Chapter 31: He Yuzhu Joins Five Factories for Self-Rescue

At the entrance of the chicken farm, the pungent stench of disinfectant mingled with the nauseating odor of rotting carcasses, hanging in the air like a heavy, sodden rag that choked everyone who approached.

Deputy Factory Director Zhao from the Meat Processing Plant, Section Chief Li from the Red Star Steel Mill, Director Sun from the First Machine Tool Plant, Section Chief Liu from the Textile Mill, and Old Qian, the procurement agent from the Chemical Raw Materials Plant—the heads of these five factories surveyed the farm, which looked more like a battlefield than a place of business. Their expressions grew increasingly grim.

"Team Leader He! What… what on earth is going on here?!" Deputy Director Zhao rushed up to He Yuzhu, pointing at the crates of dead chickens being hauled out. His voice cracked with panic. "Newcastle disease?! We just signed the contract! What about our supply?!" Veins bulged on his forehead; the Meat Processing Plant’s entire production plan for the second half of the year depended on this shipment.

The other officials crowded around, their eyes burning with anxiety. This sudden outbreak threatened to destroy the livelihood of all five factories.

He Yuzhu removed his stained mask. There was no panic on his face, only a steely composure.

He swept his gaze over the group, his voice low yet cutting clearly through the clamor of the scene. "Director Zhao, everyone! The situation is critical, so I will skip the pleasantries. It is confirmed: Newcastle disease, a highly contagious pathogen. Culling the flock and disinfecting the site is the only way forward."

He gestured toward the workers spraying disinfectant and the distant area where the healthy birds were strictly quarantined. "Director Zhao of the farm is doing his best to contain the spread, but the losses have already been incurred. We cannot guarantee the original supply quotas in the short term."

The words hit them like a bucket of ice water.

"Then… what are we supposed to do?" Section Chief Liu of the Textile Mill asked, his voice trembling.

"There is only one way!" He Yuzhu said, his tone resolute. "The five of us must immediately form a joint emergency task force! We must band together to save ourselves!"

"Save ourselves?" The others looked puzzled.

"Yes!" He Yuzhu spoke rapidly and methodically. "First, we must immediately assess the current inventory of poultry and frozen meat at each plant and share resources. We must prioritize keeping production lines running and maintaining basic cafeteria supplies!"

"Second, we must dispatch personnel to split up and conduct on-site inspections of other alternative poultry suppliers. We must verify the health of their flocks!"

"Third, led by our Red Star Steel Mill, we will immediately contact the Municipal Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station to request emergency support. They will guide the disinfection process and conduct rapid spot checks on other potential suppliers."

"Fourth, we will jointly submit an emergency report to the Municipal Bureau of Commerce, explaining the situation and requesting coordination for potential unscheduled supplies from other regions."

He Yuzhu’s series of emergency measures were fast, accurate, and decisive. The once-panicked officials began to see a glimmer of hope. They realized that working alone would lead to ruin; unity was their only survival path.

"Team Leader He is right!" Director Sun of the First Machine Tool Plant was the first to respond. "We have some stock in our freezer that can last a few days!"

"Our factory will send people to inspect the North Suburb Chicken Farm immediately!" Section Chief Liu of the Textile Mill declared.

"I know people at the Veterinary Station; I’ll go contact them right now!" Old Qian from the Chemical Raw Materials Plant stepped forward as well.

Deputy Director Zhao of the Meat Processing Plant watched He Yuzhu—unflappable, commanding the situation, and mobilizing resources—and his last lingering doubts vanished. He clapped a hand firmly on He Yuzhu’s shoulder. "Good! Team Leader He, we’ll do as you say! The Meat Processing Plant will cooperate fully! If you need trucks or men, just say the word!"

The representatives of the five factories huddled together right there at the disinfectant-scented gate, rapidly hammering out the leadership (He Yuzhu), communication protocols, labor distribution, and a schedule of action.

***

At the Rolling Mill, in the office of the Deputy Factory Director.

Li Huaide listened to his confidant’s low-voiced report, a cold smirk curling his lips.

"A joint emergency task force among five factories? And He Yuzhu is the head of it? They’re moving fast." He tapped his fingers on the desk. "They want to save themselves? It won’t be that easy."

He picked up the phone and dialed the extension for Section Chief Zhang of the Logistics Department. "Old Zhang, it’s Li Huaide. Listen, I want to sync up with you on something. Comrade He Yuzhu from the Procurement Section has been using quite a lot of the factory’s disinfectant and protective gear to deal with that chicken farm outbreak, right?"

"I understand it’s an emergency… but regardless, the allocation of factory supplies—especially unscheduled emergency withdrawals—must follow proper procedure. The accounts must be clear to avoid gossip."

"You understand my meaning, right? Yes, exactly. Everything that needs to be verified must be verified, and the necessary paperwork must be filed… Good, that’s all."

