Chapter 142: Buying the Factory
Xu Youyou looked at the golden needle of the system, which was pointing straight at the factory sign hanging by the door.
Having picked up so many “leaks” from the system, she immediately understood its meaning. What she was supposed to “pick up” wasn’t the sign, but the opportunity to buy the factory.
She gave Xu Fang a look.
Xu Fang stepped forward and knocked on the factory’s main door.
“Coming, coming.”
Soon, an older security guard, looking to be in his early fifties, came to open the door. He wore an old coat that wasn’t too new or too old, and his face was wrinkled tightly. Up close, the heavy smell of smoke on him was unmistakable.
“You all look too well-dressed to be here for work. Are you here to buy electric scooters? Have you made arrangements with the factory in advance?” the security guard asked.
Xu Fang, experienced in these matters, quickly handed him a pack of cigarettes. The guards and drivers were often well-informed, so if you wanted to get the inside scoop, they were the quickest way.
After receiving the cigarette, the security guard’s expression visibly softened. “If you want to know something, just ask. I’ll tell you everything I can.”
Xu Youyou casually asked, “If I want to buy a batch of electric scooters, who should I talk to?”
The security guard took a drag from the cigarette and answered matter-of-factly, “Young lady, it’s not that we don’t want to sell to you, but the problem is that the factory’s goods have issues. If we sell them to you now, you’ll end up returning them later. It’s better to just not buy them.”
Xu Youyou paused, not expecting the electric vehicle factory to be facing such troubles.
“What’s wrong with the scooters? Can’t they run at all?” Xu Youyou asked.
The security guard replied, “The government issued a new regulation this month that limits the speed of electric bicycles to 25 km/h. Our factory received the news too late, and we just produced a large batch of scooters that exceed the speed limit. Now we can’t sell them.”
Xu Youyou hadn’t anticipated this situation. She asked, “Can’t you just add speed limiters?”
The security guard, clearly well-versed in the factory’s issues, shook his head. “The design of the scooters was a bit flawed. We can’t add speed limiters now. A few of our designers are at their wit’s end, and they don’t know how to fix the issue.”
“How much inventory do you have?” Xu Youyou asked.
“Twenty thousand units.”
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow in surprise. “That many?”
This number didn’t seem like ordinary stockpiling. From her quick glance earlier, twenty thousand units seemed to be approaching the factory’s capacity.
The security guard became agitated as he spoke about it. “We had a big order before, designed according to the customer’s specs. Who knew that right after production, this issue came up. Now the customer doesn’t want the scooters anymore.”
Xu Youyou responded, “At least they gave a deposit, so you can recover some of the losses.”
The security guard slapped his thigh and said, “If we had a deposit, it would have helped us hold on. But the contract clearly stated that if there are any policy changes… we have to refund unconditionally…”
Xu Youyou: …
She suddenly felt that the factory needed a good lawyer to review its contracts.
The security guard sighed in frustration. “Our factory manager got tricked. The customer kept pressuring us to hurry, and the leadership didn’t notice anything wrong. By the time the new regulation came out, half the order was already completed.”
“They’re suing us to get the deposit back. Now, we still have a lot of materials in the warehouse, but we can only make these faulty electric bikes. We haven’t paid our workers for two months, and they’re about to revolt,” the security guard said.
Xu Youyou could imagine how desperate the factory workers must be. After gathering some information about the leadership, she said, “Take me to meet your factory leaders.”
The security guard looked at Xu Youyou in surprise, then glanced at her bodyguards and the two expensive cars clearly parked nearby. “Young lady, are you planning to invest in our factory?”
Xu Youyou shook her head. “If the price is right, I’ll buy the factory.”
The security guard immediately asked, “You really want to buy the factory? Will you pay us our wages? Will you pay the overdue wages?”
Xu Youyou nodded. “Of course.”
“Then will you buy our inventory too?” the security guard asked.
Xu Youyou nodded again.
“The total is probably several million…” the security guard said cautiously.
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow. “That cheap? It’s even cheaper than my car.”
The security guard clicked his tongue in disbelief at the luxurious lifestyle of the rich, but the more money Xu Youyou had, the more at ease he felt. “Alright, alright, I’ll call the factory leadership now. Someone will be here to meet you soon.”
Before the issue with the electric scooters arose, there had been people interested in buying the factory. However, after the problem surfaced, very few people wanted to take on the faulty scooters. Most only wanted to buy the factory’s buildings, not the inventory or responsibility for the workers.
Xu Youyou was the first person to say she would take everything.
The security guard’s phone call had an immediate effect. In less than five minutes, Xu Youyou saw someone riding an electric scooter approaching.
She turned to the security guard and asked, “Is this scooter made by your factory?”
The security guard nodded. “Ms. Xu, don’t let the small size fool you. These scooters are fast, and they’re quiet when running. Once they hit the market, they’ll sell very well.”
Xu Youyou looked at the cute little scooter, noticing that the workmanship and materials seemed solid. She couldn’t help but feel regret that it wasn’t on the market yet.
The factory manager had a loud voice. He looked at the security guard and immediately asked, “Lao Liu, is the big boss really here?”
The security guard quickly introduced, “Ms. Xu, this is our Factory Manager Chen.”
Factory Manager Chen thought to himself that Xu Youyou seemed too young, but when he saw the four bodyguards in matching outfits and the luxury cars nearby, he quickly forced a smile. “Ms. Xu, welcome. We should discuss things inside. Lao Liu, open the gate and let Ms. Xu’s car in!”
Of course, the business couldn’t be discussed in the security office. The security guard pressed a button, and the gate slowly opened. Xu Youyou got in her car and followed them to a three-story office building.
“Ms. Xu, please follow me. Be careful on the steps,” Factory Manager Chen said, bowing and smiling as he led the way.
Many factory owners, after making money, would lavishly decorate their offices, making them very luxurious.
However, Factory Manager Chen’s office was very simple, with just a desk and chairs, a sofa and coffee table, and a curtain dividing the space, revealing a single bed behind it.
Factory Manager Chen personally made tea for Xu Youyou.
“Ms. Xu, I don’t think I’ve asked where you’re from?” Factory Manager Chen tried to make small talk.
Just as he finished speaking, a middle-aged man rushed into the office.
“Manager, I can’t take it anymore! My daughter is sick and needs money urgently… The factory hasn’t paid wages for two months… I need to see the money today!!”
