Volume 3 Ascending High and Looking Far Chapter 57: Disagreements with Shi Guangsheng (Part 2)

More than a week later, the Cadre Division of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission sent personnel to the company to conduct a public opinion poll regarding my appointment. Having experienced some turmoil prior to my nomination as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, I had harbored concerns that someone might once again stir up trouble behind the scenes. To my surprise, however, the process proceeded without a single ripple, unfolding with an unexpected smoothness. Word had it that the poll results showed I had received an overwhelming majority of votes.

Next came the formal organizational interviews. The conversation with the representatives from the SASAC Cadre Division was entirely a matter of routine. The meticulously prepared insights and proposals I had drafted concerning the company’s reform and development were never even touched upon. Of course, had they been brought up, I could not possibly have fully disclosed my genuine thoughts anyway. After all, should word somehow reach Chairman Shi, I could not shake the lingering worry that it might plant unfavorable impressions of me in his mind. Therefore, the Cadre Division’s omission of these topics conveniently spared me from such a dilemma.

However, given that the matter involved the principal leadership of the enterprise, Director Zheng—the official in charge—attached great importance to the promotion and personally summoned me for a talk. In Director Zheng’s office, I delivered a detailed report outlining my assessment of the factory’s problems as well as my strategic vision for its reform and development. Director Zheng had consistently shown care and trust toward me, and in his presence, I naturally held nothing back. On one hand, certain concepts and blueprints of mine still required his backing to materialize; on the other hand, should any flaws exist in my reasoning or approach, he possessed the breadth of mind to accommodate them while offering the essential guidance I needed.

Following a comprehensive analysis of the existing maladies within the company, I focused my report on Director Zheng regarding my conceptualization of its reform and developmental trajectory. I had begun formulating these initial thoughts two or three years prior, and upon learning beforehand from Chairman Shi that the SASAC intended to conduct an interview with me, I had carried out a much deeper and more rigorous re-examination of the subject. Aside from standard product structure adjustments alongside talent cultivation and incentive mechanisms, the aspect most likely to ignite controversy was my blueprint concerning the company’s strategic transformation and structural pivot.

According to my vision, the first phase of the company’s reform and readjustment should commence with its product lines, shifting progressively from the manufacture of industrial chemical raw materials to the production of chemical ingredients destined for daily consumer goods, and subsequently evolving, upon that foundation, into the manufacturing of finished household chemical products.

After all, the production of traditional chemical raw materials had already devolved into a sunset industry. The prevailing conditions across the entire chemical sector dictated that persisting with the manufacture of legacy raw materials would preclude any substantial turnaround, regardless of how vigorously one exerted oneself in production and management; simply maintaining the status quo would prove exceedingly arduous.

Conversely, driven by the expansion of our nation's economy and the steady rise in household incomes, consumer purchasing power was bound to burgeon. Household chemical commodities constituted daily necessities for the populace, representing a vast market. As long as operational strategies and implementation measures were properly calibrated, definite prospects would present themselves. Naturally, this adjustment and transformation—particularly the second stage—would demand an immense magnitude of effort, one that might well draw disapproval from many quarters and encounter considerable resistance.

Having listened to my depiction of the company’s predicaments, Director Zheng wore an expression of deepening gravity. Upon hearing my blueprint for reform and transformation, sensing perhaps the profound implications it carried, he fell into a prolonged contemplation. After a long silence, he remarked, "The issues you have outlined are indeed real. I had caught wind of some of them previously, but I never imagined they were as severe as you describe."

He then inquired, "Have you communicated and reported these operational ideas to Chairman Gongsheng?"

Director Zheng’s question fell entirely within my expectations. After all, matters touching upon major strategic reforms and development necessitated the Chairman’s explicit consent before any implementation could be launched.

"To be frank with you, Director Zheng, I have discussed the broad direction of these concepts with Chairman Shi, but his perspective may differ somewhat from mine. Moreover, I recognize that these notions still require refined deliberation. If the company lacks the resolve to pursue transformation and reform, limiting itself merely to adjustments in routine production and operations, the likely consequence under the current climate will be akin to a frog being boiled in lukewarm water—a gradual descent into decline followed ultimately by operational losses and closure."

"Yet, from Chairman Shi’s vantage point, a measure of caution is by no means misplaced. After all, undertaking a reform of such magnitude will unleash tremendous shockwaves, and no one can guarantee absolute success in advance. The current reality is that while the company can probably sustain its present state for a few more years without issue, failing to summon the resolve for a transformative overhaul within the next three to five years leaves us with nothing to wait for except slow death. Making a definitive choice on this front is exceptionally difficult, which is why I fully comprehend Chairman Shi’s perspective."

I laid my entire train of thought bare before Director Zheng. Once I finished speaking, a great weight lifted from my chest. I had pondered this issue with utmost care beforehand: should I or should I not divulge these matters to Director Zheng, especially given that Chairman Shi viewed my proposal with a degree of disfavor? At such a sensitive juncture tied to my impending promotion, exposing the policy rift between Chairman Shi and myself to the organization seemed utterly counterintuitive—hardly the behavior of a rational mind, for under normal circumstances, such disclosures would introduce monumental uncertainty into my advancement. Even my father-in-law, Shu Zhongquan, upon hearing my ideas, had advised me to prioritize stability above all else.

Yet, from my perspective, the company’s predicament lay starkly before us. Chairman Gongsheng was mere three or four years away from retirement; as long as he kept things stable for the remainder of his tenure, his mission would be accomplished with flying colors. Viewed through that lens, his conduct was entirely understandable.

Once I assumed the role of general manager, however, the probability of my eventually succeeding him as chairman was exceedingly high. Should we fail to enact sweeping reforms, the company would inevitably plunge into crisis on my watch, even if I served merely as general manager. If the organization refused to endorse my philosophy and vision, any attempt to push forward with reforms after I ascended to the chairmanship would encounter insurmountable resistance. Rather than settling for that fate, I preferred to take a calculated gamble, leveraging Director Zheng’s care and trust to articulate my genuine convictions and strategic blueprints.

Naturally, I had also made it clear—by mentioning a timeframe of three to five years for future reforms—that Director Zheng would surely read between the lines: out of respect for Chairman Gongsheng, while he remained in office, I would continue to march in lockstep with him, ensuring that the unity of the leadership team remained uncompromised.

Upon listening to my words, Director Zheng offered no explicit verdict, merely responding with, "Well, I am apprised of the situation." This left me harboring a trace of unease, uncertain as I was of what his true attitude might be.