Chapter 75

Hu Wenhai's original intention was to invite more heavyweight figures to organize a grand welcome banquet for Yu Shwei at a large hotel in Xiucheng City. After all, Yu Shwei was a guest who had traveled a long distance. No matter where you go in China, it's unacceptable not to treat guests well, right?

However, it should be said that no one's success comes by chance. Although Yu Shwei's methods were essentially about success, he was far more than just a skilled speaker.

Hu Wenhai drove to the guesthouse himself and happened to see Lu Daming wandering in the lobby. After confirming that Yu Shwei had already returned to his room, he checked the time and hurried over to invite him for dinner.

When Hu Wenhai pushed open the door, he saw that the guesthouse room had been tidied up neatly. Yu Shwei was sitting at an old red-lacquered desk, writing furiously with a fountain pen.

"Dr. Yu, oh—"

Hu Wenhai was taken aback by the neat room. Anyone who had seen the crosstalk sketch "Multi-story Hotel" by Ma Ji and Tang Jiezong would know what the state of a state-owned guesthouse in the 1980s was like.

Even if the staff were just going through the motions, they were still working, right? Hu Wenhai had personally delivered Yu Shwei to this room in the morning, and at that time, the room was far from clean, though it wasn't a complete mess.

It was only after opening three rooms that they found one that was barely acceptable for Yu Shwei. Clearly, this situation wouldn't change until Hu Wenhai had the time to reorganize the guesthouse.

So, it was obvious that Yu Shwei had cleaned the room himself.

This small detail made Hu Wenhai feel a bit more goodwill and confidence towards Yu Shwei.

"It's Mr. Hu. Based on today's observations, I've summarized a few key points for the upcoming lectures. Let's discuss them?" Yu Shwei, seeing Hu Wenhai enter, immediately picked up his notebook and started flipping through it.

"Sure, Dr. Yu, have you had dinner yet?" Hu Wenhai was straightforward and immediately turned to instruct Lu Daming, "Daming, have someone bring dinner over. I'll eat and talk with Dr. Yu."

"Ah, but the banquet at Xiucheng Hotel..."

"Cancel it." Hu Wenhai waved his hand and sat down on the chair next to Yu Shwei, looking at the text in his notebook.

"Based on my observations, the most pressing issue for the New Science Factory is not management or emotional motivation, but more fundamental problems that need to be addressed."

...

"What are we going to do?" Listening to the factory's loudspeaker, Wushan was walking quickly towards the square in front of the factory office. Beside him were a group of workers who had decided to stay with the New Science Company.

"I don't know, but I heard the procedures for the new company have been completed. They're probably going to have a meeting," said An Jielan, who was walking beside Wushan. The young woman, in her twenties, was at the age when she loved to be beautiful. She had once been on a list of the most beautiful women in the 501 Factory, which some people had compiled.

However, no one knew that this "factory flower" had already been taken. This time, both she and Wushan decided to stay with the New Science Company, which made many people suspect their relationship.

Indeed, rumors were already spreading in the factory that Wushan and An Jielan were dating. Since their relationship was out in the open, An Jielan no longer kept it a secret and openly dated Wushan, breaking the hearts of many young men.

Wushan and An Jielan followed the crowd to the factory office square, where all the original 501 Factory employees who had decided to stay had gathered. Although the number had decreased by more than two-thirds from the original 3,000, the new employees of the New Science Factory still looked like a mighty river flowing into a vast lake.

"Employees from the original Workshop One, gather here!"

"Workshop Two, gather here!"

"Workshop Three, over here!"

"Power Workshop, over here!"

"Factory Office, all come over here!"

With the completion of the New Science Company's personnel files, the first thing Hu Wenhai did was to select the employees from the 501 Factory's security department and quickly restore their positions.

Although the security department now had only thirty people, each member was at least a squad leader in the militia. They organized the 501 Factory's militia for at least one month of training every year, with training standards not much lower than those of regular PLA light infantry.

