OBS Chapter 1318 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
Chapter 1318 Killing the chicken to scare the monkey
As Yang Xun left Qin Hao's office, he felt as if a hard stone was lodged in his chest.
"Disappointment," "lack of vision," "unsuitable for this position"—every word pierced his heart like needles. Yang Xun, a veteran of Haoran International, had fought alongside Qin Hao since its inception, building the Shanghai branch to its current size. Was he really being forced to lower his status simply because of his lower education level, being pushed aside by a new college graduate? Demoted to manage Southeast Asia? That wretched place had low order volume and low prices; it was clearly an exile!
He felt increasingly frustrated as he walked heavily through the office area.
When the employees in the corridor saw him, they all stopped and respectfully called him "General Manager Yang," but he only felt that their gazes were full of mockery.
Just as he stood at the door of his office, his assistant Wang Xin appeared out of nowhere, a cautious smile on his face: "Mr. Yang, are you free tonight?"
Yang Xun was already annoyed, and his pent-up anger was rising: "Speak your mind, or shut up!"
Wang Xin's smile froze for a moment, but he still rubbed his hands together, lowered his voice and leaned closer, saying, "Um... Director Liu from Ningbo, he's here again. This is the fifth time. He's just... just hoping to have a meal with you and have a chat in person."
"I won't see you!" Yang Xun's voice suddenly rose as if he had been set on fire, filled with anger: "How many times have I told you? Are you all deaf? Our company does international trade, and we follow European and American standards! Quality! There's no room for sentimentality when it comes to quality! Don't you remember what kind of garbage those connectors from their factory were two years ago? You could use the wire ends as fishhooks! Now you're in a hurry? Where were you before? From now on, don't you dare bring up this kind of bullshit to me! It's annoying!"
After Yang Xun vented his anger, the office doorway became eerily quiet.
Wang Xin was so frightened that he dared not breathe, his face turning red and white in turns. He stammered, "President Yang, please calm down. I'll go and tell him right away, and make him give up. He won't bother you again."
After saying that, he turned and tried to slip away.
"Wait!" Yang Xun suddenly called out to him.
Wang Xin froze in place, turning around in astonishment.
“You’ve come so many times, it’s not easy.” Yang Xun paused. “Tell him tonight at the Honglu Restaurant on Huanghe Road.”
Wang Xin was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with surprise and joy, and he almost jumped up: "Okay, Mr. Yang! Don't worry! I'll arrange it right away, I guarantee it will be done perfectly! I'll go and inform Director Liu right away!"
Wang Xin practically ran away. Yang Xun had a burning desire to vent.
As night falls, Huanghe Road is ablaze with lights. Neon signs vie for attention, illuminating the road with a kaleidoscope of colors. Well-dressed men and women stroll among the crowds, the air thick with the smells of grease, alcohol, and money. A brand-new black Crown sedan silently glides to a stop in front of the grand entrance of the Honglu Restaurant.
The doorman swiftly opened the car door, and the manager jogged out to greet him, his face beaming with enthusiasm: "Oh! Mr. Yang! It's been a while since you've come to patronize us! Please come in, please come in! We've even reserved a private room for you!"
Yang Xun's face was expressionless, he simply nodded slightly, and under the manager's guidance, he stepped into the magnificent lobby of Honglu and headed towards the "Peony Hall" on the second floor.
Pushing open the heavy door to the private room, the aroma of warmth and food wafted out. A lean, middle-aged man in a navy blue suit quickly sprang to his feet from the head of the table, his face beaming with an almost exaggeratedly enthusiastic smile, speaking with a thick Ningbo accent: "Oh! Mr. Yang! I've been waiting for you like the stars and the moon! It's such a great honor for me to have you here!"
Wang Xin quickly chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Yang, Factory Director Liu has really made up his mind this time. He was waiting in the city early this morning, saying that he wanted to express his respect and sincerity for cooperation to you in person no matter what."
After the guests and host were seated, Factory Director Liu personally poured Yang Xun a full glass of Wuliangye liquor, and then poured himself a full glass as well: "Mr. Yang, let me toast you first! Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to give me this opportunity! I'll drink this, please feel free to drink as you like!"
With that, he tilted his head back and downed a glass of baijiu without changing his expression.
Fine dishes and wines were served in a continuous stream. Director Liu and Wang Xin, like his henchmen, showered Yang Xun with flattery as if it were free. Phrases like "young and promising" and "Shanghai's number one foreign trade figure" left Yang Xun completely bewildered.
After a few glasses of strong liquor, coupled with the pent-up frustration and disappointment in his heart, Yang Xun felt lightheaded and his face flushed.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere in the private room was lively. Director Liu noticed that Yang Xun's face was flushed and his eyes were slightly unfocused, and felt that the time was right.
He put down his wine glass and tentatively said, "Mr. Yang, there's something on my mind that's been weighing heavily on my mind, and I just wanted to report it to you."
