Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

The meeting room door was gently closed, and Director Qiu and several other colleagues from the ministry left, personally accompanied by Zhu Hongjie and Li Feng.

The atmosphere in the conference room, which had been somewhat solemn just moments before, seemed to instantly relax.

Once the powerful aura of the superior disappeared, and everyone left were on their own, the atmosphere immediately became warm and subtle.

After Li Feng and Zhu Hongjie returned to the conference room.

"Director Li, congratulations, congratulations!" Zhu Hongjie was the first to break the silence.

After dropping off the person, he returned with a genuine smile on his face. He strode up to Li Feng, extended his hands, and firmly grasped Li Feng's hands.

His address of "Director Li" was both loud and natural, as if he had called it a thousand times.

Li Feng quickly stood up, grasped Zhu Hongjie's calloused hands in return, and said with just the right amount of humility and respect, "Director Zhu, please don't call me that. I'm still used to calling you Director. You will always be my old leader."

"Hey, times have changed!" Zhu Hongjie patted his hand hard and laughed loudly, "From now on, I'll be a freelancer in the department, and you'll be the rightful head of our Five Star Ceramics Factory! From now on, you'll be in charge of all the big and small matters in the factory. I won't dare to be presumptuous anymore."

His attitude was open and sincere; it was not only a delegation of authority, but also a gesture, and something he was doing for the other deputy factory directors present.

Factory Director Wu Qing, who was in charge of production, also stood up at that moment.

He was a serious-looking middle-aged man who rarely smiled and was extremely focused on his work. At this moment, however, he managed to force a smile, though it still looked somewhat stiff.

"Yes, Director Li, congratulations." Wu Qing's congratulations were concise yet substantial.

Immediately afterwards, Deputy Factory Director Liu, who was in charge of logistics, Deputy Factory Director Wang, who was in charge of the labor union and personnel, and Deputy Factory Director Xiang all gathered around, and one after another, they said "Congratulations, Factory Director Li" and "Factory Director Li is young and promising".

For a moment, Li Feng became the center of attention in the entire conference room.

Faced with smiles that were sincere, complex, or tentative, Li Feng always maintained a composure beyond his years.

He showed no arrogance or complacency whatsoever.

He responded to everyone's congratulations one by one, nodding frequently and speaking earnestly.

"Thank you, Director Wu. Thank you, Director Liu, Director Wang, and Director Xiang."

"I'm still a newbie in the factory, and I'll need the support and help of all the senior leaders in every aspect in the future."

"Everyone is my senior, so please don't stand on ceremony with me. If there's anything wrong, please point it out in time."

He adopted a very humble attitude, and his words warmed everyone's hearts.

The deputy factory directors, who had been somewhat apprehensive, finally felt relieved.

What they fear most is that young people, once they gain power, will become arrogant and run rampant, making their own decisions everywhere. Judging from Li Feng's attitude, he is clearly someone who can listen to opinions and knows how to respect people.

Just as the atmosphere was getting along well, Wu Qing suddenly turned to look at Zhu Hongjie and said sincerely, "Old Zhu, I have to congratulate you too! A full-fledged provincial-level inspector, that's the highest-ranking cadre our factory has ever produced in all these years! Our Wuxing Ceramics Factory is really proud of you!"

As soon as he said that, everyone's eyes turned to Zhu Hongjie again.

Indeed, many factory directors retire as deputy inspectors, but being directly promoted to the level of a full-fledged provincial-level inspector is a real advancement with entirely different implications.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hongjie's smile widened. He waved his hand and said with a touch of the sentiment of someone who had been through it all, "Hey, I just got lucky. I benefited from our factory's technological upgrading project and Comrade Li Feng's help. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Wu Qing and the other deputy factory directors, his words carrying a hint of earnestness:

"Old Wu, and everyone else, to be honest, I'm just an inspector, retired to the second line, with no real power anymore."

"The future of our factory, its truly bright prospects, still depends on Factory Director Li Feng."

“You are all the pillars of the factory, the backbone. I, an old man, was able to catch the last train, but you, who are in your prime, will have even more opportunities.”

Zhu Hongjie's voice wasn't loud, but every word resonated deeply with everyone.

