Chapter Forty-Four: Please Call Me Director Ning

  When Xiang Ji Yong said "the last bit of conscience", Xiao Dong Ping's tears fell down.

  Yes, they have been suffering so much, isn't it because their conscience is still there? Wei Baolin has been messing around with this company, and the county government doesn't care. The workers and cadres are scolding behind their backs, but on the surface, they are all flattering Wei Baolin, Zhai Jianguo and others. Everyone is thinking of the same thing: it's none of my business!

  But they, Xiang Ji Yong, Xiao Dong Ping, Leng Yu Ming, and that newcomer Qin Hai who doesn't even know the depth of the water, are still struggling to find a way to save this factory. What's the point?

  If they are willing to go with the flow and make trouble with Wei Baolin, where can't they mix better than now? Zhai Jianguo, this dog leg, is because he closely followed Wei Baolin, isn't he now enjoying good food and drink? No matter how poor, it's impossible to be poorer than the leader, no matter how bitter, it's impossible to be more bitter than the organization. Such a big factory, wherever there is a leak of oil and water, it's enough for these middle-level cadres to moisten their intestines.

  But, the good knowledge... this thing is so annoying, you clearly know it has a hundred harms and no benefits, just like a vestigial tail, but you can't bear to cut it off, can only let it stay in your body, from time to time, making you feel so painful that you'd rather die than live.

  Seeing Xiao Dongping's tears, Wei Baolin also felt a little sad. He sighed and said:

  "Alas, Old Xiang... Old Xiao, I understand your feelings towards Qingfeng Factory. I am also a Qingfeng person, and I have risen from an ordinary worker to where I am today. In terms of emotions, I am no less than you. We are all doing the same thing, trying to save this factory, just with different methods. You are in charge of specific business, while I am the head of the factory, so our perspectives are different. As for the benefits of converting to washing machine production, I have already said a lot about it at the meeting, and there is no need to repeat it here. Old Xiang, Old Xiao, let's put this matter aside and work together towards the future."

  "Director Wei, Lao Xiang just mentioned it earlier. We support the factory's decision-making. We're just discussing things as they are. These blades, the Provincial Agricultural Materials Company has already agreed to accept them at a price of 2 yuan and 50 cents per piece, on the condition that we do spot welding treatment on all the blades. This technology we've already mastered, Lao Xiang and Lao Leng have researched it, as long as we install a set of automatic clamps, the problem can be solved. Ah, Director Wei, look at this, this is the procurement order from the Agricultural Materials Company."

  Wei Baolin did not go to receive the certificate, he shook his head and said: "The matter of converting to washing machines is urgent, now all the work focus of the entire factory must be put on this, other things are all let go. The matter of the blade, don't discuss it again, you are all responsible persons of important departments in the factory, from now on, you should put your mind on the washing machine project."

  "This production team leader position, I won't take it again." Xiang Ji Yong shook his head and said with a disheartened tone.

  "Who allowed you to be so rude!"

  A voice sounded from the side. The people present hadn't seen anyone, but just hearing the voice made them shudder involuntarily. They all turned their heads to look, and saw Old Director Ning Zhongying standing by the truck with a stern expression, inspecting the goods on the truck. It was he who had spoken those words just now.

  "Director Ning!" Xiang Jiyong and Xiao Dongping exclaimed in unison, at this moment, the two men felt as if they had been wronged by a stepmother but then saw their real mother, with mixed emotions.

  Xiang Jiyong and Xiao Dongping would have felt such a strong sense of helplessness just now, to a large extent due to Ning Zhongying's indifference to various factory affairs over the past two years. When Wei Baolin first took office, Xiang Jiyong and others would instinctively go to Ning Zhongying to complain whenever they disagreed with Wei Baolin's decisions. However, each time Ning Zhongying's attitude was to listen seriously but refuse to comment. Sometimes, when Xiang Jiyong and others advised Ning Zhongying to negotiate with Wei Baolin, Ning Zhongying would only say: "Not in his position, not his policy."

  As time went on, Xiang Ji Yong and others also gave up. They thought that Ning Zhong Ying's move was also a clever thing to do. Having already retreated to the second line, what good would it do to offend the current factory director? If the factory is better than before, it proves that you were incompetent in the past, and you are asking for trouble yourself. If the factory is worse than before, your treatment will not be a penny less, what does it have to do with you?

  Wei Baolin appears to be extremely respectful to Ning Zhongying on the surface, but that's also based on Ning Zhongying not interfering with his affairs. If Ning Zhongying were to constantly make things difficult for Wei Baolin, wouldn't Wei Baolin at least give Ning Zhongying some trouble in return? At the very least, Ning Zhongying's son is still working as a worker in the factory and has many problems. If Wei Baolin can't deal with Ning Zhongying, finding fault with Ning Mo would be equivalent to slapping Ning Zhongying in the face.

