Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 221 Buying is too troublesome, zero-yuan purchase
Meanwhile, He Yuzhu issued a series of orders after receiving A Lang's call.

First, inventory the cargo on the ship. The Huo family will store it separately, since the warehouse is sufficient.

Second, have the workers repaint all the boats. The only requirement is that they be unrecognizable from their original state.

Third, come and collect the money, including compensation and task rewards. The standard is that in addition to the 100,000 that should be given, there is an extra 20,000 for minor injuries, an extra 100,000 for serious injuries, and 200,000 for death compensation. In addition, we will help solve a job for the family.

The two squad leaders each received 300,000 yuan, and Bai Yifeng gave an extra 200,000 yuan as hush money.

Adding to what those people looted on the island, each person could easily buy a house, and even two company commanders could afford a cheap detached house.

This is an astronomical price! These days, a life isn't worth that much. He's made a fortune on this trip, with a ship and supplies. This amount of money is nothing to him.

He Yuzhu found nearly five tons of gold in his spatial storage. He didn't know how the pirates had looted it. He Yuzhu couldn't assess the jewelry and antiques, but there were dozens of boxes, which should be the accumulation of this group of pirates over several decades. The weapons were a mixed bag, and a large part of them should have been taken by the Bald Gang when they retreated. There was also a lot of food and medicine.

When He Yuzhu counted out the "black paste" and "flour," he knew where the pirates got their gold. No wonder these guys were still doing this business.

After the steel was retrieved, He Yuzhu immediately gave Gu Yuanheng a task: to acquire a steel mill, preferably one with rolling mill capabilities.

Unexpectedly, Gu Yuanheng had some knowledge of this industry.

"Boss, the steel mills in Hong Kong are good at making building materials, but they might not meet our requirements."

"You can't expect me to create a new one, can you?"

"What does the boss plan to do with it after taking it back?"

"Of course it needs to be renovated. You can start recruiting steelmaking talent now."

"Boss, aren't we expanding too much? My own car factory is already too busy to handle it all."

"I know that, but I don't have anyone I can use. Do you have any talent you can recommend?"

"I need to go look for it; at the very least, it has to be related to my major."

"Okay, then I'll have to trouble you during this period."

"Okay, by the way, boss, do you have any more cars? We're almost out of work at the modification shop."

"There are still some left. Have someone go to that warehouse to get them tomorrow."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, He Yuzhu went to park his car. He felt that he couldn't just stay at home anymore. The trip to fight the pirates made him feel that he had been a bit lax and had been passively waiting.

In this era, money alone cannot accomplish everything; there are too many external factors.

So he told his family that he was going out to discuss business and that it might take a while. When his family asked where he was going, he said he was going to Europe to purchase some equipment.

This time it went more smoothly. His family just asked him a few simple questions and then told him to be careful on his journey.

Xiaoman originally wanted to go with him, since she could speak English and help with some paperwork. However, He Yuzhu had ulterior motives and couldn't agree to that. Instead, he sent his wife to the car factory, saying that the R&D workshop there was ready and he wanted her to go and take a look. Although Xiaoman was worried about He Yuzhu, she still agreed. She was also very curious about He Yuzhu's car factory, wondering if it was as big as the one in Beijing and what kind of equipment it had.

After settling things at home, He Yuzhu told A Lang, Xu Damao, and Gu Yuanheng that he was going out for a while and that they should take good care of things at home. They all said they would definitely do their best.

The next day, He Yuzhu, armed with a fake passport, transformed himself into a foreigner and boarded a ship in Victoria Harbour, heading east.

Arriving at the destination was not smooth sailing. After identity checks, resettlement, and other procedures, He Yuzhu finally gained his freedom.

Then he started collecting information: steel mills, car factories, shipyards, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals—basically anything that showed even the slightest promise.

Then he discovered that steel companies, which were struggling financially, were now facing a boycott from the United States, which was also pulling other countries into restricting imports.

So they have a lot of unsold stock, and the steel industry in Xiaosheng County had a lot of growth in the past ten years, and its technology developed quite rapidly, which is something he missed during his last visit.

After wandering around aimlessly for a few months, He Yuzhu acquired many different identities along the way, and then he made his move.

Equipment, steel, experimental instruments, formulas, cars, various engines—when He Yuzhu returned, the space was completely crammed full.

He almost knocked people back to where they were more than ten years ago, but he himself didn't feel any guilt at all.

