Chapter 101: Speaking Out of Turn, a Taboo in Officialdom

"Please everyone, line up and register in order!"

From quite a distance away, one could already see the bustling scene in front of the Chensi Textile Factory gates. The crowd was immense, packed eight layers deep, surrounding the factory entrance so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through.

Factory Director Pei was personally overseeing the operation, assisted by two office staff members. A long row of tables had been set up at the entrance, where they were busily recording the basic information—names, ages, and so on—of the applicants.

"My dear nephew, is this truly our factory?" Chen Boyuan was stunned by the sight before him. In his memory, such a scene had only occurred back when he himself had been recruited for work. Now, he was witnessing it once again. Good heavens, what a grand scale, what a massive operation!

"Uncle Chen, this is Director Pei." Wu Ya led Chen Boyuan around the crowd of applicants and straight to the director.

"Boss Wu, this is..." Director Pei was very busy, but seeing that Wu Ya had gone out of his way to introduce Chen Boyuan, he shook his hand politely. He then looked at Wu Ya with a face full of confusion. Who could this person be, to require such a special introduction from him?

"This is Chen Boyuan, a lifelong friend of my father's. Furthermore, he is the future head of our sales department!" Wu Ya gestured with an outstretched arm, his solemn tone emphasizing the importance he placed on Chen Boyuan.

This caused Chen Boyuan, who had been slightly hunched over, to straighten his back immediately.

"Hello, Director Pei. Wu Ya is my dear nephew! In the future, I hope we can work together to make this factory thrive."

*Wu Ya is my dear nephew!* Chen Boyuan intentionally emphasized these words. His subsequent attitude was more like that of an elder addressing a junior—he even spoke with a tone of earnest instruction.

"Oh..." Director Pei was taken aback, his expression turning somewhat unnatural. *You are Boss Wu’s elder, but that doesn’t make me your subordinate. We are merely partners! Do you really need to put on such an air of superiority and act so high and mighty?*

However, out of respect for Wu Ya, he held his tongue. After all, Wu Ya was the man's nephew. And besides... joining the factory so suddenly, could there be other motives at play? Given the political storms Director Pei had weathered throughout his career, he naturally wouldn't reveal his dissatisfaction so easily.

"Director Pei, how is the recruitment going? How many qualified people do you have so far?" Sensing the director's displeasure, Wu Ya hurriedly changed the subject. Chen Boyuan had that kind of personality; one had to allow him a period of adaptation. Otherwise, there would be no benefit at all. How else could he be expected to shine? Showing off and satisfying his vanity was, in a way, one of those benefits.

"We have already accepted one hundred and eighty people, aged between twenty-three and forty! According to the data you gave me, a single production line requires three hundred and sixty people if we run three shifts. So, we are halfway there! But don't worry, I have already spread the word, and the remaining number won't be a problem. After all, there aren't many places welcoming these former quality inspectors right now."

Whenever the topic turned to work, Director Pei immediately shifted into his role, and a look of pride washed over his face. Quality inspectors—did they lack technical skills? It didn't matter! As long as they did their job supervising every stage on the machine, they were fulfilling their duty. This was a decision he had made after a deep study of the assembly line concept. It was the most reasonable, efficient, and reliable way to ensure output.

Because the work these inspectors had done previously was similar to an assembly line, where individuals were responsible for their own specific stage, they could start working almost immediately after a brief training session. After a bit of hands-on experience, they would quickly become skilled. Not only would this not delay production, but it would also fully enable them to meet the goals Wu Ya had set: achieving maximum efficiency in the shortest possible time.

"Excellent!" Wu Ya was very pleased upon hearing this. But then, he looked at Director Pei and asked, "Director Pei, you've used the quality inspectors as technical workers. Once our clothing is produced, who will guard the quality? And what kind of people do we need for the inspectors' roles?"

Inspectors—any product must undergo a self-check procedure before leaving the factory to ensure that every finished piece is of one hundred percent quality. Naturally, once Chensi Clothing began production, this position would be essential. Even with machine production, one couldn't guarantee that the finished goods were flawless. This was a question that certainly couldn't be ignored.

"Hahaha, I’ve already made arrangements for that! And the quality inspection personnel are already in place!" Director Pei laughed, filled with pride. Thinking ahead and acting early was the secret to his success, the indispensable method that allowed him to rise from a frontline worker to a factory director. It was a quality that anyone aiming to advance had to possess.

