78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

Chapter 156 Encirclement

Ye Bingwen arrived at the factory early the next morning.

A short while later, Ye Bingwen saw a group of people gathered at the factory gate.

Ye Bingwen peeked out and saw that the person who came was another supplier.

His surname is Zhou, and his main product is phenolic resin. He is another material supplier for Ye Bingwen.

Boss Zhou glanced at his watch, then went straight in to find Ye Bingwen.

Ye Bingwen did not avoid him but directly invited Boss Zhou into his office.

After Mr. Zhou entered the office and sat down in the chair, he went straight to the point without any unnecessary pleasantries or small talk, stating his purpose directly.

"Director Ye, it's a total of three thousand eight hundred yuan. You must give me this money today," Boss Zhou said firmly.

"Boss Zhou, I really don't have that much cash on me right now," Ye Bingwen replied somewhat helplessly.

"If that's the case, then you can give me half first, and for the rest, you can give me a written receipt," Boss Zhou compromised and made a new request.

"Boss Zhou, could you give me two more days? I want to pay off the outstanding electricity bill first," Ye Bingwen asked with a hint of pleading.

At this moment, Boss Zhou took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and slowly took a puff.

"Director Ye, I don't really want to make things difficult for you. I came here today not to take away the goods. To be honest, I guess you, Director Ye, have already used up all that resin, haven't you?" Boss Zhou said to Ye Bingwen.

"That's right," Ye Bingwen nodded in agreement.

"In that case, you can owe me the money for now, but we need to change the original terms. You need to give me a mortgage certificate as a guarantee," Boss Zhou then proposed a new condition.

"What can I use as collateral?" Ye Bingwen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"How about using the press from your factory?" Boss Zhou stated his idea directly.

Upon hearing this, Ye Bingwen's heart tightened, and he quickly refused, saying, "The press is absolutely out of the question. It's the lifeblood of our factory; without it, the factory can't operate normally."

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"If that's the case, what else can you offer as collateral?" Boss Zhou continued to press.

Ye Bingwen silently watched Boss Zhou, unsure how to respond.

Boss Zhou took another puff of his cigarette, then slowly said, "Director Ye, we're all in business. I don't really want to harm you, but you have to understand that if this payment is delayed for too long, it will be difficult to reconcile the accounts at my own factory, and it will cause a lot of trouble."

"Boss Zhou, please give me three more days. I promise to give you two thousand yuan within three days, and I will settle the rest within half a month," Ye Bingwen pleaded again.

"Two thousand yuan is still not enough, it has to be at least two thousand five hundred," Boss Zhou said, not budging on the amount.

"I can manage to scrape together 2,500 yuan, but I definitely can't do it today. I can only give it to you tomorrow," Ye Bingwen said with some difficulty.

"That won't do. I came here specifically to collect my debt. I won't leave until I get the money today," Boss Zhou said firmly.

Ye Bingwen carefully considered the matter in his mind.

The two thousand yuan in his pocket came from Huang Baoshan; Master Li had fifteen hundred yuan; Chen An had twelve hundred yuan; plus the one hundred and eighty yuan left over from yesterday.

All these expenses add up to 3,200 yuan for the electricity bill. After paying the bill, only a little over 1,000 yuan will be left.

If we give Boss Zhou 2,500 yuan, then the remaining money won't even be enough for normal operations, and the factory's daily expenses will become a problem.

Ye Bingwen hesitated, finding it difficult to make a decision.

Just then, Liu Xiaojun rushed in.

"Uncle Ye, Fatty Deng is here again," Liu Xiaojun said breathlessly.

Upon hearing this news, Ye Bingwen felt completely overwhelmed; the situation was becoming increasingly complicated.

When he stepped out of his office, he saw Deng Pangzi's truck parked at the factory gate. Deng Pangzi had brought five or six men with him, so it seemed they had come prepared.

"Director Ye," Fatty Deng said as he approached Ye Bingwen when he saw him come out.

