"I heard that our big boss wanted to sleep with that little star, but she refused, so this happened."
One of them said nervously, "What nonsense are you talking about? If the factory leaders hear you say that, you can forget about getting your subsidies anymore!"
Another person asked, "I arrived too. They said it was the head of the performance troupe who assisted, and then our boss went into the room to sleep with someone. As a result, he was chased in by that celebrity's friend and got beaten up."
One person said enviously, "It's so good to be rich. You get to sleep with celebrities every day. When will we be able to reach that level?"
"I'm telling you, don't talk nonsense, or we'll be fired." It was that cowardly one again.
Another person said, "Why are you all worrying about this? We'll work for whoever pays us. We'll do anything for money, don't you think?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. These days, everything revolves around money. "We're giving out money! We're giving out money!" someone shouted excitedly as they ran over.
The group of people chatting looked up, and one of them said doubtfully, "They've already given out money? Didn't they already do? Are they giving out double today? Are they telling us to storm the city hall? That's not safe; we absolutely can't do that."
A man passing by, happily clutching a hundred-yuan note, overheard what had just been said and retorted, "What attack on the municipal government? Are you out of your mind? They're recruiting workers over there. Anyone who signs up gets a hundred-yuan travel allowance."
The group of people chatting together suddenly jumped up. "You get paid just for signing up? Only a fool wouldn't go! Where is it?"
Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng were nervously looking out through the office blinds. Qiao Hua said, "There are more and more workers. It looks like we have to ask our superiors whether we should mobilize the armed police, how to deal with Zhao Qiang, and whether the government should send someone with special abilities to keep an eye on him so he won't cause us so much trouble in the future."
Zhang Feng said, "Wait a minute, those workers started to retreat, and they ran pretty fast."
"They've withdrawn?" Qiao Hua couldn't believe it. He pulled back the blinds and peeked out. Sure enough, a large number of workers were gathering in a corner of the square in front of the government building. Qiao Hua was shocked: "Could someone be instigating this?"
Zhang Feng said, "No, if that were the case, a report would have been sent in already. Don't forget we sent a large number of plainclothes officers mixed in with them."
Knock, knock, knock. Someone was knocking on the door. The municipal government hadn't started work yet, but most of the staff had been busy since the early hours of the morning. The secretary opened the door and said to Qiao Hua, "Secretary Qiao, our plainclothes officers have delivered the message."
Qiao Hua asked nervously, "What do you mean?"
The secretary said, "The workers are starting to go home."
Qiao Hua was puzzled: "What's going on? Why are so many people gathered in that corner?"
The secretary said, "The workers were dispersed from the corner where people were gathered. I don't know where a company came from, but they actually came to the Feng family's enterprise to poach people at this time. They offer a hundred yuan for travel expenses as long as you sign up, but the requirement is that you go home immediately."
Zhang Feng exclaimed in surprise, "Such a thing actually happened?"
The secretary said, "That's not all. A hundred yuan wouldn't be enough to sway those workers. The key is that this company is very powerful. They say that the Northern Youth Health Products Company is going to set up a repackaging plant in Baiyuan City. Anyone hired as a repackaging plant employee will receive a small bag of slimming tea and a small bottle of cosmetics at the end of the month."
Qiao Hua exclaimed, "My God, slimming tea is now priceless and unavailable. Only people infected with the H virus have a chance to get it through a state-sponsored special supply, while even the smallest bottle of cosmetics is worth tens of thousands of yuan. They've gone mad!"
The secretary said, "The workers must be crazy, otherwise they wouldn't have left so readily."
Zhang Feng said to Qiao Hua, "Secretary Qiao, you've been misled by the surface price. Although slimming tea and cosmetics are expensive on the market, they're probably only a few dollars' worth of cost for those youth health products. It's much cheaper than paying workers' wages. Both sides benefit. It's a really good idea. It's just that such a big thing wasn't even communicated to our municipal party committee. Those people in the north must be looking down on us."
Qiao Hua was too excited at this moment. He said, "Why do you care about all that? Anyway, they helped us disperse the workers, and that's the most important thing right now."
Zhang Feng casually remarked, "People from the North certainly don't stand idly by."
Qiao Hua asked, puzzled, "What did you say?"