Hanging up, Li Huaide leaned back in his chair with a playful, cat-and-mouse expression.

He Yuzhu, you think you’re so capable? Let’s see how far you can jump when I tie you up in red tape.

The joint task force was highly efficient. By that afternoon, the inventory reports from all factories were compiled, enough to last about a week. The teams sent to check other farms also reported back: the North Suburb farm was small but healthy, and could spare some stock; the East Suburb farm was also viable but had a waiting list.

The Municipal Veterinary Station treated the request with high priority, immediately sending two senior veterinarians and technicians with specialized disinfectants and testing equipment to the West City farm to guide the deep-cleaning process and conduct emergency testing at other sites.

The office of the Red Star Steel Mill’s Procurement Section became a temporary command center, with phones ringing incessantly. He Yuzhu, Ma Hua, and Xiao Wang were run off their feet coordinating information and arranging logistics.

"Team Leader! Section Chief Zhang from the logistics warehouse is saying…" Xiao Wang hung up the phone, looking troubled. "He says the amount of disinfectant and protective gear we pulled is too high, and we need to provide a detailed explanation of use signed by a leader. He also said… he said there were flaws in the procedure and wants you to go over there personally to explain."

He Yuzhu was on another call with Deputy Director Zhao of the Meat Processing Plant, discussing shipping arrangements from the North Suburb farm.

He didn't even frown when he heard Xiao Wang. He finished his call calmly before hanging up.

"I see." He Yuzhu’s voice was calm, but his eyes had turned cold. It couldn’t have come at a worse time—they were hitting him with red tape now? Li Huaide’s reach was long indeed.

"Ma Hua, keep a close watch on the loading in the North Suburb; it must ship out tonight! Xiao Wang, keep coordinating with the Veterinary Station and provide whatever support they need!" He Yuzhu gave his orders quickly, then grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. "I’ll handle the logistics department."

At the door of the logistics warehouse, empty barrels and crates were piled up—the remnants of the disinfectant and protective gear taken earlier that day.

Section Chief Zhang stood at the entrance with his hands behind his back, watching He Yuzhu walk toward him with a stoic expression.

"Team Leader He, you’re here?" Zhang’s tone was flat.

"Section Chief Zhang, the emergency supply call was urgent, and there may have been some procedural oversights. Sorry for the trouble." He Yuzhu got straight to the point, his demeanor neither servile nor arrogant.

"I wouldn’t call it trouble." Zhang pushed up his glasses. "It’s just that Deputy Factory Director Li called personally to ask about it, emphasizing that supply management must be standardized. Team Leader He, you know how it is—everything in this factory has to be accounted for."

"Look at this disinfectant—twenty barrels taken, fifty sets of protective gear… that’s no small amount. Which specific steps were these used for?"

"Do you have signed receipts from the chicken farm? You need to submit a written explanation, and it needs to be signed by Deputy Section Chief Sun or Deputy Director Li to be compliant."

Zhang’s words were airtight, shifting the responsibility onto "rules" and "leadership instructions."

He Yuzhu looked at Zhang’s officious face and understood everything perfectly. This was Li Huaide’s trap! He wanted to use these bureaucratic hoops to stall him and delay the epidemic control and supply efforts.

Suppressing his anger, He Yuzhu pulled a hard-backed notebook from his bag, flipped to a page, and handed it over. "Section Chief Zhang, here is the receipt signed by Director Zhao of the chicken farm. The quantity, type, and purpose are all clearly documented. The time was tight, so I didn't get to file the formal requisition form—that is my oversight. I can write the explanation right now."

He Yuzhu took out his fountain pen and, using the window ledge as a desk, scribbled a concise explanation of the supplies' usage. He signed his name, then handed the receipt and the explanation to Zhang.

"Sorry for the inconvenience. Additionally, the farm requires a large amount of quicklime and specialized disinfectant for deep cleaning. The list from the Veterinary Station will be here shortly. Please ensure the logistics department prioritizes the supply! This is a matter of stability for five factories and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers! We cannot afford a delay!"

He Yuzhu emphasized the final sentences, his gaze locked onto Zhang’s.

Zhang felt uncomfortable under his stare. He took the documents and scanned them; Director Zhao’s signature and red thumbprint were clear, and the explanation was logical.

He had only been following orders to make things difficult, but he hadn’t expected He Yuzhu to be so well-prepared, so firm, and to bring up the weight of five factories and tens of thousands of workers.

"Ahem… fine. As long as the paperwork is filled out, that’s all that matters. As for the quicklime and subsequent disinfectants… we’ll arrange them as soon as possible." Zhang replied vaguely, took the papers, and turned back into the warehouse.

He Yuzhu watched Zhang’s retreating back, his eyes cold.

He knew this wasn't over. Li Huaide wouldn't give up so easily. He had to consolidate this chain of epidemic control and supply before the next, larger storm hit.