hotmtlnovel Chapter 1515 Trying anything as a last resort
Chapter 1515 Trying anything as a last resort
The centennial celebration of Dingqinglou acted like a shot in the arm, completely revitalizing this century-old establishment that was on the verge of bankruptcy. Red lanterns still hang high, and red ribbons still flutter in the wind, but the restaurant's popularity has long since transcended the brief celebrations; it's now a genuinely bustling place. Every day before dawn, smoke begins to rise from the kitchen chimney as chefs busily process fresh ingredients. The sounds of chopping vegetables, stir-frying, and the clanging of pots and pans blend together, creating the most delightful atmosphere of lively activity. In the dining area, waiters, dressed in uniform blue jackets and sporting standard smiles, move between tables, their feet barely touching the ground, yet still full of energy.
Huo Dongfeng stood in the center of the lobby, dressed in a well-fitting dark blue Zhongshan suit, his hair neatly combed. Gone was the tough, ruthless air he once possessed in the Donglin underworld; replaced by a smile that was three parts humility and seven parts warmth. He greeted everyone he met with a nod and a friendly greeting, even to old neighbors passing by: "Aunt Zhang, come in and sit for a while? Want to try our new braised fish slices?"
"Dongfeng, you're really making something of yourself these days!" Aunt Zhang waved her hand with a smile, "No, no, I'm waiting for dinner at home. I'll definitely come over another day!"
"Alright, you're welcome anytime!" Huo Dongfeng replied with a smile. After watching Aunt Zhang leave, he turned around to greet the guests who had just entered.
For the past six months, he's spent every day welcoming and seeing off customers. His hands, once clenched into fists, now move with practiced ease, skillfully and naturally as he holds a teacup, guides customers, and directs them to their seats. Dingqinglou's business is booming; not only are returning customers flocking back, but it's also attracting many new patrons. Some are drawn by the century-old reputation, some by the 50% off sale, and others by the long queues outside. Whatever the reason, once they step inside Dingqinglou and taste its food, most become repeat customers.
With business booming, Huo Dongfeng kept his promise and brought Erpang back to his side. He rented a two-bedroom apartment near Dingqinglou. Although it wasn't big, it was clean and tidy, with a living room, a bedroom, and a small balcony. At least it provided Erpang with a stable home.
However, in stark contrast to the booming success of Dingqinglou, Cui Guomin was in a state of utter distress.
Cui Guomin's small processing plant is located in a dilapidated factory building on the outskirts of the city, mainly processing parts for some state-owned enterprises. Since the factory opened, orders have been plentiful, often requiring workers to work overtime to meet deadlines. The roar of the machines in the factory never stops from morning to night. Cui Guomin is also extremely busy every day, running around for raw materials, supervising production, and chasing orders. He is so busy that he is dizzy, but the busier he is, the more anxious he becomes.
Because the checkout process is always delayed.
That evening, Cui Guomin dragged his tired body home and sat down on the sofa with a sigh as soon as he entered. Li Xiaozhen was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing his sigh, she came out with a bowl of stir-fried vegetables and asked with a frown, "What's wrong? Why are you sighing again? Did something happen at the factory?"
Cui Guomin looked up, his face full of worry: "What else could it be? It's time to pay the workers' wages again, but the upstream payment hasn't come in yet."
Li Xiaozhen placed the dishes on the table, sat down next to him, and said with a hint of confusion and dissatisfaction, "Didn't you always say that the factory was doing well and that you had so many orders that you couldn't keep up with them? How come you're short of money to pay wages?"
She works as a waitress at Dingqinglou Restaurant, and her salary isn't high. Dingqinglou's profit sharing won't be settled until the end of the year. Her family's daily expenses, her children's tuition, and utility bills all depend on her meager salary, so she's already struggling to make ends meet.
Cui Guomin rubbed his temples with a bitter face: "The profits are good, and there are indeed many orders, but the payment takes time. My factory needs to feed the people and feed the animals, pay the workers' wages, spend money on raw materials, and pay for machine maintenance. Money is needed everywhere. If the upstream payments are not received, I have no working capital at all."
