Chapter 104 Competitors have other people who want to buy the production line
Dong Xinghua watched Xu Heye sitting at her desk, scribbling on a pile of bankbooks. "Isn't the money enough?"
"It's okay, I have an idea." Xu Heye already had a general idea in his mind.
The next morning, Dong Xinghua accompanied Xu Heye to the school to ask for leave. Buying a production line was not like buying scraps of cloth, and she could not make the decision alone.
Before leaving, Xu Heye put all the passbooks into her bag. After thinking for a while, she also put the supply contract signed with her elder sister and the small notebook recording her odd job wages into her bag and took them with her.
Chen Yuru was a little unhappy: "Mr. Xu Heye, it's almost the final exams, and you're still asking for leave? Why does a student have to do this?"
Dong Xinghua had no choice but to put on a smile and said, "Teacher, I'm sorry, there's really nothing I can do. But don't worry, my He Ye studies very hard and she won't neglect her studies."
"Alright then." The parents insisted on asking for leave, and the head teacher had no choice but to reluctantly approve the note. He then said to Xu Heye, "Xu Heye, the final exams are only three days away. Time is tight and the workload is heavy. Don't forget to review even if you're on leave at home, understand?"
"I understand. Don't worry, I won't forget to review at home. Thank you, teacher."
After the two of them emerged from Chen Yuru's office, Dong Xinghua let out a long sigh and said to Xu Heye, "Your homeroom teacher looks over a decade younger than me, but her aura is so intense that I can barely breathe." She recalled her poor academic performance back in school, and her fear of the teacher was like a cat to a mouse. Twenty years later, she still looked like this when facing the teacher.
Xu Heye laughed: "Aunt, my head teacher won't eat you."
"It can't eat me, but I'm just afraid of it. I feel afraid when I see the teacher." So when the school teachers of her two children asked the parents to come, she asked Pang Li to come forward.
After taking their leave, the two went straight to the garment factory where Qi worked. Old Qi was waiting at the factory gate and hurried to greet them when he saw them coming.
His eyes fell on Xu Heye, and he frowned and said to Dong Xinghua, "Big sister, checking the production line is a big deal. Why did you bring a little girl here?"
Dong Xinghua was about to explain when Xu Heye smiled and shook her head. "Uncle Qi, I pestered my aunt to come here. I heard that Jiangcheng Textile Factory is the largest garment factory in Hucheng, and I wanted to come and see it."
Qi@ had initially thought Dong Xinghua's bringing a child was insincere, and his expression was somewhat grim. But after hearing Xu Heye's words, his expression finally softened. Indeed, their Jiangcheng Garment Factory was indeed the largest in Hucheng. In its heyday, it employed around five to six thousand people.
"Children are just curious," he muttered, turning and walking back into the factory. "Come on, I'll show you around. Our garment factory covers quite a lot of land. But you can only wander around the outside; you can't just wander into the workshops that are currently in operation."
"Don't worry, I won't be a naughty kid."
"Naughty kid?"
"He's just a naughty kid who loves to do bad things."
"Haha, this word is quite appropriate." Lao Qi laughed out loud.
The three of them wandered around the factory. Dong Xinghua asked, "Lao Qi, we've finished touring the factory. Can you take us to see the production line now?"
Lao Qi nodded, a little hesitantly: "Of course, I can, but sister, I'm afraid you don't have a chance. As soon as the news of this production line was released, many people came to see it, including some with deep pockets."
"It's okay." Dong Xinghua glanced at Xu Heye. "We didn't expect to be able to settle down just by coming here."
"Let's go take a look first, and we'll discuss other things later."
"Okay, follow me." Lao Qi led the two of them to the east, passed two workshops, and saw a circle of people outside a factory building from a distance.
Men, women, young and old, all wearing blue factory uniforms, looked into the factory with different expressions on their faces, some frustrated, some distraught, some numb, some angry... In short, there was not a trace of joy.
"Who are those people?" Dong Xinghua asked, with a not very good expression on her face.
"That production line needs to be sold," Lao Qi sighed. "If the production line is gone, the workers on it will also be laid off."
There's no way around it. The factory isn't doing well. Some workshops have been taking rotating holidays since last year, but constant holidays aren't a big deal. Workers work ten days, take twenty, and get paid a pittance each month. It's a struggle, barely enough to survive.
After discussion, the factory leaders decided to stop some production lines, lay off some employees, and let everyone find their own way out.
During this period, everyone was arguing about which production line to stop.
Everyone knows that if a production line is shut down, the workers on that line will be laid off. Therefore, no one wants their production line to be shut down.
The trend was unstoppable. No matter how loudly and fiercely the workers argued, the factory still made a decision the day before yesterday.
Once the production line stops, the factory can't just leave the machines it bought there unattended. Like people, these machines need to be moved around regularly to stay well maintained. If they're left unused for the entire rainy season, some parts will probably rust.
So as soon as the production line stopped, the factory released the news of selling the production line.
