Chapter 1037: Why So Arrogant!

"After several days of field investigation, interviews, and personal experience, I have figured out the true situation at Xingshun Food Factory.

In terms of raw material procurement, the lack of strict oversight has led to safety issues with the quality of the final products.

Moreover, to cover up problems with the materials, large amounts of chemical additives have been added, such as sodium citrate, fatty oils, and industrial-grade whey powder.

Nowadays, many places are very strict about food safety, and larger platforms require formal inspection reports.

Xingshun Food Factory cannot provide authoritative inspection reports, which has caused the food's reputation in the market to be extremely poor and sales to shrink day by day."

Ma Ran had been holding back a belly full of anger, and now, like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube, he poured it all out.

Tang Ye nodded slightly and continued to ask, "What problems are there in terms of management?"

Ma Ran continued, "In the factory's management process, due to lax systems and poor management, the phenomenon of leaders abusing their power for personal gain is serious. The staff lacks sufficient sense of identification with the factory, and because wages are too low, coupled with dissatisfaction regarding the corruption of the management, conflicts often break out."

"The food factory's sales network is also getting smaller and smaller. The DeputyFactoryDirector in charge of sales lowers the actual selling price of products and embezzles sales funds under the guise of promotions. Even more detestable is that he colludes with some channel distributors in private and maliciously misappropriates payments for goods, causing a large amount of bad debts."

Tang Ye's expression became solemn, "It is clear that you were very diligent in your research this time."

Xingshun Food Factory definitely had problems, but he had not expected there to be so many.

The reason Xingshun could still operate was, on one hand, by relying on some fixed orders from the county, and on the other, by relying on the special industrial relief funds for poverty-stricken counties at the provincial level allocated by the provincial finance department.

These borers did not care about the life or death of the factory; they were stubbornly gnawing away at this big tree until it fell.

Wanting to resolve this thoroughly was still quite tricky.

After all, the death of Zhou Songtao might be related to it.

Therefore, one must plan before acting.

At this moment, Ma Ran's phone rang.

A woman's voice came from the phone.

Ma Ran looked at Tang Ye awkwardly, "I'll take a call."

Tang Ye nodded and said, "Go ahead and take it!"

Ma Ran walked into the bedroom, closed the door, and answered the phone.

A woman's voice came from inside.

"Ma Ran, I heard you resigned? Are you doing okay now?"

The woman was named Liu Chun, the daughter of DeputyFactoryDirector Liu, and she also worked at the factory. The two had met by chance a few days ago while eating in the cafeteria, and at the time, Liu Chun had even put a chicken leg in Ma Ran's bowl.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern," Ma Ran was stunned for a moment and hurriedly explained.

"Are you free? I want to see you," Liu Chun said softly.

"Where are you? I'll come find you!" Ma Ran felt that he would need someone to contact regarding the situation at Xingshun Food Factory later on, and since Liu Chun had taken the initiative to comfort him after learning he had resigned, he felt embarrassed to refuse.

Ma Ran walked out of the room and explained to Tang Ye, "County Magistrate Tang, I'm going out for a bit."

Tang Ye laughed in spite of himself, "You don't need to report your work to me everywhere in daily life."

Ma Ran walked to the entrance of the residential compound.

Liu Chun was standing under a tree. During work hours, she usually wore a uniform and didn't wear makeup, so she looked very plain.

But now, she was carefully dressed, wearing a goose-yellow dress. Her figure was not particularly tall, giving people a feeling of simple elegance.

She saw Ma Ran from afar and took the initiative to wave at him from a distance.

When Ma Ran walked closer, Liu Chun took the initiative to ask, "Have you eaten yet?"

Ma Ran smiled, "I've already eaten!"

Liu Chun was stunned for a moment, "I haven't eaten yet. Why don't you keep me company while I eat?"

Ma Ran smiled, "Sure, what do you want to eat? I'll treat you."

Liu Chun pointed to a noodle shop not far away, "Treat me to a bowl of fish soup noodles!"

The two crossed the road.

After they were seated.

Ma Ran asked the owner for a bowl of fish soup noodles.

Liu Chun looked at Ma Ran in surprise, "Aren't you planning to eat with me?"

Ma Ran waved his hand, "I'm really full."

After the fish soup noodles were served, Liu Chun took a small bowl and divided half of the noodles into her own bowl.

"I can't eat this much, let's share it!"

Ma Ran was not dense; he clearly saw Liu Chun's intentions toward him.

He had come to a strange place and had no friends, so the goodwill Liu Chun showed made it easy for him to be moved.

"Alright, then I'll eat a little too."

Liu Chun took a sip of the noodle soup and asked softly, "I heard you argued with Factory Director Yang this afternoon?"

Ma Ran sighed and gave a helpless, bitter smile, "Yeah, I resigned in a fit of anger and have now become an unemployed drifter."

Liu Chun put down her chopsticks and said earnestly, "After you left, the factory started talking about it. Everyone thinks you were especially brave. However, it's very hard to find a job these days. Although Xingshun Food Factory hasn't been doing well these past few years, it is, after all, a state-run unit. Actually, there is still a turning point for this matter."

Ma Ran looked at Liu Chun in surprise, "What turning point?"

Liu Chun said very seriously, "I can discuss it with my dad and ask him to step in and plead with Factory Director Yang. If you lower your head and admit your mistake to Factory Director Yang, he might change his mind. I know this is very unfair to you, but you could still return to the factory to work."

Ma Ran had not expected Liu Chun to consider things so meticulously for him.

"You've considered things very thoughtfully for me and even looked after my self-esteem. I am truly grateful to you. However, spilled water cannot be gathered up, and a good horse does not turn back to graze on old grass. Since I decided to resign, I definitely won't be going back."

A look of disappointment appeared in Liu Chun's eyes, "Then what do you plan to do in the future? Are you going to leave Yechuan County?"

Ma Ran saw the reluctance in Liu Chun's eyes and said with a smile, "I won't be leaving Yechuan County for the time being. Actually, I've already found a new job. Once things stabilize, I'll tell you."

Hearing that Ma Ran would not leave Yechuan County, Liu Chun's original worry disappeared, "No wonder you were so confident when you resigned from Factory Director Yang. So you had already found another place. You made me worry for nothing."

Ma Ran smiled, "How is it worrying for nothing? I originally thought no one cared!"

Liu Chun said, "You shouldn't belittle yourself; you still have many strengths. Actually, many people in the factory think you've been doing a good job. Factory Director Yang and his bunch are often too unscrupulous, and everyone is too afraid to speak out against them. Because anyone who opposes him gets fired by him."

Ma Ran frowned and probed, "What gives him the right to be so arrogant?"

Liu Chun hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and sighed, "His older brother, Yang Guoxiong, is the Vice Mayor of Xiyang City. The Yang family is a very massive power in Yechuan County... If it weren't for having someone at the top, it would never have been his turn to be Factory Director..."