Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

The next morning, Jiang Fan got out of the taxi and walked into the office building where Qitian Culture was located.

As soon as the office door opened, Song Siyi came to greet her.

She was holding a stack of reports, and had dark circles under her eyes.

"Jiang Fan, something happened at the printing factory."

Jiang Fan walked over and sat down in the boss's chair.

"No rush, speak slowly."

"After the pre-sale data came out last night, I contacted the two printing factories with whom I had previously signed contracts. I was going to subcontract the order of six million copies to them, but the agreed price and production time have all changed this morning."

Song Siyi pulled out the chair opposite her, sat down, and slammed the report onto the table.

"They'd rather pay the penalty for breach of contract than take our job. They said someone gave them instructions that anyone who dares to take Qitian Culture's work can forget about working in the industry, and they'll also investigate their fire safety and environmental protection practices."

Jiang Fan leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the table.

It must be Zhou Ming or Liu Qingshan who did it again.

That's a pretty underhanded move; it cuts off your supply chain from the ground up.

"How much is the penalty for breach of contract?"

"We didn't sign many contracts at the time, totaling three million." Song Siyi stood up, walked a few steps to the table, and then sat down again. "It's not about the penalty for breach of contract now."

"We've already received payment for pre-orders. The delivery period is half a month. If we can't deliver the books, we'll not only have to refund the money, but also compensate consumers three times the amount. Qitian Culture's brand will have to be smashed as soon as it's put up."

"Have you contacted any other printing plants?"

"I contacted the printing factories in Shanghai, but they either didn't dare to take the job or their production capacity was too small." Song Siyi rubbed her temples. "I want to take some people to Shenzhen to make a trip there, but Zhou Ming can't reach there."

Jiang Fan nodded. "That's one way. You go and make the arrangements first. I'll think of another way."

Song Siyi didn't ask any more questions, picked up her bag, closed the door, and left.

The office quieted down, and Jiang Fan sat in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

It is better to ask for yourself than for others.

He dialed Li Cheng's number.

"Li Cheng, check around Shanghai. Look for printing factories that are about to be sold soon, the sooner the better."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. "Brother Fan, you...you want to buy a factory?"

"Enough with the nonsense, go check it out."

Li Cheng's efficiency was surprisingly fast.

The call came back twenty minutes later.

"Brother Fan, I found it. There really is one, called Hongda Printing, in the suburban industrial park."

"explain."

"The boss ran away with gambling debts, and the factory has been mortgaged by creditors and is ready to be sold off at a low price. The equipment was all Heidelberg equipment that was brought in just two years ago, and there are more than 200 workers who haven't been paid for three months. They put up banners at the factory gate every day."

"What about production capacity?"

"Six Heidelberg double-sided printing presses, operating at full capacity, can print 500,000 copies a day."

"Come pick me up from Qitian Culture now, we'll talk on the way."

-

The car drove on the highway for an hour before turning into a suburban industrial park.

The iron gate of Hongda Printing Factory was tightly closed.

A white banner was hung at the entrance: "Give me back my hard-earned money."

Dozens of workers in blue overalls sat on the steps by the door, the ground littered with cigarette butts and fast food containers.

Jiang Fan got out of the car, and Li Cheng followed behind, carrying a stack of documents.

"Brother Fan, this factory is a huge mess. The workers are owed millions in back wages, and with the debts to creditors, it'll take at least half a month to sort things out."

Several workers looked up and sized the two men up and down.

A middle-aged worker who was leading the group stood up, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

Who are you looking for?

"Find someone who can make decisions." Jiang Fan glanced towards the doorway.

"The boss ran away, and those debt collectors inside are arguing with the factory management." The middle-aged worker pointed behind him.

Jiang Fan pushed open the small door next to the iron gate and went inside.

The lobby on the first floor of the office building was filled with smoke.

The two groups are facing off.

On one side was a bald, tattooed man, with seven or eight henchmen standing behind him.

On one side were five or six factory managers wearing shirts.

There was a long table between them, and two of the teacups on the table had already been overturned.

"If you don't hand over the money today, I'll take these machines away!" the bald man slammed his fist on the table.

The management team was lined up, with only a middle-aged man in a gray work uniform blocking their way.

"Let's see who dares to make a move."

This man was short and had calluses on his hands; he looked like someone who had worked in a factory.

Jiang Fan walked over and pulled up a chair to sit down.

The chair leg scraped against the floor tiles.

The hall fell silent.

