HCB Chapter 34 Persuading Uncle
Chapter 34 Persuading Uncle
April 14, 1996, evening.
Ling Yun stood outside his uncle Ling Jun's house, took a deep breath, and then raised his hand to knock on the familiar brown-red wooden door.
It was her aunt who opened the door. When she saw Lingyun, a kind smile appeared on her face: "Little Yun, you're here? Come in quickly. Haven't eaten yet? Let's eat together."
"Auntie, I've already eaten. I came to talk to Uncle about something." Ling Yun smiled and changed into slippers.
In the living room, Ling Jun was sitting on the sofa watching the evening news, a cigarette between his fingers, his brows furrowed slightly as if he were deep in thought. Hearing a noise, he turned his head, saw Ling Yun, and a fleeting hint of surprise flashed in his eyes before he regained his usual composure.
"Uncle." Ling Yun walked over and sat down on the single sofa to the side.
"Hmm." Ling Jun responded, picked up the remote and turned down the TV volume. His gaze fell on Ling Yun with a scrutinizing look. "The internet cafe is open, I heard it's booming. What brings you here?" He was clearly well-informed.
"Something came up, and I wanted to report it to you." Ling Yun sat up straight, his tone serious.
Ling Jun didn't speak, but flicked his cigarette ash, signaling him to continue.
"Uncle, I've decided to take over the city's electronics factory." Ling Yun got straight to the point, without any beating around the bush.
The living room fell silent instantly, with only the indistinct voice of the news anchor echoing in the background. Auntie paused, glancing worriedly at Ling Yun as she brought him the teacup, then gently placed it in front of him before quietly walking away.
Ling Jun's fingers, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air. He gave Ling Yun a deep look, without immediately showing any objection or surprise. He took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke. Through the swirling bluish-white smoke, his eyes appeared even more profound and unfathomable.
"Last time at home, I warned you that it was a murky place." Ling Jun's voice wasn't loud, but it carried the weight of someone long accustomed to a position of power. "They owe the bank millions, have been behind on worker wages for over half a year, have outdated equipment, and morale is low... You were aware of all of this?"
"Understood." Ling Yun nodded. "I've carefully reviewed the materials Wang Degui gave me."
"Then you should know even more that there are many stakeholders involved here: banks, creditors, hundreds of resettled workers... If any one of them is not handled properly, it will be a huge problem." Ling Jun's tone remained calm, as if stating an objective fact rather than advising against it. "The city has considered restructuring before, and approached several companies, but negotiations all fell through. Why? Because the financials didn't add up, there was no possibility of profitability, only bottomless pits of investment."
He paused, his gaze sharpening as he cut to the heart of the matter: "Your internet cafe business is doing quite well; I've heard you're making a fortune every day. But is that enough to cover the losses at the electronics factory? Have you considered that you might lose everything you've worked so hard to earn, leaving you with nothing?"
Unlike typical elders who might directly deny or emotionally obstruct, he calmly and meticulously analyzed the pros and cons, laying bare the harsh realities before Lingyun. This was a more sophisticated form of concern, grounded in reason and experience.
Ling Yun met his uncle's gaze without flinching. He knew that his uncle was testing his resolve and maturity.
"Uncle, I've thought about all of what you've said." Ling Yun's voice was steady. "If we're just looking at it from a purely commercial return on investment perspective, an electronics factory is indeed a bad choice right now."
He abruptly changed the subject, leaning forward slightly, his eyes revealing a heaviness beyond his years: "But this afternoon, outside the internet cafe, I saw hundreds of laid-off workers applying for cleaning jobs. Among them were city model workers, former workshop directors, and key technical personnel... For a job that pays only two or three hundred yuan a month, they practically fought tooth and nail, humbly assuring classmates younger than their own sons that they would 'definitely sweep the floor clean.'"
Ling Yun described the heartbreaking scene from that afternoon in a calm tone, yet with an invisible strength.
"One of the veteran workers, Ma Baoguo, was the former workshop director of the electronics factory. He was carrying a document bag containing the city's model worker certificate when he was almost pushed over. He kept saying 'I'm sorry'... There was also a woman crying, saying that her child was waiting for tuition fees..."
