That Saturday, Jiang Zhihan and his mother received an invitation to have dinner at Manager Shi's house. The rumors about the Light Industry Bureau changing the leadership of the printing factory were proven to be true. After the wage adjustment and the sulfuric acid incident, the Light Industry Bureau sent an investigation team to the factory to understand the situation and seek opinions. In the end, Manager Shi became the biggest winner of this adjustment. The old Secretary had reached the age limit and chose to retire. The old factory manager was transferred from the printing factory to the Light Industry Bureau for other purposes. Deputy Factory Manager Shi was officially appointed as the factory manager. He was now the real factory manager Shi. The secretary was an unexpected employee and was not familiar with the situation in the factory. In addition, the current direction of the reform emphasized production and not politics. Factory Manager Shi was now a veritable leader. Regiment Commander Chen was officially appointed as the Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Light Industry Bureau. After Manager Shi received Jiang Zhihan's words, he went to visit Deputy Secretary Chen in private and established a good personal relationship with him. Now, Manager Shi had a root below him and someone above him. The situation was completely different from more than a month ago.
Jiang Zhihan played a key role in all these changes. He inspired the idea of reforming the wage rating system of Manager Shi, resolved the crisis in the sulfuric acid incident, and finally helped to get in touch with Deputy Secretary Chen. Deputy Secretary Chen had just arrived, so he and the stone factory manager were just taking what they needed and were mutually beneficial. Therefore, Manager Shi solemnly held a banquet at home to invite them.
After dinner, everyone sat down to talk. After all that had happened, Manager Shi no longer treated Jiang Zhihan as a middle school student. Instead, he discussed some issues with him as an equal. Manager Shi sighed." I look like I'm in the limelight now, but I'm actually being roasted over a fire." Now that the competition for products was getting more and more intense, if they could not turn losses into profits in a short period of time, many people who wanted to see a joke would jump out impatiently.”" I'm a complete layman," Jiang Zhihan said." But I often hear my mother say that only one workshop in the factory is making money. The other three workshops are all losing money. Is that true?"”"That's true," said Manager Shi. The first workshop was doing trademark printing. Some customers, such as tobacco factories, wineries, and pharmaceutical factories, had long-term cooperative relationships. They received large quantities of goods, and the profit margin was relatively high. The sales were relatively stable. Many of the products in the other three workshops were directly targeted at individual consumers, so it was not easy to sell them now. First, our machines have to be turned on with a minimum amount of power. Otherwise, the cost will be too high. In this aspect, they could not compete with some small private printing factories along the coast. They were small in scale and could turn around quickly. They could also take on small batches of business. On the other hand, the imported products and joint ventures within the industrial system have begun to become our competitors. There is still a big gap between us in terms of quality. In addition to the welfare of more than 1,000 workers and 2,000 retired workers, it was also a huge burden. Our state-owned enterprises can't fire workers, so our efficiency is relatively low.”Jiang Zhihan said,"There must be a way out when the car reaches the mountain." With your leadership, we should be able to tide over the difficulties by working hard on cost control and sales channels.”
After saying goodbye and returning home, his mother pulled Jiang Zhihan to sit on the sofa to talk. In the past few months, the things that Jiang Zhihan had encountered were not big, but for this family that was usually unchanging, it was indeed a huge change. Li Rongrong had never thought that her family would become a hot topic in the newspapers or become an important chess piece in the change of the factory manager. Li Rongrong saw all these changes and was delighted. Her husband was a kind and hardworking person, but Li Rongrong felt that he was standing in a narrow tunnel of life and had never thought about the scenery outside. In this family, Li Rongrong was usually the one who made the decisions. Finally, the son she had high hopes for seemed to have grown up overnight. He could see things far and wide. Even Manager Shi had to lower his status and frequently ask for advice. In Li Rongrong's heart, her son had become someone she could trust and rely on.
Li Rongrong had never been happy with her work all these years. Although she handled the tedious and extremely monotonous trivial matters and the complicated relationships between the upper and lower levels well, this job was basically for a salary and for the child to grow up steadily. More importantly, it took too much courage to change, and she didn't have anyone who could make the final decision for her. But now, she felt different. She felt that her son was someone she could consult and rely on.
