Chapter 41: Not Focusing on the Main Business?

Although the Third Armament Repair Factory was a repair company, like other state-owned enterprises of this era, all the workers who were skilled and knowledgeable in technology were versatile. A lathe operator could skillfully operate a milling machine, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a milling machine operator making wooden molds. Of course, if you saw an experienced cylinder boring technician proficiently welding, you wouldn't need to be shocked; this was quite normal.

"Yes," Chen Geng nodded. "Taking on the renovation business for the Finance Bureau gave me an idea. I plan to establish a new furniture factory and an interior decoration company under Huale Industrial. The furniture factory will mainly produce high-end office furniture and car seats, which will complement our existing business."

"Furniture factory?" Liu Qianjin was thoroughly confused by Chen Geng. They were just talking about starting a shock absorber project, and now he wanted to start a furniture factory?

"I have no choice," Chen Geng said with a bitter smile. "There are over 120 people at Huale Industrial. The 212 Jeep modification business doesn't require so many people. But we can't let the rest of them sit idle, right? Since the market for high-end furniture looks promising, it's a good idea to have the idle people make furniture, and the others can explore the market."

Liu Qianjin had to admit that Chen Geng had a point. Over the past few years, he had seen the "aspirations" of local government leaders rise. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a county bureau chief would be happy with a Jialing 50 motorcycle. Now, they were trying every means to get a 212 Jeep. Those who already had Jeeps were trying to get sedans.

The office furniture designed by Chen Geng was indeed impressive. With his extensive experience in foreign offices, he had a broad perspective. Targeting the high-end luxury office market was indeed a promising move.

Chen Geng was the manager of Huale Industrial Development Co., Ltd. Initially, he had agreed to let Chen Geng take full responsibility for Huale Industrial, so starting a furniture factory didn't require his approval. However, there was a problem...

"Our carpenters can help you out when they have free time, but if you really want to start a furniture factory, they can't always be available. How do you plan to solve the carpentry problem?"

"I plan to recruit from the countryside," Chen Geng said without hesitation.

"The countryside?" Liu Qianjin had considered various possibilities but never thought Chen Geng would look to the countryside. After a moment of surprise, he understood Chen Geng's plan: "You mean the carpenters from the countryside? Are their skills up to par? And how do you plan to solve the issue of their status? The state won't give them the agricultural-to-urban conversion quota, and our factory's situation is special..."

"I've thought about this. The carpenters in the countryside make all kinds of wooden furniture, which can last for many years. Their skills are solid," Chen Geng nodded. "As for the agricultural-to-urban conversion and status issues, I plan to recruit them as temporary workers initially."

Chen Geng never considered the shortage of skilled carpenters a serious problem. No qualified carpenters? Easy, every village in the countryside has a few carpenters. In the countryside, there are no state-owned construction teams or companies. How do they build houses? Simple, almost every village has its own carpentry and masonry groups. These carpenters have solid basic skills and can make everything from large wardrobes to small tables and chairs, which can last for decades. They are also versatile, not only in their primary skills but also in interior decoration. With a bit of training, they can become skilled interior decorators. Chen Geng had his eye on them.

Given the attractiveness of the city to rural people in this era, Chen Geng didn't think these carpenters would refuse his call.

"Temporary workers? That's a good idea," Liu Qianjin nodded after a moment of thought. Chen Geng's idea was enlightening. Liu Qianjin had also lived in the countryside and knew the skills of rural carpenters. If Chen Geng provided the designs, the rural carpenters could follow them without much difficulty. However, he had a concern: "But the wages for temporary workers are relatively low. The income in the countryside is also good. Most of the ten-thousand-yuan households come from the countryside. Farmers can raise a few pigs, plant some land, and grow fruit trees, earning more than urban workers. If you offer them low wages, they might not be willing to work for you."

Liu Qianjin wasn't exaggerating. Farmers of this era were considered the happiest generation. Just liberated from the land, they were full of passion. They contracted land, orchards, and raised pigs. Their lives were more comfortable than those of urban workers at the same time. However, as workers' incomes increased and the gap between industry and agriculture widened, the disparity between rural and urban areas grew.

