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Chapter 183: It's easy to catch him

"I say, you are a farmer with only primary school education, and you went to Zhongguancun to listen to the meeting of scientists. Do you understand? Are you going there to pretend to be knowledgeable?" Cheng Yunfei sat at the wine table, peeled a boiled peanut and put it into his mouth, smiling at Xie Hushan.

Xie Hushan, who was sweating all over, raised his neck and took a big gulp of cold beer. Then he wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth with his hand and said:

"Let me tell you, the professor who gave the report kept thanking me before I left. Besides, what's wrong with farmers? Farmers are simple. I told him that the Science and Technology Association would definitely not give you money to support you to work on your own, and they would not agree to give you shares. If you set a precedent, many scientists would have to follow your example and start their own business, which would be a big loss for the country. If you don't believe me, just try it. If it doesn't work, just send a telegram to our brigade. Our brigade has money, and I can help you with ideological work. Who knows, our brigade secretary might be willing to support intellectuals."

Song Tiesheng and Dongzi were covering their foreheads as they listened. Song Tiesheng said to Xie Hushan:
"Third brother, although we don't care about the hierarchy now, I think scientists are so smart. To become a scientist, you have to take the imperial examination just like the top scholar in the past. If something really happens, people like them can't rely on farmers or workers. If scientists ask farmers for help, people will think our country has no people."

"Shut up, you beast!" Xie Hushan stretched out his chopsticks and clamped Song Tiesheng's lips:
"You are still a tough guy, but you still ask me, a farmer, to do things for you. Didn't you ask me to find a way to send your mother to a nursing home to accompany my grandmother for recuperation? Now that you don't need me anymore, you dare to look down on farmers? Okay, I will complain to your old lady when I get back."

"Third brother, I'm reporting you. Once he was drunk, he asked us to see his sister-in-law if she was pretty or not. If she was not pretty and had a bad temper, we should find a way to break her up. Then we could introduce her to you and let you be his..." Dongzi stabbed Song Tiesheng in the back.

Song Tiesheng pushed the chopsticks away and angrily pointed at Dongzi and cursed:

"Bullshit, did I say that? Didn't I say that Third Brother is such a good man, I don't know what kind of girl can be worthy of him? If Third Brother really doesn't pay attention and finds a girl with bad character and bad temper, then it's better to introduce my Xiaoyu to Third Brother. At least Xiaoyu is not bad looking and has a good temper."

"It's OK as long as the meaning is right. Let Third Brother and Fei listen to it. What I learned is not wrong." Dongzi said with a smile.

The two men threw peanuts at each other and cursed at each other, while Cheng Yunfei poured another glass of beer for Xie Hushan and said with a smile:

"Including the last time, we have met twice. Tiesheng and Dongzi are decent workers, Han Laoer is a decent farmer, but you kid, your mother is definitely not a decent farmer."

"Why am I not a proper farmer? What should a proper farmer be like?" Xie Hushan raised his glass, clinked it with Cheng Yunfei and said.

Cheng Yunfei took a sip of beer and lowered his head to peel peanuts:

"Although you always say you are a farmer, you are definitely not serious. You can look through your family tree. Maybe three generations ago, they were either corrupt officials at the government office or advisors who gave advice to bandits."

Xie Hushan retorted: "You keep saying that you are a porter at the railway station. Are you serious? Apart from workers at the level of national model workers, I have never seen a porter who can be escorted in and out of the Public Security Bureau by the leaders themselves."

"Hey, you'll see it today." Cheng Yunfei grinned.

At this time, Cheng Yunfei's wife Chen Min skillfully cooked a plate of Mushu pork in the communal kitchen of the compound and brought it to the table. Seeing that Xie Hushan drank his beer too quickly, she smiled and reminded him:
"Drink slowly, my sister-in-law still has a few dishes to cook. Don't wait until the dishes are on the table. Fill your stomach with beer first, and save some space to taste my sister-in-law's cooking."

"I've been running all day and sweating too much. I'm a little thirsty. Sister-in-law, please make fewer dishes to avoid waste. It's hot and leftovers won't keep well." Xie Hushan said politely to Chen Min.

Chen Min turned and walked towards the kitchen:

"If we can't finish the food, it won't be wasted. There are many people working the night shift in the compound. If there is any leftover food, we can send it to them so that they can help clean it up and save them from having to cook."

In fact, Xie Hushan was not very willing to go to Cheng Yunfei's house for a meal. He thought it was too troublesome.

