Chapter 32: This Boy Is Truly Cunning (Please Add to Favorites)

Inside the room.

Two pairs of eyes stared intently at him, both waiting for what he was about to say.

Those three hundred workers were a hot potato for anyone. Secretary Li had the contract in hand and naturally had to act according to its terms—no fault there. Lu Dahai wanted to keep the factory running smoothly, and if the workers wouldn’t cooperate, he could hardly be blamed either.

So where did the fault lie?

Clearly, the problem was with those workers refusing to cooperate.

Turning the situation over in his mind, Wang Qiang—dressed plainly, with a patch sewn onto his shirt—spoke with calm dignity, “Secretary, did you ask those workers why they came to file a complaint?”

Secretary Li, expecting something else, replied offhand, “I asked. They said they were a little late and you locked them out, refusing to let them in. I’d like to know, being late is wrong, but what reason did you have to keep them out and count it as absenteeism?”

Wang Qiang nodded and pressed further, “Did you ask how long they were late?”

Secretary Li hesitated, shook his head, and said nothing.

“Well then, let me tell you.” Wang Qiang raised three fingers. “Thirty-two minutes. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Boss Lu. He should know.”

At this point, what could Lu Dahai say? He could only support Wang Qiang and nodded vigorously.

Secretary Li leaned back in his chair, his expression darkening.

“Let’s not talk about how long they were late. So, if someone is late by one minute, does it not count as being late?” Wang Qiang’s tone was sharp, unrelenting. “If a government employee in your office is late for no reason, how would you feel?”

Secretary Li argued, “If there’s a reason, it can be forgiven.”

“Oh, once can be forgiven. But what about twice, three times, even ten times? I don’t know how many times those people have been late, but as far as I know, in just four days, that fellow Zhen has already been late three times.” Wang Qiang spoke steadily. “I’m not sure if you’ve ever toured the factory, but Jin Gong Machinery runs on a production line. That means if the previous step isn’t completed, the next can’t proceed. Their lateness doesn’t just affect their own work, it holds up the entire factory. Every minute wasted costs the factory money. Now, they were thirty-two minutes late; because of these four, the factory lost thirty-two minutes of operation. Who’s going to cover that loss? Them, or the town, since you provided the workers?”

Secretary Li bristled. “Why are you dragging the town into this?”

Lu Dahai was also confused. Indeed, what did the town have to do with it? Still, he was impressed by Wang Qiang’s courage—daring to talk to Secretary Li like this. Secretary Li wasn’t an ordinary official; he was here to build his résumé. With any achievement, he’d soon be promoted. Even Zhang Aiguo, the local power who’d been vice mayor for over twenty years, had to show him respect. And yet young Wang Qiang, fresh out of junior high at seventeen, was boldly challenging the Secretary, even hinting at demanding compensation from the town?

“It’s because the town and Jin Gong currently have a labor dispatch relationship. Those workers aren’t formal employees of Jin Gong; in reality, they’re still employees of the town,” Wang Qiang stated coolly. “Labor dispatch appeared in our country as early as the 1970s. I’m sure, as the head of the town, you’re well aware.”

Secretary Li, of course, knew the obligations and rights pertaining to labor dispatch. Still, he didn’t think it applied here. “You’re getting things mixed up. When did the town and Jin Gong sign a labor dispatch agreement? We never signed any such contract.”

“Did the town send the workers?” Wang Qiang asked.

“Yes,” Secretary Li replied.

“Are we the ones paying their wages?” Wang Qiang continued.

“Correct,” Secretary Li answered.

“Are the workers still technically state enterprise employees?” Wang Qiang pressed.

“That’s right,” Secretary Li admitted.

“Then what else would you call it but labor dispatch?” Wang Qiang concluded.

Secretary Li faltered, speechless for a moment. On reflection, according to laws and regulations, this was indeed labor dispatch. Wang Qiang wasn’t wrong. If there was a fault, perhaps Jin Gong Machinery hadn’t paid the town an additional fee for providing labor, but the original agreement was that the factory would pay each worker at least three hundred yuan per month—effectively, Jin Gong had paid the town, just in a way that went directly to the workers.

