Chapter 151
Chang Yue'e hurriedly showed the can to her daughter, mainly because she was afraid that she would suffer a loss.
High-end goods like canned food have always been sold only in stores and would never appear out of thin air on the free market.
"If someone really stole canned food from your factory and resold it, would it affect you?" Chang Yue'e asked worriedly.
Her daughter is the deputy director of the canning workshop. So many cans were lost in the factory at once, and she, as the person in charge, will probably be implicated.
Ye Manzhi frowned and thought about it, but he couldn't be sure whether he would be implicated.
Although this can of apples was produced before she took office, when she took over the canning workshop, there was still a batch of canned apples in syrup in the warehouse that had not been delivered.
If this can was from the batch that was not delivered, then she would have some degree of joint liability.
Ye Manzhi suppressed her suspicions and tried to comfort her nervous mother, "This can was produced in February. It has nothing to do with me."
Hearing this, Chang Yue'e let out a long sigh and warned, "A food factory is very different from our meat processing plant. It's so large, and managing it is much more difficult. You have to pay attention to safety and make sure no one takes advantage of you."
Ye Manzhi agreed obediently and asked, "Where did my fifth brother find this canned food?"
"I forgot to ask, but I guess he saw it at the Anti-Imperialist Fair. His wife is due to give birth in a few months, and he's been going to the fair a lot lately, looking for live chickens. Maybe he saw it there."
Ye Manzhi became concerned about his sister-in-law's pregnancy and changed the topic of canned food.
She behaved as usual afterwards and spent the whole day at her parents' home with her husband and child.
After finally returning to her home, she quickly coaxed her daughter to sleep and then pulled Wu Zhengrong to bed.
Wu Zhengrong reflected on himself while taking off his clothes.
He's been working overtime at the company lately, and he came home late a few days ago, so his work schedule of two days and one day off has turned into one day and two days off. But it shouldn't be enough to make Ye Lai Ya so anxious...
"Wait till I take off my pants."
"Oh, hurry up, I've been holding it in for a long time!"
Old Ye's psychological endurance is too poor, and he often suffers from tachycardia. Ye Manzhi was afraid that he would get sick from worrying about it, so she didn't dare to mention the can of food at her mother's house all day.
Now facing her own man, she really couldn't help but vent.
Seeing that he was still hesitant to take off his clothes, Ye Manzhi stepped forward to help him, stripping him naked, and then threw the quilt over their heads, "I want to tell you something!"
"Um, what is it?"
Ye Manzhi ignored the palm that covered him for the time being and told him the strange thing about the can.
"There must be a traitor in the canning workshop. There's a high possibility that the warehouse manager has stolen from the warehouse."
Wu Zhengrong put away his lingering thoughts, pulled off the quilt, and asked, "Is your factory's security so weak? How could any random warehouse keeper take so many cans out of the factory?"
In military factories like Factory 656, supervision and security are very strict, and workshop workers are not allowed to take even a screw out of the factory gate.
Canned fruit is such a big target, it’s impossible for them to be taken out of the factory so brazenly, right?
Are factory guards just for show?
Ye Manzhi said, "The food factory actually has very strict controls in this regard. Workers are not allowed to bring anything in or out of the workshop. Canned food is different from candy and snacks; there's no way they could escape the eyes of the workshop director and be taken out. Therefore, frontline workers have no chance of doing such a thing. The weakest link is the warehouse manager. Aside from the security guards, there's almost no one who can control the warehouse manager. I'm not worried about anything else right now. I just hope this doesn't happen after I took office."
Wu Zhengrong disagreed, saying, "The inventory is quantified. How could it be that easy for a warehouse manager to steal from the warehouse?"
"Oh no," Ye Manzhi said anxiously, "Canned fruit is different from those iron lumps at Factory 656. The cans are made of glass. If one or two are accidentally broken during transportation, we can report the loss and the inventory can be cleared."
The food factory's canned food production capacity is among the best in the province.
Last year was not the most glorious time, but we still produced 2,100 tons of canned goods, an average of 5.75 tons per day, equivalent to more than 6,000 bottles.
With such a huge base, it is normal to have some losses.
You don’t need to report many losses in the warehouse, just one every day, and you can get double your salary at the end of a month.
Wu Zhengrong said nonchalantly, "Even if we report damage, the warehouse manager's word doesn't necessarily count. We have to show the broken cans, right? Your Factory Manager Niu is so controlling, how could he allow such a huge leak in the warehouse?"
