reform meeting involving several major municipal bureaus. Although not seated in the grand auditorium that could hold thousands on the upper floors, the side conference hall was still quite prestigious.

Upon arrival, after stating his name and organization, he immediately signed in to attend. Dressed in a beige-gray suit, Wei Dong, accompanied by his secretary clad in a deep blue suit skirt, was undoubtedly the most eye-catching among the attendees.

Having just returned from Guangdong Prefecture and Shanghai-Hai, Wei Dong instinctively felt compelled to don formal attire when discussing business; this was the only decent outfit he had. Unlike in Shangzhou, where the old revolutionary style of draping a military greatcoat over one’s shoulders was popular, and where he casually wore sportswear or an old military uniform, here he had to look the part.

By May, Jiangzhou was well into summer, with temperatures in the low twenties Celsius—comfortable without being bulky. Except for a few elder cadres who still wore woolen vests over shirts, most donned Zhongshan suits or white shirts. Even as a mere observer in the “masses” section, Wei Dong stood out like a crane among chickens, almost resembling a foreign trader, drawing frequent glances.

The meeting primarily focused on the foreign trade department’s summary of successes and failures at the recent Guangdong Trade Fair. This opened Wei Dong’s eyes: organizing such a conference in a city of over a million people forty years ago was not complicated. Domestic sales were centrally planned and distributed, considered a fundamental task to meet the people’s needs, while exporting was the primary channel for earning profits.

At that time, domestic demand was not considered a core economic priority; reform and opening-up meant producing as much as possible for export. The country was desperately poor. Thus, the foreign trade departments, stationed across regions, controlled all export channels, holding significant economic power.

Large-scale exhibitions like the Guangdong Trade Fair, showcasing domestic products to foreign merchants, required approval and coordination from foreign trade. Even bureaus responsible for domestic commerce, heavy industries like steel and petroleum, as well as light industries such as textiles and daily necessities, had to heed the foreign trade department in this matter.

Though Wei Dong had spent forty years at the tax bureau, this was his first time truly listening to such a meeting. The old security guard with a broken hand surely wouldn’t care about economic conditions, foreign trade data, or his own meager monthly salary of three thousand yuan.

Now, he understood: “At this Guangdong Trade Fair, Jiangzhou achieved a total export volume of 12 million US dollars, a 37% increase over last year, with imports totaling 30,000 US dollars. This is the first time we have import data at the fair, all thanks to the establishment of the separately planned city, which allowed us to participate independently…”

Previously, Jiangzhou had to follow the province’s lead as a subordinate, with foreign trade tightly planned by provincial and ministerial authorities. The separately planned city status allowed Jiangzhou to operate independently. Though it still lagged behind the special economic zones like Pengzhen, where foreign trade business was delegated to foreign and some self-managed enterprises, Jiangzhou enjoyed much greater autonomy. Neither Shangzhou nor even Chengdu could compare.

Hearing this, Wei Dong had already resolved to base the sanitary napkin company in Jiangzhou. He listened on as they reported that among the over ten million dollars in exports, agricultural byproducts like pig bristles and sausage casings remained the main sources of foreign exchange. This year, the newly launched Model 70 motorcycle successfully opened the Southeast Asian market with an order for 200 units…

The room burst into applause.

Indeed, a 200-unit motorcycle order was a source of great joy for Jiangzhou, yet it paled in comparison to the long-standing sales of pig bristles and casings. The economic situation was so backward as to be nearly nonexistent.

Previously, imports were arranged solely through relevant departments and rarely appeared at the Guangdong Trade Fair as individual enterprises lacked foreign exchange to purchase goods. Before last year, there was no import right at all—who would dare spend precious foreign currency on random goods?

Yes, that thirty thousand dollars was spent by Wei Dong!

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Because he had hitched a ride with Jiangzhou’s delegation to bring back equipment, the declaration was counted under Jiangzhou’s name. The foreign trade officer reading the report was prompted by a colleague: “Is the representative from Dongsheng Leather Shoes Company here? Please tell us about the imported equipment and how you obtained foreign exchange quota?”

Not a question of reproach, but genuine curiosity—no one in the city had access to that thirty thousand dollar quota. Even national-level leaders on state visits only received twenty dollars each.

Just as old leaders in Shangzhou would chat with Wei Dong by the fire wrapped in military coats, even meetings in the separately planned city were now more relaxed, lacking the strict formality that required tea cups lined up in order.

Someone glanced around, signaling Wei Dong to speak.

He hesitated, then said, “Originally, I was negotiating with this ink pad company for importing toilet paper production equipment, but it was too expensive. Their main idea was to invest inland and establish joint ventures, but our province is too distant and they prefer coastal cooperation. So I settled for other machinery they had exhibited—used machines imported as demonstrations—so no foreign exchange was needed. I suppose they have an office in Guangdong and need cash.”

Sighs filled the hall—joint ventures were the most hoped-for development at the time. Being backward, the inland could only offer labor and land, while foreign capital brought money and technology. In recent years, Jiangzhou had attracted just two joint ventures from Japan in motorcycles.

