novelslam Chapter 1030: Asking for a mediator
Chapter 1030: Asking for a mediator
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Li Xu sat listlessly in his executive chair, but his mind was racing. He had been in business for many years and had experienced quite a lot, but this time things seemed a bit difficult.
Hengtong is Sunrise Electronics' largest customer, accounting for 55% of the company's annual revenue.
Without this contract, it's not just a simple matter of revenue being halved; it would mean production lines would be idle, bank loans might not be repaid on time, and suppliers wouldn't be able to pay their customers.
He was overwhelmed with problems, and after thinking about it for a long time, he made a decision: he couldn't just sit and wait for his fate.
To be honest, it's too late for him to develop new clients now. Besides, Hengtong's payment speed is quite fast. They've never delayed payment. As long as the goods pass quality inspection, the payment will definitely arrive within a week. Most importantly, Hengtong pays a lot. The money earned from one order with Hengtong is enough to make the same as the money earned from ten other orders.
None of Xuri Electronics' other clients can do this. Their payment terms start at three months or more, and the profit margins are incredibly thin. The payment terms stipulated in the contract are worthless. Every time, it takes a year or two to get the money. The sales staff have to be humble and appease everyone they meet, and they're even complained about for not giving enough.
Although Hengtong would also make some arrangements, at least no one from Hengtong would take bribes or demand favors. Both sides adhered to the principle of reciprocity, and generally, whatever amount was given by one side would be accepted by the relevant parties. There was never any question of whether it was too little.
He kept searching his network of contacts to see if he could find someone influential to put in a good word for him.
Two days later, Zhao Yaoxian, CEO of Hengtong Technology, was handling official business in his office when his senior classmate, who had helped him, said he would come to visit him later. He specially changed his travel plans for this reason.
However, his expression was not good at the moment, because the headquarters auditor and his human resources director came to talk to him about some things. The preliminary investigation revealed that Hu Minglai had accepted a lot of money and gifts from clients, and the auditor sent by the headquarters had obtained some relevant evidence.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yaoxian nearly fainted. He had originally intended to downplay the matter, but the boss was relentless and sent people over to investigate not only Hu Minglai's case but also the other senior executives of the company.
For a time, all the executives, including him, were filled with anxiety.
After all, everyone has friends and acquaintances, and it's common for people to ask for favors, accept meals, or receive gift cards.
Now that Hu Minglai has been fired, everyone else is afraid of becoming the next Hu Minglai, including Zhao Yaoxian, who has already considered leaving and plans to resign after the New Year. Perhaps that way he can still save face and it won't affect his ability to find another job.
If he really gets kicked out, he can forget about finding a similar job again. The industry is so small, and news travels incredibly fast. There are countless similar stories in the industry. He used to be the one laughing at others, but soon someone will be laughing at him.
After the people from headquarters left his office, he felt as if his bones had been removed, and he plopped back into his chair, rubbing his temples with both hands. He couldn't help it; his temples were throbbing.
A few minutes later, the secretary came in and told him that someone had arrived.
He forced himself to stand up and instructed his secretary, "Please come in quickly!"
Just then, two people entered, one of whom greeted him warmly with a smile: "Yaoxian!"
Zhao Yaoxian quickly stepped forward and shook hands firmly with the newcomer: "Senior!"
He then said apologetically, "I was busy with something just now and neglected you, senior. Please don't mind!"
He Jiaxiang laughed and patted his hand: "Why are you being so formal with me?"
At this moment, Zhao Yaoxian looked at the person behind He Jiaxiang: "Who is this?"
He Jiaxiang then laughed and said, "Come, come, let me introduce you. You two are actually business partners."
"Partner?" Zhao Yaoxian was completely confused.
"Hello Mr. Zhao, I am Li Xu from Xuri Electronics. We met last year at your company's annual meeting." Li Xu seized the opportunity to introduce himself while also trying to get closer to him.
Upon hearing that Li Xu was the owner of Xuri Electronics, Zhao Yaoxian reacted as if he had been branded with a hot iron, abruptly shaking off Li Xu's hand.
His face turned cold, and he looked at his senior, He Jiaxiang, and understood.
Unfortunately, it was no use who came; this matter was no longer within his control. His own position was precarious, so how could he possibly help others?
He waved to his secretary: "Take President Li to the meeting room for a while. I have some things to discuss with my senior."
Standing to the side, He Jiaxiang was surprised that Zhao Yaoxian would actually embarrass him in front of him. For a moment, He Jiaxiang's face also turned ugly.
However, at this point, Zhao Yaoxian couldn't care less about anything else.
After Li Xu left his office, he explained to He Jiaxiang, "Senior, I didn't expect you to bring this person along."
Upon hearing this, He Jiaxiang knew that something must have happened, otherwise Zhao Yaoxian wouldn't have treated him like this.
"What exactly happened between you two that caused this unpleasantness? Is there no possibility of reconciliation? As the saying goes, having more friends means having more options. When you're doing business, you should try to make money by being amicable." Zhao Yaoxian's senior, He Jiaxiang, who was a leader in a department within the system, naturally assumed that there was no conflict that couldn't be resolved.
Zhao Yaoxian politely invited He Jiaxiang to sit down and personally brewed him tea.
Then he said, "Senior, it's not that I'm not giving you face, but to be honest, I'm afraid I won't be staying here for long. I plan to resign at the beginning of next year."
Upon hearing this, He Jiaxiang was very surprised: "Why?"
Zhao Yaoxian pointed to the ceiling and began to explain to He Jiaxiang: "A few months ago, headquarters issued a notice requiring our suppliers to effectively protect the rights and interests of workers."
He Jiaxiang listened and nodded. After Zhao Yaoxian finished telling him the story, he realized that the matter was not as simple as he had thought.
Moreover, Hengtong Technology's requirements are not wrong. Can you say that it is wrong to effectively protect workers' rights? Even if you gave He Jiaxiang ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to say that. The consequences of thinking something in your heart are different from saying it out loud.
As a member of the system, he knew what he could and could not say.
However, since he was already there, he still wanted to give it a try, so he spoke to Zhao Yaoxian in a consultative tone: "Yaoxian, I agree with protecting workers' rights, but we also need to give President Li some time. Can you think of a way to see if you can make an exception?"
Zhao Yaoxian gave a wry smile: "Senior, Hu Minglai, who used to be in charge of supply chain management, has been fired. The headquarters auditors are still with me. They have obtained some evidence, and their next step is to send Hu Minglai to jail. How can I speak up for Li Xu at this critical juncture? If I do, I'll be the next one to be sent in."
He Jiaxiang hadn't expected the situation to be so serious, and he didn't know what else to say.
He could only offer Zhao Yaoxian a few kind words of comfort, and given the current situation, he couldn't stay any longer. After chatting for a few more minutes, he took his leave.