Ye Manzhi was so confused, "If it wasn't the warehouse manager who did it, then how did all those canned apples appear in the free market?"
People die for money, and birds die for food.
Canned food is considered hard currency nowadays and is generally recognized as a valuable item. It is also a great gift for visiting the sick, giving condolences, and during festivals.
Flipping a can of food and making a net profit of 80 cents is a temptation that tests human nature.
If someone wants to make huge profits, they will inevitably rack their brains to find loopholes in the factory.
Ye Manzhi was feeling uneasy because of a can of food. When she went to work on Monday, she first visited the workshop where candied cherries were produced.
Then he casually asked the workshop director, "What's the loss rate for this batch of canned cherries?"
"It's OK. It can basically be controlled within one thousandth."
"Including workshops and warehouses?"
"right."
Ye Manzhi asked again: "How do we usually deal with canned goods after they are reported as damaged?"
"Destroy it," Director Huang said matter-of-factly. "Once the workshop director and the warehouse manager confirm that the cans are damaged and sign the registration book, the broken cans can be thrown away."
Ye Manzhi thought that if the warehouse manager wanted to embezzle by reporting the loss, it would be quite difficult.
There are eight directors and deputy directors in four workshops. It is impossible that all of them are willing to risk being fired and collude with the warehouse manager.
However, if the cans were not taken out by the warehouse manager or the front-line workers, then where did those cans in the free market come from?
After get off work, she ran to the Municipal Finance School and waited for her fifth brother at the school gate who was about to go in for class.
"Laiya, why are you here?" Fifth Brother asked as if he had come to his senses. "Is it about that can of apples?"
Ye Manzhi smiled and asked, "Accountant Ye, how are your studies going? I work during the day and go to school at night. I'm so diligent. Can I get a job as an accountant in the Commerce Bureau after graduation?"
"Forget about the Commerce Bureau. I didn't pass the last exam. I'll get my diploma this time. I'll try again when the department store starts hiring accountants." Fifth Brother looked at his watch and said, "Have you had dinner? I'll take you to the Finance School cafeteria for a meal."
"I've already eaten it," Ye Manzhi said briefly. "There's still some time before class starts, so tell me about those canned apples. Which market did you see them in? How many do they have?"
"It's in the free market on New Town Street, but the guy doesn't dare set up a stall openly. He wears a rather loose-fitting work suit, and the cans are hidden in the sleeves. He keeps a pair of eyes on the street, and when he finds someone dressed respectably, he stops them, shows them the bottom of the can, and asks if they want one. Those who know the goods will recognize it immediately, but those who don't will just wave him off and walk away."
Ye Manzhi was shocked: "This guy is quite experienced?"
"Looks like he's an experienced hand," said the fifth brother. "I come here for classes and often pass by the free market on Xincheng Street. I've bought things there before, but last week was the first time I saw someone selling canned food. Either he hasn't sold anything in the past month or two, or he's been working in another market."
Ye Manzhi asked, "Are all his cans sealed with torn stickers?"
"Yeah, they were all torn up. I said canned food without labels wouldn't look good as a gift, so I asked him if he had any with labels. He said they were twenty cents more expensive and asked me to wait a quarter of an hour. I waited there for over ten minutes, and he brought me a can with a label. But when I touched it, the label paper was a little damp, like it had just been glued on. So I didn't spend the extra twenty cents and just bought a can of apples for eighty cents."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
There are even spare can labels, so there must be a traitor inside the food factory.
"Fifth brother, how much goods does that person have?"
"I don't know the details, but I wanted to bargain with him. 80 cents for a can of apples is a bit steep, but he said he doesn't bargain for retail sales, and that it'll be cheaper if I buy a box."
“…”
Ye Manzhi calculated in his mind that there were 24 cans in a box of canned food. From the meaning of the words, it seemed that the other party must have more than one box of canned food on hand.
The stock is at least 50 bottles.
Moreover, being able to get a whole box of canned goods was definitely not what she had previously guessed, just a small-scale operation like smuggling one or two bottles every day.
The fifth brother asked worriedly, "Laiya, does their reselling of canned food affect you?"
