Chapter 236 Just a Job: The Solution is Simple
Section Chief Fang opened his mouth, as if to say that such a thing would never happen.
But they had just witnessed the farmers surrounding the development company demanding an explanation; if she said that again, it would be a classic case of blatant lying.
So, after opening and closing his mouth several times, Section Chief Fang finally said, "It's not that bad. It's just that our comrades in Hongxing Village were too hasty in their work. If they had explained things properly, it wouldn't have turned out like this. As you've all seen, the farmers here in our science and technology park are very understanding and cooperative with national policies."
Wang Xiao smiled but didn't say anything.
Section Chief Fang felt he still had some capacity to spare, so he made another effort: "Once the compensation is in place, the demolition of Hongxing Village will definitely not be a problem. Besides, your 750 mu of land does not include Hongxing Village."
Wang Xiao maintained her smile and sighed softly, "I'm afraid the farmers won't want money, they just want the land."
Section Chief Fang waved his hand: "That's not true. Money is a good thing, and everyone wants it."
As soon as she finished speaking, the commotion outside started again.
Even Section Chief Fang wanted to pinch his own philtrum this time. When will this ever end?
The second wave of farmers who rushed to the development company came from Heping Village, Tuanjie Township.
Wang Xiao asked Section Chief Fang with a puzzled look, "The land in their village seems to be the same land we just looked at, right?"
Section Chief Fang felt he needed to pinch his philtrum to face the farmers: "What's wrong now? Didn't we already reach an agreement? Are you changing your minds again?"
The leading farmer had gray hair and was the typical image of a stubborn old man.
He shook his head vigorously: "No, no, you've given us compensation for the demolition, but how are we going to survive? You've taken all our land, how are we going to eat?"
Section Chief Fang tried to explain: "In the future, factories will be built here, big factories. Factories will hire workers. Isn't being a worker more comfortable than being a farmer?"
But the farmers weren't buying it: "Oh, they're talking about hiring, but which factories are hiring, and how are they hiring? Is there any explanation?"
Section Chief Fang was speechless.
The land leasing process is not yet complete, and it's unclear which companies and factories will be moving in. How could she possibly know which companies are hiring or what kind of people they're looking for?
She was truly exasperated by these farmers; couldn't they have a broader perspective?
"No matter what factory is hiring, they all need to hire people. With so many factories, are you worried about not finding a job?"
"No way!" The farmers were clearly not buying into empty promises. "Unless you arrange our jobs right now, we won't give up an inch of our village."
Section Chief Fang's smile froze: "What you're saying is unreasonable. If you refuse to relocate, the factory can't be built, and naturally you can't recruit workers, so where will the jobs come from? Only if you relocate first will there be jobs."
But farmers believe that what's in their own bowl is theirs, and they demand that their interests be guaranteed now, and that they get the job first.
Section Chief Fang was instantly at his wit's end; he couldn't make sense of it no matter what he said.
Mr. Hu was also alarmed, but the issue of employment was more difficult to resolve than the compensation.
As Section Chief Fang said, jobs will only be available once the demolition is completed and the factory moves in.
Now, without even a workplace, how could I possibly have a job?
Then the leader of the farmers suddenly asked, "Why isn't there a work unit here? Isn't your development company a work unit? Why can't you hire us?"
Everyone present was stunned.
Grandpa, you really have a wild idea.
Section Chief Fang was utterly speechless: "What can our unit do if we hire you?"
With the spirit of "the bolder the man, the greater the harvest," the farmers were fearless: "Whatever you do, we'll do too. It's just going around to talk to people about demolition and relocation. We know more people than you do."
Wang Xiao almost burst out laughing while listening.
Brave people should enjoy life first; perhaps this will truly change the lives of the villagers in Heping Village.
However, she was just enjoying the spectacle, while the development company involved was already furious and couldn't possibly go crazy along with them!
Are you kidding me?
In the conference room, at an impromptu meeting of the development company's middle and senior management, Section Chief Fang was the first to object: "This is absolutely unacceptable. Our company simply cannot afford to support so many people in one village. Moreover, once this precedent is set, other villages undergoing demolition will definitely follow suit. At that point, our demolition work will be impossible to complete."
