Road to Revival

Tao Jin, a repair fitter at the Eleventh Factory, planned to invite his younger brother over for dinner that evening.

Tao Jin's feelings were complicated. His second brother's unexpected "triumphant return" made him shiver even in the dead of winter. His superiors' attitude towards him immediately became much more "submissive." That afternoon, he was bragging to a group of colleagues in the maintenance team, and the topic, of course, was his second brother. That damned Factory Manager Tong came in, saw him smoking, and left without a word. In the past, he would have received a scolding, and at least a 50 yuan fine.

Last night, a steady stream of people came to visit, most bringing gifts. I received six cartons of cigarettes alone, including a carton of Blue Lotus, a high-end brand costing fifty or sixty yuan a pack. Some came to ingratiate themselves, but most were direct, hoping he would put in a good word for them with the second-in-command and do them a small favor. Hongxing is a relatively closed little society; the factory director (the workers prefer to call him "the boss") is like a local emperor. In Hongxing's internal affairs, whether personnel or anything else, the director basically has the final say. In short, once the second-in-command sits in that chair, he wields absolute power in this area.

Their requests and hopes were varied and numerous, and Tao Jin carefully noted them all down. None of them were major issues. For example, the matter of Old Wan's daughter next door wasn't about getting a promotion or a transfer; she just wanted to be transferred from the workshop to any other unit. It was just a matter of the second son's word, wasn't it? But as people left one by one and the house returned to quiet, Tao Jin felt a little uneasy. Would the second son really give him face?

Tao Jin knew that ever since his father fell ill, a thick wall had been built between him and his second brother. The fact that his second brother hadn't visited him for two days after returning home was the best proof of this. Older neighbors and friends knew about the estrangement between him and his brother. When his father suffered a sudden stroke, his widowed brother had just started working in Binjiang and sent back a large sum of money, asking Tao Jin to use it for his father's treatment. Tao Jin naturally accepted the money and did his best to treat his father.

That's how strokes are; they inevitably leave aftereffects. My father survived, but his left leg became weak, and his mind became much slower. This brought up the issue of caregiving, because my mother's health wasn't good either, and my father couldn't be left unattended.

As the eldest son, he felt he should have the final say in this matter, so he convened a family meeting and summoned the second son back. He listened to his wife, Bai Shuxian's, opinion and insisted that the three siblings take turns caring for their parents. This request stumped the second son, who was deeply depressed after his wife's unexpected death. The second son suggested that he provide the financial support, while his brother and sister provided the labor. His sister and brother-in-law were willing, but his wife refused. Thinking about this, he felt intense resentment towards Bai Shuxian. Women's minds can sometimes be muddled; he truly didn't understand her thinking. In the end, they couldn't reach an agreement, and the three siblings had a huge argument. In a fit of anger, the second son brought his parents to Binjiang and hired a nanny at a high price to care for them.

Five years passed in a flash. During that time, my younger sister and brother-in-law visited Father in Binjiang twice, and returned saying that Father's health had improved considerably; at least his mind was much clearer, he walked much more nimbly, and he could take care of himself without problems. But he and Bai Shuxian never went there. When Youdao graduated from university, Bai Shuxian suggested that he work for Shengdong Company, and he agreed. In terms of urban prosperity, Binjiang was far superior to Pingquan, and in terms of company efficiency, Hongxing was far inferior to Shengdong. But the second son firmly disagreed. In the end, Youdao returned to Hongxing. This incident intensified Bai Shuxian's dissatisfaction with the second son, who believed that he was using this as an excuse to vent his anger. She thought that even if he had a problem with them, he shouldn't joke around with Youdao's future! Youdao was the only heir of the Tao family.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, the second brother would return to Red Star and become the top leader?

The night the second son returned, it was Bai Shuxian who suggested visiting Xiao Zhao, hoping he would stay at her house. She knew he wouldn't agree, and sure enough, he refused. Bai Shuxian now regrets it, asking if he holds a grudge against her. Who knows? The second son has always been decisive, though he may not say it aloud; his thoughts are always kept to himself. After so many years in officialdom, how could we possibly fathom his mind? If only things hadn't turned out this way, how much better it would have been! With his second uncle's protection, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had a bright future.

They could only try their best to salvage the situation. The next day, Tao Jin sent Youdao to invite his second son over for breakfast, but the second son refused. Bai Shuxian changed the date to the evening and told Youdao to make sure he invited his second son. In the afternoon, Tao Jin took the day off and went to the market with his retired wife to buy a huge amount of ingredients. They asked their neighbor, Lao Wan, who was a skilled cook, to help. Now it all depended on Youdao; they wondered if the children could get their second uncle to come.

