Chapter 96 Unreasonable demands that I let you come and study!

The factory's technicians were debugging the machines, the workers were receiving technical training, and the factory was developing at an astonishing pace, with construction in full swing every day.

However, there are some problems. The mechanics transferred from other textile factories in the province are not skilled enough, and the technicians who graduated from the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University have only learned a little bit and have no application skills at all.

At this point, the presence of Xu Anguo and others becomes very important, as they are responsible for handling thorny issues.

Xu Anguo is a seasoned veteran; he feels exhausted.

"Director Qin, this can't go on. You need to ask your superiors for more manpower, specifically experienced and skilled workers."

Qin Xiangxiang was extremely annoyed by him. Applying to higher authorities would definitely not get them any key personnel. Who would want to give away the key personnel trained in the factory? Those sent away were all half-baked.

So annoying.

—I had no choice but to do it myself.

Qin Xiangxiang decided to start teaching classes. With the materials her mother had sent last time and the key points compiled by Li Jianzhi, she personally led a team to debug the machines. As a result, she discovered that she really was a genius.

The requirements for the factory's machinery can be roughly divided into three parts: first, equipment installation; second, process parameter adjustment; and third, troubleshooting.

The first part, equipment installation, is the simplest; even a newly graduated technician from a school can easily get started. The third part, troubleshooting, requires the experience of a master technician. It's like solving a math problem; everyone has learned the solution method, but if you can't figure it out right away, you have to rely on practice to become proficient.

Qin Xiangxiang's personal strength lies in adjusting process parameters. At this time, there was no control system to automatically calculate and set the parameters with one click. It all depended on the workers' skills and experience.

During the debugging process, trial production was also carried out. With Qin Xiangxiang on the side providing technical oversight, the process parameter adjustments were handled very well.

Calculate... calculate a lot, and you'll become more skilled.

Later on, you can adjust it directly by feeling, without having to calculate.

"Do you know what this is? It's like a candy counter salesperson grabbing a pound at a time."

Qin Xiang wanted to go back and complain to Li Jianzhi, but actually she found adjusting the process parameters quite fun. She always had a tortoise-like mentality, adjusting slowly and without rushing. As a result, the machines she adjusted did not make mistakes, and the process was faster than that of other masters.

The onlookers were filled with admiration for her.

"Director Qin is so young, yet he's more capable than the veteran technicians."

"You don't understand, this really depends on God's blessing. Some people just can't be adjusted no matter what."

She received amazement from those around her, but Qin Xiangxiang wasn't happy at all; this ability didn't seem to be anything to brag about.

While Qin Xiangxiang was debugging the machine, Li Jinling was also participating in the female worker training. Little Suisui also came to the factory. The baby stroller that Qin Xiangxiang had bought before came in handy. After some modifications, Suisui stayed in the stroller every day, making it convenient for adults to push her around.

Many female family members from the residential compounds signed up to work there, so an agreement was reached with the county transportation team to arrange two fixed shifts a day between the compounds: one to the factory at 7:00 AM and one back at 8:00 AM; and another to the factory at 3:00 PM and one back at 4:00 PM. This would make it much more convenient for the female workers to commute to and from work.

Aside from the long-shift work from 8 am to 5 pm, the other female factory workers and mechanics still work in four shifts and three shifts a day, with three shifts on and one on off, alternating between morning, evening, and night shifts. Shifts change at 8 am, 4 pm, and midnight. If they can't make it back at night, they stay in the temporary dormitory overnight and take the 8 am bus back the next morning, or they can ride their bicycles back.

"Hello, Director Qin, I am Xie Yuedong, the military representative stationed at the factory."

"Hello, Comrade Xie."

The newly arrived military representative stationed at the factory, Xie Yuedong, is a burly man standing at 1.8 meters tall. He is responsible for liaising with the military and accepting job assignments for demobilized military cadres and retired soldiers.

The security department and other departments of the textile factory needed male workers, including electricians, boiler room workers, mechanics, etc., and all of them needed to be employed by veterans.

At the same time, the factory also needs to arrange for a certain number of local educated youth to work there.

At that time, most state-owned factories were like this, with a complex workforce consisting of veteran skilled workers, family members of workers, educated youth, worker-peasant-soldier students, and veterans.

After the main factory building is completed, the factory will gradually add a nursery, a clinic, and an activity and cultural room. When there are more employees, a school for the employees' children will also be built.

"Currently, there isn't even a daycare center. We've set aside a space in the cafeteria as a childcare point, where two caregivers help look after the children."

Qin Xiangxiang: "The second floor of the canteen is currently empty and will be used as a classroom for the time being. Factory school teachers will be arranged to give free lessons to the female workers."

...

Qin Xiang felt her head was about to explode as she tried to reassign employees and handle various matters. She wasn't physically tired, but mentally exhausted. The only consolation was that her salary had been changed to the factory manager's salary, which was eighty-one yuan a month.

Having worked so hard to prepare for so long, she must earn this 80 yuan a month salary for several more months.

"Director Qin, can I tell you something?" Gao Rong called out to Qin Xiangxiang, who had come back with her in the car, when they arrived at the family compound.

After getting married, Gao Rong lived with her parents-in-law, Political Commissar Gou and his wife, and signed up to become a female worker in a textile factory, where she is currently undergoing training.

"Director Qin, I just got married and I'm probably going to be pregnant and have a baby soon. Could I work only day shifts?"

Qin Xiangxiang said, "If you are pregnant, you can be temporarily transferred to the day shift."

“But I’ll have to take care of my child after I have one. What I mean is… can I keep working day shifts?”

Qin Xiangxiang said, "Then you should take a job that only involves day shifts."

