boyutpedia Chapter 43 I know I was wrong, go see your son one more time.
Chapter 43 I know I was wrong, go see your son one more time.
An account nicknamed "A-Qiang Falls in Love with A-Zhen" seemed to have anticipated Zhou Lijuan's response, and quickly replied in the group:
"Boss lady, you've been using the same excuse for a month now. Last month you said, 'We'll ship it in another half month,' and the month before that you said, 'We'll ship it once the payment arrives.' When will the payment arrive?"
Zhou Lijuan typed halfway through, then deleted it.
She didn't know what to say.
"Ah-Qiang fell in love with Ah-Zhen" continued, "We all come out to work to earn money to support our families. We understand that the company is having difficulties, but who can stand not being paid for three months? My wife just gave birth, and we had to borrow money for baby formula."
These words caused an even bigger uproar in the group.
"Yes, my family is almost starving too."
"A company can't just make empty promises; it has to deliver something tangible."
"Why don't we stop production? They're not paying us after we finish the goods, what's the point of working?"
Zhou Lijuan saw that the discussion in the group was getting more and more heated, and she didn't know how to respond.
We can only try to let it cool down for now.
......
Lunchtime at the factory canteen.
The canteen is small, with a few long tables and dozens of plastic stools.
During meals, everyone usually chats and laughs.
The atmosphere is completely different today.
The lady serving the food brought out the bowls of dishes: braised eggplant, stir-fried bean sprouts, and seaweed and egg drop soup.
There was enough rice, and the dishes looked alright.
But nobody was in the mood to eat.
Old Li sat down in the corner with his plate, picked at his rice a couple of times with his chopsticks, and ate only a few bites.
Xiao Wang leaned over and whispered, "Brother Li, what you said in the group chat this morning, was it true or false?"
Old Li glanced at him and sighed.
"What do you mean by 'real' or 'fake'? It's true that we haven't been paid for three months, right? It's also true that my family is about to run out of food, right?"
Xiao Wang shrank back, not daring to ask any more questions.
Just then, a loud "bang" suddenly came from the entrance of the cafeteria.
Everyone was startled and turned to look.
A man in his early thirties, wearing gray work clothes, was slamming an iron spoon down hard on a plate.
There was another "bang".
"Stop eating!"
He stood at the entrance of the cafeteria, his face flushed red, and his voice was so loud that the whole cafeteria could hear him.
"The company hasn't paid us for three months and hasn't said a word! The boss's wife said in the group chat, 'We'll ship it after this batch is finished,' but what about the next batch? How long are we supposed to wait?"
This man is Zhao Meng, the foreman of the sewing workshop, and he has a bad temper.
His shout silenced the cafeteria for two seconds, then erupted into a cacophony of noise.
"That's right! When exactly will we get paid?"
"We work overtime every day, we're exhausted, and what about the pay?"
"We demand an explanation today!"
Several young workers stood up and shouted along with Zhao Meng.
The older ones didn't say anything, but their expressions were also very unpleasant.
The cafeteria lady stood behind the serving window, holding a basin of vegetables, unsure whether to leave or stay.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, like a taut string that could snap at any moment.
......
Two o'clock in the afternoon, at the entrance of Chengda Garment Factory.
It's unclear who started it.
The gate railing was knocked down, and the security guard was so frightened that he hid in the security room.
Across the street, in a black SUV, Chicken sat in the driver's seat, a cigarette dangling from his lips, watching this scene with a slight smirk.
He took out his phone, took a picture, and sent it to Hun Sen.
"Brother Sen, it's all done."
Hun Sen responded with a thumbs-up emoji.
Less than a minute later, the photo was forwarded to Wang Guanxi's phone.
......
When Cheng Wanhua received the call, he was lying in his hospital bed eating an apple.
The call was from the factory's deputy director; his voice had changed.
"President Cheng, something terrible has happened! The workers are [doing something] at the factory gate."
(This part was deleted again)
"I'll go with you."
"You stay here and watch over Xiaojun." Cheng Wanhua put on his coat, his cast hanging in front of his chest, looking a bit comical. "I can go by myself."
"How can you drive with those hands?"
Cheng Wanhua paused for a moment, then took out his phone and hailed a taxi.
......
Thirty minutes later, a taxi stopped in front of Chengda Garment Factory.
