Chapter 42

### Chapter 42: Getting Back on Track

"Director Gao, I'm relieved that you're satisfied. It shows that our efforts haven't been in vain," Chen Geng smiled and then suddenly asked Director Gao, "Director Gao, I might be overstepping, but how are the other leaders in the bureau doing these days?"

Director Gao was taken aback, and the next moment, sweat began to trickle down his forehead. How could he have overlooked such a serious issue?!

What is the most feared in the workplace? Favoritism!

It's never a problem to have less, but it is a problem to have inequality. You, Bao Jiaying, are the big boss, and it's only natural that the best perks go to you. But you, Bao Jiaying, should at least leave some crumbs for the others, right? You, Bao Jiaying, spent a lot on renovating your office. That's fine, but the deputy directors' working conditions are also tough. Have you considered helping them improve their offices?

If Director Bao had remembered to leave some crumbs for everyone, there would be no problem. But the issue is that he forgot!

This could spell disaster!

The deputy directors are bound to be dissatisfied. If they unite, it's not just a matter of the director's days being tough; he could even lose his job.

Fortunately, although Gao Yueming was nervous, he didn't lose his composure. He immediately realized that since Chen Geng had reminded him, there must be a solution. He quickly grabbed Chen Geng's arm and asked for advice.

"Besides this large desk, we also have a medium-sized one, which is slightly smaller. Look, that one over there. What do you think?" Chen Geng pointed to a desk nearby and asked.

Gao Yueming immediately looked in the direction Chen Geng was pointing. Indeed, the desk was smaller than the "Resolute Desk," but it was still much larger than the desks the deputy directors were currently using. It was at least 2 meters long. Although it wasn't as imposing as the 2.8-meter Resolute Desk, it was still quite grand and would certainly satisfy the deputy directors.

Gao Yueming's eyes lit up.

"How much does it cost? Is it very expensive?" Gao Yueming asked, worried that Chen Geng might be overcharging.

"Not at all, just 1299 yuan. If you include the chair, side cabinet, and bookshelf, it's 1999 yuan," Chen Geng said. He wasn't worried that Gao Yueming would refuse. The director had lavishly renovated his office without considering the deputy directors. That was a joke! Similarly, if the director's desk was 3999 yuan, the deputy directors' desks couldn't be less than four digits, or their dignity would be compromised.

Gao Yueming immediately relaxed.

He thought 1299 yuan was just right. It showed the deputy directors' high taste while maintaining a clear distinction from the director. Gao Yueming had no complaints about the price and immediately placed an order for 12 "Deputy Director-Level Office Suites" with Chen Geng.

Chen Geng then learned that the regional finance bureau had 13 leaders in total: 1 director and 12 deputy directors!

Good grief, 13 directors, plus secretaries, drivers, and the heads of various departments and sections... Chen Geng was curious about how many people were on the payroll at the finance bureau.

"About 120 people," Gao Yueming said casually. "What's up?"

"If, hypothetically, our bureau's funds weren't so tight, we could improve everyone's working conditions," Chen Geng suggested seriously.

"Are you suggesting we replace everyone's desks and chairs?" Gao Yueming misunderstood and immediately shook his head. "No, no, that would be too expensive. It would cost a fortune."

With over 120 people in the finance bureau, replacing everyone's desks and chairs would indeed be very costly.

"It doesn't have to be a complete set. Even just a new chair would be good," Chen Geng said, pulling over a chair and starting to explain to Gao Yueming. "Look, this is a specially designed office chair for regular staff and section-level officials. It's not only soft and comfortable but also ergonomically designed, inspired by the world-renowned furniture brand IKEA. It provides excellent support for the waist and shoulders, effectively preventing office-related illnesses like shoulder and neck pain and lumbar disc herniation. It can also alleviate these conditions for those who already have them. It's important to show the staff that even a simple chair represents the leadership's concern for their well-being..."

