Road to Revival

Tong Zhengjie, deputy director of the 11th branch factory, gazed at the rain outside the window, pondering whether he should go to the workshop. Although it was Saturday, most departments in the company were not closed due to the May Day holiday. However, the 11th branch factory had to halt final assembly due to delays in upstream components. After consulting with the production department and General Manager Ma, the branch factory was allowed to remain closed. Only the maintenance team was on duty, taking the opportunity to inspect and repair equipment.

At this week's production meeting, Vice President Ma Guangming reiterated the requirement for middle-level managers to be on duty: whenever someone is working in the unit, a middle-level manager must be present, and he explicitly stated that this was a requirement from General Manager Tao.

Dai Dapeng wouldn't go, especially with the weather like this... After thinking it over, Tong Zhengjie still put on his raincoat and went into the workshop.

The usually bustling assembly workshop was eerily quiet. Tong Zhengjie first went into the duty room to check the situation and asked the duty officer; everything was normal. Then he began his routine inspection. Only six maintenance workers were working in the large assembly workshop, repairing and adjusting some misaligned assembly frames.

Tong Zhengjie saw Tao Jin quietly stub out his cigarette. He didn't say anything, but turned around and called Tao Jin to the inspection room near the workshop door.

"Old Tao, I know you're a heavy smoker. But company rules prohibit smoking in the production area, and there's no exception for rest days. You're a senior worker; you can't set a bad example for your apprentices," Tong Zhengjie said gently.

"Yes, I'll be more careful in the future..."

"It's not about being mindful, it's about completely correcting this. I'm telling you, Lao Tao, don't bring cigarettes into the factory anymore. This is the second time. I gave you face last time. This time it's different. You'll have to go to the finance office to pay the fine the day after tomorrow. Since it's overtime, I'll go with the minimum, 20 yuan."

"Hey Tong, don't go too far..." In the past, Tao Jin wouldn't have dared to resist, but things were different now.

"I've already made an exception once because you're President Tao's brother. I can't make an exception this time. How am I supposed to manage the seven hundred or so people in the branch factory if I don't punish you? Don't think you can break the rules just because you're President Tao..." Tong Zhengjie said sternly.

"What's wrong with me?"

Tong Zhengjie looked up and saw Tao Tang standing at the door of the inspection room, holding an umbrella. His face immediately turned pale. "President Tao, in such heavy rain, you still came to the workshop?"

"Brother, go ahead and get busy," Tao Tang said softly to his elder brother.

Tao Jin gave Tong Zhengjie a defiant look, then walked out with his head held high.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Tao, that's not what I meant..."

"Why are you saying sorry?"

"I……"

"Deputy Factory Director Tong, right? Why is your branch factory closed today?"

"That's right, because parts for the six, nine, and fifteenth branch factories haven't been supplied, we asked the production department and General Manager Ma for permission to give them a break. Only a few comrades from the maintenance team are working overtime to adjust the assembly platform..."

"Oh, the upstream components aren't being supplied. What's the reason?"

"I've inquired; the main problem is that the raw materials arrived at the factory late..."

"Walk with me for a while."

"Yes."

Tong Zhengjie nervously accompanied Tao Tang as they strolled through the empty, quiet workshop, inwardly cursing himself countless times. What the hell was going on? How could it be such a coincidence? He just couldn't shake this bad habit of his… He glanced over and saw President Tao frowning, seemingly deep in thought.

"Old Tong, the factory has been implementing lean management for a while now, how's it going?"

"Not done well..."

"What's wrong with it?"

Here it comes, karma in this life. Tong Zhengjie thought for a moment, "I can never get past the on-site hurdle; some bad habits are always hard to change..."

"You've identified the problems quite accurately," Tao Tang pointed out. "Look, those gloves definitely shouldn't be there, and that pile of cotton yarn... and the water cup, hmm, this part is definitely not where it should be. The first step in lean management is on-site management. If on-site management is done well, lean management may not be effective. But if on-site management is not done well, lean management will definitely be a mere formality and will not achieve any results."

