Chapter 909: Chapter 913: Light of Life (12)
"Mr. Brown, you should know the current wage rates for workers in our country, as well as their demands for rest..."
"Moreover, they really dislike overtime and additional tasks that weren’t initially agreed upon."
"Regarding the deadlines we need to meet, these workers have made it clear they refuse and demand we pay them extra allowances."
"If pushed too far, they’ve threatened to write to the mayor’s inbox, you know...."
Mr. Brown was furious, grabbed the ledger he had slammed on the table, and threw it at the person speaking, saying, "I don’t know. I only know I’ve suffered a huge loss right now...What’s the point of having you here? You’re supposed to solve problems for me, not give me excuses."
The person who had been anxious moments ago was deeply offended by Mr. Brown’s treatment, and stood up abruptly with a cold expression, saying, "Mr. Brown, please calm down. I’m just an employee you hired. Since you’re so dissatisfied with me, I’ll be leaving."
Mr. Brown, used to getting his way, displayed his usual attitude towards Chinese workers, forgetting how difficult these locals could be.
It’s not just the workers who are hard to deal with; even the managers he hired are the same.
"Mr. Brown, please apologize to us. Your attitude just now hurt us. You must know we’ve always worked diligently for you...."
When middle managers are provoked, they dare to say anything.
A huge anger rose in Mr. Brown’s heart again, and he increasingly felt these people were pushing their luck. However, this time he didn’t dare to vent his anger recklessly.
He still knew what these people were like after working with them for years.
The most crucial thing now was solving the current problem, not blaming the subordinates.
After a good amount of psychological adjustment, Mr. Brown managed to suppress his irritability.
He asked the people present, frustrated, "So, what do you say, how should we solve this problem?"
How can it be solved, when there’s no solution to such fundamental and substantive issues?
One person suggested, "Actually, sir, why not look at the bright side? The other factories pay even more to hire workers than we do."
Mr. Brown was directly angered by these words, breathing heavily.
Some people below didn’t understand Mr. Brown’s furious demeanor and muttered quietly and doubtfully, "We used to do the same before these Chinese workers came."
Indeed, he managed to grow from a small workshop to a big factory because he made foresightful decisions better than others.
He dared to discard prejudice and boldly hired Chinese workers.
These lowly Chinese had many shortcomings, but there was one undeniable benefit.
They worked tirelessly, diligently, and efficiently. They always completed tasks perfectly and exceeded expectations.
The most important thing was that they could be settled with minimal wages.
The wage for hiring one white worker was enough to hire three or four Chinese workers.
It was only at this point that Mr. Brown realized it wasn’t the Chinese workers who couldn’t do without him; it was he who couldn’t do without these Chinese workers.
Having experienced the diligence of Chinese workers, looking at the current employees was unbearable, like dealing with a bunch of leeches on him.
Mr. Brown turned to the managers nearby and said, "I take back what I said earlier. If those Chinese come looking for work, let them come back graciously. But if they want Charlie to apologize, I wouldn’t mention it."
"Hmm, understood."
Mr. Brown felt that by taking a step back, the issue should have been resolved perfectly.
He had been lenient and charitable, like a philanthropist.
Yet, in the following days, he waited a long time without seeing the return of the Chinese workers.
Did those folks stop eating or earning money?
Mr. Brown couldn’t understand it, and it pained him to see his finances dwindling dramatically.
The project made little progress, and money flowed out rapidly like water every day. Those damn workers constantly threatened to protest about excessive working hours.
"Housekeeper, housekeeper...have any of those Chinese appeared?"
"They have not..." Mr. Brown anxiously clawed at his hair, pacing back and forth in the room, ultimately making a decision, saying, "Go find them, ask them to come to work. I’m willing to have Charlie apologize to Xiao."
Businessmen prioritize profit and will compromise on anything related to their interests.
Having Charlie apologize, something minor, compared to immediate benefits, is just a witch seeming lesser than a great witch.
"Bring Charlie back, keep him home for a while, and don’t let him go anywhere."
Thinking about how this string of troubles was caused by his foolish son, Brown didn’t have much patience for Charlie.
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Su Li felt troubled these days.
She sat cross-legged in Old Man He’s medical clinic, with a plate of washed fruits beside her.
Kind-hearted people from the nearby streets had become less frequent, and for a long time, she hadn’t seen their shadows on pleasant evenings.
This made Su Li feel bored and criticize the local landlords for their negligence.
Their responsibilities as hosts seemed unclear to them.
"Legs unsteady, don’t shake your legs." Feeling a bit troubled, she used more force in her actions.
The thin branch in Su Li’s left hand lashed out at He Li’s calf as she practiced her stance.
"Kung fu can’t be achieved overnight, you need a solid foundation to proceed."
He Li endured the pain and shouted loudly, "Understood, Brother."
"Alright, you keep practicing here, I’m going to take a nap."
Su Li couldn’t discourage He Li’s determination to learn kung fu, so she casually taught her a few moves.
As Su Li was getting up, Xiao Bo hurriedly ran in from outside, too busy to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Brother Su, Aisi Factory contacted us. They agreed to have Young Master Charlie apologize to me, but they require us to go to work at the factory as soon as possible."
Su Li nodded, not asking about this matter, but rather inquired, "What’s the attitude of those people?"
Xiao Bo replied, "They’re a bit restless. Old Xiang, Li Zi, and Da Suan think it’s up to me, but some others want to return to work immediately."
Standing by their fellow countrymen is one thing, but their primary goal in a foreign land is to earn money.
They’ve already supported their friends by striking for days, which was tough enough. Pressing further might backfire and ruin the fragile relationships.
Su Li knew this even without Xiao Bo mentioning it.
The individuals Xiao Bo mentioned were close allies and had a close relationship with him, while the others were just following along.
Now that Aisi Factory had offered a concession, those people thought it was enough to take advantage of the favorable situation and stop.
Prolonging the matter needlessly might not need others to sabotage; their internal divide would preemptively collapse.