Those Years When I Was Forced to Top the Forbes List

Chapter 68 Where are they? (Supplement to yesterday's chapter)
Autumn comes and goes, the autumn wind brings tears to my eyes, when will we be reunited...?

On the slow-moving truck into the mountains, the radio was playing a Hong Kong and Taiwan song that Chen Xuebing really liked, "Autumn Comes and Autumn Goes".

The PHS phone had no signal, but the low-frequency signal of the radio was very strong in the mountains, and the sound was extremely stable.

"Old Tan, Ren Ying doesn't know about this, does she?" Chen Xuebing broke the silence.

"Don't worry, I've given you instructions, so I definitely won't mess things up. These past two days, I've asked the landlady to let Xiao Ren tutor her child. She's so busy... That girl is a kind-hearted person."

Old Tan sighed at the end.

Chen Xiaobo also suddenly spoke:

"Mr. Chen, I acted impulsively yesterday. I'm sorry to trouble you to cover my medical expenses. I had to go to the hospital for examinations and hospitalization. How much did you pay? I'll pay you back."

He was completely impressed by Chen Xuebing today. Chen Xuebing's actions were truly impressive. His own impulsiveness had caused trouble, and calling Liu Laowu over was completely unnecessary.

He made a special call to Tan Maoshui, saying he would pick them up after they finished their late-night snack and take them back to the village, just to apologize.

Firstly, she didn't want to jeopardize the business deal that had already been agreed upon, and secondly, she had a bit of admiration for Chen Xuebing.

Although Chen Xuebing's impulsive act cost him a lot of money, the positive feedback from all sides made him feel very comfortable.

"Don't worry about the trouble. Now that we've reached an agreement, you'll be our construction site driver, responsible for protecting the site. This is considered a work injury. Once the first installment comes through, I'll give you an 800 yuan bonus."

Chen Xiaobo's bruised face immediately broke into a smile.

Mr. Chen's words mean that the agreed-upon business deal is still valid, and there will even be a bonus!
"The boss is so... generous!"

He thought for a long time and could only come up with this one adjective. In a good mood, he started talking and said admiringly:

"Mr. Chen, with so many brothers around, you can definitely protect us! If we encounter any trouble in the city in the future, can we ask for your name?"

It can be covered; registration number.

Chen Xuebing couldn't help but laugh when he heard these old-fashioned words.

"Times have changed. You have your brothers, but they have the police station."

"Hey, yeah."

Talking about these things brought back a lot of memories for Chen Xuebing.

relation…

He gazed out the window, lost in thought.

We should quickly build up our scale and then move to Shenzhen, where there are more opportunities. We can undertake large projects and build relationships with less worry.

……

The next day.

There was a continuous knocking sound on the second floor.

"Chen Xuebing, get up!"

"Hmm... five minutes."

...

"Are you up yet?"

"Just ten more minutes, just ten more minutes!"

...

"It's been ten minutes, are you up yet?"

Chen Xuebing lay on the bed, hugging his pillow, feeling that every minute of his nap was precious.

It's not that he wasn't awake.

Even in the dead of winter, with no heating in the farmhouse, the warmth of the quilt kept him captivated.

After resting for a while, I exhaled a breath of stale air, got up and sat on the edge of the bed to calm myself down for a few minutes. When I checked the time, it was already eight o'clock. Then I got dressed, got up, and opened the door.

Ren Ying stood at the door holding a pile of study materials, looking very unhappy.

Chen Xuebing noticed that her hands, which were holding the books, were frozen white, and realized that she had been waiting at the door. He immediately wanted to let her in.

Ren Ying, however, was not in the mood for that, and frowned as she said:

"You said you'd finish the questions when you got back, what have you done?! You haven't even done many of the big questions!"

Chen Xuebing gave an awkward smile: "I'm off on business."

"Do it..." Ren Ying wanted to get angry, but thinking about how big a construction site he had, she could only sigh.
“Smm…come to my room, I’ve made a collection of your wrong answers.”

