149: Chapter 149 Countdown to Full Capacity of 60,000

Lu Chen held the half-smoked double happiness cigarette between his fingers and turned toward the factory gates. His yellowed, old leather shoes stepped into a puddle of muddy water, splashing up black spray.

He didn't even look back. The Rolls-Royce behind him, which had been smashed with a large dent, and that director of the East China Chamber of Commerce covered in mud were not even worth a second glance from him.

"Line up! Once you've received your money, hurry over to the shed next door to sign the contract. Be quick about it!" Da Biao, gripping a broken alloy baton, roared at the two-kilometer-long line of migrant workers.

On the edge of the service road, those twenty or so capital tycoons, each worth hundreds of billions, acted as if they had received some sort of deadly summons.

Chairman Wei Jianlin didn't even bother with the mud splatters on his suit jacket. He pulled out his phone and dialed an encrypted number.

"Hello. Notify the HR department to be on standby immediately. Send out an official red-headed document to all staff right now!" Chairman Wei Jianlin roared at the top of his lungs. "For all one hundred and fifty thousand assembly line workers in the factory, raise the base salary to 6,500 immediately. From today on, pay the five social insurances and one housing fund at the highest tier. Implement the two-day weekend starting tomorrow."

The executive on the other end of the line was clearly stunned, their voice stuttering.

"CEO Wei... This budget will require approval for billions. We won't be able to answer to the board..."

"To hell with answering to them! I'm standing in the mud at the Jiangcheng Chenguang Electronics Factory right now. If we don't follow these rules, Great Wall won't be able to get a single automotive-grade chip next year. Issue the document immediately. Whoever dares to block it, pack your bags and get out!" After Chairman Wei Jianlin roared this, he clicked the phone shut.

Nearby, President Wang of BYD had already dialed the vice president in charge of logistics.

"Send people to the Jiangcheng Industrial Park immediately. Rent three dormitory buildings near the Chenguang Electronics Factory. Provide full room and board for the follow-up workers sent there. Base salary is 7,000. If anyone dares to force the workers to work overtime, I'll hold them accountable. Get it done now."

The remaining dozen or so CEOs were so anxious their eyes turned red, and they all took out their phones to dial frantically. For a time, the service road was filled with the roars of big bosses shouting to revise their group's compensation systems.

These voices were not lowered; they landed squarely into the two-kilometer-long line of migrant workers.

The scene instantly exploded.

The long line, which had been relatively quiet just moments ago, erupted into earth-shattering cheers. No one complained about the scorching sun anymore, and no one whined about the fatigue of waiting in line. In the front, there was cash being handed out in burlap sacks, and behind them, the highest industry-standard iron rice bowl awaited.

"Move it, those in front! My livelihood for the rest of my life depends on this!" Li Tiejun gripped the fertilizer bag filled with cash and urged them on with a hoarse voice.

Inside the No. 5 shed on the right, Old Zhou was hunched over, his tie hanging crookedly around his neck. In front of him was a ten-meter-long table made by joining several tables together.

He gripped the red official seal of the Chenguang Electronics Factory in his right hand and pressed down on a thick stack of labor contracts with his left.

"Write your name here. Put your thumbprint here. Next month's salary will be directly deposited into your card." Old Zhou didn't even lift his head, repeating the sentence mechanically.

On both sides of the long table, hundreds of HR clerks were busy and drenched in sweat. The sound of keyboard typing and page-turning blended into one.

Old Zhou's right thumb and index finger were stained dark red from the ink pad. He had no time to wipe them with paper.

The walkie-talkie on his waist crackled. The hoarse roar of the internal HR supervisor came through.

"Manager Zhou. The fifty-two thousandth person has been hired. All identity information has been entered into the backend system."

Old Zhou grabbed the walkie-talkie and replied, panting heavily.

"The two thousand people here at Warehouse No. 1 will be paid immediately. Bring out all the backup contracts from the warehouse. Tell everyone, we're working straight through today; no one is allowed to get off work until all sixty thousand spots are filled."

Inside the factory director's office, the air conditioning was running high. Lu Chen pushed open the door, walked to the desk, pulled out the peeling swivel chair, and sat down.

