18: You left when things were most difficult, and now you want to come back?

"I'm a doctoral student. Do I also have to work on the assembly line?"

"Can I not work on the assembly line?"

Miss Ruan pleaded.

Hesitating, she still decided to choose this Steel Factory.

The reason was simple.

The promises Mr. Li Mubai made were too generous.

And she was in urgent need of money right now.

Not to mention the starting monthly salary of 1,500.

He also promised that if she worked there long enough, he would even give her an apartment.

These two conditions alone were enough to move her.

However.

There was just one downside: she would have to work on an assembly line.

She always felt that...

a Ph.D. working on an assembly line was a bit of a waste of talent.

Li Mubai smiled faintly:

"Miss Ruan, you're overthinking it. The assembly line I'm talking about is different from those in other factories."

"You'll understand once you visit the factory."

"If you consider joining our factory, I can offer you a salary of 2,500 a month."

"Also, our factory provides meals and accommodation, we work from nine to five with no overtime, and you get weekends off."

Other HR personnel, who were about to leave, happened to overhear these words and immediately scoffed.

They were convinced Li Mubai was lying.

Or rather...

he was just making empty promises.

Only an inexperienced young woman like Ruan Xiu would fall for it.

Some kind-hearted individuals, as they passed by, even muttered reminders to themselves.

"Young people nowadays really aren't down-to-earth at all."

"Exactly. Fresh out of college and already dreaming of high salaries. How is that even possible?"

"They'll even eat the 'pie' others draw for them; they'll regret it sooner or later."

Li Mubai paid no attention to these remarks, turning a deaf ear, completely disregarding them.

How could a common sparrow understand the aspirations of a swan?

He was currently just laying the foundation for the Steel Factory.

In the future...

what he intended to do were grand undertakings that would benefit the country and its people.

These matters would bring about earth-shattering changes to the nation.

Moreover...

his Steel Factory was directly cooperating with the state.

The wages other companies wouldn't pay, he could; the benefits other companies wouldn't dare to give, he would give even more.

This was the meaning of the Steel Factory's existence!

Ruan Xiu looked hesitant.

Clearly, she wasn't a naive university student who understood nothing.

She had some understanding of the current average market salary.

Now, hearing the other HR personnel's murmurs...

she also felt somewhat worried.

Someone in her family needed surgery and she urgently needed money.

If Li Mubai was deceiving her and she didn't get paid after starting work, wouldn't that delay the treatment of the illness?

Li Mubai noticed her apparent difficulty and softly asked:

"Miss Ruan, is there something you're uneasy about?"

"This..."

Ruan Xiu stammered, finally mustering up the courage:

"If I come to your factory, could I get an advance on two months' salary? I have an urgent need."

Seeing her sincere expression...

Li Mubai simply inquired about the reason.

It turned out that Ruan Xiu's mother was seriously ill and urgently needed surgery.

Although it wasn't a major operation...

her family came from a rural background, and they had spent all their savings on Ruan Xiu's education, leaving them with no spare money, which led to her mother's condition remaining untreated.

And the doctor had also said...

if the illness was prolonged, it was highly likely to worsen and become an incurable disease.

At that point, even the top medical schools would be powerless.

Due to the urgent situation...

Ruan Xiu was so anxious to find a job.

She had previously visited some other companies.

However, the salaries they offered couldn't meet her needs.

It was only after hearing from a classmate that the talent market was hiring with high salaries that she came here.

So...

she rushed over in a hurry.

Hearing that she was doing this for her elderly mother, Li Mubai immediately comforted Ruan Xiu, telling her not to worry.

He could cover the cost of her mother's surgery first, allowing her to receive treatment promptly.

This money...

would be considered an advance on her salary.

Upon hearing this...

Ruan Xiu's eyes lit up, and in her excitement, she immediately thanked him repeatedly:

"Thank you, thank you, Mr. Li."

As she spoke, she felt it wasn't enough and was about to kneel and kowtow.

However, Li Mubai stopped her with a hand.

"Miss Ruan, there's no need for thanks. Just work hard in the future."

The two exchanged contact information and then departed separately.

On his way home...

Li Mubai was in a very good mood.

He had evaluated her, and she indeed possessed genuine talent and knowledge.

To recruit such a talented woman was truly rare and valuable.

A week passed quickly.

During this week...

Li Mubai expanded the factory area and added two more production lines.

He also rented a house in the county town.

As the recruited university students began to report for duty...

the Steel Factory's production speed immediately increased significantly.

Previously, it took three days to produce over twenty tons of steel.

Now, it could be completed in just one day.

The three hundred tons of steel Zhao Zhenghua needed would also be completed in just over ten days.

Actually, the System Store had an autonomous production chain.

With this, there would be no need to recruit too many people.

However...

the method for making this autonomous production chain was quite expensive.

Li Mubai's current exchange points...

were still far from enough to exchange for the autonomous production chain.

Just as everything began to get on track...

the door to Li Mubai's office, where he was leisurely drinking tea, was knocked upon.

"Come in."

Click.

It was Old Xiao who opened the door and walked in.

Closing the door...

Old Xiao walked over to Li Mubai's desk in a few strides.

"Boss, someone outside the factory wants to see you."

Someone wants to see him?

Li Mubai raised an eyebrow.

He put down the wolfberry tea he had just brewed and only had time to take a small sip.

"Who is it?"

Old Xiao pondered for a moment:

"It's Lao Zhao and them..."

Lao Zhao?

Li Mubai looked up, thinking for a moment.

He then suddenly remembered.

Weren't these the old employees who, seeing the factory's situation was not good, were incited by Lao Chen to leave and switch jobs?

Hadn't these people already gone to the largest factory in the county?

Why were they coming to find him now?

He could almost guess their purpose.

Wasn't it just that they saw the factory gradually improving, growing stronger, and now they wanted to come back?

For these people...

to be honest, Li Mubai had no good feelings.

It wasn't that their job-hopping was wrong, but rather that when they left, they didn't notify him in advance, leaving him no time to recruit people.

Later, when Zhao Zhenghua came to order steel...

it was he and Old Xiao who worked overtime continuously to produce the steel.

"Don't see them. Just tell them I'm not here."

For such people...

Li Mubai naturally didn't want to entertain them.

Old Xiao nodded, said nothing more, and walked straight out of the office.

He also understood that the actions of Lao Zhao and the others were too excessive.

As for why these people were here...

Old Xiao was also well aware.

These few people...

were clearly fickle, bending whichever way the wind blew.

For such people...

Old Xiao also harbored a subtle dislike and was unwilling to interact with them.

Even though some of them were from the same village as him...

he still had no intention of speaking up for them.

In his heart...

Li Mubai was his great benefactor, and whatever Li Mubai thought of these people...

that was what he, Old Xiao, thought of them.

Arriving at the factory gate...

Old Xiao saw several people being stopped by the guard outside the factory area.

He didn't mince words, walked over, and directly said to them:

"The boss is not here at the moment. If you have anything, you can tell me, and I'll pass it on. You can also wait for the boss to return and come back then."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the old employees immediately fell.

The boss wasn't here?

They had just seen Li Mubai strolling by the entrance.

Wasn't this just toying with them?