My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 526: A Model or a Lesson?

Collective ownership means that everyone in the entire enterprise owns shares.

Everyone has the right to speak.

The original intention of the design was, of course, to ensure equality for all and to prevent capitalists from seizing the means of production and oppressing the lower classes.

The same applies to urban construction companies.

However, Wei Dong was given a 40% stake in the non-dividend-paying shares at an annual salary of one yuan, the state-owned assets held 20%, and all the infrastructure commanders and soldiers led by Lao Geng shared the remaining 40%.

The significance of this ratio is that state-owned assets can act as referees, deciding which side holds the controlling stake.

In fact, Lao Geng had been the construction commander for more than ten years, and the entire construction corps of the division-reorganized regiment had an almost instinctive obedience to him.

They are absolutely obedient and can fight wherever they are told. Now they have merged with two infrastructure groups in Central China and absorbed workers from all over the country, bringing the total number to seven or eight thousand. No one dares to oppose them. Absolute obedience is one of the manifestations of this team's fighting power.

Coupled with Lao Geng's trust and confidence in Rang Weidong, and the fact that Rang Weidong had no personal ambitions or desires for personal gain, the entire group worked together as one and naturally became invincible.

Cosmetics factories are different.

Hong Tiancheng was only transferred to the factory last year. The imported equipment had already been introduced before he arrived. His mediocre predecessor left behind a mess.

Therefore, more than 70 employees were put on the list of property owners, and they viewed Hong Tiancheng's arrival with scrutiny and suspicion.

They can intervene in major corporate decisions at any time.

Especially in the past few years, when everyone dared to fight, the slightest dissatisfaction would lead to a commotion with banners and slogans.

The idea is good; only when the people are the masters of their own destiny will they not be exploited by capitalists.

But the internet meme has already been proven true in recent years:

We should have faith in the power of the masses, but not in their wisdom.

They started distributing and selling goods last December, and after only two months of good business, they started making trouble again.

The reason was that the entire sanitary napkin factory received double pay before the Spring Festival.

Many people at the cosmetics factory, including the finance staff, supervisors, and transport drivers, still have to travel back and forth between the Dongsheng factory area and Bailou every few days.

They naturally knew why everyone here was so happy celebrating the Spring Festival.

Go back and spread the word among all employees.

Actually, for the first time in the past two months since the factory imported equipment, there has been overtime pay.

However, with the three shifts operating at full capacity, a lot of new contract workers were hired, and much of the overtime pay for the hard work went to these contract workers.

The long-term employees, who considered themselves "in charge," didn't do much work, so naturally they didn't earn much more.

Originally hoping for a year-end bonus, they only managed to operate at full capacity for two months because of the loan to introduce the production line, and it just so happens that they will receive some profit during the Spring Festival.

Naturally, there was a lot of complaining throughout the Spring Festival.

Before, even when there was no work, we still received this much guaranteed minimum wage. Now, we go to work every day, hauling truckloads of goods out to sell so well, yet we haven't seen a raise. Where has our labor gone?

They don't factor in loan repayments, and they don't consider themselves just contract manufacturers; income based on labor is the fundamental principle.

It's simply because we're used to the old-fashioned communal meals.

Hong Tiancheng was focused on new product development and new workshop preparation, and he went to the new factory every day. He didn't spend the entire Spring Festival getting to know the employees and understand their situation.

After the Spring Festival, the lottery for down payment housing in the new factory area finally started, and the cosmetics factory was in complete uproar upon hearing the news.

Because the cosmetics factory is located at a busy intersection in the northern district, the factory area is inevitably cramped, and more than seventy employees can only be squeezed into a dormitory building.

Now I just feel like, why is it that we are all workers, we all work eight-hour days, yet they can get double pay and buy new houses, while we can only live here?

The outburst led to the lockdown of the factory area and workshops, prohibiting anyone from starting work.

They smashed open the warehouse door, took away the boxes of shampoo that were all packed and ready to be shipped, and went to the street to sell them retail!

Because some people are stirring up trouble, saying that the reason they can buy houses and receive double pay is because they take away the products we work so hard to produce, giving us only 1.2 yuan, but selling them for 3 yuan, thus exploiting us for a full 1.8 yuan!

Right outside the cosmetics factory area was the bustling North District intersection, where workers would carry boxes out to sell shampoo, which was still a hot commodity advertised on TV every day.

It sold extremely well. Sold out in seconds!

Its social impact is also extremely negative.

The city's cosmetics factory is going bankrupt, and the employees are selling shampoo in retail stores!
Centennial Runfa spent so much money hiring Hong Kong celebrities to shoot commercials, but didn't give bonuses to its employees. Capitalists are undermining socialism!
Anyway, the city immediately received the news and called to ask what happened.

Wei Dong was still a bit confused, but not surprised at all: "The conflict arising from the reform depends on which side the city chooses to protect. If it wants economic benefits, it will act according to business rules and legal provisions. Those who steal company finances will be punished according to the law. If it wants social benefits, it will try to smooth things over and give some subsidies as if nothing happened. I can do either, but the company will definitely make a corresponding choice, because the company did nothing wrong in the whole process, and everyone's basic rights were protected."

Secretary Zhai was quite capable: "The whole country is watching Jiangzhou's economic system reform. Bai Nian Runfa shampoo has become a national brand. The reason why the masses are the masses is that there are bound to be differences in their understanding of the work. This is the significance of your leadership. Handle it well. The city will definitely take this unexpected turn in the reform as a study material. I believe you can give a satisfactory answer."