"Do you think the factory has a future?" Li Rongrong asked Jiang Zhihan.”
"I don't dare to say that," Jiang Zhihan said. However, the notebooks, playing cards, and other cultural items that you printed are old and of poor quality compared to those sold outside. Just as Uncle Shi had said, they couldn't compete with the quality, and they couldn't compete with the price. Generally speaking, it was very dangerous to be stuck in the middle like this.”
"Do you think my job has a future?" Li Rongrong asked.”
Jiang Zhihan didn't know what to say. His mother's job only required stability. At her age and with her skills, she really didn't have a bright future.
"If the factory wants to lay off people, wouldn't people our age be the easiest to do so?" Li Rongrong asked. Without a diploma, he was not young anymore, and he was slower than young people to learn new things. Do you think the state-owned factories will also lay off people in the future?”
Jiang Zhihan comforted him,"The state-owned factory is likely to take the step of laying off people, but I don't know when it will happen." You don't have to worry too much. With Manager Shi there, there shouldn't be too many problems.”
Li Rongrong pondered for a moment and said," I have an idea to nag at you. I'm not sure yet. I just want to hear your opinion." When your grandfather passed away, he saved up for many years and left some money behind. Your father and I originally planned to keep this money for you to use when you went to university. But... But now I'm thinking of taking out a portion of the money and starting a small business. I have a former colleague who quit her job and set up a small stall in Linjiang Market. She said that her income was at least three or four times her salary. I've been doing this job for so many years and I'm really tired of it. I'm not willing to be like this for the rest of my life. However, resigning was too risky. Coincidentally, I had an old illness that acted up some time ago. I went to consult the doctor and then looked for your Uncle Qi. He said that I could go to the hospital and find someone I know to help me get a medical certificate. I asked Shi Lin to talk to her father. Manager Shi said that as long as the hospital issues a certificate, he will guarantee that it will be done.”
Jiang Zhihan was very happy when he heard that. He didn't know about this before. If he retired due to illness, although the bonus would be gone, the other retirement wages and medical insurance would remain the same. In this way, her mother could free up her hands to try what she wanted to do, and she could also enjoy the benefits of retired employees of state-owned enterprises. Wouldn't it be the best of both worlds? Jiang Zhihan was only worried about his mother's health. Li Rongrong said,""Don't worry. The doctor said that as long as it was not heavy physical labor and depression, the possibility of relapse was very, very small and could basically be ignored. Besides, although there are people everywhere in the factory who are bored to death, my current job is not easy, let alone depressed.”
Jiang Zhihan knew that his mother was indeed unwilling to accept this in her life. She must have had great ambitions when she was young, but in the end, she ended up working hard in a factory with poor returns for twenty years without any future. In addition, Jiang Zhihan knew that his mother was very capable in interpersonal relationships and was very courageous in doing things, so he felt that he should encourage her to give it a try. A few days ago, Jiang Zhihan was still telling Alum that the small businesses in Zhongzhou had just started, and many fields were blank or not so competitive. Many people came out to work now, not because they had superior skills or business foresight, but because they were bold enough. If one was bold enough and came out early enough, it would be easy to get the first bucket of gold. Money was always harder to earn in the future. However, Jiang Zhihan was still studying. If he wanted to drop out of school and start a business, his parents would definitely not agree. He also felt that there was no need to rush. There would be many opportunities in the future. Now that his mother was willing to go out and start a small business, Jiang Zhihan naturally agreed with both hands.
"My only worry is that I'll be using the money Grandpa left behind. He specifically left it for you to go to college." What if you lose money in business and go to university?”Jiang Zhihan interrupted her and said,"Mom, money isn't saved. It's earned." Nothing was 100% successful, but cowardice meant that nothing could be done.”"Your dad probably won't agree to it either," Li Rongrong said.”"I'll help you convince him," said Jiang Zhihan. Besides, our democratic dictatorship will definitely pass with two votes to one.”He knew that even if his father was unwilling, he was never a strong person and could not stop his mother's plan.
