PCJ – Chapter 346 Going to Sea to Catch the Tide

“Master Shen, why are you speaking so ambiguously today?” Lu Yingxiang asked knowingly.

“I’m about to leave. Let’s not be too blunt about things, shall we?” Shen Jinmao sneered.

Zhou Xinghai, who had a more fiery temper than Shen, responded, “Someone dared to do it, and now we’re afraid to speak up? I’ve heard someone brought back a batch of finished tea leaves from an outside factory, planning to mix them with ours and sell them. They’re even thinking of putting our label on someone else’s product for competition. Is that true?”

Lu Yingxiang’s face darkened. “Do you think I, Lu Yingxiang, am doing this for personal gain? I’ve already secured the position of factory director, what more do I need? But if we don’t do this, the quality of our tea this year will be lower than last year, and have you thought about how that will affect sales? Do you realize how many retired workers, employees, and their families are relying on the factory for wages, medical fees, and housing?”

With a few sentences, Lu easily silenced Zhou Xinghai and Shen Jinmao.

“But if you do this, and something goes wrong, you’ll drag the factory to hell!” Zhou mumbled, unable to match Lu’s words.

“If I don’t do it, the factory will go to hell right now!” Lu retorted, standing his ground.

“You have your reasons, but since you’ve made this choice, there’s no need for me to stay in charge of quality control. Even if the quality drops slightly, it would still be above average in the market. But with this move, the quality is gone. Forget it, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. We’re on different paths. I’ve already submitted my early retirement request, and I’ll start my long vacation tomorrow. I won’t come back to the factory. If it comes to it, just fire me.” Shen, the intellectual, wasn’t easily swayed by Lu.

“Yeah, I’ll start my long vacation today too. After all these years, I barely recognize this factory anymore,” Zhou added.

Both Zhou and Shen had deep ties to the factory. They had spent their entire careers there, watching it rise and fall. But now, they felt the factory’s path had diverged too far from their ideals, and they were determined to leave.

The two of them left the director’s office together.

“Go! Just go! Without you, Zhou the Butcher, do you think I can’t still eat pork?” Lu banged the table in frustration. Despite his anger, he had hoped the two would stay. They were skilled and respected in the factory—calling them its soul was no exaggeration.

Factory Office Director Shao Guangsheng returned. “Director, those two stubborn fools really got under your skin, huh? I know why they quit.”

“Why?” Lu asked, puzzled. Shao had a knack for staying informed.

“Zhao Jinyuan became the director of the Meizi’ao Tea Factory in Xintian County. Isn’t it crazy? He gave up being the head of the Agricultural Bureau to take charge of a small, remote tea factory. Do you think he’s lost his mind?” Shao laughed. He had been a clerk under Zhao for many years but had never been promoted. Now that Lu had taken over, Shao had finally become office director, so he naturally harbored some resentment toward Zhao.

“What does Zhao going to Meizi’ao have to do with them?” Lu was still confused. Even if Zhao made a bad decision, Zhou and Shen wouldn’t follow him to such a small village factory. They could easily find jobs in larger provincial factories given their skills.

“Director Lu, you must know about their relationship. The three of them joined our factory at the same time. Zhao became the director, Zhou became the production workshop director, and Shen became the quality control director. They’ve always been Zhao’s right and left arms. If they wanted to, they could have been deputy directors long ago, but they chose not to.”

Lu had heard rumors about this when he was first parachuted into the factory, and now, Shao’s explanation made sense.

“Meizi’ao Tea Factory…” Lu’s eyes narrowed, as if forming a plan.

Meizi’ao, Xintian County.

Luo Changjun personally brought the county’s criminal investigation team to Meizi’ao.

Sun Dinggui and his companions were in a pitiful state, tied up together, covered in filth. Zhang Qigao and others cut their ropes and forced them to wash in a pond. Afterward, they were given some old clothes, their former arrogance replaced with the look of beggars. The bicycles they’d ridden were already sabotaged by a mischievous kid who had removed the tire valves.

