Chapter 46: Signing the Agreement! Profits and Losses at One's Own Risk!

“Oh no, what a time for things to go wrong!” Fang Youcai paced back and forth in agitation. Tang Liang hadn’t expected to arrive at such an inopportune moment, just as his uncle was running into trouble.

“Uncle, why don’t I take you to the office to wait for a bit?” Tang Liang offered politely to Li Junsheng. With his hands clasped behind his back and an air of calm, Li Junsheng shook his head, seemingly more interested in the equipment at the agricultural machinery factory, his gaze wandering thoughtfully over the machines.

Tang Liang, helpless, assumed his uncle just wanted to watch the commotion and let him be. With such a serious issue at hand, Fang Youcai decided he’d better report to his superiors first; they would naturally send someone to negotiate with the customers who had purchased the agricultural machinery. All he needed to do was fix the equipment as quickly as possible.

“That’s all we can do for now. Get someone to buy the parts immediately. I’ll go report this to the leadership—”

At that moment, Li Junsheng stepped forward and gently interrupted Fang Youcai.

“Chief Fang, there’s no need to panic. Let me try. Perhaps I can repair the equipment for now.”

“What? You—you know how to fix these large machines? Are you a mechanic?” Fang Youcai, along with the others in the workshop, looked at Li Junsheng in surprise.

Li Junsheng simply smiled, not bothering to explain his background. Instead, Tang Liang spoke up, giving Li Junsheng a grand introduction.

“Uncle, Mr. Li is an old hand at the city’s machinery plant. He’s spent years working with machines and parts like these. Maybe he really can handle it!”

Upon hearing this, both Fang Youcai and the workers regarded Li Junsheng with newfound respect. An experienced worker from a state-owned machinery factory might not have the title of mechanic, but he was no less capable.

Who would have thought his nephew’s girlfriend’s father was so skilled? Fang Youcai immediately wanted to shake Li Junsheng’s hand. But Li Junsheng had already moved to the machine, inspecting it carefully. The equipment was an old crane, necessary for lifting and assembling the heavy components in the workshop—something impossible by hand. With the crane out of order, production was at a standstill.

“This machine has seen many years. The steel shaft inside is badly worn and does need replacing, but I can try patching it up with some welding.”

Fang Youcai nodded, quickly ordering the mechanics to bring over a welding machine for Li Junsheng.

“From what I can see, you’ve actually maintained this equipment quite well. It’s clear you take maintenance seriously.”

Li Junsheng had the welding machine powered up, donned protective gear, and began welding the cracked shaft of the crane. Sparks flew at his workstation, so bright that no one else could look directly at them. After welding the crack, he ground down the part and oiled the various components for maintenance. Only after half a day did he finally remove his face shield.

“Try starting the machine now,” Li Junsheng instructed. Fang Youcai immediately had someone switch it on. With the repairs complete, the crane operated smoothly once again.

Fang Youcai, Tang Liang, and the other workers were all astonished and overjoyed.

“Amazing! Brother Li, you’ve really fixed it. This is wonderful—you’ve done me a huge favor!” Fang Youcai, thrilled, grasped Li Junsheng’s hand.

Li Junsheng remained calm, reminding Fang Youcai, “This is only a temporary fix, not a complete repair. The mechanics were right: for long-term operation, you’ll need to replace the part.”

“After all, when parts are old and worn, they’ll break down again before long. As for the replacement, I’m an old hand from the machinery plant—I can help you source the part and save you some trouble.”

“That would be perfect. Thank you so much,” Fang Youcai said, still holding onto Li Junsheng’s hand. Since Li Junsheng had fixed the machine, Fang Youcai spoke to him with the utmost respect.

“Chief Fang, my hands are covered in oil,” Li Junsheng said with a smile, retracting his hand to avoid smearing oil on Fang Youcai.

But Fang Youcai didn’t mind at all—he even had someone bring water for Li Junsheng to wash his hands.

With the equipment temporarily repaired, Fang Youcai invited Li Junsheng to the office. Inside, he hurried to pour tea for him and, seeing he was out of cigarettes, offered him a whole fresh pack.

“Here, Brother Li, have a smoke and some tea. You’ve really helped me today. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know how to explain this to the higher-ups.”

“You’re too kind, Chief Fang. It was just a small favor.”

Sitting together, Fang Youcai looked at his eldest nephew, then at Li Junsheng, rubbing his hands nervously. “Brother Li, what brings you here with Liang? Did the boy do something wrong?”

He suspected Li Junsheng had come to object to his nephew’s relationship with Li Xiaoyu and intended to scold them into behaving.

Tang Liang hurried to clear things up with his uncle.

“No, Uncle, Mr. Li is a good man. He’s agreed to let me and Xiaoyu be together for now. Once I’ve earned enough for the ‘three rounds and one sound’ and the eighty-eight yuan bride price, I’ll marry her.”

“Mr. Li’s here today for something else.”

Fang Youcai was genuinely surprised—Li Junsheng was a good man after all. He shot Tang Liang a glare and scolded, “Your aunt and your parents have already prepared the money for your marriage. Why act tough? Wouldn’t it be better to bring the girl home sooner rather than later?”

“It’s all right,” Li Junsheng said. “Tang Liang is ambitious. I believe he won’t let me down.”

Fang Youcai nodded, then asked, “So, Brother Li, what business brings you here today? If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word!”

Not to mention that Li Junsheng had just repaired the equipment—just the chance to become relatives was reason enough for Fang Youcai to lend a hand.

Li Junsheng smiled and said seriously, “I’ve come to ask the factory for a letter of introduction. I’d like to sign a cooperation agreement with the factory and set up a collective enterprise affiliated with the agricultural machinery plant. I also want to lease a workshop and, as the contractor, pay the management and contracting fees on time. I’ll be responsible for profits and losses, and I want to run the workshop independently. Is that within your authority, Chief Fang?”

Fang Youcai’s expression grew serious—he realized Li Junsheng was planning something big. Leasing out an empty workshop wasn’t out of the question; in recent years, private contracts at state-owned factories had become commonplace. Besides, Li Junsheng wanted to sign a cooperation agreement, meaning his collective enterprise would still be officially under the agricultural machinery plant. The factory had a workshop sitting idle and losing money—better to lease it out. As for a letter of introduction with the official seal, that was a simple matter.

“We do have an empty workshop. But are you sure you want to contract it? If you lose money, it could cost you quite a bit.”

Fang Youcai wanted Li Junsheng to consider it carefully, but Li Junsheng had already thought it through.

“Don’t worry, Chief Fang. Even if I lose money, I can handle it. If the factory has no objections, we can sign both the cooperation and contracting agreements right now.”

“All right! I’ll put you under my department—let’s call it the Production and Supply Division.”