"Do you have any specific plans?" Jiang Zhihan asked his mother. What are you doing?" "I want to open a small bookstore and sell some cultural goods." Li Rongrong said.”Jiang Zhihan thought to himself that his mother had an irreparable regret for not being able to finish her studies and go to university. That was why she had chosen to open a bookstore, whether consciously or unconsciously. "I think the bookstore is a good idea," Jiang Zhihan said. In such a big city, other than two Xinhua Bookstores and some street stalls, there were no decent bookstores. However, we have to discuss the specifics.”"I'm telling you so you can make the decision," Li Rongrong said.”Jiang Zhihan held his mother's hand and said,""Since I've decided to do it, even if it doesn't end up as a bookstore, I'm sure I can find something to do. We can't be overcautious. Why don't you speed up the process of getting sick and retire? At the same time, ask about the application for a self-employed business license and find someone. Once it's settled, try to get the license as soon as possible.”
In the following week, Jiang Zhihan began to think hard about opening a shop. Other than the basic practice and classes that he could not miss, he adjusted his work and study plans and put all his focus on the business plan. He knew that although some of his ideas were novel, he had too little practical experience, so he consulted many people and encouraged his mother to consult more people with relevant experience. For example, a person like Manager Shi, although he had never done an individual business, he had been engaged in production for so many years. Now, he was leading a factory with more than 1000 people. He had many unique views on inventory operations and marketing. For example, people like Lin Suo, although they did not do business themselves, there were many small merchants and hawkers in their jurisdiction. They had a lot of experience in managing small businesses and dealing with government agencies. For example, when Jiang Zhihan went to ask Old Master Yang for advice, he would wave his hand and say that he didn't understand. However, if you really can't make ends meet in the beginning, I can still help.
Jiang Zhihan thought hard for a week and met with his mother to discuss it over the weekend. Li Rongrong told Jiang Zhihan that the matter of retirement was basically settled. The hospital certificate had been issued, and the procedures for Manager Shi's factory were also quickly completed. However, it seemed that the bureau or the government still needed to stamp the final seal. In short, it was just a matter of formality and time. Manager Shi had already told Li Rongrong that she could skip work next Monday if she wanted to. Division Chief Qi and Factory Manager Shi had helped a lot in this matter, which was why it was done so quickly. As for the application for the business license, Li Rongrong also found a friend of a friend who was in charge of the relevant authorities. He said that it was not a problem and that it would be much faster to hand it over to him than to go through the procedures outside.
Jiang Zhihan couldn't help but look at his mother in a new light. Perhaps Li Rongrong was not the kind of person who had great foresight, but she did things in a hurry. She was determined and willing to endure hardships. She was also good at interpersonal relationships and had strong executive ability. Jiang Zhihan felt that his mother's chances of success were very high. "Mom, you don't have to go to work next Monday," he told Li Rongrong. If we want to do it, we must have the determination to burn our bridges.”During dinner, Jiang Zhihan had a debate with his mother and father. In the end, although his father was a little reluctant, he still compromised as Jiang Zhihan had expected.
After dinner, Jiang Zhihan and his mother sat on the sofa and discussed some details. Jiang Zhihan said," In general, we can't prepare everything perfectly before we start. In short, we have to feel the way. As we do it, we can slowly learn how to improve and what to pay attention to. I've consulted many people and thought about it carefully for a long time. There are four most important points. The first was the location. The location of a business was very important. Finding it well was like entering a treasure bowl. If we didn't find the right place, we would have to move later. The cost for our small business is too high. It's a waste of manpower and money. The second was how to locate it. What kind of goods should we buy? What kind of goods will sell well? Of course, this thing had to be done while looking at it, but if the goal was set in the beginning and a good start was made, it would be twice the result with half the effort. Thirdly, he had to settle all kinds of relationships. The most important ones were the city management, industry and commerce, taxation, and the police station. Fourth, he had to hire at least one person. If business was good in the future, he might have to hire more. Think about it. You have to spend time eating and often go out to buy goods. You have to know that we can't buy a lot of goods at once with a small capital. The people they hired could not be too expensive, and they had to be careful not to attract internal thieves. There's also the problem of the purchase channel. For the time being, there's not much. We don't have to think too much about it. We'll just go directly to the wholesale market.”
