The Fiery Era: Becoming an Industrial Giant

Chapter 288 The logistics of the Kyushu Factory also have problems.
If we're talking about the factory most prone to problems, then logistics is definitely the place to call it a problem.

The finance department is less likely to have problems than the logistics department. Zhou Zhiqiang had once tightened the reins on finance, and although he relaxed them somewhat later, large expenditures exceeding two thousand still need to be discussed with him.

Moreover, the accounts need to be reconciled at the end of the year, and if there are any errors, the finance department will be the first to suffer the consequences, making it very difficult to deal with.

There are many places in logistics where you can tamper with things, such as purchasing, the canteen, and the warehouse. You can easily cover it up by doing a little bit of work.

But this time the factory wasn't joking. Zhou Zhiqiang told them to do a self-inspection first, which was also giving them a chance.

The document states that for comrades, unless it involves a particularly serious mistake, the attitude should be "learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones, and cure the disease to save the patient."

Wu Youcai's attitude was also very tough this time. He was determined to uncover the problems below, and he also planned to report to the factory director about his past actions of taking advantage of his position as head of the purchasing department to smuggle things.

He genuinely hadn't done anything else, and Wu Youcai had a feeling that if he honestly admitted his mistakes, as long as they weren't fundamental errors, the factory manager wouldn't punish him too severely.

But if he falls into the hands of Yue Ruifeng in the discipline inspection department, then he will be beyond saving.

It took a whole day.

On the second day of the meeting, Wu Youcai, carrying a well-organized document, walked towards the factory director's office with a heavy heart.

However, as soon as he arrived near Zhou Zhiqiang's office door, he saw Zhang Yaoguo leading Liu Wenzhou to knock on the door.

"Director Wu, are you also looking for a leader?"

Zhang Yaoguo also saw Wu Youcai, and then asked...

Upon hearing this, Wu Youcai quickly replied, "Yes, Section Chief Zhang, but you should take Deputy Factory Director Liu to see Factory Director Zhou first. I'll wait outside for a while, but Section Chief Zhang, please tell the factory director."

"Okay, just wait for me."

After Zhang Yaoguo finished speaking, he opened the door and came in.

He approached Zhou Zhiqiang at the desk and said, "Factory Director, Deputy Factory Director Liu is here."

"Comrade Wenzhou is here. Yaoguo, pour Comrade Wenzhou a glass of water."

Zhou Zhiqiang looked up and saw Liu Wenzhou, then said, "Please sit wherever you like, Comrade Wenzhou. Have you come up with the production plan yet?"

"We came up with a plan, but at the current pace, it's likely that the nine workshops will have to work an extra five hours a day."

Furthermore, the branch factories also need to cooperate. As for the CNC branch factory, factory manager, you'll need to make the arrangements by phone."

As Liu Wenzhou handed the production plan for the next three months to Zhou Zhiqiang, he explained...
"With such a large-scale overtime, the logistics department should keep up as well, and the branch factory should also pay more attention. I will make a few more trips to make sure they complete the task."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zhiqiang also picked up the new production plan and began to look at it.

As he observed, Zhou Zhiqiang was already mentally planning the potential impact of the new production plan, whether any unexpected events might occur, or if remedial measures would be necessary.
After quickly thinking it over, Zhou Zhiqiang nodded and said, "Okay, let's do it this way. Let the workshop director also talk to the workers about the factory's difficulties."

"Once this period passes, the factory will compensate them and talk to the workers about it. They've put in so much effort for industrial development and construction; we can't let them feel disheartened."

"What you say is right, Factory Director. I will remind the workshop directors later."

Liu Wenzhou sighed helplessly and said, "The workers in our factory are destined to be busy. It's not easy for them to get a break by working two shifts."

As a result, the First Machine Tool Plant messed up again, leaving our factory with such a huge burden.

"It also proves the saying that with great power comes great responsibility. Right now, the ministry can't find any other factories that can produce CNC machine tools in the short term."

Zhou Zhiqiang paused for a moment before continuing, "However, things will be a bit easier for our factory next year. After what happened at the First Machine Tool Plant, it might lead to more machine tool factories starting to produce CNC machine tools next year."

"what?"

