Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 6 First Meeting with Lei Xiaoxi

For several days in a row, the situation continued to escalate.

For some reason, Factory Director Xiao's attitude suddenly took a complete 180-degree turn. Previously, the wholesale market had sent people to persuade them, and the situation had calmed down; the twin brothers were lively and unharmed. But in the past few days, he suddenly turned on them, claiming the two children had stomach problems so severe they needed IV drips. What exactly did they eat that caused the problem? The Xiao family demanded an explanation.

I also heard that a new director had come to the county committee. This matter has been pressing and dragging on for so long, which is closely related to this. I can't help but worry that the new official will make a big splash in his new role.

This time, Qujiaying Wholesale Market is definitely in the eye of the storm.

Although everyone knows that the trigger for this incident was the college student who came back during the summer vacation, Director Xiao wants to find out the truth. He also encountered Boss Luan's protective attitude on the outskirts of the county that day, which made them seem to be "on the same side". The wholesale market dares not do anything reckless.

Having arranged a time with Luan Qizhen in advance, Hu Shutong rode his bicycle to the county center after lunch, carrying the completed cold storage plan.

Before Hu Shutong arrived, an unusual guest had already come to the Luan family.

Sitting in front of Luan Qizhen was a man who looked to be in his early thirties, wearing black pants, black leather shoes, and a snow-white shirt, with black-rimmed glasses and a side-parted hairstyle. A briefcase was placed next to him.

This was the newly arrived Director Lei. After the two exchanged a few words, Luan Qizhen's expression gradually darkened.

"Xiaoxi, I have no problem with you using Hu Shutong as a weapon, but you can't just throw it away after you're done with it. Essentially, it was a self-certification document, but you've turned it into a complaint. If you don't handle this properly, the Hu family's roof will be torn off."

"Uncle, what guns and all that? You're making it sound so serious. You know, the situation in Qujiaying isn't something that can be decided by just one county like Mozi. If we want to regulate this wholesale market, the county committees of the three counties will hold a series of meetings, then they'll just say that the livelihoods of the vegetable farmers in the three counties are the priority, and in the end, we'll just maintain the status quo."

"You want to turn this into a dispute between Hu Shutong and the wholesale market, and then use the pretext of resolving the dispute to begin the rectification of Qujiaying, right?"

Lei Xiaoxi nodded. "Since Hu Shutong is pointing to the wholesale market and has professional evidence, he must want to help change this situation."

Luan Qizhen suddenly leaned back and crossed his arms. "Director Lei, if this matter doesn't work out, you'll still be the director of the county party committee office. Whether you rectify things or not, Qujiaying will just be a different place. But the Hu family is different. The Hu family moved here from the north many years ago. They are the only family in the suburbs, with no family or power. Once you start making noise, the Hu family won't dare to go out at night. I have to remind you, don't just look at the vast sky, you also have to look at the cracks in the brick walls, where people are living in misery."

These words startled Lei Xiaoxi, but before he could speak, Luan Qizhen's tone became even more serious, "I've taken a liking to Hu Shutong. Ever since he went to university, he's personally handled everything in the warehouse: the operating procedures of the equipment, the simplified diagrams of equipment operation, the precise storage temperatures for different fruits, and how to re-grade the storage areas. He's steady and reliable; where else can you find a university graduate like that?"

Lei Xiaoxi nodded emphatically, "Uncle, in some ways, I understand Hu Shutong better than you do. When Mingda University established the refrigeration engineering major, they didn't even have any usable textbooks. They spent more than two years preparing for it and hired experts in refrigerated food and transportation from abroad. When Hu Shutong enrolled, although he was a student, he was an explorer just like the professors and lecturers. Of course, there are no college students like him."

As she spoke, Lei Xiaoxi opened her briefcase. "These are academic journals that Hu Shutong published during his university years, covering various aspects of refrigeration. Some of his topics have already garnered attention. He has a deep passion for this field, started early, and has mastered the skills. How could I not value such a talent?"

"Then tell me how you're going to be cautious."

"That depends on how well he implements his revised plan."

Before long, there was a knock on the door. Hu Shutong was at a loss when he saw that the Luan family had guests. Luan Qizhen hurriedly said, "Shutong, let me introduce you. This is Lei Xiaoxi, the director of the county party committee office."

Hu Shutong was surprised. Lei Xiaoxi stepped forward and extended her hand. "Hu Shutong, I've heard of you."

"Hello, Director Lei."

"Uncle, it seems this trip wasn't in vain. Since we're here, let's take a look at the plan together."

"Please sit down, please sit down." Luan Qizhen's smile remained unchanged. "It's not some private document, why can't I look at it? Shutong is a top student, and you're in a related field too. I'd be happy to have the two of you overseeing things for me!"

The director of the county party committee office is a section-level cadre, and Lei Xiaoxi seems to be at least seven or eight years older than him. This so-called related major should refer to logistics management.

Hu Shutong took out the plan, and as the two examined it carefully, Hu Shutong began to explain, from the layout concept, structural principle, heat insulation treatment to refrigeration equipment.

Hu Shutong's focus extends beyond a standardized fruit and vegetable warehouse; he has gone even further, specifically targeting apples. Apples are a major fruit category, with high production volume and wide distribution. For many families, buying fruit often means buying apples, making them as essential as pork is to meat. Since most orchards in Luanqi Town are apple orchards, Hu Shutong has developed more precise standards for humidity, airflow speed, and other parameters.

Lei Xiaoxi discerned the underlying logic: Hu Shutong had laid out the basic framework for the fruit and vegetable storage facility, as the refrigeration equipment allowed for controlled temperature adjustments in each zone. In other words, this modified solution was highly adaptable; all that was needed was to understand the storage temperatures for different fruits, and everything else had already been implemented.

Lei Xiaoxi looked at Hu Shutong with admiration, "No wonder you're from Mingda University, your practical experience in cold storage design is indeed solid. By the way, I graduated from Mingjiang University of Science and Technology, class of '90."

Hu Shutong quickly replied, "The School of Science and Trade is right next to Mingda University, and the School of Food Science and Technology often has joint events with other schools."

Luan Qizhen was delighted to see this. Just as he was about to brew tea, he suddenly thought of a good tea, but he couldn't find it no matter how hard he looked. Later, he found it on the north-facing balcony.

Lei Xiaoxi took out a slightly crumpled piece of paper. Hu Shutong wasn't surprised to see it; it was the very paper he had written to Shi Qingfeng.

"Shutong, I've had the health department investigate these past few days, and the test results are largely consistent with what you wrote. The problem lies in the pre-cooling process. To be frank, the county wants to use your document as a complaint, and as far as I know, the matter has even reached your home. What do you think?"

"Director Lei, I'd like to know if filing a complaint means I'll be subject to rectification."

……