Chapter 99 The New Owner of the Dairy Factory
When it came to distributing money, the dairy factory, which was usually slow to act, immediately became efficient.
When He Changyi sat on the stage in the factory's auditorium, less than 24 hours had passed since she declared that she would personally hand out wages.
The hall was filled with attendees, all staring intently at He Changyi, their fervent gazes making the entire auditorium feel hot.
For the people of Eka, who have a severe lack of time management skills, it is quite difficult to arrive at the auditorium on time, since the original meaning of "now" in the Eka language is "at present one hour".
In other words, "now" is considered to be within an hour.
When the minute hand of the clock struck the agreed-upon payday, not a single person in the entire auditorium was late!
He Changyi glanced around and raised an eyebrow without making a sound.
—It seems he's not beyond saving yet.
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmier walked over, wearing an overly formal brown suit that looked like something from twenty years ago.
“Ms. He, the dairy factory should have 579 employees, but 436 are present. Some of the absent employees are out of town, some are sick, and some are doing odd jobs... Their wages can be collected by others on their behalf.”
He Changyi asked, "Is there a power of attorney?"
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir was taken aback. "A letter of authorization? No, we don't need those. Everyone here knows each other, there won't be any problems."
He Changyi then asked, "How can you guarantee that these workers who didn't come will receive the wages collected on their behalf?"
Before Deputy Factory Director Lyudmier could say anything, He Changyi spoke first: "I can't just hand over wages to people I don't know. I need to be responsible for my workers."
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir then asked, "What you said makes sense, but how are you going to pay the wages to these absent workers?"
He Changyi countered, "If workers can't even do the most basic thing like going to work, then what's the point of paying them wages?"
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir was speechless.
He Changyi said, "I will settle all the wages owed by the factory in the past, but starting today, only those who work will receive their wages."
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmila murmured, "This will be a major transformation..."
He Changyi offered a half-hearted consolation: "Change is always better than bankruptcy. They'll get used to it."
The auditorium, which could originally accommodate a thousand people, was now only half full, and the workers in the audience, dressed in shabby clothes, greeted each other familiarly.
"Have you heard? This new shareholder is from China!"
"It's truly enviable; their development has actually surpassed ours."
"Zhongguo is only ten years ahead of us. Maybe we will develop even better in the future!"
"The future? Hmph, we have no future, we've been betrayed!"
They criticized the current government, then Gorbachev, and finally the United States. The topic shifted countless times, but eventually returned to the starting point.
"She's so young! Don't people in China ever age?"
"Is that word pronounced 'he'? She's like a teenager! My youngest son, who's in high school, looks more mature than her!"
"Too young... Can she handle it? I mean, can she keep the dairy plant running smoothly?"
"Don't worry about any of that! I don't care about anything else, as long as she pays me my salary, even if it's just a month's salary!"
Curious, suspicious, cautious, probing, hostile...
All sorts of gazes converged, eventually focusing on the young woman in the center of the stage.
She appeared excessively calm and composed, as if the more than four hundred people in the audience did not exist.
But her eyes were clearly looking at them.
She saw each and every one of them.
That gaze was chilling, like a sharp knife piercing the heart.
After Deputy Director Lyudmier announced the opening, the new boss took the microphone and spoke in perfect Emei dialect:
“I am He Changyi. As you know, I have acquired 51% of the shares of the dairy factory, which means that from now on, I am the controlling shareholder of this factory and the new owner of the dairy factory.”
The audience was completely silent; everyone was waiting for her to say something.
The new boss abruptly changed the subject, "I know you're all thinking, 'Forget it, we don't care who bought the factory, even if a dog is sitting on the stage, it doesn't matter. Don't waste our time, let's get to the point—hey, you're not going to hold meetings from morning till night like those old fogies in the Alliance Political Bureau, are you?'"
She spoke so vividly that some workers in the audience were amused, but many more wanted to laugh but didn't, instead focusing even more intently on this excessively young and beautiful new boss.
