Chapter 47: Change of Ownership of the Garment Factory

An hour later, after carefully inspecting the newly printed contract and confirming that there were no errors, Lu Fan turned to Bai Lu beside him and said, "Go and invite the young aunt over. This contract requires her signature."

"Okay!"

A moment later, Liu Yue'e walked in, stepping gracefully in her high heels.

The high heels clicked rhythmically against the concrete floor.

Her stunning and exquisite face was half-concealed by her large wavy curls. Dressed in a tailored suit skirt paired with black stockings, her presence caused the men in the room to involuntarily lower their gaze.

"Fanfan, didn't your uncle already say that you should make all the decisions yourself? Why did you insist on calling me over?"

Liu Yue'e's tone carried thirty percent doting and seventy percent coquetry.

Her appearance seemed to instantly make the somewhat foul-smelling room smell fragrant.

"Where is the document? Bring it to me so I can sign it and go back to wait in the car. Hurry up, we still have to go inspect the stores in Donghu and Longgang later."

These lines had all been rehearsed beforehand.

Lu Fan quickly stood up. "Right away, young aunt. Sign it right here; the smoke in this room is a bit heavy."

Instead of letting her walk over to the couch to sit, Lu Fan brought the contract and gently guided her to a desk not far from the doorway.

Pointing to the signature lines on the two documents, Liu Yue'e brushed her pen across them with a few quick strokes, signing her name.

It wasn't until she reached the final few pages and read through them that her body gave a sudden shudder.

The paper clearly stated: IOU.

Owed to Gu Jianjun of Xiuli Textile Factory, Dongping District: 215,000.

Upon the legal representative of Dongping Jinxiu Garment Factory being changed and the new triad of certificates (Business License, Organization Code Certificate, Tax Registration Certificate) being obtained, fifty percent shall be paid;

Upon the ownership of the land held by Dongping Jinxiu Garment Factory being transferred to Liu Yue'e, the remaining fifty percent shall be paid.

Debtor: Liu Yue'e!

Date: July 23, 2000

Liu Yue'e's chest fluttered with anxiety. You said you weren't selling me out, yet you've already sold me off for over two hundred thousand.

Lu Fan reached out to steady Liu Yue'e's body and pointed to the signature line. "Young aunt, sign here. It's a bit hot outside; once you sign, you can go back and sit in the air conditioning."

With a hardened heart and trembling hands, Liu Yue'e signed her name once more.

Next came the second IOU, the third... up to the fifth. However, the amounts on these were smaller—three for over fifty thousand each, and one for one hundred thousand.

Liu Yue'e felt her legs grow increasingly weak, losing the strength to stand straight.

After pressing her thumbprint next to each signature, Lu Fan had no time to wipe her fingers and instead said to Bai Lu beside him, "Bai Lu, help your mother to the car. It's too hot today; she can't take it."

"Got it!"

Bai Lu hoisted her own mother up and walked away.

Lu Fan walked back to the seating area, placed the contract on the coffee table, and the others immediately picked it up, watching Ding Maocai as he signed his name and pressed his thumbprint on it.

With that done, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lu Fan and Ding Maocai each kept a copy of the contract, while the IOUs Liu Yue'e had just signed were collected by their respective holders.

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Boss Ding, let's rush to complete the company's registration change procedures now!"

"The bosses' money will only be paid out after the change procedures are completed."

"That's right, Old Ding, stop sitting there playing dead. You've got one hundred thousand coming to you as well; change the legal representative first, and your pockets will loosen up too."

***

Ding Maocai glanced at the group and said, "The company's accountant is nowhere to be found. Changing the registry might be quite troublesome."

"Then let's hurry up and go ask at the Administration for Industry and Commerce. You're riding in my car." Gu Jianjun and Liu Yulong hauled Ding Maocai to his feet and dragged him outward.

Lu Fan followed them out to see them off.

Before getting into the car, Gu Jianjun walked over and shook hands with Lu Fan. "I originally planned to have dinner together tonight, but everyone probably isn't in the mood. Let's wait until the company's new certificates come out and then celebrate together!"

Lu Fan nodded in understanding.

At this moment, the female factory workers standing guard outside saw Ding Maocai get into a car and immediately walked over, blocking the road.

Seeing this scene, Lu Fan walked up to the group and said loudly, "Dear sisters, Boss Ding has already transferred the factory to me, and I will pay your wages."

The female workers looked at Lu Fan suspiciously, and one of them said, "If we don't get our money, we won't let the guy named Ding leave."

Lu Fan displayed the contract in his hand. "If you don't believe me, come take a look."

"None of us can read, how are we supposed to look?"

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said, "How about this? To pay your wages, I still need to find your old payroll records to see exactly how much you're owed. For now, I'll give each of you two hundred yuan upfront, how's that?"

Only then did the female workers step aside and let them leave.

Lu Fan called out to Bai Lu, asking her to distribute the money to these individuals and have them sign the log.

As for himself, he climbed into the Crown sedan.

"Auntie, the situation today arose due to special circumstances. It was my oversight for not telling you beforehand and causing you a fright."

Liu Yue'e's face was still pale as she said helplessly, "I give up. Bai Lu is with you now, and Old White doesn't know how many days he has left to live. We are a lone woman and a widow relying entirely on you; do whatever you want with it."