He paused, then looked at Ling Jun: "Uncle, in later generations, books only write a cold, hard number like 'eight million laid-off workers.' But what I saw today were hundreds of living faces, driven to the brink by life. That's not just a number; it's the sky falling down for hundreds of families."
Ling Jun listened quietly, his fingers holding the cigarette remaining motionless for a long time, the rising smoke obscuring the subtle changes in his facial expression. He was in charge of economic work, and the pressure of the wave of layoffs was felt more deeply than anyone else; behind every number on the reports lay the heavy burden of social stability pressure.
"So," Ling Yun's voice was resolute, carrying an undeniable determination, "taking over the electronics factory is no longer just a business investment for me. It's a responsibility. I can't just stand by and watch those workers who still have the skills, the strength, and the willingness to work fight tooth and nail for a cleaning job. My internet cafe can provide two positions, but that doesn't solve the fundamental problem. The electronics factory, I can!"
He looked at Ling Jun, his eyes clear and firm: "I'm prepared to lose money. But I believe that with the right methods, by revitalizing existing assets and equipment, and identifying the right product direction, the electronics factory can still be revitalized. At least, I can get some machines running and some workers paid their wages!"
Silence fell over the living room once again.
Ling Jun stubbed out the nearly burnt-out cigarette butt in the crystal ashtray, his movements slow and forceful. He looked up, re-examining his nephew. He had initially thought Ling Yun was just a clever, adventurous young businessman, but now he saw something deeper in him—a sense of responsibility that transcended personal gain, a keen awareness of and proactive response to the pains of the times.
This is no longer a nephew or niece who needs his constant guidance and protection, but a younger generation who is beginning to have their own independent will and sense of social responsibility.
After a long silence, Ling Jun slowly spoke, breaking the stillness: "What do you want to do?"
He stopped asking "Is it certain?" and went straight to "How to do it?" This in itself represents a shift in attitude.
Ling Yun felt reassured, knowing he had passed the most crucial hurdle. He immediately replied, "I hope the city can support my 'Spark Technology' in acquiring the city's electronics factory through a debt-for-equity swap. I will finalize the specific restructuring plan as soon as possible, including debt settlement, employee resettlement, property rights delineation, and future development planning."
He needs the authorities to give him a legitimate identity and a platform to operate.
Ling Jun pondered for a moment, his fingers tapping lightly on the sofa armrest. He looked sharply at Ling Yun: "The restructuring plan is not child's play. What you need to do is create a plan that the city leadership, the bank, and the hundreds of workers can understand and that most people can accept. This requires very thorough research and rigorous argumentation."
"I understand." Ling Yun nodded solemnly. "I will hire a professional accounting and legal team to ensure that the plan is legal, compliant, and feasible."
"Okay." Ling Jun finally nodded, his tone carrying a sense of agreement and entrustment. "You finish the plan, make it solid. Bring it to me to see."
He made no promises, but the five words "show it to me" already meant that he was willing to open a door for Lingyun and provide an opportunity within the rules.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Ling Yun stood up and said from the bottom of his heart.
Ling Jun waved his hand, stood up, walked to Ling Yun, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a deep gaze, "You chose this path, so you have to see it through to the end. Remember, when running a business, especially taking over an old factory like this, you need to be strong on both the economic benefits and the social stability. If you encounter any difficulties, you can ask me, but how to proceed is up to you."
"I understand, Uncle." Ling Yun felt the heavy weight on his shoulders.
As Ling Yun left his uncle's house, night had already fallen. The evening breeze was cool on his face, but it couldn't dispel the burning passion in his heart.
His uncle helped him pry open a crack in the path within the system. The real test now lies in how to pull that dying behemoth out of the mire and give it new life.
He glanced back at the small building that was lit up with warm lights in the night, then turned and strode into the city's neon lights.
His battlefield is about to shift to that long-dormant municipal electronics factory. There, he will find the industrial foundation he needs, as well as the weight of this era that he must shoulder.