Liu Li's proposal for "employees to raise funds" was like pouring a ladle of cold water into a boiling oil pan, instantly causing an uproar throughout the entire Hongxing Factory. Before the factory administration had even made a formal decision, rumors had already spread at an astonishing speed to every workshop, every office, and every household.
Trust, something that seems invisible and intangible in ordinary times, has now become a huge and cold chasm between the factory leaders and thousands of employees.
In the rest area of the machining workshop, the workers sat together in a tense atmosphere.
"Fundraising? Easier said than done! That's our hard-earned money, every single penny we've saved! What if we lose it all? The factory's in this state, how are we going to pay it back?"
"Exactly! A new product? Who knows if it's just empty promises to fool us? What if we invest money and can't sell the product? Who will we complain to then?"
"I doubt it! These days, nothing is reliable! It's always safest to keep your money in your own hands!"
An experienced worker took a deep drag on his cigarette and sighed heavily. "It's not that I don't trust Director Liu; she's capable and has done well for the factory. But this is money! It's money for our children's tuition, our parents' medical care, and our family's livelihood! Who dares to gamble with this?"
In the foundry, the discussions were even more direct.
"You want us to pay to save the factory? What are their factory leaders even good for?"
"Exactly! The factory is in this state because of their mismanagement! Why should we workers be made to take the blame?"
"They say it's voluntary, but who knows if they'll find a way to force you to spend money later? Any talk of profit sharing sounds unreliable!"
Even the second group of lathe operators, who had previously benefited from the implementation of the new management methods and had great faith in Liu Li, were now filled with hesitation.
Young worker Li confided in his foreman, "Foreman, it's not that I don't trust Factory Manager Liu, but... but this is my savings for getting married..."
Squad leader Lao Chen frowned and patted Xiao Li on the shoulder: "Let's take another look, let's take another look. The factory has to give us a clear answer."
In the canteen and the staff quarters, similar discussions, concerns, and doubts could be heard everywhere. The dependency mentality formed by decades of "iron rice bowl" jobs, intertwined with disappointment with the factory's current state and uncertainty about the future, created a powerful resistance. Getting workers to invest their meager savings—the very savings needed to support their families—in a project with an uncertain future required not only courage, but also unwavering trust in the factory management and the project's prospects.
Such trust seems especially fragile and precious in a time when even wages cannot be paid.
The atmosphere within the project team was equally somber. Although Zhao Qiang and Sun Mei supported Liu Li, they also felt a lack of confidence in the face of such enormous resistance.
"Team Leader Liu, the reaction from below... is even more intense than we expected." Zhao Qiang rubbed his hands, his face grave. "Many people don't distrust the product, they just don't believe... that the factory can succeed."
Sun Mei also expressed her concerns: "Yes, everyone has lost confidence in the factory. They feel that investing money is just throwing money down the drain."
The discussions Zhang Shulan overheard in the female workers' dormitory were even more direct and sharp: "They all say this is going to drain everyone's last bit of savings, it's like drinking poison to quench thirst!"
The pressure, like an invisible boulder, pressed down on Liu Li from all sides, as well as on the entire factory leadership team. Opposition came not only from the grassroots level, but also from some mid-level managers who explicitly expressed their disapproval, believing the move was too risky and could easily trigger a mass incident; stability was paramount.
Liu Li stood by the office window, watching the flow of people pouring out of the factory gate at the end of the workday. Most of those familiar faces wore expressions of exhaustion, confusion, and worry about the future. She knew that what she had proposed was not just a fundraising plan, but an extreme test of the Hongxing Factory's cohesion and the employees' confidence.
If this chasm of trust cannot be bridged, and the start-up capital cannot be raised, then all previous efforts and hopes will be completely in vain. The great ship that is the Red Star Factory may really sink in the near sea at the last moment when it sees the lighthouse on the shore, due to the lack of the final push.
The test of trust was cruel and direct. It tested Liu Li's resolve, the factory leaders' courage, and even more so, every employee of the Hongxing Factory—whether, in dire straits, they were still willing to stake their most precious possessions for that sliver of hope.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com