Back in Hong Kong, it was already November 1968. The weather was still hot. Driving, He Yuzhu saw Qin Quan's cold drink shop on the screen. It could be found on any bustling street, and the business was quite good.

"Looks like that kid Da Mao succeeded," He Yuzhu thought to himself.

Then he parked his car and bought a cup of milk tea to try. Except for the lack of pearls, it tasted pretty much the same. He mentally gave Xu Damao a thumbs up, thinking that the seeds he had sown had blossomed.

As soon as He Yuzhu's car arrived at the gate, a security guard ran in to report the news.

By the time he stopped his car, people from his family had already come out.

"Zhu Zi, why did you take so long?"

"Mother, things are a bit difficult."

"Go, call him Daddy." Chen Lanxiang held two babies in each hand, then let go and stepped back.

The two little ones immediately hugged her legs, looking at He Yuzhu with curious eyes.

"Dad, you're back! Did you bring anything fun?" A little boy with short legs ran over.

He Yuzhu picked him up and said, "My good son, it's in the car."

"Second brother, third sister, come here quickly, this is our dad." He Yaozu waved to the two children.

He Yuzhu put He Yaozu down, and the boy ran over and pulled his timid younger siblings toward He Yuzhu.

“Come here, let Daddy hug you.” He Yuzhu opened his arms.

"Brother, is this your real dad?" the little girl He Ningxue asked.

"of course."

“Brother, I don’t remember Dad.” He Yaozong said.

“You were all little when Dad left home.” He Yaozu patted his younger siblings’ heads, pretending to be a little adult.

"Oh," the two children said in unison.

When He Yuzhu picked up the two children, they squirmed restlessly in his arms, looking at He Yuzhu and then at Chen Lanxiang as if asking for help.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? Yaozu didn't acknowledge you back then, and now these two are the same. You always take so long to go out. I don't know what you're up to," Chen Lanxiang said irritably.

"Important matters still need to be taken care of."

"You're so right! Yaozong, Ningxue, be good. This is your father. Hurry up and greet him."

"dad"

'dad'

The two little ones then spoke up, and He Yuzhu's heart almost melted at the sound of their soft, sweet voices. He rubbed his face against theirs so hard that he almost made them cry.

"Dad, toys, toys." He Yuzhu felt someone tugging at his trouser leg and saw He Yaozu pulling him toward the car.

"Okay, you all get toys."

"Oh!" the little ones cheered.

Once they got the toys, the younger children ignored He Yuzhu, leaving him feeling quite helpless.

Then he was subjected to a three-way interrogation by the old lady, Mr. Chen, and Chen Lanxiang. He Yuzhu could only make things up. Anyway, it was one part truth and nine parts falsehood. It was easy for him to fool a few old people with so much information.

He Daqing now goes to the restaurant every day. Ever since he learned that it was his family's property, he has been even more attentive to it. For this reason, he even asked A Lang and Xu Damao to help him select a few children with good character to see if he could find a successor.

Since Xiaoman went to the car factory, she has basically devoted herself to it, leaving everything at home to Chen Lanxiang. If it weren't for the servants, Chen Lanxiang would really be overwhelmed, after all, she is getting on in years.

He Yuzhu prepared dinner. Actually, there weren't many people eating: He Yuxin and He Yuyao, who are in middle school; He Yuyan, who is in elementary school; three elderly people; and three little ones. Xiaoman didn't get home until the food was on the table. When she saw He Yuzhu, she rushed over and gave him a hug.

The little ones were incredibly envious; their mother should have hugged them first.

Xiaoman calmed the little ones down after letting go of He Yuzhu. The whole family ate so much that they couldn't stop eating. Everyone was wondering how He Yuzhu, who doesn't usually cook, hadn't lost his culinary skills at all.

They were really wronging He Yuzhu. He had cooked a lot of food there, but he couldn't get used to it. Fortunately, the ingredients were okay, and he brought his own seasonings. His skills hadn't declined and had even improved a little.

"Brother Zhu, why don't you go to the factory tomorrow?" Xiaoman said after putting her child to bed in her room that night.

What happened at the factory?

“There are so many things waiting for you to decide, and you just gave a few instructions and left. You were gone for so long. Orian called you many times, and Aunt Ping asks about it every week.”

"Okay, I won't go out this time."

"I know you're out on important business, and I won't stop you. But next time, could you please stay for a shorter period?" Xiaoman said, sounding a little aggrieved.