He casually stubbed out his cigarette butt in a glass ashtray full of ash.

On the desk were dozens of newly signed OEM supplementary agreements. Each one was stamped with the bright red official seal. This meant that the top batch of manufacturing giants in the country had completely bowed to the rules he had established.

On the wall directly opposite hung a two-meter-wide LED display screen. It was a real-time monitoring data board directly connected to the HR backend.

The green numbers in the center of the screen were jumping upward at a terrifying speed.

52103. 52418. 53000.

Every time the number jumped, it represented one more grassroots worker completely bound to the giant ship that was Chenguang Electronics. Their full loyalty was frantically feeding back into the bottomless pit hidden deep within Lu Chen's mind.

In the dust-free cabin on Underground Level 3, the 28-nanometer Lithography Machine was emitting the light of its purple crystal lenses without any obstruction.

As long as the materials from overseas giants couldn't get in, the rules he set here were the unchangeable laws that all car companies in the land of Huaxia could not bypass.

A knock on the door sounded. Da Biao pushed the door open and walked in.

"Boss. Those big bosses outside have all finished signing their contracts. They said they didn't dare to disturb you, so they all took their private cars to the city to find hotels." Da Biao took off his anti-stab gloves and threw them onto the sofa.

"How is the money distribution going outside?" Lu Chen picked up the tea that had gone cold on the table.

"The 800 million is almost running dry. The bank armored transport vehicles are withdrawing. Those who didn't get in line for cash have all been arranged to sign contracts and link their cards directly. The workers are very excited; they're even afraid to breathe loudly for fear of startling our HR staff." Da Biao grinned.

"What about that guy surnamed Zhou?" Lu Chen asked casually.

"He was dragged like a dead dog by those three bodyguards, shoved into the car, and driven away. They didn't even bother to pick up the car emblem."

Lu Chen didn't reply, his gaze falling back onto the constantly jumping LED screen.

At the same time, on the national highway in the northern suburbs of Jiangcheng.

That Rolls-Royce Phantom, with its dented hood and missing emblem, was crawling along the road at an extremely slow speed. Stuck to the air intake grille were a few greasy noodles and broken scallions.

The car cabin was filled with a pungent smell of slop.

General Manager Zhou Haitao huddled in the leather back seat. His originally expensive custom-made suit was covered in black mud. His face was as pale as paper, and his hands were clutching his kneecaps tightly.

"Drive faster! Go to the airport immediately. Back to East China." General Manager Zhou Haitao gritted his teeth and roared at the driver.

The driver stared at the rearview mirror, covered in sweat.

"General Manager Zhou. That hit earlier was too heavy; the radiator is leaking. The engine is giving a warning; it can't go fast."

General Manager Zhou Haitao closed his eyes, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.

He couldn't understand why a group of capital tycoons worth hundreds of billions would kneel in that muddy puddle like dogs, scrambling to sign those unequal treaties that could cost their companies half their lives.

The car had just driven less than a kilometer out of the national highway. The phone in General Manager Zhou Haitao's pocket began vibrating like crazy.

Trembling, he took out his phone. The number for the Huasheng Auto Group Board of Directors' dedicated line was flashing on the screen.

General Manager Zhou Haitao swallowed a mouthful of extremely dry saliva and pressed the answer button.

"Hello. Chairman..."

"General Manager Zhou Haitao, what the hell kind of stupid thing did you do in Jiangcheng?" A hysterical roar came from the other side of the phone, making General Manager Zhou Haitao's eardrums buzz.

"Chairman. What happened?"

"What happened? Are you blind? Can't you take a look at the market? Within half an hour of Huasheng Auto opening today, the entire line was locked at the limit down. Eight billion in market value has just gone down the drain."

General Manager Zhou Haitao stiffened, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

"I didn't do anything. I just followed the normal process to place an order at the Chenguang Electronics Factory. It's just that Lu Chen is too arrogant..."

