When Wang Yu spoke, everyone stopped and looked at him.
"Everyone, I know you're all here to collect debts."
Wang Yu's words drew agreement, and someone added, "Nonsense, are we here to collect debts or invite you to dinner?"
Wang Yu ignored such remarks and scanned the crowd. "It seems you all know about my promise to the Metallurgy General Plant to pay eighty thousand yuan for a hundred thousand debt."
"That's right!"
"Now that your auto plant has money, you should pay back your debts."
"Yes, we are also short on cash. The factories are all facing difficulties now."
The crowd responded, and the atmosphere became noisy again.
"Quiet, everyone! Listen to me!"
Wang Yu pressed his palm down, silencing the crowd.
"First of all, I thank you all for lending a helping hand when our factory was in difficulty and providing assistance."
Wang Yu cupped his hands slightly towards the crowd, then, before they could say anything, he continued,
"I, Wang Yu, promise here that I will definitely repay the factory's debts! I won't hide it from you, our auto plant has indeed had some income in the past few days. However, it's still a bit strenuous to repay all the debts, and the factory's various operations also require funds.
I'm sure you don't want to see our auto plant go bankrupt. After all, if we go bankrupt, you won't be able to get your money back, will you?"
Wang Yu's words made everyone nod.
Indeed, as long as the auto plant didn't collapse, there was always a chance to recover the money. But if it collapsed, it would truly be unrecoverable bad debt!
What if Wang Yu, the factory director, was sent to jail?
"Don't listen to him. He has money in his accounts now, he just doesn't want to pay! If we go by his logic, the auto plant operates every day, so won't our money never be recovered?"
A sharp voice suddenly cried out from the crowd.
Hearing this, the crowd became agitated, as if it made sense.
"Everyone, please calm down!" Wang Yu held up his hand to stop them and spoke again,
"It's true that my auto plant has money in its accounts now, but it's simply not enough to repay all of your money..."
"Then pay us as much as you can!" the sharp voice chimed in again.
Wang Yu tilted his head.
"Then, to put it bluntly, if I take out the money in the accounts now, which one of you should I pay?"
This...
Everyone looked at each other. Naturally, each of them hoped that Wang Yu would pay them first, but the problem was that others thought the same way.
Jiangyang County was just this big, and most factories had some overlapping business relationships. To put it bluntly, there were triangular debts, quadrilateral debts, and even more. How could things be so easily sorted out?
You took the money? Very well, then give me the money you owe him, because he owes me.
In the end, no one could explain it clearly!
"Then what exactly do you mean? Are you going to pay or not?" the voice cried out again.
"I've been watching you for a long time. Yes, I'm talking to you!"
Wang Yu suddenly pointed at someone in the crowd.
As Wang Yu pointed, everyone's gaze converged on a thin, sharp-faced young man.
The young man was the source of the sharp voice that had been speaking repeatedly. Wang Yu had climbed onto the cab to speak earlier, not only for convenience but also to prevent people from stirring up emotions.
As expected, he had found one.
"Why are you all looking at me?" The young man seemed a bit flustered under everyone's gaze.
"It's nothing, I just want to ask, which factory do you represent? When did our auto plant owe you money? How much did we owe you?"
Wang Yu's string of questions fixed on the young man from his elevated position.
"Uh... I am..."
The young man's mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't say anything. Clearly, he couldn't provide a coherent explanation.
"It seems you are not a creditor! So, please leave for a moment."
Wang Yu smiled as expected. He knew without asking that this person was probably arranged by Zhao Tao.
That guy was relentlessly diligent and hardworking in trying to ruin him, even more so than a model worker.
Wang Yu didn't need to say anything else. Several strong workers came forward and very politely escorted him away.
Yes, very politely.
Their thick, sturdy arms directly lifted the young man, who was then hoisted up like a chick and sent directly outside the factory gate.
The young man wanted to struggle, but with his small arms and legs, being lifted into the air, he was completely helpless. He was only sent outside the gate, then watched as Old Sun, the gatekeeper, locked the large iron gate.
"Alright, the troublemaker has left. Now, everyone, please listen to me."
Wang Yu spoke to the crowd.
"First, we will definitely repay the money, and we will also pay the corresponding interest."
"However, our factory is indeed in difficulty now, as everyone can see. So, I hope you can give me some time."
"Of course, since you are all here, I also need to show some sincerity."
Wang Yu paused here.
"So I announce that all the funds in our accounts will be used to purchase your products, and the price will be increased by thirty percent on top of the original price!
Moreover, even after I have repaid all the debts, this price will remain valid for three years! "
As soon as Wang Yu finished speaking, everyone present was stunned.
There's such a way to do things?
Aren't you owing us for our goods? We came to collect debts, but now we have to supply you with goods?
You haven't even paid for the previous goods, and you have the audacity to do this?
However, some quick-witted individuals understood.
Wang Yu increasing the price by thirty percent to purchase goods meant that the extra thirty percent was a form of repayment.
Although it wasn't much, it could at least bring in some funds, equivalent to recovering part of the debt, and at the same time, it could help clear the factory's backlog of inventory and production capacity, and even make a small profit.
In these times, all factories were struggling. Orders had decreased, inventory had piled up, and the factory workers also needed to eat.
After years of eating from the "big pot," the once "iron rice bowl" was becoming increasingly difficult to hold onto.
When calculated this way, recovering even a little was better than nothing!
Then, by giving the auto plant time and a chance to operate healthily, it would eventually recover and repay the debts. And in the future, when placing orders, the price would be increased by thirty percent. When all this was considered, it was ultimately a profitable situation!
Unlike the suppliers, the people at the auto plant were in an uproar.
Had the young director suddenly gone mad, increasing the price by thirty percent? And for three years?
Wasn't this just giving money away? Their auto plant had not yet overcome its difficulties!
This... this was simply too outrageous!
It wasn't just the workers who couldn't understand; even the leaders and cadres felt the same way.
Old Director Li Ming had a troubled expression, Sales Department Director Feng Daochun had a grim face, like a frostbitten eggplant, and Finance Manager Lao Ma simply rolled his eyes, almost fainting.
However, Wang Yu had already completely earned their trust. Besides, the factory was currently his.
Therefore, under his gaze, they all calmed down and didn't say much more.
"Everyone, if you can't make a decision, you can use the telephone in our factory's reception room to contact your respective heads and discuss it."
Wang Yu said to everyone.
The group then stood there, thinking, and discussing amongst themselves.
Some people hurried to the reception room to make phone calls. After a while of commotion, things finally calmed down.
Someone stepped forward and asked Wang Yu,
"Young Director Wang, your plan is very good and beneficial to all of us. By rights, we have no reason not to accept it."
"However! There is a very serious problem!"