Chapter 174: The Young Man’s Political Strength
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The factory area of the new LS slaughterhouse had already exceeded three square kilometers, much larger than some villages and towns.
Looking through the window at the factory that stretched out as far as the eyes could see, Mich.e.l.le said in a dumbstruck manner with her eyes wide, “T-This is basically a small city!”
“More like a small town. There’s no city with its size being only three square kilometers in the US.” Zhang Lisheng slowed down and drove through the factory gate.
When the security guard saw the young man’s eye-catching Explorer, he quickly put on a serious guarding look. “Good afternoon, Mr. Zhang.”
“Good afternoon.” The young man pointed at the Dodge and Grand Cherokee behind right away. “These two cars behind are with me, let them in. By the way, is Mr. Charlie at the factory?”
“He’s in the new office building, a.s.signing jobs to the new employees.” The young security guard answered Zhang Lisheng’s questions in detail.
It was a pity that the young man did not notice this employee who had tried to catch his eyes for the second time now. “Thank you.” After saying so, he drove towards his office building.
After pa.s.sing by dozens of well-organized workshops that were orderly distributed on the flat and clean concrete floors, the Explorer stopped at the parking s.p.a.ce outside the two-story office building.
The young man got down from the car and took in a few breaths of the cold air filled with a b.l.o.o.d.y smell that was emitted from the slaughterhouse. Watching the young people get down from the car with an unmistakably shocked expression on their faces, he smiled and said, “My office is upstairs. Let’s go up for a coffee. I’ll ask somebody to bring all of you to see how livestock are slaughtered using modern machinery. It’s gentler than you think so I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed…”
“Oh my G.o.d! Lisheng, is this really your factory?” All of a sudden, Randy, who did not seem to hear Zhang Lisheng, shouted loudly as he asked.
“Yep.” Zhang Lisheng walked into the office building and told the two a.s.sistants who had just started the job, “Send a few cups of coffee and one c.o.ke upstairs.” He opened the metal door leading to the second floor and walked along the stairs towards his enormous office.
“This office is larger than UCLA’s hall! The h.e.l.l? Such a large factory… such a large office… How did you do it?” Randy walked around in the office and asked loudly.
“Do what? Build a factory with an area of 3.5 square kilometers? Well, after you’ve mastered the key technology, the rolling development will bring in cl.u.s.ter effects and all you need to do is to get some support from the bank. Everyone, please feel free to sit.” Zhang Lisheng pointed at the sofa and took out his phone to dial Charlie’s number. “Charlie, are you still in the new office building?”
“I am, boss. Is there anything you want me to do?”
“Please come to my office. Also, by the way, please bring a security consultant with you, the best in our factory.”
“Yes, boss. I’ll be there right away.”
“See you later.” Zhang Lisheng hung up and at that moment, the beautiful smiling female a.s.sistant had already sent up the few cups of coffee and had already placed a gla.s.s of iced c.o.ke in front of him. “Your c.o.ke, sir.”
“Thank you.” The young man lifted the gla.s.s of c.o.ke up and took a sip. “Later, the security consultant will come and all of you can…”
“Lisheng, I noticed some top-cla.s.s blueberry champagne.” Randy walked out from the corner of the left side of the office that was obstructed by some emerald green shrubs while holding a bottle of large champagne in his arms. “You should use this to welcome us.”
“Randy, are you twenty-one years old yet?”
“Oh my G.o.d! Are you in the ‘prohibition era’ of the 1930s? Only allowed to drink alcohol at the age of twenty-one? This is a ridiculous law and n.o.body but you will obey it in the US!” Randy said as he opened the cork of the champagne with a ‘pop’.
The champagne splashed all over his face. After opening his mouth wide to get a few mouthfuls of the blueberry champagne, he ran with satisfaction towards the sofa and sat down on it.
Zhang Lisheng could only smile wryly. “Randy, you better not drive if you drink.”
“Lisheng, I’m not a madman, so how could I possibly drive after drinking,” Randy replied before downing the gla.s.s of coffee in one gulp so he can put the champagne into the empty gla.s.s to have a shot right away.
“Oh, do you know that you look like a madman right now?”
“By the time you have entered university, you’ll know how absolutely normal my behavior is when you live in a dorm. Oh, that’s right, Lisheng! I’m very curious! How much money can this huge factory make for you? Can you tell me in secret?”
In Western society, asking about a man’s income was equivalent to asking about a woman’s age. It was a very rude question and only a person like Randy, who was in a tipsy state and had an excessively lively personality on top of strong curiosity, would be able to blurt this question out.
Upon hearing his question, everyone widened their eyes and waited for Zhang Lisheng to answer.
“It has just been increased to one million a day,” the young man replied with a smile.
At this time, Charlie walked into the office with a small middle-aged man that was dressed in a frock while carrying a striking red helmet in one of his hands.
