1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 728 Opening a Lanxiang Vocational School!
"Wow, you've upgraded from a slingshot to a cannon!"

As Shen Juncheng got out of an old military green jeep, Li Changhe smiled and joked at him.

"Come on, let's go inside and talk!"

Shen Juncheng and Li Changhe entered the house, where a simply dressed woman immediately greeted them with a warm smile.

"Big brother is here?"

"Seventh Brother has cleaned the room inside. You can go in now."

"Fengqin, tell Lao Qi to order the same three things as always. No need to bring the baijiu, just some Yanjing beer instead."

Shen Juncheng finished speaking to Feng Qin with practiced ease, and then led Li Changhe into a small hut inside.

"Wow, you've been here quite often!"

After Li Changhe and Shen Juncheng entered the house, he smiled and said to him.

"The owner here is Lao Qi, the snotty kid who used to play with us, you know him?"

Shen Juncheng shook his head and said to Li Changhe.

Upon hearing this, Li Changhe also remembered it.

"Slug? Isn't its name something like Wang?"

“His real name is Wang Laifu. He came back in 81. After he came back, he had no job to settle down and had a family to support.”

“Fengqin is his wife, but they haven’t remarried yet, and Fengqin and his son’s household registration hasn’t been resolved.”

Shen Juncheng said softly.

"After coming back, they were really desperate and came to me for help."

"I thought about it and decided to let him learn to be a chef. He's the one you introduced before, Chef Zheng from the Beijing Hotel. He arranged a few apprentices for him."

"Although he was an apprentice, he was more than enough to teach our group. Many of them went to learn from him back then, but few learned as well as Lao Qi."

"Old Seven has some talent and has honed his skills, especially in three dishes, which he is quite good at. We supported him in opening this small restaurant. My team usually holds receptions here, and San'er and his family also come here to eat when they have free time, so business is booming."

Just as Shen Juncheng was speaking, the door was pushed open, and a thin man walked in carrying a thermos.

"Brother, here's your beer. The food is ready, I'll bring it to you right away."

Upon entering, the other party greeted Shen Juncheng warmly.

Shen Juncheng smiled and nodded, then looked at Lao Qi and pointed at Li Changhe, asking, "Lao Qi, do you still recognize him?"

At this moment, Wang Laoqi stared at Li Changhe for a few moments.

Then he stared intently at Li Changhe. Slowly, a look of surprise appeared on his face: "You are...Changhe?"

"Laifu, it's been a long time!"

Li Changhe greeted Wang Laoqi with a smile.

"Oh my, Changhe, it really is you."

"I heard from Third Brother and the others before that you got into university. What are you doing here?"

As Wang Laoqi spoke, he reached out to shake hands with Li Changhe, but then seemed to remember that his hands were greasy, and awkwardly withdrew them.

"I work away from home, I'm often on business trips, and I only come back occasionally."

"Okay, Changhe, this meal is on me today. I'll go and get you two more dishes."

At this point, Wang Laoqi was so excited that he didn't know what to say, so he could only suggest adding two more dishes.

"Alright, Seventh Brother, stop fussing. He's got plenty to eat. He's tired of the dishes your Chef Zheng makes. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to arrange for you to learn from the people at the Beijing Hotel."

"You go ahead and do your work. I have something to discuss with Changhe. Bring the dishes up and have Fengqin keep an eye on things so no one comes in."

Shen Juncheng waved his hand, then gave instructions to Wang Laoqi.

Upon hearing this, Wang Laoqi was surprised. Sure enough, just as Men San'er and the others had said, Li Changhe was now a big shot.

"Okay, I'll have Fengqin keep watch at the table outside. You two talk first."

"Okay, Laifu, you go ahead and get busy. After I finish talking with Juncheng, we'll have a couple of drinks together later!"

Li Changhe also said with a smile.

"no problem!"

Wang Laoqi walked out excitedly, and then three dishes were served.

"Come on, try this new beer. It's from a small brewery in Shunyi called Yanjing. It tastes pretty good."

"This winery isn't as arrogant as the State Food and Drinks Corporation. They supply this small restaurant with their own products and even deliver them to its door. There are quite a few people drinking it now."

“I know you don’t drink baijiu while driving, so I had Fengqin take this.”

