Silver Overlord

As a ‘white-collar worker’ in the mobile telecommunications industry in his previous life, the corporation that impressed Yan Liqiang the most was Huawei.

In the past, Huawei once extended an invitation to Yan Liqiang and his colleagues for a tour and an interview. After visiting Huawei’s headquarters, Yan Liqiang concluded that the single, most vital factor of the company’s success was the fact that their leader had closely associated the company’s well being with all of its employees.

Huawei designed a ‘Virtual Restricted Shares’ system, in which more than 98% of the company’s shares were held by its trade union and employees. Those who held the virtual shares were entitled to a certain percentage of dividends, but not the company’s ownership and voting rights. The virtual shares couldn’t be transferred or sold either. When the employee left the company, their shares would be bought back by Huawei’s trade union.

If the company was doing well, then so would everyone. Likewise, if the company wasn’t doing well, everyone would be affected. In order to receive part of the company’s harvests brought about by its growth, everyone had to take on the responsibilities in developing the company.

With this incentive, the dedication of Huawei’s employees was well-known in the industry. At the same time, the standard of their employee benefits and income were also considered the best in the industry.

It was also with this incentive that Huawei was able to change itself from a small business with only 20,000 yuan of registered capital to a world-class telecommunication giant in just the span of twenty years, taking down the once superior foreign telecommunication companies and thus becoming the leading company in China.

Why was that so?

Yan Liqiang had been thinking about this, especially for the past two months. During his journey back to Gan Province, he’d been thinking about this every day.

How did Huawei succeed?

He then followed this line of questioning…

How did Chairman Mao manage to win battles during troubling times with only an army made up of farmers and peasants?

And how did figures like the leader of the Taiping Rebellion or Li Zicheng the Dashing King suffer defeats?

How did the Qin emerge as one of the dominant powers of the Seven Warring States and obtain supremacy?

The further Yan Liqiang looked back in history, the more historical figures and events appeared in his thoughts.

Finally, one day, a thought suddenly struck Yan Liqiang while sitting on a boat and watching the endlessly long river that stretched into the distance.

He concluded that the secret to the success of these great historical figures could be summed up in just nine words —’Success comes to those who share the same purpose!’

Yan Liqiang was enlightened!

Those who shared the same purpose shared the same sentiments. Such unity of will made an impenetrable stronghold that would enable success in every endeavor. Sand grains could accumulate to make a tower while dripping water could eventually erode a stone. Constant perseverance could overcome any hurdles.

These nine words were the ultimate secret to great achievements. After realizing this truth, Yan Liqiang immediately knew what he had to do when he returned to Gan Province this time.

…

Many weaponsmiths and soldiers didn’t know what a share was. Even if they didn’t, they would immediately understand it after hearing someone’s explanation. After knowing they would be able to get dividends in the future, the entire weaponsmiths quarter erupted. Everyone was looking forward to the changes Yan Liqiang would bring to the weaponsmiths quarter.

Yan Liqiang didn’t disappoint everyone either. He came up with the share allocations for everyone in the afternoon on the same day based on the weaponsmiths quarter’s newly-implemented personnel classification system. The system was actually based on the personnel classification system practiced among established companies he knew in his previous life.

With that, everyone in the weaponsmiths quarter was basically classified into ten levels.

The first level was for the labors, and everyone was given a share.

The second level was for the ordinary weaponsmiths and soldiers. Everyone was given three shares.

The third level was for the low-ranking military officers and weaponsmiths with specialized skills. Everyone was given ten shares.

The fourth level was for Squad Commander Zhou Yong, the chief weaponsmiths, and the supervisors in their respective workshops. Everyone was given 30 shares.

The fifth to ninth levels were vacant for now.

As the leader of the weaponsmiths quarter, Qian Su was the sole person on the tenth level, holding 20% of the shares. As the top decision maker here, Yan Liqiang wasn’t ranked, but he would hold a 30% share.

The employees ranked from the first to ninth level would receive a set annual bonus based on their share in the weaponsmiths quarter. These shares would be redeemed at net asset value, but they were non-transferrable, nor were they for sale. When the employees left their job, their shares would be bought back by the weaponsmiths quarter.

Yan Liqiang didn’t introduce a management committee like Huawei did because that concept would be much too advanced for the people in the weaponsmiths quarter who were used to following orders. Giving them shares was already a major thing, and they might not be able to handle more advanced concepts.

The current structure in the weaponsmiths quarter was simple and highly effective. Making it too complex wasn’t necessarily a good thing. If there was any talent in the future or if the weaponsmiths quarter expanded to a certain extent, perhaps it might be possible to promote those talents to the tenth level and form a ‘Board of Directors’ with them in it.

At the same time, the Huanglong Weaponsmiths Quarter was officially renamed as the Gan Province Manufacturing Bureau today. The bureau would serve the Qiyun Protectorate which only existed in the Great Han Empire’s official documents for now.

For the whole day, the people in the weaponsmiths quarter were stunned by the powerful bomb Yan Liqiang had thrown at them. However, their morale was at its highest. Everyone was trying to digest the changes that had taken place in the weaponsmiths quarter while trying to study their position in the reformed Gan Province Manufacturing Bureau. Each of them was motivated and eager to get to work.

