Road to Revival

Last night, Tao Tang received another call from the sweet-talking saleswoman at Jin Ganlan, who said the house would be sold to someone else if he didn't pay the deposit. Tao Tang agreed to go and pay the deposit and complete the formalities this morning. After arriving at work, Tao Tang quickly processed the documents, reports, and requests in two folders, returned the documents to Li Zhibin for processing, then went to Zhao Qingmin's office to briefly report on his trip to Donghu yesterday. Finally, he told Secretary Zhao that he had some personal business to attend to and needed to leave.

"Song Yue's departure audit team came to the factory last night. You'd better meet them. Also, a few debt collectors came yesterday, and they were quite unreasonable... Is Xiao Zhao still quiet? I was thinking of calling you, but I was afraid of disturbing your rest..." Zhao Qingmin did not comment on Tao Tang's trip to Donghu, but instead reported two situations.

Tao Tang didn't care about the debt collection. "Who's leading the audit team?" he asked the secretary.

To say it's a departure audit is an overestimation of Song Yue's abilities; everyone knows she won't get out unscathed. But the procedures still need to be followed. As is customary, when the group's audit team enters the factory, the top executive will definitely be met.

"Guan Mengxiong".

"Old Guan, we're acquaintances." Guan Mengxiong is the newly promoted deputy director of the Supervision and Audit Department at headquarters. When Tao Tang returned to Yanjing headquarters from Binjiang to serve as the director of the Policy Research Office, Guan Mengxiong was still a section chief under him. He was promoted to deputy director of the Supervision and Audit Department six months ago. "I'm not going to be here. Let them get started. Just give them a heads-up. I'll have lunch with him."

Tao Tang was told to have Wang Fumin bring the car over, and he went to Golden Olive to complete the house purchase procedures. This was the first time he had used his private car. The driver, Wang Fumin, was a middle-aged man in his forties, who looked quite wealthy. He carefully helped Tao Tang into the car and asked him where he was going.

"You know about golden olives, right?"

"I know, I know. It's just a step away."

"The main problem is the tight schedule; by the time we finish get off work, everyone else has already left."

"Look, I'm idle all day long. All I do is wipe cars, I've become the most leisurely person in the car team. You've been at the factory for a week, and this is the first time I've served you."

"He's talking too much," Tao Tang thought.

"Master Wang, how many vehicles and how many people are in your fleet?"

"There are 32 people and more than 20 cars, right? Let me count..."

"Stop counting, I'm just asking. Mr. Wang, which leader did you work for before?"

"President Yang... oh, that's the unlucky Yang Wenhuan."

"Is this car also his?"

"No. This car was originally bought for General Manager Song. He used to have an A6, but after an accident, he got tired of it and bought this one. Less than two months later, the purchasing department got him a Mercedes as payment, and he's been using the Mercedes ever since..."

"Oh, what about the Mercedes?"

"It's just sitting idle in the garage. If you don't use it, no one else can use it either. The S320 is better than this one." Wang Fumin wanted to drive the Mercedes more, but Tao Tang didn't respond, so he didn't continue.

As they spoke, they arrived at the Golden Olive sales office. Tao Tang told Lao Wang to wait while he went in to complete the formalities. Pingquan is a prefecture-level city, and there were no purchase restrictions yet; an ID card was all that was needed. However, filling out a whole bunch of forms took him forty minutes. He had already seen the property and didn't need to see any more. As for the discount, he had no interest in haggling. The saleswoman led him to swipe his card, and the house was his; the keys were immediately handed to him.

"Mr. Tao," the saleswoman, now even more deferential after closing the deal, said, "the company's confirmed renovation period is six months, starting from the handover date. There are less than two months left... Would you like me to help you contact a renovation company? Missing the deadline could lead to unnecessary disputes, and the elevator also needs renovation..."

"Isn't that inappropriate?"

"This is definitely not suitable for you. I'm just offering a suggestion: finish the basic renovations first, then the neighbors won't have any objections..."

"Okay, I'll think about it. Could you give me another business card? I lost the other one."

"Wang Yanan," the saleswoman said with a smile, handing Tao Tang her business card, "You can contact me with any questions about the house. I guarantee your satisfaction at any time."

"Thank you. I'll be going now if there's nothing else."

"Goodbye. Take care, Mr. Tao." Wang Yanan saw Tao Tang out, noticing the brand-new Audi A6 and the respectful driver, which further solidified her judgment: this distinguished Mr. Tao was undoubtedly wealthy and powerful. Judging from the car, he was definitely a high-ranking leader at the Hongxing factory. As a member of the Hongxing family, with both her parents working at the factory, she knew the client's name and could ascertain his identity with a simple question.