"Just because someone owes you doesn't mean you can't owe them back!" Li Xiaozhen said anxiously. She took out her salary card from the drawer, sighed, and said, "I only have a little over a thousand yuan left in this card. I saved it up by being frugal. I was planning to buy the child a new outfit, but now it seems I can only give it to you for now. But with this little money, let alone buying raw materials, it's not even enough to pay the workers' wages."
Looking at the salary card in his wife's hand, Cui Guomin felt a pang of guilt. He knew Li Xiaozhen had a hard life; she hadn't enjoyed any happiness with him, but instead had to worry and suffer alongside him. He covered his face and collapsed onto the bed, his head throbbing: "We're already quite far behind. The raw material suppliers have been urging us several times. If we keep falling behind, they'll stop supplying raw materials, and then the factory will have to shut down."
"Why don't you focus on the orders with shorter payment cycles first?" Li Xiaozhen thought for a moment and offered her suggestion: "Let's put the ones with slower payment cycles aside for now and do them when we have the money."
Cui Guomin shook his head, his tone tinged with helplessness: "That's how it is outside now, you have to wait to get paid."
The more Li Xiaozhen thought about it, the more she felt that things couldn't continue like this, and she began to worry: "Won't we end up not getting this money back? If they keep dragging their feet on settling the payment, our factory really won't be able to survive."
Cui Guomin's body stiffened visibly, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes. He quickly shook his head, as if reassuring Li Xiaozhen, or perhaps himself: "No, absolutely not. I only get orders from state-owned enterprises. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Their factories are so big, they wouldn't be short of a few tens of thousands of yuan from me, would they?"
Li Xiaozhen thought about it and agreed. State-owned enterprises are, after all, state-owned enterprises; they're large and powerful, how could they possibly default on their debts? She breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at Cui Guomin, saying, "Why don't you go borrow some money from Ji Qiang? His bakery business is so good, he must have some spare cash. Let's borrow it to pay the workers' wages first, and then pay him back once the upstream payment is settled."
Cui Guomin frowned and thought for a moment. It seemed that Qin Hao was the only one around him who was financially well-off.
That evening, Cui Guomin called Qin Hao and asked him to go out for drinks.
The two met at a barbecue stall on the outskirts of the city. The barbecue stall was especially lively at night, filled with smoke and the aroma of cooking. Cui Guomin arrived early, chose a corner seat, and sat down, his heart pounding with anxiety as he kept rubbing his hands together.
As soon as Qin Hao arrived, he walked over with a smile and casually teased, "It's not a holiday or anything, why are you suddenly inviting me for drinks? You're not a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken, are you up to no good?"
Cui Guomin's face stiffened, and he gave an awkward laugh, quickly gesturing for Qin Hao to sit down: "You're good in every way, except you're too suspicious. Can't I just be in a good mood and offer you a drink?"
Qin Hao smiled, sat down without any ceremony, and shouted loudly to the boss, "Boss, give me two hundred lamb skewers, fifty large fat skewers, two chicken frames, and a bundle of large green sticks!"
Upon hearing this, Cui Guomin's face turned green. He smiled wryly and touched the little cash he had left in his pocket, pretending to be calm as he said, "Are you so short of meat lately? You earn so much money, how can you treat yourself like this?"
He had intended to use the money in his pocket to treat Qin Hao to a drink and, incidentally, ask to borrow some money. But with Qin Hao's meager savings, it probably wouldn't even be enough to cover the cost of the meal, let alone borrow money.
"It's rare for you to treat me, wouldn't it be a waste of such a great opportunity if I didn't eat my fill?" Qin Hao said with a smile. "Besides, it's not very interesting just the two of us drinking. Why don't we invite Hailong and Liu Ye over? It'll be more lively with more people."
Qin Hao was about to stand up and make a phone call when Cui Guomin quickly stopped him, forcing a smile: "No, no, no, Hailong is at home with his wife and kids, don't bother him. Liu Ye has been very busy lately, let him rest. Can't I even take care of you?"
