Chapter 343: When Crisis Knocks: Saving the Family Factory

A single coin can trip up even the greatest of heroes.

Even the once ambitious and spirited father found his courage fading and dreams fading fast under a mountain of debt.

“Didn’t our family open up the overseas market these past two years? We’ve been working with a foreigner named Stinson for over two years now, and business kept growing. Each time, he’d place bigger orders and always settle payments exactly on time. About six months ago, he handed us a massive order. Your mom and I crunched the numbers—if we completed this deal, we’d clear a twelve million profit.”

For a food processing plant at their level, an order bringing in over a million in profit was a big deal.

They were lucky to land even two of these orders in a year.

Landing a deal with over twelve million in profit in one go—no wonder his parents lost their heads and made some risky moves.

“Stinson laid down two conditions when signing the contract. The goods had to be delivered in three months. Our plant didn’t have the capacity, so we had to snatch up some land and expand. But adding new workshops wasn’t enough; we had to buy brand-new processing equipment. By the time the land was secured and the building was up, barely any cash flow was left.”

“We had no other choice but to get a bank loan for seven million, and use the two million in savings your mother and I had left to purchase an imported production line. Stinson even helped us connect with the foreign supplier for the machinery.”

Stinson was an absolute con artist. He must have lined his own pockets recommending that processing equipment.

“With the gear in place and the plant finished, our next step was to buy up raw materials and get started. I’ve been in this industry for years and have built up plenty of connections with suppliers. Arranged things so payment would be settled once the finished goods were sold. Based on past deals, I figured as soon as we produced the goods, they’d be shipped abroad right away by container.”

“Who could have predicted that right when I met Stinson’s requirements, he suddenly claimed changes in policy meant he couldn’t fulfill the contract? He even offered to forfeit the deposit. We trusted him—it was an old client—so we’d only taken a token deposit of two hundred thousand…”

At this point, Boss Zhou closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

“I shouldn’t have gotten greedy. Only bite off what you can chew, remember that. Never ever make the same mistake as me.”

Thirty-seven million—the sum Zhou Can could pull together if he scraped every last resource.

The family debt was far greater than he had imagined.

But the factory, the equipment, even the processed goods were still there. If he could just tough it out and find a way to sell the stockpiled specialty foods, they could make it through.

This crisis could even become a true turning point for the family’s business.

“That’s basically how it all happened. I know you’ve got four apartments in the provincial capital, worth maybe a bit over eight million. But even if you sold them all, tossed every penny into the factory, it wouldn’t be enough to save it. Don’t get involved. When the time comes, we’ll go through bankruptcy proceedings. You’ve got a stable job as a doctor—if you just focus on your work, life won’t be too hard. Your mother and I may not be able to help you anymore, but you’ll be fine.”

Boss Zhou tried persuading his son to stay out of it.

Parents always give everything for their kids, never expecting anything in return. Yet when they’re sick or in trouble, they’d rather shoulder it all than burden their children. A parent’s love is truly the greatest.

“Dad, what if I told you I could help the factory make it through this rough patch?”

Zhou Can had been quietly listening all the while.

Whenever his dad spoke, there was rarely a place for him to butt in.

“Don’t joke around! You think this is some minor issue for a few hundred thousand? The hole is over thirty-seven million—how are you going to help?”

Boss Zhou didn’t believe for a second that his son had the means.

He just figured Zhou Can was young and reckless, speaking without thinking.

“I took a five-day leave from the hospital and brought my girlfriend back with me. For these five days, let me act as factory manager. Let me handle things. Would that be okay?”

Zhou Can decided actions spoke louder than words.

“Fine! But unless you sort out the debts, I’ll never transfer legal ownership of the plant over to you.”

Boss Zhou agreed to his son’s request.

Afraid of dragging his son down, he refused to let Zhou Can take on the official position.

Zhou Can hadn’t come home to take over the family business, just to introduce Su Qianqian to his parents and help them get through this crisis.

At that moment, Boss Zhou’s phone rang.

“Let me take this call.”

He was treating his son with more respect now—even taking a moment to say so before answering.

“Hello, Mr. Chen!”

“Haha, Boss Zhou, nice to talk to you! Heard you’re looking to unload your workshop and equipment?”