Chen Min was off duty for this meal, so she specifically asked Cheng Yunfei to invite Xie Hushan and the other two to her house for dinner. She said that Cheng Yunfei was able to be released early thanks to Xie Hushan who lent her money. It was not a big deal, just inviting them to her house for dinner.

"Brother Fei, next time you and your sister-in-law go to the restaurant to treat me to a meal, it's too much trouble." Xie Hushan looked at the square table, which was already piled with six or seven dishes, including cold and hot dishes, and they were not finished yet.

"You don't understand, right? People in Yanjing are so hypocritical. They have a problem. I have a relationship with you, I like you, I treat you as a real friend, and I must bring you home for dinner." Cheng Yunfei explained to Xie Hushan while eating:

"My wife and I were both born in Yanjing, but our hometowns are both in the south. She is from Shanghai and I am from Minzhou. But now we have lost the southern temperament at all. Southerners are actually willing to treat their friends to dinner."

"People in the south invite guests to a restaurant to eat in order to show respect for the guests and to save face. We northerners are not like that. Northerners have no problem inviting ordinary friends to a restaurant for a meal, but if they are really good friends, they will feel that it is inappropriate to invite friends to a restaurant. No matter if the family is poor or rich, they must invite their friends to their home for dinner. This shows that they are honest and sincere, and they are not being shy with their friends."

"What you said is all feudal dregs and heresy. If you always invite someone like me to your house for dinner, I would think that you deliberately don't want me to socialize and you are reluctant to spend money on treating your friends." Xie Hushan said with a smile.

Cheng Yunfei opened a bottle of beer with his bare hands and handed it to Xie Hushan:
"I really can't bear to spend money to treat you. I feel bad for treating you to this dish. Didn't I get a bunch of foreign goods when I came back from Guangzhou last time? My brother was sent by the country to study abroad. He will be gone for several years. The family is poor but the road is rich. As his brother, I am a pauper and I didn't have much to say. I just gave all those things to him. As a result, I don't have anything left. I'm a little short of money and haven't even bought any boxing protective gear."

Hearing Cheng Yunfei talking about money, Xie Hushan became more excited:
"Brother Fei, are you really planning to carry big guys every day until you retire? You don't want to do anything else. If you ask me, you should at least consider your sister-in-law. She makes a little money by trading tickets every day, but you spend it all on boxing. Do you have the heart to let such a beautiful girl live with you in the slum and suffer?"

"It's good to lift a big guy. It helps you build your physical strength. Boxing is a round-based game. Why can't many people beat me? It's because they don't have enough physical strength. At most, they can't get up after three rounds. But if you want to make me exhausted, you need at least nine rounds." Cheng Yunfei said to Xie Hushan:

"As for my wife, if there is a chance to be taken advantage of like last time, I will just kill her once."

"You have so many friends of status, which one of them can't take care of you and let you have a meal?" Xie Hushan looked at Cheng Yunfei and asked, "Don't you have a true friend?"

"Those guys are just holding their farts in. They know your brother is a good fighter, so they want me to do some dirty work for them." Cheng Yunfei picked up a piece of shredded potato with chopsticks and put it into his mouth:

"I have a lot of true friends, but I have enough to eat, so I don't need to ask for money. If I really want to ask for money, I can eat for three years, but then I will become a beggar, right?"

Xie Hushan looked at Cheng Yunfei, then at Chen Min, hesitated for a moment, and lowered his voice and said:
"Brother Fei, can I give you an idea? You don't have to beat people up or do bad things, and you can earn some money to improve your life. At least when you go to jail to pay the fine, you don't have to ask your sister-in-law to advance your salary again."

"Don't give me any advice. I'm not as smart as you, and I'm not fit to be a public security director or a factory manager." When Cheng Yunfei heard that Xie Hushan was going to give him advice, he shook his head decisively.

Xie Hushan looked at Cheng Yunfei and said, "Don't worry, just listen to me. I also heard about this from various reports these days. Can you talk about this matter after you listen to me?"

"How did you start your steel mill? I tell you, you must have been holding back your words. You either advised me to get a permit to trade in materials or to use connections to sell official positions and titles, right? I advise you to keep quiet. I won't do it." Cheng Yunfei's tone was already a little impatient:

"Can't we just drink happily? If I want to deal with the approval documents, do I need you to teach me? Those things that are not well held back have already been mentioned to me eight hundred times."

"It's not about dealing in approval documents, it's a serious business, have you heard of calendars?"

"You think I'm a country bumpkin. Even if others don't know about wall calendars, I have probably seen them. They're just rare in China. People only use desk calendars and monthly calendars, so you won't see wall calendars on the market. They're similar to movie posters, with a large photo and the calendar of the current month printed below. There are thirteen pages in total, one cover and twelve monthly calendar pages, right?" When Cheng Yunfei heard Xie Hushan asking him if he knew about wall calendars, he immediately described what a wall calendar looked like.