"Oh? And who are those people?" Wu Ya was startled. This Director Pei really had some tricks up his sleeve. He truly deserved his position, having sat steadily as a factory director after weathering countless storms and edging out numerous competitors.

"Hahaha, our technical workers are the inspectors who don't know the technology. So naturally, for the inspectors, I’ve hired workers with solid technical expertise! Use the skilled workers to control the quality! Only then can we ensure that every piece of clothing is well-finished and precisely cut. Because they understand the craft!"

*Because they understand the craft!* Wu Ya laughed as well. "Hahaha, Director Pei, you are truly worthy of being a factory director! Your experience is rich, and your ability is extraordinary. If this had been left to me, I really would have been at a loss!"

This Director Pei had truly impressed Wu Ya. By completely swapping the roles of the two types of workers, he had unexpectedly created the best possible arrangement. Using those who understood the craft to inspect quality, and those who didn't to perform production, ensured both the speed of the assembly line and the stability of the product. Looking at it from this perspective, he had indeed put his heart into this task.

"A small matter. As long as you are satisfied, Boss Wu, it is my honor! As for extraordinary ability, I feel inferior to you." After the flattery, Director Pei followed up with a compliment. However, the last half of his sentence was indeed his true feeling. When it came to ability, he really felt inferior. How old was Wu Ya? Eighteen! And he himself? Thirty-eight! Setting aside the twenty-year age gap, he had ended up working for Wu Ya. When he was eighteen, in those passionate years, he was busy with national movements, eager to protect the "fruits of victory." As for his own future? He hadn't thought about it at all. But Wu Ya? He had already started a career, and it was thriving! Of course, the times and environments were different, and their room for growth was different, but the gap in their thinking was clear.

Wu Ya seemed capable of jumping from the richest man in the Suiyan District to a titan of Weiling City in six months. At eighteen, he had completed the journey from poverty to wealth in just half a month! Could he have done that? He couldn't.

"Director Pei, are you trying to kill me with praise? Alright, let's stop this mutual flattery. Let's go to the office and discuss the next steps." Wu Ya smiled humbly and stepped forward. Director Pei turned and followed him.

"Wait for me!" Seeing this, how could Chen Boyuan fall behind? He was, after all, the head of the sales department! How could a management figure like him be absent from a discussion about the next steps?

The three of them soon arrived at Director Pei’s office. They sat down in turn, and tea was poured. Wu Ya spoke: "Director Pei, Uncle Chen... oh, excuse me, Manager Chen. Given that the recruitment is progressing smoothly and the assembly line will arrive in two days, we must plan ahead and finish all preparatory work within the next forty-eight hours."

"My dear nephew—oh, Boss Wu—just give the orders! I will execute them without fail and guarantee that they are completed perfectly!" Before Wu Ya could finish, Chen Boyuan interrupted, expressing his determination with impatient words. After speaking, he glanced at Director Pei.

However, Director Pei remained expressionless, sitting stiffly and waiting for Wu Ya to continue. This made Chen Boyuan feel embarrassed, and he realized he might have spoken out of turn.

Wu Ya glanced at him and continued: "The most important step is to establish and perfect all the factory's departments! Since we have expanded from simple textiles to finished garments, the existing structure is no longer suitable. We must establish finance, procurement, and sales departments that better fit our current reality! What do you two think?"

The room went quiet. Director Pei remained expressionless. Chen Boyuan looked at him, then at Wu Ya, and said nothing. He had already said everything he needed to say earlier.

"Director Pei, tell us your thoughts." Wu Ya had no choice but to call on him directly. Director Pei was cunning and shrewd. Especially in a meeting involving the future of the factory, he wouldn't easily express his opinion before knowing the true intent behind Wu Ya bringing Chen Boyuan into the factory. To speak up was a taboo in the bureaucratic world. Perhaps Wu Ya had brought this Chen Boyuan in because he didn't trust him! Hadn't he seen the scene at the factory gate? The arrogant demeanor, the high-and-mighty attitude—it was as if he had placed himself above the director! If he were foolish enough to let the other party catch him in a mistake, he would be the one to suffer. Therefore, keeping his head down and observing the situation was the smartest decision.

"Well... regarding finance and procurement, I can consider myself an expert. However, with the massive changes in the market, I am no longer up to speed on the sales side! Therefore, I wonder what your concept is for the sales department, Boss Wu?"