Chen Xuebing noticed she was sniffling as she spoke, and figured she might have caught a chill, so he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Jiao Gui!"

"Hey, brother!" Jiao Gui's voice came from the courtyard downstairs.

"Come up here and turn on the stove!"

"it is good!"

Chen Xuebing then turned around and said, "Take your books and have class by the stove on the second floor. I'm going to wash my face."

"Then hurry up, time is precious."

After Ren Ying finished speaking, she didn't leave. She just stared at him, as if afraid he would go back to sleep.

Helpless, Chen Xuebing took out a washbasin from under the bed.

"Any boss who finds a secretary like you is incredibly lucky."

Ren Ying finally broke into a smile, revealing her silver teeth.

Authentic silver teeth.

"Only hardworking bosses can make money."

Chen Xuebing grinned: "According to your logic, wouldn't the world's richest man be a nuclear-powered donkey?"

……

Around nine or ten o'clock, the sun had just begun to rise.

The sound of the Jinbei van's wheels, damp with moisture from the ground, approached the Wu family's... no, the Chen family's courtyard.

Have you all forgotten? The owner of this business is actually surnamed Chen.

Chen Xuebing leaned out of the second-floor window and waved at the Jinbei.

"Stop right here!"

"Boss lady! We have a customer! Weigh out a large silver carp for me, and cook it for lunch!"

Wu Jiuhong poked her head out from the kitchen doorway downstairs, hands on her hips, taking advantage of the situation: "The bigger one? Thirty or forty pounds! Can you finish it?"

Chen Xuebing chuckled: "Just these few people! Thirty or forty pounds? You might as well just cook your youngest son, Chen Qiming, for us to eat."

"Alright, name your price!"

The proprietress made a joke, but within two seconds, a baby boy's wailing came from downstairs.

"...No, no! No..."

"You silly child! Why are you crying! I'm not really going to boil you alive!" The landlady quickly went to coax him again.

"Hey, Mr. Chen, you seem to be in a good mood!" After hearing this hellish joke, Section Chief Huang got out of the car and called out to Chen Xuebing upstairs with a smile.

"Not bad." Chen Xuebing nodded with a smile, then, using his vantage point, spotted a red motorcycle approaching in the distance and called out again:
"Boss lady! Please bring an extra pair of chopsticks for lunch, your Party Secretary Hu is here to freeload!"

As they were talking, the red motorcycle pulled up. Hu Guohua got off and chuckled awkwardly, "President Chen!"

The three people who got out of the Jinbei car all looked back but didn't say anything.

Wu Jiuhong, wiping her hands on her apron, went to greet them: "Oh, a rare guest! Party Secretary, please come in and have a seat!"

Hu Guohua stood in the courtyard, looking at the three people in the Jinbei van. He wanted to strike up a conversation, but didn't know how to start. He looked up at Chen Xuebing with a bit of embarrassment.

Chen Xuebing raised his eyebrows, patted the windowsill, and straightened up.

"Section Chief Huang, let's go take a look at the construction site!"

Hu Guohua quickly said to Wu Jiuhong, "No, no, I won't sit down!"

……

Jiang Ping's three cars have already driven away.

The cameraman carried his equipment and recorded the road for two minutes. Section Chief Huang remained silent, taking a few photos with his camera. Chen Xuebing stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the scenery below.

Everyone knows that the village leaders are shrewd and cunning, and they have formed a tacit understanding without giving Secretary Hu a chance to speak.

Hu Guohua followed behind, anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He thought to himself, "It's over. They won't ask me anything. They can write whatever they want when they get back."
"Comrade reporter, how about... we grab lunch together?"

Chen Xuebing smiled.

“Secretary Hu, didn’t I ask Wu Jiuhong to cook? Of course we’ll eat together.”

Hu Guohua was taken aback.