Chen Geng had a solution for Liu Qianjin's concern: "I plan to offer them a fixed salary as temporary workers, plus performance-based bonuses. This will be attractive enough."

"Performance-based bonuses? No, no, that's absolutely not possible," Liu Qianjin shook his head vigorously. "There are no such regulations..."

No performance-based bonuses? Chen Geng frowned, not expecting this issue. However, he didn't consider it a problem. After a moment of thought, he had an idea: "Then I'll give them shares!"

"Give them shares?" Liu Qianjin was stunned by Chen Geng's radical idea. He was speechless.

"Yes, give them shares," Chen Geng explained. "Huale Industrial is a large collective enterprise. According to state regulations, Huale Industrial can form a collective enterprise with individuals or groups. This means that the carpenters I recruit can hold shares in the furniture factory through their technical contributions. As long as Huale Industrial maintains controlling shares, I think it's acceptable for these carpenters to hold some shares. What do you think?"

"..."

Is this possible? Liu Qianjin, who had been trying to persuade Chen Geng to abandon this radical idea, was speechless. This solution was excellent, really excellent. If these rural carpenters were to become shareholders of the Third Armament Repair Factory, it would be impossible. Even if they were to become shareholders of the factory's subsidiary, the military district wouldn't agree. However, if they were to become shareholders of the furniture factory established by the factory's subsidiary, there would be no problem.

Compared to the countryside, the city offered many more benefits. For farmers of this era, working in the city was a highly enviable opportunity, seen as a sign of success and a way to become a city dweller. Even their relatives and friends would feel proud. If these rural carpenters were just temporary workers, they might hesitate. But if they became shareholders of Huale Industrial's furniture factory, even if only minor shareholders, they would be eager to seize this opportunity to work in the city and become city dwellers.

Realizing this, Liu Qianjin felt frustrated. He couldn't understand why what seemed difficult and unsolvable to him was so simple for Chen Geng. This made Liu Qianjin feel sad and began to doubt his own intelligence.

...

The skills of the workers at the Third Armament Repair Factory were impressive. Although they were not professional carpenters and had never made such large tables before, with their solid foundation and Chen Geng's detailed designs and dimensions, they completed three sets of office furniture, including a large desk, chair, side cabinet, and bookshelf, in just three days. The furniture still had a fresh varnish smell.

Notably, the large office chair, although not a swivel chair due to technical and material limitations, was a four-legged chair. However, the workers who had previously helped Chen Geng manufacture the "six-directional multifunctional car seat" creatively added adjustable features to the chair, allowing users to adjust the backrest angle and seat height according to their needs. For this era, this was a super-luxury configuration.

The visual impact was even more impressive in person. When the nearly 3-meter-long, heavy and solid desk was placed in front of everyone, all the onlookers, including those who had come to see Chen Geng fail, were speechless, stunned by the grandeur of the office furniture.

Chen Geng could see the unbridled greed in their eyes, a naked desire to immediately take this set of office furniture back to their own offices.

"Director Gao, how do you find it? Are you satisfied with our work?" Chen Geng asked with a smile.

Gao Yueming was already grinning from ear to ear. He could only nod in agreement: "Satisfied, satisfied, very satisfied..."

All his previous concerns had vanished. After seeing this set of furniture, Gao Yueming felt that his decision to have Chen Geng renovate the bureau chief's office was incredibly wise.

In the traditional field of office furniture, size was always a symbol of grandeur. The large and imposing desk was the most effective way to demonstrate the user's authority and presence, often referred to as a "show-off tool." In an era where the largest desks were only about 1.5 meters long, the impact of this grand and imposing set of office furniture was undeniable.

PS: Brothers, I'm sorry. I might have been too tired lately, and my body's self-protection mechanism kicked in. I slept from last night until 4 PM today, a total of 15 hours. After eating something, I managed to bring you the first chapter. Please bear with me, and the second chapter will follow shortly.