Tao Tang returned to the company close to eleven o'clock. A group of people were making a scene of noise and crying outside his office, while Zhang Xingwu and Zhu Ning were explaining something.

"What's going on?" Tao Tang asked, frowning.

A plump middle-aged woman saw Tao Tang. "Ah, you must be the new CEO Tao? I'm so glad I caught you..."

"What happened?"

"I want my money! Your company owes me money, and I'm here to collect it!"

"Which department owes you money? Find the head of that department to handle it. If they can't handle it, find their supervisor. If the supervisor can't handle it, I will. If you're still not satisfied, there are legal channels. What kind of behavior is this, gathering here? Is this a free market? Director Zhang, take them to the relevant department."

"I'm not going to any relevant departments! You're the top leader, so I'm going to you." The middle-aged woman had a stubborn streak.

"Don't you understand what I'm saying? Yes, I'm the general manager of Red Star Company. Who told you that every penny needs the general manager's approval to be spent? It's all about signing a document before you pay. Where would I sign if there's no payment paperwork? Go find whoever you need to find. Once the paperwork is with me, I'll handle it."

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

"How can you be so inconsiderate, lady? Haven't I explained myself clearly?" Tao Tang took out his keys, opened the office door, and shut out the noise. Soon the corridor became quiet.

Zhang Xingwu came in immediately. "President Tao, I'm sorry..."

"Notify the Human Resources Department to replace the security guard on duty today. Assign him to whichever area is short-staffed. Tell Fan Yong to come see me." Tao Tang gave the order with a stern face.

"Yes."

"The factory office will hold a meeting after get off work this afternoon. Do you understand my request?"

"Understood. I'll take care of it..."

"Arrange lunch. I'll go accompany the group's audit team. Inform Secretary Zhao and Chairman Guo that if it's not urgent, they can also come."

"Yes."

"It's alright, you can go now."

"Mr. Tao, they're here to collect payment for the coal. They caused a scene yesterday, and I didn't have time to report to you..."

"Coal payment? Who's responsible for purchasing the coal?"

"The purchasing department supplies coal for production, while the property management company supplies coal for domestic use."

"Which company owes them? How much do they owe?"

Both companies have outstanding debts, mainly from the purchasing department. The total amount is 1200 million.

"So many? Does Mr. Qiu know?"

"I know. President Qiu met with them yesterday, he heard it from Zhu Ning." Zhang Xingwu had been following Tao Tang all day, so he didn't know what had happened yesterday either.

"Okay, I understand."

Fan Yong arrived before the end of the workday at noon. Before he could speak, Tao Tang said, "Comrade Fan Yong, you're here to work, not to watch the show. If you feel you can't handle your current position, you can say so."

"Mr. Tao, I promise..."

"Go and take a look at the security guard regulations posted on the outer wall of the duty room. Read them carefully, and then select someone who can enforce them. I will not allow this to happen again, understand?"

"Understood. I promise..."

"Make fewer verbal promises and prove them with actions." Tao Tang waved his hand, indicating that he could leave.

After Fan Yong left, Tao Tang checked his watch, glanced at two newspapers, and waited until the lunch break bell had rung long before heading to Xiao Zhao. Zhang Xingwu followed behind, while Li Zhibin was already waiting at the entrance of Xiao Zhao. "President Tao, Secretary Zhao and Chairman Guo have arrived and are in private room number one..."

"Oh," Tao Tang said, walking briskly into the small room and heading straight to room number one.

Guan Mengxiong, who was chatting with Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao, saw Tao Tang and immediately stood up, rushing forward, "Hello, Director... Haha, I should call you Chairman Tao now..."

"I didn't expect it to be you who came in person. You've worked hard." Tao Tang grasped Guan Mengxiong's outstretched hand.

Zhao Qingmin and Guo Tao exchanged a glance. It seemed that Guan Mengxiong and Tao Tang had a very good relationship, which was a good thing... He and Guo Tao both knew that Guan Mengxiong came from the Policy Research Office, but sometimes colleagues were enemies. But the relationship between Tao and Guan was definitely not like that... This audit was extraordinary, and having Tao Tang's influence was definitely good news.

They had already heard about Tao Tang's handling of the gatekeeper, and while they felt relieved, they also sensed Tao Tang's domineering nature.

