Chapter 341: You Make Sense

After asking a few pedestrians in the center of Yuping Town, Yang Chen drove to the entrance of Yuping Grand Hotel.

Although it was called a grand hotel, it was actually just a three-story corner restaurant with two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance. The crimson carpet was already filthy. Because it faced the farmer's market across the street, the air was filled with a strong fishy smell.

Lin Ruoxi felt nauseous as soon as she got out of the car. She frowned but didn't say anything, walking into the restaurant with Yang Chen.

Inside the hotel lobby, Wu Liangzhu, dressed in a gray suit, was already waiting at the staircase. Upon seeing Lin Ruoxi, he, like most people, paused for a moment before revealing a pleasing smile.

"President Lin, welcome. Unfortunately, our place is too small and we don't have any impressive restaurants around, so we can only invite President Lin to dine at this small place. Please, have a seat."

Wu Liangzhu didn't pay much attention to Yang Chen, who was following Lin Ruoxi, assuming he was her assistant. He smiled amiably at Yang Chen.

With scenes from outside the factory gate still fresh in her mind, Lin Ruoxi was in a bad mood and didn't find Wu Liangzhu appealing. She remained silent throughout the walk, following Wu Liangzhu to the largest private room on the second floor where four formally dressed men were already seated.

Wu Liangzhu introduced them one by one: Vice Factory Director Qian Hao, Union Chairman Wang Ze, Chief Accountant Meng Fan, and a young man named Xiao Liu who was Wu Liangzhu's assistant.

These men had rugged appearances, typical of locals. Lin Ruoxi wasn't particularly surprised and greeted them briefly. When introducing Yang Chen, she simply stated that he was her assistant and driver.

With a large table and only six people, there was plenty of space. Lin Ruoxi sat at the main seat, with Yang Chen and Wu Liangzhu beside her.

"Meng Accountant, have you sent over the accounts I asked for?" Lin Ruoxi sat down and immediately questioned Meng Fan.

Meng Fan was momentarily confused, seeming not to understand what was going on. "You mean the accounts for this year? Didn't I call you earlier? Are you saying you forgot?" Wu Liangzhu frowned at Meng Fan disapprovingly.

Slapping his forehead, Meng Fan apologized, "I'm sorry, President Lin. I was so excited about your visit that I rushed over immediately. Don't worry, I'll send them right after dinner!"

Lin Ruoxi frowned again but didn't press further.

"President Lin, while business is important, we still need to eat," Wu Liangzhu said as he retrieved two brand-new bottles of Maotai from the cabinet in the private room. They were probably brought from his own home since such high-quality liquor wouldn't be available at this restaurant.

Although Lin Ruoxi didn't like drinking, especially strong liquor like Maotai, she would still have a little to maintain face in front of these grassroots factory executives. Refusing outright would only invite gossip. So, Lin Ruoxi didn't stop Wu Liangzhu and allowed him to pour a full glass into her small glass.

Wu Liangzhu smiled again and asked Yang Chen, "Would Assistant Yang like a drink too?"

Yang Chen waved his hand and placed the glass of wine in front of Lin Ruoxi in front of himself, saying with a smile, "Let me drink on behalf of our General Lin. She has to handle the accounts tonight and deal with the factory issues. Besides, General Lin doesn't like drinking, right?"

Lin Ruoxi hadn't expected Yang Chen to be so considerate in blocking the wine for her, but she did have a lot on her mind that evening, so she nodded, "After we resolve the factory matters, there's still time to drink. Let's keep it simple tonight. Please explain the specific situation of the factory."

Wu Liangzhu awkwardly smiled, "Sure, we'll drink next time."

After everyone had their glasses of Maotai filled, they began to eat.

Seeing Lin Ruoxi barely eating, Wu Liangzhu stared at himself and reluctantly put down his chopsticks, saying, "General Lin, this matter really isn't entirely our fault. You know how tough it's been in the garment industry these past few years, especially for factories like ours."

"Although we have steady business throughout the year, many payments, especially final installments, often remain unpaid. Plus, in the past couple of years, General Lin, you've significantly expanded our workshop and added hundreds of new jobs. With more staff, we've had to build dormitories, cafeterias, and cover social security contributions. These expenses add up to quite a sum."

"We are a legitimate enterprise and must sign labor contracts with our employees. Once signed, we have to pay what's due, and we can't avoid that. Most of our employees are women, many from out of town, and contraceptive measures are not always strictly followed. Nearly every month, several start maternity leave."

"However, local authorities are hesitant to enforce strict regulations for fear of public backlash, which could tarnish the government's image if exposed online. Consequently, we've spent a lot of money supporting a large workforce, yet their productivity hasn't matched our investment. Coupled with unrecovered final payments, we've only managed to pay half-year salaries this year, and we're struggling to make ends meet."

"We also have substantial bank loans to repay, totaling millions, which isn't something we can simply conjure up. I wanted to negotiate with the workers, suggesting we compensate them next year upon returning to the city, but they insist they have no money to go home, leading to confrontations. They even vandalized my car. We're the real victims here..."

As Wu Liangzhu continued to lament, Yang Chen clinked glasses with Liu, Wu Liangzhu's assistant sitting beside him.

"Looks like your boss is having a tough time," Yang Chen smirked, enjoying the authentic Maotai, which he hadn't had much of since returning to China.

Liu, with a slightly darker complexion and a northern accent, replied, "Yeah, these bastards owe us just over twenty thousand. They're causing such a fuss; they want to celebrate the New Year, and we should too."

Yang Chen suppressed a smile and nodded, "You have a point."

Liu grinned and suddenly remembered something, asking, "Assistant Yang, how are you feeling now?"

"What do you mean?" Yang Chen smiled back.

"Are you feeling unwell at all?" Liu chuckled.

Yang Chen rubbed his temples, "I'm starting to feel a bit dizzy from this strong liquor. I might need a nap."

"If you're dizzy, just take a rest, Assistant Yang. No worries," Liu grinned, looking quite pleased with himself.

Meanwhile, Lin Ruoxi, listening to Wu Liangzhu's lengthy complaints, remained as cold as ice, her gaze freezing anyone who met it.

"Wu Liangzhu, it seems I don't even need to look at the accounts. Do you take me for a fool, or do you really think you're clever? Everything you've said are normal operating expenses for the factory. If final payments aren't collected, do you think they won't fear legal action and just continue to withhold? The factory's development was planned and budgeted excessively at the beginning of the year. Are you trying to tell me that all the funds I allocated to you have been spent on buying milk powder for the children of our female employees?" Lin Ruoxi sneered coldly.

Wu Liangzhu's face stiffened. Under Lin Ruoxi's mocking gaze, his words sounded feeble and pallid.

At this moment, Wu Liangzhu's expression suddenly brightened. He pointed towards Yang Chen beside Lin Ruoxi, "General Lin, look, Assistant Yang seems to be feeling unwell."

Lin Ruoxi paused and turned to look. To her surprise, Yang Chen was sprawled across the table, sound asleep and completely unresponsive.

"Yang Chen, what's wrong with you?" Lin Ruoxi reached out and nudged Yang Chen's arm, but there was no response from him. It was as if he had fallen into a state of unconsciousness rather than merely sleeping.

Instinctively, Lin Ruoxi felt something was very wrong. She turned back to Wu Liangzhu, only to see his expression had changed to a sly smirk, as if he was observing a prized possession, shamelessly sizing her up from head to toe.