Part 4
Small meeting, human lesson.
Just the other day, when she entered the General Director Chi’s office, she felt a heavy pressure, but now it was completely different. Every day going to work for her was as exciting as a studious child going to school. She would arrive about half an hour earlier than Ms. Ha and Mr. Danh. Clean the desk, the reception desk, and put a kettle of hot water ready to make tea for Mr. Danh in the morning.
So that when the other two arrived, she would once again be dressed up, ready for an effective working day.
A radiant spring girl adds more bright colors to the solemn atmosphere of the room, especially when she smiles a lot and becomes more and more beautiful.
Like this morning, a July morning after a long night of rain, the sky was clear, the wind was light and the sun was mild, making everyone feel much more comfortable. A melodious song came from a pretty, plump mouth.
– La la la… Every day I choose a joy… choose flowers and smiles… I pick the sunshine, I invite you to keep it…
– Let your eyes smile like flying leaves… ha ha, Chi has a new love, I’m so happy to see you.
Chi blushed and raised her head to greet him softly.
– Hello uncle, I just sing because I’m happy, not like what you think.
– I was just joking, why are you so tense? We have important work this morning and Ha will be taking the day off, remember to keep your energy up to stay awake and work more effectively, Chi.
Yes sir, is there anything special to note?
– Here, read this report carefully, pay attention to the figures, I just received it last night, this morning the Production and Engineering department in the new workshop will come directly to answer. You have about 2 hours to memorize it, in a moment I will sit next to you, remind you of the figures when you need them.
Ten o’clock in the morning, right on time. The door opened. Two men walked in.
One was Lam, the Deputy Director of Technical Production of the new workshop. He was in his thirties, tall, slightly thin, with a gentle and cautious expression. The other was Dao, in charge of materials and product standards in the new workshop. He was short, had dark skin, short hair, and small, sharp eyes that darted back and forth across Chi’s body in a flash.
Today Chi wore a white shirt that hugged her body, the collar slightly open, a gray skirt that reached just above her knees, and low heels that weren’t too high but still enough to highlight her slender figure. Her smooth, white neck skin was occasionally revealed by her gentle movements. Her hair was tied up neatly but softly, exuding both elegance and the vitality of a twenty-year-old.
I sat next to Mr. Danh, back straight, chest out and round, curved buttocks.
Dao’s eyes were almost glued to her, an impolite, lustful look, unable to hide the dirty thoughts in his head.
– “Damn, so rich and happy, with a hot secretary like this always by my side… Skin like milk, neck white like a peeled egg… If I could take a bite of that fresh meat…”
He swallowed silently, his hands still resting on the briefcase as if busy, but in his mind he had already painted a naked picture of the girl sitting right there.
Chi felt it very clearly, a quick glance left a trace of quiet desire. She still sat up straight, her hand holding the pen tightly, her head slightly raised, her eyes looking straight at him as if warning him.
Mr. Danh pretended not to see, but his eyes quickly rolled around and he tapped lightly on the table.
– You guys probably understand why you were called to the Head Office. So I’ll get straight to the point. Now I want to hear what you guys have to say. How is the raw material situation for the next three months?
Lam had just opened his mouth to explain when Dao interrupted:
– Basically, there is no big change, only that the source of raw materials of the right age is scarce. As you know, the bamboo growing area around the factory has almost completed its 4-year cycle. The suitable variety for us needs at least 3.5 years to reach the standard flexibility for bending.
Mr. Danh was silent to wait for the old man to finish speaking, as soon as he finished speaking he asked again.
– How is our raw material area? Is 60,000 hectares not enough to support a new factory running at half capacity?
The old man acted as if he had achieved his goal. Now he sat silently, letting Lam speak.
– If it were 60,000, there would be no shortage, but out of this total of 60,000, we only have an exclusive supply contract with 40,000. Moreover, half of the remaining 40,000 are new forests.
Mr. Danh was a bit pensive, then Chi stood beside him wondering.
– According to the report, the bamboo areas over 42 months old are in the communes of Giap, At, Binh, Dinh. These communes still sold bamboo to us in the first quarter, why are half of them refusing now? Please take a look, General Director, the reference data clearly mentions imported goods from Giap, At, Binh, Dinh until mid-April.
