Transmigration: Flirted with My Childhood Sweetheart
Chapter 584 - 583: Changing Faces and Carousel

Chapter 584: Chapter 583: Changing Faces and Carousel

Ideals and reality are natural enemies; they ferociously vie for the right to speak, leaving humans caught in the middle tattered and bruised.

Factory Director Ji is currently being tugged back and forth by the two, one moment smiling, the next unable to muster a grin.

Lin Nianhe sipped his water watching Uncle Ji’s swift change in expression. After five minutes, he grew tired of it.

"Cough cough, Uncle Ji, don’t you want to say something?" Lin Nianhe gently coaxed.

Factory Director Ji’s face was clouded with worry: "This, it’s hard to say."

He did want to say something, but reality simply wouldn’t allow it!

Factory Director Ji calculated, counting on his fingers: "Look, Xie Chongli pressed down on our branch’s construction for several days to deal with Old Dog Shi. Although it’s said that we could make up for it in the subsequent construction, how could that not take three or four months? Once completed, we recruit workers and train them, and by the time the branch can be used, the autumn trade fair would be nearly upon us. That wouldn’t help one bit!"

Lin Nianhe quietly spoke up: "I have a not-so-great solution, but I’m afraid it might put Uncle Wong in a difficult position."

Factory Director Ji’s eyes lit up: "Hey, go on, say it, Old Wong isn’t afraid of hardship!"

"Isn’t there also a textile factory in the city? If we could merge with them, wouldn’t that save the time of building factory buildings? Most of their workers are experienced, so training them would be much faster; at most, it’ll take half a month to begin production."

"Ah?"

Factory Director Ji was stunned, looking at Lin Nianhe in disbelief.

Mergers and restructuring would become quite common later on, even triggering a wave of layoffs at one time. But that was in the future. At present, nobody had considered such a move.

Lin Nianhe leaned back in his chair, spreading his hands: "This is the fastest way to increase productivity. If Uncle Wong can strike a deal, it would be easy to resolve."

Factory Director Ji furrowed his brows deep in thought, then shook his head after a long moment: "Although the city’s textile factory has mediocre performance, it is still an old factory established by two generations of leaders. Xie Chongli can’t agree to that."

"All the benefits to him and still he won’t act?" Lin Nianhe chuckled lightly, "Don’t talk about sentiment in business. Offer Mr. Xie 20% of the net profit from the branch’s production; if he still refuses, I’ll go negotiate with the provincial city textile factory."

Whether Xie Chongli would agree was still an open question, but Factory Director Ji was already opposed.

"20% of the net profit? Wouldn’t that be several million a year?" Factory Director Ji shook his head like a rattle, "To just give away all that money for nothing? How can that be? Even if I agree, Old Wong couldn’t!"

"You and Uncle Wong aren’t thinking of just occupying the place without paying taxes, are you?" Lin Nianhe looked at him skeptically.

"Cough cough..." Factory Director Ji turned away and coughed twice, "Well, we do help them solve quite a few employment issues..."

"Solving employment issues is a mutual need. You’re using their land, occupying their territory; shouldn’t you give them a cut of the benefits?" Lin Nianhe laughed wryly, "If you really did that, the branch’s production might not even reach half of the main factory’s."

Factory Director Ji was still pained, pursing his lips as he weighed the pros and cons.

He was truly scared of being poor; even though he knew it wasn’t right, he didn’t want the money to go elsewhere.

For a moment, he even contemplated urging Wong Xiao to take a leadership position in the city.

This was obviously even less reliable. Xie Chongli had just gotten rid of a strong rival and was having the time of his life; how could he possibly give up his seat?

Factory Director Ji forcefully wiped his face, looking at Lin Nianhe while tentatively asking: "What about giving them 10%, would that work?"

"Too little, Mr. Xie won’t be tempted," Lin Nianhe firmly shook his head, "If you want to secure cooperation with benefits, those benefits have to be substantial. Otherwise, you’re just adding enemies."

