Chapter 99

When Yang Yuanzhao asked, Liu Shu came over, took the file from Yang Yuanzhao's hand, glanced at it, and said in surprise, "This person? Li Mingsheng?"

Liu Shu instantly recalled this person's information. As the major steward of Baokeng Company, he was well-informed about many of the company's affairs. Although the construction of the cement plant was almost entirely led by Yang Yuanzhao, with investments and machinery coming from him alone, he still allocated a 10% share to Baokeng Company. Even though it was just a dividend share, Liu Shu, who knew about some of the cement plant's investments, was well aware that once the plant was built, it would generate enormous profits. Just look at the Qixin Cement Plant, which, when under British control, had an annual profit of over several hundred thousand. Later, after the Beiyang government went to great lengths to reclaim it and expanded its scale, the new cement almost sold nationwide, with even more astonishing profits.

The file stated that this master craftsman was named Li Mingsheng, who had the highest salary among the 150 workers. When Baokeng Company recruited externally, they offered double the original salary. Li Mingsheng could earn 70 yuan at the Qixin Cement Plant, so Baokeng Company offered him a high salary of 140 yuan.

However, Li Mingsheng was the best among the 150 craftsmen, both in terms of experience and ability. He was one of the few master craftsmen at the Qixin Cement Plant, controlling the most critical calcination kiln, and was always highly valued by Qixin. The Yang family had contacted him a month ago when Yang Yuanzhao proposed recruiting workers for the cement plant, but he had always refused. The Yang family had almost given up, as it was difficult to recruit a highly valued craftsman with a high salary.

However, just the day before everyone was about to set off, Li Mingsheng approached the Yang family, wanting to come to Baotou. This surprised the Yang family to some extent. The entire process was recorded in another file and specifically sent to Liu Shu.

Liu Shu recounted everything he knew to Yang Yuanzhao. After listening to Liu Shu's account, Yang Yuanzhao fell silent, thinking for a long time before saying, "Brother Zelun, have Tianjin continue to investigate and find out what's going on. Don't be afraid to spend money. I want to know why Li Mingsheng chose to come to Baotou at the last moment. We need to get to the bottom of it!"

Liu Shu frowned. Although the Yang family had considerable influence in Tianjin, it was close to the capital and the Beiyang government's base. It would be difficult to gather information, especially since the Qixin Cement Plant had already recruited a large number of workers. Investigating Li Mingsheng through the Beiyang government's power would be almost impossible. What the Yang family needed to do was to repair their relationship with the Beiyang government, not to further provoke them.

Seeing Liu Shu's expression, Yang Yuanzhao understood his thoughts and said earnestly, "Brother Zelun, if we can use Li Mingsheng well, the construction of our cement plant will be at least twice as fast. So please try your best to expedite it."

If the construction speed of the cement plant could be doubled, it would prove how important Li Mingsheng was to the plant. The cement plant was currently the most important project for Yang Yuanzhao. The large number of employees alone indicated how profitable the plant would be. The importance of Li Mingsheng rose several levels in Liu Shu's mind, and he nodded, agreeing to do his best.

Putting aside the matter of Li Mingsheng for the time being, Yang Yuanzhao felt that they should proceed step by step. He decided to temporarily set aside further contact with Li Mingsheng and first settle the workers. Fortunately, Baotou had many shops. After Baokeng Company was established, they acquired some residences, which were slightly renovated to accommodate a large number of people. Of course, the conditions were not too good, with four people sharing a room.

A small house, accommodating four people, was a bit crowded. They used iron-framed bunk beds designed by Yang Yuanzhao, inspired by modern school dormitories. Each person in a room had a bed, a desk, and a large storage cabinet on the wall. These designs minimized the space used, making the rooms relatively spacious. If it were like in this era, four people would have to share a large dormitory.

The 150 craftsmen did not bring their families and were all male. They needed about 40 rooms. Baokeng Company used three large courtyards to settle them. Ordinary craftsmen shared rooms with four people, while master craftsmen mostly had their own rooms. They were separated and implicitly became the leaders among the 150 workers.