"Looking at their canned goods inventory, they've been doing this for quite some time. I've only been at the food factory for less than two months, and I've never produced canned apples, so the impact on me is limited." Ye Manzhi frowned and said, "I'm just worried that the canned cherries we recently produced will appear on the black market. Fifth brother, if you run into that guy again, please ask him if he has any other canned goods."
She gave half a pound of mung bean cakes and two bottles of canned hawthorns to her fifth brother, asking him to take them back for his pregnant wife.
I watched him go into night school, then turned around and walked back.
Ye Manzhi did not take the bus, but walked all the way back to the Military Academy from the Finance School, analyzing the currently known clues.
By the time she walked back home, the necks of the two comrades surnamed Wu had stretched two inches.
As usual, Wu Yuzhuo was looking forward to her daily cherry syrup, while Wu Zhengrong was waiting for her to share the results of her investigation at the unit today.
Although Ye Manzhi was feeling a bit uneasy, she would never forget the eight cents benefit she received every day.
After using cherry juice to get rid of her greedy girl, she quickly pulled Wu Zhengrong into the house and told him her guess.
"I suspect those cans weren't shipped from the warehouse," Ye Manzhi frowned and said, "Maybe we were mistaken before. I always thought the label on the can was deliberately torn off by the other party to cover up their mistake. But our factory's cans also have a label on the lid. It's obvious at a glance that they are our products. Tearing off the label is completely unnecessary and doesn't serve any purpose of concealing the truth."
Wu Zhengrong followed up on her, "So, you think those cans didn't have label labels when they were stolen?"
"That's right." Ye Manzhi casually drew a process flow chart on the white paper at hand and pointed to the last few steps. "Let's ignore the previous steps of fruit selection and rinsing and focus on these last few steps."
"After the cans are sealed, sterilized, and cooled, they won't be labeled yet. Only the production date is stamped on the caps. They're then moved to the inspection warehouse and left to stand at room temperature for a week. After that week, only cans that pass quality inspection will be labeled and officially packed and put into storage. I had only considered the warehouse's reported loss rate, but I forgot there's also an indicator for the defective rate in the workshop."
Wu Zhengrong asked, "What is the defective rate in the canning workshop?"
"About 0.8%. If we produce 6,000 cans a day, about 50 of them would be defective. Anything under 50 is considered normal."
If you mix a few qualified products among the unqualified ones, the quantity doesn’t have to be large, just three or five a day, you can make a fortune.
I can earn at least a thousand yuan every year.
What does thousands of yuan mean?
She bought a two-bedroom apartment with a yard in the city center for just over a thousand yuan.
Ye Manzhi said indignantly: "Isn't this just undermining socialism?"
The key point is that she is currently working in the canning workshop. If this matter is exposed, she will also be in trouble.
How unfair it is for her!
She didn't get any benefit, so why should she take the blame for others?
Ye Manzhi frowned and said, "How can we put an end to this evil trend? I'm afraid this group of people will set their sights on canned cherries."
The canned apples were produced before she came to the factory, but the canned cherries were put into storage under her nose.
She couldn't shirk her responsibility even if she wanted to.
Wu Zhengrong patted her on the back. "Catch the thief and seize the stolen goods. What you said is just speculation. Don't mention this to the factory leadership for now. It's impossible for just one or two people to take so many cans out of the factory. It's very likely a gang. If anyone gets wind of it, the people responsible for shipping the goods on the black market will definitely stop immediately, and by then even this clue will be gone."
Ye Manzhi said uncertainly, "Then I won't care?"
In fact, the most convenient way is to report directly to the police.
That person sold so many canned fruits in the free market, which firstly involved theft and secondly involved speculation.
No matter which crime he was charged with, he would be in big trouble.
But although Ye Manzhi was the deputy factory director, he could not report to the police on behalf of the food factory.
She needs to report this to Niu Enjiu, and it will probably have to be discussed at a team meeting.
Then the problem goes back to the starting point. If someone tips off the free market, the police will most likely not find anything.
And some things are complicated these days.
Just like when villagers in a village quarrel, the most prestigious person in the village usually comes forward to uphold justice, and rarely does it report to the police.
It’s actually similar in factories. The factory’s security department can often solve some problems on behalf of the public security.
Only when the security department is unable to handle the situation will they report it to the police.
Wu Zhengrong comforted her, "You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. They have so much inventory on hand, they must be anxious to liquidate it. As long as he is active in the market, he will eventually reveal his true colors."
