Road to Revival

Golden Olive has ready-built apartments with all five required certificates, but they are all above the sixteenth floor. My mother has a fear of heights, so the floor isn't ideal, but the price is acceptable. Not to mention the outrageous housing prices in Yanjing, even in Binjiang, the average price has long exceeded 10,000 yuan. The saleswoman quoted a price of 4000 yuan, which made Tao Tang feel relieved.

Accompanied by the saleswoman, Tao Tang toured the community. He found it quite nice, no less impressive than his previous community in Binjiang. The Golden Olive community had a reasonable plot ratio and good landscaping, especially the resident-only complex and private garden, which he found very appealing. The European-style complex included a gym, a card room, and a decent restaurant. His mother, who enjoyed playing cards to pass the time, now had a good place to relax, and the elderly couple found it quite pleasant to stroll in the garden after dinner.

Tao Tang interrupted the saleswoman's endless sales pitch, "I want a unit on the fifth floor or below. If they don't have any, then forget it."

"Please wait a moment, have a cup of tea first. It's quite hot today." The saleswoman had finally caught someone who seemed genuinely interested in buying a house, so she wasn't about to let them go easily.

Ten minutes later, the saleswoman returned. "Sir, there's a large unit in Building C that fits your requirements... it's on the fourth floor. Would you like to take a look?"

"How large is the area?"

"166. The layout is absolutely fantastic... Shall I show you around?"

"It's a bit too big... Okay, let me take a look."

After seeing it, he decided to buy it. It has three bedrooms, two living rooms, and a storage room that can be converted into a walk-in closet. A larger layout is also good; when his parents come back, the whole family will gather more often, and a larger layout is more suitable. The only difficulty is in daily cleaning, but that's not a big problem.

"The house structure is okay, but there are a few issues: First, the unit is an east-facing unit, which isn't ideal; second, the owners of this building have already moved in, which has caused trouble for the renovation; third, there are no more underground parking spaces, right? That's also a problem..." Tao Tang said slowly.

"What is your surname, sir?"

My surname is Tao.

"Mr. Tao, you're not a local, are you?" The saleswoman listened to Tao Tang's very standard Mandarin. "We prefer corner units here. To be honest, this unit originally had an extra price because the secondary bathroom has an extra window, which improves ventilation, and it also has an extra balcony. This unit has actually already been sold, but the original owner had some family issues and had to cancel the purchase. Renovation? Absolutely no problem. Our company has a professional renovation company that guarantees you can move in as quickly as possible. As for the underground parking space, I need to look into it. You see, there are quite a few surface parking spaces, which is very convenient. Renting one is even more convenient, only 240 yuan per month, which is only 8 yuan per day."

"If I pay in full, what discount will I get?" Tao Tang interrupted the girl's rambling.

"Full payment? You can get a 96% discount." The saleswoman was clearly pleased.

"Isn't that too little? Actually, you've got it wrong. I'm a native of Pingquan, and I won't accept this discount." Tao Tang picked up his handbag and pretended to leave.

"That's all the authority I have. If you really want to buy it, sir, I'll ask my supervisor."

"Well, I need to think about it some more before I decide." Tao Tang knew he couldn't rush things; even a small difference could mean several thousand yuan.

"Would you like to leave your phone number? This is my business card."

"Okay." Tao Tang took the business card from the girl and gave his phone number to the saleswoman. The girl seemed unconvinced and immediately dialed the number. She was relieved when she heard Tao Tang's phone ring.

Actually, there wasn't much to discuss with anymore; the decision was entirely his own. He'd already decided to buy his parents a house in Pingquan, and now the conditions were finally right. Tao Tang checked his watch; it was still early. He asked the saleswoman who had seen him off, "Do you know where the biggest bookstore in the city is?"

"Isn't Mr. Tao from Pingquan? Why are you asking this?" the saleswoman said with a smile. "Everyone in Pingquan knows about the Baita Road Book Market."

"I am indeed from Pingquan, from the Hongxing Factory, but I have been away for many years."

"Really? I'm a member of the Red Star family, that's even better." The girl immediately seized the opportunity.

"Since we're both from Hongxing, then you should try to get me some more discounts. I'll take the house." Tao Tang smiled, left the Golden Olive sales office, hailed a taxi, and headed to the Baita Road book market.

The saleswoman who claimed to be from a wealthy family was right; the book market on Baita Road was indeed huge. The oddly structured three-story building was densely packed with bookstores offering discounts. Tao Tang suspected they were all selling pirated books, but after looking at several, he found the quality of the books acceptable. Moreover, the book market had clear categorization. So he visited a few specialty bookstores he liked, and finally selected several hardcover Tang and Song dynasty notebooks and two economics books. After carefully checking them, he prepared to pay.

"Is that really you? Hello, Mr. Tao." A girl in a bright red shirt next to him exclaimed in surprise.

