Chapter 1877: Obstruction

The most elusive thing about fate is that you can never know where each person's destiny will lead.

Just like Zhao Fusheng, even though he had been reborn, he still couldn't be sure whether some things would develop as he thought.

So he could only try to make some preparations to ensure that when the big wave hit, he wouldn't feel too uncomfortable.

Days passed quickly, and before he knew it, half of March had gone by.

Sometimes people have this feeling: perhaps before we've had a chance to do anything, the days slip away.

That feeling was strange, and Zhao Fusheng disliked it.

But there was no help for it; life doesn't stop moving forward just because you don't like it.

We will all grow old, and we will all become memories for others.

Those with worse luck may not even have anyone to remember them.

Zhao Fusheng felt his luck was good; at least if he left this world, there would be plenty of people who remembered him.

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Those words, spoken with heroic boldness by an ancient emperor, were greatly admired in Zhao Fusheng's heart.

For his family, Zhao Fusheng's principle had always been to try to make their lives as good as possible, so he let them do what they wanted.

Even knowing that the papermaking group his father mentioned carried great risk, Zhao Fusheng didn't explicitly oppose it; he only told his father that it needed to be evaluated.

"Dad, the current state of the papermaking industry is very bad. When have you ever seen a papermaking company advertise on TV?" Zhao Fusheng said seriously to his father.

Zhao's father remained silent, knowing his son was telling the truth.

Nowadays, papermaking companies, or the entire papermaking industry, were in a slump. To put it bluntly, choosing to enter this industry now was undoubtedly taking a risk, and a very big one at that.

But the problem was, as Zhao's father himself said, the city leaders were very sincere, clearly indicating they hoped Wanda would step in to save the papermaking group, which had thousands of employees and was one of the few state-owned enterprises in Ninghai.

In Ninghai, the pace of state-owned enterprise reform lagged far behind that of big cities. The backwardness of the Northeast wasn't just due to mindset; there were also incomprehensible aspects in policy.

While other regions were fervently reforming, most of the Northeast stayed put, watching and waiting, thus missing the best development opportunities. By the time they wanted to develop, they found themselves the most backward areas.

It was like doing business: when everyone thinks a project is good, but while you're still hesitating, others have already acted, and naturally they reap huge profits.

By the time you think about entering the market, you find the cake has already been mostly divided.

If you're lucky, you might get some leftovers; if not, you might not even get scraps.

Take the Ninghai Papermaking Group, for example. It was once a well-known large enterprise in the province, but while other companies sought transformation, it stayed put. Naturally, it was gradually abandoned by the market, becoming a burden that couldn't even pay wages and relied on state funds to survive.

Zhao Fusheng had no prejudice against state-owned enterprises; he acknowledged that they had played a crucial role in China's economic construction and development.

But the drawbacks of state-owned enterprises had become very apparent with the deepening of reform and opening up.

Zhao Fusheng remembered reading a report that said to have a good life in a state-owned enterprise, you only needed to do two things: show up on time and retire safely.

Everyone thought that was fair: work, retire, and then collect a pension without a hitch.

But Zhao Fusheng thought that was bullshit.

Because whether in a state-owned enterprise or as a civil servant, they were inherently more unfair than ordinary people.

Having a stable formal job and being able to receive a pension upon retirement—that itself was the biggest unfairness.

It was like city kids and rural kids. Many people talk about quality education to give both a happy childhood, but in reality, the gap in resources exists from birth and accompanies them until they grow up.

To change your fate, you either study or make your way in society.

Someone once did a statistic: people who like gambling are often poor, because only those with little money think of betting big to change their destiny.

Rich people don't need to consider that; for them, gambling is just a form of entertainment.

Because they have the capital and mindset to earn that comfort money.

The reason for class solidification is that the poor have no room for failure; once they fail, they fall into the abyss completely, while the rich, even if they slip up occasionally, can afford to waste opportunities.

"Sigh, what should we do then?"

After hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Zhao's father knew his son was right. He himself was actually very hesitant about this matter.

But the problem was that his leader had a very close relationship with him, leaving him no choice but to hope Zhao Fusheng could come up with an idea.

"It's simple: we can invest a portion."

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to his father, "Remember, we're not taking over; we're investing as shareholders. At worst, we can write off the money later. One or two million is fine. You become a shareholder, then suggest the city government restructure the paper group through bankruptcy. As for the workers, finding their own way to make a living is the only option."

"This... isn't this what capitalists do?" Zhao's father was taken aback, speaking with some surprise.

In his view, his son's suggestion was exactly the approach of a capitalist.

Zhao Fusheng laughed coldly. "Dad, then tell me: a bunch of workers with hands and feet, unwilling to find their own way to stand on their own, relying on government handouts—what is that?"

Hearing this, Zhao's father fell silent.

Regarding layoffs, many people harbor deep resentment toward the state.

But in fact, from Zhao Fusheng's perspective of the future, the layoff policy itself was not wrong.

Before the reform of state-owned enterprises, what was life like for many SOE workers?

One person worked, and the whole family enjoyed the unit's benefits: oil and rice were distributed frequently, not just on holidays, and even daily necessities like pots and pans.

There were activities every few days, like family outings or table tennis and badminton competitions.

Work was also easy; they were busy only during year-end meetings and summaries, and the rest of the time, they just clocked in and out on schedule, with little overtime.

Of course, wages were fixed. Except for leadership positions, ordinary workers earned the same regardless of how much work they did.

The longer the seniority, the higher the pay.

This was similar to the later principle that the longer the pension contribution period, the higher the retirement pension.

Zhao Fusheng had no intention of evaluating whether the contributions made in those days were worth the wages later received, but he knew well that his grandfather had toiled all his life, and the other elders in the village, when they went to the hospital in their seventies or eighties, had to pay out of pocket for everything beyond the rural cooperative medical care.

In comparison, what right did urban workers have to complain?

Though unwilling to be a capitalist, Zhao Fusheng believed that in business, one must be rational and not act on emotion.

Zhao's father was silent for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh and said helplessly, "I'll think it over."

He knew his son was right, but he truly felt that if he had the ability, he should help those people.

He himself had been laid off and knew what it meant for a worker.

But Zhao's father also knew that Zhao Fusheng's words were correct: a person's self-worth must ultimately be realized through practice, especially in today's society.

Hanging up the phone, Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly and sighed silently in his heart.

He didn't know what his father would choose, but he believed his father wouldn't make a rash decision, because he now bore the responsibility for thousands of Wanda employees.

Often, the existence of responsibility always feels heavy.

But conversely, it is precisely because of responsibility that we realize we must be cautious in every decision we make.

The same was true for Zhao Fusheng. He knew well that every decision he made now could affect many people, so he wouldn't make decisions lightly as he did when he first started his business.

Even when expressing opinions, Zhao Fusheng always liked to say that he only represented himself personally.

Having failed too many times in his previous life, Zhao Fusheng certainly didn't want the empire he had painstakingly built in this life to be destroyed in an instant.

He didn't want to live a hard life!

Some always say that past suffering becomes the foundation of future happiness, but in Zhao Fusheng's view, that's pure nonsense.

Even Mr. Ma, who retired on Teacher's Day, always likes to educate young people, saying that success and hardship are equivalent—only by enduring the hardest hardships can one rise above others.

Hah!

Suffering hardship is because there is no opportunity to enjoy; it doesn't mean success necessarily requires hardship. Many successful people like to put on a teaching posture, telling young people how they suffered in the past.

But in reality?

Whether it's the founder of Vanke, the retired Mr. Ma, or Pony Ma from an ordinary background—which of them truly suffered?

The so-called 'suffering forges success' is just a saying.

Success is success. It is related to the environment you were born into, your level of knowledge, your emotional intelligence and IQ.

But it has absolutely nothing to do with whether you have suffered.