He paused and suggested, "If you're really worried, I can find a caring citizen to report the case to the police station."
As long as Ye Lai Ya doesn't come forward to report the case, anyone can do it.
In any case, reselling state assets and engaging in speculation are inevitable.
Every time you sue, your case will be successful.
By then, we can follow the clues from the person who shipped the goods, and there is a high probability that we can lead a group of rats out of the food factory.
Ye Manzhi hesitated for a moment and said, "Wait a little longer. I have a city race the day after tomorrow. I'll report it to the police after I finish the race. Don't let it affect my performance."
"That's perfect," Wu Zhengrong said jokingly. "If I don't win a medal, I'll have an excuse."
Ye Manzhi glared at him. "Hate it! Who said I can't get a medal?! The event rules clearly state that except for the top three, all athletes who make it to the finish line will receive a commemorative medal!"
She doesn't pursue a ranking, she just wants to get a commemorative medal so that Wu Yuzhuo can show off in kindergarten!
*
The city race to celebrate May Day and commemorate the May Fourth Movement will be held on May 1st, Labor Day.
The whole country has a day off for Labor Day, and almost half of the city’s citizens rushed to the streets to watch the excitement.
The last time Ye Manzhi participated in the swimming competition, she was a member of the team. This time, when she participated in the running competition, she became the captain of the food factory's March 8th Women's Long-Distance Running Team.
The female team members all had plaques with the words "Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory" pinned on their chests, backs, and arms.
As usual, Ye Manzhi made some mobilization before the game, encouraging the players to work hard and persevere to the end!
In order to maximize everyone's enthusiasm, she also changed the Industry Department's tradition of announcing the awards after the competition.
Before the race began, Ye Manzhi announced to the team members at the starting line: "All athletes from our factory will receive an enamel teacup and half a pound of fruit candy as souvenirs of this event. In addition, those who win medals and bring honor to the team will receive an extra pound of cakes, a bottle of canned fruit, and a pair of sports rubber shoes!"
The prizes are very generous, and I hope everyone can do their best to achieve good results in this event!
The starting and ending points of the city race are both in front of the Youth Palace. Even if you run in a small circle, you still have to run a full five kilometers.
Ye Manzhi can conquer Binjiang, but he really can't conquer the city race.
She couldn't run any longer after running halfway, and spent the second half of the race strolling along while chatting with the union chairperson, Pi Yuzhen.
The two of them supported each other as they walked two kilometers. When they were still three to five hundred meters from the finish line, Ye Manzhi pulled Pi Yuzhen aside and said, "Chairman Pi, we have to jog for this last section of the road. Walking doesn't count!"
"If you hadn't supported me, I would have sat down on the ground!" Pi Yuzhen waved her hand and said, "No, no, I'm going this far. Director Ye, I can't accompany you on the rest of the way. Go on your own!"
Ye Manzhi: “…”
It sounds strangely tragic.
I'm really afraid that Chairman Pi will give her his party dues.
"Persistence is victory! Chairman Pi, think about the 25,000-mile Long March!" Ye Manzhi cheered the two of them up, whispering, "We've made it this far. If we get that medal, we'll brag about it forever! Just hold on a little longer! Think about our collective honor! Think about the canned goods, cakes, and rubber shoes! Rubber shoes don't come in sizes, so we can pick a small size and bring it back for our daughter!"
“…”
I don’t know what her words inspired her, but Pi Yuzhen actually cheered up again!
With his last breath, he staggered after her, and didn't sit down on the ground until he crossed the finish line.
She lay sprawled on the hot asphalt road, gasping for breath and sighing that being the union chairperson was not easy!
Completing this race around the city would cost her half her life!
Perhaps because her falling posture looked too shocking, reporters waiting at the end of the event squeezed through the crowd and squatted beside her to conduct an on-site interview.
"Athlete, it's so hot today. Many athletes gave up halfway. What kept you running to the finish line?"
"J..." Dazzled by the sunlight above, Pi Yuzhen regained consciousness and said, "Think about the 25,000-mile Long March!"
…
The first place in this city race was a student from the Physical Education College, the second place was a coach from the Sports Commission, and the third place was a female worker from a textile factory.
On the other hand, at the food factory, a total of 21 people in the March 8th Women's Long-distance Running Team, including Ye Manzhi and Pi Yuzhen, tried their best to persevere to the end and won a commemorative medal.
