Chapter 114 A New Crisis (Revised)...

Ultimately, He Changyi obtained the precision machining plant.

It wasn't a legal change of ownership; they actually acquired the factory.

With the cooperation of Factory Director Olev, He Changyi carried out a complete reshuffle of the processing plant.

The greedy and stubborn old men in the upper class were asked to retire and go home to live out their days, and were replaced by a younger generation who were disappointed and decadent because they had no hope of promotion.

They had lost hope for the future and used alcohol to escape reality, but unexpectedly, they experienced a huge change, so huge that it changed their lives.

The young foreign boss addressed everyone in perfect Ethnic dialect:

“I know some of you hate me, even to the point of wanting to plant a bomb in my car, but do you know what—”

She said, enunciating each word clearly, "Go to hell, I don't care at all."

This foreign boss, who skillfully used local profanities and slang, looked nothing like a young woman, but rather a scoundrel/proletarian who had worked in a factory for thirty years and was so poor that he could only afford to drink the cheapest industrial alcohol diluted with water.

That sounds so familiar!

Even the workers who were most resistant to the new foreign boss couldn't help but soften their expressions at this moment.

The workers whispered among themselves, praising her: "She's such a scoundrel!"

"They don't look like those guys in suits at all!"

“I said, is she really a foreigner? She looks more like she came from here!”

"I swear, she must have been a factory worker before she became rich! The way she swears is exactly like my sister!"

He Changyi wasn't wearing makeup, jewelry, or her usual fur coat today. Instead, she was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, which she often wore while moving goods in the warehouse. It looked dirty and tattered.

Before leaving, Ms. Tajiyana tactfully asked if she wanted to change her clothes.

"After all, this is your first official appearance at the processing plant..."

He Changyi refused.

“No, this is more suitable.” She glanced at the worn-out cuffs. “They’ll like it.”

Inside the venue, the workers looked up at the woman sitting in the center of the stage. She had a distinctly foreign face, yet she seemed more approachable to them than the factory leaders they had known for years.

Perhaps it was because she wasn't wearing a black overcoat with a leather collar, nor a suit, and there was no imported watch on her exposed wrist. Her old cotton-padded jacket had several patches, but she didn't seem to care. She looked comfortable and natural wrapped in the jacket, as if she always dressed like this.

If he weren't sitting on the dais, the new boss would look like one of the female factory workers in their workshop, or a shrewd fellow who would brush past someone in a store and snatch the last sausage.

This put the workers in a difficult position; they couldn't even bring themselves to hate her.

Who would hate their friends and family?

The way she cursed was like the most short-tempered doctor in the hospital, holding up a glass syringe as thick as her wrist, threatening to stick the thickest needle into your butt if the patient didn't cooperate.

"Hate me all you want, whether it's a car bomb or praying to God. Do whatever you want. Because no matter what you do, you'll eventually find that it's all useless."

The new boss held the microphone in one hand, his stern voice echoing throughout the venue.

"Because this is my factory, no one can kick me out of my factory."

"Either get used to me, or get out. There are plenty of people in Vladimir waiting for jobs. I never mind completely overhauling the factory."

Upon hearing this, the entire room erupted in uproar, and some hot-tempered workers couldn't contain themselves and stood up, pointing at her and hurling insults.

Some people even made a move to leave, shouting, "You'll regret this! You won't find a better operator in Vladimir! Nobody will want to work for you!"

Some factory leaders on the stage secretly revealed contemptuous smiles, exchanged glances, and were all gloating.

However, the new boss's voice drowned out all the noise in the room.

"If anyone leaves, I will even require the HR department to process their resignation as quickly as possible! No matter who wants to resign, even if no one stays in the factory in the end, I will not accept any threats!"

She even pointed at the person who started the trouble and ordered, "Write down his name. He can leave now."

Factory manager Olev tried to persuade her, "Miss He, he's the only worker in the factory who can operate the old-fashioned machine tools..."

The new boss interrupted him without any politeness.

"Then let's drag that old, outdated machine tool out and sell it for scrap metal."

The room fell silent upon hearing this.

No one expected the new boss to be so domineering and ruthless. If anyone in the factory dared to disobey her, she would demolish the factory to the ground.

She was fearless and capable of anything.

