Chapter 370: Chapter 370: Taking Down Liu Jiaxin
"I know, the reason I’m bringing this up with you is precisely because you’re an investor. You shouldn’t be far from here now, should you? Hurry over to the village committee, and I’ll give you a rough idea of what we’re planning to see if it’s viable."
"Mysterious enough," she agreed. "I’ll head over right now. Give me about 20 minutes; I should be there by then."
After Liu Jiaxin hung up the phone, Liu Zheng knew that as long as he was the one asking, Jia Xin would likely agree.
Soon after, Liu Jiaxin came bustling into the room, looking dusty and disheveled. She glanced around. The normally bustling village committee seemed to have quieted down at that moment.
"Where is everyone? Why is it just you? You’re not alone in command here, are you? If you are, it’s going to be tough getting work done in the future, you know?"
"No, I sent Li Yanling door-to-door to notify others. I already have some appropriate candidates in mind, about five people, I think."
"Oh, I see. When will they come? And are their duties assigned? Each person knows what to do? You must plan this out and have a detailed program. We can’t mess up like last term."
"I understand. If I do this systematically and follow the rules, will people be willing to cooperate?"
"Whether they’re willing or not depends on your persuasive skills. If you can convince them, I anticipate no problems. With those who only farm in the village, I think it’ll be easy. However, for those who work outside, I doubt you’ll be able to keep them."
"You’re spot on. The ones I’ve selected are those who work outside the village, but due to certain circumstances, they’ve returned these past days, so I want to enlist them. The ones staying in the village aren’t of any use."
"Liu Zheng, are you feverish? People who are earning their living working outside, well settled, why would they come here to serve you for free? You’re daydreaming."
"That’s why we’re offering salaries, compensation. Only by doing this can we keep them here. Once we have their loyalty, we can face all challenges head-on."
"Salaries? Did the previous village head not explain this to you? In this village committee, only you get a salary, no one else gets any compensation. They’re here to serve voluntarily, just like last term."
"Those are outdated thoughts and traditions. Nowadays we can’t keep doing that. I’m telling you, if someone labors, they deserve a reward. So I want to discuss with you: could we staff the village committee workers in your factory?"
At this point, Liu Jiaxin suddenly paused, lost in thought. It took her a moment to grasp what Liu Zheng was hinting at, but now she seemed to understand the medicine he was selling in his gourd.
"Alright, Liu Zheng, I hadn’t thought you’d have your calculations set on me. So what, I pay them salaries, and then they come here to serve you, is that it?"
"This is the initial plan. If they keep the village in order, your factory will earn more money. If the village isn’t well-maintained, then what’s there to talk about running your factory? This is far-reaching, you need to look further ahead, you get it?"
"So how much do you plan to pay each of them? If it’s too much, I’m out. You have to realize that the factory consumes a lot of capital right from the start; I can’t be supporting idlers for no reason."
"How can you call them idlers? Factory construction, equipment import, partnership negotiations – is anyone handling these? They can help you with this while working for the village committee. It’s a win-win. My demands aren’t high – 2,500 per person. That’s acceptable, right?"
"2,500? That’s not a small amount, you know."
"If it’s too little, we won’t be able to retain anyone. Don’t worry, for all your future factory revenue, the village committee will only take a 10 percent share. How’s that?"
"What did you say? You’ll take 10 percent?"
"Yes, 10 percent. Is that too much? I’m telling you, for a standard village enterprise, you’d have to give at least 30 percent to the village committee. I’m relinquishing that right and only asking for a 10 percent income share."
"Look, Liu Zheng," she said, "you’re the respected village chief now. Your word is your bond. You can’t just say something and not follow through. You have to deliver on what you promise."
Liu Jiaxin, with her years of business experience, understood the issue of profit-sharing.
Like Jia Xin, Liu Zheng knew that typically the village enterprise shared revenue with the village committee in about a 40:60 ratio.
Some capable individuals might get it to a 30:70 ratio, but even a 20:80 split was exceedingly rare.
But now, he had offered her a 10:90 split, unprecedented in their history.
"That’s right, I’m a man of my word, and I promise you 100 percent. I’m willing to take only 10 percent while you keep 90 percent. My sole condition is that you staff all the village committee personnel in your factory, pay them on time, and include them in all benefits and perks."
"Given such generous terms, how could I refuse? No problem, I agree to it. Besides, when I build the factory here, a lot of the workforce can come from the village itself. That makes it convenient and cheaper. Moreover, the work is likely to be more reliable."
"Exactly. With the right timing, location, and people, you’ve got all bases covered. So your factory, once established, won’t have much to worry about."
