Free Web NovelChapter 415: Chapter 415: Poaching
"The first method is a bit slower. We send someone to a large towel factory to learn the jacquard weaving process," Adrian Hawthorne said.
Aston Marsh frowned slightly. "Where would we go to learn? Every company keeps new technology like that under wraps. It’ll be difficult."
"Then there’s the second method: poach someone directly. Go to a big factory and lure away one of their technicians." A decisive glint appeared in Adrian Hawthorne’s eyes. He also preferred the second option—it was fast, ruthless, and precise. The turnaround would be short, and the return on investment high.
It wasn’t exactly an honorable approach, but business wasn’t about being some chivalrous hero. All that mattered was making money. The process was irrelevant; the result was everything.
Tang Xiaonan pursed her lips into a smile. She and Adrian Hawthorne were on the same page. The best method was to poach someone. No one in the world could resist temptation—unless they were a robot.
Aston Marsh’s eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh. "That’s a great idea! But would anyone really agree to go to a small factory?"
The pay and benefits at a big factory are definitely better than at a small one. Why would a skilled technician be willing to leave?
Adrian Hawthorne chuckled. "If you offer them enough, there’s no one you can’t poach."
His father had once told him a story. Back then, although the Hawthorne family and the Chandler family officially kept to themselves—one north of the Yangtze River, the other south, each making their own fortunes—the two families were, in fact, secretly competing.
The Hawthorne family had gotten its start earlier, so their technology was naturally more advanced. The Chandler family tried every trick in the book to poach the Hawthorne family’s talent. The incident that infuriated his grandfather the most was when the Hawthornes had mastered the most advanced textile printing technology in the country. They had imported printing machines from Germany, and his grandfather had personally selected two specialists to train with the Germans on how to operate them. It took a full month for them to learn.
Those two specialists naturally became the factory’s prized assets, receiving the highest pay and benefits. Because the Hawthorne family could produce one-of-a-kind printed fabrics, their orders grew exponentially. Even fabric merchants from north of the Yangtze River had to source their stock from the Hawthorne family. The Chandlers could only watch helplessly, as they were unable to produce the same patterns.
But Old Master Chandler was no pushover. Before long, he also bought German machines. However, Adrian’s grandfather had already had a word with the Germans, telling them not to train the Chandler family. The Germans were old friends with his grandfather, so naturally, they listened.
Old Master Chandler spent a fortune on the machines only for them to sit as decorations. He was reportedly so furious that he smashed many things in his home and lost his appetite completely. Adrian’s grandfather, on the other hand, had a hearty appetite. He even took two new mistresses during that time—triumphant in his love life, and even more so in business.
But his grandfather’s delight didn’t last long. Before he’d even grown accustomed to his new mistresses, Old Master Chandler poached one of his two prized specialists. He hadn’t been completely ruthless, at least leaving one behind. In less than a month, the northern market for printed fabrics was back in the Chandler family’s hands. His grandfather, enraged, smashed everything in a room, but in the end, he could only accept reality and go back to competing neck and neck with the Chandlers.
The compensation the Hawthorne family offered those two specialists back then was already excellent, but Old Master Chandler poached one all the same. His father had told him this story to make him understand one thing: there’s no talent that can’t be poached. It all comes down to whether the temptation you offer is great enough.
It was a moment of enlightenment for Aston Marsh, and his eyes shone even brighter. "I’ll go back and discuss this with the factory director. The best-case scenario would be to poach a technician from that factory."
He pointed to the jacquard towel on the bed. "According to the salesperson, that manufacturer currently has the widest variety of patterns, and their technology is very mature. It would be perfect if we could poach one of their technicians."
Adrian Hawthorne thought for a moment, then said, "A factory like that is bound to have more than one technician. And whenever you have a group of people, there will be a hierarchy. You should do some digging. I guarantee you’ll find a technician who’s dissatisfied with their current situation. That’s the kind of person who’s most susceptible to temptation."
