Chapter 95: The Rabbit Factory Director

The Beilin Paper Factory is located in a remote area. Due to pollution issues, it is situated far from the city center, near a tributary of the Nuo Min River called Heiyu Pao.

When Li Xian and Chen Shulin finally arrived at Beilin and then took a car to the factory, it was already close to the end of the workday.

However, upon arrival, they found that the factory was bustling with activity, even more so than during working hours! There were an estimated five to six hundred people gathered in the factory yard, dressed in the same outfits they wore while collecting debts, causing quite a commotion. If the atmosphere weren't so tense, it would have looked like a market day.

Among the crowd, Yuan Daqing was desperately trying to calm the workers using a loudspeaker. 

"Everyone, please give me a little time! I know you're all suffering and life is hard. But you also know the factory's situation; there's simply no way…"

"Bullshit! You officials just talk but don't do anything. Big Donkey did the same thing, fooled us with promises, but then took the factory's money to keep a mistress! And now you're giving us the same line. Only an idiot would believe you! Enough talk, we must be paid today!"

"Yeah! We must be paid! Even if we have to dismantle the equipment and sell it for scrap iron, we want to see the money today!"

The workers' emotions were almost out of control.

Amidst the noisy uproar, Yuan Daqing seemed like a leaf swaying in a storm, being pushed and jostled by the agitated crowd. Despite turning up the volume on the loudspeaker, his voice was drowned out by the clamor.

Seeing that he couldn't hold on any longer, Yuan Daqing shouted, "Listen to me! We will pay you today!"

As soon as the word "pay" was mentioned, the workers suddenly fell silent, their eyes filled with surprise and anticipation as they looked at Yuan Daqing.

But after a moment of silence, Yuan Daqing threw the loudspeaker aside and, moving with incredible speed, turned and ran away! 

Despite his poor performance as a factory director, Yuan Daqing's physical prowess was remarkable. Dressed in a thick winter coat, padded pants, and military boots, he ran with the speed and agility of an elite sprinter.

Around him, dozens of workers, momentarily stunned, quickly began to chase after him.

Yet Yuan Daqing, like a star quarterback, evaded the crowd with swift, precise movements and rapidly disappeared from sight!

Seeing Yuan Daqing become a blur in the snow and quickly vanish from view, Li Xian stared with wide eyes and extended his nose, as if in disbelief.

"I came here to find you, damn it…"

Beside him, Chen Shulin marveled, "Damn it, this guy should have been an athlete, it's a waste of talent!"

Witnessing the factory director fleeing, the hundreds of workers left in the yard completely lost control. After a brief moment of angry shouting, some of the older workers turned into action takers.

The factory indeed had no money now, but the equipment in the main workshops was still intact. The suggestion to dismantle the equipment and sell it for scrap iron, though initially made in anger, was now being seriously considered.

Li Xian was terrified at this sight.

Stop it, you bunch of beasts, I still need these machines for my orders!

Currently, the production capacity of Xinlang Paper Industry could only barely meet the demand of the surrounding areas. For the orders he secured in Tuling, he was completely reliant on Beilin Paper Factory.

If Beilin encountered problems now, it would be a disaster, and finding a solution would be nearly impossible!

Cursing inwardly, Li Xian immediately rushed forward. Seeing the loudspeaker on the ground, which had been stepped on and deformed, he picked it up.

At the entrance of the first workshop, where workers had begun to dismantle the base of a roll paper machine, Li Xian took a deep breath and shouted, "Stop!"

The workers were momentarily stunned by this shout.

They initially thought it was Yuan Daqing returning, but upon turning around, they saw a stranger holding a loudspeaker standing at the workshop door.

The crowd was puzzled.

"Who the hell is this?"

"Kid, where did you come from? Are you from our factory?"

Seeing that the workers had stopped their activities, Li Xian seized the opportunity to shout, "You all know what's most important in this factory. If you want to stay poor, then keep dismantling!"

Even though they didn't know Li Xian, the workers hesitated upon hearing this statement.

What is most important in the factory?

Of course, it's the equipment! Without it, the factory, the workers, and everything else are meaningless. The workers weren't genuinely interested in dismantling the equipment. It was just that many of them were struggling at home, and with the factory director gone, they felt there was nothing left to lose.

But with Li Xian's words, the workers began to have second thoughts.

"Who are you to meddle in our factory's affairs?" After a moment of silence, an older worker with a wrench asked.

Li Xian's throat was dry and itchy from shouting earlier. He swallowed and stepped forward, saying, "I'm here to bring you money."

"Money?"

Upon hearing this, the workers' eyes lit up. However, due to the dim light in the workshop, many of them doubted Li Xian's age.

A few younger workers sneered and continued to dismantle the equipment.

"A few days ago, I signed a processing contract with your factory director. Now, I'm here to place an order," Li Xian continued, ignoring those dismantling the equipment.

When the workers heard about the order, they were stunned. Even the young workers who were dismantling the equipment stopped their work.

In this era, industrial workers had an almost blind reliance on production. Although some might be slacking off or shirking their duties, for them, a factory with production meant there was a future.

"How many… how many orders?"

An older worker grabbed a wrench from a young worker and asked nervously.

Seeing this, Li Xian thought for a moment and held up three fingers: "The first batch is 300 tons!"

Li Xian quoted this number considering the 150 tons of goods ordered from Tuling yesterday and anticipated future sales.

Wow!

Upon hearing this number, the workers were visibly excited.

With Beilin Paper Factory's production capacity, 300 tons of paper could be produced in about a week, so this amount wasn't large for the factory.

However, after several months of inactivity, this quantity was enough to excite everyone.

What does restarting the production line mean?

It means no more chasing after debts, no more hiding the fact that there was no work from family, no more wandering around with impossible-to-collect IOUs. It means their lives… have hope!

Seeing the workers' change in mood, Li Xian seized the opportunity to further motivate them: "Our Xinlang Special Paper brand is gaining recognition. This 300 tons is just the beginning. Orders will definitely increase in the near future, so you don't need to worry about being out of work for a while."

As he spoke, a surprised voice came from outside: "Hey? Director Li! What are you doing here?"

The speaker was Guo Dongliang, who had previously gone to Xinlang Paper Factory to collect debts.

When the workers saw that Old Guo knew this young man, they inquired about him. Upon learning about Li Xian's situation, they were reassured. They immediately threw down their tools and headed towards Workshop 1.

Li Xian, taking advantage of the opportunity, used the loudspeaker to repeat what he had just said.

This resulted in cheers from the workers.

At that moment, the sound of car engines roared in the factory yard.

As several cars pulled up, police officers, city officials, and Yuan Daqing, the "Rabbit Factory Director," got out one after another. When they arrived at the workshop where the crowd was gathered, they were all stunned.

The leading elderly man looked at the jubilant crowd and furrowed his brows. Pointing at the workers, he turned to Yuan Daqing and asked:

"So, this is the big mess you were talking about?"

Seeing the perfectly harmonious scene in front of him, Yuan Daqing was completely bewildered.

Was what he had just experienced a hallucination?!