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Chapter 62: Chapter 54 Shut Up (Seeking Recommendations!)_1
Qi Yan took Tang Qing and toured around the factory, inside and out. The workshop workers watched as a young man with a backpack followed Qi Yan everywhere, talking from time to time. They were curious.
However, their priority was to do well in their current work. Payment delays and debt collection were Qi Yan’s responsibilities, and these were of little concern to the front-line workers. Most of them remained unaware. The few troublemakers wanted to stay in the factory as long as possible to make more money. They saw no need to rush and sink the ship.
After viewing the entire factory, Tang Qing was quite satisfied. They returned to the office of the factory manager in a two-story office building, where Qi Yan poured Tang Qing a cup of tea.
"Sister Yan, I’m quite satisfied with this factory. You can call the lawyers now. We’ll sign the contract soon. But now, you should tell me about the problems inside and outside the factory," Tang Qing said with a smile. During his stroll around the workshop, he had met a few heads who didn’t look too pleased. He knew this meant there was a story here. Qi Yan had previously been too rushed to mention it, but it wasn’t too late to learn now. After all, it wasn’t a big deal.
The boat is small.
It hasn’t set sail yet, so any problem is a minor one.
"Outwardly, it’s quite simple. It’s just that a few manufacturers are making it difficult for us by not giving orders and delaying payments. Downstream, there are also a few suppliers who come to collect their bills. As for the inside..." Qi Yan hesitated, its kind of awkward to air one’s dirty laundry in public. This was the direct reason why the original valuation of close to six million was reduced to five million.
The acquisition condition includes a clause not to terminate any workers voluntarily within one year.
"There are a few people who have long been following my father and are in charge of the factory’s finances and procurement. When my father was around, everything was fine, and nobody dared to act recklessly. But after my father was hospitalized, they secretly formed a clique and embezzled the factory’s money through various means, including inflating accounts and fraud. They even brazenly interacted with some downstream raw material suppliers, accepting kickbacks," Qi Yan slowly explained.
"Aren’t they afraid of getting caught? Moreover, if the ship capsizes, everyone will have to swim," Tang Qing asked doubtfully. This kind of thing, which usually only happens in novels, doesn’t occur frequently in real life. After all, national laws aren’t just for show. Once someone investigates, certain people going to jail is inevitable.
"They see me as young and inexperienced. After mishandling a few customers, they lost their faith in me entirely. So, they are trying to get as much money out of the impending factory closure as possible. My father found out about it and was furious. He wanted to call the police, but decided not to because of their longtime relationship.
This is the main reason why my father agreed to sell the factory. He didn’t have the heart to deal with it. That’s why they’re recklessly exploiting the situation. They take advantage of my father’s soft-heartedness," Qi Yan explained, her heart filling with anger. Those people were taking advantage of her father’s kindness, undermining the very foundation of the factory.
She really wanted to send them all to jail, but her father strictly forbade it. Seeing that her father still in the hospital, she didn’t want to go against his wishes. So, she chose to ignore it and avoid getting stressed.
"Do you have any evidence?" Tang Qing asked with a frown. These troublemakers had to be kicked out. Though he had promised not to fire anyone for a year, he couldn’t just ignore these issues. There are still plenty of ways to handle this.
"There’s no evidence of any kickbacks. It wouldn’t be useful unless we caught them red-handed. However, we do have evidence of them inflating the accounts and committing fraud. After all, a lot of the fake accounts were tied to the factory’s finances. A bank statement check would expose them," Qi Yan stated.
"How much in total?" Tang Qing asked. If it was a small amount, he wouldn’t bother. After all, the money embezzled was Qi Yan’s money and it wasn’t really his business. Still, just letting these people get away with it didn’t sit well with him. Especially given that Qi Yan would be working under him in the future. If it was a substantial amount, he couldn’t just turn a blind eye to it.
"It totals around 200,000 or so, I’m not exactly sure. After all, a lot of it is hidden within normal financial transactions, making it difficult to distinguish," Qi Yan said with a frown.
"Wow, they really have some nerve. Tsk, tsk... I’ll take care of this," Tang Qing said with a cold laugh. Over 200,000, divided among these managers, would easily cover their annual salaries, and then some. This figure only accounted for the known fraudulent accounts. The actual amount, he believed, wouldn’t be less than 300,000.
"Ok," Qi Yan responded, delighted to see Tang Qing willing to take the initiative. After all, this was her money that was being embezzled. It wasn’t really Tang Qing’s concern.
Tang Qing then asked Qi Yan to summon the heads — two deputy directors, finance, sales, and human resources. The factory wasn’t too large, so procurement and production were managed by the two deputy directors, with many also doubling up in other roles. In total, there were five people in management.
Liu Desheng, the Deputy Director, was in charge of production and was a supporter of Qi Yan. However, his influence was too weak to have any impact. Although Qi Yan said that he supported her, Tang Qing was not too optimistic about him. In his eyes, technical and production workers usually wouldn’t have the opportunity to embezzle money. To say one is upright and honest simply because of this seems a bit naive.
