Chapter 214: The Prominent Zhou Ming

In the morning, Zhou Ming and Su Han accompanied Zhou Ming's parents to the factory for work. Since their home wasn't far from the factory, they walked there, greeting many familiar faces along the way.

This was a common occurrence. Zhou Ming's father was well-liked in the factory, having maintained good relations with many people there. Now that Zhou Ming had bought the entire factory, it was natural for them to greet each other, but today's greetings were filled with more respect and admiration.

"Old Zhou, you truly have a great son! Not only is he capable of making money, but he also thinks about the whole factory. It's truly impressive!"

"I heard about what happened yesterday. Zhou Ming's approach, putting the factory and its employees' interests first, is commendable. He deserves a thumbs-up."

"It's so true that you shouldn't cut wages even in tough times. We all work hard for this salary, and Zhou Ming is truly your son. He really understands our position and is a true representative for us!"

"Exactly. If Zhou Ming had become the leader of Factory 760 earlier, we wouldn't have faced years of delayed salaries. Our motivation would have been much higher. Zhou Ming is truly the savior sent to us!"

...

These were the most common remarks as Zhou Ming and his party arrived at the factory. His parents went to the workshop as usual. After working in the workshop for their entire lives, they couldn't sit still in an office, so they preferred to be in the workshop. Zhou Ming had no choice but to let them do what they liked, while he and Su Han went to the administrative building.

Once seated in the office, Su Han handed Zhou Ming a cup of tea. "It looks like Da Zhuang's promotion has been quite effective. Today, all the factory employees know they have a boss who truly cares about them."

Zhou Ming smiled wryly. The day before, after Zhou Ming visited the Eight Treasure Porridge production workshop, Su Han immediately contacted Zhang Lei to turn Zhou Ming's visit into news. It was broadcast on the factory's TV and posted on the notice board and news corridor, so by overnight, nearly everyone in the factory knew about it.

Zhou Ming wasn't particularly concerned with the praise from the employees, but he was very pleased with Su Han's sensitivity. Publicizing the news quickly and authentically without fabricating lies was crucial for leadership, as it helped increase the employees' sense of belonging and cohesion.

Besides, even if they didn't do this, the news would eventually spread throughout the factory. Zhang Lei's approach simply made it more effective.

"You're very clever, Xiaohan! You immediately got Da Zhuang to make the news," Zhou Ming praised Su Han.

"How are you going to reward me?" Su Han playfully asked.

Zhou Ming thought for a moment and answered seriously, "In the afternoon, let's book a room at the guesthouse. I'll reward you properly in bed."

Su Han was initially stunned by the response, then realized it and became playfully embarrassed, saying, "You're so annoying. What are you talking about?"

Zhou Ming laughed heartily. He was just joking, but seeing Su Han's shy expression reminded him of those days in Yanjing, particularly the embarrassing sight of Su Han under him. Considering they had been living with his parents and couldn't be too overt, Zhou Ming hadn't had much contact with Su Han lately, making him eager to see her.

However, Zhou Ming wasn't just driven by desire. At that moment, the office door was knocked, and Sales Director Yuan Zhigang walked in.

Yuan Zhigang was summoned by Zhou Ming. Zhou Ming waved him to sit and asked, "Have you sorted out everything at the sales department? Are you ready to set off?"

Yuan Zhigang nodded. "Yes, after you instructed me yesterday, I've arranged all future work."

Yuan Zhigang hesitated slightly before asking, "But Zhou Boss, our factory has only sold within the province and never expanded outside. We have no contingency plans for entering other provinces."

Zhou Ming waved his hand dismissively. "No need for a contingency plan. I'll assist with the connections. Your task is to maintain these clients and try to resolve any potential difficulties. Any issues?"

"No problem!" Yuan Zhigang replied.

"Great. We'll depart today," Zhou Ming said.

