Chapter 327 The Eve of Rebirth

It was almost evening when we came out of Liansheng’s headquarters.

At the busy intersection below the Yanquan Building, Liu Dongsheng stopped and looked up at the gray sky. Fine snowflakes fell, soaking his face and chilling his heart.

Liu Dongsheng couldn’t remember how many snows this year had seen. The snow was all over the ground, heavier and colder each time. His mood was just like the snowflakes, sad and dreary.

The development of the matter was so absurd that the life and death of such a large state-owned enterprise where workers were in charge had nothing to do with the workers, but was completely manipulated by a few private bosses! His anger and grievance were difficult to describe in words.

He warned himself that he must hold on, because he had hundreds of mouths waiting to be fed and alive on his shoulders! What followed would be his last fight in a desperate situation, and he had to deal with it calmly no matter what kind of blow he suffered. However, his vision was still blurred, and a pool of hot tears quietly flowed out of his eyes.

Ever since the Phoenix Group teamed up with the Sennheiser Group to bypass him and force the bankruptcy and reorganization of Red Star, he has been trying his best to mediate between the competent authorities, Sennheiser Group, Phoenix Group, laid-off workers and even Liansheng, which had nothing to do with the matter. He has tried every means to stabilize the situation in the hope of coming up with a plan that satisfies all parties.

As it turned out, he was wrong and he was finished.

On the way back to Hongxing, Liu Dongsheng looked at the chaotic snow outside the window, his expression seemed depressed and numb, but a voice kept echoing in his heart: "What should I do now?!"

In fact, the situation is obvious. The deadlock of Red Star's bankruptcy and reorganization is the placement of redundant employees and the problem of how to feed hundreds of mouths. If this matter is not handled well, Senhai and Huangcheng want to demolish the Red Star factory and build a building. Then there is only one way, let the bulldozer run over the bodies of Red Star employees!
Liu Dongsheng could see this, and how could Zhao Shiming of Senhai and Gao Shan of Huangcheng not see it? Then these capitalists were ruthless. They didn't want to pay a high price to meet the demands of the employees. They clearly wanted to use the Times Commercial Port project, which the city had no money to do but had to do, to promote the reform of the city's electromechanical industry, and then almost made a fortune out of nothing and swallowed up Red Star.

He has evil ambitions and should be killed!

But Liu Dongsheng had no choice at all. He knew very well that Red Star was completely finished, and he just wanted to settle the Red Star employees who were forcibly laid off.

Of course, he does have his own personal ideas here.

As early as half a year ago, Senhai forced the Red Star Electronics Factory to stop production and stop paying salaries. As the nominal factory director, he had nothing to gain except putting out fires everywhere. Deep down, he had already given up on doing this and hoped that the district would transfer his personnel relationship. However, promoting the bankruptcy and reorganization of Red Star Electronics and appeasing the employees were the tasks imposed on him by the Electrical and Mechanical Bureau. He could not complete it and did not do it well, which led to the employees making a big fuss. It was a daydream to imagine that he could transfer his relationship to a lower-level district or county to become a small official like other bankrupt state-owned enterprise factory directors!
Therefore, he could only appease the employees and ensure the smooth completion of Red Star's bankruptcy reorganization in order to complete the task of the Mechanical and Electrical Bureau and get out of it safely. However, in order to appease the employees, he knew that there were only two ways to choose. One was to give the employees sufficient resettlement allowances; the other was to arrange a new job for them.

Liu Dongsheng initially chose the first path, but the Mechanical and Electrical Bureau and Senhai Group ignored him and failed to get reasonable resettlement fees for laid-off workers. He was forced to try the second path. So he regarded Zhang Yunqi's Liansheng as his last straw. He understood Zhang Yunqi's idea and proposed to build a new electronics factory, give away Red Star equipment for free and apply for land approval in exchange for the right to resettle Red Star's laid-off workers.

As long as Zhang Yunqi nods in agreement to this plan, all of Red Star’s problems will be solved.

Zhang Yunqi was young, but he had built such a big business. He was naturally a very smart and capable person. However, he did not expect that this young man was also a very cruel and hard-hearted person! Not only did he not accept the challenge, but he asked him to negotiate with Senhai Group. Could it be that Zhang Yunqi really could not see that the discussion on the issue of laid-off resettlement fees with Senhai Group was simply impossible?
He can see it!

He just wanted to force Liu Dongsheng and Sen Hai to break up!

