Director Guo, having gained nothing and almost spitting blood in anger, lost even the basic courtesy and stood up to leave.
"Did you guys see? The city's garment factory leadership is here. Is our factory going to close down?" a staff member whispered.
"That can't be right. We had so much production volume before. Maybe they're here for something else."
"Don't be silly. I heard they wanted to buy that batch of clothing from our warehouse, worth hundreds of thousands, and our Director Chen actually refused."
"This is the job I finally found, and the pay and benefits are good. What will happen if it closes down? It's really worrying. Should we start looking for job openings in advance? I heard the bank loans are due soon, and it's almost payday. Who knows if we'll even get paid?"
Zhou Haiming walked in and heard their discussions before clearing his throat heavily.
Seeing him enter, the employees who were speaking immediately fell silent.
"Team leader, I heard the factory lost a lot of money this time. We might go out of business any day now," one employee blurted out without regard.
The others immediately looked over curiously.
Private enterprises didn't have the same appeal as state-owned enterprises. In their eyes, no matter the circumstances, state-owned enterprises would never go bankrupt.
"Where did you hear such nonsense?" Zhou Haiming asked, looking displeased.
"The factory did encounter some problems this time, but it's not as serious as you all think. You need to trust the abilities of Director Chen and Manager Nan."
Someone chimed in, "With so much inventory, won't it all be piled up in the warehouse if it doesn't sell before the new year?"
"You're all here to make money, so stop thinking nonsense all day. Director Chen naturally has her ways to solve problems. Think about it, with the current market conditions not being great for most businesses, our factory's benefits and welfare, if not the best, are certainly among the top tier, right? I don't think anyone wants to see this situation happen. We should give the leadership some time and confidence. What we can do is to do our jobs well."
"To put it bluntly, the factory can still pay you your wages, so you should continue working diligently. If you want to abandon the company under these circumstances, then I'll make it clear: the company also doesn't need employees like that."
Hearing his words, everyone lowered their heads in shame.
"Look quickly, a car has arrived at our factory entrance!" An employee sitting by the window, with sharp eyes, saw a car pull up to the factory gate. The security guard at the gate didn't even stop it and let it through directly.
Not many people drove cars in those days, especially after the incident at the factory. Everyone gathered around out of curiosity.
Having met Gu Xingdong twice before, Zhou Haiming said, "That's Director Chen's husband. Nothing to be surprised about. Hurry back to your work."
"Director Chen's husband? He looks so energetic, driving a car, and wearing a suit. Team leader, what does he do?"
Regarding this, Zhou Haiming had only a partial understanding: "I heard he's the owner of a construction company, that he's built quite a few buildings."
"A construction company owner? Housing is so tight right now, so he must be making a lot of money. We've never heard of him before."
A male colleague stroked his chin and said, "Construction companies are definitely profitable. So, Director Chen's husband is also a big boss. No wonder the city's garment factory wanted to buy our goods and Director Chen refused. It turns out they don't lack this bit of money at all."
Hearing his words, everyone pondered it, and it indeed seemed to be the case!
No wonder Director Chen could remain so calm; it turned out she had confidence.
Zhou Haiming hadn't expected Gu Xingdong's arrival to have such an effect, which was more useful than him saying ten or a hundred words.
"Everyone, get back to work diligently. If anyone has wild thoughts and falls behind, my assessment notebook is ready to record them all."
After locking his car, Gu Xingdong, carrying a black briefcase, walked directly into the office building and went up to the second floor.
Chen Lishu was sitting in her office chair, thinking about the batch of goods, when she heard a knock on the door. Just as she was about to say "come in," she looked up and saw Gu Xingdong's figure appearing at the doorway. She asked curiously, "Why are you here? Is everything at home..."
Seeing him in a woolen coat and gray trousers with leather shoes, a rare formal attire for him, she knew it probably wasn't related to family matters.
"Did you go to meet a client?"
Gu Xingdong strode forward, reaching the desk in a few steps. He then placed the briefcase on the table and said with a smile, "I didn't come to meet a client, but a very important big client."
Chen Lishu was confused. "What are you talking about? I don't understand at all."
Gu Xingdong didn't answer but raised his hand to open the briefcase.
Chen Lishu looked down and saw stacks of money neatly arranged in the briefcase. A rough glance suggested there was easily over a hundred thousand, perhaps two.
"The factory has had such a big problem, and you didn't even tell your husband."
Chen Lishu rubbed her nose. "Although it's a bit tricky, it's not an unsolvable problem, so I didn't say anything."
"You, you," Gu Xingdong shook his head helplessly. "It's been reported, and everyone outside is buzzing about it. Even if others don't mention it, your factory has nearly two hundred employees. If their morale becomes unstable, words alone won't be very convincing."
Hearing his words, Chen Lishu felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. "So you've come so conspicuously to bring me money?"
"Husband and wife are one. It's not shameful to use your husband's money," Gu Xingdong said, then added, "Please, Ms. Chen, grant me the honor and give me a chance to perform."
Chen Lishu was immediately amused by his playful expression.
"Childish. Your son is more mature than you."
"That brat isn't as understanding as I am."
Chen Lishu took the briefcase. "I'll accept the money for now. It will go into the company account, and I'll transfer it back when we receive payments later."
Gu Xingdong found a stool and sat down. "Whatever you arrange."
Not long after, Xu An'an brought a teapot to pour water.
After she left, Gu Xingdong raised an eyebrow and teased, "Director Chen, you're quite something. I haven't been here for a while, and you've already got a secretary?"
"I have many clients coming and going, so arranging a secretary to receive clients is convenient. She also handles general office tasks and cleanliness."
Gu Xingdong nodded. "That's a good idea. When we start working next year, I'll have Lao Si hire one too."
The couple chatted for a while longer. Knowing Chen Lishu likely had a lot of work to do, Gu Xingdong went home first.
He had rare free time, and Chen Lishu was busy, so he decided to spend more time with the children. In his view, neither partner was obligated to do anything; it was their shared home, and it naturally required both of them to manage it together.