[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-zombie-apocalypse-creation":3,"chapter-zombie-apocalypse-creation-zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-651":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Zombie Apocalypse: Creation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1887379,2510,"Chapter 651 651: Going down the Ladder","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-651",651,"\u003Cp>Inside the factories, workers were being put through the toughest conditions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was put into an easy job for the first day, just 'flip a product over' to let the machine do the rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it somehow managed to strain his hand so much that he couldn't hold a pen. The manager was also constantly watching him, making sure he worked fast enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cameras and managers were constantly monitoring nonstop, walking in between them to see if someone was being lazy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Newer workers around him were being docked off left and right, even though all they did was take their hands off for a few seconds to wipe the sweat off their foreheads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Songming himself almost passed out on the first day as the factory inside had no air conditioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When it came to a lunch break, it was so short that he could only eat an apple before being sent back to work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A singular apple. Not even a styrofoam container with rice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was only confused even further when he asked one of the older workers what happened to the lunch, only to be told it was due to the budget cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowhere in the budget cut was the food benefit cut. Songming could specifically remember it was supposed to be a salary cut, not a cut towards basic benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he confronted the manager, he was told the same thing—the same old budget cut story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back on the production line, productivity was being forcefully shoved down everyone's throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People were being forced to work like a machine, even though a machine could easily replace the job itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Songming decided to ask the manager why he did not order a machine to replace his job, only to be told, 'Human labor is cheaper than a machine.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cost to get a machine to flip the product was way overpriced. It was indeed more cost-saving to hire a person to do it physically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time it was nine o'clock at night, the new worker got up from their seat, attempting to leave. But the managers immediately threatened their pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were to work extra hours or else they would lose their bonus at the end of the week.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stayed, including Songming himself. He went back to the workers' dorm, where it was just as hot as inside the factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, he couldn't sleep at all. The work was just too grueling for him. He had never done something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Songming was put into a different section of the production line. He was loading a box full of toys into the back of a semi-truck with three other people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working underneath the hot sun, he was sweating like crazy once again. He thought of taking a water break, but the other three just kept on working.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he asked them why they didn't want to take a break, even as there weren't any trucks to pick up the boxes yet, they told him a single sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't want my pay deducted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workday ended early today as the four of them loaded the last box into the semi-truck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was allowed to head back to the workers' dorm early, but all three of his coworkers just headed back into the factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The managers sent them back to the simple flip job, and Songming himself was sent to a different section that examined the product for defects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All he had to do was check for the bunny toy's tail, seeing if it was the right color. A job that seemed easy, until he almost once again passed out in the heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hands and arms felt so strained that day that he thought he had gotten carpal tunnel. Fortunately, he was just tired that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the whole week of work had gone by, Songming was finally back in his office. The first thing he did was to hold a board meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was to cancel all the budget cuts, which everyone at the board expected. The pressure from the news had already spread like wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he proposed to raise the budget for workers' salaries, a small minority pushed back, but he was still able to get a majority to agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very end, he announced his real intention—a fundamental change towards how the company's factory functions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was directly proposing to raise the bottom-end workers' benefits. Not just a simple salary increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost all of them immediately fought tooth and nail, rejecting even the most basic, simple things like air conditioning in the factories' dorms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even as Songming pointed out the minuscule cost to the actual company's budget, they were all still pushing back against him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he threatened them with his resignation letter. Only then did they agree to accept the budget increases to go through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hurt the short-term profit, but it avoided the real disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The company managed to avoid the incoming massive waves of worker strikes and government oversight that followed right after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And that's how the story ended... Now, Yuqi, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you in this story?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xiaoyun asked his question, Yuqi remained silent. Her eyes stared back at Xiaoyun as if she were the one asking the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello? You there, Yuqi?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah. I'm here. I'm thinking of words to answer you... Xiaoyun, I just didn't expect you to go that far down the ladder.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What ladder?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You working in the factory... I just can't imagine a CEO that would go out of their way to work in someone else's shoes like that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, don't make it sound that crazy. A boss needs to experience the situation on the ground to get a real understanding of what's happening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're right. I've never really gone out to see it for myself——\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahem, let's get back on topic. Do you understand what I'm telling you in this story?\" Xiaoyun asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Should I try to improve the workers' lives?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's part of it. But think about the worker, the stockholder, and the government's relationship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun waited, looking back at her, who seemed to be zoning out, thinking of an answer to his question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is it we, as the government, should incentivize companies to improve the workers' lives?\" Yuqi answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's getting close. But you're still missing a key link. Think, why did the stockholder push back against Songming's suggestions?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... Because it costs money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bingo. The whole story ties back to costing money. The workers, the stockholders, and even I were all tied up in the money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can't obviously expect every CEO to go all the way down to the surface level of the factory to experience what it's like.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, as the government, you need to incentivize the company owner to improve workers' conditions and make it sound good for stockholders.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun's answer only left Yuqi more confused than before, as all three actions sounded conflicted against each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could raising workers' conditions improve a company's attractiveness to investors? Wouldn't that cut into their potential profits?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not if you fined the shit out of them. Remember, the tool you have is the gun——I mean, the law is on your side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I... I think I understand now. You want me to raise the fine for the labor violations? Am I getting this right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yep. Just match the fine to the company's size. The bigger they are, the bigger the fine. Don't be scared to enforce it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But wouldn't it discourage those companies from hiring more and hinder their expansion?\" Yuqi raised her concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They aren't hiring more regardless of what we do. They are just going to keep milking their current employees to the death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We're going to slap them with the stick, make them realize labor laws aren't just a mere suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remember, the market will resolve the losers on its own. Those who can't survive without breaking some rules deserve to be weeded out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And those who do follow the rules will be rewarded with market share... Maybe they will even start hiring more people to make up for the shorter work hours.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuqi slowly nodded her head, her mind seemingly having wrapped around Xiaoyun's thinking process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay then, now that you have understood how to tackle this issue, I'll go deal with the material shortages.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait. Babe, can you come over here for a second?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiaoyun was a little surprised by her sudden tone change, but he didn't think too much about it as he walked around the desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing beside Yuqi, his eyes widened a little in shock as she got up from her seat and kissed him right on the lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't dare to stick her tongue out as she quickly seperated on her own, leaving him hanging as she looked back into his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Muah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qiqi, you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't call me Qiqi, call me darling.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuqi shyly stated, her face blushing red as she tried to maintain her assertive tone while sitting back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Darling... That scared me a little, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry. I was just trying to reward you for being so smart today... Y-You can go back to your work now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See you later tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1542,"2026-06-10T06:59:53.682Z",1,"novelbin.me","8868b37bc9be11a58b6fca45f856d755d59c8ff1656645989be2b35ebdd0ebfc","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-601","zombie-apocalypse-creation-chapter-801",829,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fzombie-apocalypse-creation-cover.jpg"]