Siheyuan: Taking over the steel mill

After listening to this, Su Chen put down his chopsticks and asked, "Why did you come to see me?"

He didn't know how famous he was now. Since taking over, although the Red Star Steel Mill had a great influence in the local area, many large and small companies around it were also paying attention to the operation of the company. In particular, during Su Chen's tenure, he not only revitalized the Red Star Steel Mill, but also put it on the path of earning foreign exchange.

Every day when workers get home from get off work, they share the latest news about their work. Such stories gradually become the topic of street talk and spread in every corner of the city. The Red Star Steel Rolling Mill has once again attracted everyone's attention. Others are extremely envious of the treatment of employees and stable orders here.

Moreover, the story about Suchen creating foreign exchange was widely spread. This seemed impossible to the entrepreneurs and their employees around him who were experiencing difficulties, so for them, the name "Suenen" had long been a household name.

If he had half of his talent, he would not have to face the current bankruptcy crisis. It is for this reason that Director Wu chose to seek help from Director Yang.

Since Su Chen had only taken over Red Star for a while and had not yet joined the circle established among business leaders in the city, arranging a meeting with Su Chen through this indirect channel was Director Wu's only option.

What Director Wu felt and thought after the meeting made him even more amazed that such a young man could actually revive the fate of a factory; it seems that age is not equal to experience, and this lesson deeply touched his view on the potential of young people.

Therefore, he did not hesitate to ask Su Chen for help. If he cared about face at this time, the other workers in the factory would starve to death.

"You are very famous among the factory managers in our area, especially because you successfully saved the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill."

After hearing what Director Wu said, Su Chen realized that he was already regarded as a very outstanding person in the eyes of other factory directors.

"Since you want me to help save your tractor factory, I would like to know the current situation of your factory." Su Chen then asked: "How many employees does your factory have now?"

"We now have a total of 305 workers and managers at the Changhong Tractor Factory." Director Wu answered slightly embarrassedly and rubbed his hands.

Su Chen frowned, thinking that the number of people in this factory was too small. A few hundred people was only considered a small factory.

"How is your business situation now?" he asked again. This question obviously hit the pain point in Director Wu's heart.

But if I don't tell the truth, it will be difficult for Su Chen to understand and thus I won't be able to get his help. "The current operating status of the factory has improved slightly, but due to the overall market situation, it is still barely maintaining its status, and it is almost unable to pay the employees' wages." Director Wu explained.

Seeing Director Wu's embarrassed look, Su Chen did not show contempt, but asked the question again, "Then what is the productivity of your factory?"

Director Wu replied: "Our business is mainly tractor repair, and we also manufacture some parts. In the past, it took half a year to a year to overhaul a tractor; now we can complete it within 40 to 45 days."

This efficiency improvement is indeed worthy of recognition. Obviously, the production of tractors is quite difficult - mainly due to insufficient staff: it is unrealistic to have only more than 300 people to complete the entire equipment assembly.

After understanding this information, Su Chen realized that the current tractor factory was indeed in trouble. "Since your factory still has more than 300 people, it means that the scale of the factory was even larger in the past, right?"

"Yes, we used to have a maximum of 3,000 employees. But recently business has decreased so much that we have had to lay off employees several times. Now we have reached the point where we can’t cut any more jobs," Director Wu said helplessly.

"Were you also specialized in making complete tractors at that time?"

"That's right! What was produced at that time were complete tractors. The current batch of employees are all veteran craftsmen with the most strength and skills. As long as they are there, and with the addition of new manpower, we will be able to restore the tractor production capacity." Director Wu rubbed his hands and said.

If it weren't for the real difficulties, Director Wu might not come to seek Su Chen's support. This shows the seriousness of his difficulties. Su Chen understood that this factory once had a glorious period but now faced a huge crisis.

It's not that there is no chance to save the tractor factory, but Su Chen plans to go to the site in person to conduct an inspection before making a decision. And the plan he envisioned to save the factory may not completely meet Director Wu's expectations.

At present, the development of the steel mill is not comprehensive enough, and Su Chen just hopes to further improve his technical capabilities. The matter of the tractor factory gave him a new idea. If he could buy the tractor factory, the value of the factory site alone would be enough for Su Chen to make a fortune. After all, a tractor factory that can accommodate more than 3,000 workers has a large area.

Based on the description of Director Wu, Su Chen judged that this state-owned tractor factory not only had a complete production line but also a professional technical team, and these resources could not be simply measured in money. If this state-owned tractor factory could be incorporated into the business map of the steel mill, it would be more convenient to produce and develop engines in the future.

