Chapter 84: Forest Industry Inspection Team

"Mm?"

Seeing Li Xian lost in thought at the window, Zheng and Wang both stood by the window. Noticing the commotion downstairs, Zheng Wei Shi looked at the now darkened face of Wang Lin and wondered, "Why are the Forest Industry people here?"

Upon learning that the people downstairs were from the Forest Industry Group, Li Xian felt that something was amiss. The factory's ownership now belonged to him, but the leaders' arrival without any prior notice was unusual.

He stroked his chin and pondered briefly. Leaving the two elders in the office, he turned and went downstairs.

When he reached the ground floor, Xu Chaoyang was leading the group towards the workshop.

"Director Xu, what's this about?" Li Xian walked up to the group and inquired with his eyes.

"Oh," Xu Chaoyang slightly turned his body, "This is the special inspection team from our Forest Industry Group. They're here to take a look." He then introduced the leading person, "Director Wang, this is the factory manager, Li Xian."

Li Xian couldn't help but scrutinize the person. He looked refined and wore a suit seldom seen in the forestry bureau, with his hair neatly styled.

"Hello, Director Wang!" Li Xian immediately extended his hand.

The other party seemed surprised by Li Xian's youth and, with a scrutinizing gaze, appraised him, "Hello, Manager Li. You're quite young. On the way here, Director Xu mentioned you resigned from the Commercial Bureau to run this factory. You're quite bold."

Li Xian couldn't discern the meaning behind his words and did not dare to say much, simply responding with modesty.

Xu Chaoyang chuckled awkwardly and briefly explained the factory transfer situation.

"Director Xu, so you're saying the factory was transferred without any compensation?" An overweight person from the inspection team interrupted before Xu Chaoyang could finish.

Xu Chaoyang's speech faltered as he nodded, "Yes, Director Qi. However, if the factory were to be sold at a discount, the equipment and buildings, including the land, would be worth just over five hundred thousand. Also, when Manager Li took over the factory, he resolved the backlog of over seventy thousand in unpaid wages…"

Director Qi chuckled, "Director Xu, you can't put it like that. Your intention to reduce the bureau's burden is good, but there needs to be a process. The factory's worth isn't something you can decide with just your words, right?"

Director Wang, who had been deprived of a fair hearing, seemed displeased. Seeing Xu Chaoyang's flushed face, he finally looked at Li Xian, "How is the factory's current performance?"

The attitude of the inspection team made Li Xian sense that the Forest Industry wasn't too keen on the factory transfer.

He grew worried, glanced at Xu Chaoyang but read no information from his face. After thinking for a moment, he vaguely replied, "It's okay. The factory's shipment volume is steadily increasing, and it's not making a loss."

"So, the factory was losing money before, but under your management, it has turned a profit?" Director Qi shook his head, "That's quite miraculous. Could it be that our forestry bureau has another Ma Shengli?"

Li Xian knew of Ma Shengli.

In 1984, when the SJZ Commercial Bureau set a 170,000 profit target for a paper factory, the factory manager, fearing it was impossible, hesitated to promise. At that time, Ma Shengli, then the business section chief, stepped up, promising to meet the target if he became the manager.

After discussions, Ma Shengli took office and achieved a 1.7 million profit that year, becoming a well-known example nationwide. After 1987, this reform hero expanded massively, contracting over a hundred paper mills across more than twenty provinces, and founded the "Ma Shengli Paper Group."

However, when Director Qi mentioned Ma Shengli, it was with a hint of mockery.

Li Xian knew that by 1992, Ma Shengli had become completely arrogant and self-confident, leading to his decline. Given the timeline, he should be finished by now.

Sensing the mockery in Director Qi's tone, Li Xian smiled wryly, "I can't compare to him. I'm just managing a small factory, barely keeping it afloat."

"I find the transfer of this factory problematic. The process seems unclear. Even without discussing potential behind-the-scenes manipulation, how can the factory turn from a loss to profit in less than a month? There's clearly something wrong here."

