Chapter Forty-Two: Scheming in the Shadows

Shen Guodong gazed at the sales figures before him—not particularly promising. Yet, in a sense, this provided him with certain advantages.

“Many companies nowadays prefer to purchase machine tools from abroad. The reason is simple: foreign technology is more advanced and the equipment produced is of higher quality. Domestic factories, on the other hand, often manufacture products that are prone to frequent issues, and each repair drains a considerable amount of funds. This is why enterprises are willing to pay premium prices for imported machinery.

Our factory's production line relies on outdated equipment bought from overseas. Besides consuming a lot of energy, the products it makes are hardly different from those produced here. The buyers aren’t looking for the latest models, either—they’re mostly purchasing machines that have already been eliminated elsewhere. In truth, what they import from far away is essentially no different from what our own factory produces now.”

With calm analysis, Shen Guodong surveyed the current situation. Targeting the customers’ pain points was key. Only by highlighting the unique selling points could he instill confidence in the product.

Without a doubt, Shen Guodong had grasped this. Now all that remained was to reach out to former potential clients and the factory’s products could be sold.

He summoned the sales department.

In a rather modest office, Shen Guodong held a fountain pen manufactured abroad—a prized possession among state-owned enterprise leaders. This particular pen was a gift from Director Xu.

“The factory has resumed production, so it’s time for the sales department to get back to work. We need to sell our products as quickly as possible. Does anyone have any good ideas?” Shen Guodong asked.

He now held two positions: head of the production workshop and responsible for sales. Since the machine tools they produced were large-scale, buyers usually sought them out directly. There was rarely any need for door-to-door sales, so the sales department was quite small.

Including Sister Zhou, there were only five people—three men and two women. If they managed to sell just one unit a year, they’d hardly need to do any actual work; the commission alone would equal a year’s salary. But truthfully, selling even one was no easy feat. Most old clients collected goods directly from the factory, bypassing the sales team. They had to develop new customers, which was extremely challenging.

Shen Guodong’s words left the group in silence. Seeing this, he sighed helplessly. “Let’s do this: contact the previous customers, and I’ll handle the negotiations. The commission will still be counted toward your performance.”

The group left without a word, except for the last woman—Wang Xiuzhi.

“Director Shen.” Wang Xiuzhi was plain in appearance but upright in character. She looked at Shen Guodong as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Sister Wang, is there something you need?” Shen Guodong asked, puzzled, unsure what she wanted.

“Guodong, there’s something I need to tell you. The others are all relatives of Hu Mingyuan and are very dissatisfied with the factory’s decisions. If you ask them to do something, they definitely won’t do it earnestly! And I’ve heard about your bet with Yuan Junfeng—they’re all rooting for you to lose so you’ll have to leave your position. I suspect Director Wang is behind it.”

Shen Guodong was stunned. No wonder they’d all been so indifferent and passive during the meeting. He sneered inwardly. These people were truly something—willing to forgo profits just to follow Hu Mingyuan. If that’s the case, he thought, then he could hardly be blamed.

“It doesn’t matter. I still have you and Sister Zhou to help me,” he said.

“If only Meiniang were here, she’d definitely be able to help you. But lately, she’s been taking leave every few days. I… I don’t have Meiniang’s skills. Sometimes I even feel I’m not suited for this job. If it weren’t for Meiniang, I would’ve switched careers long ago.”

Wang Xiuzhi was being honest. Zhou Meiniang was indeed a formidable salesperson; most sales in the past had been her doing.

“Has something happened with Sister Zhou lately?” Shen Guodong asked, puzzled. “Sister Wang, do you know? Earlier, Sister Zhou seemed very low-spirited, then took leave and left in a hurry.”

“Ah, what else could it be? Her husband, who refuses to pay his debts, spends his days drinking and gambling, and constantly beats and berates her. Recently, I heard Meiniang’s father fell ill and was hospitalized, and she’s scrambling to raise money. She cries every day, and has even confided in me a few times about wanting to die.”

Wang Xiuzhi sighed. “I’ve tried to counsel her many times, but we’re not together every day. If she suddenly can’t take it anymore, what will we do? Meiniang’s life is just too exhausting!”

Shen Guodong didn’t quite know what to say. These were conservative times. Social norms exerted a profound influence over people, much like Liu Yue’s situation—no matter how miserable things got, divorce was never considered. Divorce was seen as a disgrace; only those with supportive families might be allowed to return home, while others would never be accepted back, as doing so was thought to bring shame to the family name. Such beliefs were important factors in restricting people’s choices.

“Guodong, you’re close to Meiniang. If you have time, try to talk her through it. Divorce isn’t ideal, but it’s better than suffering like this. I really think there’s no need to care so much about social norms. Even in ancient times, there were cases of divorce, so it should be even less of a concern nowadays,” Wang Xiuzhi said.

Every era has its own prevailing attitudes, and these truly have a significant impact on people.

Shen Guodong nodded, but suddenly recalled the look in Zhou Meiniang’s eyes when she left.

“Sister Wang, I need to step out. Do you know where Sister Zhou usually goes when she’s upset?”

Wang Xiuzhi thought for a moment, then replied, “When Meiniang’s feeling down, she usually goes to Zijin Mountain behind the Fengtian Temple. Her father is at the First Hospital. If you check these places, you might find her.”

“Alright. I’ll go have a look. Please contact the previous clients and ask them to come by. I’ll handle the negotiations, and the performance will be credited to you,” Shen Guodong said quickly.

He received a share of the department’s total performance, so there was no need to compete with his subordinates for commissions.

With that, Shen Guodong hurried out the door.