Chapter 186: The One-Month Pledge

A tense and conflicted expression appeared on Wang Changjiang’s face.

"Chen Huajiang, what on earth do you mean? Can't you speak more plainly?"

Finally, he looked at Chen Huajiang and asked.

"First, twenty thousand yuan to lease the factory buildings for four years—that is strictly for leasing the factory buildings for four years. Second, I can pay two months of the accumulated back pay for the veteran employees of the factory, but I will not assume any responsibility for the rest. Third, you must deal with the troublemakers in the factory; as long as there are troublemakers around, I will not lease it. Fourth, I must make an inventory and keep a record of what kind of factory I am taking over at this moment and what supplies are available. Fifth, the rest of the factory's debts have nothing to do with me, and I will not bear them."

"If you can agree to these five conditions, I will take over the match factory. If not, I'm sorry, but this is a bottomless pit, and I won't let myself get sucked into it."

Chen Huajiang stated the five conditions he had thought of yesterday, scanned the crowd with a resolute gaze, and finally fixed his eyes on Wang Changjiang.

"What?! You'll only pay two months' wages? No, absolutely not!"

"Why should we only get two months' pay? The factory owes us half a year's wages, how can just two months be acceptable?"

"I object, this is impossible! Why should we work for six months and only get paid for two?"

The match factory employees all around chimed in with great agitation.

Wang Changjiang’s expression also shifted through a myriad of emotions. After hesitating for quite a while, he said, "Boss Chen, we need to discuss this matter and give you an answer by this afternoon. What do you think?"

"Fine, I'll come back at two this afternoon," Chen Huajiang said bluntly, then turned and left without a moment of hesitation.

By the afternoon, Wang Changjiang had clearly managed to work on the workers.

After some inquiries, Chen Huajiang learned that the factory would use the twenty thousand yuan lease fee to pay out their wages, and use the rest to settle the arrears owed to raw material suppliers.

There was obviously something fishy going on here; he could be certain that Wang Changjiang was using these lease funds to cover up their own financial holes.

First, he had Ermao bring a camera to photograph every corner of the factory, and then he had Niu Sanshu draft a detailed legal document.

Only after completing all of this did Chen Huajiang sign the contract with Wang Changjiang and wire the twenty thousand yuan lease payment into their account. Naturally, the remittance receipt had to be kept as evidence.

He simply could not trust the "morals" of people like Wang Changjiang.

As for Wu Hao, he did not show up in the afternoon—evidently, he had been pacified by Wang Changjiang, either through money or promises of benefits.

Regardless of which it was, it was none of Chen Huajiang's concern. The moment he signed his name, he took over the mess of the match factory.

Chen Huajiang gave everyone a week off, telling them to come back to work next Monday.

However, he had still underestimated Wang Changjiang’s bottom line; this fellow was simply shameless beyond measure.

The next day, trouble struck the match factory.

Upon learning that the match factory had changed hands, a group of debt-ridden suppliers swarmed to the premises, demanding that Chen Huajiang pay off what they were owed.

"This is the debt the match factory owed us last year, totaling thirteen hundred yuan. You must pay it back, otherwise don't even think about opening this factory!"

"The match factory owes us eight hundred yuan for timber, unpaid off and on for three years. You have to pay me today, or I'll smash your factory to pieces!"

"Send your boss out! Pay up! Pay up!"

With only a sixty-something-year-old gatekeeper at the entrance, naturally, he could not stop these debt-collectors, and the factory was quickly overrun.

Chen Huajiang hurriedly sent Ermao and his men to look for Wang Changjiang, but there was no trace of him anywhere—even his wife and children had vanished along with him.

This made Chen Huajiang so angry he felt like his soul was about to leave his body. Clearly, Wang Changjiang had skipped town.

After getting the money, he hadn't used a single cent to pay off the suppliers. What Chen Huajiang found hard to believe was: how dared the man pull such a stunt?

Did he really think Chen Huajiang was a pushover who would help him shoulder this massive debt?

Finding the man untraceable, Chen Huajiang went straight to the police to report the case.

However, the police could do little about such a matter; they only took down statements, and any further action would have to wait until Wang Changjiang was found.

"If you don't pay us back today, don't even think about resuming operations!"

"This is all our blood and sweat money! What right do you have not to pay us back?"

"Paying off debts is only natural and justified. Since you, Boss Chen, accepted the match factory, you naturally accepted its debts as well."

Having given their statements, the creditors returned to the match factory en masse and occupied the grounds once more.

Chen Huajiang felt a splitting headache; all these various debts added up to over ten thousand yuan.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford to pay, but Chen Huajiang felt that this match factory was a bottomless mud pit. Who knew if paying off these people now would just flush out a flood of even more creditors?

Yet, if the issues here weren't resolved, there was no hope of getting the match factory up and running, and the capital he had already invested would truly become sunk costs.

"Everyone, please stop arguing and let me say a few words, alright?"

"Since I, Chen Huajiang, have taken over the Nanming Match Factory, I naturally won't run away from your debts. I acknowledge these debts."

"But right now, I don't have the cash. Pressuring me like this won't get you your money any faster. Why not give us a chance? At the very least, let us get the factory running and back on track, so we can make money and pay you back then, right?"

Chen Huajiang held a megaphone and shouted to the dozen or so creditor bosses below.

"No way! You say you'll pay next time, and then it's next time, and next time again—how many years has it been?!"

"You have to pay us today, otherwise we'll go down together in ruins!"

"Can an empty factory like yours possibly survive? Can it produce anything? Do you take us for fools?"

The crowd shouted one after another, refusing to believe Chen Huajiang's promise and closing in around him tighter and tighter.

"You might not know this, but I also own Kunlun Catering and Kunlun Coal Stove businesses."

"Who told you that restarting the match factory means we have to make matches right away? Coal stoves still sell quite well at the moment, and Kunlun Coal Stoves are considered a hot item on the market."

"As long as we start production, we can make money immediately. And you will naturally get your repayments. How about this, I'll give you a one-month deadline to repay you in full."

Chen Huajiang had no choice but to keep "playing his hand," revealing his trump cards of Kunlun Catering and Kunlun Coal Stoves to them.

At this, the creditors muttered among themselves in discussion, finally showing some belief in Chen Huajiang's sincerity.

In the end, they signed a promised deadline for repayment in one month, and only then did the crowd disperse.

"Boss Chen, we'll give you just one more month. On this day next month, if you still can't pay up, don't blame us for being rude!"

"That's right! If you can't pay by then, don't blame us for going to your catering shops to cause trouble!"

Before leaving, they still hurled threats at Chen Huajiang.

After everyone had left, Chen Huajiang let out a long sigh, intending to head home for a rest.

Along the way, however, he was intercepted by a black Santana sedan. Passersby on the street cast awestruck gazes at the car.

In this era, most people still traveled by bicycle. If a family owned a motorcycle, it was equivalent to driving a Mercedes or BMW in later generations—to say nothing of a sedan like a Santana.

Chen Huajiang was momentarily dazed, wondering what was happening. Could some super-rich domestic tycoon have come looking for him?

Yet when the rear door opened and a passenger stepped out, Chen Huajiang frowned.

The visitor was an acquaintance—an acquaintance he had only met once before.

"Boss Chen, care for a ride?"