Chapter 176: West Ridge Canned Food Factory (Part 2)

At the end of the road, there was a row of red brick walls adorned with outdated slogans such as "Long live the invincible class revolution," and other slogans from ten years ago. Next to the factory was a small river, and not far away, there was a row of small, shabby houses that seemed to be worker dormitories. A few children, dressed in tattered clothes, ran over as soon as they heard the sound of the car, following Zhou Ming's car along the roadside while shouting and running.

When Zhou Ming drove up to the factory gate, a wooden sign reading "West Ridge Canned Food Factory" was hanging nearby. The iron gate was wide open, and there was a small guardhouse next to it. The window was open, with shards of glass scattered on the ground, suggesting that the glass had been smashed.

This situation made Zhou Ming frown. He drove into the factory, and the conditions inside were no better. A straight cement road was lined with overgrown weeds, clearly indicating that no one had been taking care of it for a long time.

Following the road, Zhou Ming drove up to a two-story building. Zhou Ming and Su Han got out of the car. Zhou Ming glanced at the building and turned to Su Han, saying, "Su Han, are you sure this is the canned food factory? It feels like I've entered a world where humans have disappeared."

Zhou Ming's remark was sincere because, from the appearance, the two-story building was clearly an administrative office. Yet, like the guardhouse at the entrance, it was in a state of disrepair. The walls were covered with slogans about improving production, but nearly every window, including the doors and the offices Zhou Ming could see, had broken glass. Many windows were covered with paper instead.

Looking at the nearby factory building with its doors tightly shut and grass growing through the cracks in the road, it was evident that no one had been here for a long time.

The entire factory gave Zhou Ming a sense of "dilapidation and desolation," as if it had been abandoned for ten years.

"I don't know why it ended up like this," Su Han said. "Since I started school at the 760 Factory, I rarely went back home. I came here a few times when I was a child, but I haven't been back since. I just remember that the factory was still here. I don't know how it ended up like this."

"Alright, I understand. It looks like this canned food factory is really in a bad shape. Let's go to the factory's dormitory and ask the workers there," Zhou Ming said.

They got back into the car and drove out of the factory. Just as they were leaving the gate, they saw a few people approaching, likely factory staff. They came over to check the situation when they heard the car.

Zhou Ming decided to park the car at the entrance and wait. Soon, these people arrived. Zhou Ming was about to greet them when the leader stepped forward, grabbing Zhou Ming's hand and, with tears and snot, said, "Hello, leader! We, the West Ridge Canned Food Factory, have been eagerly waiting for the county comrades to come. I knew the county wouldn't ignore us."

The leader's words made the others behind him cry as well, which made Zhou Ming feel a bit awkward. He said, "Comrade, I'm not from the county."

Not from the county?

Hearing this, they were stunned. They looked at Zhou Ming's car and his attire, clearly puzzled. In this era, especially in such a remote rural area, someone who dressed well and drove a car could only be a county leader in their view.

At this moment, Su Han spoke up. She said to the leader, "Uncle Wang, do you still recognize me? I'm Su Han from the nearby shop village. My third uncle used to work at the canned food factory. When I was a child, I came here to play, and you even gave me some canned food to eat!"

Hearing this, Zhou Ming realized that the person in front of him was Wang Chen, the factory manager of West Ridge Canned Food Factory.

Wang Chen looked at Su Han carefully and then exclaimed, "You're Su Han! Oh, I didn't recognize you at first! You've really changed a lot and become even more beautiful. I remember you went to Nanhui County with your father. Are you working there now? You're even driving a car now; that's impressive!"

Su Han shyly thanked him and then explained, "Uncle Wang, actually, we're not working in the county. I'm still at the 760 Factory. This is Zhou Ming, the current head of our 760 Factory."

Wang Chen quickly shook Zhou Ming's hand and said, "Hello, Factory Director Zhou. I'm Wang Chen, the factory manager of West Ridge Canned Food Factory. May I ask what brings you here this time?"

Zhou Ming didn't mind the title since, in Wang Chen's view, the highest leader of a factory was always the factory manager. Zhou Ming nodded and said, "Yes, due to my connection with Su Han, I know that West Ridge Canned Food Factory is not doing well. Our factory has a project that needs canning equipment, so we want to discuss a potential cooperation."

"Cooperation? Factory Director Zhou wants to buy our canned food production equipment?" Wang Chen asked.

