Before doing this business, when taking in these laid-off workers, Yu Zhou had actually anticipated that Liu Da Long would cause trouble from behind.
He didn't actually intend to keep this group of laid-off workers for a long time; what he lacked was just time.
Even though Liu Da Long's move now was a few days earlier than he expected, Yu Zhou could still accept it, and he also understood their withdrawal.
After all, this was the early nineties, a time when layoffs caused anxiety for countless people.
Facing the imminent loss of their "iron rice bowl," no one was willing to let go even if there was only a glimmer of hope.
Not to mention the direct threat from Deputy Director Liu Da Long, who held significant power.
However, their deliberate concealment for maximum profit, and now their collective decision to quit, was rather disgusting.
This was clearly designed to leave him unprepared and unable to continue the business.
"We... we had no choice."
The middle-aged man's face was full of "grievance." By organizing them like this, he could get Liu Da Long's guarantee against being laid off. For the sake of his "iron rice bowl," what was wrong with betraying someone else?
"No choice? You colluded to pressure us, and you call that having no choice?"
"Zhang Wei Guo, have you no shame? Do you remember how you begged for work before? "
Hearing this, Jiang Jie became furious.
Zhang Wei Guo's family background was not bad. Although he was laid off, his livelihood was not a problem. He was hired only after he desperately pleaded and cried poor.
Logically, he should have been the last person to leave, but surprisingly, he was the first to play dirty tricks.
Jiang Jie finally understood that these former close colleagues were not reliable at all when it mattered.
Was it difficult to give a heads-up a few days in advance? They were not even willing to do that.
"Alright, alright!"
"There's no need for any of you to say that. You are welcome here, and I will bid you farewell. Let's part on good terms, isn't it better to have peace and prosperity?"
Yu Zhou waved his hand, interrupting his wife's indignation and these people's act.
How could he not see the calculations in their minds?
But what could be done even if he saw it? You couldn't keep a group of people who were determined to leave.
Even if you told them that the Second Textile Factory would lay off all its employees within half a year, and not a single worker would remain.
"But..."
Jiang Jie was still indignant. When she looked for these people, she sincerely intended to help them, at least to keep them alive.
How could she have imagined that when they realized they could sell themselves for a better price, they would unhesitatingly turn their guns on her and stab her in the back?
Also, why was Da Long acting so strange today? Logically, with his temper, he should have been the most furious. Why was he trying to mediate?
"Yes, yes, yes! Peace and prosperity. Let's part on good terms. Although we worked for you and got paid, we weren't sold to you. It's best to part on good terms if we can."
Zhang Wei Guo didn't know how much money Yu Zhou earned daily, but this didn't stop him from not wanting to offend an individual entrepreneur like Yu Zhou.
It was no longer the 1980s, when individual entrepreneurs were discriminated against.
The Guo family was vigorously promoting the individual economy. For someone like Yu Zhou, who had business acumen and had actually made money, he still adhered to the principle of not offending if possible.
"Mm, peace and prosperity."
"Da Long! It's not that we wanted to cheat you, it's just that we really can't work here anymore. You should quickly settle our wages and let us go."
Many people were now chiming in.
Why hadn't they left? It was because Yu Zhou had withheld ten yuan from each of them as a deposit.
When signing the employment contract, Yu Zhou had clearly stated that if they resigned without cause, this accumulated ten yuan deposit would not be refunded.
Originally, most of them felt too ashamed to demand the ten yuan and would have simply left without causing any awkwardness.
But after hearing Zhang Wei Guo's instigation, and thinking that there were more than a dozen temporary workers here, they wanted to muster the courage to get back the ten yuan.
And so, one of them, with a thick skin, finally spoke up.
"Ah? Settle the wages?"
"I recall that each of you here should have less than ten yuan with me? The most is only nine-plus yuan."
"We signed a contract, and each of your fingerprints is on it. Are you trying to go back on your word?"
Yu Zhou looked at them with feigned surprise, seemingly not expecting them to bring up the wages.
His words made all the workers from the Second Factory blush.
That's right, it had been agreed beforehand that they were the ones who breached the contract without cause, so what right did they have to demand money?
Jiang Jie was still angry, but after hearing Yu Zhou's words, she was stunned.
Earlier, she had thought her husband was making a fuss about nothing, making these handicraft workers sign contracts. Wasn't that a waste of paper?
Now, she realized the cleverness of Yu Zhou's move; he had been waiting for this moment.
Although doing so meant falling out completely, and their family's stall still couldn't reopen in the short term, at least she had vented a lot of her bottled-up anger.
For such a bunch of ungrateful people, withholding money was practically letting them off easy.
"No, you can't deduct our money. That money was earned by our labor. Why are you deducting it?"
Zhang Wei Guo's eyes turned red. He hadn't expected Yu Zhou to be so ruthless.
He was willing to offend everyone here for that money.
"Yes, didn't you say let's part on good terms? If you deduct our money, how can we part on good terms?"
Many people were now echoing, and some, relying on their physical strength, were even preparing to act.
"Who dares to move? Do you want to fight?"
Wu Da Biao was strategically pulled out by Yu Zhou.
As expected, this group of people who bullied the weak and feared the strong immediately fell silent.
"I am simply acting according to the contract. Moreover, when I said parting on good terms, I meant parting without either side feeling wronged. You want to cheat me, and you expect me to send you off with kind words? And I can't follow the contract?"
Yu Zhou's face turned into a cold smile. For a moment, even though these people were resentful, they dared not continue to be arrogant.
"Are you really going to do this, regardless of our years of camaraderie?"
Zhang Wei Guo tried to threaten again, but seeing Wu Da Biao, his tone finally softened.
"Go slowly! I won't see you off..."
Yu Zhou waved his hand. After learning of this group's intention to cheat him,
He had never considered parting on good terms from the beginning.