Shen Juncheng poured a glass for him and Li Changhe each.

Li Changhe didn't refuse. These days, for many people, beer isn't even considered alcohol, and they're not that particular about it.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

The two clinked glasses, took a sip of beer, and then Li Changhe got down to business.

"Here's the thing, I have something to think about, could you help me figure it out?"

"I currently have two directions for improvement, but I can't decide which one to choose."

"One option is to join the GA department. Last year, we had a major crackdown here, and the GA department is planning to expand it nationwide. But first, we need to conduct a nationwide survey and send working groups to each province. I was selected."

“My father-in-law is pulling strings, which means I can stay in the ministry afterward.”

Shen Juncheng said softly.

Li Changhe said with a smile, "Isn't this great? What's wrong? Do you have any other options?"

Shen Juncheng nodded: "Yes, there's one more."

"Actually, it's related to you too. Last time, I wasn't your security guard, and I had contact with some people."

"Then, this year the country plans to establish a new security department to be in charge of national security, and they want to transfer me there."

"Actually, the treatment offered by both sides is about the same. It's just that one is for internal use and the other is for external use. I'm a little unsure about which one to choose."

Upon hearing this, Li Changhe immediately understood.

To put it simply, it's about public safety and national security.

Before this, the two were actually merged, which could be described as one organization with two names. Now they are going to be separated and become two separate names.

"I can't give you advice on this; it depends on your own preferences."

"The public security department is more geared towards the general public, focusing on domestic security and handling mass-related work. The new department you mentioned, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will likely be a core department dealing with external affairs, which means they're destined to be unsung heroes in the future."

"I'm just not sure!"

Shen Juncheng shook his head and said helplessly.

Seeing his expression, Li Changhe smiled and said, "Forget it, if you ask me, you're not suited for the new department."

"You have a peculiar trait: you like to show off in front of others and be flamboyant. This is different from the low-key and reserved nature of the new department. If you go there, it's unlikely to suit your personality."

Shen Juncheng, to use a term from later times, was a show-off, a characteristic of the Beijing playboys. While this might be criticized in later times, it was considered an advantage in this era.

In an era where most people are quiet and reserved, his tendency to show off and stand out actually reflects a willingness to take the lead and shoulder heavy responsibilities. This is why he thrives in the municipal bureau; his personality aligns with the needs of this era.

Upon hearing Li Changhe's words, Shen Juncheng was slightly taken aback, then looked at Li Changhe and said, "Why do I feel like you're insulting me?"

"However, I think you're right. With my personality, I really can't do that kind of low-key and reserved work."

"But the new department that approached me wasn't just interested in me as a person, but also in the people under me, like San'er and his team."

"They think these are good informants, especially in a core area like the capital. In fact, they want to use these people. I myself don't want to go, but I can't simply hand San'er over to them."

"Can you come up with a solution?"

Shen Juncheng said helplessly at this moment.

After listening, Li Changhe seemed to be deep in thought.

No wonder the National Security Bureau approached him; now you know the root of the problem.

"Where is your older brother working now? It's been a year since he came back, hasn't it?"

The elder brother Li Changhe mentioned is Shen Juncheng's older brother, Shen Junyan. He had just returned from military service at the beginning of last year and was assigned to the Municipal Bureau. However, considering that his position overlapped with Shen Juncheng's, he seemed to have gone to another place.

"He's in the city government's security department. Didn't my uncle transfer him there later?"

Shen Juncheng said casually.

But then, his eyes lit up.

"Changhe, what do you think? Should we send the boss to the new department?"

Li Changhe nodded: "My brother is calm and steady, and he has been in the army for many years. His resume is definitely solid, and his military skills are probably not a problem. I think you might as well recommend him to them and let him give it a try."

"Moreover, with him around, San'er and the others will naturally cooperate when needed."

"Of course, you'll have to talk to your older brother about this first and see what his interest is."

Upon hearing this, Shen Juncheng immediately said, "He's definitely interested. There's practically nothing going on at the security office; they just wander around aimlessly all day. He's already tired of that."

"Okay, I'll go back and talk to him tonight."

"By the way, did you know that the boss has a girlfriend?"

Shen Juncheng then started gossiping with Li Changhe again.