"My factory manager has already said that we must settle the accounts today and get the money back, otherwise we will have to bring the factory's goods to settle the debt," Fatty Deng stated his purpose directly.

"Old Deng, didn't you say yesterday that you were going back to report to the factory director? Why did you come here directly today?" Ye Bingwen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I've already reported it, but it's no use. My factory manager gave me a direct order that I must handle this matter today, otherwise I won't be able to explain it when I get back," Fatty Deng said helplessly.

Ye Bingwen stood there, quietly watching Deng Pangzi. He understood that Deng Pangzi was also in a dilemma, caught in the middle.

At this moment, Boss Zhou, who was in the office, also came out.

And so, both suppliers stood at the factory gate, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Hearing the commotion outside, the workers inside the workshop slowly came out and gathered around to see what was happening.

The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward, and no one spoke.

Standing between the two suppliers, Ye Bingwen knew very well that he absolutely could not panic at this moment and had to remain calm.

He cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound as steady as possible.

"Brother Deng, Brother Zhou, let's sit down in the office and talk things over. Don't stand here," Ye Bingwen tried to ease the tension.

"Director Ye, I don't see anything to discuss anymore. Either you give us the money today, or we'll take the goods from the factory. There's no other choice," Fatty Deng's tone was even more forceful than yesterday, leaving no room for negotiation.

Ye Bingwen knew that Fatty Deng had to bring back a result today, otherwise he would have no way to explain to their boss, and he would be in a difficult position.

Ye Bingwen stared at Fatty Deng for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and said, "Old Deng, I'll be frank with you today, I won't hide anything from you."

"Go ahead and say it, I'm listening," Fatty Deng replied.

"The city's loan will be approved in the next couple of days. I can show you the loan application progress documents, which contain the relevant information," Ye Bingwen said earnestly.

After saying that, Ye Bingwen turned to Chen An and shouted, "Chen An, take out the loan application receipt and show it to Boss Deng."

Chen An immediately turned around and ran into the office, and came out a moment later with a document in his hand.

That document was the reply slip that Li Jianguo had given me last time, and it was stamped with the official seal of the Municipal Economic Commission, so it had a certain degree of authority.

Ye Bingwen handed the receipt to Fatty Deng.

Fatty Deng took the receipt and looked at it carefully.

He didn't know many characters, but he recognized the red official seal on it and knew it was genuine.

"Director Ye, even if we have this red stamp, we can't use it as money. What we need now is cash," Fatty Deng said helplessly.

"I understand what you mean," Ye Bingwen nodded in understanding.

Then, Ye Bingwen took out all the money he could afford that day from his pocket.

"Old Deng, all I can give you today is 1,500 yuan. Take it first," Ye Bingwen handed the money to Fatty Deng.

"Fiveteen hundred yuan?" Fatty Deng asked in surprise, clearly not satisfied with the amount.

"Yes, it's 1,500 yuan," Ye Bingwen answered affirmatively.

"We owe each other a total of 5,200 yuan, and you're only giving me 1,500 yuan now? That's too little," Fatty Deng said, frowning.

"I will settle the remaining four thousand two hundred dollars in full before the end of the month, and I can give you a written IOU. The monthly interest rate will be one percent. If it exceeds the stipulated date, it will be calculated according to the bank's penalty interest rate. You will definitely not suffer any losses," Ye Bingwen quickly explained.

Fatty Deng frowned, glanced at Ye Bingwen, and then at Boss Zhou beside him, seemingly considering something.

"Director Ye, what are your plans for dealing with Boss Zhou?" Fatty Deng asked, wanting to know if Boss Zhou could accept these conditions.

"I'll give Boss Zhou 800 yuan, and the rest will be settled at the end of the month. The terms are the same as what I gave you," Ye Bingwen replied.