With that, Cui Guomin picked up a bottle of "Big Green Stick" beer, unscrewed the cap, and downed it in one gulp. The spicy beer choked him as he swallowed, causing him to cough a few times.
Seeing this, Qin Hao teased, "Not bad, your alcohol tolerance has improved recently. You couldn't drink this much before."
Cui Guomin let out a burp, wiped his mouth, and said with a slightly unfocused look in his eyes, "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up. I've already finished it, so don't try to back out."
"Alright, then I'll risk my life to keep you company today," Qin Hao said with a smile, picking up a bottle of beer and downing it in one gulp.
After downing a bottle of beer, Qin Hao remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing as usual. Cui Guomin watched him, secretly groaning, wondering to himself, "Who's risking their life for whom here?" His alcohol tolerance was already average; if he kept drinking like this, he'd probably be drunk before he even had a chance to ask for money.
Soon, the owner brought out the skewers: sizzling lamb skewers, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with big fat edges, and fragrant chicken frames, filling the table. Qin Hao picked up a lamb skewer without hesitation and ate it in big mouthfuls, saying as he ate, "It tastes good, much better than the one I had last time."
Cui Guomin, however, had little appetite and just kept drinking, one glass after another, his face growing increasingly red. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Cui Guomin's vision began to blur, and his head felt dizzy. He knew he was nearing his limit; if he drank any more, he might black out.
He took a deep breath, swayed as he raised his head, looked at Qin Hao with a dazed expression, and said through gritted teeth, "Ji Qiang, I... I have something I want to tell you."
"What is it? Tell me." Qin Hao put down the kebab in his hand, wiped his mouth, and looked at him.
"Could you...could you lend me some money?" Cui Guomin's voice was somewhat muffled, but it carried a hint of pleading.
Qin Hao had already guessed that he wasn't up to any good, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but laugh and scold, "I knew it was no good when you suddenly invited me for drinks. So, how much do you want to borrow?"
"Twenty thousand..." Cui Guomin lowered his head, his voice barely audible, "My factory is having cash flow problems lately, and I'm almost unable to pay my workers' wages."
"Your processing plant has always had good business, hasn't it? You can't even keep up with the orders, so how come you're having cash flow problems?" Qin Hao frowned and asked, somewhat puzzled.
Since things had come to this point, Cui Guomin stopped hiding anything and told everyone about his factory's situation: "It's not that I suddenly ran into cash flow problems; it's always been like this. I do processing for those state-owned enterprises, and I have a lot of orders, but they're too slow to pay. I need to pay my workers' wages and buy raw materials, so I simply don't have enough working capital. I already owe a lot of money to my raw material suppliers, and if I don't find a solution soon, the factory will have to shut down."
Upon hearing Cui Guomin's explanation, Qin Hao's face darkened. He knew that Cui Guomin's situation was a classic example of triangular debt.
In that environment, the biggest problem preventing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) from adapting to market competition, besides their rigid and inefficient management systems, was the existence of triangular debt. SOEs operated on a planned production schedule, with all raw material prices also being planned prices—a system commonly known as a planned economy.
Within the planned economy system, factories often did not need to settle accounts with cash; they would deliver goods first and settle accounts later. Some debts had been outstanding for more than ten or even decades, making the accounts a complete mess.
In addition, in the late 1980s, many factories produced products that did not meet market demand, resulting in a large backlog of unsold inventory in warehouses, leaving them with no money to pay their upstream suppliers. However, planned production could not be stopped, as there were quotas from higher authorities, so factories had no choice but to continue production despite the difficulties. This led to a very peculiar phenomenon: despite a large number of products being stockpiled in warehouses and unable to be sold or converted into cash, factories were still producing at full capacity.
Since they're all state-owned anyway, we're all intertwined, so owing someone is the same as owing someone else. In the end, when liquidity dries up, we'll all die together.
Qin Hao was silent for a moment, then looked at Cui Guomin's worried face and said seriously, "Brother Cui, why don't you close the factory?"
