Chapter 061: Balancing Grace and Authority, Order Shapes the World

"Of course it's reasonable!" Zhang Tianfeng asked, "How many days did you work this month?"

"Five days!" The blond-haired man didn't dare to lie.

"I'll count it as eight days for you. Twenty per day, that's a total of one hundred sixty. Here, take it."

The money was handed over, and the blond-haired man was stunned.

Was it... really given? Was it this easy?

He glanced at Zhang Tianfeng, cautiously reached out, and finally grasped the money.

The familiar scent of banknotes wafted into his nostrils... It was real, no tricks!

Hahaha, what a fool! The wages for male workers in the toy factory are only fifteen a day; I’ve made a killing!

"Anyone else want to resign? Wages will be calculated at twenty per day!" Zhang Tianfeng continued.

"I—I want to resign!"

"I want to resign too."

As soon as the words were spoken, more than a dozen people stepped forward.

Zhang Tianfeng didn't hesitate; he settled everyone's wages at twenty per day for eight days, filming the entire process.

"Are we all done?" He looked around and nodded. "If so, those of you who are resigning, you may leave first."

"Why the hurry? We haven’t packed up yet."

He was rushing them out just as they resigned—clearly suspicious. Drag it out for a while!

The blond-haired man and the others slowly moved aside to pack their things, their eyes occasionally glancing back.

Zhang Tianfeng sneered coldly, "If you’re not gone now, you won’t be able to leave later, believe it or not?"

"Tch, what—are you going to illegally detain us?" The blond-haired man scoffed, continuing to pack at a snail’s pace.

Zhang Tianfeng said nothing more, instead turning to the remaining workers:

"I'm glad you all stayed. This is a sign of trust—a trust in me, your young factory director, your rookie who’s not afraid of tigers."

"I’m a man who repays kindness and revenge swiftly. I never let a grudge sleep; a drop of kindness I repay with a flood."

"So now, I've decided to implement the benefits Wang Qi promised you yesterday—meal allowances, transportation subsidies, agricultural season bonuses, and so on."

At these words, the crowd erupted in excitement, and the blond-haired man and his companions were dumbstruck.

Brother, why didn’t you say this earlier!

Wang Qi had proposed several welfare benefits—if all were granted, each worker could earn another hundred a month.

Once these benefits were in place, Blue Cube Toy Factory would instantly become not just the best in Tangwan Town, but among the best factories in the entire coastal region.

Where else could you find such a good job?

"Boss, we don’t want to resign anymore," said one of the braver male employees.

No sooner had he spoken than several others lined up behind him, and even the blond-haired man unconsciously edged closer.

"Do you think this is a vegetable market, coming and going as you please?" Zhang Tianfeng’s face darkened. "You’re no longer employees here—get out!"

"Watch your mouth, youngster!" The blond-haired man stepped forward, pointing his finger at Zhang Tianfeng. "Think carefully—you're just an outsider. If you want to do business here and offend the locals, you'll regret it."

"You only know a handful of local phrases—stop pretending to be one of them. Fix your accent first," Zhang Tianfeng retorted with a mocking smile. "If I’m truly rude to you, what could you do? Hit me? Go ahead, try!"

The blond-haired man had never heard such provocation before; his temper flared, and he started rolling up his sleeves to fight.

But Zhang Tianfeng continued, "If you want to lay a hand on me, first ask if they’ll allow it!"

Over a hundred people stepped forward in unison, their combined momentum bearing down like a wave. The blond-haired man paled, his knees trembling.

"What... What are you all doing?" he whined. "I was just feeling hot, rolling up my sleeves, not doing anything!"

"Blondie, get lost! If you harm the boss, I'll make sure you have nowhere to go!"

"Right! Anyone who opposes the boss is our enemy. Think carefully whether you can take us all!"

"Get out, you useless scoundrel!"

Amidst the jeers, the group, full of regret, shuffled toward the exit.

Just as they stepped out of the factory, the screech of brakes sounded—a police car blocked the entrance.

A group of officers got out and promptly clamped handcuffs on the blond-haired man and several others, causing a commotion.

"What are you doing? I’m a good person! Why are you arresting me?"

"A good person? If you’re a good person, I’ll write my name backwards!" retorted Lu Dingqian. "We received a report from Boss Zhang: last night, you six broke into Blue Cube Toy Factory and stole materials. We have solid evidence—you're under arrest."

