20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 741 Betrayal
Upon hearing this, everyone felt that it was unfair.

Although the workers are short-sighted, they are not stupid. Even those who have been bribed by the Jiang family know very well that given Jiang Lianheng's wealth and status, it is impossible for him to completely stand on the side of the workers. However, this does not deny the positive role of the Jiang family in the negotiation process.

As the saying goes: Judging by the heart rather than the actions, no one is perfect.

No matter how selfish the Jiang family is, they have indeed secured a lot of benefits for the workers over the years.

For example, when a worker was injured at work in the factory and the boss refused to pay compensation, the Jiang family sent people to threaten the boss and even used funds from the United West Bank to help the worker pay the medical expenses in advance.

There are too many to mention.

To take a step back, if Jiang Lianheng had never helped the workers, how could he have sat firmly in the position of honorary chairman of Xijia Bank?
The affairs of the world are complicated and confusing. How can we distinguish between the clear and the turbid with a single stroke?
Many workers felt that Zhang Lianfu's words were a bit too much.

However, this proposal is not isolated. Lao Meng is a supporter, but his tone and wording are slightly more tactful.

"Boss Jiang, please don't get me wrong. We are of course very grateful for your help to the workers, but in the long run, setting up an independent Xijiahang in the factory will better protect the rights of the workers, so..."

Lao Meng stopped and found that the other party didn't seem to be listening to him at all, so he couldn't help but whispered: "Uh... Boss Jiang, Boss Jiang?"

Jiang Lianheng had a blank expression on his face, staring at Zhang Lianfu until he heard some noise. Then he came to his senses, grinned, and said, "Oh, that's a good idea. I personally support it very much. But since we are negotiating to resume work, we still have to seek the opinions of the employer."

As he said that, he turned to look at the bosses on his right and asked with a smile, "General Manager Zhu, Manager Huang, what do you think?"

General Manager Zhu flatly refused, "Boss Jiang, don't say I don't give you face, but this matter is not negotiable. I would rather withdraw my investment and quit than agree to this!"

Manager Huang also said, "It's not like there's no Xijia Bank in Fengtian. Boss Jiang has been in charge of the business for many years, and there have never been any problems. I really don't understand why there's a need to set up another Xijia Bank."

The two men had a firm attitude, and also represented the opinions of the Fengtian Chamber of Commerce.

All other conditions can be negotiated and compromised upon, except for the requirement to establish Xijia Bank, which the bosses will never compromise on.

In the view of General Manager Zhu and Manager Huang, requests such as increasing wages and shortening working hours can be used as delaying tactics, and it is not impossible to regret it later.

After all, the preferential treatment regulations for the Qing Dynasty have been abolished, so what do the workers’ demands count for?
But the completely independent Xijiahang is different. Once this kind of organization develops, it will become too big to be eliminated. Every worker who enters the factory will be absorbed into it. At that time, it will be difficult for the bosses to deny it.

If the abdicated emperor had troops, I'm afraid the preferential regulations would not be easily abolished.

If workers are organized, how can bosses sleep peacefully?
"No, no, absolutely not!" General Manager Zhu shook his head hurriedly. "I dare to say this in front of the Commercial Port Bureau today. If you insist on setting up Xijia Bank, then I will withdraw my investment tomorrow. Go ahead and make a fuss. When the printing factory goes bankrupt, I'll see who you can make trouble for!"

Jiang Lianheng listened, then turned to look at the workers on his left, and said with some embarrassment: "You can see that General Manager Zhu is quite resolute in this matter. How about... we resume work first and put off the establishment of Xijia Bank for a while?"

"If you don't agree, we won't resume work!" Zhang Lianfu immediately refused, "If you don't want to give in, we're not easy to bully, so just keep dragging it out!"

These words were powerful, but unfortunately they were just his wishful thinking.

After hearing this, most of the workers showed anxiety in their eyes, thinking: Brother, if you live alone, one person can feed the whole family, but we still have parents and children waiting to be supported!
If the printing factory and the machinery factory really go bankrupt, how will the livelihoods of these hundreds of people be solved?

We all work hard, and there's not much spare money at home to waste.

Zhang Lianfu said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. The workers are having trouble getting a rest, and Xi'an Bank should provide financial assistance to tide us over. Now it depends on whether Boss Jiang is willing to pay the money to support us."

Hearing this, Jiang Lianheng's face became even gloomier.

Zhang Lianfu refused to give up and continued to press him aggressively: "The funds in Fengtian United Xijia Bank are originally the dues paid by our workers, not the private property of Boss Jiang. It shouldn't be difficult to use this money to support the rest now, right?"

After he finished speaking, the meeting room suddenly fell silent.

General Manager Zhu and others looked at each other. They did not feel any urgency because of this. Instead, there was a hint of joy in their eyes, and they seemed to have more confidence in the negotiations.