Zhang Feng hurriedly covered up, saying, "It's nothing, let's go down and take a look." Through Li Jingjing, Zhang Feng had learned a lot of inside information, including Zhao Qiang's influence in the north and his amnesia. However, despite his amnesia, the people in the north wouldn't abandon him in his time of need. They were now targeting the Feng family. Although this wasn't within the north's sphere of influence, their considerable wealth would make it relatively easy to overthrow the Feng family. Feng Youyang still refused to reconcile, so it seemed they were in trouble this time.
Workers from Feng's company were gathered around several tables in a corner of the square. Someone was shouting, "Is this really a youth health product company? What if they're lying to us?"
Someone said, "Who cares if they're cheating you? At least you'll get a hundred yuan. Go home and catch up on your sleep first." This person's words drew a burst of laughter in agreement. At worst, they could just come back tomorrow after getting the factory subsidy.
Someone was maintaining order at the table: "Everyone line up, one by one. We are recruiting a large number of workers this time, and as long as you meet the requirements, you can be selected."
One person asked, "Can you really give us a bag of slimming tea and a small sample of cosmetics every month? It has to be from the Little Beauty series, I wouldn't take any other brands even if they were given to us for free."
A staff member patiently explained, "It's true. This is something that needs to be included in the contract. It's a benefit for the workers. Whether you use it yourself or sell it is not within our jurisdiction."
"I'm signing up! I'm signing up!" Putting aside the trial packs of the Little Beauty series, even a single small bag of slimming tea is worth tens of thousands of yuan. It is said that in some areas with severe H virus infection, it is being sold for hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan. Some wealthy businessmen are willing to spend huge sums of money to buy it for home use. Even if it doesn't sell for hundreds of thousands of yuan, selling this small bag for tens of thousands of yuan a month would be a fortune for ordinary workers.
While maintaining order, the staff said, "Those who have registered should go home immediately. Our company will not hire workers who are not obedient to management. As long as you register and get the job done smoothly today, you can go to the company's temporary residence for training tomorrow. By the time the training is over, the factory here will be almost rented and the equipment will be in place, so you can start production with peace of mind."
The workers cheered excitedly. Those who had registered and received their money immediately went home, while those who hadn't registered formed a long line under the staff's direction. Soon after, Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng arrived at the scene. After some inquiries, they learned that it wasn't some northerner trying to poach workers; it was actually Zhang Feng's son, Zhang Wenjing, who was orchestrating the whole thing.
Qiao Hua said to Zhang Feng, "Old Zhang, you actually kept me in the dark too."
Zhang Feng said, "Secretary Qiao, you've seriously misunderstood me. Why would I hide anything from you? That little brat didn't tell me anything about this."
Qiao Hua said, "I heard before that your son had started some kind of agency business, but I didn't expect it to become such a big deal this time. However, it's not appropriate that he didn't inform our municipal party committee and government. You need to find him right away so we can talk."
Zhang Feng immediately called his son, Zhang Wenjing, who arrived ten minutes later without hesitation. Upon seeing his father, he chuckled and said, "Dad, how about it? Did I solve your problem? Let me tell you, people are inherently profit-driven. Dealing with them is really easy; a hundred yuan is all it takes to send them home."
Zhang Feng was exasperated: "What are you up to? Explain yourself right now!"
Zhang Wenjing said aggrievedly, "I didn't do anything wrong. It's not easy to recruit workers. It's rare to have so many people sign up. There's a labor shortage right now. Don't you know that?"
Zhang Feng said, "I was talking about the establishment of a repackaging plant. Such a big matter should have been discussed with me first. This puts Secretary Qiao and me in a very passive position."
Zhang Wenjing said, "Dad, I just received the news. I happened to see that the municipal government was having some difficulties, so I helped out without even having a chance to say hello."
Qiao Hua pointed to the bustling scene and said, "With so many workers, what must the packaging plant be like? As far as I know, the number of youth health products is limited."
Zhang Wenjing said, "Uncle Qiao, don't worry. Not all the workers I recruit will work at the packaging plant. The vast majority will work at the special plastics company under the Bafang Chemical Group."
Zhang Feng asked, puzzled, "What special plastics company?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "My newly founded company mainly produces specialty plastics for aerospace and military applications."
