Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8: Factory Layoff (Fourth Update, Fourth Update Arrived)

16 min read4,014 words

Realizing this, Director Ding was instantly overwhelmed with shame, wishing he could find a crack to hide in: Fortunately, he hadn't shown any signs, otherwise he would have had no face to show anyone.

The poorer the place, the more people value their reputation—this was indeed true.

Lin Zheng didn't care what Director Ding was thinking. He didn't notice that Director Ding's face was still pale. At this moment, he was only thinking about how to comfort this respectable old man, nodding repeatedly with a bitter smile, "Uncle Wu, I promise you, I will think of ways to help our factory. Don't worry, the state won't just let our factory go down like this..."

Although he said that, Lin Zheng was truly uneasy.

Could he find a way to save the district radio factory? Of course!

But would it work? No, it wouldn't!

Due to the nature of the district radio factory, all solutions would require the approval, support, and firm delegation of power from the district and city leaders. Otherwise, everything would just be empty talk. Could the city leaders delegate power? No, they couldn't! Even if some leaders had the idea of letting the enterprise take a chance, they wouldn't dare to implement it.

Lin Zheng's words were more for comforting the old factory manager, but the old factory manager, who had come from a special era, firmly believed in Lin Zheng's words, nodding repeatedly. His face improved significantly, as if he was repeating Lin Zheng's words to himself or to strengthen his own belief, nodding heavily, "Xiao Lin, you're right. We are a state-owned enterprise. Although we have difficulties, they are only temporary. The state will never let us go down like this..."

Before the old factory manager finished speaking, Wang Yun, the middle-aged woman from the factory's broadcasting room, pushed the door open in a daze, stumbling in. Before the old factory manager, who was ready to scold her, could open his mouth, she said mournfully, "Factory Manager, Factory Manager, the district just called, saying our factory will be shut down completely, and all workers will be laid off within the factory, waiting for the district and city's decisions..."

Before she finished, Wang Yun, whose face had turned white, squatted down and burst into tears.

Everyone knew what "laid off within the factory" meant.

"What?!"

As if struck by a heavy blow, the old factory manager swayed uncontrollably, his face turning an abnormal shade of red.

Lin Zheng was also stunned. He hadn't expected the district to make the decision to lay off the workers of the district radio factory at this time.

In 1994, the term "layoff" didn't exist. According to the prevailing social beliefs at the time, we were a socialist country, and the workers of a socialist country couldn't be like those in capitalist countries, whose jobs were always at risk. The workers of a socialist country had ironclad jobs and would never be laid off.

This belief was deeply rooted not only in the hearts of ordinary workers but also in the minds of most high-level leaders. The term "layoff" was like a venomous snake or a fierce beast, something that absolutely could not appear. But the reality was there, so more euphemistic terms like "leave of absence," "laid off within the factory," "long-term leave," and "no contact, no search" emerged.

Although the term "layoff" didn't exist, the concept of "laid off within the factory" was not unfamiliar to the leaders and workers of all state-owned enterprises. Everyone knew that once a company was labeled as "laid off within the factory," it meant the government had abandoned the factory, leaving it to fend for itself.

"How can this be? How can this be?" The old factory manager, who had always been strong, bent over involuntarily, tears streaming down his tiger-like eyes, looking suddenly decades older, muttering unconsciously, "Aren't we a state-owned enterprise? Why is the government abandoning us?"

When the old factory manager's gaze inadvertently fell on Lin Zheng, his lifeless eyes suddenly lit up. He grabbed Lin Zheng's arm and shook it fiercely, "Xiao Lin, Xiao Lin, you're a college graduate, a highly educated person, quick-witted, and full of ideas. You must have a way to save our factory, right? Right?"

The old man's strength was so great that Lin Zheng suspected he was being held by a heavyweight boxer, not a man nearly 60 years old. The desperate, expectant look in his eyes was like a drowning person desperately trying to grab onto a straw.

Lin Zheng sighed inwardly: What could he do about this?

But he also knew that the old factory manager couldn't withstand any more bad news. If he didn't give him some hope, the old factory manager might collapse: "Uncle Wu, getting agitated is bad for your health. Don't get too upset. The government only said we would be laid off within the factory, not that they would abandon us. We are a state-owned enterprise. The government and the state won't abandon us. They might have deeper intentions. Perhaps the leaders are already considering how to reassign us, and we just don't know yet. Don't you think so?"

At this moment, the best way to prevent the old factory manager from having a breakdown was to give him some hope, even if it meant making him believe that the government would help everyone through the difficulties, which was better than letting the old man face the harsh reality directly.

"Right, right, you're right, Xiao Lin," Lin Zheng's words seemed to have a magical effect. Hearing Lin Zheng, the old factory manager miraculously calmed down, his eyes regaining a bit of their luster, "You young people react quickly. The government only said we would be laid off within the factory, not that they would abandon us. We are a state-owned enterprise, and the working class is the main force of the country. The state and the government will never abandon us. They will definitely reassign us. Yes, yes, it must be like that, it must be like that..."

Hearing the old factory manager's self-talk, Director Ding's eyes welled up with tears, which he quickly turned his head to hide, trying hard not to cry out.

He, of course, knew what the "laid off within the factory" decision from the district meant for the district radio factory, but seeing the glimmer of hope in the old factory manager's eyes, he swallowed his words.

"What are you crying for?! What kind of tears are these?!" The old factory manager, who had just regained some confidence, saw that Comrade Xiao Ding was crying and immediately flew into a rage, his aura of authority radiating, pointing at Ding Datong's nose and scolding him, "Ding Datong, what are you crying for? Isn't it just a bit of difficulty? Who hasn't faced difficulties and setbacks in life? What's a bit of difficulty compared to the Long March? Our brave Red Army walked 25,000 miles. Can't we overcome this bit of difficulty?!"

"Besides, what Xiao Lin said makes sense. The government and leaders might be thinking of ways to reassign us. So many enterprises are having problems. We need to understand the government and give them some time."

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