They had tasted success: leveraging the local military-industrial base, they offered inexpensive, quality products that dominated the domestic market and could be exported.

Someone immediately asked, “Toilet paper production equipment? Isn’t that the paper mill’s business? How much does it cost?”

Wei Dong explained, “The quote was 600,000 to 700,000 US dollars, definitely requiring foreign exchange. I thought buying a small machine to experiment with the production steps might work. It seemed wiser to save that foreign exchange for more critical purchases.”

Without the confidence of earning thirty to forty thousand yuan weekly, he wouldn’t have dared say this. If the thirty thousand dollars were wasted, he wouldn’t be too heartbroken. But to everyone present, it sounded like a fantasy—could it really work?

Spending thirty thousand dollars without rigorous verification? For everyone there, seventy thousand yuan was a huge sum, not easy to appropriate even from public funds. And he spent it so casually?

More importantly, this young man chose a clever, unique path—not buying expensive equipment outright but acquiring a cheaper partial machine for research and development. This reduced losses compared to importing entire production lines and increased the chance of success compared to pure self-reliance.

Immediately, someone applauded: “Good idea, worth trying. Any progress?”

The commerce bureau representative replied, “Equipment tested yesterday, product coming out soon—very soft!”

In Jiangzhou, which lacked even a single foreign hotel, few had seen rolled toilet paper. Wei Dong nearly smiled, struggling to maintain a serious tone: “Yes, I liked their tissues. Some high-end hotels in Guangdong already have them, and they’re convenient to tear off in rolls…”

Someone suddenly realized, “Oh! Seen that in movies. Some even steal it from the bathroom.”

Whispers filled the room. Wei Dong elaborated, “They also have packaged tissues, pulled out one by one—used to wipe face when crying, wipe mouth during meals, or dry hands—highly absorbent, disposable, keeping things clean and hygienic. Apparently, they are widely used abroad and are a mainstay of civilized hygiene.”

Some found it hard to accept—how could the same tissue be for wiping both bottom and mouth? At the time, even the best toilet paper was rough, resembling crepe paper, unpleasant for face use. At the dining table, nobody used paper; hot towels were served at formal meals, and at home, people wiped with sleeves—parents often scolded children for this. It just felt awkward.

After all, even the British have separate left and right hand towels.

In the ensuing chatter, some suggested production could involve the paper mill in reform cooperation. Everyone wanted to know if the paper mill sent representatives.

Wei Dong hurriedly clarified, “Sorry, probably due to translation errors, when the machines arrived and we tested them last night, we realized we bought the wrong equipment near closing time—these machines don’t produce tissues…”

The room suddenly fell deathly silent. The commerce officials looked as if they were about to explode—if this were public funds, it could lead to criminal charges.

Wei Dong awkwardly revealed, “Some colleagues saw yesterday—the product is, well, for women’s personal hygiene… Yes, sanitary napkins. No domestic manufacturers produce them; even Shanghai and Shanghai-Hai only sell Japanese imports in foreign department stores.”

The atmosphere grew tense; many were embarrassed and confused. Some discreetly inquired further, likely more uptight than Wei Dong himself.

Fortunately, the female cadres were resolute: “You mean sanitary pads?”

Wei Dong nearly wished the floor would swallow him whole but nodded reluctantly. “Yes, purchased in Shanghai-Hai for fifty cents to one yuan per piece; women typically change three to four times a day. It shouldn’t affect daily work. We aim to reduce the price to around ten cents to benefit women nationwide.”

The room grew even more awkward; the main speaker raised a hand, wanting to stop this gentleman from speaking—too vivid a mental image.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, all the female cadres erupted into enthusiastic applause!

Women had long suffered this issue. Even Shen Cuiyue, who usually maintained a transparent demeanor, clapped while frowning, perhaps thinking, “Is it appropriate for our men to handle this business?”

But the women quickly took charge: “Good. When will the product launch? What difficulties need support? The light industry bureau will fully assist.”

“The Women’s Federation must take responsibility; this is our business.”

“Come build the factory in our district; we will help!”

“Do you need technical support from universities? Jiang University has accepted this!”

“We specialize in industrial machinery; the Institute of Technology will collaborate closely. What are the needs?”

Wei Dong had pondered deeply after hauling the machines home last night: “There will be challenges. One machine can only produce small batches, so after securing raw materials, we must replicate the equipment extensively. If mass production and sales succeed, this product’s market demand should rival or even surpass that of the motorcycle factory.”

In his mind, he already pictured the panda mascot advertising daily and overnight sanitary pads.

Yet the situation was clearly beyond his control. A commerce bureau official expressed cautious optimism: “Impossible, right? Selling this… Well, demand isn’t an issue, but can it outsell the motorcycle factory?”

Someone nearby envisioned the potential: “Why not? The public’s demand for daily chemical products is huge. Could this be sold nationwide?”

Wei Dong nodded with firm certainty: “Yes!”

The female cadres gave a warm, enthusiastic round of applause.

The men understood nothing—this was an essential demand!

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