"This factory is mine now!"Standing at the window, cigar in hand, Pierre looked out proudly over the long stretch of factory buildings and towering chimneys behind him. Like any powerful boss, he puffed his thick cigar with a face full of smug satisfaction.
"I still can’t believe it,"Zhang Weilen stepped up beside him and gazed out at the massive complex."A factory this big and you didn’t even spend a penny!"
"Hey, don’t say that," Pierre replied with mock seriousness. "I paid a lot, didn’t you see? The bank interest alone is over $250,000! And going forward, I’ll be paying huge annual property taxes too..."
He almost added, Don’t go telling people I robbed him blind I’m not that kind of person.
He took another puff and continued."Besides, it’s not easy running a business. If I’m not careful, this place could turn into a money sink!"
Ah yes. Who would ever understand his struggles?
Watching Pierre’s theatrical complaint, Zhang Weilen chuckled."Sure, it’s not easy. But I don’t believe you’d acquire a company without a plan. And I doubt you’d let it lose money."
As the company’s legal counsel, Zhang studied Pierre with a curious look."No one wants to lose money Karl didn’t either. But at the end of the day, it’s about getting operations running again. Without that, it’s doomed to fail."
Seeing Karl looking a little discouraged, Pierre walked over and patted him on the shoulder."Going forward, I’ll be counting on you to manage things here."
"Hard work isn’t the issue," Karl said, his expression turning serious. "The problem is... if we want to restart production, we need to hire workers. And you know how it is everyone’s either joined the army or gone off to other factories. It’s not just that skilled workers are hard to find even regular labor is scarce. Unless..."
He paused for a moment, like he was about to make a major decision."Unless we recruit in the South bring in some cheap labor. A lot of factories are doing it now. They’re affordable... and willing to work."
World War II marked the start of widespread labor migration in the U.S., with industrial centers in the North short on workers. Traditional labor forces had either enlisted or been redirected, leaving factories scrambling to find replacements.
Pierre frowned thoughtfully but didn’t respond right away.
Karl continued."There are options, of course. Some places are hiring from immigrant communities especially the Chinese. They’re reliable, hard-working, and not picky about conditions."
Pierre looked up, interest piqued."Chinese workers?"
Karl nodded."Yes. They’re not being drafted like the rest, and many of them have been overlooked by American firms despite their capabilities. It’s a wasted resource if you ask me."
Pierre took a long drag from his cigar."I see. Cheap, hardworking, and overlooked. Sounds like exactly what we need. I’m not interested in social statements I want results. If Chinese labor can get this factory running, then hire Chinese."
Zhang Weilen blinked in surprise."You want to staff the factory with Chinese workers?"
Pierre shrugged."Why not? I’m French. I don’t owe American industry any loyalty. All I care about is efficiency. If American companies are too blind to see the value in Chinese workers, I’ll be happy to take advantage of that."
"Exclusively Chinese?" Zhang asked.
"Preferably," Pierre said, letting out a puff of smoke. "They’ve got the discipline, the work ethic, and the need for jobs. If we can’t find enough skilled ones, we’ll supplement. But when all things are equal, Chinese workers come first."
Karl listened to this bold declaration and nodded along without any discomfort.In fact, it sounded like common sense.When others waste a resource, a wise man makes use of it.
Besides, Pierre had his own plans.America was just a stepping stone.His true ambition lay in North Borneo, where he planned to rule like a king.
He wasn’t just taking himself he planned to bring this whole factory along with him.And with it, a team of skilled workers. That was essential for building a future.
Now that the recruitment plan was set, another matter came to Pierre’s mind.He turned to Karl.
"Oh, and Karl this factory’s way too big to go without security. I don’t want to spend every day surrounded by mobsters. I want loyal guards. Armed ones."
"I understand, sir," Karl replied with a smile. "Every factory needs security staff.As it happens, I know some people. Trustworthy ones. You’ll approve, I’m sure."
Turning to Zhang Weilen, Pierre said,"We’ll also need engineers. Lots of them. Do you have anyone in mind?"
He asked because of the connection to Yuan Jialiu.In this era, Chinese overseas students in America were a tight-knit network. Among them were surely dozens of engineers.
"You’re asking the right guy, boss," Zhang said, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses with a grin."There are quite a few Chinese engineers in America. Not to mention the recent arrivals from National Southwest Associated University we also have those who came before the war from Tsinghua, Jiaotong, Zhongyang, and Zhejiang Universities.
"Many of them stayed after the war broke out and transportation was cut off. They’re now working in American companies. But if you’re offering a spot in a Chinese-run factory, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to come aboard!"
"Of course," Pierre agreed. "We’re not just offering them jobs we’re offering them respect.Weilen, tell them including Mr. Yuan, who dined with us last time that if they join my company, I’ll match or exceed the treatment they’re getting from foreign firms. Whatever equipment those companies have, we’ll get the same.
"If we treat them right, they’ll anywhere."
Pierre understood what others didn’t.Among those overseas students were the seeds of greatness Nobel Prize winners, and near-winners too.
If he could win them over, he wouldn’t just gain a top-tier engineering team for his company.When it came time to move to North Borneo, he’d already have the talent base he needed to build an empire.
I’ve made a few changes to this Chapter compared to the earlier version. Fortunately, I was notified early on. For those who read it before, you can re-read it now. For new readers, feel free to skip this note and continue to the next part.