dognovel Chapter 119 Contract Laborers, Cutting Off People's Path to Wealth!
Chapter 119 Contract Laborers, Cutting Off People's Path to Wealth!
"Turns out he was a fraud."
Amid the laughter, a middle-aged man sitting not far away stood up from his chair.
He wore a long gown and mandarin jacket, and a pair of shiny leather shoes. A golden chain around his chest suggested it was a gold pocket watch.
It's very luxurious, but it doesn't quite fit the atmosphere of this coffee shop.
Upon seeing the other party, Chen Qiyuan immediately frowned.
Lin Yi also turned his head to look, wondering whose tail he had stepped on with his plan to build cars.
They actually mistook me for a fraudster.
"Oh, it's Mr. Chen. What's wrong? Is business this difficult now? You've even started hanging out with scammers."
Just then, the gold pocket watch walked over.
His face still wore that same smiling expression, but the words he spoke were unmistakably sarcastic and sarcastic.
He was mocked to his face, and in front of Lin Yi.
Chen Qiyuan's face immediately darkened.
My temples throbbed twice.
Just when Lin Yi thought he was about to fly into a rage, Chen Qiyuan forced a smile and said, "What a coincidence, to run into Mr. Duan here."
"It wouldn't be appropriate to invite a French friend to a teahouse, would it?"
Mr. Duan, wearing a gold pocket watch, smiled.
Lin Yi turned his head and glanced over, and sure enough, he saw a foreigner sitting in the booth where he was sitting.
At this moment, before Chen Qiyuan could speak, Mr. Duan turned his gaze to Lin Yi.
He looked him over with a smile and said, "Young man, you've got some skills."
"You dare to make up a story about building cars, and you even managed to fool Mr. Chen..."
"Mr. Duan, this is my friend. Please speak to me politely!"
Chen Qiyuan interrupted him, and the smile on his face disappeared.
Lin Yi gave a look to Ah Sheng sitting next to him, and Ah Sheng, who had just sat up, sat back down.
As for Fang Chang, he merely glanced at the man surnamed Duan before listlessly waving his coffee.
Clearly, this kind of stuff didn't interest him.
But Lin Yi, who was being called a fraud, found the whole thing rather interesting.
Although the background of this Mr. Duan is unknown, since Chen Qiyuan addresses him as "Mr," he is clearly not an official.
And their attitude towards this person was one of avoiding him at all costs.
He was, after all, a very wealthy and influential person.
Lin Yi was eager to see what the outcome of this clash would be, given that even he found the person troublesome.
This can also be seen as a test for Chen Qiyuan.
It's approved; 10% of the shares.
It won't pass; at most, it'll be two percent.
This was also because he finally spoke tough after the other party had spoken rudely to him.
They still have some sense of morality.
"friend?"
Chen Qiyuan's sudden change in attitude surprised the man surnamed Duan.
He turned to look at Lin Yi, then at Chen Qiyuan, who was clearly furious, and laughed heartily, his eyes darting around: "Looks like I was wrong."
"That's so rude."
"I misspoke, I hope this brother won't mind?"
His face could change in an instant, and the words he uttered carried a hint of gangsterism.
Lin Yi had a rough idea of his identity.
If someone is involved in a gang, they must have a big reputation, and be the kind of person who's like a leech.
Reputable business people would naturally avoid it at all costs.
As for saying he didn't mind... Lin Yi smiled wryly and ignored him.
Reputable business people are afraid of quacks, but what can you do when you're not a respectable business person?
Small fish and shrimp are troublesome to handle.
But he has a lot of experience in dealing with people of high status.
He deserved it; he was looked down upon.
The man surnamed Duan's lips twitched, but he didn't react on the spot.
Although it's unclear where this guy comes from, if he's not a fraudster, then the fact that Chen Qiyuan is protecting him like this suggests he must be someone important.
In the world of gangsters, besides ruthlessness, keen insight is equally important.
Unable to ascertain Lin Yi's background, he dared not act rashly.
He took a deep breath and suppressed the anger that was rising within him.