He was forced to mobilize the Red Star employees to take to the streets and spread the news to the world, and then go to the Senhai office building to make a big fuss, but the city would never tolerate such things that would affect stability. This meant that he, Liu Dongsheng, the director of the Red Star Electronics Factory, was completely finished!

When the car arrived at Hongxing, it was getting dark and the wind and snow were still blowing.

As Liu Dongsheng was walking towards the workers' residential area with mixed emotions, a middle-aged man pushing a cart came from a distance. The cart was full of common foods such as sweet potatoes, peanuts, and corn.

As night fell, this "laid-off" Red Star worker began to work hard for a bite to eat. He saw Liu Dongsheng coming over, stopped his cart and greeted him warmly: "Hello, Director."

Liu Dongsheng looked at him and smiled: "Old Wei, go out and set up the stall. I haven't had dinner yet. Bring me two corns."

"Okay, Director." Old Wei immediately packed two corns and handed them to Liu Dongsheng.

Liu Dongsheng took out the money and said, "How much is it, Lao Wei?"

Lao Wei waved his hands quickly: "Director, I can't even show you this little thing, how can I ask you for money?" At this point, Lao Wei rubbed his hands and said: "Director, I just want to ask you, when can our factory resume production and pay the wages?"

Liu Dongsheng took out ten yuan and stuffed it into Lao Wei's hand, but did not answer his question because the answer would be too cruel for this poor worker.

As the head of a factory, he deeply felt how difficult it was for these workers. In the 70s and 80s, workers had a high social status and good welfare benefits. They enjoyed retirement, welfare housing, food rations, and free medical care. But what about now? The national situation has improved, and the private economy has flourished, bringing a large number of jobs. The Red Star workers are not only no longer as glorious and popular as before, but even their jobs are about to be lost. The production line has been forcibly shut down, and wages cannot be paid. Everyone is having a very difficult time. Some capable people find work outside, but most of them don’t know how to survive. If they really have no food to eat, they go out to do hard labor, set up stalls, sell supper, or even pick up rotten vegetable stems in the vegetable market to make a living. Faced with the cruel reality, these workers can no longer find the glory of the past.

That night, Liu Dongsheng couldn't sleep all night.

His personal future and the life and death of the workers were like a pendulum, swinging left and right on his heart, striking deep in his soul.

When the night was at its darkest, and everything was completely silent, his soul seemed to be split in two. One half said: Liu Dongsheng, you are a man of steel. You promised to settle everyone down. You must be responsible for hundreds of mouths. The other half said: Liu Dongsheng, you have done enough for these workers. You have tried your best and suffered humiliation and contempt! However, the bankruptcy and reorganization of Red Star has been decided. No matter how hard you try, you can't change anything. So why bother to gamble your life? Just quit and you can get away with it...

At dawn, Liu Dongsheng appeared in the broadcasting room of the Red Star office building.

He stood in front of the window, staring out with his scarlet eyes in a daze. Outside the window, there was heavy snow falling like rain, and there were ruins burned by a fire. This seemed to be a true portrayal of the man's inner heart at the moment, dilapidated and lifeless. But who could realize that after the wind and snow, there would be a new life for all things?
It was unknown how much time had passed before Liu Dongsheng threw away the scalding cigarette butt, turned on the loudspeaker in the smoky broadcasting room, and said calmly: "All Red Star workers, I am Liu Dongsheng. Now, please invite the heads of each department to the conference room to discuss the next plan of the Red Star Electronics Factory..."

The Red Star speaker had not been used for a long time, so the workers were a little dazed when they heard Liu Dongsheng's voice coming from inside. The large conference room that had not been used for a long time was already covered with a layer of dust and was as cold as an ice cellar, but it was not long before it was filled with people.

The workers probably guessed that their factory director had a new solution to Hongxing's current predicament, and they nervously and excitedly surrounded him to ask this and that.

Liu Dongsheng smiled and asked everyone to sit down. After the meeting room was quiet, he said, "Comrades, today I called everyone here to hold this meeting about the bankruptcy and reorganization of our factory. I have a clearer idea. The red star belongs to everyone present here, not just me, Liu Dongsheng. So I must be honest with you all."

At this point, Liu Dongsheng said: "I think everyone has seen the current situation. Red Star has stopped production and stopped paying salaries for more than half a year. In the past six months, Senhai has adopted countless dirty and vulgar means to deal with us. On the one hand, we guard the factory and organize production to prove the value of Red Star's existence. On the other hand, we report through normal channels and seek support from above, but it is of no avail. Instead, we have been hit harder and harder by Senhai!"