Gao Yueming's eyes were filled with circles as Chen Geng spoke. It seemed that if the leaders of the finance bureau didn't provide such chairs to their subordinates, they would be seen as uncaring and unworthy of their positions.

Gao Yueming wasn't stupid and quickly understood Chen Geng's point: the director had spent a lot on his office, and the deputy directors had received new desks and chairs. What about the lower-level staff?

Ignore them?

Of course not.

These days, it's all about the leaders enjoying the benefits while the subordinates get a taste. When the leaders have a feast, the lowest-level clerks should at least get some meat and fish. Could the leaders ignore the subordinates' feelings after enjoying a feast themselves?

Of course not.

If you dare to eat all the meat without leaving any for others, the subordinates will openly criticize you. As a leader, you can only make things difficult for them, but you can't just fire them.

To avoid trouble, these chairs would be a way for the leaders to show their concern for the subordinates.

Gao Yueming sat in the chair and had to admit that it looked and felt great. The black leather surface made it look very high-end, perfect for winning people's hearts.

He bowed to Chen Geng and said gratefully, "Mr. Chen, thank you."

Chen Geng was already grinning from ear to ear. This was another big deal.

As for the young man from China Resources, he was already in awe, his mouth watering. "Holy crap! Business can be done like this?"

...

When they received the call from Jindler in Shanghai, the leaders of the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

The cooperation with Jindler was not smooth, but because some aspects were not entirely legal, they had to use some flexible methods. For example, the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory of the East China Military Region was told that the production equipment was not provided by Jindler but was first leased from a German equipment leasing company and then installed in China.

In Germany, Jindler used Chen Geng's money to purchase the equipment and paid a fee to the leasing company to handle the procedures...

Once in China, there were many more steps, such as explaining to the relevant departments, reporting to the military region, and going through the formalities. It took over a month to complete all the procedures, a process so complicated that it could fill a 2 million-word novel. Even Liu Qianjin said he had lost half his hair over this matter.

Although Chen Geng found the process excruciatingly slow, it was actually quite fast for the 1980s. The Third Military Equipment Repair Factory, being a military enterprise, had a high degree of autonomy and could bypass local government bureaucracy, allowing them to complete all the procedures in just over a month. A regular enterprise wouldn't even dare to consider such a project.

But regardless, everything was finally settled. The equipment for producing carburetors had already been shipped from Germany and would soon arrive at Haizhou Port. At this point, the leaders of the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory confirmed that not only had a pie fallen from the sky, but it had landed right on their heads.

It was also at this time that the first month's business report for the Third Military Equipment Repair Factory's subsidiary, China Resources Industrial Development Co., Ltd., came out.

After running a few business trips with Chen Geng, the business talents of Yang Lei and Zhang Xiangyang were finally unleashed. In just over a month, the two, without driver's licenses, drove the "sample car" to almost every government agency and enterprise in Haizhou, securing over 50 orders for 212 Jeeps and even inventing customized modification orders.

Originally, Chen Geng had planned for the suspension, tires, and seats to be a complete package for any car that came in for modification. However, during their business trips, they discovered that different units had different financial situations. Yang Lei and Zhang Xiangyang creatively broke down the modification project into several parts: seat replacement, tire replacement, and suspension replacement. Customers could choose to modify all parts or just one or two based on their needs.

Moreover, after Chen Geng confirmed that they could install a heating system in the 212 Jeeps, the two planned to do follow-up business in the fall, offering to install heating systems for those who had already modified their cars.

Now, many were hesitant to add the heating system, thinking they could endure the cold. But once the weather turned, they wouldn't be so willing to endure it.

What Chen Geng didn't expect was that while doing car modification business, the two didn't forget to sell office furniture. In just one month, they had sold over 10 sets of office furniture, including individual purchases of desks and chairs. This presented a practical problem for Chen Geng: China Resources' furniture business could no longer rely on the factory's old craftsmen; they needed to form a professional team.

But before setting up the furniture factory, there was one more thing to do...

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(End of Chapter)