Xu Damao went to the auto repair shop that evening and found that the staff on duty were still very serious. Perhaps it was because it was new, but they were all very excited, as if they had to catch a spy and make a great contribution before they would be satisfied.

Liu Haizhong, who went along, also took advantage of the situation, grabbing the staff member on duty and shaking their hand incessantly. Fortunately, he did bring some gifts, so everyone refrained from getting angry and cooperated with Liu Haizhong's performance.

"Da Mao, do you think my recent performance has been alright? Can I get a promotion?" On the way home, Liu Haizhong made a request for a promotion and a raise.

"Second Uncle, even if you hadn't come to me today, I was planning to. Your recent performance has indeed had some commendable aspects, but it also has many shortcomings."

I heard that you've recently become a bit detached from the masses and started indulging in bureaucracy and hedonism.

"Some people complained that they wouldn't respond when called by name in the workshop, they had to call you Director Liu, and you couldn't use the 'Deputy' part; others complained that the workers had to serve you your lunch in the canteen, and you were too lazy to queue up yourself," Xu Damao said.

Xu Damao's words were not unfounded; someone had indeed reported it, and Xu Damao had deliberately asked this person to provide the information. The matter wasn't as serious as Xu Damao made it out to be, but Liu Haizhong was extremely prone to getting carried away; he could fly away without a leash.

Old Liu is useful to Xu Damao at the auto repair shop; at least he can help Xu Damao keep things quiet in the courtyard. But he also needs to be disciplined at all times.

As Xu Damao narrated, Liu Haizhong, who had been sitting in the sidecar of the tricycle with his belly protruding and head held high, suddenly had his belly deflate and his head almost disappeared into the cargo bed.

Liu Haizhong knew himself that those things were true and he couldn't refute them. But the labels of bureaucracy and hedonism were too much for him to bear; he might be subjected to criticism and struggle sessions.

"Da Mao, you have to save me! I was just being lazy that day, how did I get all this attention?" Liu Haizhong said.

Xu Damao pretended to ponder, but inwardly he was overjoyed. If it were Yi Zhonghai or Yan Fugui, they wouldn't believe it at all, but the center of the bangs wasn't that fine.

“Second Uncle, you did it, so you have to clean it up yourself. In the future, try to get along better with the workers in the workshop, and take care of your own affairs personally. I think the people will forgive you in time,” Xu Damao said.

The two talked as they walked home. Just as they entered the courtyard house, Yan Fugui came to inquire about the situation again. Now, both members of his family work at the auto repair shop, and they care about it even more than the steel mill.

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The investigation into Song Yucheng's embezzlement and theft case lasted for a week. While the auto repair shop suffered only minor losses, aside from some building materials, almost every workshop in the steel rolling mill suffered losses, reflecting lax internal management.

Under Xu Damao's intervention, the security department of the auto repair shop finally completed all its tasks within a week, and all the ordinary staff members except those who were arrested were confirmed to be safe. The new head of the security department was a middle-aged man named Ding Guangnan, recommended by Tong Shuai, who had also worked in the security department for many years.

Since all department heads had been appointed, Xu Damao specially invited anti-corruption and anti-theft staff from the branch office to give a training course to all middle and senior-level cadres, which can also be regarded as a way to strengthen internal management.

After the training concluded, Xu Damao immediately convened a meeting of middle-level managers.

"Comrades, you are all aware of what happened at the auto repair shop and the steel rolling mill. The criminals have now been caught, but this has exposed serious problems in our management process."

For example, our personnel system. The selection and appointment process is merely a formality, lacking in-depth investigation, which allows many people of questionable character to join our ranks.

For example, there's the issue of our security department. Those who should be supervising others have become thieves themselves.

For example, there's the issue of dereliction of duty by our middle-level managers. This time, many workshops in the steel rolling mill were burglarized, but no one in the workshops was aware that anything was missing from their own workshop. This reflects that our managers lack understanding and familiarity with the workshops.

All of these problems can be summarized in one word: chaotic internal management.

To address this issue, we will be conducting a thorough review of the company's internal management over a considerable period of time, and then implementing relevant policies.

Xu Damao shared his ideas on strengthening corporate management. In fact, he had already drafted a framework for an internal management system, but it needed to be filled in by each department according to their actual work.

"Does anyone have any further comments?" Xu Damao asked as usual.

"Director Xu, let me say a few words," said Zuo Chang'an, who was sitting to Xu Damao's right.

"I completely agree with what Director Xu just said. To be honest, I haven't been at our auto repair shop for long, but I've already noticed that some of my colleagues lack a strong sense of organization. Some colleagues in the workshops like to make decisions on their own without the approval of their supervisors, and they are too arbitrary in their use of power."

I want to strengthen internal management, and the first thing I need to do is to keep these workshop directors in line with the normal procedures for reporting their work. We can't wait until things get serious before we come to the leaders for help.

For example, if the person in charge of security knew about something before doing it, would it be that serious? I don't think so. The person in charge would have noticed the potential for corruption and would have intervened to stop it.

The current situation is that the workshop directors have unlimited power, while our factory leadership is just a figurehead, there to clean up your messes. If something goes wrong, they drag the leaders down with them; if nothing goes wrong, they throw the leaders far away.

Zuo Chang'an has been having a really tough time lately. He went from being the head of a powerful general affairs department to a deputy factory director in name only, in charge of workshop operations but lacking any real technical knowledge.

The workshop supervisors made their own decisions on minor matters, but reported major matters directly to Xu Damao. Xu Damao had previously suppressed Zuo Chang'an, a troublemaker, because he wanted to get rid of him.

It was unexpected that someone who had always kept a low profile would suddenly emerge at this critical juncture, which surprised the department heads and deputy heads.

"Does Director Gao have anything to say?" Xu Damao asked.

"No," Gao Yan said simply.

"Okay. Many of the issues that Director Zuo just mentioned do need to be taken seriously. Li Tong, please write down these opinions and make sure they are reflected in the subsequent internal management system. The internal management office will take the lead, with the personnel department and logistics department cooperating, and each workshop participating in the formulation."

If no one has any further comments, today's meeting is adjourned. Oh, and after it's over, Director Zuo, please stay behind for a moment," Xu Damao said.

Everyone else looked at the deputy factory director, who had been being rubbed and rubbed by Xu Damao, with sympathetic expressions. Was he going to be rubbed again?