Tao Tang was taken aback, not recognizing this somewhat foxy-looking girl.

"My name is Chen Yan, and I'm the factory office secretary," the girl introduced herself.

"Oh...you're here to buy books too?"

"I like to kill time at the book market on Sundays when I have nothing to do... Did you choose all these books? I didn't expect Mr. Tao to like history... 'Sushui Jiwen,' written by Sima Guang?" Chen Yan saw that Tao Tang had bought mostly history and economics books, including an English version of "The Internet Age." Her English wasn't very good, so she couldn't read such an original foreign language book. "Wow, Mr. Tao is amazing."

Tao Tang didn't reply. He paid the bill, asked for a receipt, and said to Chen Yan, "I'm leaving. Take your time choosing."

"Wait, I'm done too." Chen Yan chased after him. "Mr. Tao, can I get a ride back to the factory with you?"

"I came by taxi. Okay, let's go together then."

"Take a taxi? Why don't you need a car? Don't you have a private car?"

"Why do you need a car?" Tao Tang waved and flagged down a taxi. He got into the back seat as usual, and Chen Yan followed him in with the books she had just bought. Tao Tang had no choice but to make way for her.

"Red Star Factory," Chen Yan said to the driver. "Oh, Mr. Tao, is there anything else?"

"It's alright, go home. What's your major?"

"G University Chinese Department... Mr. Tao, why are you conducting this survey? Do you want to know what the employees are thinking?"

"Yes..." Chang Wenhai probably assigned the task of compiling the questionnaire to the General Manager's Office (the company doesn't have a separate Party Committee Office), and Zhang Xingwu then passed it on to this young Secretary Chen. "Secretary Chen, I was just about to ask you, as a young employee, what are the issues you're most concerned about right now?"

"My first wish, of course, is to get a raise. If my salary weren't so low, I wouldn't have gone through all that trouble to take the postgraduate entrance exam."

How much is your monthly salary?

"2200? With the current price level, how can we possibly spend that much?"

"Are you from a factory family?"

"No. If only it were, I could go home and eat there. Mr. Tao, you go to the cafeteria, and the results are immediate; the food is much better. All the single people are hoping you'll come and supervise them more often."

How much food money do I need each month?

"It'll cost at least eight or nine hundred... This is for us girls, it definitely won't be enough for the guys, they have a lot of parties."

"Oh. Have many college graduates joined the factory in recent years? Have many changed jobs?"

"About a hundred people come every year, right? At least a third of them leave within two years. Unless they've found a partner..."

"So, you have a boyfriend, right?"

"Not yet..." Chen Yan actually had a boyfriend she liked, but she didn't say it.

"Oh. Besides salary, what else do you care about?"

"Of course, it's a house. How can you get married without a house? Right? By the way, Mr. Tao, I heard the factory is going to relocate?"

"I haven't heard of that. How much would it cost to buy a medium-sized old apartment in the factory? Is it even possible to buy one?"

"Ever since the rumors of the factory's relocation spread, the prices of old houses have skyrocketed. They're hard to buy now, but renting them is easy."

"Oh. What do the employees think about the factory relocation? Are they willing to accept it?"

"Of course we support it! Why wouldn't we support it? Of course, there are those who don't support it, but they think our factory has a good environment."

"So, do you think relocation will solve the company's problems?"

"Your question is too profound; I've never thought of it..."

"Try thinking about it. You work in the factory office, you have more contact with leaders, and you attend more meetings, so your horizons should be broader than those of college graduates at the grassroots level. Secretary Chen, the company doesn't belong to just one person; only when everyone cares can the company develop..."

"Okay. I've made up my mind, can I report directly to you?"

"sure."

They had arrived at the factory gate when the driver refused to go in, so Tao Tang had to get out of the car and stopped Chen Yan, who was about to pay, saying, "There's no reason for you to pay."

I glanced at my watch; it was 11:15. There was still some time. "I'll go check out your bachelor dorms," ​​I said.

"That's great... I've been working at the factory for almost three years, and I've never seen a company leader come to inspect the dormitory for single workers."

The singles dormitory is not far from the east gate of the factory. It is a four-story brick-concrete building. Because it was Sunday, the building was relatively quiet. There was a small sports field in front of the building where a dozen or so young people were playing. One group was playing basketball and the other group was playing badminton.

Tao Tang entered the building; the lighting was dim, and the hygiene was poor, with cigarette butts everywhere. He went into the first-floor restroom and couldn't help but fan the foul air.

"The hygiene is terrible! What happened? Is there anyone cleaning it regularly?"

"Yes, we clean about once every two or three days," Chen Yan said, waiting in the hallway.

"Which floor do the girls live on?"

"Of course it's the top floor. Mr. Tao, please come and visit my dormitory. But please don't criticize it for being too messy." Chen Yan was outgoing and showed no fear of Tao Tang.

"It's probably inconvenient. I know young people like to sleep in. How many people will live in the dorm?"

