At the factory, there were men and women, some in their fifties, others in their twenties, totaling over forty people, all gathered in Yang Jian's yard.
"Er Jian, Factory Director Liu says our templates are of poor quality and he's stopping production. What's going on?"
"When will we resume work? If it's too long, I'll have to find work elsewhere."
"We've produced over twenty thousand templates recently. If they're all unqualified, you'll lose hundreds of thousands. Can this factory even survive?"
"If you lose hundreds of thousands, will we still get paid?"
"Where would he get that kind of money? He still owed over a million last year. Who knows where he got the funds to start this factory, thinking he could turn things around, only to fall again. This is just adding insult to injury. It'll be very difficult for Er Jian to recover now."
"So, does that mean our wages are uncertain?"
The workers chattered, some asking Yang Jian directly, others discussing amongst themselves. The small courtyard was bustling.
Yang Jian had remained silent until his paternal uncle, Yang Songlin, the eldest among them, stepped forward to inquire. He cleared his throat, and the crowd instantly quieted down.
"Uncles, aunts, elder brothers, and sisters, what my cousin Liu Yong said is true. Because our produced templates are unqualified and cannot be sold in the market, we have to halt production.
The main reason is our insufficient glue-making technique, which causes the templates to crack and delaminate during use, leading to a very low turnover rate. These are substandard products.
After discovering the issue, we are taking measures. On one hand, we are contacting furniture factories and construction sites to try and sell the backlog of templates at a lower price. Although these templates cannot be used for formwork, they can be used as bed boards on construction sites or for furniture making.
On the other hand, we plan to hire experienced glue makers from outside. However, the resumption of work will be after September 1st.
This is because I am currently short on funds and do not have the capital to support the factory's continued operation. Your wages will likely be delayed."
Yang Jian paused here, wanting to gauge everyone's reaction.
"Delayed payment? When exactly? A year or two? We don't have much money. You're a capable person, think of a solution."
"Exactly. You drive such a nice car and eat and drink well every day. You can't possibly withhold our hard-earned money, can you?"
"Right! We've been working overtime every day to meet the quantity. This is truly our blood and sweat money."
As expected, some people immediately started grumbling. However, Yang Jian's fearsome reputation kept anyone from saying anything too outrageous.
Most of these people were surnamed Li, with a few surnamed Yang joining in the commotion. Yang Jian took note of them all.
Yang Songlin and Yang Shuanglin were cousins within five degrees of kinship and were quite supportive of their nephew. "Er Jian, don't worry. Starting a factory is never smooth sailing.
Our wages are not much, at most over four thousand, and at least over a thousand. In total, it's only about a hundred thousand. If you are truly in difficulty, our family's wages for the three of us can wait until you recover."
"Yes, we only have two or three thousand yuan. Pay us whenever you can, there's no rush. And I believe you have a way to overcome this hardship."
About half of the people expressed understanding, most of them being from the Yang family, with a few surnamed Li as well.
A smaller portion chose to observe, remaining silent and uncommitted.
Yang Jian waved his hand, took out a pen and a notebook. "Everyone, please be quiet. I've heard everything you've said. If I've employed you, I must pay your wages. This is only right. Whether you're upset or understanding, I accept it.
How about this: for those of you who are genuinely in need and require money urgently, come and register with me. I will try to borrow tens of thousands from friends to pay you. However, it's unlikely I can pay everyone in full, so I hope you can understand."
As soon as he finished speaking, people immediately stepped forward to register, fearing they might miss out. They even wrote down their wage amounts next to their names.
Those behind them followed suit, registering in the same manner.
A total of fifteen people registered, accounting for one-third of the total workforce. This pleased Yang Jian, as it indicated that most people still valued their kinship and were unwilling to pressure him over a few thousand yuan.
"No one else is registering. You can all disperse for today. Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, everyone gather at the factory."
Yang Jian had no intention of paying half of the hundred-plus thousand yuan in wages. The current registration was just a plan to phase out these individuals once the factory resumed operations.
As soon as the workers left, Yang Jian immediately called Biao Biao, asking him to transfer money, and then made an appointment with the bank to collect the money the next morning.
"Er Jian, are you home?"
Just as he finished his phone call inside the house, he heard someone else arriving at the yard entrance.
Yang Jian went out and saw Li Xiang. He remembered that Li Xiang had borrowed two thousand yuan from him, and he wouldn't have recalled it if he hadn't seen him.
"Brother Xiang, what can I do for you?"
Yang Jian didn't interact with him much, so he didn't stand on ceremony.
"Er Jian, I heard there was trouble at your factory. I've come to return the money you lent me. Also, I have twenty thousand yuan here. Take it for emergencies. My capacity is limited, I can only help you this much."
Li Xiang handed over twenty-two thousand yuan.
Yang Jian only took back the two thousand. "Brother Xiang, thank you for your kindness. Twenty thousand yuan won't solve my problems, and you're not wealthy. I can't accept your money."
"It's fine. I've had good luck these past few days, winning a bit. I have enough money. Take it."
Yang Jian pushed the money back. "Brother Xiang, really, there's no need. I can solve the factory's problems. Did you come to see me for something else?"
Li Xiang awkwardly put the money back into his pocket. "Since you can solve it, then I won't be polite. But there is indeed something I need your help with, or rather, a collaboration."
"Collaboration? What is it?"
"The road from Xinqiao to Yangli Village is about to be paved. Two kilometers of it belong to our village and are contracted by the village committee. I want to take on this section, but Xu Zheng wants to get involved. Since he's contracted the section near Xinqiao, he wants to contract the entire road. He has some influence in this area, and I can't compete with him."
"So you want me to step in and contract it?"
"Yes. In this area, besides Wu Wangchun's group, only you are someone he wouldn't dare to provoke. If you step forward to contract it, he won't dare to say a word."
Yang Jian shook his head. "I can't do this. You know I'm drowning in debt. Just now, a whole room of people were demanding wages. Where would I get the money to invest in road construction?"
"You don't need to provide the funds, I'll handle the financing for the road construction. You just need to step forward and sign the contract. We'll split the profits equally after completion. What do you think?"
"You could sign the contract yourself, couldn't you? As long as the contract is signed, Xu Zheng shouldn't dare to trouble you, right?"
"Why wouldn't he dare? If I sign the contract and work begins, he'll definitely send people to cause trouble. I can't deal with him. But if you step forward, he absolutely wouldn't dare."