After saying that, he put on a sincere and even somewhat pained expression: "In the past, it was our factory's poor management, low level of ideological awareness, and subpar product quality that caused you and Haoran International a lot of trouble that time. I still feel ashamed when I think about it now!"
"But for the past year or so, we have truly endured hardship and tightened our belts to make improvements! We have trained our workers, introduced new equipment, and made quality management our top priority! I dare not say that we are the best now, but I, Liu, can assure you with my hand on my chest that the quality of our products is absolutely no worse than that of those large state-owned factories in Shanghai!"
"General Manager Yang... look, considering our willingness to admit our mistakes and our strong determination to correct them, could you... give our factory another chance to make amends? All 583 workers in our factory, their families depend on this job, and they're all desperately hoping you can lend a hand and give them a way to survive! On their behalf, I express my deepest gratitude for your great kindness..."
As he spoke, he stood up and was about to bow.
"Hehehe..." Yang Xun swirled his wine glass, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the sloshing liquid inside. "Old Liu, you know... isn't this like bringing a pig's head to the wrong temple?"
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, tilted his head back, and downed the drink in one gulp. The spicy liquid burned his throat. "Opportunity? Right now... I'm barely scraping by myself! How could I possibly have the authority to give you orders?"
The smile on Director Liu's face froze completely, and he looked at Wang Xin beside him in disbelief.
Wang Xin's embarrassment was almost palpable, and he quickly tried to smooth things over: "President Yang, look at what you're saying, you're too modest! Everyone knows that the power to allocate foreign trade orders in the entire Shanghai branch rests entirely in your hands! You decide who gets to eat their fill, and they'll be rolling in it; if you don't give your approval, everyone else can only watch enviously from the sidelines!"
This blatant flattery acted like a fuse, completely igniting the resentment that Yang Xun had been suppressing all day.
"You had the final say?... Hahahaha! That was before! Before! Do you understand?!"
"Now? The Shanghai branch... damn it's changed! It changed today!"
He slammed his hand on the table, making the cups and plates clatter: "See that? That conference room today! It was packed with people! All of them were college graduates! They were all dressed smartly and spoke better than foreigners! They were spouting English, German, and Spanish! And me?"
Yang Xun pointed to his nose, his expression contorted with anger and resentment: "Me? I didn't even finish junior high! In their eyes, I'm just a country bumpkin who climbed up the ladder by luck! From now on, Haoran International will be the domain of those college graduates! What do they know about business?! But they have more education! Their academic credentials are stronger! What say can a junior high graduate like me have? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
"What fellow villagers... what veterans... once the birds are gone, the bow is put away... once the rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked... the company went public, they've made it big, and now they look down on us country bumpkins..."
These words were like a bucket of ice water, turning Factory Director Liu's face ashen. He had gone to great lengths to hire "General Manager Yang," who held the power of life and death over orders, and now he was being told that this man had been stripped of power and marginalized?
He instinctively looked to his assistant, Wang Xin, for help, his eyes full of accusation: What the hell is going on? So I treated him to this meal for nothing?
Wang Xin was also dumbfounded. He didn't expect Yang Xun to be so drunk, and he certainly didn't expect him to expose such a sensitive, even shameful, matter within the company to outsiders.
He quickly nudged Yang Xun, who was slumped in his chair, and said urgently in a low voice, "President Yang! President Yang! You've had too much to drink! Calm down! It's not that bad! President Lei isn't the kind of person who would kill someone after they've finished their business! After all, he's the one who promoted you, there's a lot of goodwill between us!"
"Furthermore, Mr. Yang, to be frank, when it comes to business, those college students aren't even worthy of shining your shoes! Haoran International has grown from nothing to its current size as a listed company. Just take Shanghai, for example. This entire operation is huge. Isn't it all thanks to you working day and night to manage production capacity, coordinate factories, and keep up with order deadlines? Without you as the pillar supporting us, could the factories have delivered on time? Could the orders have been fulfilled? A large part of the credit for those impressive figures in the company's listing report belongs to you!"
Yang Xun would normally be able to tell the difference from this almost nauseating flattery, but now he just enjoyed hearing it.
"That's right! Old Wang! You're absolutely right!" Yang Xun slammed his hand on the table again, making his wine glass jump. "I may not have that lousy diploma, but I have the ability, the connections, and the resources..."
"If they don't want me here, there are plenty of other places that will! If they don't like me, I'm not going to serve them!"
"I quit! I resign! I'll leave Haoran International and still make a fortune! A huge fortune! I'll show everyone that even without that diploma, I can still make a name for myself! I'll do even better than those college graduates!"
Factory Director Liu was completely dumbfounded, staring at the out-of-control Yang Xun as if he were a madman.
Wang Xin looked like he was constipated and in pain. Was this meal going to turn into a farewell dinner?
……
The hangover headache pounded at Yang Xun's temples like countless tiny hammers. He woke up in the soft bed of a five-star hotel, the sunlight outside the window blinding him and making him dizzy.
Once the thought of "resigning" was opened like Pandora's box, it could never be closed again.
