Chapter 10: The Situation Is Worse Than Imagined

Under Dean Yang's arrangement, I rode the hospital ambulance through the night toward Zaocheng.

My heart was burning with impatience; I wished I could run and jump right now to visit each subsidiary of Da Heng Group.

I wanted to know their real situation.

But the bone in my leg hasn't healed at all, and I lie in bed unable to move.

When I arrived in Zaocheng, it was already deep night.

Dean Yang personally greeted me and placed me in a secluded ward area, the infectious disease ward.

No one is allowed to visit or disturb.

I thanked Dean Yang sincerely in my heart for his arrangement.

After I settled, Dean Yang again personally examined my injuries,

and devised a new treatment plan tailored to my wounds.

Every doctor has his own specialty; Dean Yang is a surgical expert, and any external injury he looks at can heal about seventy to eighty percent.

He said some experts' skill is nonsense, truly nonsense.

I have lived in the Provincial Capital for so long, yet the wound still hasn't healed, and some areas have turned black and inflamed.

That night, Dean Yang arranged for a Nurse to apply a medicinal ointment to my wound,

I immediately felt a coolness spreading over the wound.

The burning pain was gone.

My urgent trip to Zaocheng was mainly to see a few people: first, to get a close-up understanding of the company's real situation; second, to resolve the issue of unpaid wages.

I have already promised Zhu Sheng that this problem must be addressed, otherwise it will have a bad impact on him.

If it affects him, then Da Heng Company will have no future.

Xiao Hua's attitude makes me angry,

He keeps complaining about past matters and doesn't think about how to solve the problem; that's unacceptable.

I didn't sleep a single night,

I gave all the people I need to contact and meet to Shi Yong, telling him to handle it at first light.

He first brought Shi Jinhe to the hospital,

and Shi Jinhe burst into tears the moment he saw me,

The forty-year-old Shi Jinhe looks as aged as a fifty-year-old.

These years Shi Jinhe has followed me, never having sat in an office, always laboring on construction sites. He is also one of the people I trust most.

I had Shi Yong hand Shi Jinhe a tissue to wipe his tears.

I asked Shi Jinhe, "Jinhe, how many workers' wages are we currently owing, and roughly how much money?"

Shi Jinhe thought briefly and said, "Brother, it's about over two thousand people. We have six construction sites: three are about to be completed, two have just started, and there's also the Guanghua Residential Area, which handed over houses early this year, leaving some workers to finish work there."

Now their minimum wage is over 200 per person per day; skilled foremen earn 400–500 a day; the average is 300 a day, which totals over 20 million a month, so in half a year it's over 100 million.

After hearing Shi Jinhe's words,

I took a deep drag of my cigarette,

Owing that much money is something I hadn't anticipated.

I then asked, "Have all the sites halted work?"

"Pretty much, yes. Other sites now pay wages on the same day to attract workers. The reason our workers have persisted so long is that the older ones have been with our company for a long time and don't want to leave," Shi Jinhe said.

I asked, "Xiao Hua, are you aware of these circumstances?"

Shi Jinhe said, "I understand; I reported to Xiao Hua immediately. But he said he would find a way and wouldn't let me tell you. He said, you shouldn't ask about the company's specifics now; even if I said, it wouldn't help. Who could have thought he would delay payment for so long without resolution, until the workers got angry and made a big fuss, which you only learned about from TV."

After hearing Shi Jinhe's words, I was extremely angry. I felt like a powerless, incompetent emperor of old, no longer caring about the suffering of the common folk.

I was angry not only at Xiao Hua, but also at myself.

I told Shi Jinhe, "I'll resolve the wage issue as soon as possible. Contact the workers; once the wages are settled, have them return to work immediately."

Shi Jinhe nodded and left.

I then instructed Shi Yong, "Shi Yong, this afternoon contact Xiao Wu and have him come from Shanghu to accompany you; go undercover to each subsidiary of the group and see what their situation really is.

Make sure to stay hidden; let Xiao Wu go out, but you must not show your face. Especially at our sales office in Zaocheng, see if anyone is buying houses."

Shi Yong replied, "Alright, brother, I'm going right away."

Shi Yong also left.

I lay quietly alone in my room,

A bad feeling settled in my mind: the workers are owed over a hundred million, and in a while we also have to repay Zaocheng Bank's 420 million, totaling nearly 500 million.

Where can we get that money?

Zhou Wei, I only ask that you wake up quickly.

Tell me where our money went, I beg you.

I prayed in my heart.

My phone rang,

and I saw it was Li Ming calling,

Li Ming said urgently on the phone, "Brother, what's wrong with you? Qiao Jie went to see you early this morning; the hospital said you were infected and wouldn't let you into the ward. She turned off your phone. She asked me to check on you."

I have two phones; the one with the public number I have already turned off.

The other phone's number is known only to a few close acquaintances.

I explained to Li Ming, "Li Ming, I've already returned to Zaocheng; I haven't told anyone, not even Xiao Hua. Qiao Jie knows nothing either. I'm currently investigating the company's current situation in Zaocheng."

"Brother, you're back in Zaocheng; is your health okay? Investigating the company situation—does it involve the wage issue?" Li Ming said.

I said, "You don't need to worry about my health; Dean Yang Yuhua is here. The company's situation is terrible now, with wages owed over a hundred million. If this isn't resolved, trouble will follow. That's why I had to come to Zaocheng."

"Brother, you're staying in that ward; I'll come over to see you." Li Ming said.

I said: "Don't come; if you come, everyone will know. When others ask you, say you have an infection and need another surgery, and won't see anyone."

"Brother, help me with this: go to the capital city tomorrow, try to get your sister-in-law discharged, then go see Dean Yang in Zaocheng; your sister-in-law staying one day in the capital city makes me worry all day." I told Li Ming.

"Okay, brother, I'll handle this tomorrow. I'll bring your sister-in-law over to Zaocheng, and then I'll feel relieved. I always feel this is strange: after your car accident, the company then blew up with such a huge scandal."

"What the hell is going on, Xiao Hua? How did this general manager pull this off?" Li Ming said angrily.

I said: "Brother, now is not the time to complain; first we need to solve the problem."

If the workers' wages aren't paid, Da Heng Group will be blacklisted, and Da Heng will be completely ruined. Then we'll have a hard time turning things around.

"Okay, I got it, brother. Take care. How's Mom doing? She still wants to go to the provincial capital to see you." Li Ming said.

I said: "You must persuade Mom not to go to the provincial capital. Once the workers' unpaid wages issue is settled, I'll go see her."

Li Ming finished speaking: "Okay. Brother."

Then he hung up the phone.