C16 Testing

"Director Su, you've arrived?" Huang Feng accompanied Su Yumo to the factory where the leadership was already awaiting their arrival. A portly middle-aged man hurried over to greet her as soon as he saw Su Yumo step out of the car.

"Mmm," Su Yumo acknowledged with a brief nod and proceeded onward, with Huang Feng closely on her heels.

"What's the status?" Su Yumo inquired as they walked. Gone was the shyness she had shown around Huang Feng; she now carried herself with the poise of a seasoned business professional.

The middle-aged man, well-acquainted with Su Yumo's demeanor, quickly responded, "Upon receiving the company's directive, I've had our team inspect every production step. We've tightened our standards, but thankfully, we haven't found any serious compliance issues."

Su Yumo gave no outward reaction to the man's report and made her way directly to the production workshop. She navigated the corridors with ease, clearly no stranger to these parts.

Lately, Su Yumo had been under a great deal of stress. Their company, Heaven's Pride Group, specialized in cosmetics and had thrived thanks to her and her best friend Xie Mengjiao's expertise, coupled with their subtle but influential backing. They had quickly made a name for themselves in the industry, establishing a strong presence in Jiang Prefecture, gaining renown in Qing Province, and even wielding some clout nationwide.

But the landscape shifted when a renowned international cosmetics brand entered the Qing market, causing their own market share to slip as the competition intensified. To make matters worse, a beauty salon that used their products experienced a customer's facial disfigurement, leading the salon to suspect a fault in their cosmetics and consider severing ties with them.

This salon was part of a national chain with extensive operations, a major client for Heaven's Pride Group. The prospect of losing such a client was unacceptable. Therefore, Xie Mengjiao took charge of the crisis management, leaving Su Yumo to oversee quality control back at headquarters.

Before Xie Mengjiao departed, she and Su Yumo had a meeting to discuss the incident. They suspected the involvement of the international brand, hinting at a complexity to the situation that wasn't immediately apparent. Yet, with the issue at hand, they had no choice but to confront the challenge head-on.

Unexpectedly, shortly after Xie Mengjiao's departure and the disfigurement incident, troublemakers began to stir up issues at their factory. They thought they had these matters under control, but for reasons unknown, the problem resurfaced. Calling the police proved futile; the ruffians would scatter at the sight of law enforcement, only to return once they were gone. Their presence was a constant disruption, harassing the factory workers and severely impacting production.

"Have those people been back these last couple of days?" Su Yumo inquired as they walked.

"They've been here every day. They only stay away when the police are around, especially at quitting time, harassing our employees. We've received numerous complaints, particularly from single women who've been subjected to verbal and even physical abuse," the portly middle-aged man responded, his face darkening with concern over the situation.

Walking alongside Su Yumo, Huang Feng could see her demeanor had grown much more stern, a stark contrast to her earlier composure in the car. The change was so pronounced that it left Huang Feng feeling momentarily disoriented, but he kept his thoughts to himself, aware that his input wasn't needed at the moment.

Su Yumo donned her isolation suit and stepped into the production workshop. Huang Feng hesitated briefly before following her lead, as did the middle-aged man, who cast a brief glance Huang Feng's way but remained silent.

Inside the workshop, the staff was busy with their tasks, the machinery humming steadily in the background. It was Huang Feng's first time in such a setting, and he watched with keen interest.

The workers paid little mind to the newcomers, focusing on their duties. The assembly line moved smoothly, and soon, the cosmetics were neatly packaged.

"Huang Feng, load a box onto the truck," Su Yumo called out, not looking back as she led the way.

"Got it," Huang Feng replied with a nod, picking up a box of the finished cosmetics. It was a full box but not too heavy for an average person, let alone someone like Huang Feng, who kept up with regular exercise—it was a breeze for him.

Having seen that Huang Feng had finished moving the items, Su Yumo didn't linger any longer. She turned and made her way out of the factory. Once outside, she addressed the middle-aged man beside her, "Director Bao, it's imperative that we reinforce our commitment to quality control. Regardless of whether this issue was our fault or not, we cannot afford to neglect quality—it's the cornerstone of our business."

"Rest assured, Director Su, I've always prioritized quality and never once let it slide. To be honest, I don't believe we're at fault here. It's likely something the beauty salon did, or perhaps Fragrant Bean Cosmetics is stirring up trouble. And now, we're the ones being blamed," Director Bao replied, clearly having his own views on the situation.

"We'll get to the bottom of this," Su Yumo assured him. "But let me reiterate, whether or not we're responsible, we cannot let our standards in quality slip."

"Don't worry. As long as we're on watch, you can count on the quality being up to par," Director Bao said, thumping his chest confidently.

Su Yumo nodded. The incident had escalated, and the client seemed to have significant influence. With the Industrial and Commerce Bureau and other agencies already investigating, Heaven's Pride Group was under close scrutiny. It was crucial that they didn't create any further issues for themselves at such a critical time.

Ready to return, Su Yumo's visit had primarily been to inspect the production workshop and collect some samples. With her objectives accomplished, it was time to head back. Huang Feng, summoned for this occasion, had served as both driver and mover.

Director Bao escorted them to the factory gates, but as they approached the exit, his face fell. Outside, a van was parked, and gathered around it, a group of flamboyantly dressed youths were smoking and chatting.