Chapter 9

Since taking on the role of a highly paid master without a clear position but exercising the duties of a deputy factory manager, Yun Fei felt as if there were 48 hours in a day. Every day, he not only had to train the young people operating the CNC machines but also think about how to transform the chaotic factory into a modern one.

After Wang Qingfeng handed over the management of the company to Yun Fei, he became a hands-off boss, rarely seen around.

The factory continued to operate with its old inertia. Despite spending several days, Yun Fei still couldn't figure out what to do. The next day was the first Sunday after Yun Fei reformed the company's work schedule. The middle-aged workers in their thirties and forties were very unhappy, as they would earn less money for not working one day.

For the young workers, this was a rare holiday. They might go out for a stroll and even hook up with a pretty girl, thus escaping the category of bachelors. Even before the end of the workday, the young workers were already discussing how to spend this short holiday.

Yun Fei was extremely frustrated in his office. After working for several days, he still couldn't figure out what to do. He had no one to consult with. After all, there was no one in the factory who understood management; most were Wang Qingfeng's relatives and friends.

Previously, he had only worked in technology and had never been in a management position. Although he knew a lot about management theory, he had no practical experience. He used to watch others manage workshops with hundreds of people effortlessly, but when he took on this role, he couldn't even figure out where to start.

"It seems I'm not cut out to be a manager. I can only focus on technology or be a boss in this era, just giving orders. Even if I don't understand management, in a few years, the state won't assign jobs to college graduates, and anyone can find work," Yun Fei muttered to himself, rubbing his aching head as he sat in his new office chair.

"Hey, Xiao Yun, what's wrong with you? Why the long face?" Wang Qingfeng, who had been absent for days, burst into Yun Fei's office with a hearty laugh.

"Boss, you came just in time. I was about to look for you," Yun Fei said, quickly standing up as Wang Qingfeng entered.

"What's up? I also have something to discuss with you. Xiao Zhang, bring that girl in and let Xiao Yun see if he's satisfied," Wang Qingfeng said, shouting out the door.

Zhang Rui, as always, was dressed provocatively. However, this was just Yun Fei's opinion. In the Pearl River Delta at that time, such attire was quite popular.

Following Zhang Rui was a young girl with heavy makeup, wearing trendy jeans and a ponytail dyed yellow.

The girl looked uneasy at the people in front of her, especially the young man who was casually sitting behind the desk, smoking and examining her with interest. She hadn't expected her superior to be so young.

"Boss, what's this about?" Yun Fei was a bit puzzled by the girl. Was she here to be his apprentice for the CNC milling machine? Although women were not uncommon in CNC operations, he didn't plan to train a female operator.

"I've hired a secretary for you. She graduated from a technical secondary school. Her factory wasn't doing well, so she took a leave of absence to find work here. What do you think? Isn't she pretty?" Wang Qingfeng whispered the last part into Yun Fei's ear with a lecherous grin.

"A secretary for me? What's her major? Sit down and talk about it." Yun Fei thought for a moment. Having a female secretary with work experience could help him get organized quickly.

However, the girl in front of him confirmed that Wang Qingfeng's taste was not great. But since he had no intention of taking advantage of her, as long as she could work, it would be fine.

"Girl, introduce yourself to Factory Manager Yun. To get this job, you need his approval. Your salary and everything else will be decided by him," Wang Qingfeng said to the girl, who looked neither modern nor traditional, making Yun Fei feel a bit ridiculous.

"Right, right, don't look at our Xiao Yun, who is only sixteen, but he's very capable..." Zhang Rui chimed in.

"Sister Zhang, you're embarrassing me. What do you mean by 'very capable'? I haven't even sorted out the work after several days... Anyway, introduce yourself," Yun Fei said, not understanding Zhang Rui's intentions. He always felt that Zhang Rui didn't like him.

He didn't know that, except for Wang Qingfeng, no one in the factory office liked him. This was all due to jealousy. Who wouldn't be jealous of someone under seventeen with such a high salary and significant power?

"Hello, Factory Manager Yun. My name is Yu Ting. I'm from Xiangtan, Hunan, and I'm twenty-two years old. I studied business management and was a team leader at Jianghua Textile Factory before coming to Shenzhen..." Yu Ting introduced herself without any shyness.

Her major was quite relevant, but her work experience seemed a bit weak. Well, let's try her out. In this era, one couldn't have high expectations for a secretary. Didn't Wang Qingfeng just want a young and pretty one?

"Six-month probationary period, 180 yuan per month. If you perform well, you can be promoted early. The salary after promotion will be based on performance, ranging from 300 to 500 yuan. Start on Monday, which is the day after tomorrow. Is that okay? Sister Zhang, please arrange her dormitory," Yun Fei said, running his hand through his messy hair.

Yu Ting nodded and said it was fine.

"Okay, no problem," Zhang Rui also said it was fine and then left the office with Yu Ting.

"Boss, I really can't handle this job. I'd rather go back to the workshop and focus on technology," Yun Fei complained to Wang Qingfeng as soon as Zhang Rui and Yu Ting left, wanting to get rid of this difficult task that was forced upon him.

"Hey, little brother, I've already said it. Don't call me boss. If you don't like calling me Brother Wang, just call me Wang. What's so difficult about your job? Just go to the workshop, guide the workers, and train more CNC machine operators. We need to buy more CNC machines."

During the wait for the order from Camat Company, the economic benefits from the three CNC machines that Yun Fei had set up brought a pleasant surprise. In just over ten days, they generated over ten thousand yuan in processing income!

If the factory had ten to eight CNC machines, the ordinary equipment could be phased out. Not only would the efficiency of processing large quantities of parts be lower, but the precision and economic benefits would also be far inferior, and the costs would be higher.

The reason he gave most of his authority to Yun Fei was just to make Yun Fei feel valued and to keep him at Qingfeng Machinery. He didn't really expect Yun Fei to manage the factory well. Qingfeng Machinery had developed to over fifty processing machines over the years. Besides, Wang Qingfeng, who was originally a small worker, had no understanding of management, let alone modern management.

In this era, few people in China had a deep understanding of management.

Yun Fei knew that if things continued like this, it wouldn't work. He needed to find an opportunity to give Wang Qingfeng and the factory's management team a lesson in management theory. At least they needed to understand that if costs were not controlled and management was not in place, the factory's future would be uncertain, and they might even lose their current business.

The factory's current business was booming mainly because few people had entered the machining industry at that time. In five to six years, more people would be laid off, especially those experienced and skilled mechanical workers. Many would choose to buy a machine and become individual entrepreneurs, which could force some small factories out of business.