"Our printing factory used to do quite well, but for some reason over these past couple of years, we just can’t seem to get enough orders. On the rare occasion we do get an order, they complain about our quality. After one collaboration, they never work with us again. Our factory director even says it’s because with the increase of private enterprises, us state-owned factories just don’t have an advantage anymore. There’s only so much demand each year, and with more businesses in the mix, everyone wants a piece of the pie, so naturally, the requirements get higher, right?"
"Exactly, another order has just been cancelled. They say our notebooks are unattractive and look outdated. They told us there are plenty of cheaper and nicer options out there and didn’t even want their deposit back. Tell me, how can business be done if people don’t keep their word? Today was supposed to be the day we sign the contract, but now it’s all gone to waste. It’s just students’ notebooks and workbooks, what’s not to like? The same printing style is used all over the country, so why does it become synonymous with being outdated when it comes to us?"
"Your factory is state-owned?"
Under the winds of reform, private enterprises truly had crushed many state-owned ones. If her memory served her right, the wave of layoffs had started just this year.
"Yes, a state-owned factory, the Wenxi Printing Factory on Wenxi Road, an old state-owned establishment. Before, thirty percent of our city’s office supplies came from our factory. Look at the social environment now, how can there suddenly be no work at all?"
It’s not that there’s no work at the factory, it’s that society is gradually becoming corrupted. If her intuition was correct, it wouldn’t be long before Wenxi Printing Factory faced closure. After closing, it might possibly be bought by a private individual, and that person might just be the current factory director. After switching from public to private ownership, the printing factory could very well start up again just like that. This was a ruse, a ploy specifically designed to con workers. Chapters first released on novel·fire·net
But who would believe her, an outsider, if she told them this?
She had thought it was a technical issue, but now it was clear it wasn’t. There were many reasons for not getting orders, and it’s possible that the factory was being sabotaged on purpose, leading it to closure. He might be already making connections behind the scenes, starting to pave the way for his future. Such incidents were not uncommon at the end of the 90s and in the years after 2000.
The person probably felt it was pointless to explain further and simply stood up, paid, and left. Gong Mingxia watched his retreating figure, her eyebrows knitted in thought.
For a moment, she entertained the idea of using the 300,000 to find a factory on the brink of bankruptcy, trying to turn it into her own business, but then she shook her head, dismissing the sudden thought. First of all, she didn’t know how to do business; secondly, she had already agreed to the 300,000. If she used the money to make more money, wouldn’t that be breaking her promise?
Even if she were to use the money, it would be better to wait for the next profit share. What she needed to do now was to find something suitable for herself, something she could handle, like... opening a restaurant?
But as soon as this thought began to take shape, Gong Mingxia slapped it away.
"What am I doing? Why am I always dreaming up these impractical things? Right now, I’m a cook—that’s what I am. I should just focus on selling my boxed lunches. There’s no rush to find an alternative if the boxed lunches stop selling."
Yes, that was it. She needed to be diligent and grounded, not letting her mind wander carelessly. She was busy enough as it was and had no time to fuss over other things. Even if she was going to fuss, it seemed she was bound to the role of a cook in this life. So the first step was to get certified; skills don’t burden one, and with a certificate in hand, she could present herself professionally anywhere!