Chen sounded delighted on the other end of the line.

He sounded like a man in his forties—middle-aged, not too old.

“That’s right. Looking to sell. Are you interested, Mr. Chen?”

“Your factory’s got a great location, and the equipment’s basically new. I bet I’m not the only interested buyer.” Chen got straight to the point. “If I buy everything as a package, what’s your bottom line?”

“The total investment in my plant and equipment is over fifty million. You think you can take it all off my hands?”

His parents had spent most of their lives building the business. No way was the investment less than fifty million.

“You’re not expecting the full fifty million, are you? You’re desperate for cash, so there’s gotta be a discount.”

“Eighty percent—forty million, packaged deal. Even if all I did was rent out the land, I’d still pull in about a million and a half each year—and the property value is sure to rise. The new imported equipment’s still under warranty, and the older production lines are worth at least twenty million combined.”

Buying land for a plant like this was no easy feat.

It had taken the Zhou family a lot of resources just to secure their site.

Especially this expansion—it hadn’t come cheap.

“Normally, you could probably get forty million. But right now, not many bosses in the county can take that off your hands. Why don’t I make an offer, and you can decide if it works for you—no hard feelings either way.”

“Let’s hear it, then.”

“I’ll give you five million for the whole lot—workshop and equipment together.”

“No deal!”

Boss Zhou hung up in anger right then and there.

A plant and equipment worth fifty million, now offered for just a tenth of that—no one could stomach such an insult. Even if it went to auction, it would fetch at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight million.

“Unbelievable. Five million for my workshop and equipment? What a joke.”

Even after hanging up, Boss Zhou was still fuming.

“Who was that guy, anyway?”

Zhou Can knew most of the big names in town.

“Chen Zhongyi, owner of Fat Chen’s Food Factory!”

“His factory’s what, worth five hundred thousand at best? And he thinks he can buy ours? Looks like every bottom-feeder thinks it’s their lucky day.”

To Zhou Can, it was beyond absurd.

It was like an intern at Tuyu Hospital trying to challenge Dr. Hu Kan’s authority in the surgery department—sheer comedy.

“Still, he’s got five million in cash, so he must have made a decent amount.”

“Didn’t he buy two villas a few years ago? They’ve shot up in value. Just lying there, he earned three million or so. Plus his little food factory rode the coattails of bigger brands, making pickles and fermented veggies—turned quite a profit.”

Everyone has their own luck and opportunities.

Some small businesses grow into big ones, others fade into obscurity.

Fat Chen’s Food Factory was doing pretty well for itself.

But compared to the Zhou family’s business, it was still on a different level.

Just then, Boss Zhou’s phone rang again.

“Damn it, is Chen Zhongyi still at it?”

Cursing all the while, Boss Zhou glanced at the screen.

“Not him!”

Then he answered the call.

“Hello, who’s calling?”

“Hello, Boss Zhou. I heard you’ve got a shipment of export-grade food you’re looking to sell?”

“That’s right! May I ask who’s calling?”

The moment he heard someone was interested in that headache-inducing specialty food, Boss Zhou lowered his tone out of habit.

If he could turn that stock into cash, the company would be saved.

Even if he lost money, he’d still go for it.

“I’m Jiang Shan, the purchasing manager at Meida Import & Export. Saw your info online, and I’m interested in your stock.”

“Welcome, Mr. Jiang—thank you for considering us.”

“From what I can tell, you’re holding a tremendous amount of inventory. This kind of specialty food really only has niche demand overseas, so prices won’t be high. Are you willing to accept that?”

“Go ahead, name your price.”

“Our best offer is about twelve hundred per ton.”

“That’s a joke. The raw materials alone cost way more. We normally sell for at least thirty-five thousand a ton.”

“Don’t be upset, Boss Zhou. The market for this stuff really is volatile. Twelve hundred per ton is the highest we’d go. Your batch has a short shelf life too. If you hold onto it much longer, you might not be able to get anything for it. You’ll end up paying extra just to toss it out. My advice: cut your losses fast…”

Before Jiang could finish, Boss Zhou hung up, seething.

He clutched his chest and gasped for breath, utterly furious.