  Just now, both Xiang Jiyong and Xiao Dongping thought that at this juncture, only Ning Zhongying could turn things around by coming forward, at least to save these 20,000 blades. However, this idea flashed through their minds and disappeared quickly, as they both sneered at themselves in their hearts: why would Old Ning, who is now living a carefree life, need to come out and offend people?

  However, the more hopeless things were, the more they appeared. In such a situation where Ning Zhongying should not have appeared at all, they actually saw Ning Zhongying. Ning Zhongying's previous sentence "Who allowed you to be disobedient" was full of overbearingness, and Xiang Jiyong and Xiao Dongping suddenly found the happy feeling of being scolded by Ning Zhongying a few years ago.

  "Old factory director, how did you come?" Wei Baolin's heart skipped a beat as he walked forward and asked Ning Zhongying.

  Ning didn't pay attention to Wei Baolin and only asked the business personnel of that township enterprise: "What are you carrying on your truck?"

  "Rotary cultivator blades." The salesperson replied.

  "What are you taking him away for?" Ning Zhongying asked again.

  "What's it to you?" the salesperson retorted irritably. He didn't want to offend anyone from Qingfeng Factory, but Ning Zhongying's question was a bit sensitive, so he naturally didn't want to answer.

  This township enterprise bought these blades, intending to resell them. The blades from Qingfeng Factory are unqualified and have a service life of only over 400 mu, equivalent to about two-thirds of the qualified blades. However, if such blades are sold at half price, there will definitely be people willing to buy them. The market price of rotary tiller blades is over 2 yuan, they bought them from Qingfeng Factory at 0.2 yuan and resold them at a price of over 1 yuan, making a profit of tens of thousands of yuan with just one transaction, such a good deal, how can it be made public?

  When Wei Baolin heard this, he knew that something was wrong. Ning Zhongying's strong personality would not tolerate such provocation. He didn't wait for Ning Zhongying to erupt and hastily stepped forward, saying: "Old factory director, these blades are all unqualified products that were returned by the provincial agricultural materials company. They took away these blades mainly to recycle the steel material."

  "Is that so?" Ning Zhongying stared at the shop assistant and pressed him for an answer.

  The salesperson was a bit nervous and didn't dare to answer directly. He heard Wei Baolin call Ning Zhongying "Old Factory Director", so he could guess Ning Zhongying's identity. In recent years, state-owned enterprises have been changing leaders, and the original leaders who were in their 50s or even 60s and still on the job have all retired to secondary positions, replaced by young people like Wei Baolin. Based on this salesperson's experience, these retired leaders are generally just fallen phoenixes, not worth being afraid of.

  "What business is it of yours what we do with it?" said the salesperson.

  Ning Zhongying smiled coldly and said: "The products on your truck are from Qingfeng Factory, of course I have the right to manage them."

  "You're not the factory director!" said the salesperson.

  Ning Zhongying turned his head to Xiang Jiyong and said, "Xiang Jiyong, what are you doing standing here? Go find a few workers and unload all the goods from the truck. One box is missing, I'm asking you!"

  "Good!" Xiang Ji Yong's spirit was lifted, and he turned to leave. But then he thought of something else and hastily reminded him: "Director Ning, be careful, once I leave, they might drive away as soon as they get in the car."

  Ning Zhongying waved his hand and said to Xiang Jiyong, "Scram, I don't need you to teach me."

  He then ignored Wei Baolin, whose face had turned as black as if it were about to rain, and directly ordered Ma Da Rong: "Ma Da Rong, go close the main gate. You two, guard this car. If you let it leave the factory by half a step, you'll be fired."

  Ma Daren and several cadres from the security department looked at each other in dismay, not knowing whose instructions to follow. The current factory director was standing beside them, while the former factory director was issuing orders as if nothing had happened, leaving them wondering whether to listen or not.

  Ning Zhongying should have retreated to the second line, and everyone can ignore his dispatch. However, Ning Zhongying's influence in Qingfeng Factory is too great, and Ma Daren and others dare not disobey Ning Zhongying's words.

  "Wei Changzhang, look..." Ma Daren cried with a sad face to ask for Wei Baolin's opinion. The several cadres beside him really took a step forward, replacing the already departed Xiang Jiyong, and blocked the truck's way.

  Wei Baolin walked up to Ning Zhongying with a scowl on his face and said, "Old factory director, what do you mean by this?"

  Ning smiled and said: "Wei Factory Director, I am no longer the factory director now. I am the director of the factory's research office. It would be better if you still called me Director Ning."

  Wei Baolin still held back his temper and said, "Old factory director, I know you don't agree with the decision to switch production to washing machines, but this decision was collectively made by the factory leadership meeting, please try to understand."

  "What if I refuse to understand?" Ning Zhongying replied with a smile that was not quite a smile.