The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 265 I, a Factory Party Official
"That's all for today's meeting."

Around noon, Zhou Zhiqiang finished explaining everything that needed to be said about the factory, including production, technology research and development, branch factory infrastructure, and so on.

"The things discussed at the meeting should be implemented as soon as possible. After each progress is completed, report to the factory office. Then, the factory office will organize them and pass them on to me through the assistant."

Report any problems you encounter that you can't solve promptly. Don't wait until the last minute to report them to me. I'm not the factory manager to cover everything.

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished speaking, he turned to Secretary Li and the other two deputy factory directors and asked, "Secretary Li, does anyone else have anything to say?"

Secretary Li shook his head and said, "No, Comrade Zhiqiang, you've made excellent arrangements. That's fine."

Everything in the factory was arranged in an orderly manner, and as long as the tasks were completed step by step, no accidents would occur.

In Li Younian's view, he is very lucky to have such a partner as he is nearing retirement.

Director Li Younian, who had just been in office, shook his head inwardly when he thought of Chang Zhiwei. The work adjustment was just a decision made at the meeting, and he was sure that Zhou Zhiqiang would have other means to deal with Chang Zhiwei after the meeting.

Zhou Zhiqiang had told him privately before that he just wanted to develop the factory peacefully. If these people didn't cause trouble and worked together to contribute to the development, he wouldn't find fault with them.

But if it happened again, he definitely wouldn't tolerate it. Now Li Younian feels that Comrade Zhiqiang's words from last time should come true, but he doesn't know how he will 'arrange' Chang Zhiwei next.

After all, it was a personnel appointment arranged by the higher-level organization department, and it came from the Civil Affairs Bureau of Beijing.

Deputy Factory Director Sun and Deputy Factory Director Liu had nothing to say. Zhou Zhiqiang had made all the arrangements perfectly, and they had nothing to add except to carry them out.

"Then let's adjourn the meeting."

After speaking, Zhou Zhiqiang picked up his pen and notebook and walked out of the conference room.

After leaving the conference room, Zhou Zhiqiang slowed his pace.

After Secretary Li walked out of the meeting room, he saw Zhou Zhiqiang and quickly said, "Comrade Zhiqiang, are you alright now? There's still half an hour before the cafeteria opens for lunch. Why don't you come to my office for a chat?"

"Perfect timing, I have something I'd like to discuss with you, Secretary Li."

After saying that, Zhou Zhiqiang followed Secretary Li to his office.

Deputy Factory Director Hou, who had just walked out of the conference room, clenched his fists a little more when he saw Zhou Zhiqiang and Li Younian leaving with their arms around each other's shoulders.

In Hou Yufeng's view, these two were "colluding with each other," and the rest of the factory's Party Committee were "accomplices"!
Now, even the deputy factory director, Hou Yufeng, realized that things weren't going well, so he didn't hesitate and hurriedly went to his office to call his superiors to ask.

Chang Zhiwei is, after all, a relative of the leader's assistant. If he knew about this, he would probably do something about it.

As for the other cadres, they slowly walked out of the meeting room at this time.

After they came out, the two, who were on good terms, exchanged a glance and then chatted quietly as they walked in other directions: "Today's meeting was really interesting. I didn't expect to lose a logistics director like that."
"Hey, Guoqiang, if I remember correctly, Director Chang was also on the list of those promoted last time, right?"

"Yes, he was there. Not long after he came to the factory as the logistics director, he was promoted one level when our factory's administrative level was upgraded."

Wang Guoqiang said with a disdainful look. Although his tone was full of disgust and dissatisfaction with Chang Zhiwei, he still kept his voice very low, so that people a little further away could not hear him at all.

"Who knows if he knew in advance? It's a pity that not all departments in the factory were promoted, so we weren't."

"None of you are regular departments in the heavy factory. You're all at the section chief level or so. You have no excuse to get promoted. It's already pretty good that you're given a deputy section chief position."
But if you ask me, this Director Chang is lucky but not smart. Look at the stupid things he said today, he was practically openly provoking our factory director.”

Another deputy section chief said with a mocking expression, "This Director Chang really has no brains at all. He deserves to be dismissed."

They were long-time employees of the factory, which was still called the Second Machine Tool Factory before Director Zhou arrived.

Director Zhou has been at the machine tool factory for almost five years. Although he is young, anyone who dares to challenge him has been dealt with.

No matter what skills or abilities you have, anyone who clashes with Director Zhou will inevitably be dealt with.

How united is the transport team? They are also essential skilled workers in the factory; without the transport team, the factory's goods cannot be transported out.

The results of it.

The team leader of the transportation team was transferred away, and the others who caused trouble were punished accordingly. Those who participated also behaved themselves. Now the transportation team is probably the most well-behaved department in the factory.

Today they witnessed Director Zhou's power and authority once again. He was the logistics director, and he could take him down or promote him to deputy director at will.

Of the seven members of the factory's Party Committee, six agreed with Factory Director Zhou's opinion.

