Chen Rong is such a strong-willed person, doesn't she have any shame left?
The fat man quickly stopped him: "Brother-in-law, didn't you tell me before that you wanted to go into the sea? Now your chance has come!"
The older generation often resists new things that they cannot understand.
For example, Chen Gangqiang and Zhou Haiqin resisted "going into business," and in another time and space, the fat man's parents resisted "computers," and so on.
Zhou Haiqin blurted out, "Why would you go into the sea for no reason?"
Even Chen Gangqiang chimed in, "Yeah, you and the eldest brother each took over one of our jobs. How much did the second and third brothers complain back then? And now, they're just giving up their secure jobs like that?"
The fat man was also anxious: "Hey, Mom and Dad! Look at me, my restaurant is doing pretty well now, isn't it?"
Zhou Haiqin shook her head: "You have a skill and know so many spiritual guides, but what does your brother-in-law have?"
"My brother-in-law is also skilled! He understands craftsmanship and management; he's more than capable of being a workshop foreman!"
The family loved to hear this. Not only did Cao Zhengyang feel proud, but even Chen Gangqiang agreed.
The eldest son-in-law has a persistent, inquisitive streak. He's always thinking about improving himself, but he doesn't seem to notice how bad things are at the factory. The workers are just getting by, going to work on time and leaving on time, slacking off and just waiting to clock out at 6 pm so they can go drinking and playing cards with their cronies…
But Cao Zhengyang never did that. Every night, he would read books or study blueprints when he had nothing to do.
Seeing his parents' strong reaction, the fat man couldn't tell the truth anymore and could only adopt a roundabout strategy: "Brother-in-law, what kind of blueprints are these? Can I take a look?"
"Hey, what's the big deal? It's just a part."
As Cao Zhengyang spoke, he handed over the blueprints. The fat man unfolded them and saw that they were standard three-view drawings. He had studied mechanical drawing and could understand them.
This part is quite complex; it's hollow and requires rotational machining. Fatty looked at the blueprints and said to Cao Zhengyang, "This thing is quite precise."
"That's right! This is used in cars; factories simply can't produce it."
This is where things get interesting: "Is it because of the technology or the equipment?"
Cao Zhengyang sighed: "You know, it's just that the equipment is too outdated. They're all big, clumsy machines. How can they do such delicate work?"
"If we have the right equipment, brother-in-law, can you process this?"
When it comes to his expertise, Cao Zhengyang exudes a strong sense of confidence: "Even with the current equipment, I can get it done. Give me two more days, and I'll definitely succeed!"
Putting down the blueprints, the fat man said to his parents and eldest sister, "You all see this, right? My brother-in-law is a talented person. Continuing to stay at the Red Star Factory will only bury his potential. You all asked me what my brother-in-law could do in business, right? The answer is in these blueprints!"
There's a guy in our department named Xu Damao. He used to work at our factory, and we have a good relationship. This guy is ambitious and quick-witted; he's determined to start his own factory. He plans to invest 150,000 yuan to set up a parts factory, but he can't find a partner who understands both the processes and management. My brother-in-law is practically tailor-made for him!
What the fat man said makes a lot of sense.
But Chen Gangqiang still had concerns: "Fourth brother, setting up a factory isn't that simple. You need land, equipment, and workers—it's so complicated! 150,000 yuan sounds like a lot, but it's just a drop in the ocean when it comes to a factory! The most crucial thing is that once the factory is up and running, it still needs to get jobs. How can such a small factory compete with a big factory like ours?"
The fat man gave Chen Gangqiang a thumbs up: "Dad, you've finally hit the nail on the head. Hongxing Factory is like an aircraft carrier. It's big, but it's inflexible. There are too many rules and regulations, the equipment is outdated, the system is old-fashioned, and the workers' enthusiasm is low. These are like shackles tightly binding it, restricting its development."
The fat man took a sip of tea and continued, "But the parts factory is different. It's like a speedboat; a small boat is easy to turn around! The Red Star Factory produces whatever the higher-ups plan for; but the parts factory? It produces whatever the market demands. That's its biggest advantage—small, fast, and flexible, making it very competitive in the market!"
The fat man's words struck a chord with Cao Zhengyang. "The reform and opening up has begun; the planned economy is transitioning to a market economy!"
Seeing this, the fat man quickly pressed his advantage: "Besides, my brother-in-law isn't going to work for him. He still has a funding shortfall, so let's help him out! That way, we'll have a share in the factory, and we'll be the bosses too!"
Looking for a job? Just talk to... cough cough, being your own boss would be great, of course. This time, not only Cao Zhengyang, but even the eldest sister is tempted.
But she looked worried: "But Xiaokang, how much money will we need to invest?"
The fat man thought for a moment and said, "It should cost at least fifty or sixty thousand."
Old Chen asked him, "Five or six?"
The fat man made a decision: "Six. But don't back down yet. Money is a small matter. When I opened the restaurant, my older sister and brother-in-law gave me all their savings without hesitation. I've treated that money as shares. If my brother-in-law is willing, I'll cover the 60,000 yuan!"
Chen Rong refused without even thinking: "No, no, your restaurant is just starting to do well. Don't be silly!"
The fat man was both amused and exasperated by what she said. How could he have been acting so ridiculously?
※※※※※※
The first round of negotiations ended in failure.
When the fat man got home, he found that Yu Li hadn't returned yet, and couldn't help but ask Chen Mengqi, "Where's your mom?"
"She's still at the restaurant. She just called to say she's doing the accounts and will be back later."
The fat man was still worried, so he rode his bicycle to the restaurant again.
Upon entering, it felt incredibly dark. All the lights in the lobby were off, except for a lamp still lit in a corner.
Yu Li and Aunt Pang were checking the accounts when they saw Fatty and asked in unison, "What brings you here?"
Instead of answering, the fat man asked, "How's business been these past two weeks?"
Yu Li was very excited: "It's been a hit beyond our expectations! We've sold over 1,000 sweet and sour carp alone!"
Previously, the most expensive dish at Qili Pavilion was sea cucumber, followed by prawns. Now, sweet and sour carp has replaced prawns and become the second most expensive dish.
A single sweet and sour carp sells for 4.8 yuan, so 1,000 of them would cost nearly 5,000 yuan!
No wonder Yu Li was so excited.
The fat man, worried that she was being overly optimistic, couldn't help but say to her, "This number is way inflated. That amount is roughly what every table ordered. At first, everyone came because of the reputation and the novelty. In the next two weeks, the amount will definitely drop, so don't be too disappointed."
These words were nothing new to Li, as her husband was just like that, almost like a charlatan; but Aunt Pang heard them quite differently.
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