Since the 501 Factory was a military factory, bullets and light weapons were always available. Only after the factory was transferred to local management last year did the training become somewhat lax, but the militia structure was not abolished.

Now, with the security department's personnel in place, maintaining discipline was not a problem.

Under the shouts and commands of the security department staff, the new employees of the New Science Company formed several somewhat disorganized rows on the factory office square, watching as a group of people climbed onto the "temporary" stage that had not yet been removed.

"Hello, everyone from the New Science Company. There's no need for us to reintroduce ourselves," Hu Wenhai stood on the stage, looking confident and at ease. "I have some good news to share. The New Science Company has been registered with the Xiucheng City Administration for Industry and Commerce and is now a legal entity! I won't say more. The first company rule I'm announcing is: no idle talk during meetings! So, I'll get straight to the point."

"Cough, I announce—" Hu Wenhai cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Starting today, the salaries of all former 501 Factory employees will be doubled after joining the New Science Company!"

Wow!

As soon as Hu Wenhai finished speaking, the crowd below erupted. Although they had all chosen the uncertain path of the New Science Company with high hopes, giving up their secure state-owned jobs, this sudden happiness was overwhelming.

Previously, the salaries of 501 Factory workers ranged from 70 to 140 RMB, with no bonuses or position allowances. Unless they waited for a promotion, there were few opportunities for a raise.

In other words, Hu Wenhai's decision meant that even the lowest-level workers in the New Science Company would earn salaries comparable to those of senior engineers in other companies.

For the higher-level workers, their salaries would be around 300 RMB, which was undoubtedly a "high salary" in Xiucheng at the time.

"Everyone, please calm down."

The allure of money is immense. Hu Wenhai waved his hand, and the noise below instantly disappeared.

"Next, I have three announcements. First, today, the New Science Factory will undergo a thorough cleaning. Every corner of the factory must be cleaned to make our New Science look brand new!"

As the saying goes, a new factory, a new look. Hu Wenhai's decision was not surprising. After all, the 501 Factory had also had major clean-ups in the past, and the workers were familiar with the work. After the initial excitement, they would likely return to their usual routines.

"Second, there will be a one-week training program to learn the new production and hygiene rules. After the training, the New Science Factory will enforce new factory rules. Any violations will result in fines!"

Wow!

Hu Wenhai's announcement of fines caused an even greater reaction than the salary increase.

Even from the stage, Hu Wenhai could faintly hear comments like "capitalist conspiracy," "salary increase is just talk," and "the raise will be taken away by fines."

However, Hu Wenhai did not intend to explain himself at this moment. In the face of preconceived suspicions, words are powerless. Only facts can speak the truth.

Moreover, to be honest, if the new production and hygiene rules were strictly enforced, it was possible that no one would receive their full salary in the first month.

Just look at the current state of the New Science Factory. If this were a documentary, we would see an old brick and concrete factory building with large, but faded, windows. The exterior of the factory was peeling in many places, exposing the cement and red bricks.

Opening the creaky door, the workshop was dimly lit, with hanging incandescent bulbs emitting a yellowish glow. Most importantly, the ventilation was terrible, making the air hot, humid, and filled with a strange odor. Upon closer inspection, this odor was a mix of urine, animal carcass, machine oil, strong human sweat, and bad breath.

Yes, the workers of the 501 Factory were relatively disciplined, at least not defecating in the workshop. This might seem strange, but in many factories, especially those poorly managed, such behavior was common.

Zhang Ruimin, the future CEO of Haier, immediately established 13 rules upon taking office, with the first being "no urination or defecation in the workshop." Future readers of his autobiography might laugh at this, but at the time, it was a serious issue. In many state-owned factories, urination and defecation in the workshop were not prohibited and were common.

In this sense, the 501 Factory's workshop was above average for state-owned factories at the time.

When Hu Wenhai took office, his first priority was not to implement an advanced management system but to teach the workers how to maintain a clean and tidy factory environment!