At that time, thefts were common in factories, and no matter what measures were taken, they couldn’t be prevented.

Zhang Tianfeng had anticipated this. After dismissing the workers yesterday, he immediately arranged for surveillance cameras to be installed in every corner of the factory.

This morning, after the management went out to persuade the workers to return, Zhang Tianfeng submitted the evidence to the police station. Lu Dingqian’s officers waited outside, ready to catch the blond-haired man and his group red-handed as they left.

"I’m innocent, I’m innocent!" The blond-haired man struggled and screamed.

Zhang Tianfeng walked over with a smile. "I told you, if you don’t leave now, you won’t have another chance."

"Did you really think I, Zhang Tianfeng, am a pushover, to be squeezed at will?"

"Boss Zhang, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!" The blond-haired man sobbed, pleading, "Let me go! Please, I beg you! I have an eighty-year-old mother and a newborn child, I—"

"What does that have to do with me? I’d rather you rot in prison forever!"

"You crossed me—now you have to pay the price!"

For the first time, all the workers felt Zhang Tianfeng’s ruthlessness; every step carefully calculated, leaving them nowhere to escape.

Such a boss was terrifying!

"Director Lu, thank you."

"You submitted evidence, I made the arrest—it’s only right. No need to thank me."

"No, no, I’ve troubled you with too many things lately. I feel a bit guilty, so I’ve decided to donate another hundred thousand in police equipment to Tangwan Town Police Station."

"That’s fantastic! We can finally upgrade our gear. Thanks, brother!"

Even his address had changed...

After exchanging farewells, Lu Dingqian dragged the blond-haired man, limp as a dead dog, into the car and drove away.

Zhang Tianfeng turned back to the workers. "Go back, everyone. Let’s continue our discussion."

Returning to the square behind, Zhang Tianfeng picked up a megaphone, cleared his throat, and spoke: "I’ve told you about the welfare measures—they’ll be in effect starting today."

"Meanwhile, the finance department will calculate this month’s wages within the next half day and distribute them to everyone."

"This is because new contracts need to be signed—your old contracts were with Zhou Yuanchong, but now I’m the head of the toy factory, so the contracts must be updated. This will also make future welfare calculations easier."

"One more announcement: the factory will suspend operations for the next week."

"Don’t worry, let me explain why."

"I need to upgrade the factory’s fire safety facilities and reorganize the materials and other aspects."

"For this week, you don’t need to come to work, but you’ll still receive your wages—what’s known as paid leave."

With this reassurance, the workers gradually calmed down.

Zhang Tianfeng continued, "With these generous benefits, you must also accept stricter safety management."

"Every corner of the factory is now under surveillance. If anyone is caught stealing, their fate will be the same as Blondie and his friends."

"In future work, you’ll follow stricter production procedures. Don’t worry; there will be dedicated staff to train you."

"There are many more rules, which you’ll learn on your first day back."

"If anyone can’t accept this, you may leave after your wages are settled. I won’t stop you, nor will I pursue past offenses."

"Is that clear?"

Zhang Tianfeng looked around; no one spoke. He nodded, "Alright, meeting dismissed. Go to finance for your wages, then head home to rest."

"B—boss," came a timid voice.

He turned to see a small girl.

"Do you have something else?"

She replied, "I don’t want to take leave these days. Can I come to the factory to help?"

"Of course you can, but you won’t get extra pay."

"That’s alright. The boss is so generous; it’s worth working for free."

Zhang Tianfeng smiled and nodded, "Come, then; someone will give you work supplies."

"Thank you, boss. Thank you!"

With today's actions, Blue Cube—no, the old Dali Toy Factory—was now history.

Yesterday, after taking over the factory, Zhang Tianfeng immediately changed its name to 'Blue Cube Toy Factory.'

Blue Cube is a homophone for "Southern," and also refers to the blue magic cube.

He instantly made Blue Cube Toy Factory the enterprise with the best welfare in Tangwan Town. Even with stricter regulations, people would still come.

Workers in this era are simple; as long as they can earn money, they’ll do even the dirtiest and hardest jobs.

To guard against troublemakers, Zhang Tianfeng added many clauses to the new contracts—such as punishment for theft, deliberate damage to equipment, leaking factory secrets, and so on.

No rules, no order. If this ship is to sail farther, it needs strict regulations to keep it safe.