area51novel Chapter 42 Su Wanqing
Chapter 42 Su Wanqing
Su Wanqing took out her key and opened the iron gate. The gate slowly rose, revealing the interior of the factory. The factory area was not large; after entering, there was a spacious courtyard with some discarded parts and cardboard boxes scattered on the ground, making it look somewhat messy. On both sides of the courtyard were two old-fashioned factory buildings, many of the windows of which were broken and barely covered with plastic sheeting.
The entire factory was eerily quiet; there was no sound of machines running, nor a single worker in sight, exuding an air of desolation and decay. Lin Zhou roughly understood that the factory's business situation was probably in dire straits.
Su Wanqing seemed to notice Lin Zhou's gaze and explained somewhat embarrassedly, "The factory has been shut down for almost a month, and the workers have all gone home on holiday."
Lin Zhou didn't say much, just nodded, and followed the others into the conference room on the second floor of the office building. The conference room was simply furnished, with a long conference table, a dozen chairs around it, and a whiteboard on the wall with some scrawled writing still on it.
After everyone was seated, the head of the liquidation team took out a thick document and pushed it in front of Lin Zhou: "Mr. Lin, this is our assessment report on all the assets of Huasheng Radio Factory. You can take a look at it first."
Lin Zhou picked up the report and began to carefully review it. The report detailed all the factory's assets, including the factory buildings, land, production equipment, raw materials, and so on. According to the assessment results, the total value of the entire factory's assets was around HK$1.2 million, of which the land alone was worth nearly HK$900,000, and the remaining production equipment and raw materials were worth no more than HK$300,000.
"Mr. Lin," the head of the liquidation team began, "Huasheng Radio Factory currently owes HSBC a total of HK$800,000 in principal and interest. According to the liquidation process, we need to dispose of the factory's assets to repay the bank loan. Considering your interest in acquiring the factory's equipment, we can offer you a preferential price."
Lin Zhou put down the report, looked up, and asked, "What price did your bank offer?"
"Considering that the factory's equipment is somewhat outdated and has been shut down for a month, and many raw materials may have already spoiled, our purchase price is HK$300,000," said the head of the liquidation team. "This price only includes the factory's equipment and does not include the factory's other assets or outstanding debts."
Lin Zhou quickly calculated in his mind. This price was indeed very reasonable. These equipment were all imported, and there was practically no one selling them on the market right now. This was practically a steal. But he also knew that the bank was offering such a low price mainly because the factory had already stopped production, and there was no one willing to take over in the short term. Finding a suitable buyer wouldn't be easy. Rather than leaving it unsold for a long time, it was better to dispose of it at a low price as soon as possible to recover the funds.
"I need to think about this price," Lin Zhou said, deliberately pausing before agreeing. He knew that negotiation was a process of bargaining, and he couldn't easily reveal his sincerity.
Sure enough, seeing Lin Zhou hesitate, the head of the liquidation team said again, "Mr. Lin, this is the lowest price we can offer. As you can see, these devices are simply unavailable in the Hong Kong market. Importing them would be very slow and expensive. We're only asking for 300,000, which is a very favorable price."
"That being said, the factory's equipment is already quite outdated, and after being shut down for so long, it's hard to say whether many of the machines will still be functioning properly," Lin Zhou said. "Furthermore, after the acquisition, I will need to invest in repairs and upgrades, which will be no small expense."
The two sides went back and forth like this for nearly an hour. The liquidation team members refused to budge an inch until the very end, insisting on the price of HK$270,000, while Lin Zhou only made a few symbolic attempts to bargain. He knew in his heart that this price was already far below the market value, and continuing to haggle would be unnecessary.
Finally, Lin Zhou stood up and said, "Okay, HK$270,000, I agree to this price."
Upon hearing Lin Zhou's agreement, the members of the liquidation team finally showed expressions of relief. The team leader immediately took out the pre-prepared acquisition contract and handed it to Lin Zhou: "Mr. Lin, let's sign the contract now."
Lin Zhou carefully reviewed the contract, and after confirming that all the terms were in order, he picked up a pen and signed his name on it. Su Wanqing also signed the contract; as the current owner of the factory, she was responsible for this asset disposal.
After signing the contract, the liquidation team members took the contract and stood up to leave: "Mr. Lin, Ms. Su, now that the contract has been signed, we'll head back now. We'll arrange for someone to follow up on the subsequent asset handover procedures."
"Thank you all for your hard work." Lin Zhou and Su Wanqing escorted them to the factory gate.
After watching the liquidation team's vehicle drive away, Su Wanqing turned around and looked at Lin Zhou with a complex mix of emotions, including reluctance and a sense of relief: "Boss Lin, from now on, the equipment from Huasheng Radio Factory will be yours to use."
Lin Zhou looked at the dejection in her eyes and smiled slightly: "Miss Su, don't worry, now that I've acquired these devices, I'll definitely take good care of them. By the way, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you."
"Please speak, Mr. Lin." Su Wanqing looked at him with some doubt.
"I'm currently setting up a home appliance factory, mainly producing appliances like air fryers," Lin Zhou said. "The workers at Huasheng Radio Factory are all experienced veterans, and I want to invite them all to work at my new factory. As for compensation, I'll set it according to the average level in Hong Kong's manufacturing industry, and the factory will provide a canteen and dormitory to solve their food and lodging problems. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing's eyes lit up instantly, and the dejection on her face vanished, replaced by overwhelming surprise and gratitude. She even forgot to ask what an air fryer was.
"Boss Lin, are you telling the truth?" Su Wanqing asked excitedly.
After taking over the factory, her biggest worry was the future of the long-time employees. Most of these employees had worked there for over a decade, some even having watched her grow up, and they shared a deep bond. After the factory shut down, she had been trying to find ways to help them, but without success. Now that Lin Zhou was willing to take in all the employees and provide them with food and lodging, it undoubtedly relieved a great deal of her anxiety.
"Of course it's true," Lin Zhou nodded affirmatively. "These veteran employees are experienced and familiar with the production process, which is exactly the kind of talent I need. Moreover, I don't want to see them lose their jobs because the factory closes down."
"Thank you so much, Boss Lin!" Su Wanqing's voice trembled with emotion, and her eyes reddened slightly. "On behalf of all the employees in the factory, thank you!"
Seeing Su Wanqing's grateful expression, Lin Zhou felt a warmth in his heart. His decision stemmed from two reasons: the genuine need for experienced workers and being moved by Su Wanqing's sense of responsibility and kindness. He smiled and said, "Miss Su, you don't need to be so polite. This is a win-win situation for both of us. If it's convenient for you, could you please contact the factory's employees, tell them the news, and ask if they'd be willing to work at the new factory?"
"Okay! I'll contact them right now!" Su Wanqing nodded immediately, a long-lost smile appearing on her face, as bright as the sunshine after the rain.
Lin Zhou watched her hurried figure as she ran off to make a phone call, inwardly laughing, "You can't escape now, come on in!"