Selling production lines and equipment has become a common practice for these state-owned factories in recent years. Many private entrepreneurs are eyeing these factories, ready to buy these good products back at a low price.
After the three of them walked in, a worker who knew Lao Qi saw him approaching with strangers and asked, "Lao Qi, who are these two?"
Lao Qi was a little embarrassed, but he still said directly: "This is Ms. Dong Xinghua, and this is her niece. They are here to see the equipment."
As soon as Lao Qi finished speaking, the worker who had just greeted him instantly looked gloomy.
"Oh, I'm here to look at the equipment too."
"That too?" Xu Heye frowned slightly. Lao Qi also understood the key point, "Are there others coming?"
"Why isn't anyone here? There's already one person inside." The man scoffed. "Besides, you only brought one person with you."
He glanced at Dong Xinghua and Xu Heye, his tone barely concealing his malice: "These people are like cats smelling fish or dogs stumbling upon shit. They just come here because of the smell."
Dong Xinghua and Xu Heye: "..."
Both of them were a little unhappy, but they didn't say anything. After all, the production line had been sold, and the workers' layoffs were a foregone conclusion.
The other person's rice bowl is about to be smashed, and he is not allowed to say something sour.
It was impossible for Lao Qi to blame these colleagues. Besides, although he brought Dong Xinghua and Xu Heye with him, he couldn't help feeling sad for the others.
Now is not the time to cut down on warehouse managers, but if the entire factory goes out of business, can he, the warehouse manager responsible for incoming and outgoing goods, still continue to do his job?
"Make way, make way." Lao Qi led the way in front and led Dong Xinghua and Xu Heye in.
Xu Heye took a quick look and found that there were indeed quite a few machines on this production line, even more than Dong Xinghua had said. The most eye-catching one was the automatic cutting bed at the end of the production line.
Beside the production line, four men stood facing each other.
Two men were wearing Mao suits. One was older, in his fifties or sixties, with a serious expression, looking like a factory leader. The other was younger, in his forties, standing slightly behind the former, likely holding a lower position.
Opposite them stood two men, one old and one young.
The older one was dressed inconspicuously, with a pot belly and a crew cut, and a shrewd look in his eyes. The younger one was wearing a suit, shirt, and tie, with pomaded hair in a 3:7 split, a traitor's style. He held a briefcase and looked respectable.
The two men looked at the machines, their eyes full of determination to win, but their faces still showed a look of dissatisfaction.
Especially the younger one.
"Deputy Director Zhang, the price you're asking is ridiculous. Forty thousand? That's a lot of money for a bunch of old scrap metal. My boss might as well buy a new machine. Look at this sewing machine. It's covered in dust. It must be at least five years old. And this model, isn't it an old model that has been outdated for a long time?"
Deputy Director Zhang was a little angry, but he still asked patiently, "Then how much can you offer?"
The young man glanced at the boss and raised two fingers. "Twenty thousand."
"Twenty thousand?" Deputy Factory Director Zhang's face fell. "Twenty thousand is impossible." He pointed to the automatic cutting machine not far away and said, "I bought it at the end of the year before last for fifteen thousand. It's a new machine, so it should last ten or twenty years without any problem."
The young man shook his head. "That's not how it's calculated. Deputy Director Zhang, it's normal for new machines to be expensive. But yours has already been used once. Once it's used once, it's half the price. If you use it for a year or two, it's half again."
"Our boss is willing to pay 20,000 yuan because you have an automatic cutting machine. Other items, like sewing machines and overlock machines, are not expensive when new, and second-hand ones are even less valuable, especially when they're old machines that have been used for so many years."
"Twenty thousand is already a high price for our boss. If we didn't have this automatic cutting machine, the most we could get for these scrap metals is twelve thousand."
Twelve thousand, to buy forty or fifty machines, this is not a half-price discount, it's a broken bone, a broken kneecap, no, a broken ankle.
Deputy Factory Director Zhang's face darkened. "I don't think you're here to buy the machine sincerely. You're here to cause trouble. Go away, I won't sell you this machine."
If he were to sell it at this price, he might as well just drag it to the factory gate and sell it off.
These days, ordinary people pay attention to the three turns and one ring when getting married. He dragged it out and sold it cheaply, and there was no doubt someone would want it. No matter if it was second-hand, if you took good care of it, cleaned it, and touched up the paint, what difference would it make with a new one?
Seeing that Deputy Director Zhang was completely angry, the older boss with a pot belly immediately tried to smooth things over: "Xiao Shen, look at you, can you speak?"
Then he immediately said to Deputy Director Zhang, "Director Zhang, this little Shen is a young man who has just entered the society and can't speak well. Please be magnanimous and don't argue with him."
"Regarding this price, if you think 20,000 is too low, can we discuss it?"
"Hmph." Deputy Factory Director Zhang sneered. "There's nothing to discuss. You guys, don't treat me like a fool. I'm not selling this machine."
What young boy can't speak?