The man surnamed Duan laughed again, easing the awkwardness somewhat.
He stopped bothering Lin Yi and turned to Chen Qiyuan: "Mr. Chen, it's better to meet by chance than to invite someone. I visited you several times recently, but I was turned away each time."
"Now that we've run into each other, shouldn't we talk about our business?"
Before Chen Qiyuan could speak, he continued, "I, Duan, have no objection to Shengchanglong not using my workers."
"But you've gone a bit too far by inciting all the textile factories in Guangdong Province to ban my workers, haven't you?"
“My team of people all need to eat, and these workers also need to earn wages to support their families.”
"Because of your words, thousands of people have lost their jobs. You're really undermining my reputation."
Chen Qiyuan glanced at Lin Yi before saying, "Mr. Duan, we were originally cooperating, and it's just that we will no longer cooperate in the future."
"As for the claim that you, Mr. Duan, have ruined your business and caused thousands of people to go hungry, I do not agree with that statement."
"We have a solution. To compensate you for your losses, we will give you ten yuan per worker."
"As for those who were laid off from the factories, all the factories are willing to rehire them."
"But this kind of contracting can no longer happen."
"you……"
"Mr. Duan, you have a large and powerful family, you don't need to always rely on these poor people to make money for you, do you?"
Chen Qiyuan interrupted Mr. Duan and said earnestly, "Mr. Duan, it's not a big deal. Let's part amicably. Our colleagues in the textile industry will also remember your kindness."
"Do you still remember my kindness?"
The man surnamed Duan glared at him, then burst into laughter.
"Mr. Chen, you are indeed a businessman; you have a very good plan."
"You're the one who's been blessed by everyone, but I'm the one who suffers the loss and bears the bad reputation."
Chen Qiyuan was about to speak when he was interrupted by Chen Qiyuan raising his hand.
He snorted coldly and said, "Since we've already laid everything out, then I, Duan, will also say something."
"Three days. If you still haven't given up after three days, then we'll see!"
After uttering a harsh remark, the man surnamed Duan called out to his foreign friend, and two bodyguard-like figures nearby also stood up and stormed out of the coffee shop.
As he watched him leave, Chen Qiyuan's expression became uncertain.
"Brother Qiyuan, who is this guy...?"
"Duan Xinde".
Upon hearing this name, Chen Qiyuan gave a wry smile: "A local tyrant in Guangzhou, he also wields considerable influence throughout the province."
"This guy not only sells cigarettes and arms, but he also monopolizes the bonded labor business in the entire Guangdong province."
Upon hearing the words "indentured laborer," Lin Yi immediately understood what was going on.
bonded laborers, shady employment agencies.
This can be considered a major characteristic of this era.
Factories of all sizes employ workers in two ways.
One option is to hire the workers themselves, and the other is to subcontract the work to a foreman who acts as an intermediary.
Most self-employed individuals are paid according to market rates.
But if you subcontract the work to a foreman, that's the bulk price.
The difference isn't huge, but it's not insignificant either. Over a month, a worker can save at least one dollar.
The larger the volume, the lower the labor cost.
However, the intermediaries pocket the difference, and by the time the money reaches the workers, it's already less.
If you encounter someone with a conscience, you can have one or two pieces.
But if you encounter a dishonest person, it's not as simple as just cutting it in half.
When it comes to profits, bad money often drives out good.
After so many years of development, unscrupulous contractors have sprung up everywhere.
The methods used to extract profits are becoming increasingly ruthless.
Typically, they not only take more than half of the wages, but also often extend the working hours to earn an extra sum.
The business owner profits from this, and so does the foreman.
The initiative is back in their hands.
Over time, it became a chronic condition.
The exploitation of workers is becoming increasingly severe.
The Duan family controlled most of the bonded labor market in Guangdong Province, which was a considerable source of profit.
When someone cuts off your source of income, you'll naturally resort to desperate measures.
And this matter has a lot to do with Lin Yi.
Because the elimination of bonded laborers in the textile industry was an industry standard issued by the joint association...