Yan Liqiang and Qian Su continued with the stock count in the latter’s study room at night, despite working so hard during the daytime.

Qian Su had a few report summaries submitted by a few supervisors in his hands. He went through them together with Yan Liqiang.

“There were 57 laborers that did the odd-jobs in the manufacturing bureau. Six of them left today, so that leaves us with 51. We will allocate 51 shares…”

“There has always been one squad commander among the soldiers, making a hundred of them. One of them left today, so that leaves us with 99 men. Among these 99, Zhou Yong is the squad commander with level four personnel ranking and will be given thirty shares. There are three team leaders under him, so they will each receive ten shares. That makes thirty shares and leaves 95 soldiers in the level two personnel ranking. If each of them is to be given three shares, that will be 285 shares. The shares of all soldiers in the manufacturing bureau will make up a total of 345 shares!”

While listening, Yan Liqiang quickly drew something on a pile cowhide papers he had someone prepare for him with a charcoal pencil. He would only lift his gaze from time to time to look at Qian Su, or nod and communicate with Qian Su through his eyes. The room was only filled with Qian Su’s voice and the scribbling noises from Yan Liqiang’s charcoal pencil against the cowhide papers.

At first, Qian Su was still not quite used to talking about the shares or personnel rankings as those terms were quite new to him. He even stuttered a little. Even so, he got used to them soon enough. Although Qian Su still couldn’t understand Yan Liqiang’s intention in reforming the weaponsmiths quarter, his keen senses and intelligence told him that the changes Yan Liqiang were making in the weaponsmiths quarter weren’t small. Hence, the latter had to be preparing for something big.

The weaponsmiths quarter had been renamed as the manufacturing bureau. Therefore, Qian Su was already making his reports with the new name at this very moment.

Looking at Yan Liqiang fully focused on scribbling away while listening to him talk, Qian Su’s curiosity was piqued. He tried to catch a glimpse and discovered that Yan Liqiang was drawing something strange on the piece of paper. As soon as Yan Liqiang finished drawing on one, he took out another piece. Qian Su didn’t know what he was drawing either, so he could only put it aside for now as he continued sharing the contents of the reports in his hands.

“Ahem… Apart from those laborers, the soldiers, and those that left today, the manufacturing bureau is pretty much left with only the weaponsmiths in various areas. Even those chief weaponsmiths and supervisors were once weaponsmiths that I promoted back then. The total number of weaponsmiths in the manufacturing bureau is now 517.

“368 ordinary weaponsmiths from the level two personnel ranking. If everyone will be given three shares, then that’ll be a total of 1,104 shares. There are 128 expert weaponsmiths from third level personnel ranking. If everyone is given ten shares, then that’ll be a total of 1,280 shares. 21 chief weaponsmiths, given thirty shares each, that’ll be a total of 630 shares.

“The total number of weaponsmith shares is 3,014. Combined with the laborers’ 51 shares and the soldiers’ 345 shares, that will total up to 3,410 shares. The number of people including myself is 668 people…”

Yan Liqiang once again lifted his gaze from the paper in his hand. He looked at Qian Su and quipped with a smile, “668… That’s a pretty auspicious figure. Sounds just like ‘prosperity follows’, hahaha…”

“According to the weaponsmiths quarter’s account book, we only have 2,170 taels of silver now, along with some materials. This place has always been blessed by a stable annual income from the Military Governor’s Office. Although it wasn’t a lot, we definitely didn’t starve. Now that the weaponsmiths quarter is turning into a manufacturing bureau, they definitely won’t be giving us any money. We can only rely on ourselves.

“Only those who take charge know the responsibilities and I am still concerned. How are we going to feed these six or seven hundred people every day in the weaponsmiths quarter from now on? You even promised everyone in the manufacturing bureau a minimum annual income of more than twenty taels of silver. Everyone’s got the expectations now. We’ll be in hot water if this place fails to make a hundred taels of silver every year…”

Qian Su looked at Yan Liqiang and tossed the statistics record he was holding on the table. “Well whatever, you will be in charge of making the ends meet. We’ll do as you say…”

Of course it wasn’t like Qian Su didn’t care. He was merely curious about Yan Liqiang’s plans.

Yan Liqiang smiled and suddenly asked a strange question. “Uncle Qian, what do you think rich people care most about?”

Qian Su was taken aback. He couldn’t really keep up with Yan Liqiang’s line of thinking. He pondered for a moment before speaking. “Well, the rich care about many things, like life and money. Actually, who doesn’t?”

“Yes, you are right Uncle Qian. Apart from life and money, what do you think the rich care most about? Let’s talk about you. What would you care the most about after becoming rich?”

“Reputation, of course. Rich people can’t do anything out there without a good reputation!” Qian Su replied without even a moment of hesitation.

“Then we shall make money off the rich from now on…”

“How?” Qian Su’s interest was piqued.

“Look at this, Uncle Qian…” While speaking, Yan Liqiang handed him a few sketches.

“This is…” The moment Qian Su looked at the sketch, he was stunned. The first sketch Yan Liqiang handed over to him was of an impressive four-wheeled carriage…