Chapter 86

(Second update! Lala lala lala! ~~~~~~)

"Zhou Ming, you were amazing just now! All the leaders in our factory were intimidated by you, especially Yuan Zhigang. It's like whatever you say, he follows!"

After the meeting, Su Han excitedly told Zhou Ming, her eyes full of admiration as she looked at him.

Faced with a girl who had her heart completely set on him, Zhou Ming scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "It's just a basic tactic of giving a slap and then a sweet date. There's nothing amazing about it."

But Su Han didn't agree: "Zhou Ming, you really are amazing! Those are all the old leaders in the factory. Even the leaders from the county couldn't make them so obedient in the past. But now, when you sit there, they all sit quietly like little students."

Zhou Ming reached out and pinched Su Han's little nose and said, "Don't always say I'm amazing. Su Han, you are the future general manager of our 760 Factory, and you are the boss of these guys. You also need to learn this tactic and be able to use it flexibly. You have to be able to control them."

"I'm afraid I can't. After all, they were all leaders in the factory before. I would be scared to see them," Su Han said.

"You have to!" Zhou Ming said dominantly, "Don't forget, you promised me that you would work hard as the general manager and help me manage the factory and develop it."

"Okay, I never said I wouldn't work hard," Su Han said.

At this moment, a cough came from the side, and Zhou Ming and Su Han remembered that they shared an office with Wang Fengqin. Su Han's face immediately turned bright red. After all, flirting with her son in front of Wang Fengqin was indeed embarrassing, especially since her reputation had been tarnished due to Huang Zheng, and Wang Fengqin had a prejudice against her.

"Zhou Ming, come over here, I have something to say to you."

Wang Fengqin called Zhou Ming out of the office. When they reached the corner of the corridor, she asked Zhou Ming, "Be honest with me, is there something between you and that girl from the Su family?"

Zhou Ming replied that there wasn't, and Wang Fengqin was relieved: "That's good. Zhou Ming, remember, you are a college graduate and now a boss who has returned from Hongcheng. You bought the 760 Factory in just two months. Your future is bound to be bright. Your wife must be someone who can greatly help you, so you must not get entangled with Su Han, understand?"

"Mom, you already know about Su Han, right? It was all Huang Zheng's slander."

Zhou Ming tried to speak up for Su Han, but Wang Fengqin wouldn't listen: "I don't care about the past. I have no prejudice against her, but your wife cannot be her!"

Zhou Ming wanted to say more, but at that moment, he saw Su Han coming down the corridor. Zhou Ming had to put the matter aside and asked Su Han, "Why are you here, Su Han? Is there something?"

"Party Secretary Jiang Xia from the Propaganda Department has come. He wants to discuss the wage reform publicity plan with you," Su Han said.

Zhou Ming could clearly sense that Su Han was a bit down. Clearly, the intelligent Su Han had already guessed what her mother had called him out for, but he didn't know what to do about it.

At this moment, Zhou Ming could empathize with the emperors of the past who couldn't marry commoners. But the key was that he wasn't an emperor yet. In comparison, Zhou Ming envied the rich and handsome men of thirty years later, who had countless beauties lining up to offer themselves, with no one to stop them.

But now wasn't the time to worry about that. The urgent task was to implement the wage reform plan.

So Zhou Ming nodded to Su Han and followed her back to the office. When Jiang Xia saw Zhou Ming come in, he immediately stood up to greet him. Zhou Ming gestured for him to sit down, and then Zhou Ming and Su Han also sat opposite him.

Jiang Xia took out a notebook and handed it to Zhou Ming: "This is the publicity announcement written by our Propaganda Department colleagues according to your requirements. Please review it."

Zhou Ming took the notebook and read it carefully, then passed it to Su Han and Wang Fengqin to read. He then said to Jiang Xia, "Party Secretary Jiang, you are indeed a veteran of our 760 Factory's propaganda front. There are no problems with this announcement."

Hearing Zhou Ming say this, Jiang Xia was slightly relieved, but Zhou Ming's next words made his heart race again.

"But we are breaking the old system of equal pay for all. A single announcement may not be enough to make the factory workers accept this new wage system," Zhou Ming said.

Jiang Xia nodded and said, "Boss Zhou, you are right. I think, in addition to posting the announcement on the bulletin board, our Propaganda Department will also send people to each workshop to work with the workshop leaders to promote the new system to the workers."

Zhou Ming still shook his head and said, "It's still not enough. I don't think this will make the workers accept the new system."

