Chapter 42

Upon returning to the chamber of commerce, Yang Yue had just woken up. Yang Yuanzhao frankly stated that he needed to stay in Wuhan for another day. Yang Yue did not say much, although the cotton planting was becoming increasingly urgent, the planting would not start until April, and the transplanting would not begin until May, so there was still plenty of time.

Planting cotton was merely a stepping stone, the fastest way he could think of to get started. Entering the industrial and commercial sectors rashly was fraught with unknowns. Regardless of raw material imports, production, or sales, there were many unknown issues that could arise, leading to a total loss, and the most critical point was the huge investment.

On the contrary, agriculture was the best choice. In this era, landlords relied on the weather for their crops, and it was easy to achieve significant improvements with chemical fertilizers and scientific planting methods. Using agriculture as a starting point was the best choice. In four to five months, when everything became clear, he could gradually shift his focus to industry.

The trip to Wuhan could be considered a preparation. The machines and blueprints were already completed. Next, he needed workers, which was an extremely important step. In Yang Yuanzhao's view, this was even more important than the machines and blueprints, which was why he stayed an extra day.

He visited the Hanyang Iron Works again. The entrance was still strictly guarded. Wu San had been waiting there early, as he received a message the previous night that Yang Yuanzhao would be at the Hanyang Iron Works gate at 8 a.m.

The harvest from the previous day, with 2 yuan as a reward and another 1 yuan later, totaling 3 yuan, made Wu San even more eager for Yang Yuanzhao's arrival. However, when he arrived at the gate, he found that Yang Yuanzhao came alone, without Yang Shixun from the previous day.

Wu San's heart raced. He was just a servant and had no ability to bring Yang Yuanzhao in. Seeing Yang Yuanzhao get off the carriage and walk over quickly, he said somewhat resentfully, "Master Yang, why didn't you bring Mr. Yang? I..."

"Are you afraid I can't get in?" Yang Yuanzhao waved the card in his hand.

The card flashed by, and Wu San was stunned. He had never seen such a card but had heard of it, as it bore the emblem of the Sheng family. The Hanyang Iron Works was almost their private domain, and holding their card was more prestigious than their department heads.

Sure enough, at the gate, they were stopped, but when Yang Yuanzhao showed the card from Sheng Huaiyan, the guards were surprised and respectfully let them in.

"Master Yang, what are we doing today?"

"Do you know where the Hanyang Iron Works' roster is?"

"Roster?" Wu San thought for a moment and said, "The rosters are all at the iron office, not here!"

Yang Yuanzhao frowned, a bit puzzled, "The workers' roster is also at the iron office?"

"Workers?" Wu San hurriedly said, "The workers are here, under the foremen. Master Yang, please follow me!"

Wu San led the way, and Yang Yuanzhao followed calmly. Wu San, however, was puzzled. Why was Master Yang so peculiar? Yesterday, he was so interested in the abandoned factories, examining each machine, and today, he was interested in the workers' roster. Didn't he know that workers were at the bottom of the Hanyang Iron Works?

The goals of the great were always beyond the comprehension of the small. Wu San did not dare to think too much and directly led Yang Yuanzhao deep into the Hanyang Iron Works. Yesterday, Yang Yuanzhao mainly visited the machine shop, but he did not go to the workers' barracks. The barracks were located in the northeast of the Hanyang Iron Works, next to the slag hill, a filthy place. The Hanyang Iron Works were not fully operational, with only about one-third of the capacity running, and the number of workers had decreased from tens of thousands to less than 3,000.

Even 3,000 was a large number. If each person had a room, it would require 3,000 rooms. However, when he actually saw it, it was a scene of desolation. In that area of barracks, there were only four or five very large rooms, which, according to Wu San, were for the foremen. The foremen were considered officials in the Hanyang Iron Works, each managing 500 to 600 people, with a total of five foremen. The remaining workers lived in dilapidated barracks, which were made of thatch and were only one or two meters high, just enough for one person to lie down.

It was time for work, and there were few men in the barracks, only women and children. In the cramped barracks, where even turning around was difficult, stoves were piled up, and a few women were cooking. Some were washing clothes in a pit a mile away, and occasionally, a few dirty children were seen playing in the barracks, but most were hiding, timidly watching Wu San and Yang Yuanzhao.