Normally, Sun and his friends feared the police like mice fear cats. But this time, seeing the police was like seeing their saviors.

“Oh, thank goodness! You finally came! If you hadn’t, we might’ve been killed! Meizi’ao Tea Factory set up an illegal court and tortured us. You have to help us!” Yuan Renqiang sobbed.

Detective Zhou Qiyou laughed, “Oh, you suffered, huh? But there’s nothing we can do. No evidence. All we see are villagers bringing criminals to us, and that’s something we usually commend. Besides, when we arrived, you were just covered in filth, no injuries to be seen.”

“Hey! How can you say that? You’re supposed to uphold the law! When we get beaten, why are you so vague about it?” Yuan complained.

“Ah, so you admit it now? As Chairman Mao said, ‘Treat comrades with warmth, and enemies with ruthless cruelty,'” another officer, Ding Baogui, joked, patting Yuan’s cheek.

“County Chief, we’ll take them back now,” Zhou said, as they handcuffed Sun and the others and loaded them into the van.

“These three seriously disrupted our county’s economic development. We’ll deal with them harshly,” Luo Changjun declared, ensuring that Sun and his companions wouldn’t escape punishment anytime soon.

“Youping, we owe you one. Without your help, the county would’ve been in the dark. If the tea factory had gotten wind of this, there could’ve been chaos. Whether or not the county horticultural office knew, they must bear responsibility. I want to leave this matter to the Xintian Tea Association for internal resolution. The tea industry needs self-regulation for long-term health. Let’s settle this between the spring and summer tea harvests,” Luo added, knowing that industry self-regulation was key to sustainable development.

“We trust the government’s judgment,” Zhang Youping replied, though Luo wasn’t satisfied with his deference.

“You can’t always rely on the government. You’re the chairman of Meizi’ao Tea Factory, and I believe your factory will lead the county’s tea industry, maybe even become a key player. You should prepare to take on that leadership role. The tea association is holding elections soon. I expect you to step up.”

“No, I can’t. I’m just a farmer, how could I be the chairman?” Zhang panicked.

“Why not? The tea association is made up of farmers. You should have confidence. Meizi’ao Tea Factory is an award-winning private company. The whole county’s tea producers look to you for guidance. Be ready—I’ll nominate you at the meeting,” Luo encouraged, seeing Zhang’s potential as a trailblazer. With Zhao Jinyuan now managing the factory, Zhang could focus on broader leadership tasks.

A few days later, Zhou Xinghai and Shen Jinmao arrived at Meizi’ao, much to Zhao’s surprise and delight.

“What are you two doing here?” Zhao asked, astonished. They had been not just colleagues, but close friends for many years.

“Old Zhao, you thought you could hide out in this mountain valley and we wouldn’t find you? We’ve got nowhere else to go, so we’ve come to join you,” Zhou laughed, grabbing Zhao’s arm.

Shen, more reserved, simply said, “We’ve taken early retirement and are on extended leave. We’re done with the factory. I’m sure you heard what happened before we did.”

“I just got back from the province, busy setting up sales channels. I only found out recently. I never thought the Zijiang Tea Factory would fall so far. Sigh.” Zhao sighed deeply.

“Didn’t you see this coming?” Shen knew why Zhao had resigned and gone into private business.

“What about you two? With your skills, you could easily find positions at the provincial tea factories,” Zhao asked.

“What, you don’t want us here?” Zhou teased.

“Are you really willing to come to this small place?” Zhao was delighted but still surprised.

“If you can come here, why can’t we? Everyone knows Meizi’ao Tea Factory won’t stay in this valley forever. Isn’t that right?” Zhou laughed heartily.

“Our factory is still in its early stages. But don’t worry, once the results from the World Food Tasting Conference come in, Meizi’ao Tea Factory will soar. I’ve been holding back our entire stock, waiting for the results,” Zhao grinned. His mood had lifted, knowing his trusted colleagues had come to join him.