Road to Revival

Lü Qi entered the large conference room, which was playing soft music, fifteen minutes early. It was almost full, with only a few empty seats in the front rows. After signing in, Lü Qi had no choice but to sit in the front, right next to Han Ruilin.

As always, the first two rows weren't for someone of her rank; those were reserved for the general manager's assistant and deputy chief engineers. They were a special group, their positions falling between deputy general manager and mid-level manager, with the general manager's assistant slightly higher than the deputy chief engineer. Their salaries were lower than the deputy general manager's, but much higher than mid-level manager's. After entering mid-level management, Lü Qi had planned her future goals: to reach the position of deputy chief engineer, such as deputy chief economist. Of course, she had opportunities, but she didn't seize them, and the opportunities were lost. However, she didn't regret it; there are always bottom lines to uphold in life that shouldn't be easily crossed. But every time she saw those incompetent figures in the deputy chief engineer team, Lü Qi couldn't help but feel indignant.

"Old classmate, I really didn't expect this..." Han Ruilin's face was filled with undisguised excitement.

Lü Qi remained silent, fiddling with her notebook and pen. She knew why Han Ruilin was happy; back in class, he and Tao Tang had been quite close. With Tao Tang now the company's top executive, Han Ruilin had every reason to be happy. Lü Qi also knew another reason for his joy: in the past two years, due to the company's sharp decline in profits and numerous lawsuits, the legal department had received considerable criticism, making life difficult for Han Ruilin. Now that Tao Tang had taken over, Han Ruilin probably felt his hard times were finally over.

"I heard that Big Face Cat got criticized by Secretary Zhao last night..." Han Ruilin moved closer to Lü Qi and lowered his voice.

Lü Qi dodged Han Ruilin's approaching head, but a whiff of cigarette smoke still wafted into her nostrils. "How did you know? Did the Party Secretary report it to you?"

"Don't talk like that..." With someone sitting next to him, Han Ruilin swallowed the rest of his words.

Lü Qi's gaze fell on the podium. There were no banners, no flowers—a rare sight. The seating charts were clearly visible: in the center was Feng Shizhao's name in large font; to his left was Director Zhang of the Provincial Defense Industry Office; to his right was Tao Tang; and the headquarters directors sat on either side according to their rank. Only Zhao Qingmin was seated in the front row; even Guo Tao, one of the Red Star's leaders, had been relegated to the back. After the downfall of Yang Wenhuan and Song Yue, the Red Star's leaders needed not to be conspicuous, but to keep a low profile.

Lü Qi was surprised by Feng Shizhao's arrival. The arrival of Feng Shizhao, the group's top leader and an alternate member of the Central Committee, was completely unexpected. What did this signify? It indicated both the headquarters' high regard for Tao Tang and the serious situation within the Red Star Company. However, this was a good thing… Lü Qi thought. The now completely bureaucratic top leadership of Red Star would correctly interpret the implications, and her previous concerns about Tao Tang's ability to smoothly maintain power were largely eliminated. In the existing system, the granting of power is primarily determined by superiors; one's own ability accounts for at most 30% of the factor. No matter how capable you are, without the support of your superiors, you will achieve nothing.

The middle-level managers in the meeting room were whispering amongst themselves, perhaps all realizing the same thing. This was the first time in the history of leadership changes at Red Star that the top leader from headquarters had personally attended and overseen the meeting. The importance of today's meeting was self-evident. Compared to the past, the atmosphere in the room was much more solemn. Everyone understood that Red Star was about to face significant changes; in common parlance, the landscape of Red Star was about to change.

Lu Qi was lost in thought. Unlike most middle managers, Lu Qi didn't consider her own situation. She was already forty-three, an age when a female corporate executive was past her prime, and her hopes for promotion were essentially dashed. She was thinking about the company, about the situation Tao Tang would face after taking over. As the leader of a core management department, she was intimately familiar with Hongxing's operational status. If headquarters didn't provide support, even with Tao Tang's abilities, he would find it difficult to achieve much…

Her thoughts naturally drifted to Tao Tang, and she suddenly felt a strong urge to see him. More than twenty years had passed; what did that sunny, straightforward young man look like now?

Over the years, Tao Tang must have returned to Hongxing. His parents moved away later, after he became successful. Before they moved in with him, it was impossible for him not to visit them. But Hongxing was too big, and she lost contact with him after the college entrance exam; she only knew he was admitted to Fudan University the following year. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise; without that incident, he might not have gotten into Fudan… What exactly happened to him after graduation? How could he achieve such success in twenty years? Shengdong Company's position within the group is no less than Hongxing's, especially in recent years, it has become a top-tier subsidiary. Perhaps it was precisely because of his success at Shengdong that the group sent him back to Hongxing. But can Tao Tang replicate his success at Shengdong?

Lü Qi took out her phone to check the time; it was already 10:35, and the main figures still hadn't arrived. She put her phone on vibrate and returned it to her handbag. It seemed the leadership meeting hadn't gone smoothly; otherwise, they, always so punctual, wouldn't have been late. She then realized that Tao Tang's arrival had shattered some people's illusions, and the attacks previously directed at Song Yue would now be directed at Tao Tang. Song Yue's downfall had given at least three members of the leadership team hope, but Tao Tang's arrival had crushed those hopes… He would now face infighting and internal strife from all sides; how much energy would he have left to reorganize the business?

Noticing that Han Ruilin had straightened his posture, Lü Qi couldn't help but turn her head to look at the door. A group of well-dressed middle-aged people had already entered the conference room. She immediately turned her head back and sat down properly.