Upon hearing this, Boss Zhou immediately interjected, "Eight hundred yuan? My account is three thousand eight hundred yuan, and you're only giving me eight hundred yuan now? That's far too much." Boss Zhou was clearly dissatisfied with this distribution plan.

"Brother Zhou, this is all the money I have left. I really can't give you any more. Old Deng has a total of 5,200 yuan. I'll give him 1,500 yuan. Based on this ratio, giving you 800 yuan is reasonable. How about this, how about 1,200 yuan? I'll adjust it with Old Deng and see if we can spare some," Ye Bingwen tried to negotiate.

After hearing this, Boss Zhou fell silent and did not answer immediately, seemingly lost in thought.

Fatty Deng sighed deeply and said, "Director Ye, you're clearly putting both of us in a very difficult position."

"Old Deng, I'm really putting myself in a very difficult position. I wouldn't have done this if I had no other choice," Ye Bingwen said with a wry smile, then handed the money in his hand to Fatty Deng again.

"Old Deng, if you take the materials from the factory today, then the work from the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense will have to stop. Once it stops, we will be in breach of contract. If we breach the contract, I simply cannot afford to pay that much money. If I cannot afford to pay, not only will my factory be lost, but your 5,200 yuan will also be completely wasted, and you won't get a single penny back," Ye Bingwen sincerely analyzed the pros and cons.

"You take this 1,500 yuan today, and I will definitely give you the rest at the end of the month. I have even given you a written receipt. We have been friends for several years. When have I ever lied to you? You should trust my character," Ye Bingwen continued, hoping to persuade Fatty Deng.

Fatty Deng held the 1,500 yuan in his hand without moving it. He glanced at the workers standing in the workshop.

Master Li stood at the office door, holding a wrench, looking over with a worried expression; Liu Xiaojun and Chen An stood beside Ye Bingwen, ready to help at any moment; Old Hu the carpenter stood at the warehouse door, also looking concerned; and several apprentices watched from a distance behind.

There are a total of more than twenty people.

Fatty Deng sighed deeply again, then said, "Alright, Director Ye, I'll give you face today."

After saying that, he put the 1,500 yuan into his pocket.

"A written agreement? Write me one now," said Fatty Deng.

"Chen An, go and write a note for Boss Deng," Ye Bingwen immediately instructed Chen An.

Chen An agreed and went into his office to write the document.

Seeing that Fatty Deng had agreed, Boss Zhou also relented.

"Director Ye, give me my eight hundred yuan now," said Boss Zhou.

"Okay," Ye Bingwen nodded.

He took out eight hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it directly to Boss Zhou.

After receiving the money, Boss Zhou carefully counted it and then put it in his pocket.

"What about the rest of the money? When do you plan to give it to me?" Boss Zhou asked.

"It's also at the end of the month, the same time as the time given to Lao Deng, it will all be settled at the end of the month," Ye Bingwen replied.

"You must write me a written agreement; I can't be without proof," Boss Zhou said, still uneasy.

"Yes, I will definitely write you a written agreement," Ye Bingwen assured him.

Chen An quickly wrote two receipts in his office and handed them to Ye Bingwen.

Ye Bingwen picked up a pen, signed his name and pressed his fingerprint on both documents, and then handed the documents to Fatty Deng and Boss Zhou respectively.

After the two men put away the receipt, they got into the truck parked at the door.

The truck started up, slowly drove away, and gradually disappeared from sight.

The factory gate has returned to its previous quiet state.

Ye Bingwen stood there, feeling his legs go weak and his whole body was exhausted. The tension in his nerves finally eased.

Master Li came over at this moment and said with concern, "Xiao Ye, you must be very tired. Come in and sit down for a while and rest."

Ye Bingwen waved his hand and said with feigned strength, "I'm fine, just a little tired. I'll be fine after a rest."

Liu Xiaojun also came over and looked at Ye Bingwen with concern, saying, "Uncle Ye, your face is all pale. You must be exhausted. Why don't you go inside and rest?"

