People, at times, fall into thought traps.
Even someone like Yu Zhou, who had lived two lives, was no exception.
Previously, he was solely focused on making the beverage factory a success, planning to consider other matters only after it had developed.
But now, it seemed that Jiangbei City lacked the conditions for that, so reforming a food processing plant became the best option.
It wasn't to say that one couldn't walk on two legs; moreover, beverage factories and food processing plants were quite similar. While it might not be easy for their employees to switch between them, it would be much quicker than transitioning to other industries.
After a brief moment of thought, Yu Zhou decided to reform a food processing plant.
He immediately spoke, inquiring, "Are there any food processing plants? What are the conditions? What type are they?"
His words clearly indicated his strong interest in a food processing plant.
Enterprise reform, in essence, was a form of profiting from existing assets. In such a scenario, what you could acquire was truly yours.
Of course, one couldn't get something for nothing; in fact, the threshold for investment could be very high, especially in this era.
However, this didn't mean these factories would incur greater losses once they fell into private hands.
Most reformed factories, once acquired by private individuals, would indeed experience a resurgence.
"The city has a bakery and a dried fruit processing plant."
"The bakery is cheaper. If there aren't many competitors, the reform fee should be within 200,000 yuan."
"But the dried fruit processing plant is another story. Several parties are eyeing it, and its business is indeed not bad."
"So, which one are you interested in?"
The deputy section chief spoke quite frankly. Even though everyone knew that if a deal could be struck, acquisition should not be an issue, he wouldn't close off all possibilities.
A bakery belonged to the category of light assets, while a dried fruit processing plant was a popular product.
After all, with so many supply and marketing cooperatives, it was not easy to obtain processed dried fruits. It might not be a case of demand exceeding supply, but at least it wouldn't be a factory in a state of long-term deficit.
Especially around the Lunar New Year, it was a rare opportunity to make money, and quite a substantial amount at that. Many people had their eyes on it.
"The dried fruit processing plant is also undergoing reform?"
Hearing about the reform of the dried fruit processing plant, Yu Zhou was taken aback. It was clear that even he hadn't expected that such a popular factory would be involved in the reform.
He knew that this dried fruit processing plant was quite famous in the factory district.
From childhood, they had enjoyed wandering around the dried fruit processing plant, and sometimes they would even receive small snacks from the workers there.
This was one of their rare childhood joys.
Similarly, in that factory district, the workers at the dried fruit processing plant, while not necessarily superior, were still envied.
After all, the families of these workers never ran out of snacks.
In the previous decade, such people were naturally envied.
Because at that time, everyone's life was quite difficult, even in the factory districts of Jiangbei, the provincial capital.
Now, to suddenly hear that even the dried fruit processing plant hadn't been spared, Yu Zhou inexplicably felt a tinge of sadness.
It wasn't that he found the overall direction wrong, but rather that he felt the wave of layoffs and reforms wasn't very friendly to ordinary people, especially those at the lower rung of society.
Some of them had spent their entire lives in the factory, and suddenly their permanent positions and iron rice bowls were gone.
Although most of them eventually managed to pull through, the pain they experienced at that time was undeniable.
"So, what's the approximate price?"
Yu Zhou had to admit he was somewhat tempted.
After all, this factory, if not famous, was still a rare and good one. If he could acquire it, it would mean having a considerable number of skilled workers, and in the short term, they could focus on dried fruits.
When he first heard about the dried fruit processing plant, he already had a plan in mind. Although he wasn't sure if it would succeed, it was still better than an industry he was unfamiliar with.
After all, in his previous life, before opening the electronics factory, he had spent the most time in the food processing and beverage industries.
"It's not cheap! And there's competition."
"Although the dried fruit processing plant isn't large in scale, and it has a considerable plot of vacant land, the price is not low."
"I predict that without seven or eight hundred thousand, it might not be possible to secure it."
The deputy section chief stated.
Instantly, Yu Zhou's eyes dimmed slightly.
It wasn't that he truly couldn't afford the money; in partnership with Qin Siyue, the funds weren't entirely out of reach.
However, if all their money was poured into this, paying the reform fee, how would they develop? Would they continue the existing operations of the dried fruit processing plant as before?
In Yu Zhou's mind, the beverage industry was a crucial component in the current situation.
"Seven or eight hundred thousand?"
Frowning, Yu Zhou began to find it somewhat difficult.
Jiang Jie, standing beside him, directly covered her mouth.
My goodness, she had previously thought her husband had brought back so much money that he was already wealthy. She had never seen so much money in her life!
Now, it seemed, it was completely insufficient.
Not even half of it.
So, a factory required this much money? And this was just the reform fee. They couldn't dismiss the employees with permanent positions without reason, and they still had to fulfill production tasks for existing orders.
If they were to truly acquire that factory, wouldn't the cost exceed a million?
Just the thought sent a shiver down Jiang Jie's spine.
In this era, how many people in a city possessed a million? And when had she ever been able to participate in conversations of this magnitude?
Moreover, it was her husband who was negotiating with others?
"What? Is there a difficulty?"
The deputy section chief could clearly see Yu Zhou's contemplation.
In those days, not many people could produce a million in cash at the drop of a hat. But the dried fruit processing plant was a sure-fire profitable business. Without seven or eight hundred thousand, there was no way to justify it.
Its true value even exceeded 1.5 million, you know.
If it weren't for the reform, this price would never be attainable.
"There are certainly some difficulties. As private individuals, who can produce so much cash without blinking an eye?"
"However, it's best to overcome difficulties. One shouldn't die from a urinary obstruction..."
Yu Zhou smiled, not showing any intention of backing down at this moment.