Courtyard House: Starting in a Ceramics Factory

“I know, Dad,” Zhou Jianjun replied solemnly.

"This isn't just about you anymore!" Zhou Kai stopped and pointed at his son, his tone extremely serious. "If you do a good job, you'll bring honor to Director Li, and he'll have more leverage when he speaks in the factory! If you make even the slightest mistake, it won't just be you who's being criticized behind your back, it'll be Director Li too! Do you understand this?"

"I know!"

Seeing his father's excited yet serious expression, Zhou Jianjun felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He knew that his father was using his entire life experience to teach him the most important lesson.

"From now on, in the factory, don't call me Li Feng anymore, call me Factory Director Li. Public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters," Zhou Kai instructed again. "Observe more, listen more, learn more, and talk less. Do what Factory Director Li tells you to do, and don't try to be clever. Be down-to-earth and do things well; that's more important than anything else!"

"Yes, I'll remember that, Dad."

That night, Zhou Kai drank an unusually large amount of liquor, and became unusually talkative. He pulled his son aside and recounted his experiences and lessons learned when he was the workshop director, talking about the interpersonal relationships in the factory, as if he wanted to impart all his life's wisdom to his son.

Zhou Jianjun listened quietly. He knew that from this moment on, he carried not only his brother's trust on his shoulders, but also his father's lifelong expectations.

……

After Zhou Jianjun left, the light in Li Feng's office remained on.

Instead of rushing home, he immersed himself in mountains of documents.

Factory director—this position sounds glamorous, but only when you actually sit in it do you realize how heavy the responsibility is.

On the table, several stacks of materials were neatly arranged in categories.

On the left is the factory's production plan and the production report for the previous quarter. Behind the densely packed numbers are the efficiency of each process and the output of each workshop.

On the right are personnel files and staffing information for each department sent by the personnel department. The names and positions of thousands of workers constitute a huge and complex system.

Right in the middle are the finance department's accounts; every income and every expenditure is related to the lifeline of this factory.

This is just the most basic level.

In addition, there were reports from the technical department regarding the aging of equipment in the old factory, from the logistics department regarding the repair of employee dormitories, and from the security department regarding the security of the factory area...

It's a complex and multifaceted situation.

Li Feng flipped through the pages one by one, his brain like a high-speed processor, rapidly absorbing, classifying, and organizing the information.

With his advanced technical knowledge and management concepts far ahead of his time, he can easily find the crux of many problems that others find extremely difficult.

For example, the yield rate in the firing workshop has been hovering at a mediocre level in the production reports. Previous reports attributed it to the aging of the kiln, but Li Feng, combining his knowledge of "Mechanical Proficiency Level 7," immediately judged after just a glance at the kiln parameters and fuel consumption data that the problem lay not only in the kiln itself, but also in significant defects in the control of fuel ratio and firing curve.

With just a few adjustments, the yield rate can be increased by at least five percentage points.

For example, in the personnel files, he found that the people in several key technical positions were older and had outdated knowledge structures, while some young people with ideas and drive were suppressed and had no chance to get ahead.

This is why he promoted Zhou Jianjun, and it also marks the beginning of a series of subsequent personnel adjustments.

He needs a sharp knife to cut through this stagnant pool of water.

"Dong dong dong."

There was a knock on the office door.

"Please come in."

The person who pushed open the door was the former factory director, Wu, who is now the executive deputy factory director and branch factory director.

He had a smile on his face and was holding a thermos. "Director Li, are you still busy so late? Let me refill your hot water." Wu Qing quickly filled Li Feng's enamel mug with hot water, adopting a very humble posture.

Li Feng looked up, smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Director Wu, please have a seat."

"Hey, Director Li, please don't call me that. Just call me Lao Wu." Wu Qing sat down on the chair opposite the desk, looking a little reserved. "How is it? Are these things giving you a headache? It's always like this when you first take over. There are so many things to do. Take it slow, no rush."

Li Feng smiled. He knew that Wu Qing was here to express his opinion and also to test the waters.

“Yes, it’s really not easy. Our factory is a big company, and it has a lot of problems.” Li Feng closed a document, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Wu Qing. “Old Wu, you know the situation in the factory better than I do. I will have to ask you for advice and rely on you more in the future.”

Hearing this, Wu Qing's eyes lit up, and his smile became much more sincere: "Director Li, you're too kind. You're the backbone, and we're here to fill in any gaps for you. Just let me know if you need anything, and I, Old Wu, promise not to hesitate!"

This was exactly the attitude Li Feng wanted. He needed Wu Qing's experience to stabilize the situation in the factory, and he also needed to use him to handle some matters that he himself couldn't personally handle.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony with you." Li Feng picked up a few documents and handed them over. "These are some reports from the logistics and security departments, as well as some trivial matters from the family quarters. You're experienced, so you can take charge of these areas for now and come up with a plan. What do you think?"

Wu Qing quickly took the document, as if it were a priceless treasure.

This is not only a division of labor, but also a delegation of authority! Li Feng entrusted him with these trivial but direct tasks that could connect him with the grassroots and win people's hearts, which in itself was a gesture of trust.

"No problem! I guarantee it will be done! Don't worry, Director Li!" Wu Qing patted his chest and assured him.

Li Feng nodded. He knew very well that he couldn't do everything himself. He had Wu Qing, Deputy Factory Director Xiang, and several other deputy factory directors under him, and he had to delegate the work as soon as possible so that they could each perform their duties.

Only in this way could he devote his main energy to more important things—the construction of the second branch factory, the technological transformation of the old factory, and... the grand task assigned by the ministry regarding the future industrial system, which has not yet been fully completed.

That was his true battlefield.

After seeing off the satisfied Wu Qing, Li Feng checked his watch; it was almost five o'clock.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, packed his things, and prepared to leave work. Today was just the beginning; he needed to go home and get some rest. Tomorrow, there was another tough battle ahead.

Stepping out of the government building, the evening breeze carried a slight coolness that felt pleasant on my face.

The factory area was almost empty as most of the people had left.

As Li Feng reached the bottom of the steps at the building entrance and prepared to push his bicycle, he caught a glimpse of a beautiful figure standing quietly under the bulletin board not far away.

The woman was wearing a pair of blue slim-fitting trousers, which accentuated her slender figure and fair skin.

In this factory area dominated by blue-gray tones, she stands out like a vibrant splash of color.

Li Feng paused, completely stunned.

It's Wu Na.

Why is she here?

Seemingly noticing Li Feng's gaze, Wu Na turned her head and saw him.

Her lips immediately curved upwards, forming a bright and charming smile.

She strode towards Li Feng, her white leather shoes making a crisp sound on the ground.

She stopped in front of Li Feng, her bright eyes looking at him without any hesitation, her gaze carrying a hint of cunning and a smile.

She opened her mouth with a charming smile, her voice clear and melodious.

"I've been waiting for you for so long." (End of Chapter)