At his age, he has seen all kinds of people. He can tell at a glance that the other person is a ghost. The old man and the young man are singing the same tune, giving a slap in the face and a sweet date in return. Do they really take him for a fool?
"Director Jiang, please show me around," Deputy Director Zhang said, turning to leave. He still didn't believe he couldn't find a suitable buyer.
The boss got anxious. Why did Deputy Director Zhang have such a temper?
Everyone in business starts with a high price and then pays back a low price. If he thinks the price is too low, he can negotiate again!
Seeing that the person was about to leave, the boss with a pot belly hurriedly said: "Director Jiang, look at what this has caused. Please help us persuade Director Zhang. We really want to buy this batch of machines." Especially the automatic cutting machine, it would be a good deal if we bought it.
Director Jiang frowned, glanced at the boss, and lowered his voice, "Boss Wu, you're going too far. Didn't we agree on this before we came? The factory's base price was 30,000, and you asked for 20,000, cutting it in half, and you said it so harshly. Who would be happy to hear that?"
Although the machines in their factory are old, they are carefully maintained every year. Some of them are not 100% new, but at least 90% new. If you call them junk, not only Deputy Director Zhang, but even he will be unhappy.
Boss Wu: "Yes, Director Jiang, it's us who are not good at speaking that irritated Deputy Director Zhang."
"But Director Jiang, we really want to make this deal. Please be more diplomatic with Deputy Director Zhang. It will be good for you if the deal is done, right?" Boss Wu said, making a money-twisting gesture with his right thumb on his index finger.
"Okay, don't forget what you promised me." Director Jiang said, holding back his anger and catching up with Deputy Director Zhang to speak well of them.
"Director, Director Zhang." Director Jiang quickly stepped forward and grabbed Deputy Director Zhang. "Please don't leave in such a hurry."
"If we don't leave, are we going to let them disparage our machines like this?" Deputy Factory Director Zhang looked at Director Jiang coldly. "Director Jiang, look at these two people. They're only interested in profit and are full of lies."
Director Jiang: “…”
He sighed, "Oh, my Director Zhang, only those who dislike the goods are the buyers."
"Who doesn't want to buy better products at a lower price? It's because these two people came to buy our machine sincerely that they tried so hard to find faults and try to lower the price."
"In business, they always ask for a high price and pay a low price. They didn't actually intend to buy our machines back for 20,000 yuan. Isn't that a bargaining process?"
Deputy Director Zhang remained unmoved.
"I can't bear to see such a good thing go to waste by selling it to them."
Director Jiang: “…” Everything is about to be sold, what else is there to be reluctant about?
But who can blame Old Zhang for his high position? Director Jiang could only coax him: "Director Zhang, it's because we're reluctant that we have to sell it."
"Machines break down if they're not used. We don't have that many orders right now, and we don't need these machines. If we don't sell them and leave them here, they'll just keep getting worse and worse. Sooner or later, they'll just become a pile of junk. Only when we sell them can we really put them to good use."
Deputy Director Zhang remained unmoved.
He looked down on these two people.
"Director Zhang, I know you look down on Boss Wu. But brokers like Boss Wu buy low and sell high, profiting from the difference. If these two don't work, another one won't necessarily be any better than the current one, old and young."
"I didn't tell you, after we released the news about selling the production line, a lot of people called to inquire. Boss Wu is willing to offer 20,000, which is good. Some people are even willing to pay only 80,000."
"And—" Director Jiang glanced at the workers outside the factory gate, "Whether the machines are sold or not, the workers' layoffs are a foregone conclusion. Selling the machines will give everyone more compensation, right?"
Deputy Director Zhang sighed and compromised.
And laid-off workers do need compensation.
Twenty or thirty thousand yuan isn't much, and even less when divided among each worker, but it's better than nothing. Deputy Director Zhang's eyes moistened. How could such a glorious state-owned enterprise have come to this point?
Not far away, Boss Wu and his lackey, the man in a suit, were watching this scene from afar.
The man in the suit subconsciously looked at his boss and winked at him.
"Boss, will this deal fail?"
In the past, the two of them played the good cop and the bad cop. The boss would belittle him and then flatter him a few times, and those factory directors and leaders who boasted of their noble status would feel embarrassed to argue with him. Why didn't it work with Deputy Factory Director Zhang?
Boss Wu shook his head and signaled his men to be quiet. He was not worried that Deputy Director Zhang would not sell. With Director Jiang around, the deal was bound to be successful.
The 1,000 yuan red envelope he promised to Director Jiang was not given for free.
Otherwise, why is he the only one who can come in here to negotiate the price?
Sure enough, with Director Jiang's persuasion, Deputy Director Zhang's originally serious expression turned into helplessness.
Boss Wu knew that this matter would be successful.
At this moment, a crisp sound suddenly sounded in the factory.
"Director Zhang, I'm willing to pay 30,000 yuan to buy the entire production line and hire workers on this line to produce clothing for us."
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