Chapter 025: Director Liao, Skilled in Interpersonal Relations

Third floor, outside the office.

Wang Qiang sat on the wooden bench fixed to the corridor wall, deep in thought.

The Jin Gong Machinery Factory was riddled with management loopholes. Coupled with the peculiarities of its workforce, very few people worked diligently. Although he was only there to help Lu Dahai train a few managers and wasn’t responsible for how the workers performed, since he was being paid, he was determined to do a good job and solve the problems thoroughly.

Wang Qiang considered everything carefully. He knew he couldn’t turn the place around in a week, but at the very least, he wanted to help Lu Dahai get the factory running smoothly again. It couldn't keep going like this—with the boss away, everyone slacking off. After all, Lu Dahai was his benefactor.

Footsteps echoed from the stairwell.

“It’s almost eight.”

“Has the boss arrived?”

“I just saw him parking downstairs. He’s probably headed to the workshop.”

Wang Qiang glanced westward and saw two men and a woman, each carrying a briefcase, coming up.

They noticed him too. The short, bespectacled middle-aged man asked, “Who are you?”

Wang Qiang replied with his usual smile, “I’m here to see Mr. Lu.”

“Oh, then wait here for a while. He might come up soon,” said the young woman with a mole at the corner of her mouth.

With that, the three headed to the offices down the corridor.

Wang Qiang observed them closely. One man and the woman were headed to the accounting office; the short man went into the general manager’s office.

He waited another ten minutes or so as people trickled in, each disappearing into their own office. The short man left his office during this period.

Just then, Lu Dahai’s voice sounded from the stairwell, “That old Zhen is late again! What a piece of work. Yesterday, he swore up and down he wouldn’t let it happen again—now look at him!”

Qin Xiaohui’s soothing voice replied, “Don’t get so worked up. It’s not worth ruining your health over people like that, hmm?”

As they spoke, the couple ascended the stairs, followed by the short general manager.

Spotting Wang Qiang, Lu Dahai’s face instantly broke into a broad grin. “Oh! You’re here early, Xiao Wang!”

The general manager chimed in, “He was here before eight.”

Wang Qiang stood and greeted them as Qin Xiaohui looked him up and down. “Mr. Lu, Sister Xiaohui, good morning.”

After a few words of small talk, Lu Dahai unlocked the office door.

They entered.

The general manager grabbed a chair for himself. Lu Dahai invited Wang Qiang to sit on the sofa and politely asked Qin Xiaohui to make some tea.

“Let me introduce you two,” Lu Dahai said, gesturing to the general manager. “This is Liao Wenfeng, our general manager from Shanghai.”

“Hello, Mr. Liao,” Wang Qiang said, extending his hand.

Lu Dahai continued, “This is Wang Qiang, the specialist I hired to train our staff.”

Liao Wenfeng shook Wang Qiang’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Qin Xiaohui, having finished making tea, sat quietly, watching the three men talk.

After the introductions, Lu Dahai sighed. “Xiao Liao here mainly handles clients. Management isn’t exactly his strong suit. Otherwise, things wouldn’t be in this state. I’ve tried to recruit some top-notch managers, but as soon as they hear about Minqiang Town, they all politely turn me down. Xiao Wang, I’m counting on you this time. I know you have real ability.”

The praise was generous.

The responsibility, heavy.

Wang Qiang felt a hint of pressure and replied modestly, “I can only share some of my thoughts with everyone. I’m not especially skilled in management.” As he spoke, he pulled a few sheets of crumpled paper from his pocket. “I wrote down some modern management practices yesterday afternoon, including reward and punishment systems, safety regulations, and 5S methodology. As for the business side, I’m not an expert—that’s up to you.”

Lu Dahai and Qin Xiaohui exchanged glances. Although they’d invited Wang Qiang to provide training, they weren’t going to throw money away. They needed to see what he could do. If he wasn’t up to par, they could just pay him a hundred yuan for today and not invite him back—there was no contract anyway.

To their surprise, Wang Qiang had come prepared to demonstrate his abilities, and the stack of paper looked substantial—at least a dozen pages.

“Alright,” Lu Dahai said with a smile. “Xiao Liao, have a look?”

His words made it clear how much he trusted Liao.

Liao Wenfeng glanced at Wang Qiang with curiosity. The young man looked to be only seventeen or eighteen—yet he’d been invited by the boss to train them in management? But knowing Lu Dahai’s sharp eye for talent, Liao didn’t dismiss him. He took the papers Wang Qiang handed over and, flipping through them, asked, “By the way, what’s this 5S you mentioned?”

