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Chapter 38: Wei Kangan's Troubles
Due to the urgency of time, Li Yi did not go home immediately. Although he missed his wife and daughter dearly, there were more pressing matters at hand. He could only suppress his longing and continue with his fruit business.
After a short rest, Li Yi personally took a few boxes of apples and, accompanied by Wei Sanpao, headed toward the meat processing plant.
By the time they arrived at the factory, it was already 5:30 in the afternoon, the peak of rush hour.
The entire factory area was crowded, with bicycles blocking the entrance from every direction.
Li Yi, having experienced the infamous traffic jams in the capital and the congestion in the mountain city, couldn't help but feel nostalgic. The sight of bicycles everywhere reminded him of that era—memories long buried in his mind.
Once the crowd dispersed, Li Yi, along with Wei Sanpao and others, made their way into the factory building.
Upon arrival, Li Yi immediately instructed Wei Sanpao: "Old Third, I'll go speak with Uncle Wei. You just focus on bringing the fruits inside. Leave everything else to me."
"Should I come in as well?" Wei Sanpao asked.
"You stay out here. Uncle Wei is probably upset right now!" Li Yi replied.
Wei Sanpao scratched his head and nodded in agreement. Indeed, if his father saw him now, he'd probably be furious. It wouldn't be the best time to talk business.
After settling down, the two of them each carried a box of apples and walked up to the office building.
Luckily, Uncle Wei's office was on the fourth floor, which wasn't too high. Had it been on the fifth floor, like Liu Tongfu's office, it would have been a hassle.
Unbeknownst to Li Yi, after Liu Tongfu's arrest, Wei Kangan had planned to move his office to the fifth floor. The office was better decorated and offered a wider view—something Wei Kangan had long coveted. However, the office had been temporarily sealed by the authorities due to its involvement in the corruption cases of Liu Tongfu. The office wouldn't be available until the case was fully closed.
At the moment, Wei Kangan was sitting in his office, deeply troubled.
He was stressed over two major issues: employee wages and the mid-year welfare payments. Both problems had reached critical points at the meat processing plant.
Employee wages had been delayed for almost half a year. Financial reports showed that, even excluding the wages owed to cadres, the workers alone were owed more than 600,000 yuan. But the plant's accounts only had 50,000 yuan left—a mere fraction of the total debt!
Previously, the wages of the employees had been directly allocated by the Provincial Finance Department. At its peak, the meat processing plant had over 5,000 employees, with monthly wages totaling up to 500,000 yuan.
Now, however, the province's finances were in dire straits, affecting not only the meat processing plant but also other enterprises like the cotton spinning plant, steel plant, fertilizer plant, agricultural machinery plant, and supply and marketing cooperatives. With no funds available, the provincial department had been unable to assist.
The factory was left with no choice but to delay employee wages.
Initially, short delays were bearable, but after half a year, morale had started to plummet. Workers needed to support their families, after all.
Luckily, although the factory couldn't pay wages, it still provided meals, which helped maintain some stability.
However, the recent arrest of Liu Tongfu had sparked rumors among the workers, who blamed the plant's current predicament on his embezzlement. They were demanding an explanation from the factory.
Wei Kangan knew that while Liu Tongfu's actions had contributed to the plant's problems, the blame could not be solely placed on him. After all, the nation's economic situation was difficult, and Liu Tongfu didn't have the power to influence the country's overall situation.
Liu Tongfu's real mistake had been failing to lead the workers and management in adapting to the current conditions. Instead, he blindly laid off workers, reducing the workforce from 5,000 to less than 600, a drastic cut of 90%. He was also wrong in making false contracts and embezzling funds intended for purchasing equipment. However, the workers' hard-earned money was untouched, as the provincial finance department hadn't transferred those funds to the plant's account.
As the new factory director, Wei Kangan felt the pressure to stabilize the situation, make real political achievements, and reassure the employees.
But finding 600,000 yuan was proving to be an almost impossible task.
To make matters worse, the mid-year welfare distribution was another major issue. This was a tradition at the plant, where, from late June to early July, a batch of benefits would be distributed to employees and cadres. These benefits typically consisted of daily necessities like fruits, rice, flour, and oil.
In past years, Liu Tongfu's relatives had handled this matter by purchasing goods and reimbursing the factory. But with Liu Tongfu now behind bars, no one had taken charge of the distribution. As a result, the welfare distribution had been delayed.
While Wei Kangan was grappling with these problems, he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Wei Kangan called, placing the newspaper he was reading aside.
To his surprise, the person entering was Li Yi!
"Uncle Wei, good afternoon!" Li Yi greeted with a smile.
Wei Kangan returned the smile. "Ah, Li Yi! It's been a few days. Come in and have a seat!"
Wei Kangan had no ill feelings toward Li Yi. First, he had watched Li Yi grow up and knew that, while Li Yi could be mischievous, he was a good person at heart. Secondly, Wei Kangan had some connections in the Public Security Bureau, and after the human trafficker incident, he had asked around. What he found out shocked him.
It turned out that Li Yi had been the mastermind behind the whole operation. To his surprise, one of the children they had rescued was the child of a powerful figure. When this influential person came to the factory to meet his child, Wei Kangan had accompanied him.
It was also rumored that this powerful figure had played a significant role in helping Wei Kangan become the factory's director.
Therefore, Wei Kangan didn't dare to underestimate Li Yi.
In fact, Li Yi had earned his respect. He had heard from Li Yi's father, Li Fengnian, that although Li Fengnian initially intended to compromise with Liu Tongfu, it was Li Yi who had firmly refused. He assured his father that Liu Tongfu would soon be arrested, which turned out to be true. As a result, Li Fengnian suspected that Li Yi was involved in Liu Tongfu's downfall.
Neither Li Fengnian nor Wei Kangan understood exactly how Li Yi had brought down Liu Tongfu, but they both knew that Li Yi was no ordinary young man.
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