Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 241, 240: Modern Management of the Aircraft Factory, The Struggle for the First Flight Across the Pacific, The Mystery of Fiat Currency Issuance
Yangon, Taisan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

Fang Wen racked his brains to expand the production capacity to 100 aircraft per year.

Only if China has a production capacity of 100 aircraft per year can it be considered to have a foundation.

War is all about resources and industrial base. Once a real war breaks out, a production capacity of 1000 aircraft per year is not much.

If we hadn't done it ourselves, China would have had absolutely no air superiority during the War of Resistance.

Therefore, we need to recruit more people, and the standardized production team model needs to be replicated and expanded.

The original 46 college graduate engineers were not enough to train a standardized production team; Fang Wen needed more highly educated workers.

At least a high school diploma, the kind that allows you to understand blueprints after studying.

This is no easy task. In order to recruit more skilled workers, Fang Wen asked Taishan Airlines' domestic branch to provide full assistance in the recruitment work.

The domestic branches responded proactively.

They knew the general manager's character and the benefits at Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant, so they recommended him to their relatives and friends, introducing a number of people with high school education or above.

But these people weren't enough, so a wider recruitment began.

Recruiting under the name of Taishan Airlines is quite effective; many families bring their children to learn more about the company because of Taishan Airlines' reputation.

When they learned that they were going to work in a factory, many were unwilling, but some from poorer families accepted the job.

In this way, recruits continued to arrive in Yangon by seaplane, where they underwent training and then began their work.

But with so many people coming, the area of ​​Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant is constantly expanding.

Aircraft manufacturing hangars, welding workshops, parts processing workshops, aluminum alloy forming workshops, laboratories, and so on have all been expanded accordingly.

Dormitories, bathhouses, canteens, sports and activity areas for workers are also under expansion.

The more people there are, the more troublesome it becomes to manage them.

Whether it's maintaining order within the factory, handling disputes, ensuring hygiene, or managing daily operations, none of these are easy tasks.

But if not properly managed, a small conflict can lead to a big problem.

Fang Wen was well aware that, for example, in the future, if something was lost or a fight broke out at Fushikang, it would cause huge conflicts between the villagers, and even spread to the conflict between the employees and the factory management.

Therefore, a very serious and responsible factory manager is necessary.

Fang Wen pondered this matter.

Was it Zhang Yunfei who had been following him all along?

He shook his head in denial, saying that Zhang Yunfei was a rigid person who would do his job well, but lacked initiative.

The aircraft manufacturing plant's employees come from all over the country, with workers from various regions.

It is easy to form cliques among fellow villagers, and once there is a conflict, these cliques will turn against each other. Only those who are flexible and good at mediating conflicts can be competent for this job.

What about the other special operations team members?
Not at all.

Fang Wen's thoughts wandered, and he began to filter from a wider range.

I actually found one.

That is, Bai Zeshan.

Don't let his quiet demeanor and love of reading fool you; he has a keen eye for observation, and when he speaks, it's always meaningful.

Therefore, Fang Wen Telegraph's Wuhan headquarters sent over Bai Zeshan, who had just joined the company's commercial telegraph department as an engineer.

Bai Zeshan traveled from Wuhan to Yangon by seaplane.

Fang Wen enthusiastically took him to the Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

Not knowing why he had come, Bai Zeshan unusually took the initiative to ask, "General Manager, just tell me what you want with me. I'm getting anxious if you don't say anything."

Fang Wen smiled and poured tea for Bai Zeshan: "How's it going in the commercial telegraph room?"

“Sure, I like that job,” Bai Zeshan replied.

These words almost made Fang Wen unsure how to continue the conversation.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Bai Zeshan, why do you like studying vacuum tubes?"

"I think this is a very promising technology, and it will definitely see great development in the future."

"What if you were asked to temporarily give up your current job and take on a job you could do very well, but don't like? Would that be feasible?"

"Perhaps, but I need to know the reasons." Bai Zeshan's decision not to refuse outright showed that he was not just a person with ideals.

Fang Wen breathed a sigh of relief and explained, “The aircraft manufacturing plant is currently a key focus for Taishan Group. I’m expanding its production capacity and have recruited skilled workers from all over the country for this purpose. These people are prone to forming cliques and causing disputes and accidents, which would seriously affect the company’s development. I think you can take over the factory’s internal affairs, manage the employees’ lives, and the factory’s security team to handle various disputes.”

Bai Zeshan looked troubled: "General Manager, this is too difficult. I'm afraid I won't do it well."

“I know it’s difficult, and there really isn’t anyone with that kind of talent. I think you can handle it,” Fang Wen encouraged.