Both Qin Xiaohui and Lu Dahai turned their attention to him.

“Oh, 5S?” Wang Qiang explained. “5S stands for Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. It originated with Toyota in Japan and refers to the effective management of people, machines, materials, and methods in the workplace. It’s a unique Japanese management technique.”

Liao, having opened the papers but not yet perused them, hesitated. “What’s the use of 5S?”

Lu Dahai and his wife were curious. It was their first time hearing the term.

No wonder—they couldn’t have known about 5S. The method hadn’t yet spread to China; it wouldn’t be widely adopted by Chinese companies until Japanese firms introduced it in Guangdong and Shenzhen around the year 2000.

Wang Qiang explained patiently, “5S is highly effective in improving the work environment, boosting production efficiency, ensuring product quality, fostering a management culture, and creating a strong corporate identity. It enhances the company’s image, increases employees’ sense of belonging, improves efficiency, safeguards quality, and reduces waste.”

Qin Xiaohui exclaimed, “Is it really that impressive?”

Lu Dahai’s interest was piqued. “Give us an example. How does it improve a company’s image?”

“Alright, let’s say a client comes to visit the factory,” Wang Qiang replied. “If he sees abrasive wheels scattered everywhere in the workshop, would he be interested in your products? Even if your grinding wheels are top-notch, the client might think you’re unprofessional. But if you implement 5S and the workshop is spotless, with everything neatly arranged, the client will immediately see that the company is well-managed and will trust you more. Isn’t that so?”

Liao Wenfeng nodded in agreement. He wasn’t ignorant of management; he’d just never dealt with such a tough workforce as at Jin Gong Machinery. He even regretted accepting the role of general manager—those seasoned workers were impossible to manage, and he sometimes felt on the verge of ruin.

“What are the specifics of 5S?” Liao pressed.

Wang Qiang, just about to pick up his steaming cup of tea, pointed to the documents and smiled. “It’s all written here. Take a look. Once you’ve reviewed my suggestions and think they’re worthwhile, gather the employees and announce that we’ll start implementing them today.” He added, “Just to be clear, I won’t interfere in your factory’s operations—I’m only providing advice. The actual implementation is up to you.”

He had no intention of making enemies. Many of the factory workers were from his own village—if he started bossing them around, not only would the general manager take offense, but the villagers would gossip behind his back.

Wang Qiang knew exactly what he should and shouldn’t do. He would never cast himself as the villain; he’d just nudge Liao Wenfeng or others he was training to play that role if necessary.

“Alright, let me take a look,” Liao said, adjusting his glasses and lowering his head to read.

Lu Dahai and Qin Xiaohui got up and crowded around to read with him.

Liao read aloud as he flipped through, “‘Employee Reward and Punishment System: 1. General Provisions. 1.1. To clarify the basis, standards, and procedures for rewards and punishments, ensure transparency, fairness, and justice, better regulate employee behavior, enforce discipline, reward excellence, spur improvement, and fully motivate staff to achieve better performance, this system is hereby established.’”

Most people wouldn’t read out loud like this, but Wang Qiang guessed Liao was doing it to flatter Lu Dahai—after all, it was only a single sheet. For a salaried worker to sit while the boss and his wife stood would be a bit inappropriate.

As expected, when Liao began to read, Lu Dahai and Qin Xiaohui returned to the sofa. Wang Qiang even saw a look of appreciation on Lu’s face.

He couldn’t help but reflect: the workplace is never easy. Even as a general manager, Liao Wenfeng had to find ways to flatter Lu Dahai.

Just as Wang Qiang was silently admiring Liao’s social finesse, the reading suddenly stopped. He looked over in confusion.

Liao Wenfeng raised his head and looked at him with a smile. “Mr. Wang, this is very professional. I thought you’d just list a few general points, but you’ve written full regulations. It’s rare to see someone so meticulous.”

Wang Qiang, warmed by the tea he’d just drunk, didn’t demur this time. He smiled, “It’s nothing. If I have any virtue, it’s that I take my work seriously.”

Hearing this, both Lu Dahai and Qin Xiaohui nodded approvingly, clearly impressed by his attitude.

Meanwhile, Liao Wenfeng lowered his head again and continued reading Wang Qiang’s work. He began by reading each word aloud, but soon fell silent, his expression growing thoughtful.