Some people thought to themselves that she should be in a beauty pageant instead of becoming the new boss of a 579-worker factory on the verge of bankruptcy.
Although she doesn't look like a bad person.
But do they really lack good people these days?
As the laughter subsided, the new boss spoke again.
"So, what really matters?"
The new boss's gaze slowly swept across the entire room, and everyone she looked at instinctively sat up straighter.
"It is the wages earned through one's own labor, the pension that one can rely on in old age, the medical insurance that allows one to go to the hospital when sick, the new cotton-padded clothes worn in winter, and the heating at home."
"But you don't have any of these."
The auditorium was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was watching He Changyi, from the factory leaders on the stage to the workers in the audience, and even the mischievous children peeking in from the doorway.
Those words really hit home.
The dairy factory had been struggling for years, barely managing to stay afloat with government funding in previous years. Even with its heavy debt, it didn't have to worry, as the government would bail it out. But since the alliance dissolved and the new government implemented new economic policies, the factory was forced to "wean off" overnight. Government funding turned into loans, leaving it heavily indebted, like a vegetable being pulled from its tubes.
Look at these workers here, their cotton-padded clothes are showing through, there is no heating, their faces are ashen from the cold, they rely on shivering to get warm, and their body hair is used to keep them warm.
Everyone says that a thin horse has a long mane, but so do people.
They wallpapered their walls with newspaper, grew potatoes on their balconies, ate the cheapest pet food, and survived in the wilderness of an industrial city.
The auditorium felt like an ice cave for a moment, and the temperature wasn't much better even without heating.
Someone stood up and asked loudly, "We really have nothing, but what can you do?"
He Changyi also stood up, her hands pressed on the stage, looking strong and confident, able to make her voice carry throughout the entire auditorium even without a microphone.
"There is a lot I can do."
She announced loudly, "I will pay you the wages that have been owed for the past twenty-one months, make up for your unpaid pension and medical expenses, and pay for the heating in the family quarters and staff dormitories this year—it will be a very warm winter, I promise."
Some people in the audience had already started to cheer quietly, and even the most serious and rigid workers showed joy on their faces.
The person asking the question managed to hold on and asked again, "How can you prove it? After all, the distance between saying and doing is as far as the distance between Earth and Mars. The former factory manager and director told us the same thing, but they still abandoned us in the end."
He Changyi replied, "I don't need to prove it."
The cheers stopped in astonishment.
Under the gaze of everyone, He Changyi said, "I will not prove anything, much less prove myself. As for what kind of person I am and what I will do, you can see with your eyes and listen with your ears to find the answers for yourselves."
As soon as she raised her hand, bodyguards on both sides of the stage came up carrying huge boxes.
The box was extremely heavy, making a loud thud when it was placed on the table.
In front of everyone, He Changyi yanked open the box, revealing stacks of brand-new rubles to countless eyes.
It's money!
The auditorium erupted in cheers! Everyone stood up, pushing and shoving forward, craning their necks and standing on tiptoe to get a better look.
The overhead lights on the platform shone on the rubles, creating a dazzling halo that made it almost impossible to see the fascinating banknotes clearly.
Someone shouted, "My God, what she said is actually true!"
Someone laughed: "I don't care if she's lying or not. As long as she's willing to give out money, I'd even be willing to give her my vote!"
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir said anxiously and worriedly, "This is too sudden! We are not prepared! This will cause chaos! There are more than 400 people in the auditorium right now!"
He Changyi said, "Don't worry, nothing will happen."
A group of heavily armed bodyguards stood between the podium and the audience seats, while others guarded the entrance.
No one could break through this defense to desperately stuff rubles into their pockets, nor could anyone sneak out to pass the message to the big and small gangs.
Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, everyone present became excited, no longer as wary and skeptical as before, and the atmosphere was lifeless. He Changyi raised his hand and slammed the lid of the box back on, covering up the banknotes that were shining brightly.