Yang Yuanzhao wanted to go over, but Wu San stopped him, saying, "Master Yang, these are dirty people, please stay back!"

Yang Yuanzhao sighed. He had momentarily forgotten his identity. This was not the future but the early 20th century, still under the control of the Qing Dynasty. He knew that the Hanyang Iron Works did not value workers, but he did not expect it to be to such an extent. It seemed that the workers were only slightly better off than disaster victims, with low wages. The workers were content with three meals a day and a place to sleep.

These were not things he could interfere with. Even if he agreed to invest in the Hanyang Iron Works and gained Sheng Huaiyan's recognition, Sheng Huaiyan would not challenge the entire class for a mere 100,000. He suddenly realized that this was Hanyang. Although the reforms had not been in place for many years, the feudal forces in the heart of China were still very strong, and the ruling class often viewed laborers as slaves. If he had not been transported to the relatively poor Baotou, his actions would have been discovered long ago.

It seemed that being transported to Baotou was a good thing. The harsh treatment of workers by the Hanyang Iron Works was not necessarily a bad thing. In such a harsh environment and with such meager wages, if he slightly improved the conditions, the skilled workers cultivated by the Hanyang Iron Works over 20 years would flock to him.

"Wu San, let's go, we need to find the foremen!"

Wu San, seeing Yang Yuanzhao decide to leave, breathed a sigh of relief. The barracks were almost a forbidden area for officials. The relationship between them was extremely tense, and officials rarely entered the barracks without guards, as it was chaotic and dirty, and they might get beaten.

Kicking open the door, Wu San walked in arrogantly and shouted, "Is Wang Maozi here?"

Inside, three or four strong men were gambling. Hearing the noise, they were about to react angrily, but when they saw Wu San, they immediately calmed down, like rats seeing a cat. A large, muscular man hurriedly stood up and said, "Master Wu, is there anything from Director Zhao?"

"I'm not here on Director Zhao's orders. This gentleman has a card from General Manager Sheng."

General Manager Sheng, whom the foremen could only see occasionally, made Wu San a respected figure, let alone the biggest boss. The men immediately became respectful.

Yang Yuanzhao, seeing Wu San's demeanor, did not say much. These foremen were all strong and muscular, clearly using whips and fists to manage the workers. Without change, this would likely continue even after the founding of the Republic.

Holding Sheng Huaiyan's card and with Wu San's authority, the foremen did not dare to be negligent. Soon, the other four foremen and two or three dozen sub-foremen, who managed the 3,000 workers, arrived.

The foremen were crude, many of them local ruffians, and few could read. The workers were the same, and the rosters were incomplete, with only a few detailed records, mostly just attendance lists with symbols.

Yang Yuanzhao frowned. This was different from what he had expected. Fortunately, one of the foremen, who was more astute, quickly said, "Three years ago, Chief Engineer Robert strongly advocated for a roster, which is now probably in the archives!"

"Robert!" Yang Yuanzhao's eyes lit up. He had not expected to hear his name again. As a British engineer, he should know the benefits of skilled workers for a steel mill. At the time, he probably faced strong opposition, but even the best ideas could be misinterpreted. The roster was likely put aside after being created, but it would now benefit him.

"Let's go to the archives!" Yang Yuanzhao said to Wu San. The five foremen breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were powerful in front of the workers, in the Hanyang Iron Works, they were below even ordinary servants. If not for their strength, they would not have this job.

Yang Yuanzhao was clearly not an ordinary person, and with Sheng Huaiyan's card, he could easily get rid of them. In this situation, the sooner they could send him away, the better.

Yang Yuanzhao took a few steps and then turned back, asking, "By the way, is it okay if I take these rosters?"

"Of course, Master Yang, take them, take them!" The foremen were eager to see Yang Yuanzhao leave and quickly agreed.

Yang Yuanzhao and Wu San left with the rosters. These were attendance lists, which saved a lot of time. Most of the symbols were explained in detail by Wu San, effectively translating them. With this list, the workers could not run away. Handing this over to Yang Shixun, with the Yang family chamber of commerce's resources, recruiting these workers should not be a problem, and the待遇 he offered was quite generous.

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(Note: The last sentence "the待遇 he offered was quite generous" should be "the treatment he offered was quite generous" in English.)