The other middle managers echoed this sentiment, agreeing that this door absolutely could not be opened.
But the farmers were still gathered outside, and they wanted to work.
You can talk to them about all sorts of principles, but they won't listen. They're not willing to wait; they want the problem solved right now.
One official complained: "These farmers still have a small-farmer mentality and their awareness is too low. Why can't they wait? We can't even pay our wages right now. Did we run away? We still go to work every day. Really, if they had any higher awareness, they wouldn't need to wait for the Pudong development; they could develop on their own."
The soundproofing in the prefabricated room is terrible; if you speak even slightly louder, the people in the next meeting room can hear you clearly.
Wang Xiao wanted to roll her eyes at this.
Indeed, people from different social classes do not live on the same Earth.
No matter how far society develops, the question of "why not eat meat porridge?" will always remain.
Standing on moral high ground and demanding that farmers sacrifice like cadres, don't you think you're incredibly shameless?
Besides, can the sacrifices of farmers and the sacrifices of cadres be considered the same thing?
Yes, the development company is currently unable to pay salaries. Financial crises manifest in many ways; there are countless companies struggling to pay salaries right now, it's not unusual.
But are the leaders and executives of the development company really worried that their company will default on its debts?
Won't.
Because they knew very well that as long as the company got out of trouble, the salaries would be paid back immediately, and there would be additional bonuses to thank everyone for their sacrifices.
If it were farmers, who could guarantee that they would definitely benefit from the development zone and have stable jobs in the future?
They even criticized farmers for lacking a broader perspective and foresight.
Farmers have suffered losses too many times, and have been suffering losses all along, so they try every means to secure as much benefit as possible for themselves.
After all, even decades later, they are still owed wages.
Local governments can withhold all allocated funds, regardless of their intended purpose, and use them to pay public officials' salaries.
When migrant workers go to demand their unpaid wages, they not only see no one to help them, but they are also labeled as "maliciously demanding unpaid wages."
Even assuming everyone is broke, is it more likely that farmers will be able to borrow money, or that officials with secure jobs will be able to borrow money?
Wang Xiao wanted to shake her head; she felt that these officials were unlikely to solve the problem by holding a meeting.
Because your perspective is flawed, your thinking is all wrong.
Fortunately, the top leader of the development company wasn't completely out of touch with reality and spoke up fairly: "You can't say that. Land is the farmers' means of production. It's normal for them to be anxious and uneasy if their employment issues can't be resolved. The key now is to address their concerns."
The young woman responsible for pouring tea for Wang Xiao and the others quietly entered the conference room and whispered a few words to Section Chief Fang.
Section Chief Fang gestured to his superior: "I'm currently receiving General Manager Wang, who said she has a way to solve the work problem. I'll go ask her."
President Hu said, "Don't ask anymore, I'll personally invite President Wang to come over and give us some advice."
As he spoke, he actually got up and walked out of the conference room.
He had been surrounded by villagers from Hongxing Village and hadn't noticed Wang Xiao and the others. Otherwise, he would have at least greeted them.
Later, he wanted to come over and say hello, but then he ran into the matter of Heping Village in Tuanjie Township, so he couldn't say hello.
So this time, he took the initiative to apologize to Wang Xiao and Ivanov: "I'm really sorry, I was impolite. I was so confused and made a fool of myself in front of you two bosses."
Ivanov said it was fine; any great undertaking in its early stages involves dealing with things as they come. If you figure everything out from the start, it only proves that the project is devoid of surprises and predictable from the beginning.
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "The fact that the farmers are looking for the development company proves that your organization is responsible. If they didn't trust you, why would they waste their time?"
The younger generation present all sighed inwardly, "The big boss is indeed a big boss; just listen to the art of his speech."
What does it mean to turn a funeral into a celebration? In her opinion, even being surrounded by farmers during a demolition project deserves a grand celebration with gongs, drums, and firecrackers.
President Hu smiled and said, "Sigh, we're just afraid of disappointing the farmers. They are all hardworking people, not troublemakers or scoundrels."
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "It's precisely because our science park has such good leaders, such good cadres, and such good people that I'm willing to say this. I've always been a quick-tongued person, and I've suffered countless times because of it, but I've never learned to be tactful."