"I'll take you with me next time if possible."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. I'll show you what the outside world is like."

"Then I'll be waiting."

"it is good."

"Also, your maternal grandfather and great-aunt are getting old, so you should spend more time with them in the future."

"I know, how are the two elderly people doing lately?"

"It's alright. After listening to you, they go to the hospital for check-ups regularly, and so do my parents."

"That's good. Are you getting used to life at the factory?"

"It's alright, but Brother Zhu, I want to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

"Oh, what will you study?"

"Finance and management, only those can help you more. When I talked to Director Gu and the others, I realized there was so much I didn't know."

"If you want to learn, then learn. You haven't forgotten what you learned in college, have you?"

"It's alright, but I probably won't need many of them, since the subjects here are different from those in China."

"Do you need someone to tutor you?"

"No need, I've already bought the books and materials, and I've been studying them lately."

"Thanks a lot."

"It's not hard work. Actually, I love learning. I just didn't have a direction before, and I also had to take care of the younger ones."

"Then study. There are postgraduate programs. If you can pass the exam, then take it. Don't worry about the business. If it doesn't work out, we can just hire people."

"The factory manager's influence will grow, and it's not good if his own people don't understand it at all."

"That's true. Have the third and fourth brothers said what they'll be studying in the future?"

"Speaking of which, you wouldn't believe it, but your fourth son is going to study law, though he's not going to be a judge or lawyer. He's going to be a policeman."

"The police? He told you that?"

"No, he told Siyu." "That's a bit unexpected. What about the third brother?"

"It seems this kid wants to learn accounting, saying he wants to help manage the family's accounts."

"That's just like his personality."

"Aren't you going to give them any advice or something?"

"Whatever I give them, they can only learn well if they want to learn. I can force them to learn other things. Besides, they made the right choice, and they will all have future prospects."

"Being a police officer is very dangerous, and the police force is not very chaotic."

"It's too early for him to become one; things might be better by then," Ho Yu-chu said confidently, thinking of the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) a few years later.

"I hope so. If not, you'd better stop him."

"Of course, what's the fifth one interested in?"

"That kid only knows how to play. His studies are so-so, but who knows what will happen in the future?"

"Then let's wait a few years and see. You're such a worrywart, sister-in-law."

"Who told me to be their eldest sister-in-law, or even their eldest sister?"

"Haha, they're closer to you."

"Don't talk nonsense. It's not that they don't love you, it's that they're a little afraid of you."

"I'm very easygoing."

"You have your own aura, you just don't realize it."

"Are you scared?"

"I'm not afraid."

"."

The next day, He Yuzhu went to the car factory with Xiaoman first, and Gu Yuanheng listed a bunch of questions.

First, substandard parts lead to persistent engine malfunctions in the developed engines.

Second, the steel mill has taken over, but it can only handle ordinary parts now. Special parts are all hand-made, and the steel is still the same batch that He Yuzhu got before. We can't produce it ourselves.

Third, the molds cannot be made large enough. Currently, the car body and chassis are all made by hand welding and sheet metal work, which seriously affects the service life and appearance.

The above factors have led to the cars not selling. Now, they are mostly being bought by insiders at internal prices to drive around, as a test drive, since they are still under warranty.

He Yuzhu went with them to the R&D center. They are currently working on a six-cylinder engine to increase power, and an eight-cylinder engine is also being tested. The goal for the four-cylinder engine is to improve fuel efficiency.

The reason they were able to do all this was because He Yuzhu brought out a lot of information back then; otherwise, a four-cylinder engine factory wouldn't have been able to handle it.

He Yuzhu rescued one of the mechanical engineering students from that batch; without him taking the lead, the research and development would probably have stalled.

Xiaoman told He Yuzhu privately that the college students here are clearly not as useful as vocational school graduates in China. It's not that they lack knowledge, but that they lack the drive to persevere.

There was no other way; He Yuzhu couldn't exactly smuggle a group of people out of China.

Then He Yuzhu went to the production workshop again. He really wanted to curse at the hand-made parts. They were not even a level below the level of the eighth-grade workers in China.

Back in the office, He Yuzhu asked, "Old Gu, how are the workers' wages being paid now?"

"A combination of seniority, skills, and job type."

"How is the assessment conducted?"

"Product yield rate".

Are there any penalties for failing to meet the standards?

