Chapter 1298

As for wining and dining...

Factory Director Li asked expectantly, "Weiguo! What are your thoughts on this matter?"

Cao Weiguo said with a calm expression, "This matter is very thorny. Right now, the workers have grievances against Factory Director Han and the other leaders. Regardless of whether Factory Director Han and the others have problems, the priority must be to appease the workers' emotions."

Factory Director Li took a deep drag of his cigarette, which made him cough incessantly. The workers' grievances were so great; it wasn't as if they could be appeased just by saying so.

Those workers were clamoring for an investigation, demanding justice and the recovery of stolen money. Could they really agree to an investigation?

If those rotten accounts were unearthed, he feared he would be the one to suffer the consequences.

Factory Director Li looked at Cao Weiguo with piercing eyes: "Weiguo, the problems at the accessories factory need to be resolved as soon as possible. I have a meeting this afternoon that I must attend, so I have no way to go to the accessories factory. I hope you can go to the accessories factory to guide the workers and get them to return to their posts. As for the problems of Factory Director Han and the others, the relevant departments will conduct an investigation."

Cao Weiguo set down his teacup: "Leader, the workers have surrounded the office building, which shows that the problems at the accessories factory are already very severe. If they cannot be solved at the root, I fear the workers will not be satisfied."

Factory Director Li frowned and said, "I understand what you mean, but solving problems must be done step by step. We must be steady and solid; it cannot be achieved overnight. As long as you can persuade the workers to return to their posts this time, that will be a great merit. As for other matters, I will handle them personally later."

Cao Weiguo stood up and said, "Understood. Leader, I will set off now."

Factory Director Li: "Watch your safety."

Cao Weiguo went to the vehicle pool, got into a jeep, and headed straight for the accessories factory.

When he arrived at his destination, the office building was already blocked tight.

"Let the one surnamed Han come out!"

"Making us eat rotten vegetable leaves—do they think we're pigs!"

"They have fish and meat, while they make us eat moldy rice and rotten vegetable leaves. They aren't even human!"

"Get the one surnamed Han to roll out here!"

"Worker brothers! Listen to me...!"

"Listen to your fart! Let those rats roll out here!"

Vice Factory Director Nie was shouting to the worker representatives, but his voice was hoarse and it was to no avail.

Cao Weiguo raised his hand to check his watch, then turned his head to the accessories factory's administrative section chief and said, "Take me to the canteen."

The administrative section chief was confused, but he still obediently took Cao Weiguo to the canteen.

After checking the canteen's reserves, Cao Weiguo had the administrative section chief drive to the rolling mill to bring over meat and vegetables.

By the time it was nearly noon, Cao Weiguo had stewed several pots of pork with vermicelli, boiled millet porridge, and steamed white flour buns.

"Worker brothers!"

"I am Cao Weiguo, Vice Director of the Red Star Rolling Mill Committee!"

"It's already noon now; you all must be hungry!"

"I've made a big pot of food for everyone, and I've put in over fifty catties of pork. Let's eat first."

"Food is the fuel of the people; even if we are to make revolution, we must eat our fill first, right!"

Cao Weiguo and his men used pushcarts to bring the food to the office building, and they had also prepared bowls, chopsticks, and stools.

Smelling the aroma of the food and seeing the slices of meat in the pork stewed with vermicelli, plus having been at it for half the day, the workers were indeed hungry.

Cao Weiguo ladled a bowl of pork stewed with vermicelli and, holding a white flour bun, walked up to an old worker: "Old Master, you've worked hard. Let's eat first. The body is the capital of revolution; we can talk about whatever matters there are after we've eaten our fill."

The old worker turned to look at the workers beside him: "Let's eat first."

Hearing the old worker's words, the hungry workers flocked toward the food.

Cao Weiguo said with a kind smile: "Worker brothers! Everyone don't crowd! There's enough for everyone!"

The administrative section chief hid in a corner, not daring to show his face, while several clerks were responsible for serving the food to the workers.

Following Cao Weiguo's instructions, everyone had to be fed until they were full and satisfied.

"Hmm! This pork stewed with vermicelli is authentic!"

"Delicious!"

"Old Wang, did you make this lunch?"

The workers were eating ravenously and turned to look at the staff canteen's head chef, Old Wang.

Old Wang pointed at Cao Weiguo: "How would I have this skill? This was cooked personally by Director Cao from the main mill."

The old worker held his food and looked at Cao Weiguo: "Director Cao, you've worked hard."

Cao Weiguo said with a face full of apology: "Old Master! It is our dereliction of duty. I have let you all down, I have let down the worker brothers who labor so hard. Everyone eat first; after the meal, I will definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer."

A worker said indignantly: "Director Cao! Just based on the fact that you can make such delicious food, I know you aren't a cadre who just eats for free and relies on bootlicking to get ahead. You have real skills. But you don't know, those officials surnamed Han are just too terrible. They give us rotten vegetable leaves, rotten radishes, rotten potatoes, the mixed flour for the steamed buns, and the rice for the porridge are all moldy..."

Cao Weiguo said with a grave expression: "Comrades, I, Cao Weiguo, am also a worker. I know that we worker brothers are the most simple and kind. Your grievances are already known to me and the various leaders. I now guarantee to you all that from today on, I will work in the accessories factory's canteen. I will personally cook for everyone, and I guarantee that everyone will be fed until they are full and satisfied. I will not leave until the dining problems in the staff canteen are solved at the root. If you don't eat your fill or aren't satisfied with any meal, you can smash my rice bowl, and I won't say a single word against it. As for the problems of Factory Director Han and the other leaders, the higher-level leaders have already given instructions; they will definitely investigate to the end, not wronging a single good person nor letting off a single bad person. If you all believe in me, please return to your respective posts first. We are the workers of the country, and also the masters of the country. We must take the construction of the motherland as our own responsibility and cannot delay production tasks..."

"Good!"

"Director Cao, I believe in you!"

"Director Cao! Just for this meal and these words! We believe in you!"

"Brothers! Let's go back to work!"

"Director Cao! You must strictly investigate that group of officials surnamed Han!"

"Director Cao, I want to eat pork stewed with vermicelli again tomorrow!"

Having eaten their fill and drunk their fill, the workers' anger dissipated quite a bit. Coupled with Cao Weiguo's words, the simple workers also reciprocated, no longer surrounding the building and returning to their respective posts in the workshops.

Workers are the masters of the country; even if they are angry or have suffered great grievances, they cannot delay the construction of the motherland, cannot delay production, and cannot hold the motherland back...

As the workers returned to the workshops, Factory Director Han and the others, who had been blocked in the office building, sat on the sofa, exhausted. They were covered in sweat, lingering in fear, and also ravenously hungry, but not a single one dared to leave the office building, fearing they would be dealt with by the workers.

"I told you long ago to be careful and not to take things too far, but you just wouldn't listen. Well, look at it now... Do you really think this is still the Great Qing? This is New China! The people are the masters of the house..."

Factory Director Han shouted angrily in the room, while the group of factory leaders hung their heads in dejection.

Cao Weiguo and Vice Factory Director Nie walked into the office, followed by administrative section clerks carrying food.

Vice Factory Director Nie said with a gloomy face: "You all eat first, and after you finish, come with us to the main mill to accept an investigation." ===== CHAPTER 1300 =====