Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

At this moment, Chen Guohua, Qin Haofeng's father, and Zhu Zi's father were all secretly plotting their own schemes. Chen Guohua really wanted his two older brothers to go to the electronics factory. As long as they were there, especially Qin Haofeng's father, who loved to listen to gossip, nothing in the factory, big or small, would be kept from him. This guy's hearing was so good that if he went to a public toilet, he could repeat every word that was said in the women's toilet next door while he was squatting in the men's room.

If you don't believe me, the three of them are sitting inside the house eating right now. If you ask him what the young couple sitting at the door were saying, he'll definitely know.

Zhu Zi's father, Lao Zhao, was a model citizen who never made a mistake in his work. When he was in the supply and marketing office, he was the head of the transportation section. The trucks in the fleet were always spotless. Even when the supply and marketing office couldn't sell its goods, he still took his driver and would clean the trucks whenever he had free time.

They might not be his right-hand men in the future, but they are definitely the most loyal people in the electronics factory, no doubt about that.

Meanwhile, Old Zhao, Zhu Zi's father, stroked his chin and pondered for a moment. Staying at home like this every day, he was getting bored out of his mind. After he rushed over and fought when Chen Yang's family was harassed last time, he felt much lighter when walking. Moreover, with the electronics factory being renovated, the treatment there should be better than at the supply and marketing department. He wouldn't have to ask his wife for money to buy a pack of cigarettes like he does now, and have to listen to her nagging.

Qin Haofeng's father was thinking that after the electronics factory was renovated, it would definitely be a project that the higher-ups would pay attention to. Going to the electronics factory at this time would be like going to the vanguard. If he did well, someone would definitely replace him later. Not to mention himself, if things really went well, Chen Guohua would have to step down from his position as factory director. How could a bureau chief replace a factory director? That's why no one wants to take over this mess right now. If the performance is not good... Hmph, it would be good enough if they weren't held accountable!

However, it depends on whether Lao Zhao goes or not. If Lao Zhao doesn't go, that's fine; but if he goes to the electronics factory and I don't, then I'm doomed. I'll just have to stay at home every day and wait for my wife to complain about me. If that's the case, I might as well go to the electronics factory, at least I'll have some peace and quiet.

Old Qin squinted, like a shrewd old fox, and glanced at Old Zhao. Hey, this guy's face practically screams "I want to go!"

Old Qin chuckled inwardly. Old Zhao, he was always restless; after being cooped up at home for so long, he was definitely itching to find somewhere to stretch his legs. So, Old Qin cleared his throat, put on a troubled expression, and slowly said to Chen Guohua, "Old Chen, I appreciate your kind intentions, that's really kind of you! But you know, I'm an old man, almost halfway to the grave, what can I do? Electronics factories are for young people; I'd be lucky if I didn't cause trouble, let alone make things worse!"

Old Qin's words were so sincere and earnest that anyone who didn't know better would think he was extremely reluctant to give up this opportunity! He continued, "Besides, everyone knows our relationship, right? If you arrange for me to work in the factory, wouldn't people say you're abusing your position for personal gain? I, Old Qin, can't afford to lose face like that!"

As he spoke, he secretly observed Chen Guohua's reaction to see if he had been persuaded.

Old Zhao finally came to his senses. He had originally wanted to go to the electronics factory, but after hearing what Old Qin said, he quickly put down his wine glass, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and chimed in, "Yes, Old Chen, Old Qin is right! Your status is different now, you have to be careful about your image, don't give people any leverage against you."

As Old Zhao spoke, he picked up his wine glass and pretended to take a big sip, but in reality, he didn't drink a drop and sprayed it all onto the table. He even pretended to cough a few times to cover up his embarrassment.

Old Zhao put down his wine glass and said in a serious tone, "Electronics factories are all high-tech. We old guys won't be of much help if we go there. We'll only cause trouble for you."

"Who said that?" Chen Guohua looked at the two men with a smile, as if he could see through their thoughts. "Transformation, do you understand? From now on, we won't produce electronic components anymore. We'll be renamed Jiangcheng Electronic Appliance Factory. Our first product will be an electric shaver!"

As he spoke, Chen Guohua patted the two men on the shoulder with a smile, "How come you were useless? Old Zhao, you continue to be the head of the transportation department, and Old Qin, you're still the head of the sales department." Chen Guohua patted his chest, "Me, the factory manager of the electronics factory, the three of us are still the same as before!"

An electronics factory making electric shavers? Old Qin and Old Zhao looked at each other, completely stunned. They never imagined that the electronics factory, after its renovation, would actually produce such things!

Chen Guohua grinned and pulled an electric shaver sample from his bag, handing it to the two men as he showed it to them, explaining how it differed from other products on the market. Finally, Chen Guohua patted them on the shoulder and asked, "So, do you think I need you guys? Come on, don't just sit around at home, work with me!"

As he spoke, Chen Guohua reached out and took the electric shaver from Lao Zhao's hand. "I can't give this to you. First of all, there's only one sample right now, and secondly, there's only one. It's hard for you two to divide it. Once you go to the factory, I'll give you as many as you want."

Old Zhao curled his lip, smiled at Chen Guohua, and said, "What good stuff is it? I wouldn't want it even if you gave it to me! My son bought it for me!"

