Chapter 58 Quickly Invite Cheng Shi Back

Yu Dadong said, "I know what you're worried about. You're afraid that after you train new recruits into skilled workers, they'll run off."

Cheng Shi said, "I don't teach newcomers not because I'm afraid they'll run off. It's because there are professional institutions to teach them, such as technical schools, vocational schools, universities, and various training institutes. They can learn systematically there, which is much better than learning piecemeal from me. It's also better for their personal development. For me to teach them is a waste of time and yields half the results with twice the effort. This is called division of labor; professional matters should be handled by professional people. Of course, if my enterprise grows large enough in the future, I won't rule out setting up a specialized institution to train excellent technical workers for myself."

Yu Dadong said, "Then I understand even less. Even for skilled mechanics, you still have to train them before you can use them. Otherwise, they could make these parts at their original factory, and you wouldn't be able to snatch up endless orders from the big factories. So how can you be sure skilled mechanics won't leave after learning from you?"

Cheng Shi slightly raised his chin, "Even if they master the technology, they still won't be able to make them once they leave me. Because even with the exact same model and CNC machines rolling off the production line at the same time, I can make my machines achieve higher precision than any other."

Yu Dadong and Zhang Ziqiang looked at each other in dismay.

Yu Dadong said, "That's true. Come to think of it, we never saw this machine play such a big role at the machinery factory before."

Zhang Ziqiang said, "The automotive factory clearly has CNC machines too, yet they claim they can't produce parts with the same precision as yours."

The more Hu Guangcai listened, the more astonished he became.

Cheng Shi had come to his workshop on his very first day at work.

He knew best what Cheng Shi had been like in the past.

Apart from his looks, the Cheng Shi before his eyes was practically a different person compared to before.

He spoke with composure, clear logic, and profound astuteness...

Cheng Juan walked in from outside, and seeing Hu Guangcai standing at the door, she greeted him loudly, "Oh, Director Hu, why didn't you go in when you arrived?"

She was actually reminding Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shi turned around.

Yu Dadong and Zhang Ziqiang immediately stood up.

Hu Guangcai felt somewhat awkward and smiled, "I saw you were all in the middle of an important discussion, so I didn't have the heart to disturb you."

Actually, he was somewhat afraid of Cheng Shi. After all, it was he who had personally put Cheng Shi on the list for conversion to a contract worker.

Cheng Shi said, "It's fine. Director Hu, please come in and sit down."

Upon seeing Hu Guangcai, Cheng Yongjin walked up with a dark expression on his face.

Hu Guangcai felt even more awkward.

Entering the office, Cheng Shi closed the door and poured a cup of tea for Hu Guangcai.

Hu Guangcai looked somewhat constrained, "Cheng Shi, don't you hate me?"

Cheng Shi smiled, "I don't hate you. Actually, I'm quite grateful to my master for teaching me skills."

Hu Guangcai was Cheng Yongjin's apprentice.

Back then, the only reason Cheng Shi was able to alter his age and inherit his father's position was because Hu Guangcai had helped.

Cheng Yongjin had originally thought that putting Cheng Shi under his own apprentice's supervision would be foolproof, but it had turned out like this.

In his previous life, Cheng Shi truly resented Hu Guangcai for failing to distinguish black from white and refusing to trust him.

Yet having experienced so much, he had long understood that he couldn't completely blame others for ending up in that state back then.

At that time, he was right in the most rebellious phase of his life, raging against the heavens, the earth, and everything else, feeling that he was ostracized by the whole world and that everyone else was in the wrong.

Hu Guangcai had wanted to teach him skills, but he had ignored him.

Later, he became infatuated with Qian Xiaoying and was foolish enough to hand over the fruits of his labor and honors to someone else on a silver platter.

Putting himself in their shoes, if he were the leader and had such a subordinate, it truly would be a headache, and he would definitely be the first to fire that person.

Hearing him utter that word "Master," Hu Guangcai's eyes turned red, and he let out a long sigh, "I was too muddle-headed. Qian Xiaoying deceived everyone and stole your credit, and I bear responsibility for that as well."

In fact, after Qian Xiaoying's facade was torn down, he felt astonished for a moment, and then found it entirely reasonable.

After all, he had taught Cheng Shi with his own hands.

How smart Cheng Shi was, how quickly he grasped things with just a hint—no one knew that better than he did.

Previously, he had simply been so infuriated by Cheng Shi's rebelliousness that he was completely blinded and cared nothing for the truth.

Cheng Shi said, "What's in the past is in the past. It doesn't matter."

Hu Guangcai never expected that it would ultimately be Cheng Shi who told him, "It doesn't matter."

He had originally planned to wait until Cheng Shi accepted reality before coming over to comfort Cheng Shi and Cheng Yongjin.

Yet fickle fate kept playing tricks, and these endless chains of events had relentlessly forged the current situation.

He suddenly didn't know how to react.

Cheng Shi asked, "What brought Master here?"

Hu Guangcai answered, "Oh, it's like this. I came to invite you back to the workshop. The factory director has promised you the highest salary and allowances, plus a three-room apartment."

Cheng Shi smiled, "Impossible. I'm not going back."

Hu Guangcai said, "Just name any other conditions you might have. Don't harbor resentment. For a young man, opportunities in a large enterprise are ultimately greater and more secure."

Cheng Shi shook his head, "A fish that has seen the ocean will never return to a pond. Look at me here: I call the shots, the profits are entirely my own. Why on earth would I go back to work alone while ten or even a hundred people come to share the fruits of my labor?"

Hu Guangcai choked. He found himself unable to refute those words. In truth, it wasn't just Qian Xiaoying; over the past two years, all of them had been like fleas sucking blood from Cheng Shi's body.

Cheng Shi said, "Thank you, Master, for personally coming to invite me. If Master wants to come over for a chat in the future, my door is always open. But if you're here again to tell me to go back, you don't need to waste your time."

Hu Guangcai wanted to say something more.

Cheng Shi said, "I'll also offer Master a piece of advice: Liu建设 is not a good leader. Master should secure a fallback plan for yourself sooner rather than later."

He remembered that Liu Jianshe had shown no mercy whatsoever when laying off Hu Guangcai.

For Hu Guangcai, in his forties, to head south to find migrant work would be far harder to adapt to than when Cheng Shi had gone out to work at eighteen.

Hu Guangcai was stunned into silence. What kind of person Liu Jianshe was, he knew very well.

Yet where else could he find a better job than the current one? He was also a man approaching forty.

Cheng Shi said, "As for these things, you should take them back. As a junior, I'm embarrassed to let you spend your money. Another day when I have some free time, I will pay a formal visit to your home."

Upon hearing this, Hu Guangcai felt even more ashamed to stay seated and said, "Your father was originally my master as well. It's only natural for me to come and visit my master."

Thinking of this, he felt quite guilty.

Ever since Cheng Yongjin retired, he had never come to visit him once.

Stepping outside, Hu Guangcai didn't know whether to laugh or cry: I originally came to persuade him to go back, but instead I almost got persuaded by this kid to resign myself.

When Liu Jianshe heard that even Hu Guangcai had failed to invite Cheng Shi back, he grew even more irritable and panicked.

This whole affair had already turned him into a laughingstock within the industry.

Some people said he was blind, some said he couldn't tolerate capable people, and others said even harsher things, calling him senile and unfit to hold his position any longer.

The call from higher-ups that day had already clearly expressed their dissatisfaction.

He had originally thought that if the Second Workshop could produce qualified parts, these people would have nothing more to say.

As a result, the Second Workshop had completely turned into a hen that couldn't lay eggs.