Jiang Zhihan took a sip of water and continued,""First of all, my initial consideration is to find a place where the rent is not too expensive. After all, we don't have much cash on hand. Then, he wanted a place with a large flow of people. I feel that most of the children nowadays are only children and are very pampered. We can't take advantage of anyone but our children. Therefore, students can be a large consumer group that we can target. Then, it would be best if there was more than one school nearby. Thinking back, the security of the place couldn't be too bad. Regarding this, I plan to go out and take a look next week.”
"As for the second option, as I said, we can slowly explore it, but we should have a rough idea before we start. You can ask your friends and colleagues about what is popular now and what books everyone is willing to pay for. I can also ask around at school. He could also ask about cultural goods.”
"The rest can be put aside for now. You can first go to the place where you buy goods, look around, compare prices, and get to know people. Once the location was confirmed, he would have to consider all aspects of relationships while renovating. He would also have to start recruiting people.”
In the following week, Jiang Zhihan made full use of his time in the afternoon and after school to wander around the small Urban area, as if he was looking for an ideal location. At the same time, he wanted to do a market survey on buying books in school, but he didn't know many people and didn't have much time. After thinking about it, he finally asked Ni Shang for help. After roughly explaining the reason to Ni Shang, Jiang Zhihan said,""I don't have much free time these days, and I don't know as many people as you do. Therefore, she wondered if she could help investigate everyone's preferences in buying books.”Jiang Zhihan had actually designed two simple questions:
1. What are the three books you and your family bought recently?
2. What were the three books that he wanted to buy the most in the future?
The reason why Jiang Zhihan made it so simple was because it was too complicated and no one was willing to bother answering you. Jiang Zhihan told Ni Shang that it didn't have to be too formal. For example, he could ask casually during a chat and get a rough answer.
For the entire week, Jiang Zhihan was nowhere to be seen other than in class. It was finally Saturday. When the bell rang for the last class in the afternoon, Jiang Zhihan packed his bag and prepared to leave. Ni Shang stopped him and said,"Wait two minutes."”She took out a stack of papers from the desk drawer and handed it to Jiang Zhihan. Jiang Zhihan took it and looked at it, his mouth agape. It was a form with his two questions written on it. Below it were the answers of different people. There were at least 100 people.
Ni Shang's family was not particularly rich and powerful, but they were much better off than Jiang Zhihan's family. His father was a cadre in the Education Bureau, and his mother worked in an office. When Jiang Zhihan told her about this, she was quite impressed by this boy. Not only did he worry about himself, but he also had to make decisions for his mother's business. He ran around and was the backbone of the family. Ni Shang had a lot of connections in school. She thought about it and designed a simple form. She found people she knew in each class and let them pass it around. Those who were willing to fill it out could help fill it out. Ni Shang felt that it was just a piece of cake for her, but in fact, this matter was quite difficult. As it was not something the school officials had, they could not force everyone to answer. Therefore, they had to rely on their own social connections. It would be very difficult for other people to collect 30 to 40 copies, but it was relatively easy for Ni Shang. There were a few boys who wanted to curry favor with Ni Shang. They brought the forms to their classes and asked their friends and acquaintances to fill them in one by one so that they could come back and claim credit. Someone asked Ni Shang if this was a new social survey by the Student Union. Ni Shang only smiled noncommittally.
Jiang Zhihan thought that Ni Shang would help him if he asked, but he never thought that she would do it so wholeheartedly. He looked at Ni Shang, his eyes filled with gratitude, and he could not help but feel mixed emotions. This girl who was talked about by many people as a smart girl, a powerful girl, a girl who could manipulate boys in her palm, was actually the kindest girl in Jiang Zhihan's eyes. She was a hardworking and humble girl, a girl who occasionally felt that she was not smart enough, and a beautiful girl whose eyes curved when she smiled. Jiang Zhihan said in his heart,'None of you understand the real Ni Shang. Only then did I know what kind of person she was.
Jiang Zhihan didn't know what to say. But in the end, he said half-jokingly,""How can I repay the kindness of the Gushing Spring? I'll treat you to ice cream today. When we make a lot of money, we'll definitely give you a bonus.”Ni Shang shook her head and said,"You should go and get busy." After he was done, it was almost time for the mid-term exams. It's better not to delay."
Jiang Zhihan nodded and left the classroom. He held the stack of papers tightly in his hand as if he was holding a treasure, afraid that she would slip away from his fingertips.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]