Although it did not rank, the food factory's March 8th long-distance running team was the unit that won the most medals, four more medals than the second place.
The next day's Binjiang Daily also mentioned the food factory's March 8th Women's Long-Distance Running Team.
There are not many words, less than a hundred.
After reading it twice, Ye Manzhi cut out the report and posted it on the bulletin board on the first floor of the factory together with the good news.
Her medal was not very impressive, as she almost walked to win the second half, but the medal was enough for Wu Yuzhuo to go to kindergarten and brag about her mother.
Since the medal was brought home, Comrade Wu Yuzhuo has been wearing it to kindergarten every day.
She was still wearing the pair of rubber shoes her mother had won.
The shoes are good, but the smallest size is still too big for a four-year-old.
"Youyan said, these shoes don't fit you well. You'll have to wait two years before you can wear them." Wu Zhengrong stood at the door, waiting for his daughter to change into a full set of clothes and send her to kindergarten.
"I can wear it! It's not big at all!" Wu Yuzhuo lied with his eyes open.
"Then hurry up and don't be late." Wu Zhengrong didn't try to persuade her anymore, thinking that if she suffered a loss once, she would behave herself.
Wu Yuzhuo had a very positive idea. He wore a medal and new rubber shoes and happily went to the kindergarten to show off for the whole day.
However, when I got home that night, my mother noticed that my knees were a little bruised.
Comrade Wu Yuzhuo finally learned his lesson and did not ask to wear new rubber shoes to school the next day.
*
After the city race was over, Ye Manzhi thought about the reselling of state-owned assets and realized that he couldn't delay it any longer.
Hiding in the quilt, he discussed with Wu Zhengrong the specific details of finding someone to report the case.
After learning about the situation, Wu Zhengrong lost interest in her factory's affairs and didn't want to discuss the case with her again in bed.
After getting her to do something shameful, he asked someone to explain another shameful thing to her the next morning.
Ye Manzhi was quite confident in her man. Since they got married, Wu Zhengrong had never made any major mistakes except for the time when he took her to the hospital to give birth and scratched a fruit stall.
Secretary Wu is very reliable in his work.
So, after handing the important matter over to Secretary Wu, she waited for feedback from the public security department with peace of mind.
In her opinion, from reporting the case to verification, it would take at least two or three days before the police came to investigate the situation.
However, she had just arrived at work that morning and had barely warmed up her chair when Zhou Ruyi knocked on the door and came in to report, "Director, two police officers just arrived and were asked by Director Ding to go to the conference room."
Ye Manzhi: “…”
Secretary Wu acted so quickly!
No wonder the people across the country are called upon to learn from the People's Liberation Army!
Look at their efficiency!
They had just discussed the battle plan in bed last night, and this morning the police came to their house!
Ye Manzhi asked hurriedly, "Director Niu is on a business trip to Beijing. Who will receive the public security comrades now?"
"Director Ding sent someone to invite Deputy Director Jiang."
Ye Manzhi nodded. Jiang Wenming was the most experienced deputy director, so it would be more appropriate to ask him to come forward.
She sat in her chair and weighed the options for a while. Unable to contain her curiosity, she stood up and said, "Let's go to the conference room and see if there's anything we can do to help."
The two of them came to the conference room, one in front and one behind.
Jiang Wenming seemed to have just entered the room and was shaking hands and greeting two public security comrades.
I heard one of the comrades in the big hat say, "Director Jiang, we came to the food factory today mainly to verify some information. Is there a comrade in your factory named Liu Hanmin?"
Jiang Wenming corrected him, "Liu Hanmin used to be the safety officer in our canning workshop, but he was fired two months ago for neglecting his duties."
The public security officer nodded and said, "Director Jiang, this comrade Liu Hanmin has filed a police report with our public security organs under his real name, alleging that there's been embezzlement and reselling of state-owned assets within the Binjiang No. 1 Food Factory. Based on the intelligence he provided, our branch has already apprehended the speculators he reported at the Linjiang Free Market. He came to our factory today primarily to ask for the cooperation of the relevant comrades in the investigation."
“…”
Zhou Ruyi glanced at Director Ye standing at the door and asked quietly, "Director, can we go in?"
Ye Manzhi instructed: "Listen to the situation here first, I'll go back and get some things."
She had to call Secretary Wu quickly and tell him not to do that shameful thing!
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