"Not at all." At this moment, President Hu would definitely have to flatter him with a sedan chair and human support, and could only offer words of praise, "President Wang, you are so kind-hearted and beautiful inside and out."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "I love hearing people say I'm good-looking. You can say a few more compliments."
The atmosphere in the meeting room became much more relaxed.
Zhang Junfei sighed inwardly, realizing that the same words could have completely different meanings when spoken by different people.
If Ms. Wang were a naive young woman just starting out, others would inevitably look down on her and think she was frivolous and shallow if she said these words.
But for someone of Wang's stature, saying this was like using minimal force to deflect a great weight; she deftly deflected the high praise that Hu had placed on her head.
General Manager Hu smiled and said, "General Manager Wang, you are very knowledgeable. You are aware of the situation of these farmers whose land has been requisitioned today. So, how do you think this conflict should be resolved?"
Wang Xiao was quite relaxed: "They just want to work, so just give them work."
A man wearing glasses with slightly bulging eyes said anxiously, "Oh dear, the problem is I don't have a job."
Wang Xiao smiled and said, "Yes, I do. I have work for them to do. But—"
She smiled and looked at General Manager Hu, "Let's be frank, General Manager Hu. I'm not doing this out of self-interest. How about we get a discount on the land price? I guarantee we can handle all the demolition and resettlement issues, and we will absolutely not hoard the land. We will start construction immediately once we get the land."
General Manager Hu neither agreed nor refused outright, but simply said, "That depends on whether our farmers are satisfied with their resettlement."
The company lobby was noisy, and the impatient farmers were starting to get angry: "When are you going to stop? If you don't give us jobs, we will absolutely not move, and no one will take our land away!"
"Alright, alright." General Manager Hu stepped in to take charge. "Regarding work, since General Manager Wang is here, let's discuss how to arrange things."
The farmers stared suspiciously at Wang Xiao as she walked forward; she was too young, and a woman at that.
Someone immediately looked her up and down: "You're here to assign us jobs?"
"Of course." Wang Xiao smiled broadly. "Really, I just heard that you're going to work, even after receiving the demolition compensation. I'm so happy."
The farmers suspected she was mocking their insatiable greed, while the development company employees thought she was incredibly good at lying through her teeth.
How could someone say something like that with a smile?!
Wang Xiao, however, was very sincere: "This is my first time visiting our science park. I heard that it has been planned for more than a year, almost two years. But the fields I see are all planted with wheat or rapeseed, and even the corners are planted with vegetables. I felt at the time that it truly lived up to its reputation. This land does not support idlers and has never produced any lazybones!"
The old farmer who had previously questioned her subconsciously replied, "Of course, how can good land be left empty?"
Wang Xiao's smile deepened: "That's exactly the point. Only diligent people think that way. Everyone says that our area has been a prosperous land since ancient times, and that's because the people are hardworking, and it's the result of generations of hard work."
One of the young farmers grew impatient: "Stop talking nice things, just talk about work."
Wang Xiao's smile remained unchanged: "Then I really have to finish. It's precisely because I know everyone is hardworking that I assigned them work. Really, I was so touched when I heard that everyone wanted work rather than money."
The developers wanted to facepalm. Nonsense! The principle of having enough to eat at every meal is obvious; anyone with a brain knows which option to choose.
Is this something worth praising again and again?
Wang Xiao not only felt it was worthwhile, but also praised it sincerely: "At that time, I thought that with everyone's enthusiasm, we can succeed at anything. If you are willing to work for me, I would definitely welcome you."
After rambling on for so long, she finally got to the point about work, and the farmer eagerly asked, "What do you do?"
“I’m in business,” Wang Xiao said with a smile.
The farmer who had spoken first pressed on, asking, "Are you going to help us do business?"
Wang Xiao smiled and nodded: "If you're willing, that's fine. If not, you can do something else."
Upon seeing that it was a multiple-choice question, everyone quickly asked the options, "What are they?"
"First of all, we just talked about doing business, but there is no market right now, so we need to build a market, which requires people to do the work, like building houses."