"It's alright, I'll just sit inside for a while," Ye Bingwen didn't refuse this time. He really needed to rest. Ye Bingwen turned and walked towards the office. Just as he reached the office door, his legs went weak, his body swayed, and he almost fell to the ground.

Chen An reacted quickly and caught him.

"Director Ye, please be careful," Chen An said hurriedly.

"It's nothing, thank you Chen An," Ye Bingwen said, catching his breath.

Ye Bingwen sat down in the chair, looked down at his fingers, and found that they were trembling uncontrollably.

Chen An poured him a cup of hot water and handed it to him.

Ye Bingwen took the cup, but his hand trembled so badly that he spilled the tea all over the table.

Chen An looked at him without saying anything, simply standing quietly to the side, waiting for him to calm down a bit.

After a while, Ye Bingwen drank a few sips of hot water, and his complexion improved slightly, and his body stopped trembling.

"Chen An, how much money do we have left?" Ye Bingwen asked.

Chen An took out the money and counted it carefully.

"Reporting to Director Ye, there are two thousand two hundred yuan left," Chen An replied.

"The total electricity bill is 3,200 yuan. That leaves us short 1,000 yuan. What should we do?" Ye Bingwen said with some worry.

"Yes, we are indeed short a thousand yuan," Chen An nodded, a worried look on his face.

The office fell silent again, neither of them speaking as they pondered how to resolve the shortfall of one thousand yuan.

After a while, Chen An hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Director Ye, Master Li left me a hundred yuan earlier."

"When did he put it there? How come I didn't know?" Ye Bingwen asked in surprise.

"Just after Fatty Deng and the others left, Master Li came over and put this hundred yuan on my table. He said it was all the money he had and hoped it could help in some way," Chen An explained.

After listening, Ye Bingwen gave a soft "hmm," feeling a warm current welling up in his heart.

"Has anyone else put down money?" Ye Bingwen continued to ask.

"Old Hu the carpenter has come over too," Chen An replied.

"What's he doing here?" Ye Bingwen asked, somewhat puzzled.

"He also left me fifty yuan. He said he didn't have much money on him, just this much, as a small token of his appreciation," Chen An said.

Upon hearing this, Ye Bingwen's nose suddenly felt a little sore, and his heart was filled with gratitude.

"What about Liu Xiaojun? Has he said anything?" Ye Bingwen asked again.

"Xiao Jun didn't come over to deposit the money, but I just saw him standing at the office door looking inside, as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare to," Chen An replied.

After listening, Ye Bingwen stood up and walked out of the office.

Sure enough, Liu Xiaojun was squatting at the entrance of the workshop, looking preoccupied.

Ye Bingwen walked over and softly called out, "Xiao Jun."

"Uncle Ye," Liu Xiaojun heard the voice and quickly stood up, looking at Ye Bingwen somewhat embarrassed.

"You also want to give me money to help me solve my problems, right?" Ye Bingwen asked, looking at him.

Liu Xiaojun smiled sheepishly, then said somewhat shyly, "Uncle Ye, I only have sixty yuan in my pocket. I thought that little money wouldn't be of much help, so I was too embarrassed to take it out and give it to you."

Ye Bingwen reached out and patted his shoulder, saying gently, "Xiao Jun, keep this sixty yuan for yourself, you don't need to give it to me."

"Uncle Ye—" Liu Xiaojun wanted to say something more.

"Keep it. You'll need it to get married someday. Save this money for yourself," Ye Bingwen interrupted him with a smile.

Liu Xiaojun scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Uncle Ye, I haven't thought about getting married yet. It's still a long way off."

"I haven't thought about it now, but I'll think about it eventually. It's always good to prepare in advance," Ye Bingwen said with a smile.

After saying that, Ye Bingwen turned and left.

He didn't go back to the office. Instead, he came out of the factory gate, got on his bicycle, and left the factory, not knowing where he was going.