Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2608 We Must Satisfy the Foreign Guests (First Update, Please Subscribe)
Amidst the envy of others, Lin Liu stood there, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

She didn't care whether her son was a foreign guest or whether her family was wealthy; she only felt that their words "returning from abroad" were like a thorn, piercing the wound she had deliberately sealed away for many years.

As for the sentence she uttered without thinking...

"What? Sister Lin, what did you say?"

Director Wang looked at the old woman in front of him with some doubt. Everyone around him was also bewildered.

Everyone initially looked at her with envy, after all, everyone knows that if someone has overseas connections, they can definitely reap many benefits.

“Sister Lin, that’s Lin Kang, Xiao Kang, your son.”

Faced with the questions from Director Wang and the others, Lin Liu spoke in an almost resolute tone, enunciating each word clearly:

“I told you, I don’t have that son.”

This time everyone understood. The noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.

The chattering old women fell silent, their expressions of envy and doubt freezing as they all turned to look at Lin Liu Shi.

Wang Guiying was so shocked that her eyes widened, and she unconsciously loosened her grip on Lin Liu's arm, standing there stunned for a long time. She had anticipated all sorts of reactions from Lin Liu, but she had never expected such a cold rejection.

There is no such son?

What are you saying? This is his son, how can he just disown him like that?

Regaining her composure, Wang Guiying assumed the woman had reservations and quickly stepped forward, lowering her voice to persuade her:

"Big sister, don't be confused! Times have changed, it's not like it used to be."

Overseas connections are a valuable asset, extremely precious! And Lin Kang's return is to help with national development, which is a good thing!

As she spoke, she kept an eye on Lin Liu's expression, afraid that if she wasn't careful, the other party might cause some trouble.

"nice one?"

Lin Liu's tears were still wet on her face, but her tone was full of resentment:

"To me, he was no good at all; he was the murderer who killed Lao Lin!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heart-wrenching sorrow.

"No, no matter what, I won't see him. That kid ran away to a foreign country without a word for himself back then. How much suffering did our family suffer because of him?"

Old Lin was literally angered to death by him!
I'd rather die than see this heartless wretch!

After saying this, Lin Liushi didn't look at the crowd again. She bent down, picked up the wooden basin from the ground, and walked step by step toward the small house, leaving the crowd in the courtyard bewildered.

The old women looked at each other in bewilderment. Old Mrs. Zhang opened her mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. Aunt Li also frowned, her face full of confusion. Her previous envy had completely vanished.

Even after Director Wang left, everyone couldn't help but continue discussing the matter.

They were basically saying that Lin Liu was too stupid.

How can we turn down such obvious benefits?

Lin Liu's decision quickly spread from the street to higher authorities. Inside the Municipal Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, the air was thick with smoke, and several leaders sat around a desk, their brows furrowed in worry. The tea in the enamel mugs on the desks had gone cold, but no one had the heart to take a sip.

"That's really strange,"

A middle-aged leader wearing glasses spoke first, flicking his cigarette ash, his tone full of confusion:
“In the past, if a family found out that they had overseas connections, they would be overjoyed and look forward to reconnecting with their relatives overseas.”

"That Lin Liu woman is really something else. Her own son came back from abroad, and he's a foreign guest at that, yet she simply refused to see him. It's truly incomprehensible."

“That’s right!” another leader chimed in.

"Family reunion, what a joyous occasion!"

Besides, when foreign guests return, who comes back empty-handed? Most of them bring back some rare and interesting items, like color TVs and refrigerators—things that are in high demand. They also leave some foreign exchange with their families, which immediately makes life much easier.

If it were anyone else, they would have come knocking on their door long ago. But instead, she's pushing people away. Sigh..."

In the end, he sighed heavily, full of regret.

Silence fell over the office again, broken only by the crackling of cigarettes. After a long while, the director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office stubbed out his cigarette, shoved it forcefully into the ashtray, and said in a deep voice:

"Regardless of what she thinks, it is our job to receive foreign guests well. Lin Kang is a foreign guest returning from overseas, and his status is special. In any case, we must ensure that he comes and leaves satisfied."

The most urgent task is to allow them to meet as a family and reconcile. We cannot allow past grievances to upset the foreign guests and affect our reception efforts.

His words carried weight, and the other leaders nodded in agreement. The director then looked at Wang Guiying, who was standing to the side, and asked:

"Director Wang, is there anything else we can do to persuade Lin Liushi? Could you tell us more about her family situation?"

Wang Guiying, who was sitting to the side participating in the meeting, quickly and respectfully replied:

"Director, let me tell you more about her family situation."

Her husband, Lao Lin, passed away a few years ago. According to the old people in the compound, Lao Lin was so angry and anxious about his eldest son running away abroad that he fell ill and never made it.

This matter is indeed related to Lin Kang. Besides Lin Kang, she also has a younger son named Lin Wei and three daughters, but these children are currently working in the countryside and not in the city.

Back then, she suffered some injustices because of Lin Kang, so it's understandable that Old Mrs. Lin harbors some resentment now.

"Even if you have grievances, you should consider the bigger picture. You really are just a woman..."