She gave an example: "I built a commercial city in Xiaozhou, Jiangbei. At that time, the whole village was working on the construction site. Those who couldn't go to the construction site were specifically responsible for logistics and cooking. There wasn't a single idle person."
The farmers were already calculating in their minds that everyone in the family was making money, which was a great thing.
but--
"The house is already built. Are you suggesting we follow your construction team and travel all over the country building houses? We don't want that."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Then you really don't need to run around everywhere. Once the market is built, you can do business there."
Half of them were interested, while the other half shook their heads: "We don't want to. What kind of business would we do? What if we lose money? Besides, what kind of business can we do here? It's not Shanghai."
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Why isn't this Shanghai? To us outsiders, Pudong is also Shanghai. But if you don't like doing business and just want to work, that's fine too. I also have a fish market, which is already under construction. Once this market is finished, the fish market will open, and we'll need a lot of people to work there. If you want to work at the fish market, that's fine too."
The atmosphere at the scene became much more lively.
Farmers feel more secure working at the fish market than doing business.
After all, no one is stopping them from doing business now; it's just that no one can imagine what kind of big business can be done here.
If it were something that could be done, someone would have done it already. Nowadays, nobody bothers to crack down on speculation and profiteering in business.
This is the fish market—
What kind of jobs are you hiring?
Before Wang Xiao could speak, Zhang Junfei had already taken out his notebook from his bag and started reading: "Our fish market is modeled after the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan, and it needs a lot of employees. The administrative departments alone are divided into the General Affairs Department, the Computer Department, the Economics Department, and the Computing Department. The General Affairs Department is further divided into Personnel, Secretarial, Shareholding, and General Affairs, while the Economics Department is divided into Accounting and Cashier..."
A peasant woman interrupted Zhang Junfei impatiently: "Being an accountant is good, then I can become an accountant. I used to be an accountant in the production brigade."
People around laughed: "You're an accountant, can you even do basic calculations?"
The farmer woman didn't seem to mind: "I can't use a calculator, but I can just press the buttons."
Zhang Junfei didn't even raise an eyebrow: "This requires at least a high school education, and the accountant needs a college diploma, or at the very least, a vocational school diploma in accounting."
The farmers immediately booed and turned off the engine, saying, "Why bother talking about such useless things?"
Graduating from a vocational high school means you're already a cadre; why are you begging for a job like there are no flies around?
“Hey, tell us what we can do.”
Zhang Junfei said calmly, "Those who don't need education are just cleaners and porters."
Some people frowned, indicating they weren't entirely satisfied.
"Can't you work in an office?"
Zhang Junfei calmly replied, "Those who work in offices all need to have at least a high school education. A lot of the goods in our fish market are imported from abroad, and those who can't understand foreign languages simply can't carry out their work."
Oh my goodness, this is a bit scary. The farmers present no longer dared to be so arrogant.
But they wanted to try again: "What about the warehouse keeper? Surely such a big fish market can have a warehouse."
Zhang Junfei readily agreed: "Warehouse inbound and outbound transactions need to be recorded by computer. People who don't understand computers can't do this job."
The farmers looked at each other, feeling both resentful and at a loss for words.
They can't exactly say they don't care about their lack of ability and just want to find a job where they don't have to do anything and get paid.
The boss had just said that he was willing to give them work because he liked their diligence.
I don't have a high school diploma, and it wasn't arranged by the boss.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Those who don't want to work can do business."
The farmers didn't respond to her question. What if they lost money in business? Farmers don't have that much capital.
General Manager Hu chimed in, "You can't have it all. This work has been given to you, so you at least have to be able to handle it and get it done. Otherwise, how can we avoid making mistakes?"
Wang Xiao spoke up again: "Don't rush if you can't make up your mind right now. The market construction will take time. Maybe once the market is built, there will be more opportunities to make money, and people won't even care about working in the fish market anymore."
The farmers were calculating their next move, but they wouldn't admit it: "No, no, that's not true. Hey boss, you've kept your word. Once the fish market is built, you'll hire us, right?"
"We're hiring!" Wang Xiao declared firmly. "Anyone who isn't a frail old man in their seventies or eighties, as long as they can work, the fish market will definitely hire them. You'll get the same salary as everyone else; you won't be shortchanged a single penny. Alright, everyone go back and discuss it carefully. Come and sign up when you've decided."