"Yes, it will be deducted from the bonus."

"Are other factories doing it this way too?"

“Most of them.”

"If everyone gets similar pay, then those who do a good job won't bother to work hard anymore, as long as they can complete the task, right?"

"The factory has studied this and will increase bonuses to encourage more work."

"It's not just about bonuses; salaries could also be adjusted. Otherwise, where would the motivation come from?"

"It's not like we have to wait for you, boss, to say something. Besides, the factory is currently operating at a loss, so this isn't a good idea."

"Then you should fire all the bad performers and give their wages to the good performers."

"What if there aren't enough people?"

"We will continue to recruit and eliminate trainees. If experienced masters are willing to mentor others, we will give them additional compensation for mentoring. If they mentor well, they will receive a bonus upon graduation."

"I didn't do a good job in this aspect, I'm sorry, boss!"

"You're meddling too much. How come you've found the person I asked you to find? It's been so long."

"I've found a few, but I need you to meet them, boss."

"Okay, you set a time, I'll meet you."

"Ok."

"By the way, a batch of steel and equipment has recently arrived. I'll let you know when to pick it up."

"Is it special steel and new equipment?"

"You'll know then."

"You're keeping it a secret from me?"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep after hearing this."

"I feel a pang of unease right now."

"Ha ha ha ha."

After leaving the car factory, He Yuzhu went to Qinquan again, but Xu Damao was not there. He heard from the people below that he had gone to cut the ribbon for a new store opening today.

He Yuzhu turned and went to the security side.

"Boss, you're finally back!" As soon as Ah Lang heard that his boss had arrived, he rushed downstairs.

"What's wrong? You all think you'll starve to death while I'm gone?"

"No, but it's a bit boring at the security company."

"How's business those days?"

"That's great. Ever since we paid back the steel for that batch of goods for Huo Sheng, Huo Sheng has been using all our people on his ships, as well as in his other businesses, and even at home."

"They rely entirely on their family?"

"No, that's not it. After other big bosses witnessed how capable our company's people are, they also started hiring us. We now provide escort services, venue security, and personal security for travelers."

"Isn't that great? Are you bored?"

"I'm practically the one who looks after the place now. They don't need me for missions anymore; business comes to me on its own."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I just want to follow you."

"Who's in charge here?"

“I think those team leaders are all good. By the way, they’ve all become battalion commanders now. We’ve recruited quite a few more people since then.”

"You hold the fort for a while, then have them write up a company development plan. Just being able to lead a team to carry out tasks doesn't mean you can run a company well."

“I know, I’ll tell them when they get back.”

Has anything major happened in Hong Kong recently?

"No, by the way, your friend is now the Deputy Commander of West Kowloon, a Senior Superintendent."

"Oh, this kid got promoted really fast, he must have taken a plane."

"That's right, boss. The credit you gave me is the key. It was on the front page of the newspaper for several days. Let me show you."

"This kid is quite photogenic."

"By the way, those two in our family have also been promoted in rank. They're now chief inspectors. I heard that Aunt Wang is being transferred to West Kowloon to work for the CID. I don't know exactly what she'll be responsible for."

Why didn't anyone in my family tell me?

"I found this out of the inquiries."

"You're certainly well-informed."

"Hehe, I know some people in the police station."

"It's not just about knowing a few people, is it? Why do you want to join the police force?"

"I'm not going. I just want to ask them for some information. It was all Da Mao who made the connections."

"Does this kid still have this skill?"

"He helped some family members of police officers find employment."

"This kid's got a quick mind; did he come up with this himself?"

“It wasn’t like that at first. Someone came to us, and after using a few and finding them acceptable, he recruited another batch. Now, whenever he opens a new store, there are basically family members of police officers from that area working there.”

"This is not a good sign," He Yuzhu frowned.

"Is the boss worried that those who take bribes will get into trouble later?"

"Ah."

"Don't worry, Da Mao only hires people from families that are struggling financially, the kind who don't charge money."

"Wouldn't those who took bribes cause him trouble?"

"But your friend is here, isn't he? The title of Senior Superintendent is still very useful."

"Since you guys are so smart, it seems I'll have to treat Orion to a good meal."

"I reckon your superintendent friend has been waiting for this for a long time, but he just can't find him."

"Hahaha, you've improved, kid."

　Thank you to readers D虎, 三更, 书10096, and 章宇 for their generous donations!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)