Comrade Xiao Qin thought to himself, "That was also my dream job."

"No, Director Qin, you didn't understand what I meant. I want to go to the workshop, but I only want to work the early shift."

The female workers in the workshop earn high wages, with a minimum of fifty-five yuan a month. Even Qin Xiangxiang, a junior factory manager with no experience, only earns eighty-eighty yuan a month. The basic wages of female textile workers working three shifts are really high.

There are also many other ordinary positions, with most paying between 33 and 36 yuan a month, and salaries are unlikely to increase.

Only skilled workers, such as female technicians in workshops, can accumulate seniority and raise their wages to seventy or eighty, or even over a hundred, per month.

In an era when thirty yuan could barely feed a family of four, an extra twenty or thirty yuan in wages meant doubling one's income.

Qin Xiangxiang said, "It's impossible to just assign you the early shift unless you find someone to switch shifts with you. You need to discuss it privately and resolve it voluntarily."

"This...this is such a hassle. Look at my situation, my grandmother has difficulty walking and is in a wheelchair, and my mother-in-law is getting older. I also have to take care of my grandmother who has difficulty walking at night. Director Qin, please help me. My family is really in a difficult situation. Please give me a special arrangement and, considering my family's difficulties, only schedule me for the early shift."

Qin Xiangxiang almost laughed in anger when she heard this. That old lady Gou was still pretending to be lame, and Gao Rong in front of her was also shameless.

"You want a high salary but don't want to work three shifts. There's no such thing as a free lunch. You'll be on the shift with the schedule. If you want to swap shifts with someone, do it privately. The factory can't force someone to work the night shift for you."

"You can either go to work the long day shift and take the low wage, or you can find two more people on other shifts and agree that you will only work the morning shift, and the other two will only work the evening and night shifts respectively, taking turns to rest. This is a private matter between you two."

Gao Rong: "How could we possibly find that? Besides, the class monitor wouldn't agree, as it would affect the entire class's evaluation for excellence."

Qin Xiangxiang was speechless: "You know very well that the class monitor wouldn't agree to only assign you the early shift."

“But my family is really struggling financially… My younger brother is just a temporary worker and isn’t married yet. My family is also having financial difficulties, so I want to earn more money to help them out.”

Qin Xiangxiang said, "Comrade Gao Rong, I suggest you go home and sleep; you'll dream about it faster that way."

There's no reason to have it all.

After saying that, Qin Xiangxiang ignored Gao Rong and went upstairs on her own. She felt like she had met the worst kind of person! Damn, even someone as terrible as her felt like she had met the worst kind of person.

"Li Jianzhi, I suddenly feel like I'm so understanding."

“Back when I was in the workshop, I didn’t even have the face to ask my mom to only schedule me for the morning shift. Who wouldn’t want to work the morning shift? Who would want to work the night shift and stay up all night? My heart couldn’t take it if I stayed up all night every day.”

Of course, Qin Xiangxiang also wanted to be assigned only to the early shift, but if she dared to make such a request, her mother, Zhou Aodong, would definitely scold her to death.

Now that she's the factory manager, she can understand her mother's thinking. The factory can't make an exception just for one person. If everyone from poor families can only work the early shift, who will work the late and night shifts? Either no one will work, or the honest people will be the ones who have to make the sacrifice.

Li Jianzhi listened to her complaint with a smile: "That makes sense, we think about it and you're right."

"He's increasingly showing the demeanor of a factory manager."

"Even the most outstanding individuals will be defeated and crushed when they encounter Director Qin."

Qin Xiangxiang was amused by him, but being a factory manager did indeed bring a sense of accomplishment, and hearing the compliments from those around her made her feel happy... Sigh, but a drama queen like her shouldn't indulge in these "low-level pleasures".

"Stop saying nice things to coax me, Li Jianzhi. Don't you know that honest advice is hard to swallow?"

Li Jianzhi: "Alright then, our factory director Qin Xiangxiang's work still needs improvement."

Qin Xiangxiang said, "Give me some honest advice."

“You should be more assertive to avoid people making these unreasonable demands. There’s no need to argue. Just reply with ‘according to the rules and regulations.’”

"If you keep worrying about these unreasonable demands every day, you'll exhaust yourself."

"We were too kind of her, even offering her solutions. Do you think she'll listen to you? She practically expects you to solve everything."

Qin Xiangxiang: "I feel like you're insulting me."

Li Jianzhi: "???"

“I used to wish I could rely on my mom to solve everything.”

Li Jianzhi: "...Very good, Comrade Xiangxiang, you have developed the ability to reflect."

“Li Jianzhi, I think I’m in the wrong position. I shouldn’t be the factory manager. I should be the one who makes unreasonable demands of the factory manager.”

Li Jianzhi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Qin Xiangxiang: "What are you laughing at?"

"Comrade Qin Xiangxiang, this shows that you have become stronger. You can skip the steps and directly and boldly carry out your 'unreasonable demands'."

"As for whether your unreasonable demands can be met, that depends entirely on your skills as a little drama queen."

Qin Xiangxiang was silent for a moment, then said, "That's true."

Honest and law-abiding people will only wrong themselves, while those who dare to make "unreasonable demands," like Gao Rong, will accept rejection if they are rejected, and if they succeed, it won't be a loss for them at all.

Qin Xiangxiang raised her chin: "Let's just get by, each according to our own abilities."

"By the way, I need to contact other textile factories and tell them that we have talented technicians and the most advanced imported equipment, so that they can send their best technicians to learn from us!"

When she asked for help, people were reluctant to help. Now that the little devil has figured it out, she thinks: I'll change my approach and let you learn from me!