"What? You want to buy FG-model steel?"
The director of Jiangcheng Steel Plant looked at Chen Feng in astonishment.
FG-model steel was a special type of steel exclusively for export to foreign countries and had never been sold domestically.
"Yes."
"We can sell you FG-model steel, but you'll need to apply with the Jiangcheng Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau. We can only sell it to you if they approve."
The director of Jiangcheng Steel Plant stated directly.
"Director Liao, FG-model steel isn't a state secret. Why does it require approval to be sold?"
Chen Feng asked, puzzled.
Requiring approval before selling was something preferred in the past planned economy. Now, it was a market economy. As long as it didn't endanger the nation, you could generally buy it with money. What was the deal with FG-model steel?
"Most steel doesn't require an application to purchase, but FG-model steel is a steel specifically supplied for export. The Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau manages all export goods. If you want to convert an export item for domestic sale, you must register with the Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau."
The director of Jiangcheng Steel Plant explained briefly.
Chen Feng instantly understood.
In plain terms, it was the work of bureaucratic red tape.
It wasn't necessary to go through this process, but to display the authority of the department, they insisted on it.
In other words, the market economy wasn't being utilized to its fullest extent.
Although he strongly disliked this kind of superficial bureaucratic red tape, Chen Feng still braced himself and headed to the Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau.
Officialdom always trumped business; this was an unshakeable rule and could not be defied!
"You want to buy FG-model steel? That's a bit troublesome."
The director of the Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau replied with official platitudes.
Chen Feng was furious. It wasn't state secret steel, so why was it troublesome? If it could be sold to foreigners, why couldn't it be sold domestically?
"Director Zhou, to be frank, I'm buying FG-model steel solely for manufacturing SD equipment. The purpose is proper and legal. Please approve Jiangcheng Steel Plant's sale of FG-model steel."
Chen Feng suppressed his anger and said.
"Young man, it's not about legality. China is stable and strong now, and I doubt you would dare to do anything illegal. FG-model steel requires approval; it's a matter of procedure, do you understand? To buy FG-model special steel, you must follow the process and apply first."
Director Zhou continued to speak in officialese.
"In that case, I'll write an application now. Approximately when can I expect approval?"
Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"If it's fast, half a year."
"What? Half a year? That's too long! Can you shorten the timeframe?"
Chen Feng felt dizzy.
What era was this? How could work efficiency be so low? If approval took half a year, it would be too late.
It seemed that in some places and some departments in China, bureaucracy was truly severe. If he rose through the ranks in the future, he would definitely reform this cancerous growth in officialdom.
In a market economy, whether it was an enterprise or the officialdom, things needed to be done quickly!
"Young man, don't rush. This isn't something I can decide; the process is just like this. Half a year, not a day less. Alright, I've said what I should and shouldn't say. Either write your application quickly or leave quickly, don't delay my work."
Director Zhou said impatiently.
"Director Zhou, I'll go back and think about it first."
Chen Feng replied perfunctorily.
Half a year was too long; he had to find a way to compress the time.
The best way to deal with inefficient and bureaucratic officials was to find connections.
As the saying goes, every force has its counter. Once a connection is found, a word from above could get things done in a few days.
With this thought, Chen Feng immediately summoned Cheng Lu back to Jiangcheng from Wulin Village.
"Miss Cheng, you have connections in Jiangcheng. Could you ask them to help speed up the approval process for the Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau regarding the conversion of FG-model steel for domestic sale? The Foreign Economic and Trade Bureau said it would take half a year for approval, and that's too long."
Chen Feng stated directly.
"Chen Feng, actually, I don't think half a year is the biggest problem. The biggest problem is that even if you apply, you might not get approved."
Cheng Lu replied truthfully.
"It's just buying some steel, how could it not be approved?"
Chen Feng was bewildered.
"Chen Feng, didn't I tell you before? Japan has very strict controls on SD equipment. Why so strict? Because SD equipment is related to the military. How is it related to the military? Because FG-model steel is the best material for sniper rifles. The export of this material isn't a huge issue. If foreign countries want to make sniper rifles, we sell them as much FG-model steel as they want. But the problem is, selling it domestically is not acceptable. The higher-ups fear that FG-model steel might leak into the black market, and that's no small matter."
With Cheng Lu's explanation, Chen Feng instantly understood the situation.
No wonder, despite the development of the market economy today, the buying and selling of most goods were simple, but for FG-model steel, it was not simple. It turned out that FG-model steel could be used to manufacture sniper rifles.
With that in mind, half a year for approval didn't seem that long anymore.
"Forget it then, I won't apply."
Chen Feng replied after a moment's thought.
"Don't be so pessimistic, you can still try."
Cheng Lu comforted Chen Feng.
"Miss Cheng, if it were something else, we could try. But concerning military-controlled goods, it's best not to. You do have connections in Jiangcheng, but they are all local. For military-controlled item approvals, to speed things up, apart from having connections with relevant local departments, you also need connections with the military. Without military connections, the matter is essentially impossible to succeed."
Chen Feng explained truthfully.
"I'm sorry, Chen Feng. I can't help you with this one."
Cheng Lu said with a look of guilt.
"Miss Cheng, it's not your fault. The officialdom and the military are two separate systems, they don't communicate. It has nothing to do with you."
Chen Feng quickly comforted Cheng Lu.
"Chen Feng, with things being this way, what are your plans? Are you still going ahead with the crayfish project? If the crayfish project is too difficult to manage, perhaps I can try to find some connections in Jiangcheng to see if there are other suitable profitable projects."
Cheng Lu asked Chen Feng tentatively.
"Miss Cheng, thank you for your kind offer. Based on the current situation, the most suitable development project for Wulin Village is this special crayfish farming project. We already have the core technology; it would be a shame to give up halfway."
"It would be a shame to give up halfway, but if we can't buy FG-model steel, we can't build the SD equipment..."
Cheng Lu persuaded him softly.
"Actually, we don't necessarily have to use FG-model steel."
Chen Feng replied word by word.
"What do you mean?"
"I was just thinking, since the FG-model steel path is a dead end, there's no need to persist. We can find an alternative."
Chen Feng said earnestly.
"An alternative? How?"
Cheng Lu asked with curiosity.
"We can consider FG-model steel substitutes."
"Hmm, that's one way. But have you considered that we are both laymen in this area? How would you know what the substitute for FG-model steel is?"
Cheng Lu asked with worry.