Lu Dahai understood what labor dispatch meant. Seeing the exchange end with Secretary Li unable to argue, his eyes lit up—perhaps there was hope after all.

Wang Qiang composed himself and continued, “Let’s set aside the question of compensation for now. Since this is labor dispatch, both sides have their respective rights and responsibilities.”

Secretary Li fell silent, tacitly acknowledging this point.

“First, the employer has the right to set conditions, methods, and numbers for hiring. Second, the right to agree with workers on probation and service periods—these are already specified in the contract, and we’ll consider those workers as having completed them,” Wang Qiang explained. “Since they’re receiving wages from our factory, we naturally have the right to establish non-compete clauses, to set internal transfers, daily management, and, by law, to create a system of rewards and penalties. Am I wrong?”

Secretary Li nodded; there was no flaw in his reasoning.

Seeing this, Wang Qiang suddenly smiled. “Our factory’s reward and punishment system stipulates no lateness; if you’re late, you get docked pay. We understand emergencies happen, so within half an hour of being late, we only dock two yuan—a pittance compared to the factory’s losses. But if you’re more than half an hour late, I’m sorry, the factory isn’t a charity. The loss is too great, so it counts as absenteeism. Is there anything wrong with that?”

Secretary Li remained quiet; not a word Wang Qiang said was incorrect.

Lu Dahai, sensing hope, clenched his fists in excitement, his eyes filled with anticipation as he looked at Wang Qiang. Today, it all depended on him.

Secretary Li let out a long sigh, took a pack of Pegasus cigarettes from his pocket, pulled out two, and offered them to Lu Dahai and Wang Qiang. Wang Qiang shook his head, but Lu Dahai hurried over to take one. After handing out the cigarettes, Secretary Li lit one for himself, exhaling smoke as he spoke: “Tell me the details of Jin Gong’s reward and punishment system. Let’s see if it’s appropriate.”

Having drafted the system himself, Wang Qiang recited it from memory, outlining the general principles and going through the details of rewards and penalties without pause, even explaining the reasoning behind some of the punishments.

When he finished, Secretary Li smoked in silence for a long time. Only when a fit of coughing overtook him did he speak. “Jin Gong’s benefits are this good? A full attendance bonus of thirty? Extra rewards for exceeding quotas?”

Wang Qiang confirmed, “Yes. We announced this system to the entire factory just yesterday. Today, Old Zhen and the other three violated it.”

Secretary Li coughed again, then gestured to a nearby bench. “Sit down, both of you. Let’s talk this through.”

They’d been standing for half an hour. Lu Dahai’s legs were numb; finally, they were invited to sit—a sign, he sensed, that Secretary Li’s attitude was shifting. Otherwise, he’d never have offered them seats.

Wang Qiang, weary from standing, sat down.

Secretary Li inquired, “Dahai, the young man said these policies were implemented just yesterday? Whose idea were they?”

Called Dahai by the Secretary, Lu Dahai felt a surge of energy. He sprang to his feet, though he’d just sat down. “Secretary, it was young Wang’s idea.” He pointed at Wang Qiang.

“Sit, sit,” Secretary Li waved him down, a hint of surprise in his voice. “He doesn’t look more than seventeen or eighteen, yet he came up with such a thorough system?”

Lu Dahai, worried the Secretary doubted him, quickly explained, “He didn’t just help with the reward and punishment system; he also drafted safety regulations and introduced 5S management.”

“5S?” Secretary Li was puzzled.

Lu Dahai quickly explained the 5S management method, then sat down, feeling awkward.

Secretary Li listened quietly, glancing at Wang Qiang as he spoke. When Lu Dahai finished, he finally remarked, “Ambition isn’t measured by age; without it, a hundred years are wasted.” Even he, with no background in factory management, couldn’t help but praise the merits of 5S after hearing about it.

Wang Qiang admitted honestly, “It’s a Japanese management method, not my invention.”