Xie Hushan nodded repeatedly: "Yes, that's it. A few days ago, an offset printing factory in Shekou Industrial Zone held a report meeting in the Great Hall. I went to listen. They are now mainly producing the kind of calendars you just mentioned."

"What do you mean? You want me to wholesale a bunch and set up a stall on the street to sell calendars?" When Cheng Yunfei heard that Xie Hushan did not persuade him to do something stupid, his expression eased a lot and he asked with a smile.

As Xie Hushan spoke, he searched the backpack at his feet for the notebook that recorded the meeting contents:
"If you really know some real friends who are well-known and have status, you don't need to set up a stall to sell. Go talk to them. I guess they all have work units. Ask them to purchase a batch of calendars as benefits for employees, or as gifts for friendly units. This doesn't violate discipline and your inner sense of morality, right? Every unit has to purchase gifts as benefits for employees at the end of the year. You sell gifts, and ask your friends to help promote them. Is that too much?"

"Not too much." Cheng Yunfei shook his head and said affirmatively:

"It's true that this is not excessive, but there is a problem. I work in the loading and unloading team at the railway station, not as a salesperson at the gift factory. You mean I go to the gift factory to connect with my buddy's friend's company to earn kickbacks. How can I do that? In the end, the money I get is still paid by the government. The factory will definitely add my kickback money to the gifts and sell them to my buddy's company at a high price."

Song Tiesheng, who was standing next to them, suddenly spoke up after listening to their conversation:
"Then Brother Fei can just quit his job in the loading and unloading team and work as a salesperson in the gift factory."

"No, then I won't go. I'll be traveling around the world carrying gifts every day. How can I have time to practice boxing?" After hearing what Song Tiesheng said, Cheng Yunfei became more determined not to do it.

"What are you thinking about?" Xie Hushan looked at Song Tiesheng with disdain:

"Be a salesman? If Brother Fei does this, the worst he can do is be the deputy director of the offset printing factory in charge of sales. There's nothing else to do. You only need to contact your friends once a year to finalize the orders for the next year. You can do whatever you want in the rest of the time. No one will care if you do boxing or masturbation. Your salary is paid monthly."

"You heard that the factory mentioned in the report meeting is short of a deputy director? Okay, if this job is really as you said, then it's really capable. Give me a salary, and I'll get some calendar orders for the factory, and my brother's unit can buy some employee welfare gifts at a low price. That's fine." Cheng Yunfei was tempted after listening to Xie Hushan's description, but he doubted which factory was short of such a man.

Chen Min came over with several cooked dishes and set them up, then sat down next to Cheng Yunfei, quietly holding a bowl of rice and watching the four grown men drink and eat.

"What did I say just now? Farmers are simple and honest. Which other factory can give you such good treatment? Look at me, look at me! The offset printing factory of Zhongping Production Brigade."

"Your brigade doesn't have an offset printing factory. It's just your steel rolling mill. You also cheated and set up a pipe manufacturing factory, right?"

"I'm going to build one for you."

"You've been talking nonsense to me for so long. I really thought there was a factory hiring in Shekou Industrial Zone. Let's have a drink."

Xie Hushan took out several large notebooks from his backpack and slapped them on the table. "Who is talking nonsense to you? My fingers have been broken from fatigue these days. Are you talking nonsense in Yanjing with several large volumes of meeting minutes? I heard this all from others. The calendar thing must be done because it can make quick money."

"At the report meeting, the company is an offset printing factory. They are currently showing a set of 13-page calendars produced according to the requirements of Party A in Hong Kong Island. The cost is 4.5 yuan. Hong Kong Island merchants pay 6 yuan for each finished product. In Hong Kong Island, a set sells for about 15 yuan, and the retail price in Southeast Asia is around 20 yuan."

"This company is now mainly engaged in OEM for Hong Kong merchants, and the finished products are sold overseas. In the first half of this year, it made a profit of 300,000 yuan just by printing and delivering 200,000 sets of calendars to Hong Kong merchants. Otherwise, how could it be called to Yanjing by the country to give a report to everyone?"

"They said at the report meeting that there are only old-style calendars and calendars in China, and no high-end wall calendars like this, so they suggested that other offset printing companies consider producing wall calendars and promoting them to the domestic market."