Her voice was soft but to the point, both Dao and Lam glanced over. Lam hesitated for a moment before answering.
– It is true that we were still selling until mid-April, but then, from somewhere, information leaked out that we were buying bamboo from new communes at the same price but with support for seeds and techniques. That is why half of the households in the other 4 communes that have not signed a contract to purchase bamboo demanded a price increase. The price they demanded was at least 15% higher than the imported goods.
Mr. Danh listened without showing any expression, suddenly he turned to Mr. Dao and asked.
– Mr. Dao is the most knowledgeable person in this matter of materials and quality. What do you think? Is there a way to solve this problem?
As if prepared, the old man smiled falsely at Mr. Danh and then answered.
– It’s not that difficult, we pay whatever the farmers ask for. They only want to make a living.
– But…
Lam was about to interject but Mr. Danh stopped him first. Dao continued.
– If not, temporarily reduce the capacity of bamboo bar and laminate flooring factories, focus on producing materials from bamboo powder in the next 6 months.
He said then secretly smiled, his eyes again on Chi’s butt and chest.
– “This girl is both sweet-talking and delicious, the type of girl that many guys like. If her eyes looked a little different, I would be very excited. Fuck, let’s have a meeting with onions, then go and let the girls blow me…”
This time Mr. Danh gently placed his hand on the file, his fingers tapping lightly.
– I have another plan, which is somewhat similar to Mr. Dao’s. Increase the production capacity of the bamboo powder factory by 25%…
Dao was visibly excited, he thought that his intention had been achieved, this time the vice director would be drowned by him until he could not raise his head. Mr. Danh took in all of the old man’s expressions in his eyes. Then he said another sentence that made the smile on Dao’s lips freeze.
– But we will not reduce the capacity of the steaming furnace and the modified bamboo production line, nor will we import bamboo from other communes, nor will we touch the young bamboo from the raw material area. Instead, we will import raw materials from the Northwest.
– But how can we afford the input prices and shipping costs?
Dao spoke hastily but also agreed with Lam.
– Haha, it’s just crushed bamboo, we will import old bamboo shoots. The advantage is that it is old, the bamboo powder has the same quality but is very cheap. What do you think?
– That’s great, it solves a lot of problems without reducing the production line capacity.
Lam was beaming with joy while Dao’s face was as black as coal, he tried to reason.
– But that is only a temporary solution, and doing so will not reduce our conflicts with the other communes, and what if they refuse to sell to us in the future?
– No one wants that, but if the price increases by more than 15%, the Corporation will have to bear the loss, which is unacceptable. Now, if the farmers accept an increase of only 3 to 5%, the company will consider importing. Otherwise, it will follow the deal I just mentioned. Mr. Dao also had a company producing bamboo products before, and he covered all the raw material areas at that time. Anyway, he is familiar with the farmers here, so he will be in charge of convincing the farmers in the other 4 communes to give the company. If it doesn’t work, next week we will find a source of raw materials in the Northwest. That’s done, now I want to ask more about the output quality of recent batches.
Mr. Danh nodded slightly to signal Chi, she opened the file and pushed it towards the two old men, without looking she still spoke fluently.
– The above statistics show that after April 20, the rate of defective products increased from 2.8 to an average of 4.3. The peak in June was 5.1%.
Lam took the book Chi gave him and nodded at its detail and confidentiality, then he explained.
– This all starts from the input, sometimes because of output pressure, the input is a bit loose for young bamboo.
Lam then presented some comparative figures, presenting them coherently, but his voice was still reserved. Chi still sat next to him, occasionally flipping through the papers, her eyes scanning each line, ready to add. She didn’t say anything more, but it was clear that today she had stepped up to another level, and even Mr. Danh was pleased with her progress.
Late at noon, the two of them stood up to leave, when the door closed, the room returned to its proper solemn atmosphere. Chi cleaned up the reception table, Mr. Danh rested his chin on his hands, thinking, only when Chi had finished cleaning everything did he ask.
– What do you think about them?
Chi paused for a moment, then replied, her voice quite confident.
– I think… Mr. Lam is rather weak and lacking in courage. As for Mr. Dao, although somewhat crude, he seems to work quickly and decisively. He is also an experienced person.