"If Manager Wang is willing to sell, I would consider buying it. However, it would be best if we also have skilled workers to operate the equipment," Zhou Ming said, then changed the subject, "But seeing how run-down the factory is, do you still have any equipment?"

Wang Chen quickly nodded and said, "Yes, the equipment at West Ridge Canned Food Factory has been well-preserved. I have always had people maintaining it, so it's definitely usable. If Factory Director Zhou doesn't believe me, I can swear as a party member!"

Zhou Ming gave Wang Chen a deep look. Such a statement might be dismissed as nonsense twenty years later, but in this era, especially in a remote rural area, a party member's oath genuinely reflected a commitment to ideals and beliefs. So, Wang Chen's oath was a sign of genuine determination.

Zhou Ming thought for a moment, then patted Wang Chen on the shoulder and said, "Manager Wang, I believe you. Since you say it's usable, it must be. But how did West Ridge Canned Food Factory end up like this? I heard from Su Han that the canned food here used to be quite good. A few years ago, it was still a well-known enterprise in the West Ridge area. Why is it so deserted now?"

At Zhou Ming's question, Wang Chen and the others behind him fell silent. After a while, Wang Chen sighed and said, "This is all my fault as the factory manager. I failed to open up the market for our products, and the factory has deteriorated over time. It's embarrassing to admit, but our factory hasn't paid salaries normally for five years, and this year, we haven't paid for more than half of the year."

As Wang Chen spoke, several factory leaders bowed their heads in shame. Wang Chen continued, "Factory Director Zhou, you saw the factory just now. The internal situation is a result of the workers and their families protesting due to unpaid wages. With no one coming to work, the factory has only gotten worse."

Zhou Ming understood this well. The workers' livelihood depended on their wages, and without timely payments, their lives would definitely be affected. After five years without regular wages and recent months with no pay, it was surprising if the workers didn't cause trouble.

"Manager Wang, didn't you sell anything from the factory to pay the workers and alleviate the immediate crisis?" Zhou Ming asked.

Hearing this, Wang Chen and the others blushed, and Wang Chen said, "To be honest, Factory Director Zhou, although the factory still has many buildings and equipment, most of the sellable items were sold off long ago."

"What about the production line?" Zhou Ming asked.

"The production line is the lifeblood of our factory. How could we sell it? Besides, if there are future production tasks from the organization, we need this production line to complete them!" Wang Chen replied.

Wang Chen's perspective was typical of many leaders from the past era, who viewed factory work as a noble revolutionary mission. This mindset may seem outdated now, but it effectively helped Zhou Ming retain the production line. Otherwise, if Wang Chen had sold everything to pay the workers, Zhou Ming would have wasted his trip.

"However, what if I need the canned food production line now?" Zhou Ming asked.

Wang Chen was initially taken aback but then gritted his teeth and said, "If Factory Director Zhou can agree to help me cover all the unpaid wages for the workers, I will sell the production line to you. I'm even willing to stay on as the manager if needed. I've realized that we can't cling to this factory any longer. I must find a way out for the workers, even if it means facing criticism or punishment!"

Zhou Ming raised an eyebrow. Wang Chen's request might sound ridiculous in the future, but for people still holding on to outdated values, it was expected. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a term like "digging at socialism's corner."

Despite the sympathy, Zhou Ming needed to ask, "How much in total do you owe in unpaid wages?"

Wang Chen hesitated for a moment before answering, "About over a hundred thousand."

"Over a hundred thousand? Uncle Wang, I remember your factory only has around a hundred workers. How did you accumulate so much debt? It must have been at least one or two

 years of unpaid wages, right?" Su Han exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Chen and the others blushed and said, "Yes, it's accumulated over a year and a half."

"It's not a problem to come up with this money, but the key is, with wages unpaid for so long, are the workers still around? Can you ensure that after I buy the production line, it can be put into operation immediately?" Zhou Ming asked.

Wang Chen's eyes lit up. He had initially thought that asking for over a hundred thousand was excessive, but seeing that the young man in front of him was willing to agree without hesitation, he realized the 760 Factory must be doing very well.

Wang Chen hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, our factory workers are still here. Although they have been working at the neighboring production team due to unpaid wages, they will definitely work hard and produce the best canned food if we can pay them eighty yuan a month!"