Chapter 317: Developing in an Out-of-Control Direction!

Just past one in the afternoon.

Jiang Jing stepped into the symposium venue ahead of schedule.

Before long, worker representatives dressed in dark blue work uniforms, with oil stains still on their cuffs, entered one after another.

Their expressions were a mix of unease and anticipation; sitting in the conference room, they looked calm, but judging by the details, they were somewhat nervous.

This nervousness did not come from the venue, but from the pressures of life.

What they sought was nothing more than a livelihood.

Otherwise, who would smash their own rice bowl?

Once everyone was seated.

Jiang Jing cleared her throat, her tone soft and steady:

"Comrades, I am Jiang Jing, Vice Mayor of the Hanzhou Municipal Government. I have gathered everyone here today because I want to hear your true thoughts.

There are comrades from various functional departments here, and we have only one purpose in coming: to solve problems. So please speak freely; if you have difficulties or ideas, we will think of a way together."

The five worker representatives exchanged glances.

The middle-aged man sitting on the left wearing black-rimmed glasses spoke first; his voice was slightly hoarse, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"Let me say a few words first. My name is Song Youbao, and I am a Technician at the factory. How glorious Hanxing Group once was; there are too many reasons why it has reached this point today.

But the most critical one is that technology has stagnated!

Those enterprises that were inferior to us in the past have now surpassed us in efficiency. Why? Because we always cling to old technology and old equipment, living off our past glory.

The Third Branch Factory, which I helped build back then, once produced buses that occupied over 30% of the national market, but now it is to be sold. I am heartbroken from the bottom of my heart!

I firmly oppose this decision!"

Guo Yi hurriedly took over the conversation, his tone carrying a hint of appeasement: "Old Song, the Third Branch Factory was indeed glorious, but the products can no longer keep up with the times. If we don't sell it in time now, it will depreciate even more later. I understand your feelings, but we must also rationally look at the current predicament. I am more pained than anyone that the factory is having problems!"

Jiang Jing frowned slightly and interrupted him: "I invited everyone here today to hear the opinions of the worker comrades, not to listen to explanations." The smile on Guo Yi's face froze instantly; he curled his lip and closed his mouth, extremely unwilling.

In his heart, he greeted the parents of the Vice General Manager who was responsible for arranging the representatives!

Wasn't it said that they would just find a few cooperative people to go through the motions?

This Song Youbao was clearly here to sabotage the meeting!

Meanwhile, the Vice General Manager in the corner already had his back soaked in cold sweat, and he regretted it bitterly.

He had thought it would just be a formality, never expecting Song Youbao to strike directly at the pain point of the management.

At this moment, a middle-aged worker slowly stood up, his voice full of exhaustion:

"Mayor Jiang, I have worked at Hanxing for over thirty years. Since I entered the factory in my teens, this place has been my home. Both my wife and I are in the factory, and now we haven't been paid for half a year; we can barely afford to eat at home...

I only ask that we be paid three months' wages so we can get through the New Year.

I can understand that the Third Branch Factory must be sold, but my wife and I are willing to have one of us suspended with pay, just asking for some compensation..."

Tang Ye lowered his head and recorded rapidly, the tip of his pen rustling on the paper.

He looked up at the worker's wrinkled face; those cloudy eyes were filled with helplessness and bitterness, yet his words carried a hint of unnatural compromise.

Tang Ye understood in his heart that behind this "understanding" lay unspeakable pressure.

Next, the workers spoke in turns, one after another.

Tang Ye's notebook was gradually filled with dense handwriting.

Guo Yi remained calm on the surface, but he breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Although a few representatives did not speak according to the plan, the overall situation was still barely controllable.

In his view, this strike was seemingly a crisis, but in reality, it was also an opportunity to seek support from the Municipal Government.

The efficiency this year was dismal; if the city did not step in to help, so many workers facing unemployment would inevitably trigger social problems.

As an old state-owned enterprise, Hanxing Group not only had to create economic benefits but also bore the responsibility of guaranteeing employment; debt was sometimes a helpless move.

After all, it has been said since ancient times that "the crying child gets the milk."

However, Guo Yi still harbored resentment toward Jiang Jing.

He had previously submitted a report for Hanxing Group's application for financial support.

But it was returned when it reached Jiang Jing.

In Guo Yi's view, the current worker strike was mainly caused by Jiang Jing.

Although Hanxing Group had been riddled with debt for many years, it had solved the employment of so many people.

If one wanted to improve operational efficiency, one had to drastically lay off a group of people.

And this was what the city did not allow!

"Mayor Jiang, I guarantee to you here that I will definitely study the opinions raised by everyone and make proper rectifications. But for the matter of wages, I still have to ask the city to help solve it."

Guo Yi's voice fell.

Jiang Jing turned her gaze toward Cao Zhengchun without changing her expression.

Cao Zhengchun touched his chin and sighed heavily: "I have been making calls for the loan all afternoon and was even half an hour late. I finally managed to apply for a two-million loan from the People's Bank; although it is still far from the amount you requested, I really did my best."

Jiang Jing looked at Dai Weimin again, "How much can you undertake?"

Dai Weimin said in a deep voice: "The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission will try its best to solve one million."

Immediately after, the West District District Mayor also stated: "The district can provide eight hundred thousand, but this is education funding; it must be paid back next spring, otherwise if teacher salaries are delayed for too long, there will be problems again."

Guo Yi began to complain bitterly: "Mayor Jiang, it adds up to less than four million. Divided among everyone, it's not even half a month's wages; it simply cannot solve the problem. I have already negotiated the production line of the Third Branch Factory with a buyer. As long as we nod, the other party is willing to pay eighty million. This way, we can not only pay the overdue wages but also pay off the debts."

Jiang Jing knew clearly in her heart that Guo Yi was determined to sell the production line of the Third Branch Factory.

From the immediate perspective, this might be the easiest way. After all, the current management had no intention of operating it, and the idle production line would only continue to depreciate. If it were completely phased out in a few years, it would be even harder to sell at a good price.

But once she agreed, it would be inevitable that she would be seized upon in the future for "selling state-owned assets at a low price."

Just then, Tang Ye walked quickly to Jiang Jing's side, leaned over, and whispered a few words.

A flash of astonishment crossed Jiang Jing's eyes, and then she nodded slightly: "Let them in!"

Guo Yi was completely bewildered, only seeing Tang Ye walk quickly out of the conference room.

Not long after, the door to the conference room was pushed open, and Tang Ye walked in with two people.

Seeing the people who arrived, Guo Yi's expression changed instantly—one of them was actually the retired employee Zhang Chunshui, and the other man, who was in his thirties, looked more and more familiar to Guo Yi the longer he looked.

Once that person sat down, he suddenly remembered!

This person had previously brought a Reporter to the factory to cause trouble...

Guo Yi's heart sank abruptly.

An ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

The situation was likely going to develop in a direction beyond control...