At this moment, Mr. Danh raised his head, his slightly lowered gold-rimmed glasses were lifted. He said.
– You are only partly right, but wrong in an extremely important part. Lam is not weak, just not strong enough. He was oppressed and dominated by a group of Dao’s old staff, people who used to be loyal subordinates when he was the boss of a company.
– Old staff, did they work together?
– Yes, Dao used to open a small company that produced bamboo products, but he couldn’t compete with me so he was removed from the market. His former employees are now all concentrated in the two departments of materials and quality control. He also controls all the raw materials around the factory. So now he takes advantage of that to cause trouble for his own benefit.
– So just now… you said you were looking for alternative materials in the Northwest region to scare him?
– Not really, but that is the last way to apply. Because when bamboo is used for commercial shoots, it will be brittle, warped, and have more fibers and less powder. If processed, it will take more time, and the finished product cannot be made into high-end products, which is different from the company’s current product orientation. The reason I just said that was to put Dao in a difficult position.
He paused to pour two cups of tea for both of them, then continued.
– I guess he leaked the company’s internal information and promised to find a way to force the company to raise the import price, so the farmers unanimously agreed not to sell to us. Surely after 2 and a half months, he is being pressured, now if we have a new source of goods, even if it’s just for a short time, he won’t be able to stand it.
– Have you investigated these, or is this just your guess?
– Mostly speculation, but seeing his smug face when he presented the plan to cut young bamboo, I was 80% sure. And his hasty attitude when he said he would get the materials from the Northwest made me 100% sure.
Seeing that Chi was still confused, he smiled and patiently explained to her.
– If we cut down the young bamboo now, the entire raw material area will become a forest of short-grown bamboo, mature bamboo will be in constant shortage, and he will have the opportunity to oppress us again and again. The benefits will also be more regular and greater, so he is happy. As for why he is in a hurry, you probably already know.
Chi nodded, her eyes filled with admiration. Then, as if she felt that what he said was not enough, she asked more.
– He made so many mistakes, why did you leave him?
– Because he still has an effect, a very big effect, before there is a binding contract with the majority of bamboo farmers in the communes of Giap, At, Binh, Dinh, we cannot fire him.
– So Mr. Lam, to me the role of workshop manager is too vague.
– Mr. Lam is the workshop director’s man. They all have knowledge and ability, but they have just returned from abroad, so their foundation is very weak. But because they are very trustworthy, I am willing to support them so they have time to grow up.
– Oh, so that’s why I was wondering about that factory manager.
– I’m not old enough to be called sir.
Chi had not yet understood what he meant when Mr. Danh continued to speak.
– I am not a genius, I just lived a hard life, met many fake people so I learned to observe and be suspicious. Do you know where the most fake and real are mixed?
Chi shook her head slightly, her eyes looking at him almost without blinking.
– It is a film crew, where the actors play a different face every day, the director looks at each actor’s face to give them different attitudes. The producer pretends to be serious but when the time is up, he uses his power to force the young actors into the room. The crew members are also multifaceted, as soon as they stop praising, they start to speak ill of them. I have worked there for a long time and also at the Radio Station, so I am familiar with the fake faces people wear. Now make me another pot of tea, someone will be back soon.
Sure enough, as soon as the tea was made, someone knocked on the door. Chi opened it and it was Lam. He left and turned back to listen to Mr. Danh’s instructions.
Mr. Danh let him sit down, after he finished his cup of tea he spoke, straight to the point.
– You know what I’m letting you do?
– I understand. But Dao and his old henchmen are not easy to deal with, and they also have the trust of the people.
– The Tao is not scary, and those people are not dangerous. What is scary is their unity. If you can separate them, you win.
– But they have worked together for a long time, very close.
– It’s just a temporary bond. There must be some people who are just out for profit, and clever use will divide them from within. Go tell your manager that, he’ll understand.
Yes, on behalf of Philips director, thank you General Director.
– Okay, go home it’s my lunch time.
Having said that, he waved his hand to signal the guests to leave, then stood with his hands clasped, looking out the window. The sun was now shining brightly. He squinted his eyes and spoke so that only he and Chi, who were walking closer, could hear.
– Have to put Ha down there to manage quickly, too many problems.