"I mean... let's eat in town, Mr. Chen. Mayor Luo would like to invite you and the reporter to dinner."

Yesterday it was Mayor Xu, today it's Mayor Luo.

Chen Xuebing chuckled and said, "The fish has already been cooked, so let's not waste it. I think we won't go to town. What do you say, Section Chief Huang?"

Section Chief Huang, being an experienced man, sighed leisurely with his hands behind his back.

"Having just drunk the water of Changsha, I've eaten Wuchang fish. Crossing the Yangtze River for thousands of miles, I gaze upon the vast expanse of Chu sky. The water scenery here is beautiful. Today, I must take advantage of Mr. Chen's generosity and eat some wild fish here. It's an unparalleled experience."

Hu Guohua was even more at a loss for words.

"Mr. Chen, you... Mayor Xu said that the town is already trying to find a solution for the road issue, at least until after the New Year, right?"

The New Year has passed.

Chen Xuebing knew that the town probably couldn't come up with the money, or that their budget was tight and they were reluctant to spend it so easily.

This time, Chen Xuebing didn't even have the slightest thought of tactical enticement. He immediately waved his hand and said, "No, Secretary Hu, don't stop repairing after the New Year. I still have construction work to do here. I'll have an excavator come in and clear the land at noon."

Judging from Chen Xuebing's expression, Hu Guohua was somewhat skeptical.

If something can wait, who would want to pave the way themselves?

Last night, Mayor Xu learned that the interview vehicle was hired by the construction site owner, so he told him that there was room for negotiation and asked him to come and negotiate first, trying to stall for time.

The strategy is for Mayor Xu to remain out of the picture, leaving room for negotiation. He and Deputy Mayor Luo, who is in charge of the matter, will talk to the other party first, going through each level of government to try to postpone the matter until after the New Year. If all else fails, Mayor Xu will come in person and offer his terms.

"Mr. Chen, the town didn't say they wouldn't repair it, so you... this is just a waste of money! Don't worry, I'm the village secretary, I'll definitely help you talk to the town!"

Hu Guohua tugged at him, looking like he was trying to comfort him.

Chen Xuebing smiled faintly and walked away, admiring the scenery below, without speaking to him again.

Seeing his attitude, Hu Guohua gritted his teeth, stopped talking about eating, turned around, got on his motorcycle, and headed towards the town.

……

After one hour.

Town government.

The meeting room door finally opened.

"This week, we need to finalize the investment intentions of those two companies, adding them to our investment attraction achievements for this year..."

Mayor Xu spoke to the two deputy mayors beside him as he slowly walked out.

Hu Guohua suddenly stood up from the long bench by the door.

"Mayor Xu!"

Mayor Xu, who was still smiling and basking in the good results of this year's investment promotion work, became calm upon seeing Hu Guohua and remembering that there was still an important matter to attend to.

"Old Hu, how's it going?"

“It’s tough! That project boss…” Hu Guohua slapped himself twice, looked at all the people around him, and swallowed the rest of his words.

Mayor Xu became more serious, turned around and found Deputy Mayor Luo, and waved to him.

"Old Luo, come to my office for a moment."

...

In the office, Hu Guohua gave an exaggerated description.

"...Mayor, I went to the village entrance to wait for that reporter before dawn. My mouth was sore from talking so much, but that reporter didn't say anything the whole time! And that Mr. Chen said he would fix it himself and that he would start work right away!"

After hearing this, Mayor Xu and Mayor Luo looked at each other.

"We definitely can't get the money out now, not even for two or three months. We can only repair it after the New Year and then delay the project payment until the middle of the year. Lao Luo, you were the one who suggested using this money for car allocation. You need to think of a way. I think you need to go and postpone this matter. Reporting is definitely not an option. Any negative reports would be a heavy blow to our work over the past year, especially at this time."

Mayor Luo's face was gloomy.

He received 200,000 yuan in compensation, of which he used 100,000 yuan, but the town also used 100,000 yuan for other projects.

