Reborn in 1985, starting from a machine factory

"Director Wu, I'd like to say a few words."

Although he didn't know how he was discovered, Chen Mo did not back down.

He began, "On the way here, Grandpa Zhao showed me around the workshop, and I saw that it was very clean and tidy!"

"No raw materials, no unfinished components."

"The workers only left after they had finished their last shift, which shows that Director Zhou is a good leader."

Factory Director Zhou lit a cigarette but didn't say anything.

"The workers have feelings for the factory, and Director Wu and Factory Manager Zhou naturally have feelings for the workers as well."

"Indeed, it's precisely because we're all neighbors that it's not good to delay or owe money to anyone!" Chen Mo continued.

"But..."

"Stop with the nonsense!" Factory Manager Zhou said. "Pay off the debts, nothing else matters!"

Zhao Degui's expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to interject, Chen Mo spoke first: "Everything has been settled. We are indeed short of funds!"

"Director Zhou, where did these workers go if they're not working here?"

"There's not even any land here!"

Factory Director Zhou silently took a drag of his cigarette.

"Our factory needs people to operate, and providing them with a livelihood is something we want to do."

"Oh?" Director Wu asked, "How many workers can you accommodate?"

"As is customary, we need to take in a few workers, about five or six."

"But if this is negotiable, we can accept ten workers in the first batch, and within three months, we can bring back all the suitable workers in the second batch."

"Hmm?" Factory Director Zhou looked up at Chen Mo.

"For the first two months, the wages of the ten workers will be temporarily suspended, and each of us will receive 20 yuan for living expenses."

"For the ten people who don't work here, we'll pay half of their owed wages in the first month, and the rest in the second month."

"The money will be used up, but it needs to start circulating first!" Chen Mo said calmly.

Factory Director Zhou stared at Chen Mo, not even noticing the cigarette ash falling to the ground.

"Of course, this matter still needs to be decided by Factory Director Zhao. Director Wu, you can consider it!"

Director Wu smiled and said, "It's common to get IOUs when eating at restaurants."

"This is the first time I've ever seen someone come to contract a factory and issue IOUs!"

"However, since you've brought it up, we can't be too rude!" Director Wu flicked his cigarette ash.

"Half of the salary will be paid in the first month, and the rest in the second month. That's our bottom line!"

"If possible, let's draw up a contract tomorrow!" Director Wu said. "All of this needs to be written in!"

Zhao Degui looked troubled: "Two thousand four hundred in wages, one thousand five hundred in deposit, plus material costs and equipment maintenance."

"Brother Wu, this is still too expensive!"

"We can't give in any longer! If we give in any more, our factory director Zhou will lose his temper!" Director Wu said.

Zhao Degui looked at Chen Mo.

Chen Mo secretly calculated in his mind that the price was only average, but there were a few too many workers.

He nodded slightly.

"Okay! Brother Wu, I'll send the money over in the next day or two!" Zhao Degui said.

"So quick to agree? We've asked for too little!" Director Wu said, patting Factory Manager Zhou on the shoulder.

Chen Mo promptly refilled their cigarettes.

"Brother Zhao, your comrade is my best friend. To be honest, there are indeed too many workers in this factory."

"If you can take them in in the future, it will be a favor to me. The more workers the factory has, the less street thugs there will be."

"You don't need to worry about the business registration paperwork. I'll go and change it this afternoon!" Director Wu exhaled a puff of smoke.

"Tomorrow, in the same room, we'll sign the contract!"

"I won't stop you from getting rich, Brother Zhao!"

Zhao Degui smiled broadly. The procedures at the Industry and Commerce Bureau were indeed troublesome; without a few packs of cigarettes, there was simply no chance of getting it done.

With just that one sentence, Director Wu saved him about a hundred yuan.

"Thank you for your help, Brother Wu!"

"I see it's getting late, how about we go for a drink at noon?" Zhao Degui said, looking at the two of them.

Factory Director Zhou didn't even look up.

Director Wu exhaled a puff of smoke: "Stop talking nonsense, it's only a little past nine, why are you eating so early?"

"Go and get ready."

"I won't sign with you even a penny less!"

"Hahaha!" Zhao Degui laughed loudly, and then he led Chen Mo out the door.

On the way back, Zhao Degui was in a great mood. If you got close, you could hear him humming: "A great river, with wide waves!"

But as soon as he entered the door, the smile on his face faded, and he looked like he wasn't smiling at all.

"Chen Mo, we were reckless! If we had negotiated a bit, we could have gotten at least another two hundred yuan off!"

After parking his bicycle, he turned to Chen Mo and held up two fingers before walking into the room.

"Chen Mo, how's the money coming along? It looks like it'll cost at least three thousand ninety by tomorrow!"

"I have two thousand here, but I can't hand it all over. I can only hand over fifteen thousand at most!"

"The remaining five hundred is for entertainment expenses; we must keep it."

"I've spent almost a hundred yuan on entertaining guests and buying cigarettes these past two days!" Zhao Degui said.

"Got it!" Chen Mo nodded slightly. "But there's something I need to tell you, Uncle Zhao!"

"You said you'd split it 50/50, that might not work!"

Upon entering the house, Zhao Degui seemed not to hear him. He poured Chen Mo tea and asked, "How much did you collect?"

"Three or four thousand, I guess!" Chen Mo said.

"Wow, this young man is quite something!" Zhao Degui exclaimed, looking up in surprise.

"Where did you get so many?"

"A relative of one of the factory's leaders heard about this and wanted to invest. I sold two-thirds of my profits and got three thousand!" Chen Mo said in a low voice.

Zhao Degui's face stiffened.

Chen Mo just mentioned that he already knew a 50/50 split was impossible, but this still came as a surprise.

Two percent of the dividends sold for three thousand!

My two thousand yuan is only enough for a little over 10% of the dividends.

The difference is too great!

He slowly put down the teapot: "Who has such good taste?"

"Looks like I'll only get a 10% cut of the profits!"

Chen Mo gently shook his head: "Grandpa, this is what I think: your dredging and my technology are the core of this factory."

"This thing has a price too!"

"Oh?" Zhao Degui looked up.

"Your two thousand is heavier than those three thousand."

"However, Uncle Zhao, I can only give you 20% at this stage. I have a bunch of relatives to take care of, and I haven't made any arrangements yet."

"What do you think?"

Zhao Degui squinted, picked up the teacup, and put it down again after a while.

"Tell me the truth, how much did you actually borrow?"

"A little over five thousand, that should be enough for the first batch of production," Chen Mo said.

"Then you can just kick Uncle out completely, okay?"

"Two and a half percent!" Chen Mo looked at the water glass.

"Alright! Twenty percent it is!" Zhao Degui smiled. "What price do we need to negotiate, you and I?"

"Uncle Zhao, this is just the beginning," Chen Mo said, pushing the agreement in front of Zhao Degui.

"You're all prepared, aren't you, Xiao Mo?"

Chen Mo did not speak.

Zhao Degui glanced at it, had no doubts, and signed his name.

"Chen Mo, have you decided who should manage the factory?"

Chen Mo shook his head: "I haven't decided yet!"

"Uncle Zhao, how's Grandma?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you that your aunt is illiterate! She's completely blind!" Zhao Degui said.

"Materials procurement, packaging design, and instructing the workers on how to do it all need to be managed by someone; your auntie absolutely cannot do it!"

"Where's your brother, Chen Gang?"

"My brother can sell the factory!"

Where's your dad?

"Uncle Zhao, let me think about it some more."