"Comrades, please be quiet. Please turn off your mobile phones or put them on silent mode. We are now in the meeting," said Chang Shanqiang, Director of the Human Resources Department at headquarters, who was chairing the meeting. "Comrades, before we officially begin, please allow me to introduce the leaders attending today's meeting: Comrade Feng Shizhao, Chairman and Party Secretary of the Group... Director Zhang Jianguo of the Provincial National Defense Industry Office..."

Lü Qi ignored Director Chang's introduction. From the moment Tao Tang sat down, her gaze never left him. She realized that Tao Tang had become a complete stranger. She desperately searched for the shadow of his former sunny and handsome self on that expressionless face, but she couldn't find it. The merciless years had taken away his youthful appearance. Not only did he wear glasses, but his hair had also turned gray, standing out so conspicuously among the group of black-haired people on the stage. She remembered that he was the same age as her... From the moment he sat down on the stage until now, except for when Chang Shanqiang stood up and bowed slightly when introducing him, he had remained motionless, his gaze level, as if he were thinking about something.

"Today's meeting focuses on the adjustment of the main leadership of Hongxing Company. The agenda has four items: First, I will read out the appointment of Comrade Tao Tang by the Group's Party Committee; second, Comrade Tao Tang will make a statement; third, Director Zhang of the Industrial Office will speak; and finally, Chairman Feng will give an important speech. Now we will proceed with the first item... According to Document No. 15 of 2013 issued by the General Office, after research by the Group's Party Committee, Comrade Tao Tang has been appointed as Chairman and General Manager of Hongxing Machinery Co., Ltd..."

Director Chang Shanqiang's tone was dry and uninspired; everyone already knew the content, regardless of the source. The most important part was the new leader's statement, which surpassed even Feng Shizhao's address. Generally, in this setting, Tao Tang might unveil his "factory management strategy." Lü Qi clearly remembered that four years ago, when Song Yue "ascended the throne," he spoke eloquently for an hour and a half in the same setting, earning enthusiastic applause from the middle-level managers.

Following the rhythm of the performance on stage, the middle-level managers in the audience gave polite applause. Lü Qi clapped too. Her initial excitement had vanished; the person who had taken over the company's highest power was actually none of her concern… All her excitement and worry were laughable and unnecessary…

But when it was Tao Tang's turn to speak, she still pricked up her ears and held her pen, but didn't write down a single word.

"Thank you for the trust placed in me by headquarters," Lü Qi noticed a significant change in Tao Tang's voice (in fact, she couldn't remember his voice anymore). "I am deeply humbled and apprehensive about my new position. I am a descendant of Hongxing, born and raised on this land, my unforgettable hometown… Since headquarters has placed me in this position, I am willing to work alongside the cadres and employees of Hongxing Company, under the leadership of headquarters, to strive for the revitalization of Hongxing's glory. I would also like to inform the leaders of headquarters, the two levels of leadership of Hongxing Company, and through you, all employees of Hongxing, that I will be selfless and dedicated, abide by Party discipline, national laws, and the company's rules and regulations. I will take the lead in doing everything I require of my subordinates, and I sincerely welcome everyone's supervision. Thank you all."

It was brief, standard, and utterly unoriginal. Lu Qi, who had hoped to hear something new, was understandably disappointed. Indeed, as Sun Dunquan once said, in the tide of history, most people can only drift with the current; only a very few can change history… So what if he doesn't manage the company well? As long as he doesn't go too far, and doesn't make a fortune while offending people like Song Yue, he'll be fine. Even if Red Star continues to decline, he can always go back to headquarters or to another company…

Next, Feng Shizhao spoke.

"Comrades, with Comrade Tao Tang taking office, the new leadership team of Hongxing Company has been officially formed. I just attended the first meeting of the new team, and everyone, including Comrade Tao Tang, spoke very well. They all expressed their determination to run the company well, which I found gratifying. After the meeting, I visited the factory history room again. This is my third visit, but each time it deeply moves and impresses me. Let's count how many of the founding leaders have visited Hongxing? Premier Zhou, Marshal Zhu De, Marshal Chen Yi, Comrade Chen Yun… and even our chief architect of reform and opening up, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, all inspected the Hongxing factory. This is the glory of Hongxing, the pride of our predecessors. But what about now? I think Hongxing…" The younger generation has failed the glory and expectations of their predecessors. Indeed, Hongxing has encountered difficulties, due to both objective factors and subjective issues. I want to tell everyone that headquarters has always paid close attention to Hongxing Company, and the selection of Comrade Tao Tang as the main person in charge of Hongxing Company was the result of careful consideration by the Party Committee… Comrade Tao Tang is not old, but he has rich experience. He has achieved outstanding results at Shengdong Company, and the Party Committee believes that he can lead Hongxing Company out of its predicament. It is hoped that under the correct leadership of headquarters, the two levels of leadership at Hongxing will carry forward the glorious traditions of their predecessors, leverage their own strengths, overcome their weaknesses, and effectively adjust the industrial and product structures to revitalize Hongxing's glory…”

Lü Qi diligently took notes on the group's top leader's speech. It was her first time "hearing firsthand" a speech from the group's highest leader, and she hadn't grasped its true meaning. She hadn't heard any secrets to extricating the company from its predicament, nor had she heard anything about the anti-corruption issue that Red Star was closely monitoring. Her eyesight was good, and sitting relatively close to the front, she could clearly see every wrinkle on Feng Shizhao's face… If she met him on the street, she would mistake him for a retired old man next door, nothing special. But sitting in the center of the stage, he was the powerful figure controlling this large enterprise group; every word he uttered could be taken as supreme instructions by his subordinates, and could determine and change the fate of countless people.

No wonder everyone is so eager to reserve seats.