"I've remembered Tao Tang's instructions."

"I ask you, what is the core idea of ​​lean management?"

"Continuous improvement, elimination of waste."

"Very good. Comrade Tong Zhengjie, I believe that your Eleventh Branch Factory's on-site management is the best in the company's current situation. This is largely due to your willingness to take charge. You just punished my brother, why are you apologizing to me?"

Tong Zhengjie looked at Tao Tang, at a loss for words.

"We were just talking about habits. What do you think is the best way to completely break bad habits?"

"Strict rewards and punishments..."

"Then why apologize? Smoking on the workplace—what are the branch factory's regulations?"

"A fine of 20 to 50 yuan"

"Then we'll go for the maximum penalty, a fine of 50 yuan." Tao Tang looked at the workers, including Tao Jin, who were all listening intently. "And we'll post it publicly: For violating the workplace no-smoking rule, Tao Jin (Tao Tang's brother) is hereby fined 50 yuan as a warning to others. Post it on the branch factory's bulletin board."

"Yes."

"Strict rewards and punishments, coupled with reasonable and justifiable systems, make for a complete system. Have you heard of the 'stove principle' in management?"

"No……"

"It's very simple. First, we tell everyone that a stove can burn people; this is the principle of legislation first. Touching it will result in a burn; this is the principle of timeliness. Whoever touches it gets burned; this is the principle of fairness."

"I've got it. I'll definitely do as General Manager Tao instructs." For some reason, Tong Zhengjie felt a lump in his throat.

"You did the right thing by not insisting on following the rules just because Tao Jin's brother is the company's general manager. Why are you apologizing? It shows you're guilty. Guilty about what? Let me tell you, I will criticize, punish, or even dismiss you for not doing your job well. But I will not retaliate against you for punishing my brother. They can testify that if I did that, I wouldn't even wipe my face if you spat on me!" Tao Tang shouted, pointing at the maintenance workers.

Tong Zhengjie's eyes welled up with tears, and he tried hard to hold them back.

"Besides, your 20 to 50 range is unreasonable. 20 is 20, and 50 is 50. Why create a range? No smoking in the workplace is no smoking, regardless of the circumstances. That's fair. Okay, you're busy now, I'm leaving."

Tong Zhengjie escorted Tao Tang to the door, watching the chairman disappear into the rain under his umbrella. He quietly wiped away his tears and returned to the few dazed workers. "Old Tao, for the sake of Chairman Tao's fairness, I'll pay your fine. Brothers, I don't know if you believe me or not, but I believe Chairman Tao will definitely lead us to make the factory better. Let's get back to work. I'll treat you to lunch."

Tao Jin lost face in front of his younger brother and went home seething with anger—he refused Tong Zhengjie's invitation to dinner.

The rain had mostly stopped, and a cool breeze was blowing. Tao Jin was fretting over a problem: he had received quite a few gifts over the past ten days, what should he do?

When gifts are given, there's always an ulterior motive. Those who brought him cigarettes, alcohol, and local products all made their requests. Some wanted to change their children's jobs, others wanted to secure employment for their children, and some even wanted a promotion. One such person was Shi Cheng, a mid-level manager—the head of the Comprehensive Section of the Finance Department. Seeing that Quan Jianhe's position was vacant, he actually brought a thick envelope to Quan Jianhe's door, asking him to put in a good word for him with Tao Tang.

The envelope contained a full ten thousand yuan. The bank's seal was still on.

He wouldn't have dared to accept such a generous gift. It was different from cigarettes, alcohol, and local products, but Bai Shuxian accepted it. She later said, "Section Chief Shi just wanted us to say a few good words for him. He didn't guarantee his promotion. What are you afraid of?"

Their son is of marriageable age, and there are so many expenses. It used to take him months to save 10,000 yuan, but now he has it effortlessly. Tao Jin understands his wife; she's greedy for money, but not for herself. She wouldn't even buy herself a new pair of shoes—isn't it all for their son?