A person in their sixties wouldn't stubbornly yell, "What can I do?"

Wei Dong casually agreed.

He summoned Hong Tiancheng to face-to-face and asked, "What do you think we should do?"

The factory manager, who had just received the news, was sweating profusely and looked pale: "I explained to them that we are currently in the stage of repaying loans and interest, but they only care about immediate gains!"

Wei Dong calmly said, "It's normal to eat meat with your bowl and then curse your mother after putting down your chopsticks. First of all, I say it's your fault. As the leader in charge of this team, you didn't notice the attitude and atmosphere of the whole team, and then you tried to lead and adjust it, and finally this result came out. So now I'm asking what to do?"

Hong Tiancheng was sweating profusely, wiping his face with a towel: "I just received a call from the Industry Bureau, who severely criticized me for not doing my job well. I need to write a self-criticism!"

Wei Dong really had the air of a ruler: "What government agencies are actually most afraid of cadres who are like dew in the morning. What I mean is that they look good in the morning, but once they are exposed to the sun at noon, any problems they have are ruined. We need to solve the problem now, Lao Hong. I've asked you for the third time. How do we solve the problem now?"

Three years ago, Rang Weidong was still working as a porter on the riverbank at Shangzhou Wharf.

His bystander perspective, honed over forty years within the tax compound, was utterly useless.

It's even less effective than watching You Qili brag to others; you can learn something from that.

Because the prefecture-level city system was still in its nascent stage, it still followed the old model of being both "red and expert" and representing the central government, which was prevalent before the reform and opening up.

I felt better when I got to Jiangzhou, but I had a better understanding of it when I went to Shanghai.

Anyway, using it on their own ever-expanding enterprise is a bit like a game-changer.

Hong Tiancheng was extremely nervous!
Even Wei Dong didn't unleash his leadership aura, patiently nurturing his subordinate in his thirties: "I'm not blaming you for anything. You need to analyze what you're really suited for: corporate production management, financial operations, brand promotion, sales network? No one can do everything. I'll just focus on the sales system, and then our team can fill in the gaps in each area for you, allowing you to focus on what you do best."

Hong Tiancheng relaxed a little: "I... prefer to study product advertisements, but I think your Bai Nian Run Fa is so amazing that I can't come up with anything even if I rack my brains, so I feel ashamed and uneasy. Now I can't even do a good job in factory management. The city can dismiss me at any time... Yes, dismissal is the simplest way to deal with this matter."

This reminded Wei Dong of how team mutinies were handled in later years; the simplest solution, of course, was to remove the head coach.

Thinking back now, I laugh: "Why don't you just resign and become the general manager of O'Nia Company, in charge of the overall brand promotion of cosmetics, skin care products, and shampoos? That would be a complete 'going into business,' and I'll give you 30% of O'Nia's shares."

Wei Dong understood very well that the core of this shampoo factory was Hong Tiancheng. The French-imported production line was merely the most sought-after production tool at the moment, but what determined whether this shampoo factory could be transformed was not the production line, but this leader.

Hong Tiancheng was taken aback for a moment, then nodded after a brief pause: "Thank you for your trust, Mr. Rang. I will focus all my efforts on my work with Onia."

After Wei Dong agreed, he took Hong Tiancheng back to the factory to handle the situation.

On the way, Hong Tiancheng wanted to help her carry the baby, but Xiaodie resisted the strange uncle's offer with her eyes.

It was only because there weren't many traffic police around and enforcement was lax that Weidong was able to drive with his child in his arms.

The black minivan turned into the crowded cosmetics factory gate, and it seemed as if the workers had set up a welcoming party, shouting and yelling, before letting the onlookers in.

Especially when you see that there are only two people in the carriage, and they have a child with them.

They felt they had a huge advantage and became arrogant.

There were only about seventy people in total, with a little over two hundred new contract employees added, and that was about it.

Wei Dong didn't even give it a second glance.

He pulled the handbrake, grabbed the electric megaphone from the back seat, and said, "Today, Bai Nian Run Fa's daily deliveries have stopped, so that's how I found out about the dissatisfaction. Surprisingly, no one came to talk to me before, and things have escalated to this point. Well, that's just leaving no room for negotiation. I'll accept Factory Manager Hong's resignation now. He will be taking over as the general manager of the new cosmetics and skincare company. Do you have anyone you want to take with you?"

When people heard that Hong Tiancheng was going to resign, there was a sudden uproar, and some people even applauded!
But when he heard that he was going to become the general manager, his face turned ugly.

Hong Tiancheng took the megaphone: "I have never done anything to let anyone down since I took over this factory that couldn't even start operating, worked with everyone to transform it into a large collective ownership, and then led the factory to become a production supplier for the Hong Kong-funded O'Nia company, ensuring that the factory can continue to operate efficiently in the future. Now that things are like this, I have decided to resign and start my own business. Anyone who is willing to go with me, call me in the next few days. Also, employees who were quite satisfied with their work on the shampoo production line can come with me now. The cosmetics production line that the Hong Kong side has brought over from Hong Kong has already started recruiting, and the treatment will definitely be better than here."

After he finished speaking, most of the workers who were crowding at the factory gate and the locked workshop entrance swarmed around him!
Many of the older workers began to look away and their feet seemed to want to move closer to that group of people.

That's when Wei Dong picked up the electric megaphone and started setting off firecrackers...

(End of this chapter)