"Students, look closely! These leather shoes are the very first pair crafted by Mr. Huang He himself!" the tour guide exclaimed passionately in front of a pair of shoes. The shoes were a sight for sore eyes, with numerous scratches and holes marring their surface. Even the soles were unfinished, with a large portion gaping open.
Despite their dilapidated state, these shoes, which even a dog would refuse to chew, were now displayed in a glass case, meticulously protected under constant temperature and humidity.
"These leather shoes belonged to an old worker from the Jiangnan Leather Factory. Legend has it that Mr. Huang He, under the direct guidance of this veteran craftsman, spent three days creating these shoes. He then presented them as a gift to the elder worker, who treasured them dearly, rarely showing them to outsiders!"
"It wasn't until later, when the news media reported this story, that someone offered over a hundred million yuan for these shoes. However, the elder worker flatly refused all offers and ultimately donated the shoes to our museum, where they are displayed as a prized exhibit. These shoes symbolize the development of the entire Jiangnan Leather Factory and represent the journey of one of the world's most outstanding entrepreneurs!"
Most adults would likely scoff at this narrative, but children, in their pure innocence, were moved to tears by the guide's words. Their hearts swelled with excitement, and they spontaneously burst into applause.
The young grandson, perched on Mr. Huang's shoulders, clapped vigorously and asked, "Grandpa, did you really make these yourself? Can I have a closer look?"
"I don't know..." Huang He shook his head. He genuinely had no recollection, as even if he had made the shoes, it would have been before his transmigration. He had no idea about these circumstances.
The boss himself didn't pry further. However, his entourage immediately took action. Minutes later, a subordinate whispered to Huang He, "Boss, we've found out. That old worker actually threw those shoes into the trash heap in the 1990s. These shoes here were made by him later, trying to recall their appearance. His intention was to pay off his grandson's gambling debts, and the museum bought them at a high price!"
"Boss, should we ask the museum to take these shoes down?" the subordinate asked cautiously. He assumed Huang He would never allow such counterfeit shoes to be displayed, as Mr. Huang abhorred being deceived.
To his surprise, Huang He shook his head. "No need. Let them stay here. It's as if I made them myself!"
"Grandpa, why don't you get rid of this fake one?" the grandson, who had overheard their conversation from his perch, asked curiously.
"Why do you think that is?" Mr. Huang asked with a chuckle.
"Is it because these children will be sad?" the grandson asked softly, looking at the children's reverent expressions.
"That's part of the reason!" Huang He smiled. "If I were to expose this, the children would feel deceived and foolish. The museum would realize they've spent millions in vain and feel like fools too. And that elder worker would face debt collection from the museum, perhaps even imprisonment for a few years, which would only benefit his unfilial grandson."
"Not only would his gambling debts be cleared, but with Grandpa gone, he'd be freed from any filial obligations. He might even sell his grandfather's house and live even more freely. Wouldn't that be a situation where only good people suffer and bad people prosper?"
"But if I don't expose it, the old man can still live out his days peacefully. The museum can continue to use it as a treasure, the children can still draw strength from these shoes to solidify their beliefs, and your Grandpa will have an extra pair of shoes he stitched himself as a child. Everyone remains happy. Isn't that better?"
"Is that so?" The grandson tilted his head, pondering for a long moment before saying, "But in that case, doesn't only that wicked grandson benefit?"
"He won't benefit. Heaven will deal with him!" Huang He said dismissively. A few days later, the grandson was indeed arrested for gambling.
A month later, as investigations deepened, cases of fraud, theft, and even two criminal offenses were uncovered. The latter resulted in a 24-year prison sentence, truly a retribution for his actions.
After viewing Mr. Huang's first pair of leather shoes, there were other exhibits, but none were particularly interesting.
What proved captivating was a modernized production line that occupied nearly half of the first floor of the museum. The guide resumed his passionate introduction: "This LHJI model production line, manufactured in Germany, was the world's most advanced leather shoe production line in 1998. It could produce over 70 million pairs of high-quality leather shoes annually!"
"Each line was valued at a total of $13.2 million. Mr. Huang He spent a year to import it into the country, and to install this production line alone, he spent nearly an additional $2 million to hire German engineers for assembly."
"In those days, Mr. Huang He purchased a total of three such production lines. To acquire them, Mr. Huang He took out a loan of 350 million yuan from the bank. Students might have heard of a classic internet meme, and the 350 million yuan mentioned in that video originated from here."
"From a historical perspective, this production line represents both an end and a beginning."
"It is an end because the original Jiangnan Leather Factory would eventually meet its demise on this production line!"
"It is a beginning because the Jiangnan Group would rise from the ground on the foundation of this production line."
"Two years after the introduction of this production line, the Jiangnan Leather Factory faced a halt in production due to sluggish sales and was on the brink of collapse. Yet, it was precisely this desperate situation that led Mr. Huang He to discover a brand-new path!"
"Hundreds of years ago, during the Ming Dynasty, there was a sage named Wang Yangming. He offended some wicked individuals and was banished to a place called Longchang in Yunnan, where he experienced a profound enlightenment and grasped the great principles of life – this is the famous story of Longchang Enlightenment!"
"Similarly, Mr. Huang He, in his moment of desperation within the Jiangnan Leather Factory, achieved great enlightenment and conceived the unique sales strategy of blind boxes. Thus, he became a great entrepreneur with a heart for his country!"
"Mr. Huang He has successively donated over ten billion yuan to the education sector in Wenzhou. The free lunches that you students enjoy daily, as well as the free stationery and books you use, are all donations from Mr. Huang He. And the beginning of all this was this production line!"
"Now, shall we express our gratitude to this production line?" the host said with a smile. The children, in their tender voices, bowed towards the production line, now preserved behind glass, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Production Line!"