"You two leaders may not know this, but Chairman Tao is my former leader and the leader I admire most. I originally wanted to hold a farewell banquet for Chairman Tao in Yanjing, but I didn't have time..." Guan Mengxiong said to Zhao and Guo.

"Then let's combine them into one," Zhao Qingmin said with a smile.

"Let's go eat. We can chat while we eat." Tao Tang gestured for them to come.

After returning to work in the afternoon, Qiu Lin came to report the "case" to Tao Tang. The person who came to collect the debt was the owner of a private coal mine in Xiqin Province. Due to the sharp drop in coal prices, the mine was on the verge of bankruptcy, so he brought his family to Hongxing to collect the debt.

"The accounts are nearly four years old, and the amounts have been verified; there are no problems. The purchasing department's amount is 980 million, and the property department's is 235 million."

"There are a lot of coal mines in Dongshan, both state-owned and private. Donghu Mining has quite a few coal mines, right? Why buy coal from Xiqin? They transport it from such a far place, is it cheaper than Donghu's?" Tao Tang was very puzzled.

"I'm not familiar with the purchasing department. I know about the property management; Yang Wenhuan brought them in, saying they could offer credit. But their prices are 10% higher than Donghu Mining's, and because of funding issues, we have no choice but to use theirs."

"That's utter nonsense. Did you save any money?" Tao Tang said, quite dissatisfied.

"Yang Wenhuan deserves to die. But what should we do? Drag it out?"

"You tell them—no, you tell Wang Jingfu and the purchasing department to tell them—what's the purchasing department director's name again?"

An Zhongliang is the Party Secretary and Acting Director.

"The debt will definitely be repaid, but it will take time. Let's do installments; I can pay a portion this time."

"Please give me a bottom line."

"Within 200 million, it's up to you."

"Okay, I'll try my best to save you some money."

"We can't avoid it. It'll become a problem sooner or later. If we force them to take legal action, we'll definitely lose. Even if my dad were the court president, he couldn't rule in my favor."

"Yes, this audit will uncover who knows how many more shady things they'll find out."

Unexpectedly, after get off work in the afternoon, the creditor went to Xiao Zhao again, insisting on seeing Tao Tang. Tao Tang, who was chatting with Tao Youdao who came to deliver steamed cakes, heard Xiao Ye's shout and asked Tao Youdao to bring the person into his room.

"Didn't I tell you? Find the purchasing and property management departments to reconcile the accounts, and once you've figured it out, have them go to Vice President Qiu to handle it. I've already given instructions to Vice President Qiu."

This time, the plump woman changed her attitude, becoming very docile. "Mr. Tao, I apologize. My attitude this morning was poor. If we weren't desperate, we wouldn't be like this... I know the factory has money; we just received a large sum. Please, have mercy and give us the money. I'll bow and kowtow to you..."

"What are you doing? Youdao..."

Tao Youdao hurriedly grabbed the woman who was about to kneel down.

"Sit down and talk. Youdao, pour some tea," Tao Tang said gently. "You said a large sum of money came back from the factory, who told you that?"

"I'm sure I'm not making this up. Mr. Tao," she glanced at Tao Youdao, then hesitated.

"Youdao, go back now. Don't send me these things again."

Tao Youdao went out and closed the door. The woman picked up a black leather bag and placed it in front of Tao Tang, who hadn't even noticed that the woman had been holding the bag.

"What do you mean?"

"Here's 100,000. Mr. Tao, once you've cleared up my old debts, I'll give you another 200,000, no, 400,000, all in cash," the woman said in a low voice.

"I don't want it, and I don't dare to take it. Tell me the truth, who told you the factory has made money?"

"I can't say."

"Then I'm in a difficult position. You should file a lawsuit in court."

"I don't want to take that road either. I know you've just arrived, but we really have no other choice..."

"Here's the deal: tell me who leaked the information, and I'll give you 200 million. And I won't take a single penny of your kickback, and you shouldn't give anything to anyone else either. I'll settle the remaining balance within a year and a half to two years. If you trust me, do as I say; if you don't, do whatever you want."

"Do you keep your word?"

"Why don't you try and see?"

"It's Quan Jianhe..."

"Quan Jianhe?" Tao Tang really couldn't remember the hundreds of middle-level managers at Red Star.

"Deputy Director of the Finance Department"

"Understood. You can go now, take your bag. I'll process the payment for you by the day after tomorrow at the latest. By the way, where do you live?"

"Stay at the large guesthouse across the street."

"Good. Don't go out for the next couple of days. I might need to talk to you about something."