The director said this first, then lit another cigarette, took a puff, frowned, pondered for a moment, and suddenly slammed his hand on the table, saying:

"I've got it! Since they're holding a grudge, let's help them resolve it. Tell those kids who cut in line to come back immediately!"

Director Wang, I'll leave this matter to you. First, talk to Mrs. Lin and explain to her that receiving foreign guests is no small matter; it's a political task, and as a family member, she must obey the arrangements.

After a pause, the director added:

"Also, you should tell her that what happened back then is in the past, and we should look forward. It's okay that he suffered some grievances in the past few years."

"We'll give priority to arranging jobs for her and her children who came back from the countryside during the Cultural Revolution; we'll consider them all first."

"What? Prioritize my work?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Guiying was stunned and instinctively retorted:
"Director, this...this might not be appropriate, right? In recent years, quite a few young people who were sent to the countryside have returned to our neighborhood, and most of them are still unemployed at home, waiting to be assigned jobs."

If we give priority to Lin Liu's children, we'll have a hard time explaining it to the other unemployed youth!

As the head of the neighborhood committee, she naturally knew how difficult it was to arrange jobs now, since every household had children waiting to be assigned.

"Difficult to explain? When do you need to explain to them?"

The director frowned, his tone becoming sterner:

“Can this be the same?

They are the family members of foreign guests!
Our core mission is to ensure that foreign guests arrive satisfied and leave satisfied. Only when they are satisfied will they be willing to support national development.

If foreign guests' families are in trouble and we don't help them, what's the point of having departments like ours?

His gaze swept over everyone in the office, finally settling on Wang Guiying. His tone softened slightly, but remained unwavering:
"Director Wang, you need to understand the priorities of this matter. Properly receiving foreign guests is not only the responsibility of our Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, but also relates to the image of our city and even the country's international reputation."

This is a big deal!

"Don't worry, as long as this matter is handled well, we'll find a way to resolve the follow-up issues. Go and do it now, and make sure Lin Liu understands the situation and cooperates with our work."

Wang Guiying opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but seeing the director's serious expression, she swallowed her words and nodded heavily.

"Okay, Director, I'll take care of it right away."

After saying that, she turned and walked quickly out of the office, her mind in turmoil.

She knew that persuading Lin Liu might not be a big deal, but the fact that she was given priority in arranging work would likely cause quite a stir if word got out.

But the director's arrangements had already been made; it was an order from above, and she had no choice but to obey.

As Wang Guiying rode her bicycle back to the neighborhood after leaving the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, she was still filled with confusion.

"He's just a foreigner, is it really that big of a deal?"

Although she said that, she still had to obey the work assigned by her superiors. All she could think about on the way was how to arrange the work for the four Lin siblings.

This is a job for four people!

Upon returning to the neighborhood, Wang Guiying said to the office director:
"Old Xu, doesn't the supply and marketing cooperative have a position for a permanent employee? Has the person been chosen yet?"

Old Xu, who was busy, stood up and said.

"It's settled. It's for Ma Dongsheng in courtyard number 4. Didn't you mention last time that a leader from the district put in a good word for them, and that their family is also..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Guiying quickly asked.

"Haven't you notified them yet?"

"Not yet?"

"That's good."

Wang Guiying nodded, then breathed a sigh of relief and said.

"Here's the thing, I went to the Municipal Overseas Chinese Affairs Office for a meeting. In order to do a good job in receiving foreign guests, the leaders of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office asked us to help the children of the Lin family in No. 6 courtyard find jobs."

"Yes, his second son is a foreign guest. The eldest, Lin Jian, is currently working in the countryside and will be back in a few days. So, this job opportunity will go to him. Also, let's see if we can squeeze out three more openings for the three Lin sisters at the textile and towel factories."

The director's words made Old Xu's eyes widen in surprise. He looked at the director and said...

"Director, these are four job openings. Our entire district only has a limited number of openings this year. To give four to the Lin family like this... everyone is bound to be resentful."

Hearing what Lao Xu said, Wang Guiying applied a compress to her eyes and then said:
"Can they be compared to others? They have foreign guests at home. What are foreign guests? Foreign guests are those who come here. We must treat them well and make them feel at home."

As Wang Guiying spoke, she said to Lao Xu:

"Alright, that's settled then. This is a decision made by the city leaders. Sigh, I still need to talk to Grandma Lin first. You know how it is with these kinds of things; once the leaders say something, we subordinates have to run our legs off..."

As she spoke, Wang Guiying left the office, leaving behind a bewildered Old Xu and everyone else in the office.

After a long silence, Old Xu finally spoke:
"This, this is really different."

After watching Director Wang leave the office, Old Liu asked:
"Old Xu gave the Lin family four spots at once. If word gets out, all the resentment will eventually fall on us."

Look...

Old Liu held up the list in his hand and then said:

"So many children, some of whom have been sent to the countryside for more than ten years, some whose families rely on their sons to work and support the whole family, and even some of whom are relatives of martyrs. There are only about twenty spots in total, and now the Lin family has been given four of them. Is this fair?"

(End of this chapter)