At five o'clock, a restless Tao Jin couldn't help but call his son, but for some reason, his son didn't answer. He then started cursing. The neighbors all knew about tonight's dinner party, and if he couldn't get his second son to come, he would lose face big time.

Youdao is back. Hearing the sound of the bicycle being parked, Tao Jin and Bai Shuxian rushed out at the same time. Before Bai Shuxian could speak, he pulled his son inside and into the bedroom before asking, "Did your second uncle agree?"

"He agreed." Tao Youdao wiped his sweat. "It took a lot of effort to get through to my second uncle on the phone. He said he'd come by himself after get off work. Oh, and he said he'd invite my aunt's family too."

"That's good. Then, call your aunt." Tao Jin smiled, finally relieved.

"Why call them?" Bai Shuxian muttered.

"What do you know! The second brother has his reasons for calling Meiling over."

"Then I'll go to my aunt's house." Tao Youdao got up and left.

"Hey, do you think we should talk to the second son about Youdao?" Bai Shuxian glanced towards the kitchen and asked her husband in a low voice.

"What is it?"

"There's a proper way to promote someone."

"Isn't it too early? Youdao has only been working at the factory for two years."

"What's wrong with two years? Didn't Yang Wenhuan's son get promoted to section chief after only three years at the factory? Zhou Bing's son-in-law, Jiang Shangyun's son, the children of the bosses at Hongxing, aren't they all very powerful? His second uncle is the top dog! Much more powerful than them! Besides, the iron camp remains but the officials come and go. Who knows how many years the second brother can stay? Wasn't he very prestigious in Shengdong back then? He was transferred away in no time."

"That's too hasty. Let's not talk about this today, we can discuss it later."

"Then at least we need to find Youdao a new job. For example, a secretary in the factory office. Look at how many people have been promoted from factory office secretaries in recent years? What future is there in being a lowly statistician in a branch factory?"

"We still need to be cautious." Tao Jin only has one son, so of course he hopes to benefit from his younger brother's fame. "I know the second son cares a lot about Youdao, so it would be best to let Youdao bring it up himself."

"That works too." Bai Shuxian said smugly, "Now that's great, let's see who dares to bully us now! Humph! We'll scare them to death."

"Should we mention what those guys were talking about last night to the second brother?"

"Well... it would be nice if Meiling and the others weren't here," Bai Shuxian said hesitantly.

"Don't say anything now, there will be plenty of opportunities. By the way, why don't you bring it up yourself, at least ask the second son to bring the clothes back to wash?"

"You don't need to tell me, I know what to do."

"In the past... the second brother had some issues with us, you know that, do you think we could explain that to him?"

"What's there to explain? Everyone has their difficulties. He became an official and earns in a year what we earn in decades. He should put in more effort, shouldn't he? If it were me, I wouldn't hold a grudge against my fellow countrymen."

"You mustn't say that!"

"Of course, I'm not stupid. Also, what should we do if he said at Xiao Zhao that your parents want to come back?" Bai Shuxian brought up a practical issue.

"I'm not moving anyway," Tao Jin said, spreading his hands. "The old couple said it themselves that this house was for us. If they want it back, they can only wait until our lease on the house expires. Or we can let the second son figure something out; he has plenty of ways."

Tao Jin now lives in his parents' house, which is larger than theirs. After Tao Tang brought his parents to Binjiang, Tao Jin's family rented out their old house, renovated his parents' house, and moved in. Bai Shuxian had her own agenda; she planned to save that 70-square-meter apartment for her son's wedding.

"That puts my mind at ease." Bai Shuxian nodded.

Tao Tang left the office at 6:40.

In the afternoon, he first reviewed last year's annual report and this year's first-quarter comprehensive statistical report, gaining a preliminary understanding of the company's financial operations. At 3:10 PM, Chief Engineer Jiang Shangyun came to his office and asked if he had time to hear a report on new products, which he immediately agreed to. Thus, he listened to the new product report organized by Chief Engineer Jiang Shangyun in his office, which lasted two hours and ten minutes. Tao Tang, who always disliked long meetings, did not limit the reporting time, as he wanted to understand the company's new product reserves and R&D status as much as possible. The 55-year-old Jiang Shangyun was very familiar with the new products, which pleased Tao Tang. The level of understanding demonstrated his work attitude and showed that Jiang Shangyun respected him, the new leader. Therefore, although Tao Tang was not entirely satisfied with the report by Assistant General Manager and Director of the Research Institute Li Meng, he only asked questions and offered no criticism.

