Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

"It's better than many state-run factory canteens in China; they should learn from it!"

Chen Dong followed behind Huang Bin and found an empty seat to sit down. His secretary, Qu Cai, had already brought him a meal. Chen Dong, Huang Bin, Zhou Haimin, and several others sat around a table, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Huang Bin ate slowly, savoring each dish carefully and nodding occasionally. From the pleasure on the old man's face as he ate, one could tell that the food was to his liking.

"Not bad, not only is the food plentiful, but the taste is also not sloppy, just the right amount of saltiness," Huang Bin said after finishing his meal, taking out a handkerchief he always carried with him and wiping the remaining food juice from the corners of his mouth.

"If you think it's acceptable, Mr. Huang, then that's the best compliment for our Xiaochi Company's logistics department," Chen Dong said, having finished all the food on his plate and wiping his mouth with a tissue handed to him by his secretary, Qu Cai.

As they were talking, Chen Zaiguang and a group of kitchen staff came over carrying trays filled with bowls of hot soup. Chen Zaiguang smiled and said to Elder Huang and the others, "Gentlemen, please try this soup. It's a bitter melon soup made with pork bones today; it's very cooling!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Bin laughed heartily and politely smiled at Chen Zaiguang, "Thank you so much, comrade. If you hadn't come, we wouldn't have known there was soup available. I found it a bit dry and was too embarrassed to ask you for some, afraid of troubling you, hahaha!"

Most of the officials from these ministries who came were from the north and probably didn't have the habit of drinking soup. In Tuocheng, the old folks often say, "If you eat rice but not soup, you're heartless and won't recognize your relatives!"

It means that whether you are inviting someone to dinner or going to a relative's house for dinner, soup must be served on the table. If soup is not served, it means that you are not being hospitable and that you are disrespecting your relatives!

If you are entertained and the host serves soup, and you deliberately refuse to drink it, it means you will forget your roots once you become successful!

In Tuocheng, there are three things that cannot be missing from the dining table: soup, vegetables, and fish. Tuocheng is located by the sea, and most people eat seafood, emphasizing freshness. You can do without meat, but you can't do without these three dishes.

People in Tuocheng are so particular about freshness that the price difference between live and frozen fish can be huge. Some people can even tell at a glance whether the fish served to them was freshly killed or frozen after it died.

"You didn't see it, so I brought it over to a few leaders. If you want more after you finish drinking, I'll get you more," Chen Zaiguang said with a simple smile.

Huang Bin waved his hand with a smile, "That's enough, that's enough. You'll be too full if you eat any more. Your canteen is much better than when I was working in the factory. Back then, we were lucky to get a cornbread and some pickled vegetables."

Zhou Haimin quickly chimed in, "Old Huang, you followed the main force back then, crossing snow-capped mountains and grasslands under harsh conditions. Things are different now; the country has opened up, and the people are about to be happy!"

Huang Bin nodded upon hearing this, "Yes, we need economic reform and opening up so that people's lives can get better and better. Zai Dong, your Xiaochi Automobile is now officially registered with the Ministry of Industry, so we can't be careless about the treatment of our workers. We must set a good example in reform and opening up!"

"We must uphold the principle that the working class and peasantry are the masters of the country. Regarding the treatment of workers, the eight-hour workday must be strictly implemented. I just spoke with several workers, and they generally earn a little over one hundred yuan a month?"

Chen Dong nodded in agreement with Huang Bin's words and replied loudly, "For general workers, the basic salary plus subsidies is between 150 and 200 yuan per month. Skilled workers earn more, up to 300 yuan. Foreign experts are paid separately and are not included in the company's salary statistics; they are considered external hire expenses!"

Huang Bin nodded, and his secretary, Xiao Wang, who was standing behind him, had already taken out a pen and paper. Huang Bin then asked, "Where did all these workers in our factory come from? How many workers do we have right now?"

"Our Xiaochi Auto has partnered with the supporting factories of Dongfeng Motor Corporation and Shanghai Automobile Group. They agreed to relocate some of their supporting factories to Zhaoyang District. We exchanged equipment for skilled workers and obtained some skilled workers from the two state-owned automobile factories," Chen Dong casually explained in detail.

"Currently, most of our workers at Xiaochi Auto are recruited locally, with experienced workers from two state-owned auto factories serving as mentors. We leverage the advantage of experienced workers training new ones. Once the newly recruited workers are proficient, we will gradually expand production capacity!"

Huang Bin nodded approvingly, "Your approach at Xiaochi Motors is correct. Workers are the foundation of an enterprise, and even more so, the cornerstone of whether our country can achieve the 'Four Modernizations.' Only by treating workers well can an enterprise develop healthily and vigorously!"

Zhou Haimin chimed in from the side, "Mr. Huang, you've hit the nail on the head. Xiaochi Motors is not only technologically advanced, but also has advanced management! The workers are well-paid and highly motivated, which naturally leads to high production efficiency. Other companies in Tuocheng should come and learn from them."

"Hmm," Huang Bin nodded, agreeing with Secretary Zhou Haimin's words, and then asked Chen Dong, "Zai Dong, how many meals does our canteen serve a day?"

"There are three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner," Chen Dong replied. "Night shift workers also get a free late-night snack at eight o'clock."

Huang Bin then recalled that Chen Zaiguang hadn't asked him for meal tickets or money when he got his food. He asked Chen Dong with a puzzled expression, "Is the food in your cafeteria all free?"

"That's right!" Chen Dong smiled. "Workers expend a lot of energy, so we can't let them work on an empty stomach. Besides, three meals a day don't cost much. The company provides them for free. When the workers eat well, they feel warm inside and have more energy to work."

After listening, Huang Bin remained silent for a long time, then sighed and said, "Zai Dong, I've worked in industry my whole life, and I've been in too many state-owned factories. Some factories received a lot of government support and funding, and purchased a lot of equipment, but they just couldn't get things right!"

"Why!"

Huang Bin said in a deep voice, "It's because these factories don't treat their workers like their own comrades. The workers just go to work to get by, taking it one day at a time. No wonder state-owned factories like that can't possibly succeed!"

He looked at Chen Dong with a complex emotion in his eyes. This Chen Dong, who grew up in America, was far superior to those who grew up under the red flag but forgot their original aspirations.

"Your Xiaochi has shown me another possibility: if you treat workers as human beings, they will treat the factory as their home. Some people will never understand this principle in their entire lives."

Chen Dong felt a little embarrassed by what he said, and smiled, "Mr. Huang, you flatter me! I didn't think that much about it. I just felt that if I treat the workers well, they will naturally treat me well in return. We are all human beings, and who doesn't want to be respected!"

As soon as Chen Dong said this, all the ministerial officials listening around him nodded silently. Huang Bin looked at Chen Dong with satisfaction, his eyes smiling and his appreciation evident.