Chapter 2: The Path to the Azure Clouds - 37. The Internet Age

Although the factory, my colleagues in the supply and marketing department, and I had exhausted every method and put forth arduous efforts in sales, the increasingly fierce market competition meant that the sales situation remained grim. From another perspective, however, this only highlighted the growing importance of our sales operations.

At the beginning of 2004, the factory decided to split the supply and marketing department into two: the Supply Department and the Sales Department. In truth, many other factories had already adopted this structure; we were merely catching up. Ruan Changqing continued as the Director of the Supply Department, while I was tasked with leading the Sales Department as Deputy Director. This was both a vote of confidence and a test. If I succeeded, I would naturally be promoted to Director, which was my ideal outcome. If I failed, they would likely appoint someone else, leaving me in an awkward position.

A few months into my new role, I continued to push for expansion into markets outside our traditional regions. I sought every possible means to establish offices in provinces where we previously had no presence, gradually achieving some success.

Meanwhile, our country was entering the internet age. Paper letters had become a thing of the past, with email becoming the primary mode of communication. An instant messaging tool represented by a penguin icon had risen in popularity since 1999, becoming the go-to chat software for most people. At the same time, online romance was becoming a social phenomenon; in 2002, an internet novel titled "First Intimate Contact," written by the author nicknamed "Rascal Cai," became a viral sensation. In the commercial sphere, e-commerce websites like Taobao began to emerge, turning online shopping into a new trend.

In terms of chemical product sales, I noticed that online trading was also beginning to take root. In particular, a site called Huiming Chemical Business Network featured many suppliers and buyers posting trade information. I decided to start posting our factory’s product information on this site, entrusting the task to Ma Xiaosong, a young staffer born in the 1980s who had joined the department just over a year prior. After all, young people learn new things quickly, have a keen interest in the internet, and possess high enthusiasm for work.

To my surprise, it was this online platform and young Ma Xiaosong who brought me an unexpected windfall. Whether it was the speed and convenience of digital information or Ma’s diligent efforts—or perhaps a combination of both—the results were undeniable. After the first successful deal negotiated through the Huiming platform, our online sales grew substantially over the next six months. These new clients were mainly from provinces where we had not yet established offices. Eventually, the sales volume generated online surpassed that of our largest provincial office in Jiyang, and it showed no signs of slowing down.

Furthermore, I made some progress in steering the factory toward producing more marketable products. Though it was a small step, every beginning is difficult. This was a hard-won victory, but as long as I achieved a breakthrough in this area, I could continue to move forward, one step at a time.

While I had initially clashed with production leaders like Song Dagang over the philosophy of letting the market dictate production, my approach had been too aggressive; attempting an overnight shift to a market-oriented model was simply unrealistic. Fortunately, Song was an upright and magnanimous man. Having learned my lesson, I communicated with him frequently, providing him with sales data and letting him decide the allocation of production capacity rather than dictating what should be produced more or less. After a few months, under Song’s leadership, the Production Department began finding ways to increase the output of best-sellers while curbing plans for sluggish products. Naturally, the benefits of this adjustment to our sales figures were obvious.

Thanks to the collective efforts of the factory, the Production Department, and the Sales Department, when 2004 drew to a close, our sales statistics showed a 13.6% increase compared to the previous year. This was a long-awaited recovery for the factory and marked the first double-digit growth we had seen in many years.

Although the results were a team effort, credit traditionally goes to the senior leadership. As the head of the Sales Department, the primary acclaim was rightfully attributed to me. In early 2005, I was officially promoted to Director of the Sales Department, becoming the youngest department head in the factory.

As a director, standard practice dictated that I have a deputy. Given the current workload, I needed someone to share the burden. I strongly recommended Zhu Lishan for the role, and my proposal received the support of Factory Director Shi and our new supervisor, Ruan Changqing. Thus, Zhu Lishan transferred from her position as Secretary of the Factory Youth League Committee to become Deputy Director of the Sales Department.

I recommended her not because of our previous rapport, but because her drive, personality, and communication skills were perfectly suited for sales. Of course, the fact that she could work well with me was also crucial; as a director, one does not want a deputy who constantly undermines one’s efforts.

Events proved my judgment correct. Zhu Lishan worked tirelessly, especially in expanding into new regional markets, which significantly eased my workload and pressure. Moreover, we maintained the same harmonious relationship we had shared back when we worked on the factory floor.

Building on this momentum, the factory achieved double-digit growth for the second consecutive year in 2005. At the factory’s recommendation, I was honored with the "State-Owned Enterprise Contribution Award" from the Huajiang Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC).

During the award ceremony, Zheng Rengui, the Deputy Director of the SASAC, presented the award to me. He remarked casually and with a light tone, "Young Wang is doing very well."

I quickly replied in a soft voice, "Thank you, Director Zheng!"

Later, in 2006, around International Women’s Day, Zhu Lishan was also recommended by the factory and received the title of "March 8th Red Banner Pacesetter" within the Huajiang provincial state-owned enterprise system. With both the Director and Deputy Director of the Sales Department receiving provincial-level honors in succession, the department’s prominence within the factory reached an unparalleled height.