"I..."
Zhang Guoqiang's Adam's apple bobbed, but he ultimately pursed his lips and did not deny it.
His hands, hanging by his sides, curled up slightly and then relaxed, as if he were suppressing some kind of emotion.
Zou Qianqian put her hands on her hips, straightened her back, and looked at him with dissatisfaction.
"No wonder my dad always says you're so stubborn! What kind of deputy factory director are you? You're practically throwing yourself into a fire pit!"
"I didn't want it to be like this either."
Zhang Guoqiang sighed heavily, his brows furrowed, and he looked at Zhou Qiqi with guilt and earnestness in his eyes.
"Comrade Zhou, let me tell you the truth."
"Don't be fooled by the fact that our No. 1 Textile Factory looks glamorous on the surface. In reality, since the policy of unified national sales was abolished last year and replaced with 50% of sales to be handled by the factory itself, our products have been unable to sell, inventory has been piling up, and we have suffered serious losses."
He spoke slowly, and every word he uttered carried a heavy weight.
"We couldn't pay wages in the first half of the year. I had to talk myself hoarse and rent out two spinning machines in the factory to a township enterprise in exchange for some money so that everyone could barely afford to eat."
At this point, he suddenly clenched his fist and slammed it into his palm.
"I've investigated it, and the root cause is that our factory doesn't have a good fashion designer. Although the quality of our products is absolutely up to standard, the styles are all outdated and old-fashioned, which can't compare to the variety of other clothing factories."
His voice unconsciously rose in pitch.
"For the past few months, I have been searching for talent in this field, but I haven't found anyone I'm satisfied with yet."
Until he saw Zhou Qiqi's design.
He had been working at the No. 1 Garment Factory for four or five years and had some understanding of clothing.
His eyes lit up instantly at first glance—that design was truly ingenious!
With just a simple modification, the ordinary clothes were immediately upgraded several levels, becoming more exquisite and stylish than the clothes he had seen in Huadu and Shanghai!
It could even be said that it was several years ahead of the prevailing aesthetic standards in the market!
He stared intently at Zhou Qiqi, his eyes filled with certainty.
He was 100% certain that Zhou Qiqi was the talent he wanted!
They also believe that only a talented designer like Zhou Qiqi can revive their No. 1 Garment Factory.
After listening to Zhang Guoqiang's words, Zhou Qiqi lowered her eyes slightly, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes as she fell into deep thought.
Zou Qianqian, however, pursed her lips.
"Cousin, why bother? Your factory manager is always away on business trips, pretending to be dead, and dumping all the factory's affairs on you. Why are you so worried? You can just lay off most of the staff."
"No matter how many layoffs there are, they won't affect you, the deputy factory director, and you'll still get your salary."
Zhang Guoqiang stubbornly shook his head, his eyes resolute.
"Qianqian, your parents are both cadres. They've never experienced hardship growing up. You don't understand. You're too inexperienced. This isn't about money. It's about responsibility and commitment. There are hundreds of employees in the factory, and behind them are hundreds of families. If we lay off people, how will these families survive? Are they all going to starve?"
After speaking, he took a deep breath, straightened his back, and bowed very solemnly to Zhou Qiqi, bending his waist at almost a ninety-degree angle.
"So, no matter what, I still implore you, Comrade Zhou, not to refuse so quickly. Please consider it more. You can make any requests you have, and I will do my best to fulfill them!"
Zhou Qiqi quickly returned the greeting, but then smiled and said...
"Brother Zhang, according to you, the factory can't even afford to pay the basic wages of ordinary workers twenty or thirty yuan, yet you're asking me for a hundred yuan? Aren't you just making empty promises? Like hanging on a donkey cart? You can't get it no matter how hard you try!"
As she spoke, she imitated a donkey pulling a millstone, her head bobbing up and down, looking playful and cute.
Zhang Guoqiang and Zou Qianqian were taken aback at first, then burst out laughing in unison, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere.
Zhang Guoqiang scratched his burning earlobe and took out a pen from his pocket.
"I'll write a guarantee right now! It'll be in black and white with my fingerprints on it. If I breach the contract, you can go to the police station and sue me!"
"Absolutely not, absolutely not."
Zhou Qiqi covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"We'll talk about work later, but I'd like to see what kind of factory it is that could drive the deputy factory director to this point. I wonder if Director Zhang could give me a tour?"
"No problem!"
If they were willing to visit the factory, it meant there was still room for negotiation. How could Zhang Guoqiang refuse? He immediately found a phone booth and made a call to the factory.
Not long after, a farm tricycle slowly drove up.
"Cousin, don't you have big trucks at your factory? Why are you using this kind of vehicle to pick people up? It's so shabby."
Zou Qianqian frowned, her face full of disgust.
"There's no other way, gas is too expensive."
Zhang Guoqiang shook his head with a wry smile, then took off his suit jacket and carefully laid it on the car seat for the two ladies. He then asked the "driver" to get off the car, grabbed the foot pedal, hunched over, and drove the two ladies toward the factory.
The No. 1 Garment Factory in G City is located in the east of the city, surrounded by several other factories.
Once upon a time, the First Garment Factory was the most prestigious, and its factory gate was the most impressive.
A large cement relief five-pointed star, with colorful glass mosaic inlaid at the top, and the words "First Garment Factory" written in Song typeface below.
The policies have changed in the last two years, and the factory has been losing money. The signboard has not been repaired, and the originally bright red lettering has faded to a light red.
Surprisingly, the glass was still crystal clear, indicating that it was regularly maintained.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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