Chapter 23: To Do a Good Job, One Must First Sharpen One's Tools

Zhang Xiaocheng felt an intense sense of frustration. "We have to prioritize these orders for people with 'slips'—if we keep doing this, it’s going to affect the regular orders for satellite dishes!"

Li Dongling, however, was already accustomed to such things. Whether it was a state-owned enterprise like the Component Factory or a private company, these situations were inevitable. Whenever a product was in short supply, all sorts of opportunists would crawl out of the woodwork.

"Increase production capacity," Li Dongling said to Zhang. "The fact that people are coming with slips just shows that our satellite dishes are still highly sought after. The real trouble will start when nobody bothers to bring a slip to get the goods anymore."

Li knew that within a month or two, knock-offs and counterfeit satellite dishes would flood the market. Once the excess profits vanished, those opportunists would naturally lose interest in using their influence to secure stock.

Zhang Xiaocheng sighed, acknowledging the truth in Li's words. Having served in the military for years, he had a low tolerance for such corruption, but since transitioning to civilian life, he had come to realize that these social nuances were unavoidable.

"Brother Zhang, do you know any reliable drivers you could recommend to me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang immediately understood. "Are you planning to buy a car?"

The satellite dish project currently had three shareholders: the Component Factory, the Pingyang Television Station, and Dongling High-Tech. While the first two were state-owned entities, their leaders could siphon off dividends under the guise of bonuses or by purchasing vehicles in the name of the organization for personal use. They couldn't simply stuff the dividends directly into their own pockets. Li Dongling, however, faced no such restrictions; once the dividends hit Dongling High-Tech’s account and taxes were paid, he was free to use the funds as he pleased.

"No problem, I’ll find someone suitable for you," Zhang said after a moment’s thought. He knew that when Li asked for a driver, it wasn't just for driving. Although cars were still luxury items, there were plenty of people who could drive.

In this era, many drivers effectively doubled as bodyguards. Public safety was far from ideal; for instance, a certain Mr. Yu, who ran a training and education company, had been robbed twice right at his own doorstep. Li Dongling felt uneasy without a bodyguard by his side. Given Zhang’s military background, he was the perfect person to recommend someone reliable.

Seeing Li Dongling scribbling in his notebook again, Zhang assumed he was designing a new satellite dish and, not wanting to disturb him, tiptoed out of the room.

Satellite dishes did indeed require upgrades. Beyond improving signal reception, the main goal was to replace materials and reduce costs. With mass production, the cost of the "Guanxing" satellite dish had steadily declined. A dish that once cost 180 yuan to produce—selling for 300—now cost less to make, with profits climbing to over 140 yuan. Li estimated that when the price war eventually broke out, the retail price would drop to around 200 yuan; any lower, and they would be operating at a loss.

Li Dongling was not sketching a new dish, however; he was strategizing for the future of Dongling High-Tech. The satellite dish project was the company’s first venture, and while it provided solid short-term cash flow, the company couldn't rely on a single project forever.

His pen hovered over the paper as he contemplated his next move. Dongling High-Tech was currently little more than a shell. Rashly entering capital-intensive or high-tech industries would likely lead to total ruin. He wouldn't throw himself into a "money-burning" project he couldn't afford. He thought of the "Giant Tower" currently being built by the idol of millions—it looked magnificent, but if the project faltered, the man everyone worshipped as a god could be toppled overnight. The line between the richest man and the most indebted man was razor-thin.

Standing up and pacing, Li recalled the phone call he had made earlier that day when dropping off Gao Peng. A new idea began to take shape regarding the company's next steps.

Still, Dongling High-Tech was just a small, unproven entity. Attempting to launch a groundbreaking product to challenge established giants would be a fool’s errand. But even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

***

Early the next morning, Gao Peng woke up with a pounding headache. He didn't remember much after blacking out from the drinking, but he clearly recalled the task Li Dongling had entrusted to him. He jumped out of bed, washed up, and prepared to get to work.

His father, Gao Baishan, sat on a wooden sofa reading the newspaper. Seeing his son rushing out like his pants were on fire, he snorted, "You come home drunk, and now you're leaving the moment you wake up? What do you think this house is?"

"I’ve got real work to do!" Gao Peng replied, changing out of his alcohol-reeking clothes.

Gao Baishan, usually a man of refined temperament, finally snapped. "Real work? You’re just using my name to pull scams! Do you have any idea how much of a laughingstock I’ve become at the municipal office? Every day, people claim to be acting on my behalf to meddle in other departments' affairs!"

"This time it’s different. You’ll see. I, Gao the Third, am the one in this family who’s going to do something big. The whole family will be relying on me soon!"

Gao Baishan threw his newspaper at him in a rage. "Big things? Stop causing trouble! Don't make me beg at the police station to bail you out again. My reputation is already ruined because of you! If you were half as sensible as your brothers, I could die in peace!"

Gao Peng had two older brothers: the eldest, who followed in his father’s footsteps in the municipal office, and the second, a successful lawyer with ambitions to start his own firm. Both were the pride of the Gao family, leaving only the youngest, Gao the Third, as a constant source of headaches.

"Don't talk like that, Dad. Take care of your health! Once I buy an Audi 100 or a Duke sedan, I’m taking you for a test drive!" With that, Gao Peng grabbed his shoes and bolted out the door, leaving his father fuming.

***

"Building a new house?"

"What kind of new house? I built these three tile-roofed rooms with my own two hands! Didn't I raise all three of you here? Isn't it big enough?"

Li Dongling had brought back many appliances—a color TV, a washing machine, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, and a motorcycle. If it weren't for the difficulty of installing a network cable, he would have bought a computer for his younger sister, Dongyue, to help with her studies. In this day and age, a computer was like a window to the world.

Old Man Li, puffing on his traditional long-stemmed pipe, slammed the table, his whiskers bristling at the suggestion of tearing down his pride and joy. Li Dongling, who was rolling tobacco for his father, just smiled. He had brought back many high-end cigarettes for the old man, but the old man kept them in a cabinet, only handing them out to friends to show off. He insisted that the fancy store-bought cigarettes just didn't have the same "kick" as his homegrown tobacco.

"The house is a good one, Dad. Everyone in the commune knows you built these sturdy rooms," Li Dongling said, glancing at his brother Dongshan, who was busy scaling fish. "But brother is getting married soon. Where is his new wife going to live?"