“Exactly,” Old Qin chuckled, raising his glass to clink with the two men. “Old Chen, you’re really stingy. A sample? And only one? I don’t think your factory will amount to much.”

"Pah, pah, pah!" Chen Guohua was displeased upon hearing this and quickly spat a few times at Lao Qin, saying as he spat, "You jinx! Can't you speak properly? My factory hasn't even opened yet, and you're already cursing me to close down?"

Old Qin and Old Zhao couldn't help but burst into laughter at Chen Guohua's exaggerated performance, instantly filling the dinner table with a joyful atmosphere.

They chatted and laughed, and after several rounds of drinks and dishes, Chen Guohua noticed that the two old men still hadn't said whether they were coming or not. He was itching to get their attention, like a cat scratching at him. His eyes darted around, and he glanced at them discreetly before suddenly slamming his hand on the table. He placed his large hands on Lao Qin and Lao Zhao's shoulders respectively—a gesture so intimate that anyone watching would think they were about to swear a blood oath!

"Hey you two, stop playing dumb with me. Let's get this straight today, are you coming or not?" Chen Guohua's tone was three parts serious, three parts pleading, and four parts unquestionable firmness. Clearly, he was determined to invite these two old buddies today!

Old Qin was startled by Chen Guohua's sudden action. He smiled helplessly, looked at Chen Guohua's impatient appearance, and shook his head. "Old Chen, why are you doing this? Look at you, you have money and manpower now, do you still need us two old guys?"

“Exactly,” Old Zhao chimed in, holding up two fingers and waving them in front of Chen Guohua. “Look at your net worth now, twenty million! Twenty million! What are you afraid of?”

"Twenty million, damn it!" Chen Guohua cursed immediately upon hearing this, slapping Old Zhao's hand away. Twenty million? Let me tell you, twenty million is barely enough to fill a tooth gap! The equipment alone cost over twenty million! If it weren't for his son Chen Yang getting some kind of installment plan, twenty million wouldn't even be enough to buy the machines!

Upon hearing this, Old Zhao was stunned. His mouth gaped open, wide enough to fit an egg. "No, Old Chen, tell me the truth, is your equipment edged with gold or something? How can it be so expensive?"

Chen Guohua waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't edged with gold, and then began to explain to Lao Zhao things like CNC and fully automated production lines, leaving Lao Zhao bewildered.

"Let me put it this way," Chen Guohua said, placing a chopstick on the table and a few peanuts on either side to make it clear to Lao Zhao. "This production line is incredibly advanced! The workers just sit on either side, each doing their own job, and the products are produced by themselves without them having to move much!"

After hearing this, Old Zhao was not shocked at all. Instead, he curled his lip and said, "Old Chen, isn't this just a waste of time and effort? Spending so much money just to make the workers move less?"

"What the hell? Don't talk nonsense if you don't understand!" Old Qin couldn't stand it anymore. He slammed his hand on the table and glared at Old Zhao. "This is called an automated production line! Every step is pre-programmed. The workers just need to sit in their positions, wait for the production line to deliver the semi-finished products, and then complete their part of the work!"

"This kind of production line is incredibly efficient!" Old Qin said, tapping the plate with his chopsticks. "For example, before, we could only produce 100 products a day, but with this automated production line, we can produce two or three hundred, or even more, a day!"

Hearing Lao Qin's words, Chen Guohua nodded in satisfaction, patted him on the shoulder, and said that his old buddy knew his stuff. Then, he tightened his grip on Lao Qin's shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the two men's faces, his tone tinged with seriousness, "Our Electronics Bureau, to be honest, only manages three companies: the electronics factory, the battery factory, and our supply and marketing department. The battery factory was the first to succumb and close down, and then the electronics factory followed suit."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lao Qin and Lao Zhao, a hint of mischief in his voice, "Let me ask you, these battery factories and electronics factories, at least they produce their own products. Our supply and marketing department, to put it bluntly, is just a middleman, making a profit from the price difference. Shouldn't we be the first to go bankrupt? Tell me, why are we, the middlemen, the last to go bankrupt?"

When Chen Guohua mentioned the word "Huang," he emphasized it and deliberately drew out the sound, with a mischievous smile on his face, as if he were talking about something very interesting.

After hearing this, Old Zhao didn't even think twice. He grabbed a handful of peanuts, threw them into his mouth, and mumbled between chews, "What else could it be? Poor management!"

Old Qin shook his head and said slowly, "They claim it's due to poor management, but actually..." He paused deliberately, looked at Chen Guohua, then at Old Zhao, lowered his voice, and said mysteriously, "The truth is, their thinking is outdated, their ideas are antiquated, and they can't keep up with the times! Especially the battery factory, they spent a lot of money to upgrade their production equipment, but the products they produced didn't meet the quality standards and were eliminated by the market. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

After listening to the two men, Chen Guohua crossed his arms and shook his head slightly, pretending to be profound, and said, "What you're saying is just the surface. The real reason is..." He deliberately dragged out his words, glanced at the two men, and continued, "They have neither a silver tongue nor the legs to run fast!"

"What do you mean?" Old Zhao and Old Qin asked in unison, their faces full of confusion.