The seventh day of the Lunar New Year, an auspicious day to start work, marked the reopening of Zhang's Cannery, and the workers reported for duty.
Among them, over a hundred individuals were particularly conspicuous. Though their clothes were tattered, their eyes shone with longing for a better life. These were the 166 disabled individuals who had come to work at Zhang's Cannery.
Xiao Rong'er was also present, finally meeting Zhang Tianxing, the man of her dreams.
"Zhang Tianxing, long time no see." A thousand words condensed into a single greeting.
Zhang Tianxing nodded. He held a favorable impression of this beautiful reporter, mainly due to her sharp pen. Zhang Tianxing mused about finding an opportunity to have this young woman write some reports for his factory.
"It's like this: you've hired a group of disabled workers, right? I'd like to do an interview."
"Is that so? Perfect timing. I was about to give them a speech. You can come along too."
As instructed, the disabled individuals entered the factory grounds, lining up in formation, ready to embark on their canning factory careers.
Zhang Tianxing stood at the front, looking at the more than a hundred people before him, his heart filled with emotion.
Too many people only cause trouble; too many birds don't lay eggs. With a large crowd, troublemakers naturally emerge, those who refuse to be disciplined.
Zhang Tianxing cleared his throat and began, "Happy Year of the Dragon, everyone. Today is your first official day of work. Here, I have a few things to tell you all. Please remember them, or facing you will be dismissal!"
"Our wages here are decent. It's piecework, in simple terms, meaning the more you do, the more you earn. But there's a prerequisite: the quality of your product must be up to par. If the product quality is not up to standard, you'll be fined directly. This is directly tied to your earnings, and I hope you all pay attention!"
"Secondly, all new employees must undergo training. As new employees, you can only start working after passing the training. No one is exempt. What if you can't pass the training? It's simple: you go back where you came from."
"Thirdly, I can give you one guarantee: here, you will be treated equally. There will absolutely be no unfairness."
...
Zhang Tianxing spoke for nearly half an hour, his words flowing like a torrent. The people below were stunned.
Good heavens, everyone had come with such high spirits, only to find out that working at this cannery wasn't easy. There were too many requirements.
The disabled individuals exchanged glances. It seemed all their prior excitement had been in vain. Why did such a small cannery have so many demands?
Li Zhonghai shouted from below, "Boss Zhang, do you not want to employ us?"
Zhang Tianxing smiled, "Of course, I do. Why wouldn't I? I'm about to give you your work uniforms!"
"Then why so many requirements? We're disabled people!"
Hearing this, Zhang Tianxing's expression turned cold.
"I am an entrepreneur. I am not here for charity. I hired you not to enjoy yourselves, but to work. If you say you're not feeling well, I can adjust your position. But if you say you are disabled and can't do anything, I'm sorry, I don't support idlers here!"
Upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, the disabled individuals below fell silent.
"Young Boss Zhang, please don't be angry. We are merely stating an objective fact."
Zhang Tianxing smiled, "If you want to state objective facts, I will tell you about objective facts. How many cans you produce in a day at the cannery and how much you earn, that is an objective fact. The more you do, the more you get; if you don't move, you get nothing. That is an objective fact."
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's decisive tone, all the disabled individuals were stunned. Good heavens, so you treat us disabled people like cattle, but they were still reluctant to go home, as at least there was work here.
What followed was Zhang Tianxing's bombardment.
"Everyone has flaws, like an apple bitten by God. Some have bigger flaws because God loves their fragrance. I won't tell you 'you are so strong.' I believe saying that to you is an insult."
"Here, all piece-rate wages are the same. The more you do, the more you earn. If it's not up to standard, you'll be fined. I am a person who shows no mercy."
"Here, everyone is treated equally. Only you can help yourselves. Your own tasks can only be completed by yourselves."
"The first lesson: accept your own ignorance and insignificance, accept your powerlessness. Only then will you change yourselves and stop being accompanied by that feeling of powerlessness."
"I want you to remember one thing: wolves eat meat over a thousand miles, dogs walk a thousand miles to eat dung."
"Although you have entered the cannery, it does not mean you can rest easy."
"We don't support idlers here. Don't use your disability as an excuse. If anyone says they are disabled and cannot do the work at the factory, please step forward and leave immediately."
"If you want to eat and earn money here, you need to exchange it with your own hands, with your labor, for the wages I give you."
"You are the masters of your own destiny, and you don't need to thank me. Let me be clear from the start: factory rules are paramount. Anyone who violates factory rules and regulations will be dismissed."
"I have one last thing to say: I hope you hate me, because only by hating me will you take my words to heart! Alright, those who want to stay, stay. Those who don't, leave directly. You can go to logistics later to collect your work uniforms!" Zhang Tianxing finished speaking.
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's words, the disabled people below were astonished. This was completely different from what they had imagined.
The boss wouldn't treat them differently because of their disabilities. Here, they had the same treatment and workload as normal people.
However, not a single one of the 166 people left. They wanted to work hard with Zhang Tianxing, to show him that they were not inferior!
Xiao Rong'er covered her mouth. This was completely different from what she had imagined. How could Zhang Tianxing be like this? They were all disabled people. But she didn't see any disappointment on the faces of the disabled.
Instead, a fighting spirit surged on each of their faces, as if their lives were just beginning, and Zhang Tianxing's words had merely ignited their fighting spirit.
"You're amazing. I admire you so much. How did you win over so many people? And your speech just now was so shocking." Xiao Rong'er stared intently at Zhang Tianxing, trying to see him clearly.
"It's very simple. They want to earn money, and I want to hire workers. We're a perfect match."
"Then why did you hire so many disabled people? Isn't that a burden for you?" Xiao Rong'er asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time.
"It just happened. My factory was hiring, and I was clear from the start: I provide the jobs, they provide the labor. This has nothing to do with their disability."