Volume 3 Chapter 40 Not treating them like real workers
“What is going on?” Xu Yi looked at Cantona with scratches on his face and manager Riley who had bruises on his face and felt it was a bit funny as he asked, “Could it be that you two were bored and fought with each other?”
Cantona gave an awkward laugh and manager Riley gave a bitter laugh before saying, “Chairman Xu, don’t tease us. I don’t believe that you don’t know what happened. As for this, we need you to give us advice on how to handle it.”
Seeing the bitter looks on their faces, Xu Yi stopped teasing them. After thinking for a bit, he felt that this problem was a bit troublesome. It was no wonder that these two didn’t deal with it and waited for a few days, waiting for him to come to let him deal with it.
Four days ago, on this hundred thousand hectares of land the Frestech Chamber of Commerce rented from head Wein, the thousand Banta City farmers from the Lampuri Kingdom had suddenly broken out in conflict with the five thousand local farmers.
According to the count after, there were a total of three hundred Banta City farmers and five hundred local farmers that were a part of this. Although there hadn’t been any casualties, there were close to a hundred people who were seriously wounded and four hundred people who were lightly wounded. Even Cantona who was responsible for this farm work and manager Riley who wasn’t related at all had also been lightly injured.
Because of this serious incident, all work at the Frestech Farm had stopped temporarily. Cantona had been busy processing these fellows and hadn’t slept well in a few days.
“As for the matter itself, it isn’t that hard to take care of.” Xu Yi thought for a bit before saying to Cantona, “For our Banta City farmers, Cantona, you can go and talk to them privately. As for the local farmers, I will go find head Wein and I believe that as long as certain disciplinary punishments are given, no one will dare cause trouble again.”
Cantona was a bit hesitant, “Although no one would dare cause trouble, but……Chairman Xu, I think that our Banta City farmers are right. The Stantine Duchy Farmers are just too lazy, not willing to do any work at all, yet they take the same wages. This already makes me dissatisfied, but those fellows aren’t satisfied and they came to accuse us of giving higher wages to the Banta City farmers, saying that it isn’t fair. Humph, who knows who it’s unfair for.”
Xu Yi asked Cantona with a serious look, “Are these your real thoughts?”
Cantona was stunned and after hesitating for a bit, he nodded with gritted teeth.
“Yes, these are my true thoughts. Chairman Xu, I’ve been in charge for half a month, so I’ve seen just how lazy those Stantine Duchy fellows are. According to what I’ve seen, our Banta City’s farmers’ single day of work is equal to five of theirs, but each of them are receiving five gold coins. Our Banta City’s old farmers who came here are only receiving a hundred gold coins per year, which isn’t even an average of ten gold coins a month, which would be twice their wage.”
“But in reality, they are receiving a higher wage than the Stantine Duchy people, right?” Xu Yi asked back, “So from the perspective of the Stantine Duchy workers, their dissatisfaction is reasonable.”
“Pei! If they have the skills, can’t they do a bit of work? If it was me, we should follow the rules of our Banta City and give them money based on how much work they do. They earn more if they work more and they earn less if they work less, if they don’t do a single thing, they won’t receive a single copper coin!”
Xu Yi revealed a faint smile, “This idea isn’t bad, but it’s a pity that the situation with the Stantine Duchy is different. So this can’t happen in reality.”
“Why can’t it?” Cantona asked in an unconvinced voice.
“Because I think that you should know most of the wages these workers receive end in head Wein’s pockets.”
Cantona was stunned. He immediately realized something and looked around before asking in a low voice, “Chairman Xu, according to your words, this matter was actually instigated by head Wein? It was no wonder those Stantine Duchy fellows had always been good and sudden created trouble two days before you came. In the end, they just wanted to raise this condition with you.”
Manager Riley on the side gave a cold and angry snort, “Humph! That d.a.m.n fatty, he was just commending chairman Xu in front of us a few days ago, I never thought that he would use such an underhanded method. He simply deserves to die!”
As the one this was about, Xu Yi didn’t really care. He waved his hand with a smile, “You don’t need to react this strongly. This matter is just my guess, there’s no proof. We have to keep cooperating with head Wein in the future, so we can’t just ruin our relationship.”
