Sun Cheng smiled and said, "Yes, yes, President Chen and I hit it off immediately. We were so caught up in chatting that we forgot about the main business."
With that, he dropped the smile from his face and began to seriously introduce the factory's situation. He then said, "President Chen, if there's anything else you want to know, just ask. Although I'm the factory director here, I've known Li Lang for so many years, and you're his friend. I'll definitely be on your side. After all, not a single penny of the承包 fee for the factory will fall into my pocket. Don't you agree, President Chen?"
Chen Lishu just listened to his words.
She smiled and said, "Can someone take me to tour the workshops?"
Sun Cheng stood up, "There's nothing else to do anyway, I'll take you."
Soon, the three of them toured the workshops. Looking at the old, creaking machines, Chen Lishu said nothing.
Sun Cheng could somewhat sense Chen Lishu's thoughts. When they returned to the office, he got straight to the point, "Although the factory's machines are a bit old, they can still be used for a few more years. Our factory not only occupies a large area but also has convenient transportation. To be honest, a few years ago, the annual profit was definitely more than two to three million. Now, with the intense competition and tax quotas, we had no choice but to consider contracting it out."
Chen Lishu echoed, "The competitive pressure has indeed been significant in recent years."
Seeing her response, he knew she wasn't someone to be easily fooled. He swallowed back the string of words he had prepared.
"The承包 fee is only 1.5 million. If it's done well, the annual profit will definitely be more than what I just mentioned. As long as the tax quota is met, all remaining profits will belong to the contractor."
Chen Lishu nodded, "This price is quite fair."
"Then what is President Chen's decision?"
Chen Lishu smiled, "I may need to go back and consider it."
Although Sun Cheng was a little anxious, contracting a factory was no small matter, so he didn't rush her.
It wasn't until Chen Lishu and Li Lang got into the car that the latter asked, "Not too pleased?"
Chen Lishu, "Do you want the truth?"
Li Lang, "I think the price is acceptable, after all, it's such a large factory with so many employees."
Chen Lishu, "To be honest, the thing that daunts me the most is these employees. They've long formed a work mode of just getting by. After contracting it, I'll have to first establish rules for them, and then they might block the gates and protest every now and then. Is it worth it for me?"
Li Lang, "That is indeed a problem. The moment we entered, seeing that woman's demeanor, it's clearly difficult to manage."
"So, if I had sufficient funds, I'd rather build a factory myself."
Li Lang, "Then I'll tell Old Sun directly in a couple of days."
Chen Lishu, "Thank you."
Li Lang, "What for? I haven't helped at all. On the contrary, I should thank you. The advertising company has recently taken on several big accounts, and even my father rarely praises me."
As they drove back, they happened to pass near the boutique. Chen Lishu asked Li Lang to drop her off, waved goodbye to him, and walked towards the store.
Just as she reached the entrance, she saw Zhang Jia talking to a man.
"President Chen."
Chen Lishu nodded and her gaze fell on the man. He was in his thirties, of medium build, wearing glasses, and looked quite refined.
Later, she learned from Zhang Jia that the man was her cousin, who had been transferred from Pengcheng not long ago and was working as a manager at Xinxin Clothing Company. Knowing he worked there, he had come to visit.
"Alas, I thought since he's a manager and earns such a high salary, he'd be doing exceptionally well. But I didn't expect the office politics to be so severe."
Hearing "Xinxin Clothing Company," Chen Lishu's ears perked up, and she couldn't help but ask, "What kind of office politics can there be in a company?"
"Their company has another manager, I believe his surname is Yang. Perhaps because the boss trusts my cousin more, they deliberately transferred him here, and she's unhappy about it. After all, she's been managing things in the capital for a while, and her classmate is in charge of finance. Reimbursements for invoices are always met with delays."
After hearing Zhang Jia's words, Chen Lishu's thoughts suddenly stirred.
"Do you have your cousin's contact information?"
Zhang Jia was taken aback, "Yes, he gave me his phone number and company address, saying I can find him if I need anything."
Chen Lishu nodded, "Help me arrange a meeting with him, I have something I want to discuss."
...
At the agreed time, Zhou Qing pushed open the restaurant door and scanned the hall. Seeing Chen Lishu waving at him, he strode over.
After sitting down, Zhou Qing smiled and said, "I didn't expect President Chen to ask me to meet."
Chen Lishu handed him the menu, "I don't know what you like to eat, so I didn't order anything. Why don't you take a look and see what you'd like? We can chat while we eat."
Zhou Qing obediently took the menu, quickly ordered two dishes, and handed the menu to the waiter.
"I heard from Zhang Jia about your situation. Yang Lili is my classmate."
Zhou Qing was slightly taken aback, a flicker of embarrassment crossing his face.
Chen Lishu quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand. Although we are classmates, we are not on good terms. I'm sure you know about the things she did to the Shuse brand a while ago."
Zhou Qing nodded.
"Yang Lili is not a simple person, especially with Jiang Yuwei under her. I won't beat around the bush. I have an idea now. If you're willing to cooperate, I think I can help you completely remove this stumbling block."
Zhou Qing hesitated and then asked, "What do you need me to do?"
"You agree then?"
Zhou Qing nodded.
He had been with General Manager Zhang the longest, yet Yang Lili, relying on her high education and overseas experience, always tried to suppress him.
Originally, the Kyoto branch wanted to transfer him, but Yang Lili snatched the opportunity. Now that he was transferred, it was said that Yang Lili would assist him with his work, but instead, she kept obstructing him.
If this person wasn't dealt with, he might never have a chance to turn things around.
"Now I know of a clothing factory that wants to contract out..."
Chen Lishu slowly explained her plan.
Zhou Qing hesitated again, "The company does have intentions to build a branch factory in the capital. However, won't there be any problems with the clothing factory? For example, debts or other issues. Although I want to get rid of Yang Lili, I don't want the company to suffer any losses."
Chen Lishu, "Don't worry, my target is only Yang Lili and Jiang Yuwei. Besides, that's a state-owned enterprise. My influence doesn't reach that far."
Zhou Qing thought about it and agreed.
Soon, they reached an agreement and began to act separately.
One day, Zhou Qing casually said, "I heard that President Chen of Shuse Clothing Factory is planning to set up a branch factory in the capital. Coincidentally, a clothing factory is looking to contract out. If things go well, that President Chen will have two factories and so many shops. I never expected her to be so capable at such a young age. We're still just employees, I truly feel inferior."