"You still have the face to mention Chenguang!" The person on the other end cursed, their voice cracking from extreme anger. "It's spread throughout the entire East China Chamber of Commerce circle. Great Wall's Chairman Wei Jianlin personally stated that Huasheng Auto provoked someone they shouldn't have. Morgan has cut off the overseas source. And the Chenguang Electronics Factory has directly blacklisted you. Our No. 1 production line will have to shut down completely next month. You've stabbed a hole in the sky for Huasheng."

A loud buzzing sound rang in General Manager Zhou Haitao's brain, and the world turned white.

"Chairman, listen to me. That was Lu Chen extorting us. He's forcing us to raise the wages for the laborers below. Once this rule is agreed upon, we'll have to pay billions more a year. How could I sign..."

"Bullshit!" The other party didn't give him a chance to explain. "Billions in labor costs are nothing. If we can't get chips, tens of thousands of workers will be idle in the factory, and thousands of dealers will return cars. The company will go bankrupt immediately. You think you're so smart? You're just an idiot with a brain full of crap."

General Manager Zhou Haitao's hand holding the phone was shaking uncontrollably.

"I'll head back right now. We'll find a way to bring in other foreign capital..."

"You don't need to come back." The Chairman's voice became extremely cold.

General Manager Zhou Haitao froze.

"Five minutes ago, the board of directors held an emergency meeting. It was passed unanimously. You are officially dismissed from all your positions as General Manager of Huasheng Auto."

"You're crazy! I've worked my life away for Huasheng for twenty years. I still hold ten percent of the equity!" General Manager Zhou Haitao completely broke down, roaring wildly in the car cabin.

"That little bit of equity of yours will just be a stack of waste paper once the company stops production. Furthermore, the board has already established a top-level emergency response team. I will lead it personally. We're chartering a flight to Jiangcheng tonight."

"Chairman, what are you coming to Jiangcheng for?"

"What for? To kneel at the gate of the Chenguang Electronics Factory. To beg Factory Director Lu to retract his order. Doesn't he want to raise wages for the laborers? Even if the wage increase conditions double, we'll accept it. If 6,500 for all staff isn't enough, we'll give them 8,000. As long as we can get production capacity."

The Chairman sneered.

"You'd better go back to the industrial park right now. Find a conspicuous spot and kneel well. Tomorrow, you will kowtow and apologize to Factory Director Lu with me. If he doesn't forgive you, then die in Jiangcheng and don't come back."

Beep. The phone hung up. The rapid dial tone echoed in the cramped car cabin.

Clatter. The custom-made phone worth 20,000 yuan slipped from General Manager Zhou Haitao's hand and hit the leather floor mat.

He looked as if all the marrow had been drained from his body, sliding limply deep into the seat.

A few hours ago, he had brought a 5 billion yuan advance payment contract, thinking he was a savior bestowing life-saving money from a position of superiority.

Now, he had been completely stripped of even the qualification to sit at the table and be a dog.

He stared dully at the scorching sun of Jiangcheng outside the car window, feeling as if his whole body had fallen into an ice cellar. In the face of the new rules set by this young man named Lu Chen using absolute strength, his capital trump cards, which he was so proud of, were as fragile as a piece of toilet paper.

5:50 PM. The setting sun was like blood. The halo of the sunset shone through the window glass into the factory director's office.

Lu Chen leaned back against the peeling backrest of his chair. On the LED screen directly opposite, the speed of the green numbers jumping had begun to slow down, but it was still steadily approaching an absolute red line.

59981. 59990.

Lu Chen's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. Once, twice. The rhythm was so steady it was frightening.

Bang. The solid wood door of the office was slammed open without warning.

Old Zhou rushed in straight and stiff. Because he was running too fast, his toe caught on the edge of the threshold.

He fell with a thud, landing flat on his face on the smooth floor.

Lu Chen frowned slightly, just about to stand up.

Old Zhou didn't even bother to wipe his scraped and bleeding palms. He scrambled to flip over, his face flushed red, and the veins on his neck and forehead bulging like earthworms.

He knelt on the floor, holding up the tablet stained with sweat and ink with both hands.

Old Zhou's voice was hoarse, almost completely torn. "Boss. It's full. Sixty thousand... sixty thousand people are fully staffed, all signed up."