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Chapter 15: Workers' Meeting
Meat Processing Factory – Workers' Auditorium
This is where the meat processing factory holds large-scale events. It regularly conducts employee meetings, distributes welfare gifts, and organizes art performances during festivals.
Although the employee meeting was scheduled to start at two o'clock, Wei Sanpao arrived just after one.
As soon as he reached the entrance of the auditorium, Wei Sanpao saw that all his brothers were already there.
Taking everyone to a secluded place, Wei Sanpao immediately said, "Does everyone know about the matter?"
"Yes, we found out this morning. I didn't expect the Municipal Bureau to actually send us a banner and a bonus!"
"It seems that some important figures want to meet us. Do you think it will be a high-ranking official from the city?"
"Brother Yi is incredible. He predicted this yesterday. It's amazing."
Wei Sanpao motioned for everyone to be quiet before continuing, "I'm telling you, the city really did send us a banner, and they also approved the 1,000-yuan bonus. The factory is even holding a commendation meeting to publicize our deeds. This is a great honor for us!"
"But what you don't know is that Liu Tongfu, that old fox, resents Brother Yi for beating up his son. So not only is he preventing Brother Yi from attending the commendation meeting, but he's also forbidding us from mentioning Brother Yi's name!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several of his younger brothers reacted with outrage.
"Damn it! Is Liu Tongfu even human? Doesn't he know why his son was beaten?"
"Liu Dayong, that bastard, bullies men and women alike. He deserved to be beaten!"
"Brother Yi was right to do what he did. Why should we listen to Liu Tongfu?"
Wei Sanpao nodded approvingly and said, "I'm glad to see that you all think this way. After the commendation meeting starts, they will definitely ask us to go on stage to tell the story. We will not hide anything—we'll tell the whole truth. When you speak, remember to praise Brother Yi as much as possible and annoy that old man Liu Tongfu!"
"Got it! We'll listen to you, Third Brother!"
"Wei Zi, you're the most educated among us and the best speaker. You'll be the main one talking, and the rest of us will chime in when needed."
"Don't worry, Third Brother. Leave it to me!"
"Alright, the staff meeting is starting in about ten minutes. Let's head inside the auditorium."
With that, Wei Sanpao led his group into the staff auditorium.
Inside the Auditorium
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the staff auditorium was already packed.
The meat processing factory was a key livelihood enterprise in Jiangnan Province. Not only was it responsible for supplying meat to millions of people in Jiangcheng, but it also handled the production of canned meat. As a result, its workforce was much larger than that of ordinary factories.
At its peak, the factory had 13 workshops and various departments, employing more than 3,000 workers.
However, due to the impact of the market economy in recent years, production capacity had drastically declined. Less than one-third of the workshops were operational, and the factory's efficiency had plummeted to just one-fifth of its peak level.
Out of necessity, many employees had to find alternative jobs, leaving the current workforce at fewer than 500 people.
But even with just 500 employees, the sight of them all gathered together was still quite spectacular.
As the employees took their seats, Wei Sanpao and his group—the protagonists of the event—walked in and headed straight for the front row.
Many employees who were unaware of the situation were left stunned. They all knew what kind of people Wei Sanpao and his friends were.
Although Wei Sanpao's father was the factory's deputy director, that didn't mean the son could sit wherever he pleased. The front row was usually reserved for department heads, workshop supervisors, and technical experts. How could a group of young men just walk in and take those seats?
However, when they saw that neither the security chief nor the factory leaders objected, everyone pretended not to notice.
Soon, all the attendees had arrived—including Liu Tongfu himself.
Once everyone was present, Factory Director Liu Tongfu cleared his throat and coughed lightly.
Hearing this, the employees immediately quieted down. They all knew the director was about to speak.
Seeing the murmurs die down, Liu Tongfu nodded in satisfaction, clearly pleased that his authority was acknowledged.
Adjusting the height of the microphone, he spoke loudly:
"Everyone, before we officially start this staff meeting, I have an exciting announcement to make!"
Upon hearing this, the employees perked up with curiosity.
"Are we finally getting paid? Or is there a new subsidy?"
"Don't be ridiculous! It's too soon for that. I bet it's some new policy."
"Not necessarily! I saw the police in the corridor yesterday. Maybe something big happened in the factory!"
Liu Tongfu gently tapped the microphone, waiting for the murmurs to settle before continuing:
"Settle down, everyone. Don't jump to conclusions—you won't guess this one!"
He then continued, "Several employees from our meat processing factory have been recognized by the Municipal Public Security Bureau! This morning, Captain Yan Qing of the Criminal Police Brigade personally delivered a banner and a thank-you letter to our factory. The leaders of the Municipal Bureau have praised us!"
As soon as he said this, the auditorium erupted with chatter.
"Who are they? They actually got praise from the city?"
"I have no idea! But whatever they did must have been a big deal for the police to acknowledge them."
"I heard the Public Security Bureau recently arrested a group of human traffickers. Could this be related?"
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Xu Qingnan's Doubts
Among the crowd in the right corner of the auditorium, Xu Qingnan listened to Liu Tongfu's speech, feeling uneasy.
Xu Qingnan worked at the meat processing factory, primarily responsible for managing the warehouse inventory. Her job kept her busy, and she had long grown accustomed to the factory's internal politics.
After her heated argument with Li Yi yesterday, her anger had subsided by the time she woke up. She was used to this kind of life.
However, something felt off this morning. News had spread rapidly that police officers had visited the factory, bringing banners and bonuses. The rumor soon reached the warehouse.
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingnan's heart skipped a beat. She recalled what the gangster had said last night when she confronted him about Li Yi's whereabouts.
Back then, she had asked him what Li Yi was doing, and he had replied that Li Yi had gone to catch human traffickers.
At the time, Xu Qingnan found this utterly ridiculous. She knew exactly what kind of person Li Yi was and dismissed the claim as a pathetic excuse.
She assumed Li Yi had simply been out gambling again, avoiding his responsibilities as a father.
But today's events made her question everything.
Could it really be true? Did Li Yi actually go after human traffickers? Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence?
But if it was true, why hadn't he mentioned anything after returning home?
Just as Xu Qingnan was lost in thought, Liu Tongfu's voice rang out again from the stage…
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