He wants to prove it! Prove that academic qualifications are worthless, and ability is king! What's wrong with a junior high school graduate? A junior high school graduate can still be a big boss!
Yang Xun sat blankly in his hotel suite for over an hour, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He took a cold shower, changed into a sharp suit, and then drove straight to Haoran International's Shanghai branch.
At 3 p.m., Yang Xun knocked on the door of the president's office, where Qin Hao was looking at documents.
Yang Xun didn't speak, but took an envelope from his briefcase, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Qin Hao. The envelope had three words written on it: Resignation Letter.
Qin Hao raised his head, his eyes calm, showing no surprise. He picked up the envelope, opened it, pulled out the letter inside, glanced at the contents, and then his gaze returned to Yang Xun's tightly pursed lips.
"Have you thought it through?" Qin Hao's voice was calm.
Yang Xun stiffened his neck and nodded vigorously: "Yes!"
Qin Hao put the letter back in the envelope, opened the drawer, and put it inside.
"Okay. You're an adult now and can take responsibility for your actions. Go to HR and complete your resignation procedures."
Qin Hao paused for a moment, then added, "I'll have the finance department pay you an extra six months' salary later. Also, the company will repurchase the 1% of company stock options you received before the IPO, based on the closing price of the company's stock on the day you submitted your resignation. The corresponding cash, after deducting taxes, will be paid to you as soon as possible."
Qin Hao believed he had already given Yang Xun enough face.
"Thank you, Mr. Qin." Yang Xun's throat was a little dry. He finished speaking in a low voice, then turned and left the office.
The news of Yang Xun's resignation was like a powerful depth charge, instantly detonating in the small space of the Shanghai branch, causing a shock far beyond imagination.
"Old Yang is gone? He really resigned?"
"They've even won over General Manager Yang, are they getting serious now?"
Shock, disbelief, and a sense of shared sorrow quickly spread among the employees.
Those long-time employees who followed Yang Xun around and were used to "favors" and "socializing" were especially insecure.
Even a veteran like Yang Xun, with a strong background and great achievements, was "dealt with" by Qin Hao without hesitation. What are these small fry compared to him?
The previous thoughts of outwardly complying with reforms while secretly undermining new college graduates, and harboring wishful thinking about strict quality standards, vanished in an instant.
They all tucked their tails between their legs, cooperating and behaving more obediently than ever before, for fear of becoming the next victim to be "killed" as a warning to the monkeys.
As Qin Hao had predicted, his decisive handling of Yang Xun acted as a powerful catalyst, thoroughly implementing his reformist will.
The group of highly qualified college graduates recruited from among the best of the best, after a few weeks of initial turmoil due to a lack of practical experience and difficulty adapting to the complex network of interpersonal relationships, quickly stabilized under Qin Hao's personal supervision and guidance. Three months later, the reform results of the Shanghai branch were clearly visible.
The most fundamental change is the refined distribution of orders.
Previously, all foreign trade orders were handled indiscriminately, regardless of region or difficulty, leading to severe resource misallocation and inefficiency.
For example, orders from Southeast Asia typically have much lower technical requirements than those from the European and American markets. However, in order to fulfill all orders, factories often have to set up their production lines according to the highest European and American standards.
As a result, even for a Southeast Asian order with low requirements, high-specification production lines have to be shut down, readjusted, and inspected, which is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive, making it difficult to reduce production costs.
Everything is completely different now. All export orders from the Shanghai branch are now strictly segmented according to target markets (North America, Europe, Southeast Asia/developing countries). All partner factories are comprehensively scored based on their technological level, production scale, R&D investment, and stable supply capabilities, forming a clear tiered system.
High-scoring, high-quality factories consistently take on high-profit, high-requirement orders from North America and Europe; while low-scoring factories focus on orders from Southeast Asia, Africa, and other markets that are price-sensitive and have relatively low technological barriers.
Crucially, this rating is dynamic. Haoran International reassesses these partner factories every year.
Factories that are ambitious and willing to improve will naturally be eligible to advance and access more profitable and challenging orders from Europe and the United States, as long as their ratings improve. Conversely, those that are complacent and stagnant will only be eliminated or limited to low-end orders.
This mechanism greatly boosted the enthusiasm of factories and led to a sharp increase in production efficiency and cost control. The effectiveness of supply chain integration began to emerge.
Meanwhile, Yang Xun did not remain idle after resigning.
According to Qin Hao's promise, the 1% stock option was worth over HKD 4000 million based on the closing price on the day he resigned. After deducting various taxes and fees, the actual amount he received, converted into RMB, would be nearly RMB 1500 million.
This money gave Yang Xun a lot of confidence, but he did not start a business immediately. Returning home in glory is like wearing fine clothes in the dark. With 1500 million yuan in hand, Yang Xun felt that he deserved to "return home in glory".
So Yang Xun didn't hold back at all, and with a wave of his hand, he spent 40 yuan to buy an Audi 100, and then stuffed the car full of gifts.
"Go home!" (End of Chapter)