Seeing that they were quite cooperative, Chen Qing felt much better: "Also, I want to talk about the toilets. The toilet outside the workshop must be renovated. This can't wait. Please have the logistics staff in the factory take charge. Purchase lime for thorough disinfection, repair the roof to prevent leaks, and ensure that there is basic lighting inside, at least one light bulb. Along the way from the workshop to the toilet, build a simple, windproof covered walkway. I will check this in a week. After the toilets are finished, make sure that the workers have at least one toilet break per shift, even if it's just fifteen minutes."

Yu Ziqiang and the others were taken aback.

Regarding this, people speculated that Director Chen was from the capital and couldn't get used to the toilets here, which is understandable.

She was born in Guangzhou, grew up in a machinery factory, and later moved to the capital. As for her, what kind of hardship could she endure?

Chen Qing continued, "Could the factory build two simple water-boiling stoves in each corner of the workshop to ensure there is hot water available all day? We should collect the scraps of cotton and cloth and ask the family committee to help sew some thick curtains to hang at the workshop doors and main vents. Every little bit helps. This small expense should be prioritized from the pilot project start-up funds."

Yu Ziqiang nodded repeatedly.

This is the simplest thing.

Following this, Chen Qing gave the Tsinghua University students a short period of self-study, believing that they could discover the problems themselves. Afterward, Chen Qing began to coordinate resources from all parties.

The machine, acquired with the 1.2 million yuan pilot funding approved by the ministry, had to be developed in her hands like dough, expanding to its maximum potential.

Chen Qing made countless phone calls and approved countless notes. Because he was in Director Yu's office, he watched as Chen Qing managed to expand the company's funds to the equivalent of 1.8 million yuan through technical cooperation, material allocation, and the replacement of planned quotas.

The primary task of the extra 600,000 is to fill the gap in the food, clothing and other necessities for the more than 100 newly added personnel.

Yu Ziqiang: Awesome!

As an observer, he watched Director Chen coordinate resources from all sides to make money work for him. As someone who came to help, she really did not take advantage of the internal resources of Hongxing Garment Factory just because she had more people.

Instead, she used her money to make everyone feel at ease to stay.

but……

The director's health doesn't seem to match.

Chen Qing felt as if he was moving between the factory clinic and Yu Changzi's office.

The fever kept recurring, my steps felt unsteady when I walked, and I occasionally felt dizzy when looking at people.

The damp, cold wind seeped in everywhere, penetrating right into her bones.

When Secretary Zhang arrived at the guesthouse, he had never seen her so weak. He asked cautiously, "Director, the writers from all over the country have arrived. Would you like to go see them?"

"Look!" Chen Qing said to Secretary Zhang, "Prepare a large porcelain jar of ginger and brown sugar water for me."

Then, carrying a hot water bottle, wearing a thick mask, and taking a notebook, he went to the factory's meeting room, which was temporarily serving as a reception area.

The room was filled with people, some sitting, some standing, all gathered around.

These are cadres and experienced workers from impoverished factories across the country.

"Director Chen!"

Upon seeing her enter, everyone quickly stood up.

The woman closest to her, about forty years old, had cheeks red from the cold. Upon seeing Chen Qing, she quickly grabbed Chen Qing's hand, wanting to make an impression on her leader: "I am Wang Xiuqin from Bazhong Hongqi Clothing Factory. I'm so glad to meet you!"

But when she touched Chen Qingbing's cold and slightly trembling hand, and looked at the pair of eyes above the mask that were unusually bright due to fever but also tired and bloodshot, she couldn't help but soften her tone: "You've worked hard."

"It's alright, it'll be over soon." Chen Qing patted her hand reassuringly, then glanced at the crowd in front of him: "Comrades, you've come all this way, it must have been tough for you, you've really worked hard."

Everyone said it wasn't hard work.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Qing asked everyone to sit down, and she sat down as well. She took off her pen cap, opened her notebook, and said, "We're short on time, so let's not talk about trivial things. What are the most pressing difficulties in your factories right now? Tell me one by one. There are mainly three things: people, machines, and materials. Also, what are you best at making? What are you most worried about selling? You can write to me about your private matters."

This is tantamount to implying to everyone that if there are any problems or other issues with the leader, they can write to her to complain.

A few people's eyes flickered.

At the same time, her direct and pragmatic attitude put everyone at ease.

The Chen Qing we knew from the newspapers was always a talented and flamboyant person. But now, in close contact, everyone could tell that she seemed to be sick. Our attitude towards her suddenly changed. Now she is a director, a position that is hard for everyone to imagine, yet she is still working hard for impoverished areas. Her pure dedication alone is enough to move everyone.

Everyone was familiar with their factory's operations, so they reported to Chen Qing one by one.

As Chen Qing listened, she took notes rapidly, pausing every now and then to rub her head. The ginger tea in front of her kept getting cold and being replaced repeatedly.

Outside the window was an unfamiliar winter night in the Bashan Mountains, cold and silent.

But in this room, a rudimentary blueprint, originating from the Red Star Factory and connecting several impoverished factories, was gradually becoming clearer as she moved her pen.

The group chatted until late at night before leaving.

Chen Qing stayed in the supply and marketing cooperative, covered with a quilt, and worked for three days.

Three days later, the person finally regained their energy.

After she recovered, she immediately convened a meeting with representatives from the Hongxing Garment Factory, Tsinghua University students, and impoverished factory workers.

Chen Qing stood in front of the temporary meeting room, with a large table drawn overnight hanging on the wall behind him.

The left column of the table contains the core problems reported by representatives from each factory.

For example, old machines can't handle fine work, scraps pile up, skilled craftsmen can't make trendy designs, goods in the warehouse don't sell, and there's no money to buy new materials, workers can do the work but can't calculate costs, and so on.

The top horizontal column of the table reads: Task Force, Transformation Team, and Integration Team.

The meeting room was packed with people: key personnel from the Red Star Factory, Tsinghua University students, and representatives from various regions, all focused on that chart.

“We have a lot of people and we are united, but we can’t just rush in and reorganize. We’ll form groups of five, with one Tsinghua University student acting as the penman, responsible for recording, calculating, and drawing, and four comrades from different factories responsible for analysis and learning.”

Chen Qing took out his notebook and began to read: "The first group is led by Qing Da Liu, and the members are Master Zhao from Jiangjin Factory who is proficient in old-fashioned knitting machines, Technician Sun from Daxian Factory who is familiar with gear transmission, and Old Zhou, the machine repair team leader from our Hongxing Factory."

She began calling out names and assigning tasks; once a name was called, a small group of people automatically gathered together.

The five people stood obediently at the front.

Chen Qing patted the table on the blackboard: "Your topic is the first item on the table. The old machine can't do fine work. The task is to thoroughly understand a representative old sewing machine within a week, draw a diagram of its capacity limits, and come up with at least two feasible solutions that 'do not change the core components, but only make clever modifications to improve accuracy or speed.' The solutions must be accompanied by illustrations, and the budget should not exceed fifty yuan."

All five of them were stunned.

I sense difficulties are approaching. (End of Chapter)