Qiao Hua asked, "What about the slimming tea and cosmetics we promised them? If we change companies, will they cause trouble again?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "Uncle Qiao, don't worry. Even special plastic companies will still provide welfare benefits, so they can't cause trouble. Anyone who causes trouble will be fired and won't be able to receive any welfare benefits."
Imagine if these workers worked diligently to get the slimming tea and cosmetics at the end of the month. Otherwise, they could forget about getting the valuable products. The wages didn't matter; the key was that the welfare items were valuable.
Zhang Feng asked, "What special plastics company? Was it set up by Zhao Qiang?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "Dad, you and Secretary Qiao are not outsiders, so I won't hide anything from you. This special plastics company has advanced technology and products. I heard Zhao Qiang say that one type is special plastics used in aerospace, which can replace alloys in aerospace equipment, reduce the weight of aerospace equipment and increase product quality. The other type is armor on tanks, which can withstand the attack of armor-piercing bullets."
Volume 2 [529] Throwing Money
[529] Throwing money
Qiao Hua asked, "What kind of company is this, and how did it end up under the name of Bafang Chemical Group?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "It's a subcontracting arrangement, but we operate independently. Jingjing and I are fully responsible for production management, while Zhao Qiang is in charge of technology."
Qiao Hua patted Zhang Feng on the shoulder and said, "Good job, Lao Zhang. If your son makes this happen, you'll be in for a treat."
Zhang Feng was also somewhat pleased and asked his son, "Are you confident?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "Zhao Qiang said it's possible, and he can quickly produce the theory and samples. Dad, what do you think?"
Zhao Qiang believed that if something was going to happen, it couldn't be wrong, otherwise Bafang Chemical Group wouldn't have been established. Outsiders might not know, but Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng understood perfectly well.
However, the top two leaders of Baiyuan City then had another headache. Zhao Qiang had once again increased his bargaining chips in the confrontation with Feng Youyang, which was a real problem for them. If the workers really didn't cause any more trouble tomorrow, that would be fine, but if Feng Youyang was unwilling to accept defeat and continued to incite them, then things would be troublesome.
Zhang Feng said to Qiao Hua, "Old Qiao, what do you think?"
Qiao Hua said, "Old Zhang, do you remember what you said when you asked the Chen family for instructions before?"
Zhang Feng said, "Should we let the Feng family cause a ruckus?"
Qiao Hua said, "I didn't understand what this 'make a fuss' meant before?"
Zhang Feng said, "You mean the Chen family is dissatisfied with the Feng family? If the Feng family doesn't make a scene, there's no way to teach them a lesson?"
Qiao Hua said, "Think about it, how important is Zhao Qiang to the Chen family now? The synthetic rubber project was already significant enough, but Zhao Qiang has now proposed a collaboration with Li Jingjing on specialty plastics. Isn't that obvious?"
Zhang Feng said, "I hope Feng Youyang can understand this, otherwise he's doomed this time."
In the hospital, looking at the rising sun, Feng Youyang had no energy at all. Instead, he was depressed, anxious, and angry. Liu Wen closed his eyes and remained silent. He couldn't get revenge on his own, and he was in an unfamiliar place, so he might as well just let the beating go for now.
"Whoever leads the disbandment will be fired," Feng Youyang said to his secretary, Xiao Wang. His plan had completely failed, and he could no longer force the issue to resign.
Xiao Wang hesitated, "President Feng, the threat of dismissal probably won't work."
Feng Youyang said, "It won't work? My company, Feng Youyang's management is humane. Many people are proud to work for my company. Firing them would be like killing them and cutting off their livelihood."
Xiao Wang said, "The reason the workers were laid off is because someone paid them to work at the southern packaging plant for youth health products, giving them a small bag of slimming tea and a small bottle of cosmetics every month. If we fire those workers, wouldn't that be even cheaper for the other party?"
Feng Youyang was stunned: "Youth health products? This is a northern company. They've extended their reach into our Baiyuan City. Aren't they afraid that the Chen family will sabotage them behind our backs?"
Xiao Wang said, "I don't know, but that's what I found when I went to the square to investigate."
Jia Lili, who had rushed over early in the morning to bring her husband breakfast, asked, "Old Feng, what do we do next?"
Feng Youyang said, "Continue to mobilize the workers, promise to raise their wages, and get things settled on my end first."