Everyone fell silent. Those who had initially stood up and caused trouble quietly returned to their seats, but the ringleader was not so lucky and was violently dragged out of the venue by the bodyguards.

"No! You can't do this to me! I won't resign, I won't leave!"

"Deputy factory manager! Manager! Help me—!"

The new boss looked expressionlessly at the people whose names were called.

"Deputy factory director? Manager?"

The deputy factory director was sweating profusely, and managed a weak smile on his chubby face.

"Miss He... I can explain..."

Clearly, the new boss didn't care about his explanation.

She raised her hand to signal, and in full view of everyone, the deputy factory director and the manager were covered and dragged out of the venue.

The audience was extremely surprised, but at the same time, they felt a sense of relief.

Those high-ranking factory leaders have finally met their end. They should have been thrown into the Volga River to feed the fish long ago. The overflowing fat would have made the entire river surface look like it was shimmering with colorful oil.

Some people couldn't help but smile, and the person next to them nudged him with their elbow and asked, "Hey, what are you laughing at, you idiot? Don't you know we're about to lose our jobs?"

The man said honestly, "It's true that losing a job is sad, but when you think about how the factory manager also lost his job, it's worth having a drink."

A well-informed person leaned over and whispered excitedly, "It's not just that she's unemployed! I heard from my wife's cousin's friend that just recently, she—"

He quietly pointed to the new boss on the stage, "He sent the workshop director and financial manager of the bearing factory to prison on charges of job-related crimes!"

The people around heard the good news and cheered quietly with joy.

At the same time, the workshop foreman sitting in the front row seemed to suddenly stiffen his posture.

On the platform, Factory Director Olev wiped the sweat from his brow and whispered, "Boss... I didn't know they would do such a thing. This is complete betrayal..."

The new boss didn't even turn to look at him. Instead, he raised his hand and turned off the microphone, saying in an overly calm tone:

“I’m not blaming you, Factory Director Olev.”

She turned her head and gave him a kind smile.

"Don't worry, as long as you hand over the evidence of their crimes, I might even allow you to retire as the factory manager."

Factory manager Olev wore an expression that was both a cry and a laugh, and murmured, "Of course... I will..."

The new boss stopped looking at him and turned the microphone back on.

"Now, is there anyone who wants to leave?"

No one spoke; even the most impulsive guys had learned to calm down, after all, they didn't really want to lose their respectable jobs.

In modern-day Oros, a job that can support a family and pay wages on time is not easy to find. Behind every vacant job is a long line of applicants, and even those with connections have to fight for it.

The workers were unhappy that the factory had been sold to a private owner, but compared to losing their jobs, they could accept the reality immediately.

Moreover, this new foreign boss doesn't seem as unpleasant as the rumors suggest...

The new boss looked around, and everyone who made eye contact with her instinctively looked away.

And so she smiled for the first time since arriving at the factory.

"If this is your choice, then I need to announce something."

The workers in the audience all pricked up their ears.

Is it layoffs, pay cuts, or cutting unnecessary benefits like kindergartens and clinics?

We can't just treat it like we treat tractor factories, machine tool factories, and bearing factories, stripping away valuable assets, selling off equipment, factory buildings, and land, and relocating all the staff to other companies, can we?

The Vladimir Precision Machining Plant will truly become a historical term.

Everyone waited anxiously for the verdict, but what they heard was—

"The wages of all frontline workers will be increased by 20%, and the new housing allocation plan will be restarted, with allocations based on seniority and technical level."

No one spoke, no one moved; everyone seemed frozen in place.

Someone murmured, "God, what did I just hear..."

"I must still be dreaming..."

The salary increase and housing allowance were like a super-premium pizza with extra toppings, sauce, and cheese falling from the sky and landing squarely on the foreheads of all the workers in the processing plant.

Before they even opened their mouths, the deluxe pie had already been stuffed into them.

Faced with the incredulous workers, the new boss stood up, placed his hands on the long table, and leaned forward.

"Those who are loyal to me will live the wonderful life they dream of."

She said confidently, "You won't regret it."

When the conference ended, the factory director, Olev, walked out of the venue and suddenly looked old, as if he had aged twenty years in just one hour.

He walked at the back of the crowd, the venue behind him already empty.

In front of him was an excited crowd, their conversations carrying far away.

