The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 735 - 734: The New Official Takes Office

Chapter 735: Chapter 734: The New Official Takes Office

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Shen Mingzhu agreed to Shen Chaobei’s request to return to work in Fengcheng, but also asked him to give her some time to make arrangements.

Grief would eventually pass; life still continued.

After Qin Jinlian’s seventh-day mourning ritual was over, Shen Chaobei set off lightly and returned to Jiangcheng alone, while Daya and Dandan, the siblings, stayed in Fengcheng, living with Du Juan.

Shen Mingzhu gave Du Juan a week’s leave, arranged accommodation, found new schools for the two children, and hired a nanny.

After the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

When Du Juan, clad in a gray wool suit, entered the food factory with Shen Mingzhu, she instantly sparked discussions and attention among the entire factory’s staff.

"I had heard that our factory was going to get a new deputy director; this must be her, right? She does look quite imposing."

"It’s really strange, our factory has always promoted from within. Why did they recruit someone from outside this time? And for such an important position, I’m afraid our lives may not be easy moving forward."

With the assumption of new officials, three fires usually started; the sudden change in leadership naturally left the workers feeling uneasy.

"What do you know? She’s not an outsider. This is President Shen’s sister-in-law, an old hand at the factory. She has been managing a branch office away from home these years."

"Oh, so it’s her..."

Upon learning of Du Juan’s identity and background, everyone immediately understood.

The food factory was rapidly expanding; nearly eighty percent of the workers had joined the factory in the last two or three years and knew Du Juan only by reputation, not in person.

...

Shen Mingzhu led Du Juan to her new office, "We were in a bit of a hurry, so the setup is a bit simple. If you need anything else, feel free to add it later. Anything under five thousand will be reimbursed by the factory."

Du Juan quickly surveyed the area with a smile and said, "It’s fine. It’s better to keep the office simple and clean. It’s easier to manage that way."

"Then get settled in and familiarize yourself with the environment. I’ll come and call you when it’s time for the meeting. My office is upstairs; you can come up if you need anything."

"Okay."

After Shen Mingzhu left, Du Juan examined the new office environment in detail.

Solid wood desks and filing cabinets, tan leather executive chairs and sofa, a tea-colored glass coffee table, and the room was adorned at every corner with potted plants and flowers, orderly yet exuding a faint warmth.

After admiring her surroundings, she picked up the crystal nameplate on her desk which bore her name and title of deputy director and couldn’t help but smile.

...

Inside the meeting room.

"Now, I announce a personnel appointment. Due to the needs of business development and after discussions with the management, we have decided to appoint Du Juan as the company’s Deputy Director and concurrently as the food factory’s Director, effective immediately."

As the warm applause filled the room, Du Juan, seated at the deputy’s place, rose gracefully, smiling and bowing courteously to everyone present.

Once the applause subsided, Shen Mingzhu continued, "After Deputy Director Du assumes her position, she will gradually take over my duties, including managing the operations of the company and the food factory, organizing and implementing the annual operational plans, convening and presiding over the general manager’s office meetings, and coordinating, inspecting, and supervising the work of various departments, among other things."

"Due to personal reasons, I will be studying abroad starting in April for a year. I hope that during my absence, everyone will fully cooperate with Deputy Director Du’s work and help the company and the food factory to reach new heights."

"The company’s principle is to give more for more work done, less for less work done, and nothing for no work done. As the company’s top leader, I must lead by example. Therefore, I have decided to distribute my personal share of this year’s dividend to all the factory workers as a bonus."

Applause erupted once again, louder and more enthusiastic than before.

As the meeting concluded, news of the meeting spread rapidly throughout the factory.

Mention of Shen Mingzhu’s plan to distribute her dividends as bonuses had every worker’s face aglow with excitement and joy.

Last year, Shen Mingzhu’s personal income exceeded two hundred thousand. Divided among every worker, that was nearly four hundred each.

For an average family, four hundred could buy a lot of things.

Following the meeting, Shen Mingzhu took Du Juan to greet various departments and to get a simple understanding of the food factory’s operating mechanisms and conditions.

Along the way, Du Juan expressed her admiration for Shen Mingzhu’s action of giving her personal dividend.

Shen Mingzhu responded with a smile, "In the end, direct monetary rewards are more pragmatic than a thousand words of praise. If the payment is right, there’s no need for instructions; everyone will work their hardest."

Du Juan pondered, "But consistently giving money might not always be effective, right? With those who are lazy and only want to enjoy themselves, they might take the money and still not work properly, which could foster a negative culture of deceit and laziness."

Shen Mingzhu did not directly answer but instead asked what she thought should be done with these one-size-fits-all employees.

"It’s simple. Establish a complete work system, set work tasks, and pay according to the quality and quantity of their work."

Du Juan’s response was quite commendable.

"That’s a good management philosophy. But as the top leader, you need to learn to have a sense of the big picture, to think three steps ahead and plan ten steps ahead."

"As the saying goes, one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel. If he is the rotten apple, our job isn’t to manage him, but to consider how to protect the whole barrel of good apples. If we allow it to go on, it will eventually spoil the whole barrel."

Du Juan nodded, "Indeed, I oversimplified the issue. Such people should be dismissed promptly."

"The ultimate goal is to eliminate the bad and preserve the good, but we must also consider all aspects and use strategic means. People like that tend to be selfish and narrow-minded. If you just dismiss him, he won’t reflect on his issues but instead hold a grudge against you and might stab you in the back someday."

Seeing Du Juan look serious, Shen Mingzhu added with a smile, "It’s actually not difficult to deal with such people. First, transfer them away from core departments and key business positions so they won’t affect the company’s operations."

"Then, place a few incompatible colleagues around him. Exclusion and isolation are the best ways to wear down someone’s will. If he is wise enough to leave on his own, that’s for the best. If not, you can discreetly give hints and incentives to the department leaders—there will be people willing to help you."

The conversation completely convinced Du Juan.

She looked at Shen Mingzhu, filled with gratitude and admiration, "Listening to you is better than ten years of study. I thought I had enough ability to manage the company and factory in your stead, but now I see there’s still much for me to learn."

Shen Mingzhu patted her shoulder reassuringly, "Take your time, there’s no such thing as instant success. It’s all about experience and insight accumulated through continuous setbacks and failures."

"Alright, Mingzhu, rest assured, I will not let you down."

"Wrong, I asked you to come back to the factory, not to shoulder responsibilities but to hope you seize this opportunity to achieve higher values for yourself and breakthrough personally."

"In life, each has their fate. Everyone should play the protagonist in their own life, not just be a supporting character in someone else’s."

Du Juan nodded firmly.

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