Xiao Wang suggested in a low voice, "President Feng, that Zhao Qiang might really be someone to be trifled with. What do you think we should do...?"
Feng Youyang angrily retorted, "What do you mean 'isn't it'? Do you want to quit? Get out!"
Feng Youyang was racking his brains to pressure the Baiyuan municipal government to deal with Zhao Qiang immediately, but in reality, the situation was far beyond his control. Leaving aside whether the workers were willing to cause trouble again, the special plastics company led by Li Jingjing had already given the municipal government considerable pause. Chen Guangwei was like a little lion that had been kicked out of its home, while Li Jingjing was like a pet nestled in the Chen family home. A little lion might bite, but it wouldn't hurt, while a pet was different; it had to consider its owner's feelings.
In the large conference room of Bafang Chemical Group, Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng resisted their urge to smoke. There were too many women in the room, and they would have to endure too many stares when they smoked.
Chen Guangwei sat on one side of Chen Xinxin, and Zhao Qiang sat on the other side. Chen Xinxin had lost much of her childishness and now looked more like a woman who had been immersed in the workplace for many years. People change very quickly, especially those with ideals and ambitions.
Chen Xinxin said, "Bafang Chemical Group has taken the most crucial step, moving from the factory construction and entrepreneurship stage to a stage of vigorous development. The board of directors has decided to fully invest in the establishment of the special plastics company."
Li Jingjing raised her hand and said, "Chairman Chen, the Special Plastics Company is nominally under the Bafang Chemical Group, but I still hope that Wenjing and I can be responsible for the investment. However, the terms we agreed on before remain unchanged. What do you say, Wenjing?"
Zhang Wenjing said, "Yes, otherwise Jingjing and I would feel bad. After all, I've made quite a bit of money selling cosmetics, and with the support of Jingjing's family, I'm in charge of the finances."
Zhao Qiang unintentionally made an OK sign to Chen Xinxin, and Chen Xinxin nodded: "Okay."
Qiao Hua coughed and said, "Gentlemen, the funding problem is actually easy to solve. The government can even provide some funding."
Zhang Wenjing was the first to object, saying, "Uncle Qiao, I don't agree with this. Once government funds come in, our company will change its nature. At that time, some decisions will have to be made with the government's approval, and we will lose our right to manage freely."
Qiao Hua looked somewhat embarrassed. It was unbelievable that someone would refuse money offered to them, but considering the relationship between Zhang Wenjing and Li Jingjing, Qiao Hua could only give an awkward smile.
Zhang Feng said, "Secretary Qiao, I think all our government needs to do is provide policy incentives and land rentals. Think about it, we don't have to worry about anything. We can get political achievements for free. Isn't that great?"
Qiao Hua said, "Yes, yes, I'm just too concerned about this project. Zhao Qiang, I heard you're in charge of the technology again this time. Have you produced any samples yet?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It has already been submitted for review, so please rest assured, Secretary Qiao."
Chen Xinxin said, "Zhao Qiang's research and development technology is absolutely guaranteed. I think what's left now is to congratulate Comrade Zhang Wenjing and Comrade Li Jingjing on their promotion to manager and deputy manager of the Special Plastics Company. From now on, you will be fully responsible for the establishment, production and sales of the Special Plastics Company."
Zhang Wenjing stood up and shook hands with Chen Xinxin, saying, "I also want to thank you for giving Jingjing and me this opportunity to perform."
After expressing her congratulations and gratitude, Chen Xinxin gestured for her mother to hand a document to Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng. She said, "Secretary Qiao, Mayor Zhang, this is the achievement of Bafang Chemical Group in the past quarter. Please take a look."
Qiao Hua and Zhang Feng stood up and took the documents handed to them by Chen Shuxian. There were two copies, and each of them looked at one. The series of figures on the documents showed that Bafang Chemical Group was quite profitable. However, this was because it was a company that enjoyed preferential policies at the beginning of its business. The amount that could be handed over to the municipal finance was not much. The two of them couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Chen Xinxin said, "Secretary Qiao, Mayor Zhang, even if enterprises make money, they cannot do without the guidance and care of the government. So, Chairman Chen and I have discussed it and decided to donate 10 million to repair roads, another 10 million to the municipal finance to help the local government improve municipal facilities, and another 6 million to sponsor the local government's office expenses."