Cheng Wanhua saw that scene before he even got out of the car.
Banners, crowds, slogans, onlookers, and reporters who appeared to have arrived at some point taking pictures.
His blood pressure spiked immediately.
Cheng Wanhua pushed open the car door and walked over quickly, the plaster cast hanging in front of his chest swaying back and forth.
"What are you doing? What are you doing?!"
His voice was loud, but it was still drowned out by the slogans.
Several workers were stunned when they saw him, and then Zhao Meng was the first to rush over.
"Mr. Cheng, you've come at the right time! When exactly are we getting paid?"
Cheng Wanhua took a deep breath and suppressed his anger.
"Listen everyone, I'll definitely get paid. Just give me a little more time..."
"How long is 'a period of time'?" Zhao Meng interrupted him. "You said the same thing three months ago!"
"Exactly! Every time they say 'some time,' but how much time is 'some time'?"
We need a definite answer today!
Cheng Wanhua was surrounded in the center of the crowd.
Cheng Wanhua's face turned bright red, and the plaster cast hanging in front of his chest looked like a heavy stone.
He wanted to say something to appease everyone, but he opened his mouth several times without finding the right words.
Because he knew he had no working capital left; even the money he had mortgaged his house and borrowed from relatives and friends had been used to pay bank interest and was tied up in this batch of goods.
He originally thought that he could get his money back as soon as he could sell this batch of goods, but now the workers have suddenly started to riot and even want to stop work, which is something he never expected.
Cheng Wanhua stood in the middle of the crowd, isolated and helpless.
In the distance, across the street in a black SUV, Chicken stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, took out his phone, took a picture, and sent it out.
In the photo, Cheng Wanhua is surrounded by workers, his plaster cast is conspicuous, and he looks disheveled.
When Wang Guanxi received this photo, he was sitting on the sofa in Jiangcheng No. 1, drinking tea.
He looked at Cheng Wanhua's red and white face in the photo, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and showed no expression.
He is not a heartless person.
However, some accounts need to be settled clearly when the time comes.
......
The farce lasted for nearly an hour.
I highly recommend "One Hundred Million a Day, Yet Trapped in a County Town"! Click to enter the story world.
Cheng Wanhua was surrounded, and nothing he said made a difference.
More and more workers gathered, and even people from the neighboring factory came to watch the spectacle.
Finally, having no other option, he took out his phone and called the police.
Less than ten minutes later, two police cars with flashing lights arrived at the factory gate.
Six or seven police officers got out of the car, with the leader walking at the front, their pace quick.
Cheng Wanhua froze the moment he saw that face.
Wang Jiming.
Zhou Lijuan's ex-husband.
Her... ex-husband.
Wang Jiming also saw Cheng Wanhua. He paused for a moment, his expression unchanged, but a hint of something indescribable flashed in his eyes.
He quickly looked away, glanced at the crowd, and spoke in a low but steady voice.
"Everyone, go away, go away. If you have something to say, sit down and talk. Don't block the doorway."
His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an air of authority that made people afraid to contradict him.
Zhao Meng wanted to say something, but was pulled back by the person next to him.
"Officer, we just want our wages!"
"If you want your wages, go through the proper channels. Labor arbitration, a lawsuit in court, either way is fine. Blocking the door is illegal, understand?"
Wang Jiming's gaze swept over everyone, not quickly, but with considerable weight.
The crowd began to loosen up.
Seeing that the commotion had subsided, Zhao Meng put the banner away, and the others dispersed as well.
The area in front of Chengda Garment Factory quickly returned to quiet, leaving only a few cigarette butts and crushed cardboard on the ground.
Wang Jiming turned around and glanced at Cheng Wanhua.
"If there's a problem, go through legal procedures. Don't make it like this."
Cheng Wanhua opened his mouth, wanting to say "thank you" or "excuse me," but swallowed the words back.
Wang Jiming didn't look at him again, turned around and got into the police car.
The car door closed, and the police car drove away.
Cheng Wanhua stood at the factory gate, plaster hanging in front of his chest. When the wind blew, he looked somewhat desolate.
But he had no time to feel miserable.
Because things had escalated to a much more serious degree than he had imagined.
The scene included not only workers and passersby, but also reporters.
I don't know who called them, or maybe they were just passing by, but anyway, someone filmed a video, someone wrote a report, and it was posted online that night.