Few of Hongxing's original products remain. In Tao Tang's memory, Hongxing's main products were mining machinery. As a child, he followed his father into the factory, and the rows of gleaming hydraulic supports left a deep impression. Now, mining machinery has become secondary, accounting for only slightly more than one-fifth of the total output value. The leading products have shifted to agricultural machinery—including agricultural tricycles, tractor gearboxes, and combine harvesters; and automotive parts—including microcar and passenger car gearboxes, various pipe fittings, plastic parts, and instrument assemblies. Hongxing's current product structure is actually divided into three main segments: automotive parts, agricultural machinery, and mining machinery.

New product development also revolves around these three major areas, with hundreds of different products, but there is no focus and a lack of rigorous market research data to support them.

Tao Tang couldn't express his own opinions at this moment because he hadn't yet formed a complete strategy. The entire Huihuang Group was facing industrial transformation and upgrading, which was easier said than done. For older enterprises like Hongxing with outdated equipment, the situation was even more difficult. Therefore, after the report, Tao Tang didn't give specific instructions, only stating his principled view: it was essential to focus on key areas and avoid spreading resources too thinly.

What's the key point? He doesn't know yet.

Jiang Shangyun seemed to have something to say, but he received a phone call saying that something had happened at home, and he left in a hurry.

While Tao Tang was listening to the report, two middle managers were waiting in Li Zhibin's office outside; the first to arrive had been waiting for two hours. After the new product presentation, Tao Tang met with the two middle managers: Fan Yong, the head of security, and Wang Jingfu, the property management company manager. Fan Yong was there to report on gate management, while Wang Jingfu was there to "apologize" for his shortcomings in canteen management. Regarding the former, Tao Tang only asked about the management regulations. Since the rules clearly prohibited family members from entering the production area, it meant the security department wasn't strictly enforcing the rules. "You two should come up with a solution yourselves; education is the main focus. The key is to strictly enforce the rules in the future."

Fan Yong was initially extremely uneasy. It's said that a new broom sweeps clean, and he had inadvertently lit his first. However, Tao Tang's attitude reassured him considerably; he assured him that the matter would be seriously investigated and that similar problems would not occur again. Tao Tang then let him go.

But Tao Tang was much more serious with Wang Jingfu: "Manager Wang, how long has it been since you ate in the cafeteria?"

Wang Jingfu was sweating profusely; he hadn't eaten in the cafeteria at all, not even once.

"No? Do you have children eating in the cafeteria? No? Tell me, if your son or any of your family members ate in the cafeteria, would you manage them the same way?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tao, it's my fault... Property management is a complex undertaking, and I'm a bit overwhelmed..."

"So that means you're not competent?"

Wang Jingfu dared not respond.

"Manager Wang, please tell me first, are there any problems with the cafeteria?"

"Yes... I went to check as soon as I got to work this afternoon, and the problem is serious; they're currently rectifying it..."

"Alright, I'll give you a week." Tao Tang's face was serious, but his tone was calm. "Manager Wang, those who eat in the canteen are all single employees. We should treat them like our own children, our own brothers. If they had families at the factory, they wouldn't eat in the canteen. But that's not necessarily true. Shengdong Company's canteen often hosts family gatherings because they think the food is cheap and affordable, and the environment is quite nice. If you don't believe me, you can go to Shengdong for a field survey. I'll allow you to make this trip. However, I don't think it's necessary. I think the hygiene and food quality are management issues. I think you all know where the problems are, otherwise, what are you trying to fix? Right?"

"Yes, you're right, it's our management that's inadequate."

"Alright, then I'll see how effective your rectification is." Tao Tang waved his hand, indicating that Wang Jingfu could leave.

Chief Accountant Han Zhiyong entered with Quan Jianhe, the deputy director of the finance department, and reported to Tao Tang that the finance company had received a 100 million yuan working capital loan. According to the arrangements of the morning meeting, 50 million yuan had been prepared for the suppliers, but the suppliers had not yet submitted their procurement plans.

Tao Tang nodded, indicating that he understood. He gestured for Han Zhiyong to sit down. "What is the approximate amount of accounts receivable in the system?"

"4.3 million."

"Mr. Han, you should go to Yanjing. You need to recover at least 2 million. If the finance company won't do it, then go find Chairman Feng."

