eurekapd Chapter 38 You should go talk to the police.
Chapter 38 You should go talk to the police.
April 16, 1996, early morning.
The empty concrete ground of the city's electronics factory was even more crowded than yesterday. Almost all the registered workers were there, and even many family members who had rushed over after hearing the news. The air was filled with a restless atmosphere mixed with anticipation, anxiety, and unease.
On the outer wall of the factory office building, several large sheets of bright red paper, neatly written in calligraphy, were pasted side by side. These were the "Detailed List of Wage Arrears from the Municipal Electronics Factory." Each name was followed by the month of arrears, the original wage amount, and a key figure circled in red—the amount of wages to be paid while awaiting work (calculated at 60% of the original wage).
The crowd gathered around the notice as if drawn by a magnet, their fingers frantically searching for their own names among the densely packed names, muttering calculations under their breath.
"Wang Jianguo owes 7 months' salary. His original salary was 285, and he was on standby and receiving 171... That's about it."
"Li Xiuying, owed 8 months' salary, original salary 243, pending payment 145.8, rounded up to 146..."
"Sigh, it's good enough if we can get it at all. Sixty percent is better than nothing..."
After carefully checking, most workers wore complex but generally accepting expressions. After all, with the work stoppage lasting so long, the fact that the new and old bosses were willing to acknowledge the debts and pay most of the owed wages had already exceeded many people's expectations.
However, not everyone thinks that way.
"Why are only 60% being distributed?!" A thunderous roar rang out from the crowd, instantly drowning out all other discussions.
Han Zhuang, the dark-faced man who had led the commotion yesterday, suddenly pushed through the crowd and rushed to the notice board. He slammed his large, fan-like hand onto the red paper with a loud "smack," making the paper rustle. His face was flushed, veins bulged on his neck, and spittle flew everywhere.
"I've worked in this factory for over ten years, sweating and toiling away! If the factory is failing, it's because you officials are incompetent! Why are you withholding my hard-earned money?! You promised to pay my back wages, and you have to pay me the full amount, not a penny less! Not a single cent less!"
He turned to face the crowd, waving his arms in a highly inflammatory manner: "Fellow workers! We can't be pushovers! This new guy is just trying to renege on his promises! If he dares to pay 60% today, he'll dare to pay 30% tomorrow! We must unite and make him pay the original amount! Otherwise, we won't sign this contract, and we won't acknowledge him as our boss!"
A stir ran through the crowd. Some people hesitated, finding his words somewhat reasonable; others frowned, not wanting to cause trouble.
At this moment, a middle-aged man wearing an old blue Zhongshan suit and glasses, who looked quite refined, squeezed in. He was the former director of Workshop Three, surnamed Liu. He put on his usual conciliatory smile and first said to Han Zhuang, "Master Han, don't get agitated, don't get agitated, let's talk this out." Then he turned to Ling Yun, who stood calmly beside the notice board.
"Mr. Ling, you see... Master Han's words, though rough, are true. Everyone is really struggling; their families are all waiting for food to cook. Paying 60% of the temporary layoff wages...is that...sigh, could we apply to our superiors again and try to get a little more for everyone? Even 70% or 80% would be great! Everyone appreciates your kindness!"
His words, seemingly intended to smooth things over, were actually a way of shifting the pressure onto Ling Yun, implying that he was not considerate enough of the workers, and even carrying a hint of moral blackmail.
Ling Yun watched the two men working in tandem, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He remembered the thick stack of documents Wang Degui had given him; besides financial and technical data, there were also notes about "special circumstances" involving personnel. Among them, it was clearly stated that this Han Zhuang was Director Liu's brother-in-law. Taking advantage of their connection, the two men, in the final days before the factory shut down, had embezzled copper and electronic components from the factory to sell. Their actions were rampant, almost open, creating chaos and considerable resentment within the factory. However, due to the factory's chaotic management at the time, no one investigated further.
He originally planned to stabilize the overall situation first, and then slowly eliminate these corrupt elements. Unexpectedly, the other party jumped out so impatiently, trying to use the workers' eagerness for unpaid wages to manipulate public opinion, seek personal gain, and even challenge his authority.
Director Liu was still rambling on and on, playing the victim card of "everyone has it tough," while Han Zhuang adopted a domineering stance of "if they don't agree, we'll make a scene." Some workers who were unaware of the truth began to be swayed, and the atmosphere on the scene became tense again.
Ling Yun slowly raised his hand, stopping Director Liu from speaking. He didn't look at Director Liu, but instead his gaze was like a knife, shooting straight at Han Zhuang, who was still shouting.
"Han Zhuang," Ling Yun's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a cold, penetrating power that instantly silenced the noisy scene, "You said the factory is failing because the officials are incompetent. There's some truth to that."
