The Bigshot Married Himself to the Heiress-Chapter 498 - 499: Rebuke

"Also, for the original workers of Frederick Pharmaceutical Factory, if any of them are willing to stay, after an assessment, if there are no issues, continue to employ them. Their salaries will be based on the salary standards of the employees at Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory..."

Willard Harris replied, "Yes, President Johnson. I had the same idea. Hiring those experienced workers would significantly lower labor costs compared to training new ones."

Although Frederick Pharmaceutical Factory is not as large as Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory, it is still considered sizable among domestic pharmaceutical factories, with many veteran workers who have worked for over a decade.

Pharmaceutical factory workers, unlike those in other industries, have higher requirements, so experienced workers are most suitable. They can start working without training, saving considerable labor costs.

"Well, I trust your abilities; just do it as you see fit. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me."

"Yes, President Johnson."

Whether it was Kenneth Brown or Willard Harris, since Sienna Johnson hired them, she trusted them, giving them ample room to showcase their abilities. She very rarely intervened in the daily management of the pharmaceutical factory.

"I am going to accompany my husband to Abyanabad soon, so I might not be able to attend to many things. You’ll have to make your own decisions. If you really cannot decide, you can go to Secretary Scarlet," Sienna Johnson explained.

Willard Harris respectfully said, "President Johnson, you don’t have to worry about the factory. You haven’t had a vacation in a long time, so please relax and enjoy it. I find that people work better when they are well-rested."

Willard Harris had recently taken his annual leave and traveled with his wife. If it hadn’t been for his wife’s severe pregnancy reactions, he wouldn’t have been able to return to work so soon.

"...Yes, it’s been almost four years since I took any annual leave..."

Sienna Johnson thought about her miserable life in the past few years and realized that she wasn’t even living as well as her ordinary employees.

"Then, President Johnson, you should enjoy your time off," Willard Harris smiled.

"Mm," Sienna Johnson acknowledged.

Since Sienna Johnson rarely visited, Willard Harris took the opportunity to work with her on the piled-up paperwork and factory matters that he couldn’t handle himself.

Both of them were workaholics and easily disregarded everything else whenever they got busy.

By the time they finished handling everything, it was already dark outside.

"...The Research and Development Department must be taken seriously. A pharmaceutical factory without new drug development is an enterprise without vitality. How can it stand out among its peers?"

Sienna Johnson was most dissatisfied with the "incompetence" of the Research and Development Department and spoke critically when discussing its issues.

Willard Harris said, "The lack of new drugs from the Research and Development Department is indeed a matter of concern. I have held several meetings specifically to discuss this matter. We plan to recruit more people..."

Sienna Johnson looked at Willard Harris discontentedly. "Manager Harris, is this a matter of too few or too many people?! There are currently sixteen people in the Research and Development Department; previously there were twenty. Are we failing to get results just because we’re down four people?"

"President Johnson, I understand what you mean!"

Sienna Johnson grew displeased. "Let me reiterate: whether it’s Eastminster Group, Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory, or its subsidiaries, we are a business, a profit-making institution. Whoever wants to slack off in here can get the hell out! You should crack down on those in the Research and Development Department. If they are incompetent in their roles, Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory will not harbor idlers!"

"Yes, President Johnson!"

Sienna Johnson rarely lost her temper, but when someone like her did, she was all the more capable of commanding the situation.

"How is the work of that Russell Austin I introduced?" Russell Austin was in Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory’s Research and Development Department.

Willard Harris replied, "Russell Austin works well with Reggie Dewey, and they have a strong partnership. I reviewed Reggie Dewey’s research progress last week, and he’s made achievements. I believe the new medication will be developed very soon."

"That’s good," Sienna Johnson said.

"President Johnson, who is Russell Austin to you?" Willard Harris asked tentatively.

"He’s just an employee of mine."

"Understood," Willard Harris replied.

"Go and check if Russell Austin is still here. If he is, call him over; I have something to tell him." It was already past working hours, so Sienna Johnson couldn’t be sure if Russell Austin was still at the company.

She had promised Russell Austin and the others that she would avenge them. However, she had been too busy dealing with Sabrina Johnson recently and simply lacked the bandwidth. Now, as she had promised her husband, Adrian Desmond, to accompany him on a trip to Abyanabad for their belated honeymoon, she likely wouldn’t have the energy to deal with Yvette Harris either. She wondered if they would think she hadn’t kept her word.

"He must still be here," Willard Harris said confidently. Seeing Sienna Johnson’s puzzled expression, he explained, "Russell Austin and Reggie Dewey are both very hardworking. They work overtime until after nine every night."

"Call him over; I have something to tell him."

"Yes, President Johnson."

Sienna Johnson looked at Willard Harris. "You should also go home early and accompany your wife."

"I understand, President Johnson."

Willard Harris gathered his belongings and left. On the way out, he visited the Research and Development Department, and as expected, Russell Austin was still there.

He was wearing a white lab coat, his expression serious and focused as he meticulously observed a bacteria culture medium under a high-powered microscope. Reggie Dewey was present too, but everyone else had left work early. Watching this, Willard Harris grew increasingly unsatisfied with certain employees in the Research and Development Department.

Reflecting on Sienna Johnson’s words earlier, Willard Harris realized that the problem in the Research and Development Department wasn’t a lack of personnel, but that people had lost their drive and grown lazy. It seemed he needed to discuss re-establishing assessment standards with the Human Resources Department. If the Research and Development personnel continued to slack off, he would have to consider firing them.

Sienna Johnson was right. Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory wasn’t a charity, much less a retirement home. They were an enterprise, a profit-oriented one, not a welfare institution for the elderly.

"Manager Harris." Neve Harris, who was studying nearby, was the first to notice Willard Harris’s presence. She stood up, smiled, and greeted him.

"Manager Harris, what brings you here?" Neve Harris asked.

"Little Neve, accompanying your boyfriend while he works overtime again?" Willard Harris asked kindly.

Neve Harris smiled shyly and nodded gently.

Willard Harris knew the young lady in front of him; she was Russell Austin’s girlfriend and visited the Research and Development Department every day after work to spend time with Russell Austin as he worked overtime.

Russell Austin and Reggie Dewey also saw Willard Harris. They both put down their work and greeted, "Manager Harris!"

"You two are working overtime again?"

Willard Harris looked at them approvingly, thinking that if everyone in the Research and Development Department were like these two, how could they possibly fail to produce results?

"Our research is at a critical stage, so we want to work more overtime and quickly produce results; otherwise, President Johnson will get anxious..." Reggie Dewey explained.

"You should also understand President Johnson’s concerns. When the Research and Development Department doesn’t produce results, we all get worried, not just President Johnson."