"What? The car factory is going bankrupt?"
"Manager Wang wants to drag us down with him?"
...
Everyone burst into laughter. Had Fang Zhongtian lost his mind? Or was he still dreaming from the middle of the night?
How could something like that possibly happen to Wang Yu? If anyone were to go down, it would be Fang Zhongtian!
"Heh! I knew you wouldn't believe me, you ignorant fools! Didn't you ever stop to think why Wang Yu would offer such high wages to hire you, and to manufacture such strange and uncommon parts?"
Fang Zhongtian's words instantly silenced everyone.
It did make sense, didn't it?
These kinds of peculiar parts – they might only encounter a few in a year, yet now they had to make so many. The car factory's demand was "the more, the better." Who would give such vague instructions?
The whole situation was indeed fishy from the start. And ten yuan an hour! Wang Yu was usually generous, but this was an exorbitant amount of money.
Many people began to feel uneasy. Could it be that Wang Yu had something up his sleeve and wanted to drag them all down with him?
Soon, the way people looked at Wang Yu changed from curiosity to suspicion, and then to outright doubt. Some even started to whisper amongst themselves, naturally putting down their tools.
"Heh, perhaps you don't know yet. This morning, at the Dongzhou Industrial Expo held in the provincial capital, Jianghan City, eight provinces jointly pressured our province, demanding sanctions against Wang Yu's car factory. The provincial government has already agreed!"
Fang Zhongtian declared loudly and openly to those around him,
"Do you know why Wang Yu is being targeted for sanctions by these eight provinces?"
"Why?"
Someone in the crowd asked subconsciously, full of doubt.
"It's because he has character issues, using all sorts of shoddy work and dishonest tactics to make a fortune in ill-gotten gains!"
Fang Zhongtian explained again, like a helpful, upstanding citizen.
"So he's being jointly sanctioned by eight provinces. Think about it, eight provinces! Our federation only has fifty provinces." Fang Zhongtian continued with an exaggerated tone, causing everyone's eyes to shift and flicker. Even the workers who had consistently supported Wang Yu began to waver.
Some even started muttering, "No wonder the car factory's benefits and wages are so high; they're making money from dishonest means!"
The murmurs and doubts grew louder, and a sense of panic began to spread through the crowd.
People are like that; they're prone to herd mentality. If a hundred people say the same lie, everyone will eventually believe it's the truth. This was the case now. As more and more doubts and suspicions were voiced, everyone's gaze became unfocused and uncertain.
They all looked at Wang Yu as if he were a heinous criminal!
"Your news is quite timely, isn't it?"
Wang Yu asked with a hint of amusement, looking at Fang Zhongtian. This guy was quite something.
The matter of his car factory being jointly sanctioned by eight provinces had only happened this morning, and he already had the news. Truly well-connected and resourceful. After all, information traveled slowly in those days, unlike today where you could just send a voice message on WeChat.
As for Fang Zhongtian's later remarks, they were pure slander. And his current endeavor of producing these peculiar parts was being spun as a plot to drag everyone down with him?
Bah! Why would I bother dragging you all down with me?
Wang Yu chuckled, finding Fang Zhongtian's ability to concoct stories and spread rumors comparable to Feng Daochun and Brother Hu.
However, while Wang Yu saw it as a joke, the people around him were actually taking it seriously.
They were all whispering, their expressions grave. Some even stepped forward to confront Wang Yu.
"Manager Wang, is this true? Are you really trying to harm us all?"
Wang Yu simply shrugged in response to the workers' questions.
"The sanctions are real..."
Before he could finish, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
They were truly being sanctioned this year. What despicable act had he committed?
But then they heard Wang Yu raise his voice.
"However, it's not what you might think. The issue has already been resolved. As for me wanting to drag everyone down with me, that's absurd. If I wanted to do that, why would I be making such elaborate and peculiar parts?"
Wang Yu retorted with a smile.
"Perhaps you just want us to work for free and then not pay us?"
Someone in the crowd piped up, prompting nods of agreement from everyone else.
Right, right. Ten yuan an hour – wouldn't that be a hundred or so for a whole night of overtime or a day's work? Such a large sum, and they might really withhold the payment!
"Everyone, rest assured. For regular employees, we will settle with wages and bonuses. As for those of you who are here to help with odd jobs, your payment will be settled immediately upon completion!"
Wang Yu spoke up again in a timely manner, clapping his hands.
Immediately, members of the security department brought over more than ten large snake-skin bags.
The mouths of the bags were opened, revealing neat stacks of cash.
"The money is all here. You'll get paid as soon as you finish your work!"
Wang Yu said with a smile, dispelling all the lingering doubts in everyone's minds.
Seeing all this real, tangible cash before their eyes, and with the promise of immediate settlement, what else could they say? They might as well get to work!
This was the consensus. The atmosphere quieted down, and everyone picked up their tools and resumed their work.
"Hmph! Then you still haven't explained why you're making so many peculiar parts!"
Fang Zhongtian once again transformed into an avenger of justice, confronting Wang Yu.
"Heh, do you think I'll tell you?" Wang Yu merely chuckled in response, not answering directly.
"See? See? He's being so secretive because he's afraid to reveal his true intentions, and yet he claims he has no ulterior motive!" Fang Zhongtian immediately bounced up, pointing at Wang Yu triumphantly.
However, neither Wang Yu himself nor the surrounding workers seemed to pay him any mind.
The workers began to pick up their tools and get back to work. Wang Yu picked up the draft paper in his hand and started calculating parameters, preparing to debug the automated assembly line later.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you listening to me!" Fang Zhongtian was getting anxious. "Didn't you hear me? Wang Yu is clearly acting suspiciously! Hey, aren't you worried?"
Fang Zhongtian gesticulated wildly, trying to provoke a reaction from anyone he could.
But no one cared to entertain him. Finally, utterly annoyed by the commotion, a worker angrily raised the hammer in his hand.
"I don't care if he has ulterior motives or not. As long as it's not illegal or against regulations, and the little factory manager pays us for our work, what's it to you?"
The worker roared at Fang Zhongtian with a furious expression, brandishing his iron hammer high.
"Go to hell with your grandpa's ancestor! Stop babbling and bothering my business. Believe it or not, I'll bash your head in?"
These harsh words immediately silenced Fang Zhongtian.