"As long as everyone works together and unites as one, and completes the Ministry's top priority Phase II and Phase III projects beautifully, the Ministry leaders will be watching us closely. They'll all be looking at Wuxing Ceramics Factory! When this tremendous achievement comes, won't everyone be left out of future opportunities?"

These words were spoken with exceptional skill.

He not only made it clear that his promotion was due to the project and Li Feng, but also subtly tied everyone's future to Li Feng and the subsequent second and third phases of the project.

He was using his own experience to paint a tangible picture of a future for everyone. There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.

The expressions on the faces of the deputy factory directors changed, and the last trace of hesitation and observation in their eyes completely vanished.

Yes, Zhu Hongjie is right.

The road is already laid out before us; whether it's a broad avenue or a narrow, winding path is immediately clear.

Wu Qing took a deep breath and was the first to step forward. He faced Li Feng with an unprecedentedly solemn expression.

"Director Li, Director Zhu is right, we have all taken his advice to heart."

"Rest assured, from today onwards, I, Lao Wu, and our production team will fully cooperate with your work arrangements! For the second and third phases of the project, we will execute your plans exactly as you command, without any compromise or delays!"

His voice was strong and resounding; it was not just a statement, but a promise.

Seeing this, Deputy Factory Director Liu, who was in charge of logistics, immediately followed suit. His usually smiling face was now full of seriousness: "That's right! Director Li, it's the same for our logistics side! Personnel, funds, materials, whatever the project needs, we guarantee to be there as soon as possible! Just you wait and see!"

"We, the personnel department and the labor union, will definitely do a good job in the ideological work of the employees and do our best to ensure the smooth progress of the project!" Deputy Factory Director Wang also hurriedly expressed his commitment.

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became lively, and the key deputy factory directors achieved a true consensus. Their eyes, looking at Li Feng, were filled with trust and expectation.

Faced with the "loyalty" of the crowd, Li Feng's heart was slightly stirred, but his face remained calm.

He knew that this was the last and most important gift Zhu Hongjie had given him—a united and ideologically aligned leadership team.

Li Feng straightened up, his gaze sweeping around calmly before finally settling on Wu Qing's face. He extended his hand and gave Wu Qing a firm handshake.

"Thank you, Director Wu, and thank you to all the senior leaders for your trust and support."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calming power.

"I, Li Feng, would also like to make a statement to everyone here."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"As you all know, the ceramic industrialization project was initiated by Director Zheng and me. I'm not here to reap the rewards; I'm here to plant the tree together and nurture it into a towering giant."

"Wuxing Ceramics Factory has a solid foundation and excellent technology, and our skilled workers are among the best in the country! In the past, we were limited by equipment and production capacity, and many of our ideas could not be realized. But now, the opportunity has arrived!"

Li Feng raised his arm slightly and waved it in the air, exuding an undeniable confidence.

"As long as we all work together as one, with a shared vision and concerted effort, we will not only successfully complete the second and third phases of the project assigned by the Ministry, but I will also lead everyone to make our Wuxing Ceramics Factory the number one ceramics enterprise in the country, and even world-renowned!"

“By then,” Li Feng’s gaze swept over everyone present again, “you will all be heroes of our factory! You will all be the creators of this glorious history!”

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up huge waves in the hearts of the deputy factory directors!

Number one in the country?

World-famous?

They never even dared to dream of this goal before!
But at this moment, the words coming from the mouth of this young man who was only twenty-one years old seemed to have a magical power, making them involuntarily feel their blood boil and their hearts surge with excitement!
Looking into Li Feng's deep, confident eyes, and at his composed and strategic demeanor, an idea uncontrollably popped into their heads:

Perhaps, he really can do it!
Wu Qing grasped Li Feng's hand, feeling its youthful strength and powerful energy, which conveyed a reassuring and immense strength. His expression completely relaxed, and he nodded solemnly: "Alright! Director Li, we'll work for you!"

"Yes! We'll work for Factory Director Li!"

"That's right, let's go all out!"

What had just been a celebration of the power transfer in the conference room had now completely transformed into a rally to rally for action.

Everyone's face was filled with a long-lost passion and anticipation for the future.

A brand-new, grand blueprint for the Five Star Ceramics Factory is slowly unfolding under Li Feng's guidance.

And he was the helmsman, wielding his paintbrush and leading everyone forward with courage. (End of Chapter)