"However, most of the colleagues who attended the meeting did not believe them at all. They were absolutely sure that the other party simply did not want them to take the meat, so they were also secretly holding back to do business with Hong Kong businessmen. One by one, they all wanted to build factories in the Shekou Industrial Zone and earn Hong Kong dollars."

"I believe what they said about the domestic market being blank is true. I went around various hotels and gift shops in Yanjing and found that there were almost no fashion calendars like this in Yanjing. The most fashionable one I could buy was a postcard calendar with the theme of "Scenery of the Motherland"."

"I saw that my sister-in-law was exhausted, so I asked you if you wanted to earn some money. Whether you are willing or not, it will not affect our team's offset printing factory to make money by producing calendars. But if you agree, we can sell more."

"You take my kindness for granted. You always think I'm trying to ask you for favors in a roundabout way. Let's stop talking and drink." After Xie Hushan said a lot to Cheng Yunfei, he raised his glass and took a sip.

After hearing this, Cheng Yunfei felt a little embarrassed: "Brother... As for me, I have seen too many people begging me in a roundabout way, so... Anyway, it's my fault, brother. Can I be a mean person?"

"I don't need to beg you. With so many notes, I can do a lot of things. I don't have to run a calendar factory. Or I'm asking you to help me build connections in Yanjing. I can do business that is more valuable than calendars. I can find it all here." Xie Hushan looked at Cheng Yunfei:
"Look for yourself, how many notes I have written involving approval of notes and connections, which one doesn't make money faster and more than the calendar? Did I tell you that?"

Cheng Yunfei flipped through his notes. How could he understand anything? He just said, "Yes, yes, I knew that you, Da Men'er, are not the kind of person I would hate."

Xie Hushan calmed down his anger and said again:
"Bengyang County is a small county, not like Beijing, where the emperor lives. Whatever you do there is inconspicuous. You think it's unfair to be a factory director there, but I think it's the best. Set up a boxing training team in the name of the calendar factory and practice openly. The county will never care about you. Even if they want to arrest you, the commune will definitely arrange someone to call the factory in advance to report it. Isn't this much better than practicing boxing like a thief in Beijing?"

"Besides, you have a good reputation. You are from Beijing, but you went to the rural area of ​​Bingyang to help the production team set up a factory and improve rural life. If this gets out, it will be better than your nickname of fake flower boy in Yanjing. If you do well, you will be able to sit in the Great Hall and give a lecture one day."

"Is it a legitimate job? Is it illegal? It won't stop you from carrying heavy objects. You only need to go to each unit once a year to order the annual purchase volume, and spend the rest of your time practicing boxing and earning commissions. You can even ask your sister-in-law to do it for you. Besides, you are helping farmers sell calendars, which is a noble character. It will definitely not damage your reputation as a fake flower boy, although I don't know what's so good about this crappy nickname."

Cheng Yunfei could no longer hear what Xie Hushan said next. He only heard that if Bingyang County set up a boxing training team, they would no longer have to act like thieves, and the commune could even provide information.

What about this good thing?

"So when are you planning to open the calendar factory? You have to hurry up," Cheng Yunfei asked.

Xie Hushan said: "It depends on whether you, as the deputy factory director, can get orders. If you can, we can start immediately. If you can't, then wait until I finish other things..."

Cheng Yunfei thought about it, and his face, which was always playful, became serious for a rare moment:

"I can definitely attract some business. Even if Cheng Yunfei is worthless, he still has some face. But let's make a deal. I don't take kickbacks. I just earn my salary. And if I find out that you sell your stuff at a high price and use my connections to make dirty money, then my friend, our friendship will be over."

"As long as you can get the order, I guarantee that the factory will have produced next year's calendars before the Gregorian New Year and delivered them to various units on time, so as not to delay them from distributing benefits to employees." Xie Hushan promised, patting his chest.

Cheng Yunfei felt a little uneasy. Xie Hushan was such a boaster: "It's already the beginning of August. You can build a factory in four months?"

"To be honest, if the order quantity is not large, I have a friend in Hong Kong. As long as you get the order, I will ask her to take the order to Bingyang County and say that we want to invest in a joint venture to build a factory. As long as the order is real, the county will definitely agree. Just imagine what it will be like if the county is determined. If they really mobilize, not to mention a factory, an entire city can be built at any time." Xie Hushan said:

"If we are too busy to handle the orders, let my friend go to Shekou Industrial Zone as a Hong Kong businessman to persuade other offset printing factories to produce for us."

"I said you don't look like a farmer." After hearing what Xie Hushan said, Cheng Yunfei laughed and teased, then looked at his wife beside him: "What do you think Da Men'er can do about this, wife?"