Zhou Ming was a man of action. After speaking, Su Han drove Zhou Ming and Yuan Zhigang to the train station. Zhou Ming and Yuan Zhigang took the train to their first destination: Nanjiang.

Upon arrival in Nanjiang, Zhou Ming and Yuan Zhigang checked into a hotel. After a day of rest, Zhou Ming hosted a dinner at the South Lake Hotel, inviting two guests.

"This is Chen Yunfei, the Executive Vice Governor of Lingnan Province and Mayor of Nanjiang. Governor Chen, this is Yuan Zhigang, the Sales Director of our Factory 760," Zhou Ming introduced.

Hearing Zhou Ming's introduction, Yuan Zhigang was astonished. Although he was just a sales director from a small county factory, he understood the significance of Chen Yunfei's positions and the weight of such a prominent leader. To think that a vice governor was here in Nanjiang was almost unbelievable!

Yuan Zhigang dared not question this and quickly stood up respectfully, greeting Chen Yunfei, "Governor Chen, hello."

Chen Yunfei smiled at Yuan Zhigang and said, "There's no need to be so formal. I won't bite you, and I'm an old friend of your Boss Zhou."

Despite Chen Yunfei's words, Yuan Zhigang was still extremely nervous. After all, he was facing a high-ranking provincial official he had never encountered before.

Zhou Ming and Chen Yunfei ignored Yuan Zhigang's nervousness. Zhou Ming got straight to the point, "Governor Chen, I have a matter to discuss with you. I've bought a factory in Linyang, and we're producing a product called Eight Treasure Porridge. I want to promote this product nationwide and hope you can assist."

"No problem," Chen Yunfei replied, introducing Zhou Ming to his associate. "This is Xiao Jianhong from the Nanjiang State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. You should know him. He's now the director of the commission and is in charge of several major malls and supply and marketing cooperatives in Nanjiang. Just talk to him."

Zhou Ming knew Xiao Jianhong. When he bought the two-story shop opposite Dongmen Mall and turned it into a nightclub, he had worked with Xiao Jianhong, who was then an assistant director and had since been promoted to director.

Zhou Ming extended his hand to Xiao Jianhong. "Congratulations on your promotion, Director Xiao. I'll be relying on you to help with the sales of my Eight Treasure Porridge."

"Thank you, Consultant Zhou. It's an honor to have you here. You're one of the best entrepreneurs in Nanjiang and have made great contributions to our city. I'll support you fully. Rest assured, I'll make sure Eight Treasure Porridge gets into all major malls and cooperatives," Xiao Jianhong assured Zhou Ming.

"Thank you very much, Director Xiao. I'll toast to you," Zhou Ming said, raising his glass to Xiao Jianhong.

Yuan Zhigang was left stunned. After his experience in Nanhui County, he had anticipated a tough battle to enter Nanjiang's market, a city at the forefront of reform with many large enterprises, including foreign and Hong Kong/Taiwan businesses. He had thought that even entering government offices here was nearly impossible. Yet, today's dinner had completely overturned his expectations. 

Although Zhou Ming had invited Nanjiang's top leader, the outcome was still surprising. Yuan Zhigang couldn't believe how Zhou Ming managed to achieve this.

But now, as he watched Zhou Ming and Xiao Jianhong speak, and saw Chen Yunfei conversing with Zhou Ming on equal terms, Yuan Zhigang was even more astonished. Chen Yunfei, a vice governor, was consulting Zhou Ming on various matters. 

Was this real? The vice governor was asking Zhou Ming for his opinion? Yuan Zhigang couldn't fathom it.

Everything was so incredible that Yuan Zhigang realized Zhou Ming must have accomplished significant things during his time away. It was no wonder the factory had changed so much. Zhou Ming had become an extraordinary figure.

Yuan Zhigang was in awe, struggling to grasp how Zhou Ming, once just a factory heir, could achieve such accomplishments. But the facts were undeniable. Yuan Zhigang looked at Zhou Ming with deep respect and was filled with confidence in the factory's future development.