Su Chen knew that even if the technical department got the design drawings, it would not be easy to directly put the engine into production under the current conditions. After all, engine production and steel rolling business are completely different fields, and even if technical personnel in related fields are recruited, it may not be possible to successfully achieve the goal. The tractor factory itself is a manufacturer with experience in manufacturing engines, but now it is facing operational difficulties and urgently needs external investment to take over.

He remembered that some tractor factories were transformed into aerospace enterprises later, but that was a matter for the future. At present, tractor factories are still mainly responsible for the production of agricultural machinery and its parts. Su Chen realized with a keen eye that this was a rare opportunity.

However, he did not respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Director Wu and said, "When can you take me to the tractor factory for an on-site inspection? I will make a decision after the inspection."

Such words undoubtedly gave Director Wu a shot of confidence, and his face immediately brightened up. "I have no problem, any time is fine. You are welcome to visit our factory." Director Wu answered almost immediately. Seeing that Suchen agreed to the visit, it seemed as if the tractor factory had hope of rebirth.

In his heart, Su Chen had already made up his mind. No matter from which angle he looked at it, the acquisition of the tractor factory was worth a try. Director Wu also put down the burden in his heart and stood up enthusiastically to invite him, "Since you have agreed to this, why not have a few drinks to celebrate?"

Su Chen thought about it and thought that the matter had been finalized, so it would be okay to have another drink, so he nodded in agreement: "Okay, but you don't need to order anything too high-end, just a few bottles will do."

So Director Wu quickly called the waiter to serve a few bottles of wine. Yang Xue sat quietly beside Su Chen, confused about the specific content of the conversation. But she was deeply fascinated by the business talks she saw with Su Chen, who was different from his usual work. She never thought that he would be so confident and calm when dealing with these complex business issues.

He did not take this opportunity to ridicule or suppress the director of the tractor factory, but instead acted quite cautiously. This is what made Yang Xue appreciate Su Chen the most.

Soon, several bottles of wine were brought up. Su Chen and Director Wu each filled a glass, while Director Yang and Yang Xue only filled half a glass each. They were also responsible for cleaning up the site, so they didn't dare to drink too much.

Fortunately, there are no drunk driving checkpoints on the road, and everyone's alcohol content is not high. After drinking, several people are just a little tipsy. Su Chen's alcohol tolerance is indeed good. He drank a few glasses without changing his face. In contrast, Yang Xue seemed a little drunk, but she was not really drunk. She was not drunk by the wine, but by the atmosphere around Su Chen.

Yang Xue propped her chin up with her hand, looking at Su Chen beside her with eyes full of fascination. She had only drunk two cups, but she seemed to be immersed in this atmosphere.

Su Chen looked very handsome when he was concentrating on thinking, which made Yang Xue fascinated. For women, nothing is more attractive than a man who is concentrating on something. In Yang Xue's mind, such a young, promising and virtuous man is exactly her ideal type. At this moment, Yang Xue had to admit that Su Chen's unique charm completely attracted her. She had never met a man as unique as Su Chen.

When she was studying abroad in **, people around her often discussed topics such as politics and economics, but in her opinion, these people just wanted to show off in front of her, showing off their knowledge and talents, and showing how outstanding they were in a language that she could hardly understand.

Su Chen was not such a person. Whenever he explained something to her, he would try his best to use words that Yang Xue could understand, without any condescending intention.

Yang Xue didn't like those men who boasted and were always cold to them. But Su Chen was completely different from those men who showed off their knowledge around her. He didn't try to please her or flatter her, but it was his sincerity that made her feel comfortable. Su Chen was dedicated to his work and successful in his career, and this trait made him more charming in her eyes.

Today's negotiations were almost ignored. Yang Xue's mind was filled with the thought that perhaps this would be a good way to help the tractor factory out of its predicament and thus improve the Suchen Steel Rolling Mill.

Under the influence of alcohol, these thoughts were just vague feelings, and she herself could not clearly explain them. However, under the influence of alcohol, when she looked at Su Chen, it was as if she was seeing a beautiful image.

During this period, Su Chen had no idea how much Yang Xue had thought about during his lively conversation with Director Wu. Director Wu did not intend to get Su Chen drunk. After solving the major hidden danger in his mind, he just felt much more relaxed. Director Yang was also very happy. He was also one of the directors of a state-owned factory that was on the verge of closing.