Chapter Three: You Are All My Brothers

“Mom’s cooking is always the best!” Huang He devoured the food in his bowl hungrily. It had been nearly a full day since he'd arrived in this world, and he hadn’t had a proper meal yet—he was famished.

“Brother-in-law, slow down! Mom made plenty for you. She even prepared your favorite—steamed pork with rice flour!” His sister-in-law sat beside him, watching Huang He with genuine concern.

It was obvious she had rushed to deliver the meal. Her light makeup had all but vanished from her face, yet this only accentuated the delicate smoothness of her skin, and a faint, alluring blush.

“Burp!” Huang He let out a satisfied belch and glanced around. Not far off, four young men sat watching him and eyeing his food with a hunger that matched—or perhaps exceeded—his own. They were tasked with keeping an eye on him, wary lest he try to escape, but it was clear what they truly longed for was the food in his hands.

These young men hadn’t eaten all day either. The factory canteen had long since closed; they must have been starving.

“Zhiruo, you should eat too!” Huang He finally recalled his sister-in-law’s name—Leng Zhiruo, a beautiful name. He once asked his mother-in-law if his father-in-law had been particularly fond of the classic TV drama The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, but learned that the man couldn’t read and didn’t watch television. He’d paid a fortune-teller a yuan for a name, and was told that any name with the character Zhi was a fine one—fit for an empress, even. If that were true, with five sisters-in-law all sharing that character, the world would be ruled by five empresses.

The thought nearly made Huang He laugh, but he held his tongue.

Leng Zhiruo nodded. She’d intended to eat with her brother-in-law, but to her surprise, he waved at the four men nearby and called out cheerfully, “Come, let's all eat together!”

The four guards hesitated, but Huang He grinned even wider. “Come on—you're still my workers, and I’m still your chairman. No chairman should let his workers go hungry. Come, my mother-in-law’s cooking is truly excellent!”

Tempted by his words and their own gnawing hunger, the four young men approached shyly. Huang He whispered a few instructions to Leng Zhiruo, who nodded and left the room.

“Here, dig in—it’s delicious!” urged Huang He. The four, at first bashful and hesitant, soon fell upon the food like wolves, devouring it with such speed and gusto that Huang He was left speechless. The mountain of food vanished in the blink of an eye, and still they gazed at the now-empty plates, unsatisfied.

Fortunately, Huang He had anticipated this. Leng Zhiruo soon returned, carrying over a dozen packed meals, which she laid out on the table. She had even brought a case of beer. The young men glanced at Huang He with deep gratitude.

“Come, let’s start with a toast!” Huang He raised his glass—actually just a disposable cup. The young men eagerly followed suit and downed the contents.

“It’s fate that brought us together today. I don’t even know your names yet. How about we introduce ourselves?” Huang He said with a smile. The four young men introduced themselves in turn.

The tallest and most refined-looking, with glasses, was Liu Xiangjiang—a college graduate. The shortest but sturdiest was Shen Yuequn, only twenty-two but already a father of three. The chubby, honest-faced one was Jia Sangu, guileless and the most gluttonous of the lot. The last, Zhang Yingguo, was clearly the sharpest, his eyes glinting with cunning.

None of them was over twenty-five.

“Chairman, you’re not planning to get us all drunk and then slip away, are you?” Zhang Yingguo joked slyly after a few rounds.

“I’d like to run, but if I did, I’d lose everything—my family, my loved ones, my friends, my career, even my very identity. I don’t want to run,” Huang He replied, shaking his head.

“Boss, can you really get us our wages?” Shen Yuequn asked anxiously, worry written on his face—he had three children to feed.

“To be honest, it’ll be very difficult. I’m not confident myself,” Huang He admitted. Disappointment flickered across their faces, but he continued, “But no matter how hard it is, if we don’t try, how will we ever know what’s possible?”

“Besides, we’re not without resources. In fact, we still have substantial assets. If we use them wisely, not only can we pay your wages, we might even stage a comeback and grow bigger than ever. Each of you could see your salary doubled, rise to executive positions, and together, we could build something great!” Huang He’s eyes shone with confidence, and the young men felt their spirits soar.

In those days, people were pure and straightforward—they didn’t know what it meant to spin empty promises or to give up. A little motivation was all it took to send them flying.

“Come on, words are empty—come with me to the warehouse and see for yourselves the assets our company holds!” Huang He declared. The group agreed in unison. Even Leng Zhiruo leaped up to join them as they headed to the warehouse.

Switching on the lights, the vast space—nearly three acres—was suddenly illuminated. Stacked from floor to ceiling were rows upon rows of cardboard boxes, filling the warehouse to capacity without a single empty spot.

“Zhiruo, tell me—how much stock do we have here?” Huang He called out.

“Yes, Chair… Chairman. Here we have an entire year’s production: eighteen million leather wallets, ten million belts, six million pairs of leather shoes, and four million leather jackets.”

“And their value and cost?” he pressed.

“At cost, wallets are two yuan each—thirty-six million yuan in total. Belts are three yuan each, thirty million yuan. Shoes are ten yuan, sixty million yuan. Jackets are sixteen yuan, sixty-four million yuan. Altogether, that’s one hundred ninety million yuan in cost. Excluding equipment, factory, and land, our three hundred fifty million yuan loan is all here.”

“And at our factory prices?”

“At the factory price, wallets are five yuan each—ninety million yuan in total. Belts are eight yuan, eighty million. Shoes are twenty yuan, one hundred twenty million. Jackets are forty yuan, one hundred sixty million. In total, four hundred fifty million yuan.” Leng Zhiruo was an exemplary secretary, reciting the figures fluently and without hesitation.

“So if we clear out all this inventory at factory price, not only can we repay the three hundred fifty million yuan debt, we can even make a profit of a hundred million yuan. Is that right?”

“That’s correct.” Leng Zhiruo nodded, though her heart was heavy with resignation. The numbers were plain for all to see, but the problem was moving the stock. If it were that easy, Jiangnan Leather Factory wouldn’t be in its current predicament.

Huang He seemed to forget all this. Turning to the four young men, who stood stunned by the mention of hundreds of millions, he spoke in a voice brimming with persuasion, “Gentlemen, from this day forward, you are my brothers. If we work together and clear out all this inventory, not only will your back wages be paid in full, you will become my partners, executives at Jiangnan Leather Factory, earning tens of thousands a month, marrying rich beauties, and reaching the pinnacle of life!”