"Fantastic! We're going to have a new house! Heaven knows how miserable it is for a family of seven to live in a 30-square-meter apartment!"

"If I get a raise, does that mean I'll finally earn more than those guys who sit in offices reading newspapers?"

"She's really something! I mean, Boss He. No wonder her shop is the most popular in town. She's a real fierce tiger!"

"I wish she had bought the factory sooner, but it's good as it is now, it belongs to us!"

The lights in the venue were turned off one by one, and when Director Olev looked back again, all he saw was darkness.

The factory no longer belonged to him.

When the people sent by He Changyi took over the precision machining plant, there was still a considerable amount of money in the account, which had not been transferred under various pretexts or simply squandered.

Perhaps it was because she had been too ruthless in dealing with the tractor factory, machine tool factory, and bearing factory, sending a dozen former factory leaders to jail and no amount of pleading could change her mind. This frightened the old guys at the processing plant, making them hesitant to take any rash action for a while.

It's also possible that the processing plant is well-funded and couldn't completely exploit the company in the short term; or perhaps they were waiting for the workers to drive He Changyi out of the factory...

In short, when He Changyi took over the factory completely, she was surprised to find that it was actually a factory with positive assets.

Faced with this unexpected windfall, He Changyi did not hesitate. First, she raised the wages of all the workers. Then, she paid a deposit for the replacement of machinery and equipment. Finally, she mortgaged all the assets of the factory and borrowed a large sum of money from the bank for daily operations, payment of the remaining equipment costs, and construction of a new residential building.

After much turmoil, the precision machining plant successfully incurred huge debts and officially entered the ranks of insolvent companies.

Ms. Tajiyana was extremely puzzled. In her opinion, there was no need to be so radical. Whether it was building a house or buying new equipment, it could be done slowly instead of rushing to achieve quick results.

In order to expedite the bank's loan approval process, Ms. He even delivered two heavy suitcases to the person in charge's home.

Ms. Tagyana thought to herself, "This isn't like Miss He's usual style..."

So when Ms. Tajiyana was informed of the bank's loan disbursement again, she did not leave after reporting the news, but instead hesitated and stayed.

He Changyi noticed this unusual behavior and considerately asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Ms. Tajiyana said seriously, "Boss, although it may be offensive, I must say that some of your financial decisions regarding the processing plant may not be appropriate."

He Changyi raised an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.

Ms. Tajiyana said, "In fact, I don't think the processing plant needs so many loans. Its finances are healthy and it's breaking even. There's absolutely no need for it to operate with debt."

She poured out all the worries she had kept hidden in her heart all at once, as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she felt much lighter.

He Changyi looked at the retired accountant, who had been rehired with a high salary, with a smile. Ms. Taji Yangna originally worked in a state-owned enterprise. She was highly capable, upright, and had never made any mistakes at work. She was He Changyi's most trusted housekeeper.

Therefore, He Changyi did not brush off Ms. Tajiyana's concerns and doubts, but instead explained earnestly:

"Do you know what I was most worried about after I bought the precision machining plant?"

Ms. Tagyana asked uncertainly, "Is it a worker's resistance? Or a conspiracy by the factory leaders?"

He Changyi shook his head.

"Neither."

She said calmly, "My biggest worry is that someone will try to take the factory from me."

Ms. Tagyan exclaimed in surprise, "But you've already completed the registration procedures for the change of shareholding..."

He Changyi retorted, "Register? Do robbers consider whether or not to follow legal procedures before committing a robbery?"

Ms. Tajiyana was taken aback, but He Changyi continued speaking.

“Even before the auction started, some people didn’t welcome my participation because they thought I would take away the meat from their bowls—and in fact, I did take away a large piece of the meat. Those whose meat was taken from me hated me very much and sincerely wished me dead.”

Ms. Tajiyana murmured, "Car bomb..."

He Changyi nodded affirmatively and quoted a famous saying: "When profits reach 300%, one is not even afraid of going to the gallows."

"But the interests of the processing plant representatives are not just 300%. They would be happy to go to the gallows or even a nuclear test site, let alone the gallows."

Ms. Tajiyana suddenly realized: "So that's why you insisted on mortgaging all the assets of the processing plant to the bank."

He Changyi winked at her cheerfully and said, "A profitable factory will attract bloodsuckers from within a hundred kilometers, while a factory that is insolvent will only make people leave disappointed."

