Chapter 87: Gaining Insight

Even though it was the start of winter, the snow that fell was quite substantial. After a night spent snugly under the heated bedding in the dormitory, Li Xian drew back the curtains the next morning and was greeted by a world of white and green.

The rooftops, the yard, and almost everything in sight were covered with a thick layer of snow. The distant mountains, though obscured by the white blanket, still showed hints of dark green.

Under the first rays of the morning sun, the snowflakes shimmered brilliantly, as if a thin veil of mist had been added, creating a dreamlike effect.

Despite having seen snow countless times before, Li Xian was still mesmerized.

It was only when the blinding whiteness started to make his eyes sting that he reluctantly threw off the covers, put on his big shorts, and got out of bed to wash up.

Once outside the dormitory, he realized that the snowfall from the night before was even heavier than he had imagined.

Greeting Old Wu and Old Zheng, who were helping clear the snow voluntarily, Li Xian headed out with Li Jie.

The snow was too heavy for motorcycles, and seeing the road completely covered and the long line of footprints behind him, Li Xian felt that the commute to work today was going to be incredibly long.

He suddenly thought... it would be quite nice if they had a couple of Huskies pulling a sled. 

Imagining the scene of two Huskies running energetically with their tongues out, pulling him through the vast expanse of snow, he quickly shook off the daydream.

As someone who had been reborn, how could he have such unambitious thoughts? Just buy a car! A car would solve everything!

Li Jie, observing her older brother's fluctuating expressions of longing, frustration, and finally determination, adjusted her thick wool hat and said, "It is quite baffling! Mo Ming Qiao!"

Recently, Li Jie, who had been heartbroken and was determined to go abroad, had been improving her English considerably.

...

By the time the two arrived at the factory, it was nearly nine o'clock.

The first snow of winter had caused many workers to arrive late. As Li Xian entered the workshop, he heard people complaining about unfair fines for being late due to the weather.

He ignored the complaints. Rules were rules, and these workers had been used to slacking off. Therefore, the newly implemented rules had to be strictly enforced. After all, it was for everyone's benefit, and it was no different from before.

This was something he had clearly communicated to Zhang Dagong.

In fact, Zhang Dagong, the workshop director, was enforcing the rules well. He was currently pointing at a disabled worker, "Old Geng lost both legs. Isn't it more inconvenient for him? He still arrives on time, so what are you all complaining about? Get to your posts and stop delaying; otherwise, more fines!"

Seeing the disabled worker on the paper-rolling station working cheerfully, everyone fell silent.

Li Xian gave Zhang Dagong a slight smile, showing his approval.

Order was quickly restored.

In Li Xian's office, the key staff members who had finished their tasks gathered together.

The first snowfall of winter not only brought minor inconveniences for the workers but also posed challenges for the factory. The daily output was around thirteen or fourteen tons, which was substantial. The heavy snow had affected the roads, creating difficulties for both incoming materials and outgoing shipments. Measures needed to be taken, such as contacting the bureau to request road clearing.

"I'll call the bureau later, but we can't rely solely on them. We need to organize employees to clear the road in front of the factory. We must solve the transportation issues, whether by increasing the number of vehicles or other means. Regardless, you must ensure that the incoming and outgoing processes are smooth. Also, regarding the workers…"

As Li Xian was discussing his plans, a commotion erupted at the factory entrance—a large crowd was shouting loudly.

He quickly set aside his pencil and, along with the others drawn to the commotion, went to the window.

The sight was startling! At the factory gate, eight or so people in tattered clothes, looking like beggars, were blocking the entrance. They were continuously stamping the snow on the ground, effectively blocking the two delivery trucks preparing to leave.

"Ugh!" He inhaled sharply and asked Chen Shulin beside him, "Old Chen, is there a famine?"

"This isn't a famine… Forget about whether there's a famine now; even if there were… have you ever seen beggars making such a racket?"

Chen Shulin, seeing the chaos outside, twitched his eye and replied awkwardly.

From a distance, amidst the clamor, Li Xian vaguely heard phrases like "Can't survive anymore" and "Pay back the money."

He immediately turned and went downstairs.

At the factory gate, the seven or eight people had started rolling in the snow and crying out, moving their bodies erratically like stranded fish, creating plumes of snow.

"We're starving!"

"Our factory has already released the wages! Hurry up and pay us back!"

"Damn it, if you don't pay us back, we'll starve to death!"

"Hurry up and pay! If not, I'll freeze or starve to death here and won't leave!"

The commotion attracted the attention of the goods department and the workshop workers. Initially curious, they quickly returned to their posts, acting as if nothing had happened.

Seeing this, Li Xian's curiosity was piqued. Ignoring Chen Shulin and the others behind him, he stepped forward.

"Hey! What's going on here?" he called out as he approached.

One of the people rolling in the snow, noticing Li Xian, scrambled up quickly and grabbed him. From his tattered coat, he pulled out a stack of... bills.

"We are from Beilin Paper Factory. Your factory has owed us for raw materials, pulp, and packaging since 1988, totaling fifty-four thousand yuan. It's been four years! Damn it, we're struggling now. Pay us back quickly!"

Li Xian's mind was spinning. What the heck... are they here to collect debt?!

In the moment of his daze, the seven or eight people had already surrounded him.

At this point, Chen Shulin and the others, who had been left behind, trudged through the snow to catch up.

Seeing the "beggars" clinging to Li Xian and crying out, Chen Shulin shouted, "Enough! Stop pretending. We all know each other—what's this nonsense?"

The person holding the bills yelled back, "Chen Bie! Don't even mention it. If we don't get the money today, we'll fight you to the end! Our factory can't pay wages. Our families are depending on this money!"

At his words, the crowd's shouting grew even louder.

Li Xian felt overwhelmed by the noise!

"Enough!"

Finally, he could no longer stand it. With all his strength, he pushed away the hands grabbing him and said, "Speak properly!"

...

In the office.

After Chen Shulin explained and the loud demands from the debt collectors, Li Xian finally understood the situation.

It turned out that when the paper factory was struggling, it had subcontracted some work to Beilin Paper Factory, accumulating a debt of over fifty thousand yuan for raw materials and other supplies.

Later, as the factory's situation worsened, the debt remained unpaid. Now, with Beilin Paper Factory also shut down and unable to pay wages, the factory manager had come up with a solution—collect all the outstanding debts and distribute them to the workers as wages.

But according to Chen Shulin, although the debt was real, there was more to it—when they cooperated with Beilin Paper Factory, Beilin also owed the old paper factory over twenty thousand yuan. Moreover, there were some bad debts involving other units that had become stale due to the passage of time.

Li Xian realized this was a classic case of... triangular debt!

As he stared at the tattered workers in the office, Chen Shulin, worried that Li Xian might sympathize, quietly reminded him, "They dressed up like this specifically to collect debts. When I used to collect debts, I was in worse shape. Once, I went out in summer to collect, and Old Zhang hadn't bathed for three months, had lice, and wore pants with holes."

Li Xian was astonished. "You guys have also collected debts this way?"

"Of course!" Chen Shulin snorted, "If you haven't done it, you can't say you've worked in a factory. I once traveled to Tianjin to collect debts, and it took me eight days by train!"

Li Xian was left speechless.

At that moment, a voice in his mind echoed:

Gaining insight, truly gaining insight!