"What did you say?" Qin Hao's words were like a thunderbolt, causing Cui Guomin to fall off his stool and land on the ground. After a brief moment of shock, he struggled to his feet, staring at Qin Hao in disbelief: "It's closed? What about all the money I invested? I put all my family's savings into it, borrowed a lot from relatives and friends, and even mortgaged the house. Now that it's closed, won't I lose everything?"
Qin Hao didn't immediately try to persuade him. Instead, he handed him a bottle of beer and waited until Cui Guomin calmed down a bit before saying seriously, "Brother Cui, I know you're unwilling, but if you continue to hold on now, the longer you hold on, the more you'll lose. Those debts owed by state-owned enterprises seem like accounts, but they're practically worthless. Getting the money back is as difficult as climbing to heaven. If you don't believe me, try organizing all the IOUs you have and taking them to them to ask for the money. Be firm, and see what they say. Then you'll understand whether this factory can continue operating."
Cui Guomin's lips trembled, his eyes filled with struggle and resentment. He muttered to himself, in a voice almost only he could hear, "No, no, such a big state-owned factory wouldn't be short of money. They will definitely pay me."
Seeing his stubbornness, Qin Hao didn't say anything more. Some things can only be truly understood through personal experience. He patted Cui Guomin on the shoulder: "I'll stop here. Think it over carefully. I can lend you the money, but I don't want you to invest it back into the factory; that would be a waste."
That night, Cui Guomin got completely drunk, and Qin Hao eventually took him home. Back home, he lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Qin Hao's words felt like a thorn in his heart. He didn't want to believe Qin Hao, yet a vague unease lingered in his heart.
The next morning, as if he had made up his mind, Cui Guomin got up early, sorted out all the debts, put them in a file bag, and then rode his bicycle to start his debt collection journey.
The first company he was looking for was a large machinery factory in the city. This factory owed him more than 30,000 yuan, and it had been overdue for almost half a year. Cui Guomin rode his bicycle for more than an hour to reach the machinery factory. The factory gate was very impressive, with a sign that read "Donglin City No. 1 Machinery Factory" hanging at the entrance. Inside, there were rows of factory buildings, and the roar of machines was incessant.
Cui Guomin took a deep breath and walked into the machinery factory's office building. He found Section Chief Wang, who was in charge of purchasing. Section Chief Wang was a middle-aged man in his forties with a round belly and a hint of impatience on his face.
"Section Chief Wang, hello, I'm Cui Guomin from Cui's Processing Plant. I'm here to discuss payment with you." Cui Guomin smiled and handed over his business card.
Section Chief Wang glanced at the business card and said casually, "Oh, Mr. Cui, I know about this. Don't worry, a large state-owned factory like ours wouldn't be short of money like this. The factory is a bit short of funds lately, but we'll definitely settle the bill for you once the cash flow improves."
"Section Chief Wang, it's been more than half a year, and I'm almost unable to pay my workers' wages. Could you please settle a portion of their wages for me first?" Cui Guomin said patiently.
“Boss Cui, you’re wrong about that.” Section Chief Wang frowned. “Our factory is so big, with so many orders, how could we possibly shortchange you on this 30,000 yuan? Just wait a little longer, it will definitely be settled in a month at most.”
Cui Guomin wanted to say something more, but Section Chief Wang waved his hand and said, "Alright, I have things to do. You can go back now. I'll have the finance department call you later." After saying that, he got up and went into the inner room, leaving Cui Guomin outside.
Cui Guomin was rebuffed and felt terrible, but he didn't give up. He knew that if he went back now, he definitely wouldn't get his money back. He sat in the office building lobby until the end of the workday. When Section Chief Wang came out after get off work and saw Cui Guomin still there, his face immediately darkened: "Boss Cui, what are you still doing here?"
"Section Chief Wang, if you don't settle the payment for me today, I'm not leaving." Cui Guomin's attitude became firm.
Section Chief Wang was taken aback, clearly not expecting Cui Guomin to be so persistent. His expression changed, and his tone became firm: "Boss Cui, haven't I already told you? It's not that we don't want to pay you, it's just that our factory isn't doing well right now, and we're almost unable to pay our workers' wages. Where would we get the money to pay you? If you cause any more trouble here, I'll call security!"