He Changyi artificially created a situation where the precision machinery processing plant was operating with high debt, and its cash flow was always in a precarious state.

It's like pouring a layer of poop-flavored chocolate over a tempting cake. Even the most voracious eater would be stumped by this cake, hesitating between "Is this really poop?" and "Is it possible to eat this poop?"

He Changyi used his own methods to ensure that the precision machining plant would not be coveted by others, much less be easily taken away.

Even if someone manages to bribe someone inside the factory to obtain the most accurate financial data, when they see the massive debt, all they can do is curse their bad luck.

Ms. Tagyan said knowingly, "I understand. I must say, this is a brilliant idea. Whoever has their eye on this factory, their biggest enemy is not you, but the bank."

There's one more thing He Changyi didn't mention.

Given the current trend of the ruble's exchange rate collapsing, it would be more cost-effective for Roman to take out a bank loan and let him speculate on foreign exchange in the market, rather than investing his own funds in construction. He could then repay the loan with rubles exchanged for US dollars.

When the first pay rise was distributed, the workers were in high spirits, and no more complaints about the foreign boss could be heard in the factory. The construction of the factory entered a fast track.

However, it will take time to fully digest the precision machining plant, but the auction of state-owned enterprises will not wait for anyone.

The entire city of Emei was swept up in the wave of state-owned enterprise privatization. From bustling cities near Europe to desolate towns in the Far East, state-owned enterprises were being auctioned off everywhere, and people were buying up the vouchers.

Some cunning individuals saw a business opportunity and bought up large quantities of warrants, not to invest in factories, but to make a living by reselling warrants. They would travel by train across the country searching for cheap warrants, then bring them back to Mosk in their bags, buying low and selling high to earn huge profits.

At the same time, many warrant investment funds have emerged in the market, raising warrants from ordinary people on a large scale under the guise of warrant investment returns and dividends.

Some of these funds were secretly established by state-owned enterprises in an attempt to acquire shares of their own companies at auctions or to drive up the auction price of those shares; while many more funds were simply for the purpose of raising funds.

Unsurprisingly, the warrant fund quickly spiraled out of control.

The unregulated fund market operates on the law of the jungle: the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive.

Unfortunately, investors are often the weaker party. They hand over their warrants to funds, like putting snowflakes on a hot stove—they disappear completely in the blink of an eye.

Many people were scammed, lost their warrants, received no returns, and found the fund offices where they signed investment contracts deserted.

"We've been scammed!"

"No, we've been scammed again."

The fund market is in a state of utter despair, making those who are all smiles seem particularly jarring.

"What are you so happy about? Are you pleased to have been fooled?"

"What are you talking about? I wasn't scammed. I'm not like you. I invested in the Baiyang Fund!"

"Baiyang Fund? Hasn't this fund already run away yet?"

The beaming man happily shared, "Of course not! I just received my first investment return, a full 20,000 rubles! And this is only the first one, because the Poplar Fund has just acquired a factory. When it acquires more factories, it will give us even more rubles!"

The other party said sourly, "You're such a lucky guy, your fund isn't a fraud... Damn it, if I had even one more certificate, I'd invest in this fund too."

Another person exclaimed excitedly, "Great! I still have half of the warrants. Tell me the address of this fund right now, I'm going there now—by the way, they'll pay me 20,000 rubles too, right?"

The beaming man said enthusiastically, "Hurry up, there's already a long line at the door! By the way, if this is your first time investing, Baiyang Fund will also give you a gift package equivalent to twenty US dollars. You won't regret it!"

"Is that so? Then I have to go now. Oh, and I should also invite my neighbor!"

Thanks to the contrast with its peers, Baiyang Fund's total number of fundraising warrants, which had been stagnant for a long time, has started to rise again. This time, He Changyi doesn't even need to pay extra advertising fees.

However, just as He Changyi began preparing for the next auction, a rumor began to quietly spread throughout Vladimir.

—Boss Zhong Guo has gone bankrupt! She has spent all her money and is in huge debts. Now she can only maintain appearances by relying on bank loans.

— Hurry up and withdraw all your deposits from the Far Eastern Development Bank, or you won't get a single penny back.

During the coldest part of winter, a sudden run on banks broke out.