Secretary Li, who had been somewhat annoyed by Wang Qiang’s earlier challenging tone, now found the young man promising. Even if it was a Japanese method, why did no domestic enterprise know of it? He nodded approvingly at Wang Qiang.

Still unsure of Secretary Li’s stance, Wang Qiang hesitated, then spoke again, “Actually, we don’t want to target those workers, but we have no choice.”

Secretary Li was intrigued. “Go on.”

Wang Qiang organized his thoughts. “The town entrusted three hundred workers to Boss Lu, obviously hoping for a long-term arrangement. If they don’t work properly, the factory makes no profit, and sooner or later it’ll go bankrupt. If Jin Gong folds, all three hundred workers will have to be sent back to the town, and you’ll have to find jobs for them. Whether they keep up their old behavior or not, that’s another question. On the other hand, if they work well, the factory earns more, grows, and develops. That means more jobs for the town, more taxes paid. If Jin Gong grows strong enough, it could become a model for Minqiang Town, a local brand, attracting outside investment. Of course, that’s just my hope, but there’s no doubt that a thriving Jin Gong means more jobs for the town.”

Secretary Li nodded. “That’s the honest truth.”

Lu Dahai, anxious, asked, “So, what do you think?”

Wang Qiang too was secretly hopeful, wishing he had convinced Secretary Li.

“Let me think it over,” Secretary Li replied, troubled. On one hand, Wang Qiang’s reasoning was sound; on the other, the workers causing trouble gave him a headache. He had to find a solution that worked for both sides.

Wang Qiang, sensing Secretary Li’s concern, offered a reminder. “If workers in a state enterprise persistently refuse to improve, what happens?”

“They’re fired, of course. Isn’t it obvious…” Secretary Li stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that this was, in fact, the solution he’d been looking for. Still, he was cautious. “I can’t be at Jin Gong all day, every day. How would I know if the workers are performing well or not, or if someone really deserves to be fired?”

“If someone needs to be dismissed, we’ll specify the reason and send them back to the town. Then you can decide whether they should be removed from the roster,” Wang Qiang replied.

Secretary Li was still uneasy. “But I’d have no way of knowing how serious their mistakes were. Your factory could come up with any reason to fire someone.”

Wang Qiang glanced at Lu Dahai, then took the lead. “In that case, why don’t you make an unannounced visit tonight? See for yourself how the workers at Jin Gong are doing. If they’re working well, I’ll speak on behalf of Boss Lu and promise never to fire any of them. If their performance is poor, then Jin Gong will have the right to send them back to the town. Whether or not they’re dismissed from the town’s rolls is up to you—we won’t interfere. How about that?”

Lu Dahai, knowing exactly how those workers behaved in the factory, was eager for Secretary Li to see for himself. He looked at Wang Qiang with anticipation.

To their surprise, Secretary Li didn’t hesitate this time and agreed directly, “Fine, I’ll come tonight. But let’s be clear: if you promise not to fire anyone who’s working well, I’ll make you a promise too. If I see workers with poor attitudes, and they later cause serious trouble and are sent back to the town, I’ll accept that and have grounds to remove them.”

…

Just outside the town hall.

The wind by the roadside was fierce, as if a torrential rain could start at any moment.

Lu Dahai, both excited and worried, said, “Qiangzi, what if those workers are intimidated by the new reward and punishment system and really work hard tonight? If we invite Secretary Li to watch, won’t we just be giving the town an excuse to side with them?”

Wang Qiang’s eyes sparkled, and he smiled. “Have Director Liao inform Old Zhen and the other three who were late by half an hour today to work the night shift.”

Lu Dahai was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Wang Qiang chuckled. “Think about it. They just made a scene at the town hall, and now the factory is calling them in for the night shift. How do you think they’ll react?”

Lu Dahai immediately understood. Of course—Old Zhen and his group would assume the factory had backed down. Once word spread to the night shift, the workers would probably think the reward and punishment system was just for show, and they might be even lazier than before. He looked at Wang Qiang with a new respect. This kid was shrewder than he’d thought!