Seeing how quickly Section Chief Wang changed his attitude, Cui Guomin felt a chill in his heart. He hadn't expected that Section Chief Wang, who had just said he wouldn't be short of money, would change his tune so drastically in the blink of an eye.
"Section Chief Wang, even if your factory isn't doing well, you can't just not pay back the money you owe me. That's hard-earned money too!" Cui Guomin argued forcefully.
Section Chief Wang glared at him: "Anyway, we're broke right now, so do whatever you want!"
After saying that, he turned and left without looking back.
Cui Guomin was trembling with anger, but he was helpless. He knew that arguing with Section Chief Wang would not yield any results.
Over the next few days, Cui Guomin visited several other state-owned enterprises that owed him money. The result was exactly the same as with the first machinery factory. At first, they were all very polite, assuring him that large state-owned enterprises wouldn't be short of money and asking him to wait.
But when Cui Guomin took a firm stance and said he wouldn't leave without the money, the other party immediately changed their tune, either saying that the factory was not doing well and they couldn't pay the workers' wages, or that the financial system was strict and required multiple levels of approval, so they couldn't settle the payment in a short time.
The finance manager of a textile factory even told him directly, "Mr. Cui, it's not that we don't want to pay you. That's how the whole industry is now. Everyone owes each other money. We owe you money, and others owe us money. There's nothing we can do. If you really need the money urgently, go ask the factories that owe us money."
Cui Guomin felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, chilled to the bone. He spent a whole week running around, visiting every state-owned enterprise that owed him money, but he didn't get a single penny back, and instead, he was left feeling incredibly angry. Those section chiefs and directors who had once been so polite to him turned into menacing figures the moment money was involved, making him see reality for who it truly was.
Two weeks later, Choi Kookmin returned home like a walking corpse. He was wearing dusty clothes, his hair was messy, his eyes were empty, his face was pale, and he looked much more haggard.
Seeing this, Li Xiaozhen's heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward to support him, asking worriedly, "Guomin, what's wrong? Where have you been for the past two weeks? How did you end up like this?"
Cui Guomin could no longer hold back. He hugged Li Xiaozhen tightly and burst into tears, crying, "Wife, I'm sorry, I messed things up. I didn't get a single penny of that money back!"
Li Xiaozhen felt a wave of suffocation, as if the sky had fallen. Back then, Cui Guomin had not only emptied his family's savings to buy imported machine tools and set up a factory, but also borrowed a lot of money from relatives and friends, and even mortgaged their house. If the factory failed, they wouldn't be able to repay the debts, and they would lose their house, leaving their family homeless.
Seeing her husband's heartbroken appearance, Li Xiaozhen's resentment instantly dissipated. She knew that Cui Guomin didn't want things to be like this either; he also wanted to make their family's life better. She gently patted Cui Guomin's back and comforted him, "It's okay, Guomin, don't be sad. We still have me, don't we? Dingqinglou's business is doing well now, and we'll get dividends after the New Year. We can pay it back slowly then."
"But I've mortgaged the house, and Mengmeng's Xiali car too. How am I going to explain this to Mengmeng..." Cui Guomin cried like a child, his voice choked with sobs.
“We can buy another house. Besides, I’m tired of living in this old house. When we have more money, we’ll buy a new one, a bigger one.” Li Xiaozhen forced back her sadness and said with a smile, “As for Mengmeng, it’s okay. I’ll talk to her. She’s a sensible child and she’ll understand. Difficulties are only temporary. As long as our family is still here, as long as we work together, there’s no obstacle we can’t overcome.”
With Li Xiaozhen's comforting words, Cui Guomin's emotions gradually stabilized. He knew that now was not the time to wallow in despair; he had to make a decision as soon as possible. After a night of contemplation, Cui Guomin finally made up his mind to close the factory.
On the day the factory closed, Cui Guomin stood in the dilapidated factory building, looking at the machines that had been with him for so many years, his heart filled with mixed emotions. The workers had all been laid off, and the factory was empty, with only machines and a pile of unfinished parts remaining. Cui Guomin could no longer hold back, squatted on the ground, and cried uncontrollably.
