Faintly she could hear the couple who were tenants downstairs arguing, and her ears were filled with the music from the Tung Wah Disaster Relief Charity Gala. Aunt Qiao turned down the volume of the TV and walked to the window to listen to what the tenants were arguing about.
Every time he encountered trouble, Ye Zhao's first reaction was to solve the problem first. As for whether there was any conspiracy, he would deal with it later.
She could tell from Min Chunlai's anxious tone that he was on her side in this incident. What Min Chunlai wanted was to make Sheng Heji bigger and stronger and firmly grasp the real power.
Now that Sheng Heji has a chance to be reborn, he won't be so stupid as to ruin his own future.
On the other end of the phone, Min Chunlai proposed his own solution: "A 30% salary increase is definitely not possible, but a 10% increase is reasonable. The biggest problem now is that some people are leading the trouble. They won't agree to a 10% increase, and the company can't compromise on this. We have to find a way to borrow drivers from other places to help."
There are two types of truck drivers at Shing He Kee. Small truck drivers are responsible for delivering goods in the port city, and these drivers are easier to hire. Large truck drivers need to have container truck driver's licenses from both Shenzhen and Hong Kong to transport goods in the mainland. There are not many drivers with driver's licenses from both places, so it is more difficult to hire these drivers.
The first thing Ye Zhao thought of was Dingsheng Fenghua. Their company was large, with many trucks and drivers. After the flood, there were fewer vegetables transported, so some drivers must have been taking a break.
Ye Zhao said: "See if there are any channels to find a driver. Small trucks do not require driving licenses from two places, so it should be easy to find. Or you can coordinate with the customer directly. Major supermarkets must have their own truck drivers."
Min Chunlai: "I will go and coordinate with the client right away."
"Truck drivers, I'll try to see if I can borrow a few. I'll get back to you later." Ye Zhao hung up the phone, went back to his room, took out the phone book, and turned to Minister Xie's number.
This is her office phone number. At this time, Minister Xie must have already left work.
Ye Zhao dialed the number, but no one answered. She then ran downstairs to find Gan Xiaofeng and asked her for the contact number of Dingsheng Fenghua warehouse. After several twists and turns, she finally contacted Minister Xie.
Minister Xie was surprised to receive a call from Ye Zhao at home: "Hey, Xiao Zhao, how come you have my home phone number? Is there something urgent you want to talk to me about so late at night?"
"Minister Xie, I'm in some trouble here and I want to ask the Bodhisattva for help."
Minister Xie asked with a smile, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We have a batch of vegetables to transport to the port city, but we don't have any truck drivers. Sister, can you lend us a few drivers?"
It is common for colleagues to borrow drivers from each other. Minister Xie said, "I can hear that you are in a hurry. How many people do you want to borrow?"
Ye Zhao said: "About ten, eight or nine will be fine."
"The quantity is a bit large, I don't know if it can be coordinated. I'll ask first, you wait for my news."
Just after hanging up the phone, the phone rang again. It was Manager Ye who called. He was also very anxious after hearing about the drivers' strike. "Boss, can you ask your friend for help? As long as he agrees to help, this matter will definitely be easily resolved."
Ye Zhao said: "I am indeed looking for friends to help, but I am not sure whether it can be solved."
Manager Ye was relieved when he heard this: "With the help of the Luo family, there is nothing that cannot be solved in Hong Kong City."
"What Luo family? I'm looking for help from Dingsheng Fenghua."
Manager Ye: "Even if you ask Dingsheng Fenghua, they may not be willing to help you. Why don't you ask your friend Luo Dashao? They have as many containers and drivers as you want at their container terminal."
Ye Zhao finally understood. Old Ye was talking about her brother Xiang. In the eyes of the Luo family's parents, brother Xiang was probably still a child. How could he be allowed to dispatch the company's resources? Besides, she didn't want brother Xiang to owe the Luo family because of her own affairs.
"I'm not familiar with the Luo family, so they can't possibly help me with this. Besides, I don't want to embarrass my friend."
Manager Ye was still unwilling to give up. "I think Mr. Luo really cares about you. This little favor is just a matter of a few words for him."
Young Master Luo had previously warned her not to tell anyone about his purchase of a shop, and Manager Ye did not dare to reveal it to Ye Zhao. But Young Master Luo not only bought the shop but also helped her buy a company, which was very loyal of her.
Ye Zhao would rather lose a few new clients than let Brother Xiang lose face and ask the Luo family to do things for her. If you lose a client, you can find another one. But if you lose your face and dignity, you can never get it back.
