The two babies, each holding a jingle ball, played in their high chairs, occasionally glancing at the food on the table.

When they saw it, they wanted to grab it.

But the food was too far away for them to reach, so they went back to grabbing their jingle balls.

Aunt Wang sighed with emotion. "These high chairs are so convenient." She had never imagined that things for children could be so handy!

’If you were home alone with a child, wouldn’t a chair like this save you a lot of effort?’

It would save you from having to carry them on your back or in your arms all day.

"Exactly. This must be what Changning meant by ’liberating your hands,’ right?"

They both assumed these high chairs were a popular foreign import, completely unaware that they didn’t even exist abroad yet.

Xie Changning thought that domestic wood product factories could start making baby products to break into foreign markets.

’Money is waving at me,’ Xie Changning thought.

She could talk to her superiors, have them authorize a salary for her, and she could take over a wood product factory. Or she could just sell the blueprints!

Decisive as ever, Xie Changning went to Chuncheng the very next day to meet with her superior, Director Zhao.

"What? You’re this ambitious?" Hearing that Xie Changning wanted to take over a half-dead wood product factory within Chuncheng’s jurisdiction, Director Zhao almost spat out his tea.

’This girl really has the guts to think big and act on it.’

"I’m doing this to build up our country and benefit society!"

Xie Changning didn’t elaborate much further with Director Zhao. She just said she was willing to spend money.

The Anong County Machinery Factory’s account had a lot of money in it right now. She could use it to acquire the wood product factory, and as long as she could make it through the Spring Trade Fair, she would double her investment!

Director Zhao had no idea what Xie Changning was planning.

However, seeing that she was serious about acquiring a factory, he didn’t try to stop her. Instead, he laid out the files for several factories in Anong County in front of her.

"The economy has been poor these last couple of years, and many small, deficit-ridden factories are on the chopping block. Take a look, see if any of these interest you."

Xie Changning looked and saw a daily chemical factory and a wood product factory.

Combined, the two factories had fewer than two hundred workers.

Factories like these, constantly in the red, would indeed be considered for closure by the leadership, to be absorbed as branches of other factories.

But now that she had the chance, Xie Changning would naturally snatch up both factories and use them for her own development plans!

"I want to take over both of these."

Director Zhao looked at the two factories Xie Changning was pointing to—daily chemical and wood products—and raised an eyebrow slightly. "What, you know chemical engineering too?"

"I don’t, but I know people who do."

’She was a Beijing University graduate, after all. Wouldn’t it be perfectly normal for her to go back to Beijing University, find some talented people, and poach a daily chemical team with high salaries?’

Seeing Xie Changning so confident, Director Zhao grew curious. He even started to look forward to seeing if she could actually turn these two factories around.

And just like that, Xie Changning acquired the two factories using US Dollars.

The moment the deal was done, Director Zhao summoned the two factories’ acting heads, both deputy directors, and told them to come meet their new factory director.

The two men came the next day.

When they arrived at Director Zhao’s office, they were slightly taken aback to see Xie Changning sitting there. They greeted Director Zhao first.

Director Zhao nodded. "Have a seat."

The two men sat down stiffly.

Seeing their nervousness, he pointed to Xie Changning and said, "This is your new factory director, Comrade Xie Changning! I imagine you all know who she is, right?"

Xie Changning was, after all, a celebrity in Anong County.

Many factories on the brink of collapse or without a director had wanted Xie Changning to take over as their director.

Back then, Director Zhao had wondered, ’How many pairs of hands does Xie Changning have?’

Now, hearing from Xie Changning herself, he felt that she might actually be able to revive these two factories...

Her connections were indeed very important.

"Hello, Director." The two men greeted Xie Changning.

"Lin Yongsheng, deputy director of the Anong County wood processing factory. He handles both production and technology."

"Wang Daqiang, deputy director of the Anong County daily chemical factory. He has the same responsibilities as Lin Yongsheng."

Director Zhao introduced the two men to Xie Changning.

Xie Changning nodded. Then she said, "Alright. I’ve already asked my driver to come pick me up. Let’s all head back together. It’s a good opportunity for me to visit the two factories and see how our products are doing."

’The test products she bought will finally have a use!’

The two men had no objections. The fact that Xie Changning was taking over their factories meant she saw something of value in them. Perhaps they wouldn’t be shut down after all.

At Director Zhao’s signal, the two men left with Xie Changning when the driver arrived.

Sitting in the car, Lin Yongsheng began tentatively, "Mr. Xie, I’d like to ask, are you planning to completely take over the wood processing factory?"

"Yes."

The driver couldn’t help but glance up at Xie Changning.

He never expected that his director would go out for a day and come back with two new factories, with her as the director of both.

’It’s unbelievable!’

And the most crucial part was that Director Zhao had actually agreed!

Back in his office, Director Zhao was still trying to figure out how to report this to his own superior. His head ached. Remembering the scene from yesterday—Xie Changning refusing to leave his office, ready to play hardball—Director Zhao drained his teacup in one gulp!

’Brace yourself, my dear leader!’

In his office at the Provincial Industrial Bureau, Mr. Wang, who was busy with his work, suddenly shivered. He felt as if something had him in its sights.

At that moment, Mr. Wang had no idea what he was about to face.

(Xie Changning: Director Zhao, since when did you start stealing my moves?)

Mr. Wang was about to leave work when Director Zhao arrived and cornered him. Mr. Wang had no choice but to sit back down. "What wind blew you here?" Director Zhao rarely came to visit.

If he did come, it meant there was business to discuss.

However, Mr. Wang felt that something was off about Director Zhao today; he seemed a bit strange.

"Director, it’s like this. I have a subordinate named Xie Changning. You know of her, right?"

"Yes, I know of her." ’She’s a real talent. It’s hard not to remember her,’ he thought.

"She wants to take over two small factories in Anong County, a wood processing factory and a daily chemical factory, and I’ve already agreed to it."

Director Zhao said this all in one breath, then waited for Mr. Wang’s reaction.

He had already made up his mind: if Mr. Wang disagreed, he would grab onto his leg and not let go until he consented.

Mr. Wang indeed did not want to agree. He frowned at Director Zhao. "She wants to cause a ruckus, and you’re just going to let her? She works in machinery. Are you telling me she understands daily chemicals and wood products?"

"The Anong County Machinery Factory’s account transferred one million US Dollars to me."

"...Even if she has money to spend, this sort of thing requires long-term planning..."

"I plan on transferring half a million to you."

"I’ve always said that kid, Xie Changning, is a promising one. Well done!"

Director Zhao snorted inwardly. ’See? Everyone’s just the same. It’s not just me!’