Chapter 144: Personnel Reassignment, Withdrawing Behind the Scenes

Just a moment ago, Zhang Tianfeng had called Tang Tianxiong, instructing him to contact his overseas associates to leverage their capital and directly acquire the shares of the largest creditor of Alex’s company, thereby becoming a shareholder.

Consequently, he naturally became one of Alex’s creditors. As a creditor, he possessed the full authority to exercise his rights and demand early repayment from Alex.

Alex, already struggling financially and having viewed this trip to the East as his only hope for salvation, never expected to provoke such a formidable boss. What could Alex do? He was utterly helpless.

"Boss, just tell me what you need me to do," Alex said, standing up.

The Oriental man before him was immensely powerful; his grasp of capital operations, information gathering, and strategic foresight were far beyond anything Alex could handle. Alex conceded, adopting a very submissive attitude.

"My company will be involved in many business operations in the United States, and I need manpower. If you are willing to work for me, I can help you make money and save your crumbling family."

"You are to return to the United States immediately to establish a branch office for me, then prepare for product promotion and staff recruitment."

"Boss, are you putting me in charge of the branch?"

"Yes, you will be in charge for now. If you prove incapable, I will replace you at any time."

Zhang Tianfeng crossed his legs and said, "As for your salary, I will pay you 2,500 USD per month during the trial period. Once you are formally confirmed, it will be 5,000 USD per month, plus quarterly sales commissions."

Upon hearing these figures, Alex was instantly invigorated. His own company currently generated almost no income, and he had to pay about 3,000 USD in interest to lenders every month. If he could secure this job, at least his immediate livelihood would be guaranteed. Anything else could be dealt with later.

"Thank you, boss! I will work hard and will definitely not let you down."

"I don't need thanks; I need your ability! Whether you can get that money from me depends on your talent."

"Just watch me."

After discussing a few more details, Zhang Tianfeng sent Alex back to the United States. The contracts would be signed there, and for the time being, the branch would be managed through the company owned by Tang Tianxiong’s friend. Once things here were settled, he would travel to the U.S. to bring everything there under his full control.

With Alex gone, the Canton Fair came to a successful conclusion. The transaction volume for the Lanfang Toy Factory was locked in at 88.68 million, neither more nor less.

The campaign had ended perfectly, and it was time to distribute the rewards. That night, the entire staff of the Lanfang Toy Factory held a massive celebration. When Zhang Tianfeng announced at the gathering that every employee would receive a 1,000-yuan bonus, the cheers could be heard throughout the town of Tangwan.

Following the general staff, the management team each received 5,000-yuan bonuses. For the sales department, Zhang Tianfeng was even more generous, granting each person 10,000 yuan. As for his "Four Pillars"—Wang Tiancai and the others—they each received a bonus of 500,000 yuan.

Stacks of cash were piled onto the lawn; even in the dim night, the radiance of the money was unmistakable. That night, most people got drunk, and the bank staff who had to process the deposits were exhausted. Fortunately, the generous tips from Zhang Tianfeng ensured they had no complaints.

The next day, news of the bonuses at the Lanfang Toy Factory spread like wildfire. Everyone who heard the news was green with envy, including the staff at the Bole Recruitment Agency.

Qin Yuelan’s standard response was: "The boss never treats anyone unfairly. Only hard work brings rewards. Those with complaints are free to resign, and their wages will be settled immediately."

Who would dare leave? In Tangwan Town, the Lanfang Toy Factory offered the best benefits, followed by the Bole Recruitment Agency, and then the Youle Late-night Diner. Many other business owners were deeply resentful, as Zhang Tianfeng’s arrival had completely rewritten the employment landscape of Tangwan, forcing them to incur many unnecessary expenses.

Back to the rumors. Once the city leaders of Zhucheng learned of this, they immediately had the television stations and newspapers report on it repeatedly, promoting the story to other provinces and cities. They used the Lanfang Toy Factory as a model to attract other manufacturers to invest, hoping to leverage this to boost the development of Zhucheng.

Because Zhang Tianfeng had strictly forbidden the city leaders from allowing any media to publish his personal information, the newspapers and TV stations had to find creative workarounds.

"The Champion of the Canton Fair is an 18-year-old youth."
"Gold is everywhere on the coast; arriving alone at 18, he created a fortune of hundreds of millions in two months. The first opportunity was actually in..."
"Shocking: China’s youngest billionaire has appeared, and he is right here in Zhucheng."

Media people all share a common flaw: they want their headlines to be eye-catching. These titles were designed to be as sensational as possible. While they gained a massive amount of traffic, it was miserable for Zhang Tianfeng. He hadn't even woken up the next morning when Xiang Chen dragged him out of bed and into a car, transferring him to a hotel in Zhucheng.

Sitting on the edge of the bed in his boxers, Zhang Tianfeng rubbed his temples, shaking off the water from his hair.

"What’s the situation outside?"