"Don't mention this anymore, and don't tell anyone else that Young Master Luo is my friend."
Manager Ye finally gave up. He gritted his teeth and said, "If it doesn't work, I'll go back to Hong Kong now. I have truck driver's licenses for both places, so I'll drive."
Ye Zhao was actually a little moved by Manager Ye's passionate words. She said, "Manager Ye, if you go back, you have to arrange for someone to be on duty here. I don't want customers to call the office and no one will answer."
"I know, I know. We are now following Zhaohua's rules. Don't worry."
"Okay, I won't say any more to you, in case someone from Dingsheng Fenghua can't call me later."
After hanging up the phone, Gan Xiaofeng came upstairs in her pajamas and slippers. After she came in, she said, "I have contacted the truck company and rented five large trucks. We will leave immediately to transport vegetables to Dongshan Town."
Ye Zhao said with relief: "We have the same idea. Time is urgent now. Let's transport the leafy vegetables from Hongbao Village to Shenzhen first. After the quarantine here, we can change vehicles and go to Hongcheng. If we act together, we can save time."
Gan Xiaofeng: "Even if there are only two or three drivers, we can complete the delivery by making more trips between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. However, some vegetables may miss the morning market. This needs to be discussed with the customers in advance."
This is the last resort, and the goods have to be repacked once they arrive in the port city and then delivered to various supermarkets, which takes time.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, Minister Xie called back, "Sister, I tried my best to help you coordinate, but some drivers are on vacation, and it's really hard to find a temporary coordinator. I also need to have a reason to explain to the company why I helped you, right?"
Ye Zhao understood what Minister Xie meant. She had gone to help with the coordination of such a difficult matter, and she couldn't let her help go in vain.
"Sister Xie, do you think this will work? If you help me coordinate a few drivers, I'll coordinate a few truckloads of leafy vegetables for you."
Upon hearing this, Minister Xie laughed a few times and said happily, "I knew you wouldn't let me help you in vain. I really want to coordinate eight drivers for you to exchange for eight truckloads of leafy vegetables, but I can only coordinate five. This is the result of my best efforts."
Although five trips are not enough, two trips can at least basically solve the problem. It’s just that it may take a little longer. I believe customers can understand this in the face of flood disasters.
"Five is fine, thank you, sister, you really helped me a lot."
"I'll give you five drivers, and you give me six truckloads of vegetables. I want leafy vegetables. Is that okay?" Minister Xie wanted one more truckload of vegetables.
At this point, Ye Zhao couldn't say no, so he had to agree. But since they were willing to help, the vegetables weren't free, and Dingsheng Fenghua had to pay the market price to buy from her, so she was happy to give them an extra truckload.
The two sides communicated quite happily. Minister Xie said enthusiastically: "I'll teach you a way. You should first bring the leafy vegetables from your vegetable base to Shenzhen. Both sides can operate at the same time. Otherwise, if these drivers go to Shengheji to drive the trucks and then go to the vegetable base to pick up the vegetables, they will not have enough time and will definitely miss the morning market."
Ye Zhao smiled and said, "We thought so too. We have already arranged for a large truck to go and transport the vegetables."
Minister Xie joked: "Smart people always think alike."
"That is."
"Who do these five drivers want to contact? Give me the contact information."
Ye Zhao told Minister Xie the phone number of Sheng He Ji headquarters, "Should we settle the fees of these five drivers with you, or give them directly?"
Minister Xie thought about it and said straightforwardly: "Just give it to them directly, let them make some extra money, and everyone will be happy."
After the communication here, Ye Zhao immediately called Min Chunlai and told him that he had coordinated with five truck drivers.
"Great! Five is fine. Among the striking drivers, there is a relatively honest one who has returned to work. I also found a friend to help. Together with Brother Ye, there will be eight drivers in total. We should be able to handle it."
Min Chun said a little excitedly. He didn't expect Ye Zhao to be able to coordinate five drivers so quickly. This new boss was more reliable and capable than he had imagined. No wonder he was so courageous at such a young age and acquired Sheng Heji.
Ye Zhao asked: "Has the truck driver been sorted out? Is there any problem with the sub-packaging and delivery?"
"I have coordinated with major supermarkets and asked the truck drivers to come and pick up the goods themselves. Fortunately, it is a time of extreme shortage of vegetables. As long as there are vegetables, they are willing to come. Otherwise, customers will not even pay attention to you in normal times."
After the two sides coordinated the matters, everyone went back to their own business.
