Chapter 316 - 250: Encouragement and Difficulties

Chapter 316: Chapter 250: Encouragement and Difficulties

Wang Wan Ning picked up the glass. Her full, rosy lips gently touched the rim. Then, with great care, she raised the glass and tentatively took a tiny sip of the liquor.

"Sss..."

"So strong!"

Wang Wan Ning had only taken the smallest sip, but she quickly put the glass back down, sticking out the tip of her tongue from the burning sensation. "And it’s bitter!"

Seeing her reaction, Gu Heng couldn’t help but smile faintly. "This kind of locally brewed specialty liquor usually has a higher alcohol content than the commercial baijiu. Plus, it’s infused with many precious Chinese medicinal herbs, so of course it’s going to taste strong and bitter."

"Cocktails taste better."

Wang Wan Ning pushed the glass back in front of Gu Heng with her fingertip, muttering under her breath, "They’re strong, but they also taste good."

The serious discussion had been interrupted when the restaurant staff brought in four fish hot pots. Now that the staff had left the private room, the conversation quickly got back on track.

"Director Zhao, since its founding, Zhen Cui Group has been deeply rooted in the high-end catering industry. We have zero experience in the field of Chinese herbal medicine cultivation. Therefore, we need to build our talent ecosystem for this new field from the ground up."

"Currently, our group is already in communication with the Jilin University College of Agriculture and Jisheng Agricultural University. We’re also working with domestic headhunting firms to recruit professional and technical talent from across the country. We plan to develop the talent ecosystem for Zhen Cui Group’s herbal medicine cultivation base through university-enterprise partnerships and targeted recruitment."

As the private room grew quiet once more, Gu Heng looked at Zhao Hongbo and resumed the business discussion.

Cultivating Chinese herbal medicine is a technical job; it’s not the same as growing ordinary agricultural products.

Different herbs have vastly different cultivation requirements.

Some medicinal herbs might need a humid environment to grow well, while others must be kept dry.

Temperature, humidity, light exposure, soil, organic matter, sowing, storage...

Sometimes, one mistake can ruin everything.

In the early stages, liaising with the government and securing policy benefits were tasks Zhen Cui Group’s existing talent team could still handle. But when it came to the actual cultivation of Chinese herbal medicine, Zhen Cui Group was completely in the dark.

Fortunately, Gu Heng had Deloitte China providing support. Through professional consulting, they helped structure the talent pipeline for Zhen Cui Group’s herbal medicine cultivation base.

From the top-level strategic decision-makers to the mid-level technical managers, and finally to the ground-level technical execution staff.

The specific technical personnel needed at each level were clearly listed.

Agronomists, plant protection specialists, soil engineers, agricultural machinery engineers, traceability system administrators...

The sheer number of specialized positions was dizzying.

As the saying goes, every trade is a world of its own. If it weren’t for the professional consulting from Deloitte China, he would have never known that cultivating Chinese herbal medicine was so complex.

Currently, Gu Heng had entrusted the task of building the agricultural science talent pipeline for the cultivation base to Zhuang Hanyu, the Executive President of Dingdun Capital. He tasked her with liaising with Deloitte China to fill the vacant positions.

For the strategic decision-making level, they were looking nationwide. For the technical management level, they were looking province-wide. And for the technical execution level, they were looking locally. After all, the local government was providing so many policy benefits; they had to leave them a piece of the pie.

"Chairman Gu, does your group have any specific requests in this area?"

Hearing this, Zhao Hongbo immediately understood that Gu Heng must have a request. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought the matter up for no reason.

"Director Zhao, hiring people is easy, but keeping them is hard."

Gu Heng said meaningfully, "Most of the top technical talents in the agricultural science field we’re currently in contact with have already started their families. If you ask them to leave their homes, their wives, and their children to come work here without good supporting policies, they might agree temporarily, but we probably won’t be able to retain them in the long run."

Before the fish hot pots arrived, Gu Heng and Zhao Hongbo had basically finished discussing the policy benefits in three main areas: land resources, financial leverage, and policy support. What Gu Heng was bringing up now was the fourth major area: the talent ecosystem.

"Director Zhao, for the top technical talent in agricultural science, our group is offering annual salaries of over a million yuan. You know what the current domestic income tax rate is—it’s honestly a bit too high."

"Could the Changbai Management Committee perhaps offer some incentive policies for attracting top talent? Something like tax rebates to lower the income tax burden for the top technical experts at our cultivation base."

Gu Heng didn’t beat around the bush with Zhao Hongbo and the others; he stated his request directly.

"Additionally, herbal medicine cultivation bases are usually built far from urban centers. Once our base is established, could the Changbai Management Committee set up a dedicated bus route to facilitate the commute for our future local employees?"

Currently, provinces and cities all across the country have talent acquisition policies.

Generally speaking, they focus on three areas: cost optimization, living amenities, and commuter support.

Tax rebates, children’s education, medical resources, retirement benefits, transportation subsidies, and so on are all within the scope of talent acquisition policies the government can provide. Gu Heng had just targeted the specific needs of his group.

"The dedicated bus route is no problem."

"As soon as the cultivation base is built, the bus route will be up and running."

At this point, Zhao Hongbo’s tone shifted, and a difficult expression appeared on his face. "But as for the tax rebates, implementing that requires an application to the provincial government. And there are strict standards; not every application gets approved. It’s quite difficult."

"Director Zhao, I recall that at this year’s Ji Province Entrepreneurs’ Gala, when Director Tan gave his New Year’s address to all of Ji Province’s outstanding entrepreneurs, he clearly stated that in 2024, Ji Province would continue to let scientific and technological innovation lead industrial upgrading. He encouraged enterprises to increase their efforts in technological innovation and to promote deep integration between industry, academia, and research."

"He specifically mentioned the further technological innovation and development in the pharmaceutical and health industries, as well as the biomedical field. He also clearly pointed out the need to continue solidly advancing rural revitalization, accelerating the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, growing and strengthening rural industries, and deepening the brand image of specialties like Ji Province rice and Ji Province ginseng."

Facing Zhao Hongbo’s stated difficulties, Gu Heng smiled. "Director Zhao, I believe agricultural science innovation should also count as a form of technological innovation, right? It was precisely because of what Director Tan said at the Ji Province Entrepreneurs’ Gala that I made up my mind to establish a ten-thousand-mu Chinese herbal medicine cultivation base in Ji Province."

"Director Tan spoke of encouragement, but when it comes to implementation, it becomes ’very difficult.’ I’d like to know, Director Zhao, what exactly is so difficult about what you just mentioned?"

The moment Gu Heng’s words left his mouth, the entire private room fell abruptly silent.

All the leaders from Changbai, including Zhao Hongbo, felt a sudden sweat break out on their foreheads.

None of them had expected that Gu Heng would actually bring Director Tan into the conversation.

The Ji Province Entrepreneurs’ Gala!

Director Tan’s New Year’s address!

They were all climbers within the system; they knew exactly what kind of signal Director Tan was sending to all the province’s outstanding entrepreneurs by saying those words in that kind of setting.

Especially Gu Heng’s final, slightly interrogative question...

And now, Ji Province’s youngest outstanding entrepreneur was answering the call of that policy, investing deeply in rural development...

At this thought, the expressions on the faces of Zhao Hongbo and the others were a sight to behold...