Zhang Lisheng no longer paid any attention to Randy who became dumbstruck after hearing his answer but looked at Charlie and the other person instead. “Good afternoon, Charlie. Is this person the best security consultant in our company?”
“Yes boss, Annick is a Safety Engineering graduate from Walkerton University. He has a safety consultant experience of 19 years in the largest ‘Oasis Slaughterhouse’ in Southern California.”
“Just by listening to it, it already sounds trustworthy enough. Mr. Annick, I have a task for you. These few gentlemen and ladies wish to visit the livestock slaughtering process in our factory, so I hope that you can bring them over but make sure you pay attention to their safety.”
Being summoned by the prominent figure of the company personally to the office but was given such a ridiculous task instead in the end, Annick could not help but feel disappointed. However, he pretended to accept the task Zhang Lisheng gave to him with a solemn promise and soon brought the group of young people to leave the office with him.
Before they left, Riley asked, “Lisheng, you’re not going to the factory for a visit with us?”
“I can’t. I’m bored of watching that kind of scene already. On top of that, I still have something to discuss with Charlie. Go ahead, Riley. Remember, if you feel scared or find it disgusting, quickly cover your eyes, hold your breath and run out of the workshop to take in a few breaths of fresh air.” Zhang Lisheng waved as he said with a smile.
After his siblings and the other young people who were from Los Angeles disappeared from the office, he shut the door and turned around to whisper suddenly, “Charlie, Mr. Dolby Douglin met with me just now and made a request this morning. He hopes that in the election next year after our beloved chocolate president has left the White House, we can help influence the politics in New York City and help a certain powerful person sit in the White House. Do you think we have that kind of ability?”
Although the young man’s voice was very faint, it was like as deafening as thunder when it entered Charlie’s ears.
This guy, who had been meddling within the New York business circle for more than 30 years and remained a second-rate figure, knew that the highway leading to becoming a first-cla.s.s figure had now opened a narrow door for himself.
Knowing he needed to be calmer at such a time, he did not immediately answer Zhang Lisheng’s question. “Give me a few minutes, boss. A few minutes. Let me figure it out first.”
After pondering inside the quiet office for more than ten minutes, Charlie finally gave a positive answer. “We have the ability to influence New York State’s votes, boss. If it’s the traditional vote reservoir state of the Democrats or the Republican, then our weak power would not be worth mentioning at all, but in the eternal swinging state of New York, we can play a very delicate check and balance effect. We, no, it’s you! You already have this power in your hands!”
“I, no, no, no! Charlie, Mr. Dolby and I have a collaboration plan for building a large biological laboratory in Africa, and I’ll go abroad very soon for a long time to do the inspection. Since you think the LS Group already has the ability to influence New York State’s votes, I’ll hand this matter over to you to do this. Go contact Mr. Dolby and talk about it properly.” Zhang Lisheng walked back to his desk and sat down, before pulling out a long drafted letter of appointment from the drawer to sign his name, “Manager Charlie…”
As the young man was saying, he turned the appointment letter around and placed it in front of Charlie.
Upon seeing this appointment letter he had always been dreaming of, Charlie did not know whether he was feeling sad or happy at this time.
In the modern company system in which the equity represented the final discourse power, the general manager would only be the company’s manager appointed by the board of directors. However, in the absence of major mistakes, for the sake of the company’s stability, it was impossible for major shareholders to change the general manager frequently.
In other words, for a company like LS which was basically in a seller’s market, Charlie would most likely work here until his retirement after he had been appointed as the general manager.
However, if he tried to influence the votes of the New York State by using the LS Group’s influence, once the candidate they helped failed during the election, a major mistake would immediately be const.i.tuted.
The company’s board of directors, also known as Zhang Lisheng, would most likely dismiss him with a little compensation to appease the elected person’s anger.
However, there seemed to be no way for Charlie to escape it in his current situation. His mind whirled around and a pleasant smile appeared on his face as he signed his name on the appointment letter Zhang Lisheng had already signed. “This is my responsibility, boss. The small p.a.w.n should be the one handing such a matter while the king continues to stay hidden. Don’t worry, please rest a.s.sured that I’ll do my best to complete your instructions.”
Zhang Lisheng did not expect that Charlie would actually think that his seclusion of trying to escape from the intelligence agency of the country to be his brilliant strategy of pretending to move ahead in order to hide his intention to retreat. Not only that, even Charlie’s perception towards him had started to change as well.
“What did you say, Charlie?” Zhang Lisheng asked in curiosity. Then, without warning, his face turned grave as he furrowed his brows without asking a follow-up question. “Forget it. Remember, after I leave the US, I won’t contact you and you are given full authority to take care of the company, unless there’s something particularly important. Go contact Mr. Dolby and head to his office directly. Mention my name and your position and I believe he’ll meet you. I’ll see you again, Charlie.”
“Thank you for your trust! See you again, boss.” Charlie waved his hand to say his farewells before striding out of the office.