“Bastards—all of them. They’re wolves or tigers, ready to strip you to the bone. Selling a finished product worth thirty or forty thousand a ton for just over a grand—doesn’t even cover warehouse fees.”

If Boss Zhou had to take many more calls like this, he’d probably have a heart attack right there.

“Dad, leave the factory to me.”

With Mr. and Mrs. Cui having his back, Zhou Can wasn’t worried at all. Before coming home, Yin Qin had taught him how to handle things and even agreed to help move that specialty inventory.

Watching these vultures come crawling out of the woodwork to feast on the family’s misfortune didn’t bother him at all.

Honestly, it felt like a cat playing with mice.

In a few days, he couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when things turned around.

……

Four days passed in a flash. Now managing the plant, Zhou Can took the burden off his parents and started tackling the issues head-on.

There wasn’t really that much to do.

The plant was shut down for now. Calming anxious suppliers and workers demanding wages was his main job.

Selling the factory? He felt no need to rush.

When buyers called, he’d chat, haggle, never losing his cool—not even when the price was dirt-low.

He spent maybe an hour a day at the plant.

Every day, he’d drop by, reassure suppliers and workers, let them know he wasn’t going anywhere, then take off to show his fiancée around.

With the family villa sealed by the court, he couldn’t go home.

His parents had been sleeping at the plant. No matter what, they refused to let Su Qianqian move in. Even though money was tight, his mother still got her a room at a three-star hotel in town.

She said she couldn’t let their future daughter-in-law suffer.

Zhou Can knew exactly what was really going on.

His mom was afraid the sight of angry creditors would scare off her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

Inside the hotel room, Zhou Can and Su Qianqian were practically glued to each other.

Both of them were always busy at work, barely getting any time together. Over these past few days, Zhou Can had been showing her around the county, goofing off like he hadn’t a care in the world. If any of the creditors saw him, they’d probably explode from rage.

“Can, all you do is make some phone calls every day. Aren’t you worried about your family’s factory at all?”

Su Qianqian asked curiously.

“Haste makes waste,” Zhou Can said with a smile. “The tighter things get, the calmer you need to be. Results should be out today, just wait and see. Hopefully, the villa will be unsealed by tomorrow so I can finally bring you home to meet my parents properly. You already know why they’re nervous—they’re just afraid you’ll run off after seeing all the chaos.”

He smiled as he explained.

“I’d never leave! No matter how tough things get, I’d still marry you. I never cared about your family’s wealth—I care about you. Even if your family goes bankrupt, I’ll just work harder and provide for all of you!”

She looked into his eyes, speaking with utter sincerity.

To have a super-earning starlet as a wife—it was honestly a blessing.

If he wanted to live off her, he really could.

“That good, huh? In that case, maybe we should do something couples should do…”

He hugged her close, his hands growing bold.

Her heart already belonged to Zhou Can, so she didn’t resist at all. Coming home with him, meeting his parents, she could see how serious he was about marrying her.

But just then, Zhou Can’s phone rang at the worst possible moment.

“Phone! Pick up, quick!”

She pushed him away, leaping up to fix her hair and clothes, her cheeks bright red.

“Hello, who is this?”

Having his romantic moment interrupted, Zhou Can nearly cursed out the caller’s entire family tree.

“Hello, Mr. Zhou, this is Jack! The job you hired us for—it’s completely done.”

“Good. I’ll pay the rest of your fee when I’m back in the city. You can drive that fancy car home now.”

The actors Zhou Can hired weren’t cheap, but they’d done well.

Not long after, Yin Qin called with more good news.

“Congratulations, Dr. Zhou! The fish has taken the bait—we’ve signed all the contracts. Very soon, someone will show up eager to buy up your specialty inventory, so don’t be shy about raising the price. Whether they buy or not, they lose. You’ve settled the score for your family.”

The good news from Yin Qin had Zhou Can so happy that he grabbed Su Qianqian and planted a kiss.

“Thank you—thanks so much to you and Mr. Cui.”

“Oh, don’t mention it! Helping you out makes us happy too. Besides, that Stinson—coming to our country just to swindle people—isn’t going to get away with it! Honestly, he should know better than to cross 1.4 billion of us.”

Who would have thought that Yin Qin had such deep patriotism.