But today's events reminded him that his younger brother wasn't reasonable. The things he promised wouldn't be easy to fulfill.

"He who eats another's food is bound to him; he who takes another's money is bound to him." This is an unchanging truth since ancient times. Tao Jin naturally hoped to deliver the "products" to those people as soon as possible, but so far he hadn't delivered a single one. What he thought would be easy has now proven to be not so easy.

Tao Tang has been in office for over ten days and has only visited my home once. There have only been two formal meetings: the first at Xiao Zhao, and the second at my home. The time Tao Jin invited his younger brother over for dinner, he intended to ask Tao Jin for a few "products," but Tao Tang had also invited Mei Ling and Wu Shi'an, making it difficult for Tao Jin to bring it up. Moreover, it seemed Tao Tang had anticipated this situation, as he made a long list of demands during the meal, the core of which was to avoid causing him trouble. He could directly discuss any family matters with Tao Tang, but not with others. Especially, he shouldn't speak on behalf of others or make promises he couldn't keep.

That's simply inhumane.

What to do? Tao Jin was at a loss. Back home, Tao Jin, with a sullen face, naturally didn't mention the embarrassing incident that had happened that morning. He silently ate the braised noodles his wife had made and prepared to take a nap. His wife followed him into the bedroom.

"I heard from Youdao that the second son bought a house..."

"It's the corruption building, isn't it? Definitely."

"It doesn't seem so. It was bought outside."

"Outside? How did Youdao know? Where is Youdao?"

"I went to the Wang family for dinner. Those snobs are now fawning over them..." Actually, the Wang family was generally better off than Tao Jin, but now the tables have turned.

"What did Youdao say?"

"He said that when he went to deliver sticky rice cakes that day, he heard his second uncle answer a phone call, it sounded like it was from someone selling real estate..."

"Silly boy, why are you only telling me now?"

"What does 'second son' mean? Does it mean they want to bring the elderly couple back to live with them?"

"Probably," Tao Jin pondered.

"It's always a good thing. I'm thinking, should we ask Youdao to help clean it up?"

"What are you packing up?"

"It's a new house. It needs renovations, right? Does he have the time?"

"I don't care. I can't control it..." Tao Jin became annoyed.

"Also, what do you think of that Wang Xiaojuan?"

"As long as you like it, that's fine."

"I don't think she's good enough for our son."

"What do you mean?"

"Being short is one thing, but I don't think Lao Wang's family is anything special either. This morning, Lao Wan came over for a visit and brought a girl. She works in the finance department. I saw her picture, and she's pretty! Plus, she's two years younger than Youdao, which is a good match."

"An accountant in the finance department? How does Lao Wan know her?"

"He had a slightly indirect relationship with his wife. The girl's original boyfriend broke up with her."

"What does 'youdao' mean?"

"I haven't seen him yet. I guess he went straight to the Wang family. I'm thinking, an accountant in the finance department definitely has a better future than the Wang family's daughter."

"You think someone would be interested in your son? You're just being wishful."

"It wouldn't have worked before, but it definitely will now. I've heard about the character of those people in the office building; when it comes to snobbery, no one is more snobbish than them. Doesn't she understand what marrying Youdao means?"

"Hey Lao Bai, how do you know she's better than the Wang family's daughter? Just because you glanced at a photo?"

"That's one aspect. Just thinking about the Wang family's past behavior makes me feel nauseous."

"Don't even mention it, I don't want to deal with it, I'm just too upset."

What's bothering you?

"I don't think the second son will give me any face."

"What do you mean?"

"What about all those stupid things I promised them? What am I going to do?"

"So be it! Look at your attitude. If you can't say it, I will. I don't believe the second brother is that heartless."

"Alright, go ahead and tell them. I'm going to sleep."

"Hey, what a loser. I'm going to Little Zhao's place tonight to find Second Brother."