Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 367: Insatiable Greed
Zhu Zirui negotiated tirelessly to get the price down to eleven hundred. Once he returned home with the groceries, he found Qin Kaize holding Su Yijia’s hand, ready to head out to the supply and marketing cooperative. Now that he had secured the house, they wouldn’t have to sit under the sun waiting.
"Boss, I’ve bought the house. It’s the first one you come to in this alley, right next to yours. But I’ll need to stay with you for the next two weeks; there’s a lot to fix, and I’ll go buy materials this afternoon," Zhu Zirui explained as he put the groceries in the kitchen.
Qin Kaize nodded, casually saying, "Let your sister-in-law call them later, and we’ll arrange to meet the workers the day after tomorrow." The sooner they resolved these matters, the sooner Jiajia could focus back on him.
In fact, everyone was eager about starting the factory. Su Yijia’s confirmation had brought daily inquiries from the islanders to Pang Jingling’s office. Pang Jingling was already stressed, and their urgency only heightened his anxiety. It wasn’t until he received Su Yijia’s call confirming everything that he finally relaxed.
The interview location was set in the cinema’s screening room. No movies were playing in the morning, and the space was large enough with plenty of seating. Each of the fifteen islands would recruit six people, though some were still reluctant and accompanied family members.
Qin Kaize sat in the front row, his eyes fixed proudly on Su Yijia, who faced the crowd. She was truly suited for the spotlight.
"Everyone, quiet down. I’ll first outline the available positions, personnel, and the various rules and arrangements," Zhu Zirui began. Instantly, the crowd of nearly two hundred hushed, as if afraid to disturb him.
"We need four positions at the factory: security, quality control, receiving, and manual laborers. For now, the manual laborers, quality control, and receiving staff will only work one shift from eight in the morning until noon, then two in the afternoon until five, totaling seven hours. The security will work three shifts, with eight-hour rotations and two guards per shift, watching over the warehouse. If anything goes missing, the security will bear full responsibility. Quality control will check and pack every handcrafted item. The receiving team must carefully inspect shells brought in from the islands, ensuring there’s no sand, stones, or damage. If there are issues at this stage, the losses will be deducted from your wages. Likewise, manual laborers must maintain a damage rate of less than five percent; exceeding that will result in a day’s pay being docked, and so on," Zhu Zirui explained, his tone serious as he scanned the audience.
This was a plan he had discussed with Su Yijia to ensure everyone took their roles seriously. Too much damage during receiving would increase costs, and poor quality would harm the factory’s reputation—a crucial aspect they could not afford to neglect.
However, the islanders reacted with agitation.
"How can this be fair? Our wages aren’t enough to cover deductions!"
"Exactly! We came to work, not to be free laborers!"
Zhu Zirui and Su Yijia remained silent, observing who among the crowd would protest the most.
Pang Jingling, noticing the growing unrest, quickly intervened. "Enough! Calm down! This isn’t targeting you; every factory has a reward and punishment system. This is just to encourage you to work diligently and not slack off."
Hearing this, the crowd quieted but soon voiced their discontent again. "We’ve only heard about penalties; what about rewards?"
"The factory isn’t even operational yet; who knows how sales will turn out? Promising bonuses now would be foolish. Besides, you’re the first batch of workers; you’ll at least earn three months’ wages more than those still on the island. What’s there to be dissatisfied about?" Zhu Zirui’s cold, authoritative voice echoed through the screening room.
Though the islanders understood they were fortunate to earn extra wages, some still felt discontent. Before they could speak up again, Zhu Zirui continued, "If anyone is still unhappy, you can leave now. Even if the factory’s products sell well in the future, you won’t be welcome back."
He didn’t expect them to be long-term thinkers or to think of the factory as a shared venture. But they couldn’t expect more benefits while refusing to follow any rules.
Once he finished speaking, those who still harbored discontent fell silent. Although some faces remained sour, they feared losing this opportunity to work, the closest they could get to living as townspeople with access to goods.
Seeing them settle down, Zhu Zirui lifted a black board from the table. The first row featured two small shells, while the second row displayed three.
"These are two types of items, with five sizes total. The prices for each size will be communicated later, and when your family has spare time, you can collect some to supplement your household income."
Zhu Zirui detailed other earning opportunities for the islanders. Excitement sparked in their eyes as they realized they could earn more. Initially, only one worker per family was allowed in the factory, but now there was another way to make money.
They typically spent little, as their home gardens provided enough for their families. What they lacked most were grains and other necessities. If they could earn extra and receive wages, their lives would improve significantly.
Suddenly, everyone who had been grumbling before wore smiles.
"Any questions? If not, let’s split into two groups: men on one side, women on the other, to confirm your upcoming positions."
At this, everyone except the first row stood up. Zhu Zirui frowned. "Didn’t we agree on eighty? Why are so many people standing?"
Those hoping to take advantage of the situation quickly sat back down, realizing the seriousness of the moment.