Everyone: ? ? ?
Once the workers had calmed down a bit, He Changyi slowly asked:
"The question now is, what can you do for me?"
The workers were clearly a bit confused, but some of the quick-thinking ones spoke up first:
What do you want us to do?
"As long as we get paid, we'll do whatever you want!"
"That's right, if you want to run for president, my whole family will vote for you!"
He Changyi was amused.
"That sounds great, but that's not what I want."
She said seriously, "What I need you to do is very simple: come to work on time, follow the rules, complete your work, do not steal, do not drink alcohol, and do not fight—at least not on the factory premises."
Someone asked uncertainly, "Is it really that simple?"
He Changyi nodded: "It's that simple, but only those who can do it can stay."
The worker understood a different meaning from those words.
"What if we can't do it?"
He Changyi calmly said, "I have prepared a layoff plan."
The crowd, which had been blinded by the ruble, has now completely calmed down and is looking at the young new boss with a completely new perspective.
Her demeanor may not seem tough, but her heart is harder than diamonds and more unmeltable than polar ice.
When the boxes full of rubles were opened again, everyone lined up and took turns collecting their owed wages.
The new boss personally handed out wages to the workers, reading out their names, memorizing their faces, and shaking hands with them.
She remembered them, and from this day forward, all the dairy workers will remember their new boss.
Her name is He Changyi.
When distributing the overdue wages according to the employee list compiled overnight by the lawyers and auditing team, He Changyi recalled the question that Deputy Director Lyudmir had asked her before—why did she insist on personally distributing wages to all the workers?
He Changyi handed a stack of banknotes to the flattered worker. He was so nervous that he wiped his hands on his pants before nervously accepting the money. He then carefully extended his arm and gently shook hands with her before leaving with a satisfied smile.
He Changyi smiled, picked up the money, and handed it to the next eager worker.
Only when she stands before everyone will they know who they work for.
It was only at this moment that the 51% equity stake was finally realized.
He Changyi began to truly take control of the old factory.
A factory is more than just buildings and land, or machinery and equipment; more importantly, it is the aspirations of the people.
He Changyi smiled as he looked at the factory leaders whispering not far away.
These veterans, who had been working at the factory since the Alliance era, never expected their new boss to pull such a stunt. She bypassed all the steps, like a bulldozer at full power, rumbling and crushing all possible traps.
A strange, foreign, abrupt, amateurish—overly shrewd, new boss.
She doesn't seem easy to handle at all.
Those who had initially looked at her with skepticism and disdain have now become much more restrained, and they have begun to re-evaluate the young woman.
Even if they were unwilling, they had to admit that she was a formidable woman.
Damn it, why did a powerful and wealthy foreigner suddenly appear at the auction? She has far more vouchers in her hand than they had prepared in advance!
With 51% equity and one and a tenth of each share warrant, she was able to produce warrants for 210,000 shares at once!
Among this group of veteran factory leaders, some began to consider defecting, some were still hesitant, and some hardliners whispered angrily:
"Does she think she can manage the whole factory by herself? She doesn't even know how to separate butter from milk!"
Standing next to He Changyi, Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir said cheerfully, "You've made some people start to panic."
He Changyi countered, "Ms. Lyudmila, whose side are you on?"
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir winked at He Changyi, “We don’t usually say it so bluntly, but I have to admit that I still prefer working with women.”
He Changyi smiled and extended his hand to her.
"Then I wish us a pleasant cooperation."
Deputy Factory Director Lyudmir grasped her hand and said firmly:
"I believe our cooperation will be very pleasant."
He Changyi began to implement sweeping reforms to the dairy factory.
She sent people to dismantle the dairy plant's old equipment and ship it all back to China to sell as scrap steel.
These old-fashioned facilities have been operating for thirty years. Due to the original factory manager's neglect of disinfection and sterilization, milk stains have formed a thick patina, which explains why locals say that the products produced by the dairy factory have a foul smell.