"But this is already the best effort of our Propaganda Department," Jiang Xia said. "Boss Zhou, I think we should have some confidence in our workers. They will support the factory's reform."

"Party Secretary Jiang, you are being too optimistic," Zhou Ming said. "People have inertia. When people are used to a certain lifestyle, it's hard for them to accept changes, no matter how good or bad the results are. Let alone this wage reform, which will break the old system of equal pay. Everyone has a lazy devil in their hearts. The workers in the factory are used to a comfortable life and getting a fixed salary no matter how they work. If you suddenly make them compete for their wages, it would be strange if they accepted it."

"Of course, I'm not blaming you, Party Secretary Jiang. I know you have done your best. What I mean is that we should think about it in a different way," Zhou Ming said.

Jiang Xia was stunned. He looked at Zhou Ming blankly and said, "Think about it in a different way? I don't understand what you mean, Boss Zhou."

"Actually, it's quite simple to understand," Zhou Ming said. "First, why do we need to reform?"

"Of course, it's to enhance the factory's competitiveness, improve its efficiency, and promote its development," Jiang Xia answered without hesitation.

"Then, what does the factory's improved competitiveness and efficiency have to do with ordinary workers?" Zhou Ming asked.

Jiang Xia thought Zhou Ming's question was obvious and didn't understand why he was asking, but he still answered honestly: "If the factory's efficiency improves, the workers' wages can be paid on time. And the wage reform you proposed will, in general, increase the workers' wages if they complete their tasks."

"You say it will increase, but the workers can't see that. Not just the ordinary workers, but even the leaders were reluctant when they heard about the wage reform."

Faced with Zhou Ming's question, Jiang Xia lowered his head in embarrassment. Zhou Ming continued, "So, my point is, if we want the workers to accept this wage reform, shouldn't we use a more direct way to promote it?"

"What could be a more direct way?" Jiang Xia asked cautiously.

Zhou Ming didn't answer directly but asked Jiang Xia, "Party Secretary Jiang, do you like reading history?"

This question confused Jiang Xia, making his mind go blank. He looked at Zhou Ming in confusion, not understanding why Zhou Ming, who was just talking about a direct way to promote the reform, suddenly jumped to history. What did the factory's wage reform have to do with history?

Seeing Jiang Xia's confusion, Zhou Ming smiled and said, "We learn from history to understand the rise and fall of things."

...

The next morning, the Propaganda Department posted the wage reform announcement. When the workers came to work as usual and saw the announcement on the bulletin board at the factory gate, they immediately started a heated discussion. When Zhou Ming and Jiang Xia arrived, the bulletin board was already surrounded by people, all of whom were complaining about the wage reform.

"How can the factory do this? How can they change the wages like this? Look at the basic wage, it's been cut by almost half. If we get this wage, we won't even be able to afford food. What's the point of working?"

"Didn't they say that Old Zhou from the machining workshop is now the factory manager? He's usually a good person. He wouldn't set such a rule, right?"

"Old Zhou is a good person, but I heard that the real factory manager is his son, Zhou Ming, who is a big capitalist from Hongcheng. He's here to exploit us. Look, he's already cutting our wages by almost half. At this rate, we might as well become farmers and work the land next to the factory."

"Exactly! Zhou Ming is just messing around. Before the reform, the factory's efficiency was poor, and wages were often delayed, but we eventually got our full wages. Now, with this capitalist, he's even cutting our wages!"

...

Listening to the heated discussions, Zhou Ming awkwardly touched his nose. He never thought that he, a genuine factory child, would be seen as a wicked capitalist by these people. Life is indeed unpredictable.

Jiang Xia clearly heard these discussions and suggested to Zhou Ming with some concern, "Boss Zhou, why don't we go back? The workers are in such a state that we can't communicate with them. What if something happens to you?"

Zhou Ming waved his hand indifferently and said, "It's fine. They are just venting their frustrations. If they curse me, it means I'm safe. If they read the announcement and say nothing, I would leave immediately."

Seeing Zhou Ming's attitude, Jiang Xia became even more worried: "Boss Zhou, don't take unnecessary risks! These workers are unreasonable!"

"Didn't I already tell you my plan yesterday, Party Secretary Jiang? Do you have no confidence in me?" Zhou Ming asked.

"Of course not, I have great confidence in your plan, but..."

Before Jiang Xia could finish, Zhou Ming said, "Then that's settled. Let's go!"