Ye Zhao was afraid that there would be unexpected events that required her to coordinate, so she stayed by the phone all night. Finally, Aunt Qiao brought her a small thin quilt, and she fell asleep directly on the sofa.
The next day was another busy day. Lao Ye drove the truck four times, Min Chunlai stayed in the port city without sleep for two days, and the warehouse in Shenzhen also tried its best to distribute the goods in advance. Everyone worked together, and although there were still some unsatisfactory aspects in the end, the customers were generally satisfied. This batch of vegetables greatly alleviated market anxiety.
Originally, Ye Zhao was supposed to have a meeting with Sheng Heji's finance department today, but it was canceled at the last minute.
After finishing his work, Min Chunlai, who had not slept for two days, threw another difficult problem. The HR department was already recruiting new drivers, but the striking drivers were relentless. Some wanted to come back to work, while others still insisted on a 30% salary increase.
Ye Zhao held the phone and asked, "Didn't they threaten to resign collectively if we didn't give them a 30% pay raise last night?"
"You don't even want to quit, but you're asking for a raise." Min Chunlai was also confused.
"They went on strike at a critical juncture for the company's survival, which is a serious violation of the company's rules and regulations." Ye Zhao didn't understand Hong Kong's labor laws, so she asked, "Can we fire them based on this?"
"In theory, it is possible, but since there are so many of them, we are afraid that the case will be brought to the Labour Department, which will then side with the lower-class workers and demand compensation from the company."
You can't say you are right just because you are weak.
If we satisfy them this time, they might come to choke us again next time. Ye Zhao would rather be punished by the Labor Department than not stick to his principles.
"List clearly the points where they violated company regulations and fire them all, leaving no one behind."
Min Chunlai was afraid that his boss would be soft-hearted and procrastinate, which would make it even harder for him to manage his side. However, his boss was more decisive than him. He agreed with both hands: "If the Labor Department favors these people on strike, we can file a complaint or directly sue them. There are precedents in the past where we won the lawsuit."
"Didn't you suspect someone was behind this? Did you find out who it was?"
Min Chunlai: "I don't know who it is yet. When I'm done with this, I'll try to find out."
After the communication here, the next meeting time was scheduled. Ye Zhao asked Min Chunlai to go to bed early, and then both parties hung up the phone.
Song Rongji headquarters, general manager's office.
After listening to everyone's work reports, Mrs. Song left Ahua alone after the meeting.
"I heard that you asked someone to instigate the drivers of Sheng He Ji to go on strike?"
Ah Hua pulled out a chair, sat down again, and said, "The drivers originally wanted to go on strike to get a pay raise, and I just went along with it."
"Did you make it?"
Of course he failed, but Ah Hua didn't want to admit defeat. He said, "It's still going on..."
Mrs. Song took a sip of coffee and said, "Stop it now. Don't mess with that girl named Ye."
"Why? She provoked us first! As a supplier, she doesn't have the awareness of a supplier."
Song Tai frowned slightly and said, "I think there is something evil about her. From the time when the ginger disease broke out, before the ginger plague, she was trying to contact me, and then she avoided the ginger plague precisely. And this time, I heard that only her vegetable base had planted flood-resistant leafy vegetables in advance. How did she predict the future? It's very strange, you know?"
Ah Hua smiled and said, "Mrs. Song, don't scare yourself. Sometimes, when a person's luck comes, it cannot be stopped..."
"Since you know that once a person's luck comes, it cannot be stopped, then why do you try to stop her?"
"She can't always be lucky, right? She'll hit a wall eventually. Who knows, I might be the wall she hits, the one that'll make her bleed."
Mrs. Song has had a cold these past two days and has a headache: "Everyone has bad luck sometimes. Maybe Shengheji is the beginning of their Waterloo. Shengheji has been going downhill in recent years. Its foundation is rotten and it is impossible for it to develop. Don't waste your energy on them, or you will be cursed in the future. It's better to let them rot slowly."
"Without harming our own interests, it is possible to nip our competitors in the bud and let them know the power of the capital market. That's not a bad idea." Ahua was a little stubborn.
"Mr. Song, do you mean to take back the exclusive supply rights of small yellow ginger?"
"Yes, untie this Ye girl and stay away from evil spirits." Song Tai went to see Ye Zhao at first, but Ye Zhao refused to see her. She was somewhat upset in her heart. She could be magnanimous when she should, but this little girl was too ungrateful, so she decided to untie her completely.
Ah Hua nodded in agreement: "I'll think of a way. We really can't let her use Xiao Huang Jiang to control us again and again."