The other Deputy Director, Qian Guangnan, was in charge of sales and procurement. As for the other executives, Tang Qing didn’t bother to remember their specific roles. All were targets of the current operation.
"Qi Yan, I strongly object to selling the factory to this young man. The workers won’t agree either. You’re pushing the factory into the fire. Your father wouldn’t agree to sell it to such a child," Qian Guangnan said loudly to Qi Yan.
Days ago, upon learning that Qi Yan intended to sell the factory, he had vigorously opposed it and tried to persuade her in every possible way. If the factory was sold, how could they embezzle any money? The new factory owner would definitely not employ unfamiliar people to manage the critical departments. He even started to feel like compromising a bit, but it was too late to back out now. Even if he wanted to, his subordinates would never agree to give back the money. He was utterly worried for the past few days.
But today, when he saw the newcomer was just a kid, he thought about frightening him away. The longer he could delay, the better. He was quite confident that Qi Yan’s father would not resort to the police and arrest them. The more he delayed, the more money he could embezzle.
"This is my family’s factory. Dear uncles, you do not have the right to decide whether I sell it or not," Qi Yan retorted with a cold laugh.
"Xiao Yan, if you sell the factory and that young man fires us, how will us old bones survive in the future!" Qian Guangnan said with a look of concern.
"Don’t worry, Tang Qing won’t fire you, it’s written into the contract clauses." Qi Yan said with a smile.
"I don’t believe it, how can we trust the words of a young whippersnapper."
"Exactly, I also disagree with selling the factory."
"Xiao Yan, don’t be fooled by him, can he really afford it?"
"...."
Several managers all spoke chaotically, knowing that if they didn’t make a stand now, it would be too late.
*Bang*... "Shut up, all of you." Tang Qing slapped the table and yelled loudly, inwardly feeling delighted that finally, he wasn’t playing the role of the submissive grandson, always subservient in the company. This time around, he wanted to assert his authority.
Tang Qing looked coldly at the people below and said:
"What sort of a spectacle are you making! Did I come here to consult with you? No! Let me remind you, this is a society governed by law. The factory’s equity is in the hands of Qi Yan’s father and he’s entrusted Qi Yan to handle it completely, it’s none of your business. Understand this, you are not decision-makers. You are not qualified."
Having paused for a while, Tang Qing continued:
"That was the first point. Second, I don’t care if you don’t trust Qi Yan, but if you dare to question my credibility, I won’t ignore that. I have every right to disregard the previous agreement to keep you on board. Keep this in mind... don’t treat my words as empty talk! Anyone who dares to doubt my credibility can get lost. I won’t keep any of you."
Looking at the stunned faces around him, Tang Qing took a sip of water and continued:
"Thirdly, and this is the last thing I want to say. I understand your intentions. Out of respect for your years of service to this factory, I won’t call the police. But, I also won’t forget about the money you’ve illegally obtained. You should pay back a portion of it for Qi Yan’s father’s sake. Gather $200,000 by the day after tomorrow, or I will call the police. Understand? You can keep your opinions, but if you don’t return the money, we can settle it in court. Is that alright?"
Giving them a little face on behalf of Qi Yan’s father, Tang Qing was willing to settle with a reduced amount rather than demanding a complete payback. This outcome allowed everyone to save face. Qi Yan’s father would be content in cutting ties, while others would be grateful for his kindness. It was an impeccable solution.
The group was intimidated by Tang Qing’s remarks. Expecting the young student-looking man to be easily duped, they were mistaken. Tang Qing was autocratic and wouldn’t be fooled by their small tricks.
Seeing them dumbfounded, Tang Qing was satisfied and continued coldly,
"Alright, since none of you have objections, let’s get it done. As for your future pathways, that’s up to you. All financial matters this week are frozen without my approval, only income is allowed, no expenses. Remember, I invest five million not to play games with them. I won’t mind spending another five million to send you to jail if you think your inside job can’t be exposed."
"Hmm, is that all for now? Sister Yan, do you have anything to add?" Tang Qing stopped and asked after a second.
"Ah... no... nothing else." Qi Yan stammered a little. She had expected Tang Qing to be flustered by the managers. Instead, he struck them with a fatal blow leaving them defenseless, like a crocodile lurking underwater, taking everyone by surpise.
"Alright, let’s go then. Let’s go to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau with the lawyer to register the company. You will be the legal representative, Qi Yan. Then we can sign the transfer contract and handle other procedures." said Tang Qing. Turning to the shocked managers he said, "As for you, just get on with your work and don’t mess up the production process. Remember, if I don’t get the money by the day after tomorrow, the police will come the next day. Goodbye everyone."
Afterwards, Tang Qing left the office with Qi Yan, leaving the managers staring at each other, all visibly shaken by Tang Qing’s words and ruthless attitude.
They couldn’t help but miss the days when Qi Yan was in charge. Compared to Tang Qing, who was like a wolf, Qi Yan’s management style was like that of a lamb.