"Okay. With this 300 million, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief." Han Zhiyong relaxed. With the top leader in place, there are always some benefits to be given. A 100 million working capital loan is actually not much, as Red Star's unpaid wages and unpaid social security contributions exceed that amount. However, being able to recover the cooperation funds ahead of schedule will make things much easier for the finance department.

"Hmm? Is there anything else?" Tao Tang asked, noticing Han Zhiyong's hesitation.

"President Tao," Han Zhiyong looked at Quan Jianhe, "shouldn't you pay the back wages?"

"How much do you owe?"

"The total is 9830 million," Quan Jianhe reported.

What is our total monthly salary, including social security contributions?

"1.15 million. The back pay I just mentioned is a real back pay, excluding social security contributions."

"Hmm, let me find out what's going on first."

Han Zhiyong said, "General Manager Tao, the companies that are owed wages are very upset..."

"I know that even if you don't say it. But we can't use all of this money to pay back wages." Tao Tang's eyes turned to the window and didn't move. This was one of his habits, and when the Shengdong cadres saw this, they knew it was time for them to leave.

"Well, that's settled then. I'll go to Yanjing tomorrow," Han Zhiyong said.

"Tomorrow's Friday. Even if we fly there, we might not be able to get it done by the afternoon, just wasting two days. Let's go next Monday. I'll call headquarters. By the way, which department is in charge of internal performance reviews—I mean salary reviews?" Tao Tang stood up.

"Ministry of Development and Planning".

"Understood."

After Han Zhiyong and Quan Jianhe left, Tao Tang checked the time and it was already past 6:30. He hadn't even noticed the closing bell. He locked the documents on his desk in the safe, shredded the waste paper, checked the doors and windows, changed out of his work clothes, and left the office. Li Zhibin was still waiting in his room. He was going to tidy up the room after Tao Tang left, but found that there was nothing else to do besides cleaning.

A breeze picked up. Tao Tang zipped up his jacket as he left the office building and saw his nephew, Tao Youdao, waiting outside.

"What are you doing here?"

"My mom called me to pick up my second uncle..."

"Are you worried I won't know the way? Your aunt must be here already, right?"

"I arrived a long time ago."

"Has Xiaowei gotten out of school yet? We haven't seen her since the last time we came to pick up your grandparents. She must have grown into a young lady by now!"

Xiao Wei is Tao Meiling's only daughter and is in the first year of junior high school.

"Yes, he's almost 1.7 meters tall..."

"Really? I'm afraid I wouldn't recognize you." Tao Tang strode towards the residential area, surveying his surroundings. Compared to four years ago, not much had changed, except for a few more shops along the street, making the road more crowded and chaotic. "Youdao, has the factory built any new buildings in the past few years?"

"Fourteen buildings were built in 2009, one of which was a large apartment for the leaders. Uncle, you should have been included."

"How big is it? How much does it cost?" Tao Tang remembered the house Zhao Qingmin had told him about, and guessed it was in this building.

"It's much cheaper than apartments in the city, only 2250. The apartments are huge, 220 square meters, and they even have elevators." Tao Youdao felt envious when he mentioned Building 96, which the employees privately called the "corruption building." He had been to the home of General Manager Jiang, where he had married his son, and it was truly beautiful.

"Oh, do you know what the price range is for commercial housing in the city?"

"Roughly between 3800 and 4500, depending on the location. The newly opened Emerald Garden has starting prices at 5200."

"What are the details of that large apartment building in the factory you mentioned?"

"Company leaders, deputy chief engineers, and other department heads... I heard there are still several vacant positions."

"No objections from the employees?"

"The price is the same, but there's an elevator, and the top floor even comes with a free attic. Why wouldn't anyone complain? But what can you do even if you do complain?"

"Youdao, your second uncle is now being watched by the employees. I have a request for you, can you do it?" Tao Tang stopped and looked at his nephew.

"Second Uncle, please speak."

"Don't even think about taking advantage of Uncle. Just pretend he doesn't exist, okay?"

"I understand what you mean, Uncle. Don't worry."

"That's good. Successful men build their own empires; those who rely on their elders are good-for-nothings. Remember that."

"Yes, I understand."

"Oh, when did a big supermarket get built here? Is it from the property management company?"

"Personal."

"Personal? I remember this was the labor company's restaurant. I even ate here last time I came back."

"The restaurant was sold to an individual, and the site was razed to make way for a supermarket."

"Oh." Tao Tang stopped and looked at the supermarket for a long time.