Sure enough, the next morning around ten o’clock, Lin Mu received a call from ng Wei’Er saying she had arrived in Wancheng and checked into the Chang’an Grand Hotel.
Lin Mu and ng Wei’Er exchanged so playful banter, then hung up the phone. He carefully dressed up, changing into a high-end Lomon Suit before heading to the Chang’an Grand Hotel.
When Lin Mu arrived at the hotel, the playful ng Wei’Er was waiting for him in the lobby. Upon seeing her dream lover, she mischievously snuck up from behind and covered Lin Mu’s eyes.
"Hehe, guess who I am?" ng Wei’Er asked with a giggle.
"Uh... my little sister, right?" Lin Mu smiled.
"Hmph, I’m not your sister, I’m your wife. Rember, I’m your wife, and you’re my husband!" ng Wei’Er pouted.
"Co on now, little sister. As I’ve told you, you’re not yet of age. We can’t be so openly in a relationship. But, of course, I promise you that once you co of age, I’ll surely make you a happy little wife. But not now, I need to keep things low-key, understood? If your parents find out, we won’t be able to et up anymore, you understand?" Lin Mu reminded her.
ng Wei’Er pouted and thought for a while, then nodded, "Alright, whatever you say. I’ll do whatever you ask. Can I start calling you Brother Lin now?"
"Okay, that’s good. Co here, let give you a kiss!" Lin Mu smiled and pretended to lean forward to kiss ng Wei’Er.
Unexpectedly, ng Wei’Er was bolder than him. Before Lin Mu could lean down, the Little Beauty ng leaned in and gave him a kiss!
"Let’s go, my dad is waiting for you upstairs." After kissing Lin Mu, ng Wei’Er pulled him towards the elevator.
In the elevator, she pressed to the sixth floor where ng Guoxiong lived in a suite. Wei’Er was an unguarded daughter, so she walked right in without knocking, where Old ng’s Book was wearing reading glasses, sitting in a grand chair, basking in the sun and reading the newspaper!
"Dad, Brother Lin is here!" Wei’Er pulled Lin Mu into the room.
ng Guoxiong took off his glasses, looked at Wei’Er, "You, young lady, should knock before entering. It’s quite impolite otherwise, isn’t it?"
"Hehe, I was just too happy." Wei’Er pretended to act cute like a kawaii character.
"You little imp!" ng Guoxiong shook his head, clearly at a loss about how to guide her.
"Hello, Uncle!" Lin Mu greeted with a smile.
"Lin Mu, you’ve co! Co sit over here!" ng Guoxiong was very happy to see his benefactor.
Lin Mu nodded and sat down, "Uncle, has your injury fully healed?"
"Completely healed. I still have to thank you for last ti," ng Guoxiong said with a broad smile and patted his thigh, "And removing an international assassin for our Dongguang people was a significant contribution to the country and governnt!"
"That was just a small effort on my part, nothing special. I was just worried about your leg injury, but thankfully, Uncle, you have a strong constitution. Anyone else would have had lasting issues!" Lin Mu laughed.
"Oh, thank you for your concern! By the way, Lin Mu, what have you been busy with lately?" inquired ng Guoxiong.
"Haha, nothing much, just doing so business. Lately, I’ve been thinking of finding a way to make so money," Lin Mu said at the right mont.
"That’s good. Young people should have a mind for sothing, focus on business. You’re young and driven, unlike people our age who would want to but can’t do much!" ng Guoxiong nodded.
"Uncle, you’re still in good health, you could work another ten or twenty years. By the way, Uncle, what brings you to Wancheng this ti?" Lin Mu asked.
"Ah, the state-owned enterprises in Wancheng aren’t doing well. I ca to check on the economy and consider so projects for those struggling enterprises. The governnt can’t just watch them drown, right? Given the current situation, things can’t continue like this. Workers can’t even eat," ng Guoxiong sighed.
"Oh? Which enterprises?" Lin Mu asked with interest.
"A pharmaceutical plant in South City and a steel plant in East City are both on the verge of bankruptcy. If the state and governnt don’t find a solution soon, the workers will starve, which could cause unrest. If the factories close, tens of thousands will be jobless. It’s not a trivial matter, it concerns the livelihood of countless people!" ng Guoxiong said with so frustration.
The Wancheng South City Four Direction Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a national brand old drug factory established in the 1980s, employs thousands of workers. In recent years, due to national encouragent for entrepreneurship and the ergence of private pharmaceutical companies, Four Directions Pharmaceutical’s profits have plumted, now facing the threat of closure.
Similarly, the East City Bayi Steel Group, also a national brand steel plant with tens of thousands of workers, faces economic decline due to competitive pressure from private enterprises, outdated national enterprise managent, and technological setbacks by several decades compared to Western countries. Coupled with a lack of business flexibility, these contribute to their declining profits.
"What does Uncle plan to do for reforms?" Lin Mu asked.
"Sigh, talking about reform is easier said than done!" ng Guoxiong shook his head.
State-owned enterprises are different from private enterprises—state-controlled, not a one-person decision, and difficult in terms of autonomy in operations. Internally, they are lifeless from top to bottom, lacking initiative, innovation, and urgency for change because workers and managers alike draw fixed salaries. Factory profits are irrelevant to them. Regardless of profit or loss, workers get the sa pay, failing to motivate them.
This is the fatal flaw of all state enterprises. But there’s no help for it; state enterprises are state-controlled, with employees having secure lifelong positions and fixed wages. Everyone earning the sa salary has no incentive to work more, and they’re content with the status quo, leading to no work enthusiasm and no breakthroughs!
"Uncle, in my humble opinion, it might be better to transfer these two enterprises. You understand the current trend in state-owned enterprises; re tweaks in business strategy won’t suffice for a substantive change. A slow disease needs a strong cure; small tweaks can’t save state-owned enterprises. To truly revive them, they must be privatized, to fend for themselves without state subsidies, otherwise, they are destined to collapse sooner or later..." Lin Mu suggested with a smile.
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