Everyone turned to look at this young man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

The bald man glanced at him up and down; he was a young man, dressed quite formally.

Who do you think you are?

"I'm buying this factory." Jiang Fan sat in the chair, looking at him. "Did you bring the contract?"

The bald man paused for two seconds, then chuckled.

"You've got quite the nerve, young man. Fifty or sixteen million, principal and interest. Can you really come up with that?"

"Stop talking nonsense. Show me the contract."

The bald man glanced at Jiang Fan's face, then at Li Cheng standing behind him.

Li Cheng was dressed in a suit and tie, holding a stack of documents, looking like an assistant.

That makes sense.

The bald man took a debt transfer agreement from his briefcase and slammed it on the table.

Li Cheng stepped forward, picked it up, and flipped through it for twenty minutes.

The debt relationship, the list of collateral, and the property registration number were all checked against the records.

After confirming there were no problems, he nodded to Jiang Fan.

Jiang Fan picked up his phone and dialed Su Yuyan's number.

The pre-sale payment can only be withdrawn after the goods are shipped.

With insufficient cash flow, the only option is to borrow from Su Yuyan.

The phone rang three times.

"What?" Su Yuyan's voice was muffled, with a nasal tone from just waking up.

"Transfer 56 million to an account. Urgent."

There was a two-second pause on the other end, followed by the sound of someone turning over.

"You're calling first thing in the morning just to ask for money? Did you go to buy an aircraft carrier?"

Stop interrupting. I'll send you the account details.

"...Okay. Wait two minutes."

"Hang up."

Jiang Fan sent the card number from the contract via text message.

The bald man, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, squinted at him.

His face screamed, "Let's see how you pretend."

Less than a minute.

"bite."

The bald man's phone rang.

He picked it up and glanced at the screen, nearly dropping the cigarette in his hand.

He counted the zeros on top.

One, two, three...

Fifty-six million was deposited directly into my account.

The bald man put his phone back in his pocket, his attitude completely changing.

He pushed the agreement in front of Jiang Fan and handed him a pen with both hands.

"Boss, please sign this document. The equipment and land mortgage rights of this factory now belong entirely to you."

Jiang Fan took the pen, signed his name, and tossed the agreement to Li Cheng.

"Clear the area. All unauthorized personnel must leave within ten minutes."

The bald man took the money, didn't say a word, and left the hall with his men.

He turned back and glanced at Jiang Fan as he left.

Young, rich, and decisive.

We can't afford to mess with them.

-

After the bald man left, Jiang Fan stood up and looked at the management team members who were still standing there in a daze.

"Who is the factory manager?"

A middle-aged man with a Mediterranean hairstyle stepped forward, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and revealed a fawning smile.

"I am the deputy factory director, my surname is Wang. The original factory director ran away with the boss."

Jiang Fan ignored him.

His gaze shifted to the person who had just blocked the bald man's path.

"What's your name?"

"Old...Old Zhou. Zhou Dayong."

"From today onwards, you are the factory manager."

Zhou Dayong was stunned. "Me?"

The deputy factory director next to him turned pale instantly, opened his mouth, and then closed it again.

"Go and call all the workers outside in."

Zhou Dayong realized what was happening, turned around, and ran out to call for help.

A few minutes later, dozens of workers rushed into the hall in a noisy commotion.

They saw that the debt collectors had left, and then they saw the young man who had just come in standing on the steps, whispering to each other.

Jiang Fan stood on the steps and raised his voice.

"From today onwards, this factory belongs to me. Have the finance department calculate the total amount of wages owed to you, and we'll pay you in full tomorrow."

The noise below immediately stopped.

"In addition, starting today, your salary will be doubled."

There was a two-second silence, then the crowd below erupted.

"But there's a condition." Jiang Fan gestured for him to stop.

The room fell silent, and dozens of eyes stared at him.

"We'll start production in a week. Two shifts, people rest, but the machines never stop. Can we manage?"

"able!"

Dozens of people shouted at the top of their lungs.

They hadn't eaten for three months, and now their wages have been paid back and doubled. They'd even live next to the machines, let alone work two shifts.

Jiang Fan turned to look at Li Cheng.

"Keep an eye on the rest. The machine must be up and running within a week. Re-establish contact with the paper and ink suppliers, and secure supplies at prices 20% higher than the market rate. As long as it's fast, money isn't an issue."

Li Cheng rolled up the documents in his hand into a tube and tapped his palm.

"Don't worry, Brother Fan. I guarantee the machine will be running within a week."