Li Xian couldn't tolerate it any longer!

"Director Qi, what you're saying doesn't make sense. The factory had issues with its products before. After taking over, I updated the products, switching from seasonal paper to essential sanitary paper, introduced new paper-making techniques, and changed the factory's wage model and distribution channels. How can't I make a profit? Without investigation, you have no right to speak. You haven't even seen the factory's situation and just make judgments based on assumptions!"

"Hey, young man!" Angered by the rebuttal, Director Qi pointed at Li Xian, ready to criticize.

However, Director Wang raised a hand to stop him, "I think Manager Li has a point. We should assess the factory's actual situation. Director Qi, our task is to investigate, not to judge. Please keep that in mind."

Director Qi snorted heavily and lowered his hand.

Li Xian, not showing any better attitude, led the group into the factory.

Seeing the busy warehouse and the large number of shipping orders posted on the wall, the inspection team was surprised. Although the forestry bureau's paper factory was a town-level enterprise, such high shipment volumes were inconsistent with their impressions of forest area enterprises. The equally busy workshop further changed their perception of the factory.

In the workshop, Zhang Daguang was assigning positions to the disabled workers. Seeing this, Director Wang stopped and asked, "What's this?"

Since the factory's opening, Xu Chaoyang hadn't paid much attention here. Now, seeing the factory's transformation, he was secretly amazed.

Seeing the disabled workers preparing to start work, Xu Chaoyang was puzzled.

Noting his questioning gaze, Li Xian stepped forward, "Oh, due to capacity limitations, the shipment volume couldn't meet customer demand. We had to expand recruitment, but it was challenging to hire workers. Since no one valued our private enterprise, we had to go to the Disabled Persons' Federation and took in some people."

"Good move!" Xu Chaoyang clapped his hands, "How many people did you recruit?"

"Over forty." Li Xian provided the number.

Director Wang nodded deeply, "In that case, your factory is doing well."

He then led the way out of the workshop. After reviewing the factory's recent accounts and balance sheet in the accounting room, the inspection team finally left.

After a day's turmoil, it was noon when the inspection team, having inexplicably arrived, departed amidst Li Xian's confusion.

At the factory gate, Xu Chaoyang leaned against the door of the 212 car, smoking, and smiled at Li Xian.

"I'm not sure what the Forest Industry thinks about the bureau's factory transfer, as I didn't receive any prior notice of the inspection team's arrival. But regardless of what Forest Industry says, you've done well with the factory recently. I was angry with you for resigning before, but now it seems you're really cut out for this."

Facing Xu Chaoyang's candor, Li Xian scratched his head. But then he grew worried, "Director Xu, your praise makes me uneasy! I've just started making some progress with the factory. I hope nothing goes wrong!"

He gasped, "Forest Industry won't… take the factory back, will they?"

Xu Chaoyang smiled mysteriously, discarded his cigarette, and sighed.

"Most likely, they won't."

"Why are you so sure?" Li Xian asked.

Xu Chaoyang smiled mysteriously without answering, and left amidst Li Xian's perplexity.

...

When Li Xian returned to the office, he found that Zheng and Wang had somehow already left. He had wanted to discuss the inspection team's visit with them. Now, without anyone to talk to, he spent the entire afternoon feeling uneasy, muttering about these old fellows vanishing just when they were needed.

In the evening, when he returned to the retirement home with Li Jie, he immediately went to confront Wang Lin and Zheng Wei Shi.

"Old Wang, Old Zheng! You two really are too thoughtless… Ah…"

As he opened the door to Wang Lin's dormitory, he was stunned.

There, on the sofa, sat Director Wang, who had inspected his factory earlier, sitting upright with some seasonal fruits like bananas and apples piled at his feet.

Seeing Li Xian, Director Wang was also surprised.

"Dad… Manager Li, do you know each other?"

He looked at the dark-faced Wang Lin standing by the window and asked.