Chapter 45: Get lost, all you leeches sucking the factory's blood!

Qingshan Machinery Factory.

"Over the past month, the workers in our factory have all worked hard, day and night; now that there's a power outage, it's a good time to rest. Also, we need to arrange patrol personnel everywhere to prevent theft incidents."

"Good! San Shui, we'll follow your lead and just rest for now—but… can the electricity still be sent? As for the ten slots for workers' children to enter the factory, if we really can't manage, we'll just forget it!"

The factory lost power, and the workers idled, but nobody left; everyone spontaneously gathered around Qin Miao, as if he were their backbone. Qin Miao told them to disperse, but they refused.

"That won't do; even if it weren't for this matter, those who got in through connections, our factory must gradually weed them out." Qin Miao said: "They do no work at all, just spend the day with a newspaper and a cup of tea—they're sucking blood, sucking the blood of us workers who actually labor!"

"San Shui is right—we work hard for our pay while they get money easily; this is truly unfair!"

"From now on, the proportion of frontline workers in the factory must reach over ninety-five percent; our factory is no longer in the era of superior allocations—we must rely on our own efforts, and our factory will not keep idle workers!"

"San Shui spoke well!"

"San Shui, we support you!"

The workers burst into applause.

Back then, they rushed into collectivization; at first, perhaps it could develop on sheer enthusiasm, but within three to five years, many would discover that whether you did more or less work, whether you worked or not, it was all the same—naturally, the lazy increased, and it became a case of the diligent supporting the lazy.

Fact proves that the old communal pot system simply doesn't work!

Xiaogang Village, which previously relied on begging year after year, obtained a huge harvest in the first year of household responsibility—can working for the collective and working for oneself be the same? The enthusiasm for labor is completely different!

The reforms of the 1980s and 1990s were meant to smash the communal pot and the iron rice bowl! For Qingshan Machinery Factory to develop further, it must reform!

"Hmph, no way!" Just then, a woman's voice came from outside the crowd: "Qin Miao, you little brat who hasn't even grown hair yet! Don't come here spreading lies and deceiving people!"

"That's right, tell you Qin Miao, this Qingshan Machinery Factory belongs to our Zhao family! If Zhao Guoqing isn't factory director, the power will stay off forever!" A man's voice rang out.

The crowd turned and saw several snarling, grimacing people.

"Hmph, it's just a lousy pressure cooker—what's the big deal? Without electricity, the factory can't produce and will go under. Tell you Qin Miao, you're too naive! You don't know who really calls the shots in this Gate Ditch District!"

The Zhao family members rushed to the front, while those who'd gotten in through connections just to pass the time also slowly moved over.

As long as Zhao Guoqing is factory director, their rice bowls aren't safe!

"Uncle Liu, are these people from our factory?"

Liu Nanshan glanced over: "Those are the people Zhao Guoqing recruited."

"Those people have already been fired—why are they still loitering in the factory?" Qin Miao said: "What's the Security Section good for? Kick out these unrelated folks!"

The Zhao family members were dumbfounded.

"Qin Miao, listen up—don't regret it!"

"You others, too, won't end well—this power will never come back!"

Wait, what's that sound?

A buzzing sound rang out; the exhaust fan in the workshop moved! The lights inside also came on—the power has been restored!

The Zhao family members were dumbfounded!

"Security Section, why aren't you acting? Our factory doesn't keep idle workers!"

Now the Security Section staff hesitate no longer—Qin Miao is formidable! He drove out Zhao Guoqing, angered the Power Supply Department staff, and yet power can still be restored, showing that in this contest, the Power Supply Department people lost!

"Go, hurry up and leave!"

"Wait!" Qin Miao continued: "Check them—if they're carrying anything from our factory, that's theft; send them to jail!"

Whoosh!

Whoosh whoosh!

The Zhao family members fled, each faster than the last; even those who'd bought their way in also took off running.

"Power's back—let's get back to work!" Worker Zhao Sibao spoke.

"Right, hurry to work and try to make up for the lost time!" Worker Wang Jinman spoke.

After driving out those who lived off idle wages, the factory's profits will rise and our lives will improve!

This is the honest, lovable worker! How many factories have been ruined by those connection-holders!

By the way, the mall leaders in the capital are really effective—in such a short time they forced Zhao Guoqing's uncle to reconnect the power; hum, this matter isn't over yet—by the time we leave, we'll still go meet him and give him a talking-to!

"Dad, go get busy."

Qin Jianhua looked at his son, nodded satisfied: "Good! Go home, rest; you've been rushing about, then coming back to deal with these factory messes… Rest assured, I already know how to manage this factory."

After this incident, Zhao Jianhua also understood a principle: he couldn't imagine himself as a worker; he had to think as a factory director. For anyone harming the factory's interests, he must act—even if they have backing, he's not afraid, because he has a son! Moreover, he has so many hardworking workers!

Good.

Qin Miao was indeed tired too—having taken the train and bus, returned and faced off against sharp opposition; now it's time to go rest.

He strode toward the staff residential area, warmly greeting workers' families along the way—although his father was now factory director, he absolutely couldn't put on airs! These were people who had once looked out for him!

Having passed the intersection ahead, he reached his own building; just then, Qin Miao heard a voice.

"Aunt Liu, you and Qin Miao's classmate live opposite each other, right? You've watched him grow up, haven't you?"

"Of course, ever since he wore split-crotch pants… cough, cough, miss, since you personally came to our factory looking for San Shui, it's probably more than just classmates, right?"

"Um, Aunt Liu, Qin Miao's classmate at our Ha Gong Da is a legendary figure; I happened to pass by and dropped in to have a look. Could you tell me about Qin Miao's childhood?"

"He, from childhood, loved studying; the factory workers' kids all liked to play, which made him a misfit—behind his back they called him a bookworm, but looking back, being a bookworm was good! He got into university and came out as a state cadre..."

Qin Miao felt a wave of speechlessness—Chu Miaomiao, are you really this idle? If you keep probing, all my childhood embarrassments will likely be known by this person.

"Cough, cough! Chu Miaomiao classmate, hello!"

Chu Miaomiao heard Qin Miao's voice and instinctively wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

"Qin Miao classmate, hello."

"I said, you weren't supposed to go back to the capital, so why did you follow me all the way here?"

"I didn't!"

"Still saying you didn't—just now, when I was surrounded by factory workers chatting, I saw a familiar figure and only now realized it."

"Qin Miao classmate, I was just passing by, really just passing by."

Still talking!

You two should go up and talk; Auntie will make a few tasty dishes and send them over.

Aunt Liu, don't talk nonsense!

Aunt Liu looked at Chu Miaomiao's blushing face: "Oh, you're shy, Auntie understands!"