The farmers finally dispersed.
They're here to look for jobs, not to cause trouble.
Now that we have a choice, of course we have to go home and discuss it.
Yes, the job isn't that great.
But offering them easy, high-paying jobs now is just a lie. Don't they know their own limitations? They'd be better off finding a reliable, capable job.
The fish market, huh? That sounds good. At least we won't have to worry about fish at home anymore.
The development company has finally restored peace and quiet.
Wang Xiao turned her head and smiled, "The people here in our science park are really good, the leaders are good, and the common people are reasonable, hardworking, and kind-hearted. President Hu, are you satisfied with this arrangement?"
General Manager Hu had already considered this in his mind, and asked, "How many employees can your fish market provide in total? I'm worried that the residents from other villages in Tuanjie Township who are being relocated will also ask to go to work."
Wang Xiao spoke frankly: "If the land transfer price is right, I can arrange jobs for everyone in Tuanjie Township."
Wow, that's quite a boast! A township has tens of thousands of people.
Wang Xiao nodded firmly: "As long as they are willing, they can all have classes."
General Manager Hu frowned slightly, but finally made up his mind: "Then let's make it $3 cheaper."
Wang Xiao shook his head: "No, give me the original price. It's better to be lucky than early. I'm late, but I haven't delayed anything. I'll get started right away."
General Manager Hu wanted to add more: "That's too little, at least $18."
Wang Xiao still shook his head: "12 US dollars, I guarantee that everyone's work will be arranged well. Doing a good job in the relocation and resettlement work will also be conducive to the stable development of our entire science park."
Seeing that Mr. Hu was showing signs of softening, she pressed on, saying, "After all, the science park is focused on future development, not just making a quick buck."
Just as General Manager Hu was about to speak, a voice came from outside: "No way! Our science park has only allocated 4 square kilometers of land for development, so the price should be what it is."
Wang Xiao turned her head and saw a face that looked familiar.
this--
She searched her mind and suddenly realized something was very wrong.
See? See? I told you businessmen should be careful with their words and actions.
She'll suffer sooner or later because of her stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat.
The guy striding forward is none other than the diner who mocked her for not daring to eat monkey brains at the restaurant at noon.
By the way, what did he say back then?
Oh, right.
"This woman is really something else. She can get a promotion just by crying. She can get a treat just by vomiting. Times have really changed. There's definitely a market for naive young girls."
Section Chief Fang panicked: "Vice President Zhao, this..."
With a flushed face, Vice President Zhao raised his hand to stop her from continuing.
His eyes swept over Wang Xiao, then turned to General Manager Hu: "General Manager Hu, not only can we not lower the price, but I personally strongly oppose leasing the land to them. We are a science and technology park, not Hainan real estate speculation. What kind of high-tech industries can they develop? Do they expect to sell fish and turn it into high technology? It's completely different. If we let them move into the science and technology park, won't our park's plans be completely messed up? How will people view our science and technology park in the future? How will we continue to attract investment?"
Zhang Junfei wanted to curse.
This person is clearly deliberately picking a fight.
Even if the landowner hadn't planned to build a fish market, so what?
Even in the most technologically advanced science parks, people still need to eat, drink, relieve themselves, and sleep. Everyone earns money honestly; there's no hierarchy among industries. Why does high technology make someone superior?
Zhang Junfei opened his mouth to refute.
Wang Xiao laughed first: "I can't agree with that. How can what I do not involve high technology? I'm not exaggerating when I say that what I'm going to do is extremely technologically advanced. Looking across the whole country, no one else can do it except us."
The group looked at each other in bewilderment.
Wow, are we really going to sell fish using high technology now?
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The holiday is really over, time to go back to work.
This story is actually quite magical. Several times I felt like I couldn't continue writing, and I revised the outline to finish it, but it always managed to grow new branches on its own. [Crying emoji] But honestly, writing it was exhausting. [Crying emoji] I want to start a new chapter every day. During the Lunar New Year, I had a gathering with relatives and friends, and we talked about the past. I really wanted to write a story about the year 2000.
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