"Of course we can," Xie Changning replied confidently, focusing on tidying her desk.

With Xie Changning’s assurance, Wang Guofu finally felt at ease. He had been genuinely worried they wouldn’t be able to recruit enough workers for the factory, which would affect their production volume.

Xie Changning knew why Wang Guofu was worried.

The final delivery deadline was less than two months away.

If their production couldn’t keep up, their factory would have to pay a penalty for breach of contract!

Wang Guofu didn’t want to pay the penalty. He didn’t want to pay a single cent; he just wanted to make money!

"Don’t worry. Even if we can’t recruit any more, this current batch of workers is enough. I just wanted to fill all the positions quickly so we can train everyone together," Xie Changning explained to Wang Guofu, telling him not to worry.

With Xie Changning’s reassurance, Wang Guofu was finally able to relax. He was truly afraid the factory wouldn’t be able to make the delivery.

Not only would they have to pay a penalty, but it would also damage their reputation.

The group returned to the office, where Wang Guofu informed the technical deputy factory director that he would be going to the branch factory soon and that the main factory would be temporarily left in his care.

Xie Changning tilted her head in thought and looked at Wang Guofu. "Uncle Wang, do you have anyone skilled under you who is ready for a promotion?"

Xie Changning didn’t manage the workshops much, so if there was a clever person there, she didn’t mind promoting them at a time like this.

With Wang Guofu becoming the branch factory director, the main factory also needed to promote a new deputy director of production to help share the workload.

Wang Guofu didn’t quite understand what Xie Changning meant, but he obediently listed a few names anyway.

"I’m planning to permanently assign Uncle Wang to the branch factory as its director. The position of deputy director of production at the main factory will be filled by promoting someone new." Then, Xie Changning looked at Wang Guofu. "If there’s anyone you want, you can take them with you to be your troops."

It had to be said that Xie Changning’s arrangement was beyond Wang Guofu’s expectations.

He never imagined that he himself could one day become a factory director, even if it was just for a branch factory.

"Uncle Wang, don’t get too happy just yet. For now, there’s no increase in compensation; it’s the same as what you receive at the main factory. Only the title has changed." Saying this, Xie Changning looked at the technical deputy factory director.

"Uncle Lin, I’m sending Uncle Wang mainly because we have a lot of new people now, and he’s a bit more tactful, better at dealing with strangers. When an opportunity arises in the future, you’ll be promoted too."

Xie Changning was reassuring the technical deputy factory director.

No matter that the compensation was the same, the title was still changing from deputy director to director.

She was afraid the technical deputy factory director would be unhappy, so she explained the situation to him.

"Changning, you don’t need to explain. We’ll all follow the factory’s arrangements." The technical deputy factory director understood. He wasn’t as smooth as Wang Guofu in handling matters, so promoting Wang Guofu now was the best choice.

’It’s useless for me to mind, anyway.’

’The bigger picture is what’s important.’

Seeing that he truly had no complaints, Xie Changning concluded the small meeting and started calling the leaders to invite them to the branch factory’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The top leaders wouldn’t come for a branch factory’s ribbon-cutting. In the end, Yu Chunhe, Xie Changyi, and Director Zhao were the ones who came.

The three of them, plus Xie Changning and Wang Guofu, made a total of five people. They stood before several hundred workers, held scissors, and cut the red silk ribbon.

After the ribbon was cut, firecrackers started to go off with a CRACKLE and POP.

The atmosphere was very lively.

Yu Chunhe and the others stepped aside to let the workers enter the gates and prepare for work!

Once the workers, led by Wang Guofu, arrived at their respective workshops, Wang Guofu gave the order, and they began to start up the machines.

The roar of machinery filled the air, and the assembly lines began to operate smoothly.

"Excellent! Excellent! Not a single mistake! This is wonderful!" Director Zhao clapped his hands, remarking that it was a very auspicious sign.

Xie Changning smiled along with them.

Today was the first day of operations. A mistake would certainly have been vexing, but with no mistakes at all, anyone would be thrilled.

Xie Changning was no exception.

Even in later generations, people would still consult an almanac for an auspicious day to start work or begin a trial run!

The roar of the machines rose and fell. The leaders were all very pleased as Xie Changning invited them into the office.

Xie Changning had arranged for the branch factory’s offices and conference room to be on the second floor; they were spacious and bright.

The office design was also different from the main factory’s. The branch factory’s office space was mainly composed of cubicles, with several partitions inside one large room.

Compared to the main factory, the construction costs for the branch factory were lower.

The conference room was enormous, capable of holding five hundred people.

She had used the money saved on construction to buy desks, chairs, and the like.

The leaders entered the office, looked at the design Xie Changning had come up with, and nodded. "Not bad, not bad. It looks very cost-effective!"

They would have to learn from this. If one factory could save several thousand yuan in construction costs, what about ten or a hundred factories?

That would be a huge sum of money.

Many a little makes a mickle!

"Please, have some tea, esteemed leaders." The tea was something special Xie Changning had taken from her ’space’—top-grade leaves that her adoptive father from the Xie Family had specially arranged for someone to bring back from a tea plantation.

This small amount alone was worth several hundred yuan!

Not much of it was produced each year.

"Mm! This tea is excellent!" Director Zhao was very fond of tea. With a single taste, he could tell the price range of any tea that touched his lips.

He looked at Xie Changning in surprise, shocked that she also had such fine tea.

Noticing Director Zhao’s scrutiny, Xie Changning didn’t hide the truth. "When I was joining my husband at his post, I thought I would have to serve tea to my parents-in-law, so I specially filched a little from my father. I didn’t expect... that I wouldn’t get to use it."

Director Zhao believed Xie Changning.

He sighed. "Ai, Yihan was a good kid. It’s just such a pity..." He knew Yue Yihan. The entirety of Chuncheng knew that their military region had an exceptionally capable young man named Yue Yihan.

Xie Changning gave a small smile and prompted Xie Changyi and Yu Chunhe to drink their tea as well.

Xie Changyi frowned slightly. She looked at Xie Changning, her eyes filled with a probing curiosity. "What are your parents’ names?"

Speaking of her adoptive parents, Xie Changning didn’t give it much thought and stated their names.

"Xie Zi and Chen Yuqin."

Xie Changyi’s hand, which was raising her teacup, paused mid-air.

She had been away from home for many years, but that didn’t mean she didn’t recognize her own family members.

The man Xie Changning had named, Xie Zi, wasn’t just a distant relative—he was her biological uncle!

"You were actually right," Xie Changyi said, turning to Yu Chunhe with a smile.

She had recently contacted the ancestral home, and the reply stated that her branch of the family had moved to Shanghai ten or twenty years ago, with very little interaction since.

Only then did Xie Changyi learn that her family had actually become prosperous.

It was because of that letter from the ancestral home that Xie Changyi had asked for the names of Xie Changning’s parents.

"Hm?"

"Xie Zi is my biological uncle. When I went abroad, he had just gotten married. I never imagined his child would be this old by now."

Xie Changyi’s words made Xie Changning fix her gaze on her.

"Director Xie, does this mean... you’re my paternal cousin?" A hint of pleasant surprise appeared on Xie Changning’s face. ’This is great!’