Chapter 94

Yang Yuanzhao never expected that this recruitment by Bao Ken Company would attract so many people. Not only the young and strong men from the entire Baotou, but also many from the surrounding areas were drawn here. Seeing the Bao Ken Company surrounded, he couldn't help but shake his head.

Fortunately, the location of Bao Ken Company was a small building that used to belong to the Baotou Chamber of Commerce. For convenience and safety, it had not only a main entrance but also a back door in a nearby alley. Yang Yuanzhao changed his steps and entered the alley. Soon, he arrived at a courtyard with only two rooms.

He knocked lightly, and there was movement inside. A head poked out, and upon seeing Yang Yuanzhao, the person hurriedly ran out and said, "Boss, you're here!"

Liu Quan was a servant of the Liu family and had followed Liu Shu for many years. After Bao Ken Company was established, Liu Shu appointed him as the head of the security team, responsible for protecting the entire company. He was well aware of Yang Yuanzhao's position in Bao Ken Company.

"Alright, where is your young master?"

"He's in the office!" Liu Quan said, quickly leading Yang Yuanzhao forward.

Yang Yuanzhao knew about this back door but had never used it. Passing through two rooms, there was a very hidden small door in the back yard, located in a corner of the woodshed. After entering, he arrived at a small room in Bao Ken Company. The small room was sealed, clearly designed without a door. Then, he followed the stairs up and emerged in an inconspicuous small room on the second floor.

Indeed, it was well-hidden. Even if something happened at Bao Ken Company, one could quickly escape through the back door. Yang Yuanzhao praised it and knew the way from there. He followed the corridor and found Liu Shu's office.

At that moment, the office was piled with a large number of documents. Liu Shu and three clerks were searching through them. Hearing the movement, Liu Shu almost didn't turn his head and asked, "Is it Liu Tang? Quickly bring me the new recruitment forms!"

Liu Tang was another servant, unlike Liu Quan, who was strong and powerful. Liu Tang was literate and had been Liu Shu's book boy in the past, responsible for paperwork. After Bao Ken Company was established, most of the work was handed over to Liu Shu, and Liu Tang became his assistant.

"Brother Zelun, how is it going? How many people have been recruited?"

Hearing that it wasn't Liu Tang's voice, Liu Shu was taken aback, looked up, and said with a bitter smile, "You set up this mess, and you're like a hands-off boss. Why do you have time to come today!"

"I went to the construction site and just came to check how the recruitment is going."

"Currently, we have recruited 1,000 people, but Yuanzhao, why do you need so many people?"

"Of course, for work. The cement factory is different from the flour mill and brick factory. It is a true large-scale enterprise and requires a significant workforce."

Liu Shu, looking at Yang Yuanzhao's relaxed demeanor, said with a bitter face, "You offer such high wages that not only the laborers from the surrounding areas but even those from the hometown are coming. What should we do!"

"Do what needs to be done. If it doesn't work, send them back!" Yang Yuanzhao said, frowning. The clan power in China had always been something he disliked, which was the fundamental reason he did not develop in the four major families. Perhaps it would be better in the short term, but in the long run, it was the biggest obstacle to modern industrialization.

"Easy to say, who doesn't have a few poor relatives!"

"Alright!" Yang Yuanzhao thought for a moment and suggested, "The flour mill has already started production. There are still some sales targets, and the brick factory can also provide some bricks. This can help expand sales!"

Flour and bricks were in short supply. Although transporting bricks to Taiyuan would result in a loss, in the surrounding areas, there were always people moving into new homes. Hiring a group of people for construction, a small batch of bricks could be sold. Although the first batch had not yet come out, as a senior executive of Bao Ken Company, Liu Shu was well aware of the situation. The machines were running continuously, and a batch was completed within a week. Now, the second batch was underway, and the scene was bustling.

Among the poor relatives, there were those who were closer and those who were more distant. The distant ones came to Baotou mainly to seek work. These people had a more distant relationship and were very self-aware, not making excessive demands and working diligently. If they were suitable, Liu Shu would still keep them. The closer relatives could be given a batch of flour and bricks, which would not be in vain for their long journey.

Yang Yuanzhao picked up a record casually. This was something he had instructed Liu Shu to do. According to the old rules, only a written contract or a verbal agreement was needed to complete the recruitment process.

Yang Yuanzhao was very clear that a complete archive was crucial for managing workers. In the early stages of a company, it must function like a large family to unite everyone's beliefs and build a strong, efficient factory. Even some reports and summaries, which seemed to have little use, could provide valuable insights to the true controllers, revealing what was happening in the factory.

To continuously climb as an entrepreneur, one must focus on the big picture and delegate the small tasks. However, these raw data, when summarized, could guide the development of the company, allowing one to identify and promptly resolve issues.

The records were relatively detailed, including name, age, gender, basic characteristics, address, and family situation. However, the names were quite varied. In the old era, except for those who had received education, the names of the Chinese people were diverse. The saying "a humble name is easier to raise" was well-known, with names like Dog剩, Grass根, Second剩, Big牛, Second牛, Third牛, Big狗, Second狗, and Third狗 being common. There were many duplicates among the 1,000 people, which made Liu Shu and his team work hard.

Yang Yuanzhao nodded slightly and asked, "By the way, Brother Zelun, how many of these workers are literate?"

"Brother Yuanzhao, what do you want? Are you looking for scholars or aiming for the imperial exams?" Liu Shu said, taken aback.

Yang Yuanzhao then realized that in this era, only a very small portion of the population was educated. Even in big cities, less than 10% of ordinary citizens could read and write.

"Alright, I've recorded it. There are 3 scholars and over 30 who are somewhat literate. The rest are completely illiterate!" Liu Shu said calmly, looking at Yang Yuanzhao's expression.

"Three scholars?"

"What, can't scholars apply?"

"No, I just find it strange that scholars would look for jobs."

"Do you think this is still a peaceful era? I, a respected scholar, work in the chamber of commerce. The wages you offer are much higher than what I earned when I first joined the chamber. Attracting a few poor scholars is nothing. This is still a small number, just from Baotou. If the news spreads, even more will come!"

Under Liu Shu's explanation, Yang Yuanzhao understood that even decades ago, when the imperial examination system was still in place, it was difficult for scholars to make a living. They either became lawyers, wrote letters, or gave up on the exams and worked in shops as accountants. Now, with the central government in chaos and the Qing Dynasty showing signs of decline, poor scholars had even fewer options. Currently, there were many such scholars in Baotou, some helping in schools, and the rest working in various shops. The conditions Yang Yuanzhao offered for this recruitment were very attractive, especially the higher standards for skilled workers, which attracted many people.

Yang Yuanzhao looked at the records of the 3 scholars and over 30 somewhat literate individuals and sighed. The path to industrialization in China was indeed long and arduous. He suddenly remembered the agreement he had made with others, especially Wu Guangren and Zhao Shuming, to find a place to teach the workers to read and write. He even offered a reward of 15 kilograms of white flour per month. He quickly asked Liu Shu about it.

Liu Shu was taken aback, not expecting Yang Yuanzhao to ask this question. He hesitated for a moment and finally said, "Brother Yuanzhao, I suggest you don't have too much hope. As far as I know, the schools are no longer running."

Yang Yuanzhao was surprised by this answer. Since arriving in Baotou, he had been busy non-stop. After returning from Shanghai, he had established the flour mill and brick factory and was now setting up the cement factory, leaving him with no free time. However, he had always valued education, especially the education of workers. He believed that Wu Guangren and Zhao Shuming would not be insincere, but the current result shocked him. He raised his voice and asked, "Why? What is the reason? Are they not dedicated?"