Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

Lou Bancheng fell completely silent.

He stared blankly at Cheng Shuhai, feeling a layer of cold sweat seeping down his back.

He thought he was a person who knew when to advance and retreat and had foresight, but compared with this young man who was more than 20 years younger than him, his own vision was like that of a soy sauce vendor in a hutong, who could only see his own small plot of land.

Cheng Shuhai was looking at the overall trend of the world.

"I think I understand now..." After a long while, Lou Bancheng shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm still thinking about how to keep those shops and machines, while you're already thinking about how to use these things to exchange for an invulnerable 'talisman' in the new era."

"Shuhai, you...you've won me over, I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart!"

He stood up, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Cheng Shuhai.

"You're right, it's about sacrificing the small to save the big. I should have relinquished these businesses long ago. Rest assured, starting tomorrow, all my shares in the cannery, my accounts, and my procurement channels will be made public, and I will fully cooperate with the government's takeover efforts. If it requires me to speak with the Soviets, I won't hesitate!"

Lou Bancheng finally let go of the last trace of resentment in his heart. He did not succumb to the situation, but was impressed by Cheng Shuhai's foresight and willingly chose a smarter and safer path.

"Brother Lou, it's great that you've come to your senses." Cheng Shuhai also breathed a sigh of relief.

His biggest worry was that Lou Bancheng might not understand things and would try to hide things during the handover process, which would make it easier for others to find fault with him.

"you say."

"This 'Special Food Supply Unit' qualification, once obtained, is a double-edged sword. It can protect us, but it can also destroy us," Cheng Shuhai said, emphasizing each word. "Therefore, from now on, all unplanned purchases, processing, and targeted supplies must have approval from the Military Control Commission or the Ministry of Industry, detailed invoices, and the signatures of at least two people. There can be absolutely no ambiguity, and it absolutely cannot become a loophole for us to seek personal gain!"

Lou Bancheng immediately understood the deeper meaning in Cheng Shuhai's words.

This serves as both a reminder and a form of protection.

At this critical juncture, any financial flaw could be magnified and used as a weapon by political enemies. Cheng Shuhai is proactively plugging all possible loopholes that could be attacked.

"I understand!" Lou Bancheng nodded heavily. "Don't worry, I'll go back right away and personally lead a team to thoroughly clean up all the old accounts since the factory was established! I'll make sure that even the smallest details are clear, leaving no room for anyone to complain!"

"That's good."

The night was deep, but the lights in the private room were as bright as day.

Two men, representing the pinnacle of wisdom from the old and new eras respectively, worked through the night over a pot of tea to finalize the detailed division of labor for the entire enterprise transformation.

The company's representative will take full control of the company's fixed assets, financial audits, and future production plans.

Lou Bancheng, on the other hand, used his past connections to assist the company in smoothly completing the handover and streamlining of the existing procurement channels.

Qin Huairu, with her familiarity with the factory's accounts and excellent Russian language skills, will continue to stay at the factory, responsible for the financial handover and daily liaison with the Soviet Union.

Cheng Shuhai himself completely withdrew from business management, retaining only the title of "Chief Technical Consultant," and was fully responsible for the core formula of the product, the formulation of quality standards, and the technical training of future new products.

To demonstrate his determination, Cheng Shuhai even proactively proposed to write down the scope of his authority as chief technical consultant in black and white in the final renovation plan. It was clearly stipulated that he only had the right to provide technical advice and veto quality decisions, and had no right to interfere with the factory's personnel, finances, or production arrangements, and was absolutely not allowed to grant any form of verbal authorization.

This suggestion to proactively limit his own power made Lou Bancheng look at Cheng Shuhai with new respect once again.

He knew that Cheng Shuhai was using extreme clarity and rationality to build the strongest ship for himself and for everyone in the future storms.

The next morning, before it was fully light.

Several jeeps painted with the words "Official Vehicles" quietly parked at the gate of the North China Food Processing Plant.

The car door opened, and seven or eight cadres in Zhongshan suits, carrying briefcases and with serious expressions, stepped out. Leading them was Deputy Section Chief Li from the Commerce Management Bureau.

They are the joint receiving team sent by the municipal government.

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire factory.

The workers, who were initially excited about the successful export of the first batch of canned goods, suddenly erupted in chaos.

"The working group has arrived? So quickly?"

"What... what are they going to do? Are they really going to nationalize the factory?"

"What should we do? The factory has become a joint public-private enterprise, and the boss has changed. Will we long-term employees be laid off?"

"Who says otherwise! I heard that when other factories go into mergers, they lay off half their staff! And the new leaders are all their own people!"

For a time, everyone in the workshop was filled with anxiety.

The roar of the machines seemed unable to drown out the suppressed chatter and sighs of the workers.

Some of the more shrewd individuals had already begun quietly packing up their personal belongings from the tool cabinet, preparing to seek other opportunities. Even more extreme, some, looking at the brand-new German production lines, no longer displayed pride, but rather a strange hostility and resistance.

The entire factory was shrouded in a strange atmosphere of tension, confusion, and even antagonism.

Qin Huairu stood by the office window, looking at the restless crowd below, her palms sweating. Although she had received instructions from Cheng Shuhai, seeing the scene in person, this young woman in her early twenties still felt unprecedented pressure.

Just then, Cheng Shuhai and Lou Bancheng, along with Deputy Section Chief Li and others, entered the factory area.

Almost all the workers stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward them. In their eyes, there was doubt, worry, scrutiny, and even more so, a deep unease.

Deputy Section Chief Li cleared his throat, preparing to read out the city's document according to procedure to calm everyone down.

Cheng Shuhai, however, walked ahead of him.

He didn't go up to the high platform, but stood directly among the workers, his gaze calmly sweeping over each familiar face.

"Dear masters, dear brothers and sisters."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"I know that everyone is worried and wondering if they can keep their jobs after the factory is merged."

"Today, in front of the comrades from the government working group, I, Cheng Shuhai, am here to tell you the truth."

He paused, then took a document from his pocket and held it high.