Chapter 57: Words Can Drown a Person

Qian Xiaoying was scolded by Workshop Director Hu Guangcai in his office once again today.

Hu Guangcai knew that no matter how much he cursed at Qian Xiaoying, she still wouldn't be able to produce the parts.

However, he had a hidden purpose in doing so. He was trying to force Qian Xiaoying to confess her fraud to the factory director herself, take sole responsibility for the director's punishment, or resign directly to make room for a capable person.

If Qian Xiaoying were someone easy to bully, she wouldn't have been able to manipulate Cheng Shi around the way she did all this time.

The only reason she had endured everything in silence was because she was in the wrong and simply wanted to keep her job.

By now, however, she had seen through the director's intentions.

If that was the case, why should she keep tolerating it?

She raised her head proudly and said, "Director Hu, either you directly lay me off, or you come up with another solution. Bullying a young woman like me all day long—what kind of man are you? Including you, there are over twenty male comrades in the second workshop, yet you expect a woman like me to carry the burden and think it is only natural? You also started out in technical work. If none of us can make it, could you possibly do it yourself?"

Hu Guangcai choked on his own words.

Having served in a managerial position for many years, he had long stopped doing such hands-on work himself.

It was impossible for him to pick it up again now.

Stung in his weak spot and growing somewhat furious out of embarrassment, he snapped, "If I still needed to do the work myself, what would I keep the likes of you around for?"

Qian Xiaoying retorted, "Even if the director doesn't want to get his hands dirty, what about the dozens of other male comrades in the second workshop? Are they all just going to wait with folded arms for me alone to resolve this? I've propped this up by myself for two years. From now on, it's not too much to ask for others to pull their own weight, right? If you push me any further, I will report this all the way to the municipal, provincial, and ministerial levels. There's bound to be a place that will dispense justice for me."

With that, she flung her hands down and stormed out.

The entire factory already knew about Qian Xiaoying usurping Cheng Shi's credit.

Even if Hu Guangcai hadn't scolded her, the spittle of the people in the factory would have drowned her anyway.

The higher she had climbed and the more dazzling her position had been in the past, the more people resented and envied her.

If she had reached that height through her own genuine abilities, everyone would have maintained a surface level of respect and only gossiped behind her back.

Now, however, the anger and jealousy that everyone had suppressed for so long finally erupted.

No matter where Qian Xiaoying went, people would curse at her directly: "Oh, feeling comfortable now, aren't you? You schemed to drive away the most promising person in our machinery factory, yet you haven't managed to produce a single decent result yourself."

"If Cheng Shi hadn't left, our machinery factory would definitely have gone even further and secured more orders."

Qian Xiaoying put on a grievance-stricken expression: "Why must you comrades wrong me? Why negate all my past achievements just because of a temporary setback on my part?"

That only made the curses grow louder.

"I've never seen someone so shameless; you still dare to call those your achievements."

"How can you still have the face to stay in the machinery factory? If I were you, I'd have hanged myself out of shame long ago."

Covering her face, Qian Xiaoying wept as she walked, but as soon as she reached a deserted spot, she dropped her hands—not a single tear had actually been shed.

Gritting her teeth, she thought: This is what happens when a falling wall is pushed by everyone.

Not a single one of these people is any good.

They used to call out "Yingzi" this and "Yingzi" that with such affectionate familiarity. The moment I run into trouble, every single one of them turns around to curse me.

For some inexplicable reason, a flash of memory crossed her mind: the scene of her joining everyone else in casting votes against Cheng Shi.

Is this reaping what I've sown?

No, no, no, I did nothing wrong.

I just wanted to keep my job in the factory, to survive—what is wrong with that?

Liu Construction made another phone call to Hu Guangcai: "Well? A whole week has passed. Have you figured out a solution or not?"

Hesitating for a moment, Hu Guangcai replied, "Director, let's fire Qian Xiaoying. Please transfer a senior technician over from another workshop."

Liu Construction sighed, "That's the only option left at this point."

Liu Construction instructed the vice director in charge of personnel to speak with technicians from other workshops to see who would be willing to go to the second workshop.

As soon as those people heard it was the second workshop, however, everyone shook their heads: "Who on earth would dare go to a place like that? Even someone as capable as Cheng Shi was forced out."

"I've no desire to be cannon fodder. Let whoever wants to go, go. When the parts can't be made, they'll just blame everything on me."

Left with no choice, Liu Construction called Hu Guangcai back: "Nobody is willing to come. You'll just have to think of another way."

Hu Guangcai suggested, "How about I go and invite Cheng Shi back? We can't find anyone more suitable to replace him on short notice anyway. Besides, if he comes back, we can secure a whole lot of new orders."

Orders had been declining month by month since the beginning of the year.

That was why the plan to convert a batch of permanent workers into contract workers had been brought up in the first place.

They had originally thought it was purely a matter of overcapacity, but Cheng Shi's small workshop—which had only one machine and two people—was being flooded with more orders than they could handle.

This proved that market demand for high-quality parts remained extremely robust.

Actually, Liu Construction had been thinking the exact same thing, but he just couldn't swallow his pride to say it out loud.

Hearing Hu Guangcai bring it up now, he said, "Fine then. You go handle it. Just sign him on as a contract worker as before."

In principle, the number of permanent workers in the factory could only decrease, never increase.

It was like spilled water; it could never be gathered back up.

Hu Guangcai said, "If we want to entice him back, we have to offer the best terms: the highest wages and benefits in the factory."

Liu Construction agreed, "That's acceptable. I heard a private enterprise offered him an annual salary of one hundred thousand, and he still wouldn't go. Even though we are a large state-owned enterprise, he certainly won't be willing if we offer too little."

Feeling uneasy, he thought for a moment and added, "You need to move quickly. I heard Zhang Guohua even sent his son to stay by Cheng Shi's side, which is a blatant attempt to steal and learn his techniques."

Hu Guangcai acknowledged, "Understood. I'm heading over right now."

Buying some fruit and a large jar of malted milk extract, Hu Guangcai headed straight for Cheng Shi's home.

Zhang Ziqiang had just returned at that moment and was boasting triumphantly to Cheng Shi, "I went to visit two clients this afternoon. Both of them gave me their specifications. They told me to bring the contract over tomorrow."

Playing along cooperatively, Cheng Shi said, "Good job. Once these two contracts are signed, we won't take on any new ones for the time being. I'll issue you a commission then."

In truth, he knew better than anyone.

Nothing was certain yet; the whole thing wasn't even a shadow on the wall.

In reality, until a contract was actually signed, every promise meant nothing.

With wide eyes, Zhang Ziqiang asked, "Why? They sell so well, we should take on more orders."

Cheng Shi sighed, "We only have one machine and two master craftsmen right now. Even if my dad and I work day and night shifts with the machine running nonstop, we still wouldn't be able to finish them all."

Looking a bit sheepish, Zhang Ziqiang smiled and said, "Right, right, right, I forgot about that. You guys really do have it tough right now."

Cheng Shi pursed his lips: "Once we buy a new machine tool, we'll figure out a way to recruit a few more skilled workers. We can't always have the boss and the boss's father doing all the heavy labor."

The others burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Yu Dadong chimed in, "If you ever decide to take on apprentices, your doorstep will be worn flat."

Shaking his head, Cheng Shi replied, "I won't be training green hands; we'll directly recruit experienced technicians from other factories."

Taken aback, Zhang Ziqiang remarked, "Although your workshop has quite a reputation, the scale is limited after all. Which skilled worker would abandon the iron rice bowl of a state-owned enterprise to come work for you?"