Qin Hao and Huo Dongfeng also rushed over. Seeing Cui Guomin's heartbroken state, they both felt a pang of sympathy. Qin Hao stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said softly, "Shutting down the factory is a timely way to cut your losses."
Cui Guomin wiped away his tears, raised his head, and said in a choked voice, "But I've staked everything on this!"
"Where are your IOUs?" Qin Hao asked.
“It’s no use. Many of their factories can’t even pay their workers’ wages now, so they have no money to pay me back.” Cui Guomin shook his head, his tone filled with despair.
"Just because we can't pay salaries doesn't mean we can't scrape together this little bit of money." Qin Hao said seriously, "Since we can't get it back anyway, we might as well try anything."
Cui Guomin wiped away his tears, looked up at Qin Hao again, and opened his mouth to say something, but Qin Hao stopped him with a raised hand: "I can't do this, we need to find a professional."
"A professional? Who is that?" Cui Guomin asked, puzzled, not knowing who Qin Hao was referring to.
"You'll find out when you come with me."
Half an hour later, in an inconspicuous barbecue restaurant, Cui Guomin stared wide-eyed at a man sitting opposite him and said to Qin Hao in disbelief, "The professional you mentioned, could it be him?"
The man sitting opposite him was Gou Changzi. Gou Changzi was wearing a floral shirt and a thick gold chain around his neck, and he looked fierce and menacing.
Qin Hao smiled and nodded: "Professional matters should be left to professionals. He's definitely capable of handling debt collection."
Dog Intestines was completely bewildered, staring warily at Qin Hao and Cui Guomin, wondering what they were up to. He had been holding a grudge since Qin Hao beat him up last time, so he naturally didn't give them a friendly look: "What are you two whispering about? Last time you ambushed me, but when it comes to a real fight, I'm not afraid of you."
Qin Hao waved his hand and said with a smile, "I didn't come to you to fight this time, I came to ask for your help."
Dog Intestine blinked, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Help? Help with what? I have no connection with you guys."
Qin Hao gestured for Cui Guomin to bring out the bills. Cui Guomin hesitated for a moment, then took the neatly arranged IOUs out of the file folder and handed them to Gou Changzi. Gou Changzi picked up the IOUs, glanced at them, and quickly understood. He raised an eyebrow and said, "So you want me to help you collect debts?"
“That’s right.” Qin Hao nodded: “This is all money that state-owned enterprises owe Brother Cui. It totals over two hundred thousand yuan. If you can help get it back, we’ll give you a cut.”
"You guys beat me up last time, why should I help you?" Gou Changzi threw the IOU on the table, a hint of disdain on his face.
Qin Hao held up two fingers and said, "20%. If you get the money back, you can take 20% as a reward."
Dog Intestines' eyes lit up, and a look of interest appeared on his face. 20% of a hundred thousand was more than 20,000 yuan, which was no small amount for him. However, he quickly shook his head: "It's too little. Besides, you don't have much money here, and it's not easy for me to make this trip."
"How much do you want?" Although Cui Guomin felt the pinch, these IOUs were just a pile of worthless paper in his hands. It was better to try anything, as Qin Hao suggested. As long as he could get some of the money back, even if they took a cut, it was better than getting nothing at all.
“30%.” Gou Changzi held up three fingers and said firmly, “It’s not that I’m being stingy, it’s just the rule in this business. If I take too little, I won’t be able to survive in society. Besides, those state-owned enterprises’ debts are hard to collect, I’ll have to put in a lot of effort, and I might even offend some people. 30% is not too much at all.”
Cui Guomin looked at Qin Hao, wanting to hear his opinion. Qin Hao nodded to him, indicating that he could make the decision himself.
Cui Guomin took a deep breath and gritted his teeth: "Okay, 30% it is. However, I have one condition: you cannot use illegal means to collect debts. If anything happens, I will not be responsible."
Gou Changzi chuckled and patted his chest: "Don't worry, even though I'm a gangster, I know the rules and won't do anything immoral. I have my ways of getting your money back." (End of Chapter)