(Another paragraph was deleted)
"Jiangcheng again? Didn't a garment factory in Jiangdong also owe wages a few days ago? What's going on in this place?"
Public opinion grew like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger.
The next morning, the city's news television station broadcast it.
The scrolling text at the top of the screen clearly reads "Jiangcheng Chengda Garment Factory Wage Arrears Incident".
......
Conference room in the Jiangcheng County Government office building.
The long table was filled with people on both sides, and the atmosphere was very somber.
A middle-aged man wearing glasses threw the remote control on the table, and the news footage on the TV screen froze.
"Can anyone tell me why there's another case of unpaid wages?"
He is the deputy county head in charge of industry and commerce. His surname is Liu, and he has a bad temper.
No one dared to speak.
Dong Chenggang, deputy director of the Commerce Bureau, sat in a corner, twirling a pen in his hand, without saying a word.
Deputy County Head Liu patted the documents on the table.
"The Jiangdong Garment Factory issue hasn't been resolved yet, and now Chengda Garment Factory is here too. The city just called to ask what's going on in Jiangcheng and whether there's a problem with the supervision of businesses."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the people present.
"I'm telling you, this matter must be resolved as soon as possible. Chengda must pay the owed wages within a week. If they can't, the court will proceed directly with the process, auctioning off assets and prioritizing the repayment of workers' wages."
Dong Chenggang paused for a moment.
One week.
Cheng Wanhua's factory is probably doomed.
......
Chengda Garment Factory, Factory Manager's Office.
Cheng Wanhua sat in a chair with a pile of reports and documents spread out in front of him, but he couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.
The plaster cast hadn't been removed yet; it hung heavily on his chest.
The ashtray on the desk was overflowing with cigarette butts, and the whole room was filled with smoke.
Zhou Lijuan sat opposite her, her face also looking unwell.
"The government just called," Cheng Wanhua said hoarsely. "One week. The workers' wages must be settled within one week. Otherwise, the court will initiate proceedings and auction off the factory."
"What are we going to do... If we can't raise the money in a week, the factory will be gone, we'll lose our house, and we'll never be able to turn our lives around! Where will we live? What will we eat?"
"Where else can we get the money?"
Zhou Lijuan's voice was strained.
Cheng Wanhua fell silent.
He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, closed his eyes, and leaned back in his chair.
I went through all the possible solutions in my mind.
bank?
I've already taken out a loan, and I can't get another one.
Relatives and friends?
I haven't paid back what I borrowed last time, who would be willing to lend me money again?
usury?
Having experienced what happened with Hun Sen, Cheng Wanhua is now utterly terrified. With his hand still in a sling, he really doesn't dare to touch it again.
Cheng Wanhua opened his eyes and glanced at Zhou Lijuan.
His lips moved a few times, then closed again.
Zhou Lijuan's heart skipped a beat when she saw his expression.
She knew what he was thinking.
"You want me to go find Edison Chen?"
Cheng Wanhua remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Zhou Lijuan's face turned even uglier.
"You still have the nerve to contact him? We agreed to transfer the garment factory to someone else, then went back on our word, and now that things have gone wrong, you want me to go to him again?"
Cheng Wanhua knew he was in the wrong, but he was truly desperate and could only lower himself, grabbing Zhou Lijuan's hand and pleading desperately, his voice trembling with tears:
"Juan'er, wife, I know I was wrong, I know I shouldn't have gone back on my word, but there's really no other way now!"
"Your son has money. He was able to come up with two million last time, which shows he has a solid financial foundation. This time, we won't ask for much, just a million or so to pay the workers' wages."
He paused, then added a sentence.
"Once the factory recovers, I will definitely pay him back, with interest."
Zhou Lijuan did not speak.
"Besides, do you think your son can just stand by and do nothing?" Cheng Wanhua's tone softened. "Even if he doesn't acknowledge me as his stepfather, wouldn't he at least acknowledge you as his biological mother?"
Looking at Cheng Wanhua's haggard and nearly broken state, and thinking of their desperate situation of losing the factory and the house, Zhou Lijuan felt a pang of sorrow and pain in her heart. Finally, she gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening, and said in a hoarse voice:
"Cheng Wanhua, I'm telling you, this is the last time I'll look for him."
Cheng Wanhua nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, this is the last time."