"The factory is already surrounded by reporters from various provinces and cities, and there will likely be more tomorrow and the day after. The TV and newspapers are filled with reports about the Lanfang Toy Factory." Xiang Chen smiled and said, "Boss, you are now the idol of every young person."

"Idol my foot! Which bastard leaked the information?" He had intended to keep a low profile for a while, but now that was all gone. Although his name hadn't been exposed, the people in Tangwan Town knew him well, and many likely even had his photos. He couldn't hide anymore; the priority now was how to appear in public to calm the storm he had incited.

"It must have been those bank employees; that’s where it started."

"Damn it!" Zhang Tianfeng rubbed his temples and fell back onto the bed. "Brother Xiang, you and the others will have to work hard for the next while."

"Don't mention it, Boss. Our families depend on you to survive; this is what we should do."

"Continue contacting your comrades. The more, the better; the more capable, the better. Money is not an issue; people are what I need."

"Understood, I will arrange it immediately."

"Go get me some breakfast, and call Zhong Xiaoyi, the four members of Wang Tiancai’s team, and Qin Yuelan over here."

Half an hour later, the core team of the Lanfang Toy Factory gathered at the hotel. Seeing Zhang Tianfeng’s disheveled state, Zhong Xiaoyi covered her mouth to hide a smile.

"Still laughing? Give me the breakfast, I’m starving."

"Boss, you were so handsome when you were handing out money yesterday, but you look so pathetic today."

"Go on, keep mocking your boss and I’ll deduct your salary."

Zhong Xiaoyi knew Zhang Tianfeng was joking, so she stuck out her tongue and retreated behind Wang Tiancai.

Zhang Tianfeng took a bite of a bun and muttered, "No need to stand so far back. Stand with Wang Tiancai and the others. I’m going to announce a few important things."

"First of all, starting today, most of the factory’s affairs will be handled by you."

"This includes contact with sales agents, raw materials, machinery, equipment, and personnel. I will only be responsible for reviewing the work reports you send me every day. Later on, the reporting cycle will be adjusted to once a week."

"Boss... what if we do something wrong?" Zhong Xiaoyi asked weakly.

Zhang Tianfeng chuckled. "That’s what I was about to say. Don't avoid doing things just because you're afraid of making mistakes. Progress only comes from errors, provided you can learn from them. I spent this past month working myself to the bone to secure all these orders just to create room for you to make mistakes."

"I’ll give you six months to do as you please. If I don't see enough potential in you after six months, you’re all out, and I’ll hire a new batch to train. Is that clear?"

"Understood, Boss."

"Good. Now, for the personnel changes..."

Announcing it verbally was a bit informal, but since Zhang Tianfeng controlled the entire factory, who would dare object? Zhong Xiaoyi was promoted from secretary to deputy factory manager, and Wang Tiancai also became a deputy factory manager. Zhong Xiaoyi would be responsible for all production-related matters, while Chu Hongyuan was transferred to be the manager of the Zhongcai Cardboard Factory, with full authority over its production and management. As for Wang Tiancai, Cai Yun, and Li Yuehe, Zhang Tianfeng assigned each of them to be the head of the sales department for one month on a rotating basis.

This rotation system allowed for mutual supervision and management, which would highlight whose leadership was more effective. When the leadership is good, employees have more motivation, and with better cooperation, sales will naturally increase. They would realize this point without Zhang Tianfeng having to explain it.

After finishing, Zhang Tianfeng dismissed the five and called Qin Yuelan in. Seeing the resentful look in her eyes, he knew he was in the wrong and hurriedly pulled up a chair.

"Sister Lan, still holding a grudge?"

"Of course! This morning, when the employees found out about the bonuses you gave out, they were all complaining to me." Qin Yuelan glared at him. "We were the first employees to follow you. To have a toy factory that joined later surpass us—never mind them, I’m upset too."

"Sister Lan, the company’s positioning is different, so the rewards are naturally different."

"I don't care. If you don't give me some benefits this time, I’m really going to quit."

Having grown accustomed to Qin Yuelan’s tomboyish side, seeing her act coy was a bit jarring. Zhang Tianfeng said, "I came here specifically to help you increase revenue."

"The toy factory is going to expand into a group company, which will require a large number of professional talents in various fields. I want you to screen candidates based on the industry's highest standards. For every new employee you recruit, I will give you a 1,000-yuan bonus."

"Furthermore, the Bole company has been in Tangwan Town for long enough; it’s time to see the world. Now that your pockets are full, you have the confidence to expand."

Hearing this, Qin Yuelan’s brow finally smoothed out. It was true that the child who doesn't cry gets no candy; she would have to find more opportunities to complain about being broke to this guy in the future, or he might really forget about the Bole company.

"What kind of talent? You need to give me a detailed description."

"These things take time to organize. I’ll give you the money first; that should be fine, right?"

"Of course! You're a generous boss, may you live a long and healthy life," Qin Yuelan said with a grin.

Zhang Tianfeng rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about the regular staff just yet. Your top priority is to help me recruit a team specifically for corporate supervision."