Chapter 267: Merit So Great It Threatens the Master

Before going to Hong Kong, Li Ye had only planned to stay in Pengcheng for one night, but ended up staying two days.

And in just those two days, Hao Jian felt as if each day dragged on like a year.

"Do you not consider employee safety in your production process? Unacceptable—immediate rectification!"

"The kitchen is full of flies—don't you find this food disgusting?"

"There are no fire extinguishers in the workshop, the fire hydrant pressure is barely there, and the workers have no awareness of fire evacuation? Didn't you hire many retired workers? Why does it still feel like a small workshop?"

When Li Ye saw the newly built employee dormitory, his face turned completely dark.

He pulled Hao Jian into the office and angrily said: "The four-story dormitory has no emergency exit?"

"The windows are welded with iron bars, and the only staircase door is locked? Hao Jian, what were you thinking? We're businesspeople, not slave owners."

"I never treated them as slaves," Hao Jian said, feeling wronged. "But I had no choice—since a few months ago, romance suddenly became popular in the factory."

"If you don't lock the dorm doors at night, who knows how many lives would've been lost by now!"

"."

Li Ye hadn't thought of this—had people already figured out that factory girls were hardworking and easy to manipulate?

The bride price isn't expensive—why the rush?

"This issue must be taken seriously, but safety cannot be neglected," Li Ye said sternly. "Add two open-air staircases on either side of the dormitory. The iron door must not be locked at night—assign a dedicated person to monitor and register all entries and exits."

"Ensure that in any emergency, employees can evacuate smoothly. Don't think it's troublesome or too expensive."

"Hao, think about it—if a single spark ignites, and all these people are packed together, how big a disaster could it be? Losing your head isn't even out of the question."

"I understand. I'll handle this tomorrow."

Hao Jian was drenched in sweat. When the factory was first built, Li Ye had given him "Sixteen Suggestions," and Hao Jian had focused on improving living conditions—like installing electric fans in every room and guaranteeing hot water in the bathhouse.

But regarding the oversight of emergency exits, the retired workers said nothing—they actually thought it was great. After all, they'd once lived in long, narrow dormitory buildings with only one central staircase; now it was spacious and convenient—perfect!

But now, hearing Li Ye's words, Hao Jian was genuinely drenched in cold sweat.

The factory had nearly twenty thousand workers, almost all from outside the city, each dorm packed to bursting. If an emergency evacuation were needed, the consequences were obvious.

Seeing Hao Jian break out in cold sweat, Li Ye softened his tone: "Hao, I know it's been hard for you to carry the southern business alone these past two years."

"Everyone acknowledges your contributions, but one small mistake could ruin you for life."

"I understand, I understand—please don't hold back from criticizing me. If I've made mistakes, say them outright—I need to hear them. These past two years, every plan you set has been carried out."

Hao Jian said earnestly: "But more importantly, I've avoided every trap you warned me about. Last month, someone suddenly came to inspect our tax records; a few days ago, I nearly got scammed by a group of con artists."

Hao Jian told Li Ye several stories: if there was any tax irregularity at Pengcheng Factory Seven, Hao Jian would be the one to suffer.

The con artists were clever—they carried forged letters of introduction, showing up to demand goods on credit, acting as if they were above the law.

Had Hao Jian not met Wen Leyu and heard Li Ye's warnings about scams, he might have been fooled.

So while Pengcheng Factory Seven's smooth growth was due to Hao Jian's hard work, Li Ye's plans and "warnings" made Hao Jian feel as if everything had been within Li Ye's grasp all along.

Li Ye smiled and said: "Big trees attract wind—that's inevitable. You won't be helpless against this, right?"

Hao Jian replied confidently: "Two years ago, I truly wouldn't have known how to handle it. But now? My brain isn't any worse than anyone else's—how could a few words fool me?"

"Hahaha~"

Li Ye and Hao Jian laughed together, then Li Ye said: "But what you mentioned about workers falling in love—this needs caution."

"Regularly educate the male workers on the law—make them understand the severity of the Liu Mang crime. Love can't be stopped, but absolutely no sexual harassment. Don't wait until it's too late—there's no cure for regret."

In another twenty days, the country would begin "strictness in all matters." Li Ye didn't want Pengcheng Factory Seven to produce a Liu Mang offender.

The gender ratio in the factory was more than 1: 0—each young man was full of energy, constantly surrounded by women; stepping on two boats was unavoidable.

In today's era, if a woman in Shanghai dated two boyfriends at once, she was sent away immediately.

But after Li Ye finished speaking, Hao Jian said strangely: "He Gan' dad, you've misunderstood. I locked the staircase door mainly to protect the male workers."

Li Ye: "."

Hao Jian chuckled: "Our factory has far more women than men, and the mountain kids are fierce—they really fight and steal! Several male workers came to me crying like babies."

Li Ye swallowed hard, wanting to laugh but forcing himself to hold back.

"So if a woman forces a man, that's not Liu Mang? It's still Liu Mang."

Li Ye immediately ordered: "Next, hire more male workers. Set up a dedicated Living Management Section to strictly regulate things."

"Tell all male and female workers: if you like someone, treat them well. If a man and woman are compatible, go home and get married immediately—then assign them a couple's dorm. You can decide on special accommodations as you see fit."

"But everything must be legal and proper. Don't wait until a scandal hits the newspapers—that'll make you famous nationwide."

"That's fine, but…"

Hao Jian hesitated: "He Gan' dad, we're already being criticized for improving workers' living conditions and raising wages—people say I'm putting on a show, buying loyalty, and making workers in other units anxious."

"Also, we're still officially attached. What if, someday, we end up just making someone else's fortune?"

"Didn't I already tell you? As long as the workers follow us, we won't lose. When we first came to Yangcheng, how many people did we have? How much money?"

Li Ye said directly: "You must turn Fenghua Clothing into a brand—and turn your own name, 'Hao Jian,' into a golden trademark. Do you understand?"

From the beginning, Li Ye had treated Pengcheng Factory Seven as a military academy for training workers and management teams.

Running a business is a complex science. For a factory with tens of thousands of workers to operate efficiently, you can't solve it with two PowerPoint slides.

You need a large pool of skilled workers and experienced frontline managers. Don't underestimate a team leader—they're the ones who organize every single employee.

Besides, a factory like Pengcheng Seven isn't something you just hand over as someone else's gift.

Hao Jian stared at Li Ye in surprise, feeling he now looked just like Zhao Kuangyin in the storytelling tales who "released military power over wine."

If all the workers at Pengcheng Seven came to recognize "Hao Jian" as their true leader—would he, himself, become too powerful, threatening his master?

(End of Chapter)