"Am I capable?" Bai Zeshan himself didn't think so.

"You're capable. You're good at observing and summarizing, meticulous, and have your own opinions. As long as you learn how to handle relationships with the workers, you'll definitely do well."

"The problem is, I don't know how to handle those relationships!"

“I have some experience. Just follow my instructions. If it doesn’t work, we can discuss it further.”

As Fang Wen spoke, he took out a prepared booklet.

The contents contained his observations and experiences from his future life.

Bai Zeshan took the booklet and read it carefully.

How to manage the internal ecosystem of a large manufacturing plant

The contents of this book opened up a new world for him.

It's full of future management concepts, with equality and fairness implemented throughout.

There are 8 points in total.

Establish open communication channels: Ensure employees have accessible avenues to express their opinions, suggestions, and grievances. This can be achieved through suggestion boxes, regular employee meetings, group discussions, or online platforms to encourage active feedback.

Strengthen employee training and education: Organize regular training courses on professional ethics, communication skills, and conflict resolution to improve employees' self-management and emotional regulation abilities. At the same time, emphasize corporate culture and values ​​to cultivate team spirit and an atmosphere of mutual respect among employees.

Fair and impartial management: When handling employee issues, adhere to the principles of fairness and impartiality, without favoring any party. Ensure that all decisions are based on clear evidence and procedures, so that employees feel a sense of fairness.

Timely intervention and mediation: Once signs of conflict or discord are detected among employees, immediate intervention and appropriate mediation measures should be taken. This includes listening to both sides, understanding the root cause of the problem, and proposing solutions to help employees resolve the conflict.

Optimize the work environment: Improve working conditions, such as enhancing workplace safety and comfort, arranging work and rest times reasonably, and reducing negative emotions among employees caused by poor working conditions.

Strengthen safety management: Enhance safety management within the factory area to prevent disputes and conflicts arising from safety issues. Simultaneously, regularly organize safety drills and training sessions to improve employees' safety awareness and self-protection capabilities.

Promoting cultural exchange and integration: For companies with a diverse workforce, it is essential to actively promote exchange and integration between different cultures to enhance understanding and respect among employees. This can be achieved through events such as cultural festivals and exchange activities, fostering an inclusive and harmonious corporate culture.

Continuous evaluation and improvement: Regularly evaluate employee relations management practices to understand employee satisfaction and identify existing problems. Based on the evaluation results, adjust management strategies and methods promptly to continuously improve employee relations management.

After reading this, Bai Zeshan was amazed.

“General Manager, I participated in a communist seminar in Paris, which included discussions on factory management systems, but what they said was nothing compared to what you have. If all of this is implemented, it will be the best factory in the world.”

"It's not that good. Take a look first and try to do it according to the instructions."

Fang Wen smiled and declined the praise. In his opinion, many of these were just empty words on paper, and even he didn't think he could do them.

After all, most of those factories in the future will have the same internal management regulations, but in reality, they will also have many problems.

Bai Zeshan was appointed as the director of the factory office at Taishan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant. Taking on the responsibility of factory management, he began his work with great diligence and dedication.

He really did follow the rules and regulations given by Fang Wen strictly.

When these systems were put into practice, they produced effects that Fang Wen had not anticipated.

Unlike the people from the future, the factory workers really appreciate these fair and just systems. They feel respected, which is something rare in this era.

At the same time, they don't have many desires, and they feel pleasant gratitude for every change that benefits them.

Bai Zeshan and the factory workers worked together to create the wonderful factory environment that Fang Wen had described, which produced strange results.

The employees stopped arguing, and the conflicts decreased.

They understand and love each other, respect each other, and help each other.

Not only did the factory experience fewer internal conflicts, but its production efficiency also increased significantly.

This major change greatly stimulated Fang Wen.

It turns out that different times and different needs can bring about such tremendous changes.

He then decided to extend these management systems to all companies within the Taishan Group.

For this reason, all branches of the Taishan Group, including the gaming and shipping companies in the United States, sent management personnel to the Yangon Aircraft Manufacturing Plant for further study and training.

Those managers who studied the system simply followed it verbatim and received excellent feedback.

This change made Fang Wen feel that the Taishan Group he had built was becoming more and more united and might grow bigger and bigger.

Another month has passed, and the negotiations on the American side have finally come to an end.

Through a strategy of feigned indifference in Chinese negotiations, a very good result was achieved, with overall procurement costs decreasing by 15%, allowing for the purchase of more supplies.

These supplies will all arrive in Yangon within six months.

Meanwhile, during his exchanges with various manufacturers, Lin Shuiwang unexpectedly obtained some information related to China.

He sent these messages, along with the good news, to Fang Wen.

