Chapter 026: The Restless Qin Xiaohui

The room was very quiet. Quiet like the countryside at night.

Wang Qiang could hear his own heartbeat as he sat there. Around him, Lu Dahai and Qin Xiaohui made no sound either, as if afraid to disturb Liao Wenfeng, who was deep in thought. When it came to management, the husband and wife had a clear sense of their own limitations—together, the two of them were not even a fraction as capable as Xiao Liao, the professional manager.

Seeing everyone silent, Wang Qiang sipped his tea, sunlight streaming through the window and painting a golden glow on the floor outside. The temperature was gradually rising, and all things seemed to come alive.

Suddenly, the blare of a heavy truck’s horn shattered the stillness inside. Liao Wenfeng, as if waking from a dream, exclaimed softly, sighed, and put down the crumpled papers in his hand.

Everyone turned to look at him. Seeing Liao Wenfeng sigh, Lu Dahai couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something wrong with the management plan Xiao Wang designed?”

Qin Xiaohui looked disappointed; she had hoped to use Wang Qiang’s plan to resolve the factory’s chronic problems, yet after reviewing it, Mr. Liao seemed unsatisfied.

But to their surprise, Liao Wenfeng gently slapped the table and spoke a single word, firm and powerful: “Excellent!” He quickly added, “In my twenty years in the industry, I’ve never seen a management plan this refined.”

Wang Qiang merely smiled, unfazed by Liao Wenfeng’s reaction. Whether it was the reward and penalty system, the safety regulations, or the 5S method, these were all best practices refined by large, reputable enterprises over time. There was a reason they stood the test of time.

But Lu Dahai could only laugh and cry, “Then what were you sighing for? You nearly made me think Xiao Wang’s plan was no good.”

Qin Xiaohui, too, was speechless.

Liao Wenfeng, half-joking, said, “I wasn’t sighing—I was marveling at how comprehensive it is.” In truth, only he knew that his sigh was genuine—a sigh for the lack of such perfect management systems in Chinese enterprises. He even had the premonition that this system could support the company’s development for five years.

The reward and penalty system covered everything from tardiness and early departures to production and discipline—Liao Wenfeng could not find a single flaw. The safety regulations were even more impressive. He wholeheartedly agreed with one line Wang Qiang had written: “The safety of employees’ lives is the greatest asset of any enterprise.”

But what Liao Wenfeng treasured most was the 5S management method—it could make a company run like a disciplined army. Organization cleared space for efficient use; orderliness meant no time was wasted searching for things; cleaning eliminated filth and kept the workplace bright and tidy; standardizing turned the previous three S’s into a system, maintaining their results; and finally, discipline—this was truly striking, for it aimed to elevate personal character, making every employee diligent and self-motivated. What company wouldn’t want staff like that?

At that moment, he couldn’t help but look at Wang Qiang, praising, “Your plan is outstanding. I think we can implement it in the factory right away.”

“I just learned this from books,” Wang Qiang replied, not claiming credit for himself. Since he hadn’t invented these ideas, there was no need to put on airs.

Lu Dahai laughed heartily, “That’s why the ancients said, ‘Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles’—few can truly put what they’ve learned into practice.” In using this saying, Lu Dahai alluded to the ancient meaning of reading for the imperial exams, but now it meant striving to learn, applying knowledge in real life, gaining experience, and combining theory with practice.

Qin Xiaohui quickly suggested, “Old Lu, since Mr. Liao thinks it’s good, should we call in the workshop supervisors, give them instructions, and then promote the plan throughout the factory?”

Lu Dahai patted her hand but did not rush. He turned to Wang Qiang, “Cousin, what do you think we should do?”

Wang Qiang asked, “Do you have HR, production, and safety departments in your factory?”

“We have HR. Production is always supervised by me and the boss. As for safety, we don’t have a department,” Liao Wenfeng replied.

Wang Qiang considered this and explained in detail, “To fully implement what I’ve written, attendance and discipline should be managed by HR. Technical discipline should be managed jointly by production and technical departments. That much you have, but for safety operations, you need a dedicated safety officer. As for workplace discipline, as you mentioned, let each workshop leader be responsible. Gather everyone who needs training, and I’ll explain the plan to them; otherwise, the managers won’t understand, and they can’t do their jobs well.”

Liao Wenfeng humbly sought guidance, “How big should the safety department be?”

“I heard you have three shifts. Six people—two per shift—should be enough,” Wang Qiang answered.

Liao Wenfeng immediately took out a small notebook from his trouser pocket and a pen from his shirt pocket, carefully recording everything, completely serious.

“Anything else we should be aware of?” Lu Dahai asked.

Wang Qiang shook his head. “Nothing else.”

Just then, Qin Xiaohui suddenly piped up, “Old Lu, what do you think about me managing safety for you?”

With a subtle glance at the glamorous woman, Wang Qiang sensed she was restless in her role as a wealthy wife and seemed eager to participate in factory management.

“You?” Lu Dahai frowned at his wife, clearly hesitant.

It seemed to Wang Qiang that Lu Dahai was wary of his wife, which struck him as odd. He looked at Qin Xiaohui to see how she would respond.

Qin Xiaohui appeared genuinely concerned for the factory. “Think about it. The safety department can’t function without a leader. If you pick someone from the factory, that’s one less person doing actual work. Why bother? I have nothing else to do, and I’d only be handling safety, not production or operations. What’s there to worry about?”

Lu Dahai remained undecided, silent in his seat.

Wang Qiang noticed that Liao Wenfeng seemed not to hear the couple’s conversation, his head bowed, saying nothing. Wang Qiang realized the marriage was less harmonious than it appeared. Preferring to avoid trouble, he too lowered his head, feigning ignorance.

But as fate would have it, Lu Dahai finally spoke, “Cousin, since this plan is your idea, do you think Xiaohui is suitable to head safety? If you say yes, I’ll include her in the training. If not, even though she’s my wife, I’ll go with your decision. And for this week, everyone in the factory will cooperate with whatever you say.”

Wang Qiang groaned inwardly. He knew Lu Dahai partly wanted to shift responsibility, but also that he trusted him. Still, he truly didn’t want to get tangled in such complicated matters, and he didn’t know whether Lu Dahai was sincere or just shirking.

“Qiangzi, say something. I’ll listen to you, brother. If you say no, I promise I won’t hold it against you,” Qin Xiaohui said, her eyes glinting with a strange light despite her words.

Wang Qiang was caught in a dilemma. He glanced at Liao Wenfeng, who, at some point, subtly made an “OK” gesture. Seeing Lu Dahai beaming as well, Wang Qiang understood, and finally let out a breath of relief. “I heard Sister Xiaohui is a college graduate? I imagine her professionalism is very strong.”

He did not say it outright, but his stance was clear.

Qin Xiaohui immediately looked at him with gratitude.

Lu Dahai grunted in agreement. “Alright, since my cousin said so, Xiaohui will take charge of safety.” His tone was full of trust, and in high spirits, he stood and patted Wang Qiang on the shoulder. “Go ahead and do as you see fit. If you need anything, I’ll even sweep the floors if you ask.”

That was the greatest assurance possible.

With their full cooperation, the work would be much easier.

Wang Qiang breathed a sigh of relief, knowing Lu Dahai was giving him complete authority. He immediately said, “Since you’re putting your trust in me, let’s get started. Gather the people you trust, and I’ll go over the plan with them. After that, we’ll hold an all-staff meeting after lunch, improve the workshop environment in the afternoon, and start full implementation tomorrow!”