He asked Jiang Ping to spend 10 yuan to repair the road so that Mayor Xu wouldn't have anything to say.

Anyway, I've already found someone to cover the 10 shortfall; you just need to come up with the other 10.

He found a solution, but Mayor Xu is now making things difficult for him.

When the project manager first came to talk to him, he was condescending. Now he has to take the initiative to meet that young man who hasn't even grown up yet. It's worse than death for him!

But circumstances are more powerful than people.

He's a full-fledged official, about 10 years younger than me, and might even be promoted to the county next year, while I'm just a deputy, probably destined to stay in this town for the rest of my life.

"Ha, that road isn't his, does he think he can just build it himself?" Mayor Luo could only try to deflect the matter from other angles.

Mayor Xu felt a little dizzy, thinking that his subordinates were useless and couldn't grasp the key points. He tapped the table heavily with his finger and said:
"Who did this repair? It's something that's been reported! If it weren't reported, I'd be happy if he repaired it himself!"

Mayor Luo, being a veteran, couldn't save face after hearing the reprimand. He stood up abruptly, put his hands behind his back, and said:

“Mayor Xu, you’re young! You lack experience in this kind of thing! He’s gone to so much trouble, he definitely doesn’t want to fix it! If he doesn’t want to fix it, he should come to us to talk. If we don’t leave him hanging, how can we drag this out? If you lower your stance, people will try to take advantage of you! Besides, it’s not like there’s no way. I have a construction team here. As long as we talk to that project manager and help him get some work done, he’ll be willing to pay 10 yuan to fix this road. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”

Upon hearing this, the other two fell silent.

Hu Guohua felt strange.

Your nephew got beaten up for going to block the construction site, didn't you know?
Tsk tsk, it seems that Mr. Chen really scared Mr. Jiang.

Mayor Xu hesitated.

Lao Luo's words are not without reason.

“Secretary Hu, here’s what we’re doing. Don’t rush to talk to him. The reporter is here, isn’t he? When you get back, try to communicate with that reporter. Tell him that the town invited them to come and see the completion of our new factory. Don’t just say empty words. Take five or eight hundred yuan from your village’s account for their travel expenses! The town will reimburse you for that. Get them here first, and then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

Upon hearing Mayor Xu's words, Mayor Luo immediately smiled and gave a thumbs-up:
"Mayor, brilliant idea!"

……

Having received Mayor Xu's "brilliant advice," Secretary Hu was no longer in a hurry. After having lunch at home, he went to the village office to withdraw eight hundred yuan. He found an envelope, put it in his pocket, and secretly thought to himself that this reporter made money so easily; he only had to come once, and eight hundred yuan was already in his pocket.

Mr. Chen must have given them a lot of money when he called them over, right?

How about... we give them six hundred? They can earn from both sides, six hundred will definitely be enough. We can keep two hundred and take it home to buy some pig's head meat to go with our drinks. Wouldn't that be great?

After thinking it over, Secretary Hu secretly took out another two hundred from the envelope and put it into another pocket.

When they arrived at Wu Jiuhong's house, they were dumbfounded.

"Wu Jiuhong, where is she?"

"Let's go!"

"Where did you go?"

"After lunch, let's head back to the city!"

Hu Guohua was completely bewildered. Wasn't this supposed to be a negotiation? And then he just left?!
"Where is Mr. Chen?"

"I don't know, they must have gone to the construction site."

What was he doing at the construction site?

No sooner had Hu Guohua finished speaking than a flatbed truck came clanging and banging from the intersection, the sound of the metal frames colliding being extremely loud.

A large yellow claw was sticking out from behind the flatbed truck.

Hu Guohua looked closely and his head went numb.

Excavator?

………………

(Supplementing yesterday's post)

(I was a bit busy yesterday and missed it, sorry. I post every day, and if I missed it, I didn't ask for leave because I needed to catch up.)
(End of this chapter)