Liu Wenzhou shook his head and said, "Hey, factory manager, I'm starting to not want other factories to get involved. After all, this is something you and your team worked hard to develop, and now they're just reaping the benefits."

"Hahaha," Zhou Zhiqiang laughed and said, "We can't have all the advantages. But we also have composite CNC machine tools, and there will be other machine tools with better performance and more powerful functions in the future. We're the first to benefit."

"Too."

Liu Wenzhou said with a smile, then talked to Zhou Zhiqiang about some other things before getting up to leave. He had to go and get busy, and there was someone waiting outside to report to Director Zhou.

After Liu Wenzhou left, Zhang Yaoguo came in again and told Zhou Zhiqiang about Wu Youcai.

Then Wu Youcai was called in.

"Sit down. If you don't even dare to sit down, then you must be in a very serious situation."

Zhou Zhiqiang pointed to the chair and said, "Are you alright? I don't want to remove the newly promoted logistics director; that would be a slap in my own face."

"Factory manager, everything I found out after I went back is written down here."

After Wu Youcai finished speaking, he quickly handed the document in his hand to Zhou Zhiqiang.

Zhou Zhiqiang took the document and began to read it. The office suddenly fell silent, and the sound of the pages turning could be heard clearly.

The cafeteria staff were the ones who smuggled supplies home and intercepted supplies, but fortunately the amounts weren't large.

According to the canteen staff, they were afraid of the factory rules and regulations brought by Zhou Zhiqiang, so they only dared to steal small things.

The purchasing department makes money by exploiting price differences. They didn't do this before. When Wu Youcai became the head of the purchasing department, he at most used his position as a purchasing agent to take things for himself.

As for the warehouse, it's just a place to trade in old goods for new ones and take advantage of the factory.

"Alright, you're full of talent. If we don't let you conduct your own investigations, will your logistics staff become increasingly audacious?"

Zhou Zhiqiang tossed the documents onto his desk and continued, "It's a relief that you didn't do anything, so I don't need to get a new logistics director."

"Factory manager, I was still wrong."

"What kind of mistake is that? How am I supposed to punish you? If I do punish you, will I punish the transport team? Who can stop this kind of thing?"

Did I ban bringing boxed lunches to the cafeteria? But they're getting bolder and bolder. If I don't teach them a lesson this time, I'll see if they dare to empty the cafeteria in the future.

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished speaking, he thought for a while, called Zhang Yaoguo in, and then said, "Yaoguo, make a note of this. No matter what method they use or how much they take from the cafeteria, put them all back."

Then, after work, they gave me cleaning tools and started cleaning from inside the factory all the way to the streets within two miles outside the factory, cleaning them all up.

"I have to clean for at least four hours every day, not a minute less."

What actually relieved Zhou Zhiqiang was that Wu Xiaojun's wife and Zhao Tiandong's wife were not on the list. If they were on the list, the feeling of having to sacrifice family members for the greater good would be unbearable.

Fortunately, they didn't do anything reckless.

"I'd say the canteen and warehouse are minor issues. They're taking advantage of the factory, but why would they take advantage of such small things? The factory hasn't wronged them."

Zhou Zhiqiang clicked his tongue and said, "Value reports are always difficult to handle. There's no other suitable method besides punishing them with severe labor reform."

Moreover, he is not exactly a moral paragon; this kind of widespread phenomenon is truly difficult to eradicate in this era.

“What should the purchasing department do? You’re the head of the purchasing department. They’re basically using the price difference to embezzle money from the factory.”

Strictly speaking, this is all considered a crime, but the amount involved is not large; otherwise, it would have been enough to just expel him, send him to trial, and imprison him.

"Factory manager, I'll listen to you."

Wu Youcai quickly replied, "Whatever you say, I will do. I will absolutely follow the factory's opinion."

"Why didn't you notice sooner? You've managed to shake it off so easily now."

After Zhou Zhiqiang finished speaking, he sighed and then asked Zhang Yaoguo to call Yue Ruifeng from the discipline inspection department.

When Director Yue arrived, Zhou Zhiqiang said directly to him, "Director Yue, take a look at this. It's the result of the factory's self-inspection. They even confessed to these things. I think they shouldn't have anything to hide."

Director Yue, what are your thoughts on this matter concerning the procurement department?

(End of this chapter)