Zhang Lianfu certainly knew that the Jiang family was not easy to mess with, but like most people, he had never really dealt with the Jiang family. The worst outcome he could think of often came from the most romantic fantasy.

At this moment, he felt like a hero, speaking the truth that others wanted to say but dared not say. He was not afraid of the powerful and deserved to be called a "hero"!
Little do people know that most heroes have short lives.

Without thunderous means, it is useless to show the kindness of a bodhisattva.

If a person intends to die, even gods can do nothing to stop him.

After a while of silence, Zhang Lianfu saw that the other party did not respond, so he sat down and looked around and said, "Look, this is what I just said, we must have our own Xijia Bank, otherwise at the critical moment, we still have to act according to other people's wishes. Boss Jiang is already sitting there!"

At this time, Jiang Lianheng finally spoke.

He smiled before speaking, and then clapped his hands, and said, "Not bad, not bad, Mr. Zhang is right. If you want to continue to call for a break, Fengtian Xijia Bank should provide financial assistance. However, you just said that the funds in the United Xijia Bank are the dues paid by all the workers in Fengtian City. How this money should be used, I am afraid it is not up to me alone to decide, right?"

"Then hold a meeting and vote."

"Okay, let me think about it. Let's first notify the dozens of factories in the city, let everyone know the situation, coordinate the opinions of all parties, determine the subsidy amount, and then make a corresponding budget... I estimate that it will take ten days or half a month to discuss everything."

When everyone heard that it would take such a long time to receive the subsidy, they immediately lost confidence.

Moreover, even if we succeed in delaying that day, it would be futile if General Manager Zhu and Manager Huang refused to accept the proposal.

Relying on others for food is not a long-term solution. Moreover, the subsidies are barely enough to make ends meet. Looking at the rising price trend in the provincial capital, if the printing factory and the machinery factory really go bankrupt...

No one dared to think about it any further. Even Lao Meng couldn't help but whispered, "This won't work. If we drag it on for that long, I'm afraid the brothers won't be able to hold on!"

"We have to hold on even if we can't!" Zhang Lianfu said in a thin voice, "Now is the time to exert our strength. If we give in, all our previous efforts will be in vain. Then they will definitely intensify their efforts and bring up old issues to punish us!"

"That's what you said, but..."

"It's okay, now we must be of one mind!"

However, no matter how impassioned Zhang Lianfu's speech was, he still couldn't dispel everyone's concerns.

The attitude of the labor side has inevitably shown signs of wavering.

Jiang Lianheng took the opportunity to ask, "Is this last request for resuming work what everyone wants?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Lianfu answered quickly, but judging by the expressions on the other workers' faces, it was obvious that that was the opinion of only a minority of people.

Jiang Lianheng noticed something and immediately said, "Since we can't reach a consensus on this last request, we'll have to let both parties vote by raising their hands."

As he was speaking, he turned his eyes to the right and asked, "General Manager Zhu, for Jiang's sake, can you guys step back a step?" "No, I won't give anyone face today. We will never agree to this last request!"

General Manager Zhu and others were resolute in their attitude and consistent in their stance, knowing that this was the effect Jiang Lianheng wanted.

Jiang Lianheng was very satisfied, so he turned his gaze to the left and asked, "What about you? For Jiang's sake, can you waive this requirement for now?"

At first, no one expressed their opinion immediately, and Zhang Lianfu looked very proud.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. A few seconds later, Xiao Mao from the printing factory raised his right hand first and murmured, “I agree to waive this requirement for the time being.”

It turned out that everyone was waiting for someone to take the lead.

As soon as Xiao Mao raised his hand, others responded one after another, saying, "I agree... I agree..."

"I agree. This matter cannot be done immediately. We can wait and see."

"Yes, yes, I agree..."

As everyone expressed their opinions, Zhang Lianfu and Lao Meng's faces became increasingly ugly.

In the blink of an eye, more than half of the workers agreed to waive the last requirement for returning to work.

Most of the Jiang family members were at the machinery factory, so once the vote was held, the workers who agreed to give in immediately showed an overwhelming advantage.

Manager Huang was naturally very happy when he saw this, and he quickly said, "Okay, okay, then we have reached an agreement. I will give you half a day off. Go back and have a good rest. Tomorrow morning, we will all return to work on time. How about that?"

"no!"

Zhang Lianfu suddenly became anxious and pointed at the workers in the machinery factory and said, "You can't go back to work. We agreed to take a break together. The terms haven't been negotiated yet, so why are you backing out?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Manager Huang slammed the table and stood up, with a completely different expression, and shouted sternly: "Zhang Lianfu, you are just a quality inspector in a printing factory. How dare you manage everything, even the Fengtian Machinery Factory? I asked you to say a few words here, do you really think you are a big shot?"

General Manager Zhu also followed suit and sneered, "Oh, look at him, with this kind of style, if you don't know him, you would think he is the president. He is so majestic!"

