EBE Chapter 337 The Difficulties of the State-Owned Compressor Factory
Chapter 337 The Difficulties of the State-Owned Compressor Factory
Chapter 337 The Difficulties of the State-Owned Compressor Factory
In the old office of the deputy director of the state-owned compressor factory.
Deputy Factory Director Zhou sat quietly in his chair, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry.
He was the Chief Engineer Zhou who had found the receipt. Now, the change in his status did not bring him much joy, but instead plunged him into worry.
His gaze was fixed blankly on the cup of tea in front of him, which had long since gone cold. The steam had dissipated, and the tea leaves lay heavily at the bottom of the cup, just like his mood at that moment—lifeless.
His thoughts drifted back to a few years ago, when the factory spent a lot of foreign exchange to import a German production line in order to increase production capacity.
Everyone thought this would be a turning point for the factory's future, and they eagerly expanded production and launched their products into the market. But who could have imagined that private enterprises would spring up like mushrooms after rain, bringing a huge impact?
The products produced by those private enterprises were of comparable quality to those of the long-established state-owned factories, but at much lower prices.
Deputy Factory Director Zhou thought to himself that if he were in the consumer's shoes and choosing a refrigerator, he would definitely choose the more affordable one.
The production line that the factory bought at a high price is now idle. Last month, he and the factory director went to see Mayor Zhao Baoshan of Suzhou City to see if the leaders had any solutions.
The higher-ups did come up with a solution: contract manufacturing, outsourcing production to private enterprises.
Thinking of this, he shook his head helplessly, sighed at the factory's current predicament, stood up, and walked towards the factory manager's office.
He raised his hand and knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he pushed the door open and went inside.
"Factory manager, we are a long-established state-owned factory. Surely the higher-ups won't abandon us. If word gets out that we're doing OEM manufacturing for private companies, we'll lose face."
Upon hearing this, Liang Guodong, the factory director of the compressor factory, became instantly agitated and slammed his teacup down on the table with a loud "bang," splashing some tea.
“The factory hasn’t paid wages for two months. If we quit, are we going to be cut off like other factories? Do we even have a choice?” His voice was hoarse, clearly indicating that he was exhausted from dealing with the factory situation.
Factory Director Liang calmed himself down slightly and then asked, "How did it go when I asked you to call Lin Wufeng?"
"Lin Wufeng's child got into university and went back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors."
Factory Director Liang sighed and waved his hand. "Alright, I understand. You can leave now."
As he spoke, he slumped into the chair, turning his head away from Deputy Factory Director Zhou.
Last time, Mayor Zhao suggested that they manufacture electric kettles for Xinsheng brand home appliances factory, but no news came from above. He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. If they didn't accept the orders soon, not only would they not be able to pay the employees' wages, but the factory's cash flow would also break down. At that time, it would really be too late to save the situation.
Seeing this, Deputy Factory Director Zhou understood that the Factory Director was in a bad mood and didn't want to make a fool of himself, so he quickly left Factory Director Liang's office and returned to his seat.
Recalling the previous contact with Xinsheng Home Appliances Factory, they refused to let them handle the manufacturing, arguing that their own production capacity was sufficient and they did not need a contract manufacturer.
He found out that this newly established home appliance factory was the same factory where his former apprentice, Lin Wufeng, was now working.
Factory Director Liang asked him to call Lin Wufeng to see if he could persuade Factory Director An through Lin Wufeng, but the reply he received was that Lin Wufeng had returned to his hometown.
But the situation was urgent; the factory's condition was deteriorating and there was no room for further delay.
Deputy Factory Director Zhou had once harbored ulterior motives in order to obtain the position, fearing that Lin Wufeng would compete with him.
The receipt I found almost led me to make the foolish decision to report Lin Wufeng, driven by self-interest. Fortunately, I lost the receipt.
With Lin Wufeng no longer a competitor, he was able to become the deputy factory director without any problems.
But now it seems that this position only brings him trouble.
The factory was doing poorly, and wages couldn't be paid. Not only did he have to work hard to solve various problems, but he was also constantly complained about by the employees. It was truly a thankless task, and he secretly regretted it, wondering why he was putting himself through all this trouble.
. . . . . . .
In the office of the deputy mayor of Suzhou.
Zhao Baoshan, the vice mayor of Suzhou, sat at his desk with a furrowed brow and a worried expression.
He was surrounded by a pile of documents, but he had no interest in reading them. His mind was filled with the current predicament of the old state-owned factories in Suzhou, which gave him a terrible headache.
He racked his brains trying to find solutions for these factories, but implementing each plan was fraught with difficulties.
Both are local enterprises in Suzhou. One is an established compressor factory, and the other is a newly emerging pillar industry in Suzhou, namely the Xinsheng Home Appliance Factory. Why can't they join hands and let the Xinsheng Home Appliance Factory help the established compressor factory overcome its current difficulties?
In his view, having the compressor factory process and produce parts for private enterprises was already giving Xinsheng Home Appliance Factory enough face, but the other party didn't appreciate it at all.
Zhao Baoshan recalled the scene at the meeting at the beginning of this year. At that time, he was full of vigor and made a bold promise to the secretary, guaranteeing to revitalize these old state-owned factories. But now, it seems that the promise is like a heavy mountain, making it hard for him to breathe.
The compressor factory is in a precarious situation. Even if it doesn't go bankrupt, production cuts are inevitable.
Thinking of this, he remembered the two cans of tea that Lao Liang had given him a while ago. This was going to be a difficult situation.
"How can Anhe be so narrow-minded? Can't they give me any face? They just don't care about the fate of their brother factory!"
Zhao Baoshan muttered under his breath, his dissatisfaction growing stronger.
He grew angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly reached for the phone, quickly dialing the number for the Industry and Commerce Bureau.
"Hello, Director Xu, how's the matter I assigned you going?" he asked urgently as soon as the call connected, his tone somewhat forceful.
Hearing Vice Mayor Zhao's voice on the phone, Xu Haiyin's heart skipped a beat.
He naturally knew what Mayor Zhao had instructed him to do, but how could a mere bureau chief like him easily accomplish that?
Using his position to shut down a private enterprise that was on the radar of the Party Secretary and even the provincial government was practically playing with fire; he didn't have that kind of guts.
Xu Haiyin's speech suddenly became hesitant. "Mayor Zhao, um, this matter..."
"Speak!" Zhao Baoshan's voice rose a few decibels, revealing obvious impatience.
“Mayor Zhao, Director An of Xinsheng Home Appliances Factory is quite firm in his stance, saying that their factory’s current production capacity is sufficient and there is no need for outsourced manufacturing.”
Xu Haiyin took a deep breath and braced herself.
"Otherwise, we could sell the compressors produced by the compressor factory to Xinsheng Home Appliance Factory. Although the two factories merged a few years ago, sales have been poor. It would be better to just produce compressors. What do you think?"
He knew perfectly well that the new home appliance factory not only provided jobs for many educated youth, but also involved the interests of Secretary Zhou and suppliers throughout the city and province. He had already done more than enough to remind them of this.