Yangon, Taisan Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.

Fang Wen stood on the second floor, watching the factory's activities.

This is a factory event held every two weeks, and all the programs are provided and organized by the workers themselves.

Mahjong, also known as "Da Ma Diao," is a regional card game with different rules and variations depending on the location.

There are also games like chess, which have a unified way of playing nationwide, forming a larger group of participants.

Bai Zeshan even invited performers of Peking Opera, Huagu Opera, and Yue Opera to perform on the stage built in the factory.

There are also open-air movies, which attract the largest number of participants, as well as other niche entertainment activities.

"General Manager, your telegram." The staff in the factory's telegraph room drew Fang Wen's attention back.

He took the telegram and skillfully translated the coded text.

The procurement process has been finalized, and shipments will begin next week.

Pan Am is preparing to launch a trans-Pacific route, with the maiden flight expected in November this year. The aircraft will be named "China Clipper".

The Nationalist government plans to issue legal tender this year, but due to insufficient reserves, it attempted to borrow from the United States, which was unsuccessful. However, the United States predicts that the Nationalist government will continue to issue legal tender to replace silver dollars despite its insufficient reserves.

The coded telegram contained three messages.

Needless to say, the procurement process is important, but the other two aspects, such as the opponent's language, are also crucial.

Taishan Airlines was the first to operate the Asia-Europe route, which is why it gained international influence.

Taishan Airlines should also strive to be number one on the Pacific and Atlantic routes.

The situation on the Atlantic route is more complicated and poses a challenge for Taishan Airlines, but they cannot let Pan Am take the first flight on the Pacific route.

Fang Wensheng developed a competitive spirit; he didn't want to be outdone by others in aviation.

The issue of legal tender is also very important.

Issuing currency is no trivial matter. In order for people to accept new currencies, especially paper money, reserves are necessary.

In principle, the currency and reserves are matched 1:1. For example, in the United States, a large amount of gold is acquired as reserves, and currency is issued in a 1:1 ratio.

Only banknotes like this have value, and only then will people dare to use them.

But the situation in China is different now.

To think that they could issue legal tender when their currency reserves are insufficient is surely an attempt to artificially inflate the value of the currency and constitute fraud.
So how much of the reserves were artificially inflated, and who benefited from it?

Fang Wen had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, but couldn't confirm it.

He felt it necessary to go to Guangzhou to warn his father-in-law to be careful about this matter.

He then left the factory and flew to Guangzhou.

The plane landed at Guangzhou Airport. Because of the many times the plane had taken off and landed, the relationships here had already been taken care of, and the airport staff were very friendly.

After Fang Wen got off the plane, he took the initiative to talk to him.

"General Manager Fang, are you here in Guangzhou to visit your father-in-law?"

"Something came up, the flight might be delayed for a couple of days. Oh, and could I use your phone?"

"The phone is in the office, please come with me."

After arriving at the office with the airport staff, Fang Wen dialed the Kuang family's number.

However, he learned that his father-in-law, Kuang Shanming, was having tea with a group of gold shop owners at the gold exchange.

Fang Wen hung up the phone and took a rickshaw to the Gold Exchange.

There is a quiet corner inside the gold exchange. Go up to the second floor from there, and that's where a group of gold shop owners usually chat and gather.

Fang Wen went upstairs, but was stopped by a waiter.

Kuang Shanming, who was inside, said loudly, "That's my son-in-law, let him in."

The waiter quickly made way, and Fang Wen walked in.

He saw that besides Kwong Shan-ming, there were five other people there, all dressed appropriately, not showing off their wealth but exuding an air of sophistication.

Kuang Shanming introduced: "This is my son-in-law Fang Wen, this is Mr. Zhao Ruide from 'Fu Rui Xiang', Mr. Sun Yaozong from 'Bao Guang Ge', Mr. Li Changsheng from 'Chang Sheng Jin Hao', Ms. Zhou Jinxiu from 'Jin Xiu Tang', and Mr. Chen Hengyuan from 'Heng Long Yin Lou'."

They were all top figures in the Guangzhou gold industry. Fang Wenyi bowed, and the other party smiled and stood up in response.

Here, everyone's strength is roughly the same. Fang Wen gave them face, so they naturally have to return the favor.

After finishing his social engagements, Fang Wen whispered to his father-in-law, "Something big is about to happen. Do you want to hear it?"

"Yes, I do. Can my friends listen?" Kuang Shanming asked.

Fang Wen thought for a moment, realizing that the matter of legal tender couldn't be kept secret from everyone.

Who knows, these gold shop owners might know something too.

If you don't know, you can at least say it and gain a favor.

(End of this chapter)