"Humph, I've said it before, he doesn't look like he's here to solve the problem," Mo Laowu tapped his pipe and pouted, "Other workers are quite satisfied, but he himself is not satisfied, and he doesn't allow others to return to the factory to resume work. I don't know what his intention is."

"Need I say more?" President Chen immediately echoed, "He's just a fan of the government. I've seen a lot of people like him. On the surface, he says he's thinking about others, but in fact, he just wants to fan everyone's flames, so that he can show off his ability!"

Sarcasm and cynicism came roaring in.

Zhang Lianfu turned a deaf ear to him and only scolded the workers in the machinery factory, saying angrily: "You...you are betraying me!"

"Hey, how can this be called betrayal?" Everyone said hurriedly, "We followed the call for a break just to seek benefits for the brothers. Now the wages have been raised and the working hours have been shortened. The last request was proposed by you. What does it have to do with us?"

"Isn't this for everyone's good?"

"But the thing is, we feel like this is pretty good now!"

"Betrayal, this is betrayal!"

"That being said, didn't someone at your printing factory agree to waive the last requirement?"

Zhang Lianfu turned around and glanced at his brothers. He frowned and asked, "Xiao Mao, why are you guys also following suit?"

Xiao Mao grinned and said, "Brother, I think that the independence of Xijia Bank cannot be accomplished in a short period of time. We can't keep wasting time like this. My family still owes us money for the famine! Besides, Boss Jiang has been very kind to us over the years. Let's put this matter on hold for now. It won't delay anything."

"If you keep putting it off today and tomorrow, you won't get anything done in the end!" Zhang Lianfu was furious and asked his attendants, "What about you? Is there no one who agrees with me?"

Lao Meng said: "Lian Fu, I stand on your side!"

Xiao Mao said, "I think we should just forget it. The salary has increased by two dollars and a half, which is not a small amount."

The workers started to quarrel among themselves, but the bosses on the other side had already secured victory and were no longer in a hurry. They looked completely calm.

Jiang Lianheng took the opportunity to ask, "Mr. Zhang, since you are considering everyone, now that most workers agree to resume production, what should I say?"

"I don't agree!" Zhang Lianfu was like a cooked duck, and the only thing left was to be stubborn.

Jiang Lianheng slowly leaned back in his chair and said, "I know you don't agree, but this negotiation should follow the opinions of the majority, not your personal opinion. It is reasonable for the minority to obey the majority. After all, this is the Republic of China and there is no emperor anymore."

When these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.

Only Zhang Lianfu could not laugh. He still stubbornly argued, "There is no majority. The ratio is three to three in our printing factory. I have to go back and discuss it with everyone."

"Hey, now you want to single out the printing factory again?" General Manager Zhu's face immediately darkened. "Didn't you just say that the people at the machinery factory are your own people? Now you want to discuss each of them separately. What do you mean?"

Manager Huang snorted coldly: "When you find that you have no support, you start to think of ways to overturn the table and cheat!"

"I've seen it a long time ago," Mo Laowu took a look at Zhang Lianfu, "He has the habits of a gangster in his bones. When others support him, he says he is thinking about everyone; when others don't support him, he calls them traitors. A blind man telling fortunes and blocking both sides, what kind of person is he!"

Zhang Lianfu had no way to defend himself, because he had indeed changed the rules temporarily. He could only make a specious argument: "Now that the machinery factory has withdrawn, it has nothing to do with them. As for the printing factory, we have some disagreements and we have to go back and discuss it again."

"What are you still discussing?" General Manager Zhu accused harshly, "I think you are just making trouble on purpose. If you don't want to work here anymore, just leave now and stop making trouble in my factory!"

Jiang Lianheng suddenly interrupted and said, "General Manager Zhu, the rules are set by people. Since we have come to this point, I hope everyone can have a satisfactory result. Anyway, the machinery factory will not resume work until tomorrow, so why not let Mr. Zhang go back and discuss it!"

Upon hearing this, General Manager Zhu was suddenly stunned.

After pondering it for a moment, he finally nodded and said, "Okay, since Boss Jiang said so, and it's lunchtime, you guys should hurry back to discuss it, and come back to give me news before 5pm, so that we can resume work smoothly tomorrow."

Jiang Lianheng seemed to have helped the workers again, but Zhang Lianfu was not grateful at all. He immediately stood up and left the meeting room with Lao Meng and others, preparing to reconvene the workers and, against all odds, convince everyone to insist on the last requirement for resuming work.

Time was a bit tight, so Zhang Lianfu and Lao Meng almost ran down the stairs.

Unexpectedly, just as he rushed out of the Chamber of Commerce building and was walking down the stone steps at the entrance, he saw a woman suddenly rushing out from the side and bumping into him head on.

Zhang Lianfu dodged for a moment, and before he could see the woman's appearance clearly, she grabbed his arm and burst into tears:

"Hey, Zhang Lianfu, you bastard, you're not admitting your mistake even after you put on your pants. I wonder where you're going to run today!"

(End of this chapter)