"Oh dear!"

The expression on Factory Director Ji’s face was as if Lin Nianhe was suggesting giving away his son, and he had to smile while doing it.

He couldn’t sit still anymore, standing up and pacing back and forth in the office, growing more agitated with each step.

Lin Nianhe once again admired Uncle Ji’s animated lantern, watching for ten minutes, until she felt dizzy.

She turned her head to look out the window and just happened to see several workers busily unloading cargo.

In the early summer weather, they were wearing tank tops and labor protection gloves, sweating profusely but with smiles on their faces.

Lin Nianhe watched them, her lips lifting unconsciously into a slight smile.

"Alright! Let’s do this!"

Factory Director Ji suddenly made a tough decision, bellowing out loud.

Lin Nianhe was startled, almost falling off her chair.

She patted her chest to calm herself down, and after taking a deep breath, she said, "Uncle Ji, with that expression, one would think you’re about to get stabbed in the heart."

"If two stabs could save me this much money, you can stick me with four." Factory Director Ji’s face was pale, and he slumped back into his seat, looking drained.

"Ah, actually, you don’t need to feel so distressed," Lin Nianhe said with a smile, "Why not just give the money directly to the sub-factory, let them cover their own expenses, pay their own taxes. Wouldn’t that be less of a headache than having to provide money for everything, even for a needle?"

"This..." Factory Director Ji knit his brows again, "You mean, give them the money and then we just wash our hands of the management?"

"Of course," Lin Nianhe nodded, "However, we must stipulate that the workers’ wages are to be consistent with ours here, especially for the casual laborers. We can’t let them be shortchanged or driven down in price. You could send a couple of accountants over to manage that specifically."

Factory Director Ji quickly did some calculations, made a rough estimate of the annual operating costs based on the size of the city textile factory, and finally broke into a smile.

"Hey, it’s more than a few hundred thousand than managing it ourselves, but it’s also less trouble. Xie Chongli won’t have anything to say if the taxes are collected." Factory Director Ji smiled again, acting like he got a bargain.

Lin Nianhe kindly did not burst his bubble, lightly laughing as she said, "If you think it’s a good idea, you should discuss it with Uncle Wong, and quickly arrange for work to start as soon as possible. Time’s short and there’s a lot to do."

"Hey, Xiao Lin, how many quotas do we need to prepare for the autumn trade fair?"

"As much as possible, twenty or thirty million wouldn’t be too much, but less than ten million and I’d be troubled," Lin Nianhe replied, "No matter the amount, I can sell them all for you."

Factory Director Ji: "...!"

After Lin Nianhe left, Factory Director Ji went to find Wong Xiao immediately.

He first admired Wong’s changing face, and then watched Wong’s animated lantern for a while... Finally, Wong Xiao agreed through gritted teeth while slapping him on the head: "Alright! I’ll buy a train ticket for this afternoon and head to the city!"

Factory Director Ji’s head buzzed from the slapping.

He pondered; he hadn’t slapped Xiao Lin on the head just now, so why the difference?

Wong Xiao didn’t care about Factory Director Ji’s mournful look, he quickly packed up and dashed toward the train station.

In Xie Chongli’s office, Wong Xiao first admired Xie Family’s changing face, and then watched Xie Family’s animated lantern...

"Stop moving around, it’s making me dizzy!" Wong Xiao rolled his eyes, "Just give me a straight answer. If you don’t agree, I’m heading to the provincial city."

Xie Chongli, furrowing his brows, sat back down. He sipped some tea and said, "Old Wong, look, I’m certainly welcoming of you setting up a factory here, but to turn our textile factory into a branch of yours, and only offer twenty percent of the profit, that’s..."

Impatiently waving his hand, Wong Xiao cut him off: "Are you agreeing or not? If you don’t, I’m going to the provincial city and might swing by Old Dog Shi’s place. Not to say anything else, just to let him know how hard you’ve been working behind his back."

Xie Chongli was shocked: "Where did you learn such shameless threats!"