Hearing Cheng Yunfei asking Chen Min, Xie Hushan showed some admiration on his face. Cheng Yunfei and he were actually of the same character, both were pure male chauvinists, but this man could actually discuss serious matters with his wife, which was better than himself. He could not do that, and it was impossible for him to discuss everything with Taozi. At most, he would just notify her.

Chen Min looked at Xie Hushan, then at Cheng Yunfei, biting the end of his chopsticks and hesitating for a moment before speaking: "As long as you really don't use backdoor connections, it'll be fine. Otherwise, if Dad knows... he will be even more disgusted with you."

Chen Min works as a ticket seller at the Yanjing Bus Corporation. She has listened to most of what Xie Hushan said and now feels that it does not harm the interests of the people. It is a routine for government agencies to purchase employee benefits at the end of the year, and even the poorest factories have to find ways to distribute benefits to workers at the end of the year.

If they don't pay benefits, it's rare. If the factory is losing money and can't pay benefits, the workers can even report the problem to the relevant departments. The factory director and the union leaders will be scolded. If you exploit the workers for a year and don't arrange benefits for them, do you still remember that you are also working class? In serious cases, you will be fired.

Therefore, the way various government agencies, units and factories treat workers' welfare can almost be described as a competition.

If you give the workers two bundles of hairtail, I will give them a bag of crabs.

If you can find some rare vegetables for the workers in winter, I will find a way to get some fresh fruits from the south.

Chen Min firmly believed that her husband could indeed bring in business. Cheng Yunfei had a large group of friends who worked in various government agencies and factories, and some had even taken up leadership positions, and almost all of them owed him favors.

He asked those friends to fight with him, but they definitely couldn't go. However, his husband asked them to help purchase a batch of calendars as welfare at the end of the year, which was 100% certain to happen.

But what Chen Min is worried about is the future. If he doesn’t use his connections to get in through the back door now, what will happen in the future?
My husband doesn't have much brains. He can only barely tell whether a friend is asking him for help and whether he should help.

But Xie Hushan was obviously smart. Without him saying anything, just looking at those notebooks filled with meeting minutes, you could tell that this young man was very thoughtful. There were not many young people in Yanjing City who were as ruthless as him. He would open his eyes in the scorching sun, run around the world to listen to those lectures that made people sleepy, and still write down everything he wanted to know word for word.

And listening to what she said to seduce her husband, about setting up a boxing training team, it really touched the heart of Cheng Yunfei.

If her husband doesn't help her to use the back door to build connections, wouldn't Xie Hushan bypass him and use the back door to build connections after he gets in touch with her through him?

But if she refused, Chen Min couldn't bear to do so, because she felt that what Xie Hushan said made sense. Her husband was not liked by the elderly in the family and their life was poor. She had to do something to let her family see that Cheng Yunfei was not a person who only knew how to stir up trouble and was impulsive and reckless. He could also achieve something in his career.

"How about I try it?" Cheng Yunfei said to Chen Min.

He is a very capable person in the outside world, but except for his private money, he tells his wife everything, big or small, and never hides anything. His wife makes many decisions for him.

Xie Hushan said a lot, but he was not interested. Only this kid tried to win his heart by saying that he could organize a boxing training team, which attracted him.

He has no interest in grappling and martial arts now, and is only obsessed with boxing. He has a thought that if the country resumes boxing competitions one day, it is unlikely that his master, Mr. Wang, will return to the ring as he is too old and his physical fitness cannot keep up.

He is now looking forward to standing on the boxing ring one day and winning a gold medal for the master who has taught him for so many years.

Chen Min knew her husband too well. She knew from his expression that he wanted to give it a try. She glanced at Xie Hushan, sighed slightly, and whispered to Cheng Yunfei:

"Why don't you try contacting your friends and see how many calendars you can order?"

On the way back to the hotel, Song Tiesheng asked Xie Hushan: "Third brother, do you really want Brother Fei to be the deputy director of the calendar factory?"

"Really." Xie Hushan said affirmatively.

Song Tiesheng was a little puzzled: "Why? Just because he can attract a lot of business?"

Although Third Brother was quick to act, he had never been so quick before. He wanted to set up a factory over a meal? Maybe he had been thinking about it for several days before he said it over a glass of wine.

"Well, it's also because I found out about his family and his past affairs these days." Xie Hushan didn't hide anything from Song Tiesheng.

Song Tiesheng asked curiously: "What's going on?"

Xie Hushan patted his shoulder and let out a sigh:

"Let's talk about it when there's a suitable opportunity. It's easy to get arrested if you tell me."

(End of this chapter)