258: Lu Ze listened to the advice

On the highway, the convoy drove smoothly at a constant speed, the black car bodies reflecting a cold, hard glint in the sun, with escort vehicles in front and behind like loyal guards, tightly protecting the bulletproof Cadillac in the center.

As the Vice President of Xinghe Group, in charge of traditional industries, Xu Jinzhong was at this moment holding a tablet, reporting the factory's recent status to Jiang Chen, from production capacity data to new product development progress, all clearly organized and spoken in a respectful tone.

“Currently, our independently developed smart inverter refrigerator has entered mass production, with energy consumption 15% lower than the industry standard.

Market feedback is very good, and orders are scheduled until March next year.”

Xu Jinzhong scrolled the screen, bringing up a bar chart. “Also, this newly commissioned dishwasher production line has an automation rate of 90%, greatly improving production efficiency.”

He paused, then continued, “Currently, the best-selling item is the washing machine. After Lu Ze took office, he opened a personal account on Douyin to listen to netizens’ opinions and created a three-drum washing machine, priced at 2999, which is selling very well now.”

“Oh?” Jiang Chen’s eyes lit up at the news, and he took the tablet to examine it carefully.

He had thought it would be the large three-drum washing machine from his impression, but it turned out to be a single-drum washing machine with two small drums added on top.

“Lu Ze’s design is ingenious.”

“Chairman Jiang is absolutely right!” Xu Jinzhong quickly chimed in, his tone full of praise. “Lu Ze simply grasped the rigid demand for people who like to wash in separate compartments but don’t want the machine to take up too much space, which led to this design of a main drum plus two auxiliary drums.”

“Don’t let the addition of just two small drums fool you; they can wash underwear and socks simultaneously, solving many family troubles. Many male netizens even say this washing machine saved them.”

He continued to scroll the screen, bringing up product detail images: “Moreover, these two small drums also have independent sterilization functions, and their rotation speed and water temperature can be adjusted separately. At a price of 2999, it’s even more cost-effective than buying a regular double-drum machine. It was snatched up like crazy as soon as it hit the shelves, and now the factory is rushing to expand production, but still can’t keep up with demand.”

As he spoke, Xu Jinzhong clicked on a live broadcast replay. In the video, Lu Ze, dressed in a simple white shirt, stood beside the three-drum washing machine, demonstrating with clothes of different materials:

“Families, look here! The left small drum washes underwear, the right one washes socks, and the large main drum washes clothes. All family laundry is done at once, no more wasting time washing separately, and no more worrying about cross-contamination! Today’s exclusive live stream price is 2999, and the first five hundred orders also receive a drying set!”

The screen was densely scrolled with bullet comments, almost all from men:

“666”

“Lu Ze really walks the talk!”

“LOL, we participated in this washing machine’s development.”

“I bought it! Let’s see if my wife still scolds me for washing all clothes together now!”

“Lu Ze +1, I almost got beaten to death by my wife for washing my underwear with my clothes before. She insisted it was unhygienic and made me hand wash.”

“Cold hard fact: hand washing is not as clean as machine washing.”

“This washing machine is truly a lifesaver! Finally, I don't have to hand wash for my wife every day!”

“Bought it! Ship it quickly!”

“When will the streamer release a washing machine that can wash clothes, underwear, socks, and shoes?”

Lu Ze in the video saw this bullet comment, and he said to the camera: “Hey, you know what, that’s a good idea. I’ll have the engineers try to design one when the time comes.”

The bullet comments started to flood the screen again:

“666”

“Are they treating our Lu Ze like Doraemon?”

“Lu Ze, I want it”

Jiang Chen smiled. It seemed Lu Ze did have some talent. Now he understood why Xu Jinzhong had just said he saved many men... Then, Xu Jinzhong reported the factory situation to Jiang Chen again. This survey visit was a decision Jiang Chen had made earlier.

To visit the grassroots employees before the New Year and holidays.

The convoy drove steadily on the highway for over two hours, the scenery outside the window gradually shifting from bustling cityscapes to open suburban views, and the outlines of distant factory buildings slowly became clear.

Finally, the vehicles slowly exited the highway and continued towards Chancheng. Before long, a vast, modern industrial park came into view, which was the Xinghe Home Appliances production plant.

The factory gate was wide open, with the four powerful characters “Xinghe Home Appliances” engraved on the brand-new metal gateposts. The plaza in front of the gate was spotless.

Lu Ze had already brought the factory’s management team to wait at the entrance. He was dressed in a sharp, dark suit, standing tall with a polite smile on his face. The managers behind him were also energetic and lined up neatly, their gazes respectfully welcoming the slowly approaching convoy.

The bulletproof Cadillac stopped steadily at the front of the line. The car door opened, and Jiang Chen, in a well-tailored dark gray suit, stepped out with a steady gait, exuding a composed aura.

“Chairman Jiang, you’ve had a long journey!” Lu Ze quickly stepped forward, extending his hand proactively, his tone respectful yet enthusiastic. “We’ve been looking forward to your inspection and guidance for a long time. The entire factory has made special preparations, just waiting to report our recent production status to you.”

Jiang Chen raised his hand to shake his, the slightly cool touch of their fingertips brief before he withdrew. His gaze swept over the neatly lined management behind Lu Ze, and he nodded faintly: “Thank you all, but there’s no need for such a display. I’m just here to see the grassroots employees and understand the actual production situation.”

“Yes, yes, Chairman Jiang is right.” Lu Ze quickly responded, then turned to lead the way. “Don’t worry, everything is arranged properly. The production lines are running normally, and the employees are all at their posts. I’ll take you in now. Shall we start with the general assembly workshop?”

Xu Jinzhong followed beside Jiang Chen, adding in a low voice: “Chairman Jiang, the general assembly workshop is our newly upgraded intelligent workshop. The automation equipment coverage rate reaches 95%, and it is also the main production area for the three-drum washing machine.”

Jiang Chen hummed in acknowledgment and stepped towards the interior of the factory.

Entering the general assembly workshop, the vast space hummed with machinery yet was orderly. Intelligent production lines snaked like silver dragons, and robotic arms precisely performed a series of actions such as grasping, assembling, and testing, all smoothly and efficiently. Clear yellow markings on the ground delineated different work areas, components were neatly stacked on designated shelves, and production data, qualification rates, and order progress scrolled in real-time on electronic screens, all clear at a glance.

“Chairman Jiang, please look over here.” Lu Ze quickly walked to a production line, pointing at the operating equipment as he introduced, “This is the exclusive production line for the three-drum washing machine. From component stamping to complete machine assembly, the entire process takes only 12 minutes, with an automation rate as high as 98%. Currently, by optimizing processes, our daily production capacity has increased from the initial 500 units to 1200 units, but it still can’t keep up with the growth in orders.”

Jiang Chen paused, his gaze falling on a newly assembled washing machine. He reached out to touch the machine’s casing; the texture was delicate and smooth. He noticed a dedicated quality inspection station set up beside the production line, where two employees were carefully checking parameters with testing instruments. A display screen next to them showed the words “Zero-Defect Outbound.”

“What is the workload for the employees?” Jiang Chen suddenly asked, his tone calm but with an undeniable seriousness.

Lu Ze quickly responded: “Chairman Jiang, rest assured, we implement a three-shift system, with each shift lasting 8 hours and two breaks in between. The workshop is also equipped with a lounge, a drinking water area, and an emergency medical kit.

Considering the recent surge in orders, we have also arranged additional overtime subsidies and strictly adhere to the Group’s policies, ensuring holidays are observed and never forcing employees to work overtime.”

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