On the second floor of the Luo family, the light in Old Mrs. Luo’s room was dim.
Old Mrs. Luo was measuring her blood pressure when she heard a car honking outside. Sister Hong walked to the window and looked out, saying softly, "Miss Guo is here."
When the door was opened and the family doctor went out, Miss Guo came in with a paper bag in her hand. Before she could say anything, Mrs. Luo smiled and said, "Ayan, is the cheongsam ready?"
"It was completed last week, but I haven't had time to come over." Guo Xuyan looked to be about 40 years old, with three-dimensional facial features and a slim figure, but her face didn't look very good and she looked a little tired, but it didn't affect her beauty.
The two people communicated in Mandarin, and Mrs. Luo spoke with a standard Beijing accent.
"Let me see it." Old Mrs. Luo loved cheongsam all her life. As people get older, they inevitably gain more fat on their bodies, and cheongsam no longer looks good in them, so she seldom wears them.
Guo Xuyan took out the cheongsam and showed it to Old Lady Luo, "This button is all handmade."
Old Mrs. Luo put on her reading glasses and looked at it carefully. She had spent a long time selecting the material for the cheongsam. The pattern on it was the work of a Suzhou embroidery master. She smiled and said, "I can feel it."
"Put it on and see."
After she put on the cheongsam, Mrs. Luo looked at herself in the mirror. She was very dissatisfied with her belly and always covered it with her hands. “When I was young, my figure was the same as yours. It changed when I got older.”
Sister Hong hurriedly coaxed, "It looks good! It fits me perfectly!"
Guo Xuyan also smiled and said, "How have you changed? You are still so beautiful."
Old Mrs. Luo likes Guo Xuyan. Guo Xuyan is talented. When he was young, he was arrogant and indifferent to others. The only person he could get along with was Old Mrs. Luo.
Old Lady Luo asked her, "I heard that you adopted a daughter?" "How come you are so well-informed? I haven't adopted her yet. I need your consent. I can only adopt her if you are satisfied."
"The one you like is definitely not an ordinary person."
"You haven't seen the daughter of the Song family, have you? She is very good at Chinese painting, and she is innocent, cute, and sweet."
Mrs. Luo, who always loved beautiful women, asked, "Is she pretty?"
"I can't describe her as beautiful." Guo Xuyan put his arm around the old lady's shoulders, looked at her in the mirror, and smiled, "Of course she's not as beautiful as us."
"As long as you like, find some time and have a meal together."
"I'll bring her to see you next time."
Old Lady Luo changed out of her cheongsam and put on her casual clothes. She pulled Guo Xuyan aside and said, "You are not going to get married, so it's good to have a daughter. When you are lonely, you can call her over and talk to her to relieve your boredom."
Guo Xuyan said: "I'm not not getting married because of men, I just don't want to get married."
"I know, no man is worthy of your attention." Including her son Luo Jiaming, Mrs. Luo stared at Guo Xuyan and asked, "Have you slept better recently?"
"Mrs. Song introduced me to a psychologist. I've been to see him a few times and I'm much better." Guo Xuyan doesn't look depressed at all. When she is willing to talk, she always seems cheerful. She has changed a lot in the past few years. Although she is still arrogant, she is not as withdrawn as before.
Sister Hong peeled pistachios for Mrs. Luo. Mrs. Luo ate the kernels and asked, "Are your parents coming to stay for a while?"
"You are the one who can hide anything. I planned to bring my parents over to live with us for a long time. They were reluctant at first, but it took a long time to persuade them to come and try living with us for a while."
"When your parents come, ask them to play mahjong with me. I didn't enjoy it last time."
"Of course." Guo Xuyan took a sip of tea and asked, "Is Shen'er up yet?"
"I'm up. I'm playing games in my room. I don't want to go out to play."
"I asked him if he wanted to visit the art exhibition." Guo Xuyan got up and went out.
In Zeng Xiang's room on the third floor, Qi Lian'an brought a pile of documents for him to sign. In addition to the shop documents, there were also company transfer documents signed on behalf of Ye Zhao as the principal.
Zeng Xiang signed a document and Qi Lian'an took one away. Birds were singing outside the window. This room had a good view, overlooking half of the port city.
Qi Lianan whispered: "I heard that the driver of Shengheji went on strike yesterday."
Zeng Xiang paused while signing, raised his head and asked, "Why are you on strike?"
"Take advantage of the chaos to blackmail the boss into giving him a pay raise."
"Then what?"