From now on, if they feel they can't carry out Director Zhou's orders, they'll have to do everything in their power to do them.

"Zhiqiang, have a seat. I'll make you a cup of tea." After Li Younian entered the office and dismissed his assistant, he said to Zhou Zhiqiang, while also taking out tea leaves and a kettle to make tea.

"Secretary, just pour me a glass of water, that's fine. Forget the tea, it's almost lunchtime."

But Zhou Zhiqiang spoke too late; Secretary Li had already put the tea leaves in the cup and poured in hot water.

After serving the teacup to Zhou Zhiqiang, Li Younian sat down beside him, sighed, and said, "Comrade Zhiqiang, I went to the hospital for a check-up before the New Year, and the doctor advised me not to overwork myself."

I overworked myself when I was young and haven't really rested since. Now I'm almost sixty and I don't think I can last many more years.

"I had considered applying for early retirement in a few years, but now I really don't know if I can hold on until that day."

Secretary Li paused for a moment when he said this, and then continued, "However, I am still very grateful to you. Firstly, for the sake of the factory, no, when the Second Machine Tool Factory was first established, I was the secretary."

It's been over ten years now, but before you came, the Second Machine Tool Plant was rather unremarkable. It was you, Comrade Zhiqiang, who truly led the Second Machine Tool Plant to its current prominence.

"Secondly, I want to personally thank you. The Second Machine Tool Plant has now been upgraded to the Jiuzhou Machine Tool General Plant, which is at the ministerial level. I have also been promoted one rank and am now a senior cadre. My retirement benefits and security are completely different now."

Zhou Zhiqiang now roughly understood what Secretary Li meant, and sighed, saying, "Secretary Li, the machine tool factory's development to its current scale isn't entirely due to me. It wouldn't have been possible without you either. There's no need for this."

"That's what they say, but I know who deserves the most credit, the leaders know, and all the workers in the factory know."

Secretary Li shook his head and said, "So, Comrade Zhiqiang, just tell me what you're thinking. If it's not too much trouble, let me, a Party official, handle it."

He's already considering applying for early retirement based on the doctor's advice, so what's he worried about now? Is he worried that someone will block his retirement benefits?
That's impossible. Unless his records are removed, no one can stop him from receiving retirement benefits.

“Secretary Li, since you’ve put it that way, I won’t hide it from you anymore.”

Zhou Zhiqiang's expression turned serious as he said, "I want to send Chang Zhiwei back in the name of Jiuzhou Machine Tool Factory!"

"I still hold the same view: as long as they are focused on the development of the factory, I can teach them even if they are not capable. But if they have bad intentions and hold us back, I cannot tolerate it at all."

I'm busy with machine tool R&D, production management, sometimes even logistics, and managing factory discipline.

At this point, Li Younian felt a little embarrassed, but since he was almost sixty years old, he immediately continued listening without changing his expression.

Discipline should be the responsibility of the Party Secretary, but he has indeed been somewhat lax in managing the factory, and often it is the factory director, Zhou Zhiqiang, who has to take charge.

Li Younian was quite happy at the time, but now that Zhou Zhiqiang had said it, he suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

“I don’t have time to scheme against others, that’s too tiring. I expect to be very busy in 1963, I have two projects to work on, and I can’t have anyone in the factory holding me back. So I want to get rid of him!”

Zhou Zhiqiang said firmly that he was determined to get rid of Chang Zhiwei this time. To be honest, he could tolerate someone who was just trying to get credit, as long as they didn't drag him down.

But it's one thing to take credit for others' work, but to eat the machine tool factory's food and then try to take advantage of it is something Zhou Zhiqiang can't tolerate at all.

"Using the excuse that he is not capable of fulfilling the duties of the logistics director, and that there are no other vacant positions within the factory, we suggest that the organization department leaders consider making appropriate arrangements."

After listening to Zhou Zhiqiang's words, Secretary Li nodded and remained silent for a while before saying, "Okay, but this reply to the Organization Department should be written in my name as the factory's Party official."

Just sign it. No, don't sign it. My position as secretary is more than enough.

The Organization Department will definitely take a serious look at the formal official reply from a level 13 factory party official, especially considering that Chang Zhiwei had recently received a major demerit.

The machine tool factory doesn't want him; he'll definitely be transferred.

As for where they are transferred, and whether their rank will remain after the transfer, that's beyond their control.

Li Younian felt that he had hinted and reminded Chang Zhiwei, but he still made a stupid mistake, so it was really no wonder that he was the secretary.

Secretary Li

"Alright, I know what to do, Comrade Zhiqiang, you don't need to worry about this anymore."

After Li Younian finished speaking, he pointed to his watch and said, "Look, it's time for the cafeteria to open. Comrade Zhiqiang, you should go eat first."

"Your involvement in Director Chang's matter is no longer your concern."

He didn't believe that his superiors wouldn't praise him after he did this; even if they didn't praise him openly, they would at least give him some approval in private.

(End of this chapter)