Chapter 81: A Visitor Comes to the Door

Seeing the factory's profitability steadily improving, Chen Shulin's attitude toward Li Xian began to change slightly.

Chen Shulin had worked for the Forestry Bureau for twenty years after joining the workforce in 1970. He prided himself on having seen all kinds of people and had always been good at judging character. He had not had high hopes for Li Xian, this young upstart.

What a joke! A kid in his early twenties, just out of school, trying to run a business. It seemed like a monkey show on a narrow bridge—just for fun?

But he had to admit, the situation was different. From the paper factory's establishment in 1982 until now, nearly ten years had passed. In his memory, the factory had never turned a profit.

But this kid, with all his fuss, had actually made money!

The factory's daily shipment had reached ten tons, a level the factory had never seen before. Even during peak times like Qingming Festival or before the Lunar New Year when the factory made paper for tomb sweeping, the sales had never been this high!

Within just two days, Chen Shulin was thoroughly convinced. Looking at the unprecedented prosperity in the factory, he felt that the slogan "Strive to be the top enterprise in the Forestry Bureau" that had been chanted for nearly ten years now had a very real chance of being realized.

"Old Chen, did you understand what I said? What, did you go out drinking again last night?"

Just as Chen Shulin was lost in thought, Li Xian knocked on the table.

"Ah!" Chen Shulin immediately snapped back to attention.

The sales department was in a meeting. Facing Li Xian's directive to capitalize on the initial market momentum for Xinao Premium Sanitary Paper and further expand the areas covered, Chen Shulin had no objections.

According to the latest implementation of the so-called regional commission salary system, the sales department had been restructured. Instead of the old method of everyone going out together to promote and receiving a monthly salary, now an individual was responsible for the entire regional channel sales, with commissions based on performance.

Currently, the sales department had a total of 18 people, but the paper factory's business areas were only 8. With this pay structure, more regions meant better prospects.

"Director Li, I have no objections to what you said. But… our factory is running two shifts with overtime right now. If the regions expand suddenly, can the factory supply the goods?"

Sitting at the head of the table with his back straight, Li Xian waved his hand, "Don't you know the more you eat, the more you occupy? Production issues are for me and Zhang Dagong to resolve, but you must handle the market!"

"Well then, Director Li, I'll do as you say. Tomorrow, I'll arrange for people to go to Wanglin, Minghe, and Zhao Dong counties!"

Seeing Chen Shulin now address him with "Director Li" before every sentence, Li Xian felt quite pleased.

...

As Chen Shulin said, for several days in a row, the factory's shipment volume steadily increased, and production capacity issues began to surface.

Even with two shifts plus an additional four hours of overtime, the stock was still tight. Li Xian had anticipated that sanitary paper, being a daily necessity, would have potential, but he did not expect this business to be so explosive.

In fact, the paper mill's equipment capacity still had room for expansion. Since all the paper roll pulp was produced in-house and the pulping process took a lot of time, the main limitation on finished paper shipment was the pulp factory.

Given this situation, he planned to upgrade the pulp factory, adding two mechanical pulping stations and recruiting more staff. At the same time, he needed to hire more workers for the paper factory. The warehouse had already started complaining that workers were exhausted from loading trucks every night.

However, recruiting workers was not easy.

Xinao Paper Industry was a private company, and people were still wary of private enterprises at this stage, considering them unstable and unsecure.

Only those with no skills or connections would come to such a place.

After two days of job ads, only a few people showed up for interviews, and they were mostly women who knew nothing and couldn't do physical labor.

Faced with this situation, Li Xian was quite helpless.

In the past two days, he had already changed the salary system. With the current benefits, general workers in the workshop could earn at least 170-180 a month. Those who worked hard and produced could easily earn over 200 a month.

This was 50% higher than the average salary in the Forestry Bureau.

But even with such a salary offer, not many people came, indicating how serious the local attitude of valuing face over survival was.

...

In the retirement home, when Li Xian shared this situation with a few elderly men, it led to a moment of silence.

"Damn it! Can your factory really hire that many people? I'm a retired county-level deputy with only 180 a month!" Wu Shengli slapped his thigh, showing his satisfaction with the factory's wages.

"Old Wu, what can you do there?" Li Xian looked Wu Shengli up and down and teased, "How old are you this year?"

"Hey!" Seeing Li Xian's disdainful expression, Wu Shengli was upset, "I'm sixty-five this year, but look at my health! If I can't work at the factory, can't I still guard the gate with my skills?"

Zheng Weishi, sitting next to them, waved his hand dismissively, "Stop it! Are you going to steal someone's job from a guard dog or what?"

Under Wu Shengli's wide-eyed glare, Zheng Weishi clicked his tongue, "Little Li, if you really want to hire workers, I know of a place. I'm just not sure if you're willing to use them."

"Where?" Li Xian asked, suppressing a smile at seeing Old Wu's disappointment.

"There's a Disabled Persons' Federation at our Forestry Bureau…"

"Hey! That's a good idea!" Wang Lin, who had initially not intended to speak, suddenly stood up, "Employment for this group has always been a major issue for our bureau. Ah, these are either injured lumber workers or people born with disabilities. If you can mobilize them, it would be a great merit!"

Li Xian stared at the lifeless eyes and glared back.

Disabled Persons' Federation… What does my factory think it is?!

Originally, he was expanding recruitment to increase production. Bringing in a group of disabled people—would their efficiency really be up to par?

Seeing that the senior group had no better suggestions, he simply slapped his thigh and left.

The retirement home had effectively become Li Xian's home.

Due to the recent issues with Li Jie, to avoid gossip at the forest farm, the Li family had not returned home.

Since that day Li You beat up Li Xian, he had given up on the factory entirely.

Having been deceived before, Li You didn't believe the factory's improved performance when Li Jie kept telling him about the shipments. He thought it was just his second and third sons teaming up to deceive him.

Li Xian didn't bother explaining; the old man's psychological tolerance was too weak. If he knew the factory now earned over 2,000 a day, he might even get a shock.

The retirement home had its own boiler room and heating, making the stay quite comfortable. But Zou Ni and Li Daoyun couldn't stand it anymore; one was worried about the heating at home with the cold weather coming, and the other was concerned that his coffin hadn't been attended to for half a month. Both were clamoring to go back.

Actually, Li Xian intended for them to stay at the retirement home for the winter. The environment was good here, and it was close to the bureau hospital.

A few days ago, he had forcefully encouraged Li You and his wife, as well as the old man, to have check-ups, finding some minor issues. He hoped they would stay here for a while to recuperate.

But there was nothing to be done; Zou Ni and Li Daoyun were people who couldn't be away from home. It was clear they would not stay.

When Li Xian returned to his dormitory, Zou Ni had already cooked a meal in the cafeteria. Pickled vegetables, cabbage with frozen tofu and seaweed, plus fried ribbonfish, all of which Li Xian loved.

As the family gathered around the study desk in Li Xian's room, ready to eat, Old Liu from the security office knocked on the door with two people.

"Old Li, someone from the forest farm is here."

Li You immediately put down his bowl, stood up, and became enthusiastic.

It was indeed Accountant Liu and his wife from the forest farm.

"Old Liu, what brings you here? Come, come, have you eaten yet? Let's eat together!"

Accountant Liu glanced at the people in the room and smiled, "No need, Old Li. Actually, I have something to ask. You see, our second child is getting married this winter… and we're interested in the three houses you have. I was wondering… if you're selling them?"

"Who told you we're selling our house?"

Hearing Accountant Liu's question about buying their house, Li Xian put his bowl down on the table and was displeased.