Chapter 168: The Largest Printing Factory in Asia
After returning home, it was already very late, and the family was long asleep. Xia Yu did not disturb them but quietly went back to his room. Despite the late hour, Xia Yu was still energetic due to the two cups of coffee he had earlier and had no intention of sleeping.
Unable to sleep, Xia Yu took out the two paintings he had acquired earlier and admired them for a while before carefully putting them away.
"I should find a skilled carpenter to make two frames for these paintings and hang them up," Xia Yu thought to himself as he looked at the paintings on his desk.
Then, Xia Yu lay down on his bed, his mind starting to organize his thoughts.
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The next morning, Xia Yu arrived at the Jiuding Newspaper Company. By the time he arrived, all the employees were already at work.
As soon as Xia Yu entered the office, Yan Wenhan came over to report.
"Boss, the company registrations you instructed have been completed. The offshore processing is still ongoing due to the large number of companies being registered."
Yan Wenhan respectfully placed a large stack of documents in front of Xia Yu and reported.
"Mm."
Xia Yu nodded slightly and began to review the documents on his desk.
These were the documents for the registered companies and a stack of business licenses.
Jiuding Cultural Media Group, Jiuding Animation Co., Ltd., Jiuding Book Publishing Company, and so on—all the companies Xia Yu had mentioned were successfully registered, and the efficiency was impressive.
Considering the power of Jiuding Newspaper Company to expedite the process, it was no surprise that everything went smoothly. Xia Yu reviewed the documents and, finding no issues, finally showed a satisfied smile and said to Yan Wenhan, "Thank you for your hard work."
"Boss, it's my duty!"
Yan Wenhan slightly bowed his head and replied respectfully.
"How are things progressing with the other company matters?" Xia Yu asked, looking at Yan Wenhan.
"Boss, first, regarding Jiuding News Agency."
"According to your instructions, I sent someone to gather relevant information and organized Zhao Cheng and the others for training. Currently, the system and management framework of Jiuding News Agency have been initially established, and the various functions have been tentatively divided. The next step is to help employees adapt to their new positions."
"As for establishing local offices and recruiting local leaders, I've assigned the task and asked them to prepare a plan. It should be ready in three days, and I'll present it to you for review."
Yan Wenhan reported respectfully.
"Mm, very good!"
Xia Yu smiled. It seemed that Yan Wenhan was indeed doing a good job in management, understanding what should and shouldn't be done in his position. He neither hoarded power nor exceeded his authority, which Xia Yu was very satisfied with.
"What's the current progress of the company's work?"
Xia Yu asked again.
"The list of the Top 500 companies in Hong Kong has been compiled, and the Top 500 Hong Kong Rich List will be published next week. However, the Southeast Asia list has not been completed due to the ongoing expansion of local branches and insufficient manpower, resulting in difficulties in data collection."
Yan Wenhan reported, mentioning both the achievements and problems.
"That's not urgent. As long as the local Hong Kong lists are completed first, it's fine. I expect these two lists to significantly boost the influence of *Economic* magazine. You need to seize the opportunity to expand its influence and have *Jiuding Daily* coordinate the promotion."
Xia Yu was in a good mood, smiling as he spoke.
Expanding the list from the Top 100 to the Top 500 would greatly enhance its influence and authority. With four times as many companies listed, the sense of honor for the listed companies would naturally be stronger. From company owners to employees, there would be greater attention to the list.
Since people have vanity, the sales of *Economic* magazine would surely rise!
Moreover, with more companies listed, the statistical analysis data across industries would change, which could reveal valuable business opportunities. The more people find opportunities or gain insights, the less they would hesitate to spend money on magazines.
As for the issue of insufficient manpower, it was unavoidable. Xia Yu would not blame Yan Wenhan for it.
Good work takes time, and there's no need to rush. After understanding the company's situation, Xia Yu let Yan Wenhan continue with his work and then went to the company's printing factory.
The printing factory was not far from the company, located near the industrial area in Kowloon.
At this time, Hong Kong's economy was just starting to rise, the real estate industry had not yet fully exploded, and there was still plenty of land waiting to be developed in the most prosperous areas. Hence, the land prices had not skyrocketed.
Therefore, Kowloon still had many undeveloped areas and a large industrial zone due to the manufacturing industry not having declined yet.
The Jiuding Newspaper Company's printing factory was located near this industrial area.
Due to a previous accident, the printing factory had strict supervision, surrounded by walls with only one large gate for access. A sign next to the gate read "Jiuding Printing Factory."
As soon as the car arrived at the factory gate, it was stopped by the security guard. Only after seeing Xia Yu did the guard allow entry and immediately called Factory Director Zhang Lei.