There were originally three, but one just left.

Is there a TV?

"Where? There's a communal TV on each floor, and people are always fighting over it."

"What about WiFi? Is it easy to get online?"

"good."

"Is there a reading room?"

"Yes, it's on the third floor. But there aren't many books or magazines there."

"What about the laundry room? Is there a communal laundry room?"

"without."

"How about taking a shower? What should we do?"

"To the public bathhouse."

"Xiao Chen, this is your home. You should take the initiative to keep it clean. I see you're all dressed so smartly, how can you be so tolerant of the environment?"

"There are always people who don't realize it..." Chen Yan said somewhat embarrassedly.

Tao Tang smiled gently, turned around and left the building, arriving at the badminton court.

"Secretary Chen, did someone from home bring you some good food?" a small boy watching from the sidelines shouted.

"Don't talk nonsense! This is our new chairman and general manager, Mr. Tao, who has come to visit everyone."

The singles were immediately thrown into a panic.

"You guys play your games. I just came to see everyone." Tao Tang smiled as he looked at the young men on the court.

"Mr. Tao, why don't you come and have a go?" A young man who had been playing badminton earlier handed over a badminton racket.

"You didn't change your shoes."

"Can I wear mine? I just got them today." The young man immediately squatted down to untie his shoelaces.

"Okay, I'll give it a try." Tao Tang took off his leather shoes, handed his coat, phone, keys, books, and other items to Chen Yan, and put on the young man's brand-new Li-Ning sneakers.

"Who's coming?" Tao Tang stretched his waist.

"I, I'll play with you." Another tall young man snatched the badminton racket. His name was Meng Fan, and he was recognized as the best player in the singles building.

Meng Fan was surprised that the new CEO Tao was so skilled in this area. His first serve showed his prowess, with an extremely tricky landing point. Meng Fan was a little careless and struggled to volley the ball, only to have it smashed by Tao Tang without any time to react.

Cheers immediately erupted from the sidelines.

The following performance was quite exciting, much more so than the previous one, and had a semi-professional feel. There were many rallies, especially Tao Tang's handling of close-range tennis balls, which made the university students watching shout and applaud continuously.

"I never imagined President Tao was so amazing..." Chen Yan murmured.

Tao Tang's niece, Wu Xiaowei, was sent by her mother, Tao Meiling, to pick up her uncle at Xiaozhao. A young girl answered the phone and said that Mr. Tao was playing badminton in his bachelor apartment. Xiaowei ran over and saw that her uncle was indeed playing badminton.

"Aww, aww, go for it, Uncle!" Xiao Wei clapped her hands vigorously to encourage Tao Tang.

After playing for about fifteen minutes, Tao Tang took advantage of his opponent's powerful smash to end the match. "I admit defeat! Well done, young man! What's your name?" Tao Tang handed his hand to his opponent.

"Meng Fan, Mr. Tao, you are the real expert. Your skills are far superior to mine. In a formal competition, I might not be able to win," Meng Fan said with a smile.

"Haha, I'm like Cheng Yaojin with his three-strike axe. After a while, my stamina won't keep up." Tao Tang glanced at his watch. "I won't keep everyone from eating."

"President Tao, we hope you'll visit the cafeteria often... President Tao, this is a rare opportunity, please say a few words to us," Meng Fan invited.

"Well then, let me criticize you a bit. I just took a quick look around the first floor, and the cleanliness is terrible. The property management company's management is definitely inadequate, but this singles dormitory doesn't belong to the property management company; it's your home. Could you organize the singles together, take turns cleaning, and manage your own living quarters properly?" Tao Tang said to the gathered singles.

"Okay! We'll do as General Manager Tao instructs," Meng Fan immediately agreed.

"If you do a good job, I'll dismiss the cleaning staff from the singles' dormitory and use the money to improve your conditions. For example, I can add books to the reading room and renovate the shower and laundry rooms on each floor. What do you say?"

"That would be great! Mr. Tao, are you really going to set up a shower room for us?" Chen Yan was overjoyed.

"Look, half of my hair has turned white. How can I lie to you?" Tao Tang said with a smile.

"Long live President Tao!" Chen Yan cheered, and the young men and women applauded.

"Haha, how childish..." Tao Tang wiped his sweat. "There's one more thing. The factory will be distributing a questionnaire next week. Everyone will receive one, and I hope you'll take it seriously. Secretary Chen can explain the details to everyone. You can also write down anything you want to say that isn't on the questionnaire. I'll see it."

"Mr. Tao, your relative is looking for you." Chen Yan handed over the items that Tao Tang had just given him.

Tao Tang saw Xiao Wei.

"Xiao Wei? Haha, you're all grown up now, I don't even recognize you. Let me introduce you, this is my niece, Wu Xiao Wei. Goodbye, I'm leaving now." Tao Tang waved to the singles, took Xiao Wei's hand, and left.