When Lin Zhaoming came to Hong Kong City in the late 1940s, it coincided with the rise of the manufacturing industry in Hong Kong City. Especially after the war, the textile industry moved south from the inland, giving many people opportunities. Lin Zhaoming saved his first pot of gold by sitting in a small business and founded the Ming Yue Textile Factory, which was also the starting point for his official fortune. After that, he married the daughter of the Zhong family, with the help of the Yue family’s strength, then he expanded his business territory with the help of in-laws, entered department stores and real estate, and transformed from a small businessman to the city tycoon.

In the 1960s, the number of textile factories in Gangcheng surged from more than one hundred to thousands. The competition was very intense at one time and it coincided with the garment industry and grew rapidly. Fashionable and cheap clothing was sold all over the world, and many textile factories turned into ready-made garment factories, Ming Yue Textile factory was one of them.

However, a few years ago, European and American countries began to place quotas on imports. The Hong Kong City quotas were almost monopolized by several large companies, if small companies wanted to export, they had to purchase the quotas from these big capitalists, which resulted in extremely thin profits.

Lin Zhaoming’s business focus had long been shifted, so naturally, there was no need for him to rely on garment factories to make money, and industry changes had little effect on him. Now the Ming Yue garment factory was lingering on the cheap market in Southeast Asia, as for the reason why it wasn’t closed was probably that this factory had special meaning to Lin Zhaoming.

Qiao Wen had to marvel that Lin Zhaoming was indeed an old fox, who had lavishly painted a 10% pancake(bonus), but the factory’s annual profits were probably a negative number.

Fortunately, he was given a basic salary of 1,000 yuan, which was not so bad as to let him work for nothing.

“Young Master Hui, you are here!”

After the car stopped at the entrance of the factory, a middle-aged man who had apparently been waiting for a while greeted him happily.

Lin Zihui said: “You are Uncle Dong, right?”

Wu Yao Dong smiled and nodded: “Yes, Mr. Lin said that Mr. Hui will come over today, and I prepared it early in the morning.”

“Uncle Dong is too polite, I’m here to learn. By the way, this is Secretary Qiao with me.” Lin Zihui introduced politely, “Awen, this is Ming Yue Garment Factory, Manager Wu. He was there when my father opened this factory, and he is a veteran of the factory.”

Qiao Wen smiled and greeted, “Hello, Manager Wu.”

Today he wore a formal dress because it was his first day at work, and his hair was neatly groomed with hair wax. Even though he wore a very formal dress, he was only eighteen years old, so no matter how mature he dressed, he still looked like a teenager.

Wu Yao Dong naturally turned a blind eye to such a half-grown child and said with a smile: “Secretary Qiao is so young. Just call me Uncle Dong like Mr. Hui. Everyone in the factory calls me that.”

“Okay. Uncle Dong.”

Qiao Wen looked at uncle Dong calmly, wearing a traditional short shirt, looking like an old-fashioned person, but also very social.

Wu Yao Dong led the two to an office. The room wasn’t big but it was clean and bright, and a few pots of flowers and green plants were placed near the window, which should have been specially cleaned up by someone.

He smiled and said, “Mr. Hui, this is the office I prepared for you. Do you like it?”

Lin Zihui looked around and nodded: “Very good.” Then he said. “Uncle Dong, you can take us to see the production line first, we have just arrived, and don’t know anything, so we will start learning from the basics.”

Wu Yao Dong laughed and said. “The production line is dirty and noisy, you don’t need to go there personally, you stay in the office, and tell me if you have any orders. Mr. Lin arranged for you to come to the factory, I can’t let you suffer in my place. “

Lin Zihui smiled and said, “No matter what Uncle Dong said, I came to the factory to do work, not to have fun.”

Wu Yao Dong waved his hand and had no intention to continue talking with him on this matter. He only said: “I will go to the workshop to see. You guys are in the office, I’ll have someone bring tea and refreshments over.”

“Hey Uncle Dong!” Seeing that he was about to leave, Lin Zihui hurriedly stopped him.

Wu Yao Dong turned around at the door, still smiling attentively: “Master Hui, what else do you need?”

Lin Zihui was arranged by his meal, and for a moment he forgot what he was going to say.

It was Qiao Wen who took over. “Uncle Dong, we just came here and don’t know what to do, or can you bring the account book and show it to Mr. Hui first?”

Wu Yao Dong was taken aback before he could say anything, Qiao Wen beat him again by saying: “Hui studied business, are you still afraid that he can’t read the account books?”

Wu Yao Dong smirked: “How can it be? How long do you want it? I’ll have someone send it over.”

Lin Zihui: “Last year and this year will do.”

Wu Yao Dong opened the door and left. After a while, a middle-aged woman who claimed to be a factory accountant brought two large stacks of books to the office.

This era was still a few decades away from a paperless office, so this many reports had to go through by them and did not know how long it would take.

Seeing Lin Zihui picking up a book and posing to read it carefully, Qiao Wen smiled and asked, “Young Master Hui, are you going to read it all?”

Lin Zihui said: “You have to know the costs of raw materials, labor, etc., as well as the sales price.”

Qiao Wen didn’t say anything, but just pulled out last year’s general ledger. As expected, not only the factory didn’t make any money but even made a small loss, so he knew it wasn’t that good.

After a little thought, he whispered: “Master Hui, do you really think these numbers on the ledger are the same as they actually are?”