To reduce costs, He Changyi spent $500,000 to purchase second-hand production lines from Europe, including pasteurization, homogenization, filling, and packaging equipment. Although they were second-hand, the technology was not too outdated, and could even be considered advanced in Oros at that time.
While waiting for the production line to arrive, He Changyi also had the factory thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, renovated, and its cleanliness level improved. He also provided rigorous training to the operators.
The operators were very uncomfortable. They were all experienced veterans, how could they be judged by a group of young trainers from Europe? Those guys just had impressive academic credentials, what did they know about milk!
What does it mean to wear a mask, head covering, and work clothes before entering the workshop? It also means strictly prohibiting alcohol consumption, smoking, spitting, blowing your nose, and, most importantly, urinating or defecating indiscriminately.
—Are you kidding me? Would they really urinate in the tank in public?!
Even a fool knows to pee secretly when no one is around!
They're not those brewery idiots who would piss in their own drinks!
But even if they cursed him in their hearts, no worker dared to openly defy the trainer.
There's no other reason than that the new boss really does fire people.
Alas, the wonderful alliance, the wonderful lifetime employment system, are gone forever.
It wasn't just ordinary workers, but also factory leaders who outwardly complied but inwardly defied the rules.
The die-hards among the factory leaders stubbornly resisted the new boss's reforms because they seriously damaged their interests. They couldn't even freely siphon money from the accounts, which was outrageous. Who didn't know that the so-called factory was actually the factory leaders' private wallet?
They cannot even use their power to extract kickbacks from workers!
Since the factory was established thirty years ago, the Slavic men have never suffered such injustice!
The new boss's idea of implementing reforms within the factory is a pipe dream!
The factory leaders were extremely resilient and used a variety of methods. Although they seemed simple and crude compared to Zhong Guo, they were quite cunning and treacherous according to the matching mechanism of the Slavic region.
After all, they haven't tried to physically eliminate the new boss yet—though a large part of that is due to the presence of bodyguards, cough.
However, the new boss solved it with almost no effort.
Her methods were extremely simple: with the assistance of Deputy Director Lyudmila, she vigorously promoted young and unsuccessful middle managers and brought in technical talent from outside; at the same time, she completely restructured the management structure, abolished old departments, established new departments, redistributed authority, dispersed personnel, and diluted and dismantled the power base of the original factory leaders.
After a series of dazzling maneuvers, the factory leaders were completely sidelined before they even understood what directors, supervisors, senior executives, audit committees, executive committees, or Western-style management were.
It wasn't until they sat down in their new office, which had a "Consultant" sign hanging on the door, that they realized what was going on, but it was too late.
A leader who has lost power always deserves to be trampled on a thousand times.
Ignoring them is already considered good; open mockery and flattery are the most common tactics. There are also former subordinates who took the opportunity to retaliate. Soon, these factory leaders could no longer stay.
The new boss presented the terms in a friendly manner, as if he were dealing with workers who wanted to urinate in the workshop.
—Whether you leave voluntarily or are forced to leave.
On one side is a generous one-time buyout of seniority compensation, and on the other side are bodyguards eyeing the job with predatory intent, as well as the bias of the local police. Even a fool would know which side to choose.
The new boss sat calmly behind her desk, casually kicking the person out of her factory without even getting angry.
A ruthless yet benevolent ruler.
She never got angry, never roared, and never lost her composure.
Then she reached out and easily grasped the reins of the entire factory.
From then on, no one could rival her.
While everyone thought the new boss had won a bloodless victory, He Changyi was furiously gripping the microphone.
"What? The bank said they're closed today because it's a pre-holiday holiday, so they won't be handling any business?!"
"But if I don't transfer the money to the freight company today, they'll charge an extra 0.5% penalty every single day!"
"Damn banks!"
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Author's note: "Political Bureau" is not a typo (...)
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