His tone shifted abruptly, becoming icy and sharp: "But who drained the factory's lifeblood? Those parasites who, in the final months before the shutdown, took advantage of the chaos to steal copper and electronic components from the factory for their own enrichment—don't they bear any responsibility?!"
These words struck Han Zhuang and Director Liu like a bolt from the blue!
The two men's faces turned deathly pale instantly. Han Zhuang, in particular, seemed to have his neck grabbed, his arrogant demeanor abruptly halted, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.
"You...you're talking nonsense! You're spouting blatant lies!" Han Zhuang reacted and shouted, his voice weak but his voice clearly lacking in conviction.
Director Liu quickly retorted, "President Ling! You can't just say things like that! You need evidence!"
"Evidence?" Ling Yun sneered, took a manila folder from his briefcase, and patted it lightly. "Go tell the police!"
He didn't produce any specific documents to show, but his actions and words already possessed a powerful psychological deterrent effect. The workers in the audience who knew the situation began to whisper among themselves, pointing and whispering about Han Zhuang and Director Liu.
"So it was the two of them!"
"No wonder things kept going missing from the warehouse during that period!"
"He embezzled from his post and still dared to lead a disturbance? He's utterly despicable!"
Public opinion reversed instantly!
Ling Yun gave the two no chance to argue. He directly instructed the newly recruited administrative staff member beside him (a relatively upright young man from the factory office): "Call the police. Say that someone here is suspected of embezzling and stealing collective property, the amount is huge, and there is witness testimony and physical evidence. Please open a case and investigate!"
"Yes, Mr. Ling!" The young man immediately ran towards the factory office building.
Han Zhuang panicked completely and tried to run, but several experienced workers who had long disliked him intentionally or unintentionally blocked his path. Director Liu's face was ashen, his body trembling, muttering, "It's over...it's over..."
The police arrived quickly. After briefly listening to Ling Yun's explanation (and reviewing some of the photocopies of the materials he provided), they immediately handcuffed Han Zhuang, who was pale and slumped on the ground, and the distraught Director Liu, and took them away from the factory area.
Throughout the entire process, Ling Yun remained expressionless with a cold gaze.
The once bustling factory grounds were now completely silent. All the workers were stunned by this thunderous scene. They looked at the young new boss with eyes filled with awe, even a hint of fear.
Ling Yun slowly walked to the center of the open space, his gaze sweeping across the entire area. His voice regained its calmness, yet carried an undeniable power:
"Fellow workers, I, Lingyun, keep my word. Not a penny will be shortchanged! The owed wages will be paid at 60% of the publicly announced amount. This is a fair solution based on the current situation and the law, and I will honor it!"
He paused, his voice suddenly turning cold, like ice striking ice:
"However, anyone who tries to treat the factory like a piece of meat to be devoured at will, who tries to pocket everyone's common interests, and who tries to incite trouble and disrupt production... that's what happened to Han Zhuang and Liu Ming!"
"I took over the electronics factory to lead everyone to make money honestly and live a good life! I'm not here to breed parasites, much less to compromise and compromise!"
"Now, those who are willing to verify and sign, willing to sign contracts with me, Lingyun, and Xinghuo Technology, and work together to make the factory a success, can stay! Those who are not willing can leave now, and I will not make things difficult for them!"
The crowd fell silent for a moment.
Suddenly, Master Ma Baoguo was the first to walk to the registration table in front of the notice board, picked up a pen, carefully signed his name after his name, and pressed his red handprint.
"I, Lao Ma, trust Boss Ling! I'll work for Boss Ling!"
With a leader in place, it was like a dam breaking; the workers surged forward, queuing in an orderly fashion to check, sign, and leave their fingerprints. No one questioned the fairness of the "60%" figure anymore, and no one dared to have the slightest thought of making trouble.
Ling Yun stood aside, watching the orderly scene, his heart unmoved.
He recalled his uncle Ling Jun's seemingly casual yet profound advice: "Have the heart of a bodhisattva, but act with the methods of a thunderbolt."
At that moment, he truly understood the weight of those words.
He offered jobs and wages to hundreds of workers eager to return to work; this shows his compassion.
He did not hesitate to take swift and decisive action against a few corrupt officials and bad apples, sending them directly to prison to clean up the environment.
Without the latter, the former's promises cannot be guaranteed at all, and may even become a weakness that allows them to be manipulated.
Managing a business, especially taking over such a mess, requires compassion, but it must be built upon sufficient strength and an iron fist.
He looked up at the towering yet dilapidated factory buildings of the electronics plant. He knew that the first step towards revival, the most stubborn obstacle entrenched in people's hearts, had been completely swept away by his merciless strike today.