“President Qu, the workers are causing trouble at the entrance again. They say if you don't pay them their wages soon, they'll storm in!” A secretary, clutching files, spoke in terror to her boss in a not-luxurious but very fashionable office.
“What are you afraid of? This is a lawful society. If they have the guts, let them eat me!” President Qu Wei, looking at the crowd outside the window, bit her lip and said.
She looked like a daredevil.
In fact, Qu Wei, a returnee from overseas and an internationally renowned fashion designer, usually presented herself as a shrewd and capable fashionista, not someone who would say such things.
However, after returning from abroad and investing all her savings to establish this clothing company in Wenzhou, hoping to make a grand debut, she had gradually become this reckless.
There was no other way. Anyone who saw their designed clothes piling up in the warehouse, almost unsellable and unwanted, would undergo such a transformation.
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“This company seems quite similar to ours back in the day!” Boss Huang He exclaimed involuntarily as he appeared at the entrance of this fashion enterprise named “Liushang Qu Shui Cai Wei Shi.”
“Really?” His secretary, Leng Zhiwen, who was following him, was startled.
“Of course. Look at these workers, who have thoroughly secured the area. The slogans and banners they are holding to demand their wages, and their boss’s overseas background – it’s almost identical to our situation at Jiangnan Leather Factory!” Boss Huang sighed.
Indeed, the scene was so similar that Boss Huang couldn't help but be moved by the sight, recalling the past moments and scenes.
“Were we ever this miserable?” Leng Zhiwen asked, looking at the hundreds of employees inside the company gate who had completely surrounded the office building, and the blood-red banners and various debt-collection signs they held.
These banners and signs seemed to be written in blood, each character dripping blood. Coupled with the almost frenzied expressions of the surrounding crowd, who looked as if they wanted to devour him alive, Leng Zhiwen involuntarily shivered. The scene was terrifying. xxs1
“Brother-in-law, were you dealing with people like this back then?” Leng Zhiwen couldn't help but ask.
“It was even worse than this, you know. We had 1,500 employees back then, while there are only a few hundred here!” Boss Huang chuckled.
“I never knew…” Leng Zhiwen murmured to herself.
“Of course you wouldn’t know. You were studying in college, rarely coming home except for every ten to fifteen days, and you never visited brother-in-law’s company. So how could you possibly know what the situation was like back then!” Huang He said calmly.
“But brother-in-law, I remember my mom saying that you still gave us over ten thousand yuan for living expenses every month back then, and the fees for me to self-fund my participation in the National Martial Arts League were all covered by you. Didn’t you owe a lot of money?” Leng Zhiwen asked again.
“That’s right, I owed a lot, a full 350 million yuan!” Huang He grinned. “But precisely because I owed so much, your small amount of money was insignificant. It was only a few thousand yuan in total, not even a strand of hair compared to 350 million yuan, so it didn’t matter if I saved money from you. Besides, I promised your sister that I would take good care of you five sisters for a lifetime and let you live happy and beautiful lives. So brother-in-law will definitely do that!”
“You said you promised sister, then why did you treat me like that!” Leng Zhiwen was somewhat moved by Huang He’s words and the situation at the time, but hearing the mention of her sister brought back that indelible memory of that night, and she couldn’t help but question him.
“Ah? What did I do to you? Is there anything I’ve done insufficiently for you?” Huang He was actually quite puzzled by this question. Leng Zhiwen’s attitude towards him was already not good, and it had only gotten worse since then. He had no idea what had happened and couldn't figure it out.
“You don’t know… Humph…” Leng Zhiwen snorted. Just as she was about to say something, the crowd at the factory suddenly surged, rushing towards the tightly closed office building, seemingly intending to break down the door.
“Not good!” Huang He’s expression changed. He pushed open the unlocked factory gate and rushed in. Leng Zhiwen, startled, quickly followed behind him. She then saw Huang He shouting loudly outside the crowd, “Everyone, don’t act rashly! Be quiet, let me in, I can help you.”
Unfortunately, Huang He didn’t have a loudspeaker, so his voice went unnoticed. The crowd remained unchanged.
“Damn it, it would be great if I had a loudspeaker!” Huang He muttered, cursing.
“Would a loudspeaker help?” Leng Zhiwen, who had caught up, asked. Huang He nodded. Then, Leng Zhiwen actually charged into the crowd. After a short while, she squeezed out again, holding a loudspeaker.
“Where did you get this thing?” Huang He asked, looking at the loudspeaker in surprise.
“I borrowed it from someone!” Leng Zhiwen said indifferently. That’s right, she *borrowed* it, not snatched it!
“Good, I’ll give you credit for this!” Huang He grinned, then took the loudspeaker, turned it to the maximum volume, jumped onto a nearby stone lion, gathered all his strength, and shouted with all his might, “Everyone be quiet! I am here to purchase goods from your factory. Once I pay, your boss will have money to pay wages!”
Huang He was experienced. Whether it was jumping on a lion or shouting, he very smoothly managed to quieten the chaotic scene. Of course, expecting them to be convinced was unrealistic.
“Who are you? Why should we believe you!” A worker shouted.
“I am Huang He!” Boss Huang calmly stated his name. The chattering workers instantly fell silent, all looking at their Boss Huang with eager anticipation.
Now, everyone in Wenzhou knew about Huang He. After all, Jiangnan Leather Factory, the first of its kind in Wenzhou, was once on the verge of bankruptcy, but Huang He had managed to pull it back from the brink.
This company, named “Liushang Qu Shui Cai Wei Shi,” was now in a similar situation to Jiangnan Leather Factory half a year ago. Its warehouse was filled with unsellable goods. If even one-tenth of these goods were sold, the wages they owed could be covered.
Thus, the protesting workers parted ways, clearing a path for Huang He towards the office.
“My heavens, is he my Monkey King?” Looking at the man who had instantly calmed the crowd outside the window and entered through the door, Qu Wei, who had just finished watching the two parts of Journey to the West, covered her little heart and said.