Unable to go upstairs to check the construction progress, Yang Jian rushed back to the template factory, instructing Liu Yong to stop production immediately and to call Liu Chao and Jing Yongli over.
"What's wrong, Er Jian? Why the sudden halt in production?"
Liu Yong had been working with great enthusiasm lately, producing over a thousand templates daily, which meant the workers' wages had increased significantly. As a semi-disabled person, he finally felt he had some value.
Yang Jian wanted to lose his temper but restrained himself. "Xiao Chao, are you sure the glue you boiled meets the standards?"
Liu Chao looked bewildered. "What's wrong, Brother Jian?"
"The templates we're producing can't even withstand three uses. They start cracking and delaminating after the second time. This clearly indicates the glue quality is not up to par, and the templates are unusable."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yong and the other two were stunned.
Jing Yongli's voice trembled slightly. "Brother, don't scare me. We have over twenty thousand templates in stock. What if they can't be used?"
"What to do? I wish I knew what to do!"
Liu Chao's face turned pale with fright. "Brother, I strictly followed the formula and ratio taught by my master when preparing the glue. How could it be substandard?"
"Whether it's substandard or not is determined by product quality. How much did you spend to learn the glue-boiling technique?"
"Eight thousand."
"Nonsense! You learned such a crucial skill for only eight thousand yuan? You've definitely been ripped off."
"Then, then I'll call my master."
Liu Chao dared not retort. He took out his phone and called his master, but after several attempts, the phone was switched off.
"Stop calling. You've definitely been deceived."
Yang Jian felt an urge to lash out. He also bore some responsibility for this. He shouldn't have blindly expanded production. He should have waited for his brother-in-law to complete the topping to test the template quality.
Ultimately, he was too young. Running a business was not as simple as he imagined; success wasn't guaranteed.
It was also the influence of having too much money. After making some money at the casino, he blindly invested, seeking quick success and trying to achieve too much too soon, ultimately leading to failure.
Liu Yong, being older and more experienced, said, "Er Jian, blaming Xiao Chao now is of no use. The immediate priority is to find a solution."
"How to solve it? No one would want these twenty thousand templates in stock. I have contracts with President Zheng and Dong Sheng Group. What can I give them now?"
"The contract issue can be resolved. We can source some templates from other manufacturers or distributors. We can even earn a small profit margin on the price difference. I've done this before and can still contact those distributors."
"What about these templates? The warehouse is already full. What should the factory do next?"
"Aren't the templates on the construction sites placed outdoors? If we continue production, we can bring out the stock templates. As for the glue-boiling technique, we might have to spend a significant amount to hire someone to guide us."
Jing Yongli suddenly asked, "Brother Jian, are there any issues with the templates made by those two masters who installed the machinery before? Those hundred templates are at the construction site in Chengguan."
Yang Jian understood his implication and immediately called Lu Qian, asking him to check if there were two different quality templates.
Ten minutes later, Lu Qian called back, confirming that some templates were indeed of good quality. The carpenters said they could be used five or six times without issues.
Jing Yongli quickly contacted the manufacturer. They were willing to send a master over, but the salary was twenty thousand yuan a month.
This salary requirement was a bit high, and Jing Yongli didn't reply immediately.
"Brother Jian, the manufacturer wants twenty thousand a month. Should we hire them?"
This involved further investment and production, potentially hundreds of thousands. Jing Yongli wasn't sure if the Yang family could raise that much money.
Yang Jian pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's halt the factory operations for a while. We'll decide after my sister's surgery. Brother Yong, quickly contact the template distributors to source templates. We cannot lose the orders from Dong Sheng Group and President Zheng."
Although Lu Yao and Lu Qian had agreed to cover the expenses for Yang Hui's second surgery, Yang Jian, now able to earn money, naturally wouldn't let them bear the cost. He had only agreed to their financial assistance when he had no other options.
Liu Yong nodded. "No problem. What about the five thousand templates that were delivered? Should we recall them?"
"Where would we recall them to? We don't even know if they've been used yet. Forget it. I'll head to Hancheng today to explain the situation to President Zheng and the others in advance. We'll waive the remaining payment for those five thousand templates. Additionally, we'll see if we can sell the current stock of templates at half price to minimize losses."
Jing Yongli disagreed. "Brother Jian, don't rush to deal with the stock templates. Although these templates cannot be used in construction, they still have other uses. As long as they don't get wet, these templates won't easily crack or delaminate. They should be fine for making bed boards or furniture. We won't make a profit, but selling them at cost price shouldn't be difficult."
"Alright then, you go and find out. Sell as many as you can."
"When will the factory resume operations? We need to inform the workers."
"I need to raise funds for my sister's surgery and to build the house in Chengguan. Before September 1st, I also need to pay the migrant workers. Therefore, the earliest resumption of work will be after September 1st. If funds are sufficient, we'll hire the glue-boiling master. Twenty thousand is twenty thousand. As long as the quality is guaranteed, this money is worth spending."
Yang Jian made a swift decision. One must prioritize tasks and have a clear focus. Without a solid foundation, one cannot expand in all directions and invest blindly.
Liu Chao's face was flushed with embarrassment. "Brother Jian, then, then what should I do?"
"You continue experimenting. You must master the glue-boiling technique yourself. Hiring a master is just a temporary solution. We're not running this factory for just a year or two; we can't always be at someone else's mercy. If all else fails, find a reliable place to learn. I refuse to believe that all factories figured out their techniques through trial and error. Someone must have taught them; it's just a matter of paying more."
"Okay, I've also gotten to know some people in Dongshan. I'll ask them for information. There are many template factories there, so we're bound to find someone willing to teach the technique."
"Yes, inquire thoroughly. If you find someone willing to teach the technique, I'm willing to pay a premium for you to learn again, or to have the master teach you hands-on until you produce qualified products."
This lesson was too profound. Yang Jian, after deep reflection, encouraged Liu Chao to persevere in mastering the glue-boiling technique.
The sudden halt in production at the template factory quickly caused a stir in Yangli Village, as all the factory workers were from the village.
They had been working at the factory for over a month without receiving any wages. Upon hearing that the products were substandard and the accumulated stock was unsellable, they all worried about their unpaid wages and flocked to Yang Jian's home.
This frightened Yang Jian's mother, who wanted to call Yang Shuanglin, who was in Chengguan, to return. Yang Jian stopped her.
The wages of these villagers were not a problem for him. However, he wanted to use this as a test to see which workers would be understanding and which would be unreasonable.
Those who were unreasonable would not be re-employed. Those who were understanding and considerate would be considered core employees in the future and would receive preferential treatment in terms of wages and benefits.