"The Party Secretary is here and specifically asked to see you. He's waiting in the reception room."
Wang Yu was slightly taken aback by Old Sun's words.
"Why would the Party Secretary come to see me so suddenly?"
While he was naturally curious, he didn't dare to delay. He quickly followed Old Sun out.
However...
Why was it that every time he was busy, he would be interrupted by his diligent doorman?
Soon, Wang Yu arrived at the reception room and saw Party Secretary Yang Xiaoqing sitting there, drinking tea.
"Secretary Yang, you were looking for me?" Wang Yu greeted Secretary Yang.
"Mm, Xiao Wang," Secretary Yang nodded, setting down his teacup upon seeing Wang Yu.
"I have to say, this electric kettle you've developed is indeed very convenient. You can have hot water anytime, anywhere, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. I've even bought several for my own home."
Secretary Yang praised Wang Yu.
"You flatter me, Secretary. Electric kettles have been around for a long time in other countries. It's just that no one in our country took it up. I was just lucky enough to be the first to venture into it."
Wang Yu smiled, refilled the Party Secretary's teacup, and then slowly said,
"May I ask what brings you here so suddenly? You could have just sent someone to call me. I would have come immediately at your beck and call."
"Heh heh, some things can't be explained in a few words over the phone. Besides, what's said might not always be true; one must see for oneself.
Take your factory, for example. Many people said it was doomed, and many attributed its supposed downfall to your incompetence. But isn't it thriving now?"
Secretary Yang said with a smile, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Wang Yu.
This young man was neither arrogant nor impatient, humble, polite, and responsible. With a little more tempering, he would surely achieve great things in the future!
No, perhaps not even in the future... he was already capable now!
With this thought, Secretary Yang Xiaoqing's expression shifted slightly, and he said, "I came to see you today because there's something I need your help with."
Help?
Wang Yu was a little curious and quickly replied, "Secretary, please don't hesitate to tell me your requirements. As long as it's within my capabilities, it won't be a problem."
"Very good." Secretary Yang Xiaoqing nodded with satisfaction. "I heard your factory is planning to expand?"
"Yes, we are considering it." Wang Yu nodded.
His car factory's operations were gradually expanding, but the number of workers and production lines had not increased.
They had to work overtime every day, and the workers' production capacity couldn't keep up with existing orders. The factory was constantly operating at full capacity.
Of course, Wang Yu was willing to pay overtime, which kept the workers highly motivated, eager to work around the clock.
Even the smaller factories he outsourced production to, such as the bicycle factory and the motor factory, were fully booked with overtime work, forming a stark contrast with the desolate appearance of other factories.
This kind of situation couldn't be hidden. Since Secretary Yang brought it up, Wang Yu naturally admitted it directly.
"Xiao Wang, as you know, our Jiangyang County lacks resources. The focus of all development is on industry. Nearly a third of the province's industrial enterprises are concentrated here.
However, because they are mostly small factories, lacking scale and efficiency, they are like a mob of stragglers, unable to carry the burden."
Secretary Yang's tone suddenly shifted, and he began to speak earnestly about the current situation in Jiangyang County.
"Yes, Secretary, what you mean is?"
Wang Yu pondered.
"Everyone thought your car factory was going to go bankrupt. I even worried for you and used my connections to find the Metallurgy General Plant to acquire it, thinking I could help you solve your problems.
Unexpectedly, you managed to turn things around with your own strength and even revitalized many other factories that were on the verge of collapse or had already shut down, solving many employment and livelihood development issues."
Secretary Yang said with great admiration, "This was truly beyond everyone's expectations!"
"Secretary Yang, you praise me too highly. I was just doing what I should have done." Wang Yu, not swayed by the Party Secretary's unsparing praise, humbly smiled.
"Heh heh, humility is a good quality in a young person, but excessive humility is out of place. Alright, I'll be direct with you..."
Secretary Yang Xiaoqing smiled at Wang Yu and said,
"I've come to ask for your help with some employment issues."
"Employment issues?"
Wang Yu was a little puzzled. What kind of employment issue was so significant that the Party Secretary would personally come to discuss it with him?
"Many state-owned factories in our county are in very poor condition. A large number of workers are idle at home and are entirely supported by the county's financial resources.
This might be manageable for a short period, but over time, it becomes a massive expenditure, posing a severe burden on our finances.
We also need to follow the national call to reform, changing from state-owned to private.
However, this process can easily lead to problems. Take the steel rolling mill as a prime example; I'm sure you've heard about the workers' strikes and disturbances."
Secretary Yang looked at Wang Yu as he spoke. Wang Yu quickly nodded, indicating his understanding and awareness.
He had just returned from the steel rolling mill and was well aware that some workers were unable to make ends meet, even resorting to husbands sending their wives to places like the Red Moon Dance Hall...
Who would choose such a path if they had any other options? It would be strange if there weren't protests!
"So, all I can do now is to shamelessly ask for your help. After all, your car factory needs to expand and will undoubtedly require various job positions and personnel..."
Before Secretary Yang could finish speaking, Wang Yu's expression fell.
So, it was about solving these employment issues.
It wasn't that he looked down on state-owned factory workers... alright, he actually did look down on those people from state-owned factories.
With excessive personnel, disorganization, and numerous departments and projects, it could be summarized in one sentence: few people working, many people eating.
No, it should be: a lot of people eating for free!
Moreover, there were often all sorts of complex historical issues, debt chains, and financial entanglements. Most of the leaders were more concerned with avoiding mistakes than achieving success, as everyone was eating from the same big pot. Consequently, no factory was free from troublesome past debts.
This naturally led to a lack of competitiveness, and it was inevitable that they couldn't compete with private enterprises.
However, they couldn't go bankrupt like private factories and had to be supported by the county's finances. The result was that workers complained about low incomes, and some radical ones even caused trouble. But the county's finances were also under immense pressure.
Years later, when the state could no longer sustain it, it would simply make a swift decision, like a surgeon cutting off a limb, leading to widespread layoffs... which would result in widespread suffering.
But it clearly hadn't reached that stage yet; they could only endure.
The car factory, due to Wang Yu's sudden rise to prominence, was now thriving and prosperous, which led Secretary Yang to seek him out, obviously wanting him to absorb some of the state-owned factory workers.
"Secretary, I'm afraid I'm a bit beyond my capabilities here." Wang Yu looked genuinely troubled.
Honestly, among the state-owned factory workers, there were certainly those with skills, capabilities, and even ideals and ambitions. However, their internal relationships were complex. You never knew who was whose brother-in-law or whose uncle.
If he were to take them in now, he suspected it would be more likely to bring in a group of people who would follow orders only when they pleased.
If they simply couldn't be directed, that would be one thing, but if they corrupted the work ethic, it would be even more troublesome. Wang Yu had witnessed the power of those people in his previous life...
Seeing Wang Yu's troubled expression, Secretary Yang seemed to guess his thoughts and smiled.
"I know what you're worried about. You don't need to worry about personnel management. I can give you a high degree of autonomy. As long as you don't kill anyone, you can do whatever you want. I believe your methods are more than capable of handling it.
Furthermore, I won't let you suffer any losses. The county has a batch of vacant factory buildings and land. I can authorize their allocation to you. What do you say?"
"A batch of vacant factory buildings and land?" Wang Yu's expression changed.
He had to admit, he was truly tempted!