Liu Dongsheng turned his head and looked at the workers in the audience and said: "To be honest, I, Liu Dongsheng, will never forget the workers who swore to defend the Red Star to the death in that fire. They used their flesh and blood to stop the enemy's wanton attack! They are still lying in the hospital due to burns and injuries. Some comrades have not received timely treatment because they have not received wages for more than half a year and have no savings! Sometimes, I can't sleep all night when I think about these, but the cruel reality at the moment reminds me all the time that this is just the beginning, and they will have more insidious tricks next! Until the moment we leave the Red Star."

These words made the workers in the conference room extremely angry. They all cursed their current superior company, Senhai Group, and were determined to fight Senhai Group to the end. However, they were more worried about the future of Hongxing. They asked one after another: "Director, now that our workers have paid such a painful price, can Hongxing still resume production? Does the city really not care about our lives?"

Liu Dongsheng said: "Of course we have to care about life and death, but it is impossible to resume production. At this point, all parties are in a dilemma. The city wants funds and Senhai's land to promote the Times Commercial Lane project. Senhai wants our land to promote the reform of the city's mechanical and electrical industry, and the Phoenix Group also wants our land to develop commercial real estate. The collapse of the Red Star factory is a foregone conclusion."

This was the first time that Liu Dongsheng opened his heart and expressed his inner thoughts, but for these workers, it was like a bolt from the blue. Their only motivation for struggle was to protect the factory and hope that it would be operational again one day.

Now, their leader personally shattered this hope. The workers were immediately excited. Some said that Senhai was dreaming of taking our land! Others said that at worst, we would fight to the death, and those who are barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes! Amid the noisy voices, a rational middle-level cadre stood up and asked loudly: "Director, according to what you said, the next step is that we will be laid off directly?"

Under the gaze of the crowd, Liu Dongsheng nodded with some difficulty: "Basically, this is the case. The overall situation in the city has been determined and no one can change it. But how to arrange everyone next, whether to reopen the factory or find a way out on our own, we will discuss it together at that time. But what I want to say is that now that bankruptcy is a foregone conclusion, I think we don't need to dwell on this point. This will only cause more unnecessary sacrifices. What we should do now is to strive for the resettlement allowance we deserve!"

Liu Dongsheng knew that the workers were extremely depressed and angry. He continued, "I don't know if you still remember that our factory was not doing well for a while and had problems with its capital chain. In order to raise funds, I planned to sell more than 60 acres of land in the factory. At that time, the prices offered by various buyers were all over 25 yuan per acre. However, in March this year, Hongxing's bankruptcy reorganization bypassed us, the owners of the factory, and was led by Senhai. Senhai actually signed an agreement directly with Huangcheng Group. Huangcheng bought more than 3 acres of land from Hongxing, which was as expensive as gold, at a price of 11 yuan per acre. This means that our resettlement fee for laid-off workers has been cut by more than half out of thin air!"

When these words came out, the workers were shocked at first, and then they were extremely angry: "Not a single good person is this guy! Many people were laid off for no reason, and they couldn't survive. Now they can't even get the resettlement compensation they deserve. This is forcing us all to hang ourselves at his house!"

"My husband joined the guard team to put out a fire in the factory and suffered severe burns. He has been lying in the hospital and unable to wake up. Now he is going to lose his job. Director Liu, my family has many old and young people. How are we going to live in the future?" A female worker holding a baby started to cry as she spoke.

"Director, what should we do now? We can't just sit there and wait to die."

"Unite and persist in the struggle!" Liu Dongsheng finally spoke, and he said word by word: "The Red Star belongs to all of us workers, not to Senhai Group. Everyone must recognize this. We have a legitimate reason to demand the resettlement fees for laid-off workers!"

Several workshop directors said in unison: "Director Liu, then you lead us to do it. The damn Senhai Group is cutting off our livelihood. Let's fight them!"

The workers also shouted: "Director, we will go through fire and water to obey you. Please give us the instructions!"

At this time, the snow outside was getting heavier and the north wind was howling.

Liu Dongsheng looked at the pairs of eyes full of hope and determination in the audience. His shoulders felt as heavy as a mountain, but his heart was as hot as a furnace.

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(End of this chapter)