Chapter 97: My Mom Doesn't Let Me Play with Fools

Among the crowd, Li Xian was using a loudspeaker to ask the workers to reinstall the equipment they had just dismantled and prepare for work. While the workers were in high spirits, a commotion of shouting and scolding arose behind him.

Turning around, he saw Yuan Daqing and a few other leaders, escorted by several police officers, parting the crowd and walking towards them. The workers, seeing Yuan Daqing return, were agitated, cursing and glaring, their spittle flying in all directions.

Yuan Daqing had no choice but to duck his head and follow the stern-faced leader in front of him.

Seeing the factory's head return, Li Xian immediately put down the loudspeaker and went to meet him.

Concerned about overshadowing the factory's leadership and affecting future cooperation, he wanted to explain the situation to Yuan Daqing.

But before he could speak, the elderly leader in front said, "Young man, are you from the forestry bureau's paper mill?"

Li Xian didn't know this person, but judging by his demeanor, he didn't seem like an ordinary figure, so he nodded. He briefly explained that he had come to discuss an outsourcing order and had happened upon the workers' unrest.

After listening, the old man patted Li Xian's shoulder.

"You did well. We need to thank you for today's events." After speaking, the old man glanced at Yuan Daqing, who was looking down and furtively observing the crowd, and sighed.

"You're a disgrace as a factory manager. Even an outsider speaks more effectively than you. I'm embarrassed for you!"

He wanted to scold Yuan Daqing, but considering how dire the situation at Beilin Paper Factory was, he forced himself to hold back.

Among the crowd, many people recognized the old man.

"Secretary Wu!"

"Secretary Wu is here!"

"It's great you're here; now we have a reliable leader!"

Secretary Wu Sitian glared at Yuan Daqing and then put on a smile. Amid the rising cheers, he raised his hands to calm the crowd.

"Comrades, I understand your difficulties. This young man has brought orders, so you'll have work, and the salary issue should be resolved soon. Now listen to me, go home for now, alright?"

Wu Sitian was the secretary of Beilin District, but he had previously served as the Party Secretary of Beilin Paper Factory and was highly respected by the workers.

Yuan Daqing, seeing the situation was out of control, had initially thought of bringing in this savior.

But this time was different.

After Wu Sitian spoke, the factory workers did not move!

"Secretary Wu, it's not that we're making trouble; we're genuinely struggling to survive! We've only received a tiny bit of salary over the past few months. My whole family of six doesn't have enough to eat!"

"Yeah, Secretary Wu, I spent four days collecting debts. When I got home, my wife was roasting potatoes with a stove hook! I asked her where the potatoes came from, and she said… she dug them out of the frozen ground outside the city while I was away. In the dead of winter, when the ground is frozen solid! You know how I felt seeing those big potatoes?"

Hearing the workers' lament, Li Xian and Chen Shulin sighed in unison.

Although the workers at the forestry bureau's paper mill were also in poor condition, they at least had farmland, and while life was hard, they were not starving.

In contrast, the situation was much worse for the workers in Beilin City, which had little farmland. These workers relied solely on their wages, and with large families, a lack of income meant real hardship and starvation.

Wu Sitian was at a loss for words.

The situation reported by Yuan Daqing was clearly glossed over, and he hadn't expected things to be this bad. While distressed, he also felt a sense of helplessness.

At that moment, Li Xian had an idea. Clearing his throat, he approached Wu Sitian and whispered, "Secretary Wu, if you're in a difficult situation, I can advance part of the outsourcing payment."

Wu Sitian's eyes brightened as he carefully examined this young man beside him and thought, "He knows how to handle things."

He subtly nodded and asked the workers to wait, then led Li Xian out of the crowd.

In a corner of the workshop, upon learning that the advance payment for 300 tons was nearly 20,000 yuan, the old secretary hesitated. "That's too little! With over 800 workers, 20,000 yuan is just a drop in the bucket!"

Li Xian chuckled and explained how the paper mill had stabilized workers' emotions with food even when wages were not paid. While 20,000 yuan wasn't enough for wages, it could be converted into food, which would sustain over 800 people for a while!

Hearing this, Wu Sitian clapped his hands. "That's a good idea!"

Returning to the workers, Wu Sitian's confidence was restored. He announced that he had arranged for Li Xian to advance the outsourcing payment to address the factory's immediate food needs.

This decision was met with cheers from the workers.

However, when Wu Sitian asked everyone to disperse and go home, the workers resisted. They had lost all trust in the current factory leadership and were unwilling to hand over the food money to them.

Under Wu Sitian's directive, several respected veteran workers were selected to form a temporary workers' union to handle factory affairs for the time being.

Guo Dongliang, who had previously gone to Li Xian to collect debts, was unexpectedly pushed forward by the people to take charge.

Li Xian asked the workers to clean up the equipment overnight, so that the materials could be brought in and production could start the next day. He and Chen Shulin then bid farewell to the workers.

Grateful for Li Xian's help in resolving a major issue, Wu Sitian personally drove the two back to Bangye.

By the time they returned to the forestry bureau, it was nearly midnight.

Li Xian didn't rest and went straight to the paper mill to handle the production materials needed for Beilin and arrange for the transfer of 10,000 yuan the next day.

Late into the night, he and Chen Shulin worked hard in the office.

It was not until around 4 a.m. that Li Xian, having finished everything, closed his tired eyes and fell asleep at his desk.

The next morning, he was woken by a rustling sound.

Opening his eyes, he found a coat draped over him. It was the same coat that had been hanging outside with a note for Su Ya to wear.

Last night, he had seen the coat still hanging outside the door, seemingly untouched by the mute girl in recent days.

However, there had been so much going on that he hadn't thought much about it.

Stretching and rubbing his numb arms, he checked the coat's pockets. The note was still there.

In addition to the original lines of "Thank you" and "Take this coat; yours is too thin," there was an additional line.

"My mom says men are not to be trusted and that you shouldn't accept their favors casually. I'm returning the coat. I will work hard to repay your help to me and Su Hui!"

Seeing the note, Li Xian smiled wryly and scratched his head.

Taking a pencil from the desk, he added a line to the note.

"If you don't wear the coat I gave you… running around in thin clothes in the cold… Just go! My mom also says not to play with fools!"