Lu Fan smiled. "Don't worry, everything is within my expectations. I am confident I can clear all these debts in a month."

Liu Yue'e took a deep breath and asked, "How much money did you sell me for?"

"How can you call this selling? If I were of legal age, I would have signed it myself. Who told me to still be a minor?"

"I just want to know how much I'm worth! How much were those IOUs I just signed?"

Lu Fan pondered for a moment and said, "Ten Bai Lus."

Liu Yue'e was stunned for a moment before saying, "Do you still harbor resentment toward me in your heart, especially when you first came to my door with the money—did you hold a grudge against me then?"

Lu Fan nodded. "I was indeed angry with you back then, but times change. I understand the hardships of a woman running a household alone. However, Auntie, rest assured that from now on, I will run this household, and you won't need to worry about anything."

Liu Yue'e's complexion improved considerably, and she nodded gently.

When Lu Fan stepped out of the car, he heard her whisper softly, "Lu Fan, thank you! Our family will owe you for the rest of our lives."

"Don't say that, we're all family."

After getting out of the car, he strolled around the factory grounds. The factory covered an area of 26.3 mu, enclosed entirely by red brick walls with clear boundaries and definite property rights.

There were five rows of buildings in total, with the northernmost row serving as offices.

Each row consisted of three connected classrooms. Two rows were used as garment production workshops, and the other two as warehouses—one for raw materials and one for finished products.

Lu Fan walked into the shirt storage warehouse and looked at the stacks of shirts as if they were stacks of cash.

At the main gate, there was also a room of a dozen square meters where Old Huang, the former warehouse keeper, used to live. It had remained vacant ever since Old Huang was driven off by the female workers.

In front of each row of houses was a small garden planted with Chinese roses, crape myrtles, and some flowers whose names he didn't know.

Along the northern wall stood a row of towering camphor trees of a very advanced age.

The school was not large; walking a complete circle around it took only ten minutes or so.

Now, wherever Lu Fan looked, everything seemed pleasing to the eye, and even the flowers smelled exceptionally sweet.

When he returned to the office, the five female workers had finished collecting their two hundred yuan, but none of them had left; they had all returned to their original spots and stood waiting.

Lu Fan walked over and said, "Dear sisters, I will be suspending operations for a month to reorganize this factory, but rest assured, I won't short you a single penny of your past wages."

"The factory's accountant has fled, and I don't know the exact payroll amount for each of you. Give me a few days to sort through the accounts, and once everything is calculated, I will settle your payments immediately."

"As you all saw just now, I spent five hundred thousand to buy this factory. How much are your wages anyway? Thirty people in total come out to less than twenty thousand. I'm not going to run away with your money."

"A new factory brings a new atmosphere. Once we settle the previous wages, we'll be completely square. However, if you want to stay and continue working here, we'll need to sign new employment contracts."

"You used to work for Old Ding, but now you work for me. I took a walk around just now and noticed that the factory's security guards have left. Which of you is interested in taking on the security guard role first?"

"How much?"

"Six hundred!"

"Me, me, me, me..."

Instantly, all five of them raised their hands to volunteer.

Lu Fan laughed. "You guys practically form a security squad already."

"Well, that works too. I'm not short of that kind of money; all five of you can stay. I'll divide you into two shifts, two people per shift, rotating every 12 hours."

"A security guard's job isn't just guarding the main gate; you also need to patrol the factory grounds at regular intervals."

"As for the remaining person, you'll stay in the factory during the day and thoroughly clean these three offices—wipe down all the glass, the floors, and the office furniture."

"You also need to clean up the entire factory area. The concrete ground is mostly clean, but pick up any cigarette butts, bottle caps, waste paper, and miscellaneous debris scattered around."

"Who wants to take on the cleaning job?"

Seeing no one volunteer, Lu Fan added, "An extra one hundred!"

"Me, me, me, me..."

"Alright, this sister raised her hand first, so it's you."

"The four of you sisters will be our factory's security squad. Remember, except when I come, no one is allowed to open the main gate, and outsiders are strictly prohibited from entering."

"Find some handy tools from around the factory to use as weapons—iron pipes or steel bars are fine. If you really can't find anything, bring some useful farming tools from home like hoes or sickles."

"Let me tell you, being a security guard requires being tough. If you catch someone trespassing during the day, I'll reward you one hundred; if you catch a thief sneaking in at night, I'll reward you one thousand directly."

"If you get into a conflict with others and get injured, go ahead and fight back. I'll cover all medical expenses, your salary will continue to be paid while you're hospitalized, and I'll give you an extra reward of one thousand yuan."

The four sisters nodded repeatedly, their eyes glowing with excitement.

The female worker who was assigned to clean asked, "Boss, can I not do the cleaning anymore?"

"No! The positions are filled. But if you also fulfill your security duties while cleaning and catch someone, you'll get the same reward as them."

"Remember, you are now people of this factory. Your wages start counting from today. Treat this factory as your home, guard this gate well, and make sure not a single outsider gets in, nor a single item leaves the factory."

"Yes, Boss!"

"If your former colleagues come looking for you, tell them to wait outside the main gate and explain the situation clearly to them."

"Yes, Boss!"

Listening to their rather spirited replies, Lu Fan could not help but nod gently.