“Then you want to accept his threat?” Cantona said in a very unconvinced manner, “Chairman Xu, this d.a.m.n fatty’s greed knows no bounds. If you agree to him this time, I guarantee that he will keep doing this in the future.”
“That’s right, this kind of person definitely thinks like this. As long as you admit defeat to him once, he will get even worse. Chairman Xu, I think that you should not let him succeed this time, otherwise it will never end.” Manager Riley also said.
“Relax, I have my ideas.” Xu Yi shook his head with a faint smile, “If it was only for money, I wouldn’t be worried. Then again, even if he had enough money, it would become a problem of if he had a life to use it……”
Cantona and manager Riley were stunned at the same time. They looked at each other and could see the astonishment in each other’s eyes.
Based on Xu Yi’s words, there was a grim meaning that could be heard.
“Alright, comforting the farmers from Banta City will be mainly left to you, Cantona. Manager Riley, we are old friends, so you helping where you can with this matter, I have to first thank you.”
“Chairman Xu is too polite.” Manager Riley waved his hands, “With our relationship, this is just a small matter. But I feel that if they were personally comforted by you, the effects would be better. To be honest, most of our Banta City farmers were willing to leave Banta City and come here to farm, it was all because of you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce.”
“Un, of course I will act, but I can’t stay here for long and there are many other things to do, so most of the work needs to be completed by you all.” Xu Yi nodded before saying to Cantona, “Remember, you have to stabilize the mood of our Banta City farmers, don’t let them feel worried about staying here and reclaiming the land.”
“Alright, I’ll do my best.” Cantona nodded in response. He thought for a bit before asking, “Chairman Xu, do you think……we should compensate them to make them feel more a.s.sured?”
“No.” Xu Yi shook his head and rejected this suggestion, “They were in the wrong a bit in this matter, so if we’re processing this normally, we also need to punish them.”
“Punish them?” Cantona was shocked as he said, “I’m worried that they might just stop working.”
“So this is only processing on the surface. On the surface, we must punish their behavior to avoid this kind of conflict in the future. But you can secretly tell them the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s real att.i.tude. It isn’t convenient for me to do this, so I’ll have to leave it to you, Cantona.”
Cantona nodded to show he understood.
“Other than that, the method of farming needs to change. Since the local farmers aren’t easy to use, then don’t let them work together with our Banta City farmers in the future. In any case, there are so many agricultural magic machines, just with our Banta City’s people, it’s enough to reclaim the land.” Xu Yi said.
“What about the five thousand locals?”
“There are many things they can do. For example, they can be responsible for building the infrastructure, fixing the roads, and other buildings.”
Manager Riley revealed a bitter look, “Chairman Xu, the people that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce don’t want, our Amrit Chamber of Commerce aren’t willing to use either. I know how lazy those fellows are and if they were sent out, wouldn’t they be a burden for us?”
“Their wages will be paid by our Frestech Chamber of Commerce, what are you afraid of?” Xu Yi said, “If you’re worried they’ll be a burden, then have them work on things that don’t require any skills at all. Building roads and the port only requires simple manual labour work, so you can just give it to them. Although they are lazy, there are still five thousand of them, so they can do a bit.”
Manager Riley knit his brows before doubtfully asking, “Chairman Xu, why do I feel……like you don’t place those five thousand people in your eyes, not treating them as real workers for your company?”
Xu Yi gave a shrug, “Whenever those people change their laziness, I’ll treat them as real workers for our company. Have you not found that other than the wage of five gold coins a month, they don’t enjoy a single benefit that our Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s employees enjoy?”
“Then aren’t you throwing away twenty thousand gold coins a month?” Manager Riley was flabbergasted.
“There’s no other way, this is a price that must be paid.” Xu Yi stood up, “Manager Riley, I’ll have to trouble you to help Cantona take care of this, I’m going to have a chat with head Wein.”
A surprised look flashed on their faces before Cantona said in a worried voice, “Chairman Xu, it can’t be that……you want to expose that d.a.m.n fatty, right?”
“It’s not the time yet.” Xu Yi revealed a faint smile, “I’m just…..going to make a deal with him.”