“It’s time to find someone. He’s several years older than us, he’s already thirty-one this year. This is really responding to the national call for late marriage and late childbirth.”

Li Changhe said with a smile.

Shen Juncheng nodded: "That's right. Ever since he came back, my mother, my aunt, and my other aunt have been arranging blind dates for him. They've been doing it for more than half a year, but none of them have worked out."

"As it turned out, he was working at the municipal government and he dated a college graduate who had just been assigned to a job, and he was a top student from Renmin University."

"I reckon they'll get married after the New Year."

“That’s great! Just let me know in advance and I’ll arrange the time.”

Li Changhe said with a smile that although he and Shen Junyan were not very close, their families had been interacting frequently in recent years, and in this era they could be considered close relatives.

"Don't worry, Zhu Lin will definitely tell you about this in advance."

"By the way, has your housing been allocated yet, brother? It's not like you're settling in at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is it?"

Li Changhe then asked again.

"They've separated. With his younger brother around, how could he not get a house?"

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. I have something else to do. Can you give me some advice?"

Shen Juncheng quickly changed the subject, afraid that Li Changhe would bring up giving away houses again.

"What should I do if I go to the GA department?"

"It seems like they're not like the Municipal Bureau; they're targeting ordinary people. San'er and the others probably can't help. Can you give me some advice?"

"And to put it bluntly, I was able to get in because of the ideas you gave me before, including setting up mobile guard posts on the roadside and setting up simple 110 emergency numbers."

Shen Juncheng then humbly sought advice again.

His entry into the GA department was due to his father-in-law's efforts, and also to some of his innovative achievements. Without those accomplishments, the ministry wouldn't have wanted him based solely on solving cases.

"Okay, let me think about it!"

Li Changhe pondered for a moment, and then began to think.

To be honest, the ministries and commissions are all about high-level planning and general direction, and Li Changhe really didn't have any special ideas about that.

The main problem is that this isn't something that can be accomplished simply by offering suggestions; the actual situation of the country must also be taken into account.

Shen Juncheng waited patiently on the side.

"I can barely think of one right now, can you give me your opinion?"

“Since you’re going out to conduct research, you must be aware that one of the root causes of social disorder is the lack of jobs.”

"Actually, someone like Lao Qi is a good example of your performance."

Li Changhe then spoke to Shen Juncheng.

Upon hearing this, Shen Juncheng was somewhat puzzled: "Seventh Brother? What do you mean?"

"Think about the re-employment training we arranged for Men San'er and the others!"

"Have you ever thought about upgrading them directly into re-employment training schools?"

"For example, you could work with them in the name of the Municipal Bureau to set up a vocational training school that teaches people how to cook, cut hair, repair bicycles, and sew."

"In the future, you can expand further, for example, to teach things that vocational schools don't teach, such as machine tool operation in factories in the south that require skilled workers."

"Once you go to a ministry, you can talk to the leaders and see if you can use the ministry's name to have several regions or core areas of major provinces and cities across the country run this kind of re-employment training."

“Your ministry has plenty of land for schools and colleges. All you need to do is find some teachers to teach and train the students. Once they graduate, they will have a skill to use when they go back to work, instead of just drifting aimlessly in society.”

What Li Changhe told Shen Juncheng was the model of New Oriental and Lanxiang Vocational School in the future.

It's hard to say about other organizations, but the GA system can definitely run these schools legitimately, since maintaining social order is their job, and this kind of re-employment training is also a performance indicator for them.

Upon hearing this, Shen Juncheng's eyes lit up.

He's very good at this model; he has a lot of people working on it.

"Okay, Changhe, this is interesting."

"You should talk to your uncle about this first, and then talk to your father-in-law. Think of a comprehensive plan first, and then give feedback to the leaders after you've entered the ministry."

"We'll get things done, but we can't let others claim the credit."

Li Changhe didn't mind helping Shen Juncheng more. Firstly, the two had a close relationship, and secondly, he was happy to help Shen Juncheng advance in his position.

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Shen Juncheng immediately nodded solemnly.

He already had a suitable candidate in mind for this matter.

"Alright, now that we've finished discussing the important matters, call Lao Qi in. Let's chat for a bit."

(End of this chapter)