Development Philosophy

"All right, then!" Huang Sixiao felt the pinch, but there wasn't much he could say.

Huang Xiuyuan continued giving instructions. "Weichang, take on the security manager role for now. Recruit a few more guards from Pubian, and make sure they're honest."

"No problem."

"Also, remind Han Hai to hurry up and move the equipment."

Huang Weichang nodded.

After discussing a few rough arrangements, Huang Xiuyuan talked with Lu Xuedong about the applicants coming in the next day and the company's future structure.

The company model he wanted to adopt was closer to Huawei's, though it would need some adjustments. The company's basic charter had to be established.

After Huang Xiuyuan and Lu Xuedong discussed the company's name, they settled on three alternatives. When they updated the registration, they would check which one was available and use that.

Next came the company's management structure, employee promotion system, salary and benefits, and so on. Most important of all were the company's development philosophy, its direction, and its near-term business plans.

When Huang Xiuyuan discussed the company's philosophy, his gaze grew distant as he looked through the glass at the dark mountain ridges beyond. Suddenly, a ray of sunlight spread from the east, dispelling the darkness before dawn.

"The road ahead is long, and I will seek high and low." He sighed softly, then steeled himself and declared, "We are a technology company. Technology is the foundation of our existence. If one day we stop developing technology, we will lose our lifeblood."

Lu Xuedong was fired up and full of resolve. "This will be a difficult road. Let us encourage each other and press on."

"I've made up my mind. The company's development philosophy will be: 'Pursue research to the very end; put people first and benefit the world.'"

Dawn had just broken.

A notice was posted at the clothing factory's entrance.

In the finance office, Accountant Li and two others each sat at a desk phone, busy calling employees and asking them to come in to settle their wages.

It wasn't even eight in the morning, yet dozens of female workers had already arrived at the factory gate.

The old man on watch sat on a little stool, slowly puffing on his pipe. When he saw the crowd of women approaching, he finally stood up and opened the gate.

"Uncle Zhang, is Shorty Han really paying our wages?" asked a middle-aged woman with buck teeth, sounding doubtful.

"Oh, it's Azhen!" Uncle Zhang took another puff and answered slowly. "Boss Han sold the factory. There's a new owner now."

Azhen grew anxious. "Then who do we ask for the money? Will the factory keep operating?"

"Go to the finance office to collect it. The new owner's paying. The factory won't be making clothes anymore."

Hearing that they could collect their wages, Azhen breathed a sigh of relief. She regretted losing her job, but at least she could get the wages she was owed.

The dozens of female workers crowded into the finance office. More employees kept arriving, so Huang Sixiao hurriedly had the guards maintain order.

Inside the finance office.

"Name? ID card," the finance clerk asked hurriedly.

The employee whose turn it was took out her ID. "Hu Cuihua. I was in Group Six."

"You're owed three months' wages, totaling 5,437 yuan. Check that the amount is correct. If it is, sign here. If you can't write your name, leave your thumbprint."

Hu Cuihua, dark and thin, answered quickly, "That's right."

"This is your severance pay. You worked at the factory for three and a half years, so you're entitled to four months of base pay, totaling 4,800 yuan. You should thank the new owner!" The finance clerk added a sigh at the end.

"Thank you! The new boss is sure to make a fortune."

"There's severance pay, too?"

"The new boss is a good person. Nothing like that rotten Shorty Han."

"I wonder what the new boss does. If he hires workers, I'll definitely come work here."

The employees murmured among themselves. When they saw Hu Cuihua receive her money, their spirits soared even higher.

It was a sad state of affairs. Severance pay was clearly stipulated by law, yet these employees were so grateful they could hardly contain themselves. Behind the title of "the world's factory" lay the sweat and blood of countless workers.

In the office next door, Huang Xiuyuan was overwhelmed with emotion. He didn't know how to describe what he felt. He felt no joy at being praised, only a quiet sadness.

With noon approaching, Huang Weichang, who was Huang Xiuyuan's assistant, went to the kitchen to arrange lunch.

The few kitchen workers who had stayed behind were honest, hardworking helpers, but only mediocre cooks. The previous supervisor had been a distant relative of Han Hai's and had left with him long ago.

The head chef and his crew had already found better jobs before the New Year.

Now they could only put together a few simple home-style dishes. Huang Weichang threw away much of the food that had been left behind.

He had found gutter oil and sausages that were more than six months past their expiration date. Since he couldn't be sure whether the other ingredients were safe, he had thrown everything away.

He hurried to the Hongcao Town farmers' market and bought a new batch of ingredients.

In the factory manager's office.

Huang Weichang and one of the kitchen helpers set the dishes and rice on the table. Then he complained to Huang Xiuyuan, "Shorty Han really is a piece of work. He actually fed the workers gutter oil and expired food."

"They used gutter oil in the cafeteria?" Lu Xuedong had just picked up his chopsticks, but now he stopped.

Huang Weichang quickly explained, "Don't worry, Brother Lu. I just bought these at the market. I threw out all the ingredients that were here before."

"Eat," Huang Xiuyuan said. He wasn't surprised. In the age of the internet, he had seen all kinds of bizarre things, and even experienced some firsthand.

Reassured, Lu Xuedong dug in.

Halfway through the meal, Huang Sixiao and Accountant Li came in carrying a document and knocked on the door.

Huang Xiuyuan put down his bowl and chopsticks. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. We'll go in a little while." Huang Sixiao wasn't too formal.

Accountant Li, standing beside him, looked a little nervous.

"Weichang, go tell the kitchen to make a few more dishes and set out two more pairs of chopsticks."

"Sure."

Huang Xiuyuan then asked, "How many people settled their wages this morning?"

"So far, 285 people have settled up. The total paid out is 2,024,386 yuan, and 76 people still haven't come in." Accountant Li reported the exact figures.

"I appreciate all your hard work on this."

"It's no trouble. It's part of our job." Accountant Li didn't let himself get carried away. The new boss's decision to pay severance might seem foolish, but working for a generous boss like him was still better than working for a rotten man like Han Hai.

Besides, the employees were villagers from the surrounding area, so this would also earn the company a good reputation.

"Accountant Li, get the bank loan documents ready over the next few days. April is almost here. We don't want the bank showing up to demand payment."

"I'll get them organized as soon as possible. I should have them ready tomorrow."

Before long, Huang Weichang brought in the food.

The five of them ate a simple lunch in the office.

At around two in the afternoon, Huang Xiuyuan's phone rang.

It was Xu Yaomin from Career International. He was bringing 30 applicants by chartered bus to Shanmei, and they were almost at the highway exit.

"Weichang, drive to the Pubian highway exit and pick up a bus. The plate number is Yue B7283H. It's blue. You know Xu Yaomin's number, right?"

Huang Weichang nodded. "I wrote it down in my little notebook."

It was the same beat-up pickup truck.

As he watched Huang Weichang drive off, Huang Xiuyuan wondered how many people they might recruit this time. The company's situation could only be described as having nothing to its name.

If he hadn't had relatively ample funds, the company would have been even less appealing.

More than half an hour later, the beat-up pickup returned to the factory, followed by a blue bus.