That evening, under Liu Shu's arrangement, a welcome banquet was held for the master craftsmen at the Fuhua Building. The largest private room was reserved, and the company's senior management, including Yang Yuanzhao and Liu Shu, along with the seven master craftsmen, filled a table. Others, whom Yang Yuanzhao couldn't personally entertain, were also treated to extra dishes, such as roasted chicken, cured meat, and beef and mutton, without any stinginess.

Those who came here were mostly for the money and good treatment, and they were naturally satisfied. After a tiring day, a delicious meal could ease their anxiety and boost their confidence in the upcoming work.

As night fell, the Fuhua Building was brightly lit. Since it was close to the power plant, the owner, after paying a substantial fee, had a wire installed to power 12 60-watt light bulbs. In the northern night, the light bulbs, brought from the future, emitted a warm orange glow, making the place exceptionally bright.

The master craftsmen, led by the attendants, entered the Fuhua Building. The luxurious decor, exquisite tableware, and bright lighting made them somewhat uneasy. They were mostly honest and hardworking people who had honed their skills over years in the factory. Their purpose in coming to Baotou was to earn money, and seeing the big boss made them somewhat nervous, causing their movements to be more restrained.

Yang Yuanzhao had reviewed their files and could roughly identify each person based on the descriptions. After looking around, his face showed disappointment. He did not see Li Mingsheng, the master craftsman he had been eager to meet.

Calling over Dahan, he gave him a few instructions. Dahan went out for a while and then came back, saying, "Master, I heard that Li Mingsheng is not feeling well and didn't come."

"Li Mingsheng didn't come!" Yang Yuanzhao pondered. This person was truly strange. Yang Yuanzhao had reviewed Li Mingsheng's background. He was not old, only in his forties, which was considered middle-aged in this era. He had entered the Beiyang Machinery Bureau 20 years ago, starting as a laborer and rising to become a master craftsman through his talent. He had worked at the Qixin Cement Plant for 12 years, becoming deeply familiar with the cement industry. His monthly salary was the highest at Qixin, reaching 70 yuan. Although it was not comparable to the high salary offered by Yang Yuanzhao, 70 yuan a month was enough to live a comfortable life in Tianjin. The Yang family had difficulty recruiting other master craftsmen, except for those who had just been promoted or were from poor families. Money was a good thing, but once it reached a certain level, it lost its appeal to many people.

Li Mingsheng had come to Baotou on his own initiative, but after arriving, he kept a low profile and even skipped this banquet. The news from Tianjin had not yet arrived, but it was certain that something had happened to Li Mingsheng, otherwise, he wouldn't have changed his mind.

Yang Yuanzhao was somewhat frustrated. The more he thought about it, the more he felt a headache. He decided not to think about it anymore. Although the other master craftsmen were not as important as Li Mingsheng, they were still in charge of critical departments in the cement plant. For now, the best Yang Yuanzhao could do was to try to win their favor. To ensure the smooth operation of the cement plant, these people were key.

Even master craftsmen, who were important in the factory, had never received such treatment. The dishes at the Fuhua Building were delicious, and Yang Yuanzhao spared no expense, serving mostly rare delicacies, especially the Yellow River carp, which was particularly savory.

To become a master craftsman in a factory, one needed not only exceptional skills but also the ability to read people and situations. It was clear that Yang Yuanzhao was the true boss and decision-maker, and the conversation revolved around him.

Regardless of whether it was genuine or not, Yang Yuanzhao had welcomed the master craftsmen. He agreed to visit the cement plant site the next day and then had Dahan and others escort the master craftsmen home. The Fuhua Building returned to its quiet state. Yang Yuanzhao looked at the small town shrouded in darkness, with the dim lights from the lanterns carried by Dahan and others extending to the distant courtyards. He felt a bit relieved. No matter what, the 150 people had settled the basic workforce for the cement plant. The next step would depend on the progress of the construction.