By the time Xia Yu parked and got out of the car, Zhang Lei had already hurried over, panting.
"Boss, you're here!" Zhang Lei said anxiously, still catching his breath.
"Zhang Lei, there's no need to rush. I just came to take a look," Xia Yu said with a smile.
His impromptu visit was merely a whim to understand the situation at the printing factory. To avoid Zhang Lei overthinking, Xia Yu needed to reassure him.
Zhang Lei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He thought the boss might be dissatisfied with him, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. Nevertheless, he remained highly focused and ready to answer Xia Yu's questions.
"Come, show me around the factory," Xia Yu said, nodding to Zhang Lei to lead the way.
"Boss, please follow me! First, put on a mask before entering."
Zhang Lei said as he led Xia Yu to the preparation room to put on masks before guiding him to one of the factory buildings.
As they reached the door, before even entering the factory, Xia Yu could hear the roar of machines inside, accompanied by a strong smell of ink.
Even though he was wearing a mask, he could still smell it somewhat.
Once inside, the employees at the printing factory were busy with their tasks—feeding paper, binding, operating machines, transporting materials, and more.
The employees glanced at Xia Yu and Zhang Lei but continued their work without stopping. Xia Yu nodded subtly, a smile appearing on his lips, which Zhang Lei, who was closely observing Xia Yu's expressions, must have noted.
"Boss, here is the production line for printing *Jiuding Daily*."
"This section is for printing *Economic* magazine."
"And this is for printing *Seeking the Qin*..."
Zhang Lei guided Xia Yu on a tour, explaining as they went.
Xia Yu occasionally stopped to observe the specific production processes.
After about half an hour, Xia Yu was satisfied and left the factory building, accompanying Zhang Lei to his office.
"I just saw that your management is very organized and well done," Xia Yu said as he sat down, complimenting Zhang Lei.
"Thank you for the praise, boss!" Zhang Lei replied with a joyful expression.
"You mentioned earlier that the factory's production capacity has reached 80% of its maximum and is still trending upwards. Although it can continue for a while, expanding the factory is necessary."
Xia Yu pondered for a moment before speaking slowly.
Zhang Lei's eyes lit up, realizing that the boss intended to expand the factory. He looked at Xia Yu with bright eyes, waiting for further instructions.
"I have registered two companies—one is an animation company that will handle comic production, and the other is a book publishing company that aims to expand its publishing business. It can be expected that these two companies will have a significant demand for printing."
"To avoid the problems we initially faced, the printing factory must be prepared in advance."
"You were right to implement area-specific management, so the printing facilities for these two companies should each have their own buildings and be managed separately."
"However, I found that the current land is insufficient for further expansion."
Xia Yu continued, sharing his thoughts and the problems he had discovered.
"Boss, please give your orders. No matter what difficulties arise, I will do my utmost to resolve them!" Zhang Lei said, standing upright with a determined expression.
"I have a task for you. Prepare a detailed expansion plan and investigate the surrounding land—land prices, ownership, and so on. Once you have this information, secure the adjacent land and begin the expansion."
"My goal is to make this printing factory the largest in Asia. If you perform well, the position of the factory's general manager will be yours. If not, you will remain in charge of only the Jiuding Newspaper Company's printing factory, and the general manager's position will go to someone else. Do you understand?"
Xia Yu's face grew serious as he looked intently at Zhang Lei, his tone very earnest.
He presented Zhang Lei with an enticing opportunity, urging him to complete the task diligently while also testing him.
The difference between a general manager and a factory manager was significant! With this trend, the printing factory would eventually become independent.
Becoming the general manager would mean not just overseeing Jiuding Newspaper Company but also significantly elevating his status. It all depended on whether Zhang Lei could seize this chance.
"Boss, I will complete the task and will not let you down!" Zhang Lei said, his face flushed with excitement, standing tall and speaking earnestly.
At this moment, his steady heart was racing, and his mind was in
a whirlwind. With an opportunity to advance personally promised by the boss, he had to grab it firmly.
"Mm."
Xia Yu nodded silently.
Having given his instructions, Xia Yu glanced at his watch, realizing it was getting late. He stood up, ready to leave.
Before getting into the car, Xia Yu patted Zhang Lei's shoulder and encouraged him, "Don't let me down!"
"I promise not to disappoint you!" Zhang Lei assured, his expression very serious, as if he were about to swear an oath.
Xia Yu gave a brief nod and got into the car.
Watching Xia Yu's car drive out of the gate, Zhang Lei clenched his fist tightly, his gaze full of determination. He walked proudly back to his office, ready to prepare a solid plan and ensure he met the boss's expectations and importance.
He was determined to secure the position of general manager!