"The new boss of Sheng He Ji disagreed and fired all the drivers who caused the trouble, whether they were the leaders or the followers. No one was spared."
Zeng Xiang smiled. This was very Ye Zhao and was indeed her style of doing things.
Qi Lianan added: "Now those drivers are going to the Labor Department to make trouble, and I think they will have to deal with it. Sheng He Ji may not be able to calm down for a while."
Zeng Xiang stopped writing and asked: "Is there any way to get this done?"
Qi Lian An didn't understand: "How do you do it?"
Zeng Xiang: "I heard that the Labour Department often blindly favors workers. Can we try to say hello to them? We are not asking for their help, but just asking for fair treatment."
Qi Lian'an's eyes rolled, and just as he expected, his eldest son was really concerned about the girl.
"The easiest way to deal with this matter is to have a lawyer go and say hello. Lawyers have experience."
"Then go ahead and do it. Tell me if you need money."
Zeng Xiang's hands were sore after signing, "How many days will it take to complete these transfer procedures?"
He wanted to go back to Zengwuwei.
"It will be done this Friday." Qi Lian'an said as he sorted out the documents, "Young Master, please give me Ye Zhao's ID card and passport."
Zeng Xiang stood up, took out Ye Zhao's ID card and passport from his backpack and placed them on the table.
Qi Lian'an thought of something else, "You wanted to live on campus after school started, but your father didn't agree..."
Zeng Xiang expected that his father would do everything he could to keep him at home in order to make his grandmother happy.
Someone knocked on the door, and Guo Xuyan pushed it open and came in, "Shen'er, are you busy?"
"Aunt! We are done."
Qi Lianan hurried out, and Zeng Xiang reminded him: "Uncle Qi, you didn't take Ye Zhao's ID card and passport."
Ye Zhao
Guo Xuyan glanced at the ID card on the table and couldn't help but pick it up to take a look.
The photo on the ID card was a one-inch black and white photo, but the little girl's pretty face and dark, bright eyes immediately captured her heart.
She froze on the spot.
Qi Lian An turned back to get it, but the ID card was in Guo Xuyan's hand, so he wanted to take it but didn't dare to.
"Aunt! Aunt!" Zeng Xiang saw his aunt staring at the ID card in a daze and reminded her in a low voice.
Guo Xuyan then handed the ID card to Qi Lianan and asked in a nonchalant manner, "Who is this girl?"
"My friend, the one who sent a letter to your house last time."
She remembered, "Your mother's tenant, right?"
Is he a tenant? In his mother's opinion, Ye Zhao was more than just a tenant. He was like a family member. Zeng Xiang said, "More than a tenant."
"you like her?"
Xiangzi, who had never faced the issue of men and women, blushed instantly. When did his aunt speak so directly
Guo Xuyan also realized that this was an inappropriate question.
Youth is ignorant and liking and disliking are normal.
Guo Xuyan smiled and changed the subject: "Do you have time these days? My aunt's friend is holding an art exhibition. Do you want to visit?"
Zeng Xiang thought he had no artistic talent, but he didn't want to reject his aunt directly, so he just said, "Wait until school starts."
"Come on, don't stay in the house, let's go out for a walk."
A few days later, Min Chunlai led the team to Shenzhen for a meeting. After the meeting, he secretly told Ye Zhao that the last strike was caused by Shi Jiulou behind the scenes.
Originally, Shijiulou had encouraged the striking drivers to go to the Labour Department for a sit-in, but in the end, for some unknown reason, the drivers chose to leave quietly, and the matter was left unresolved.
For Sheng He Ji, it is also a perfect ending.
At the same time, Zhaohua received a notice from Song Rongji saying that there were important business matters to discuss and designated Ye Zhao to go to the Song Rongji branch in person for the meeting.
Ye Zhao and Gan Xiaofeng arrived at the agreed time. This time, they had a meeting with President Hua and Manager Fu.
Ye Zhao had met A Hua once or twice before, and he was quite easy to talk to then. But today, Mr. Hua was very rude and went straight to the point, saying something that seemed polite but actually lacked any business credibility.
"In view of the current commercial competition between your company and ours, we hope to terminate the contract with your company peacefully."
Ah Hua’s meaning was very clear, Song Rongji no longer needed Zhao Hua to provide Xishan turmeric.
What’s the point of signing a contract when cooperating with such a rogue company
In less than a year, they either found excuses to cancel the supplier's qualifications or dreamed of so-called peaceful termination of the contract.
Ye Zhao smiled slightly and asked, "Are you sure?"
(End of this chapter)