Reborn in 2000: I'm the Boss's Driver

On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, something happened in the steel city that was neither too big nor too small.

Lin Fan sensed something was off as soon as he arrived at work that morning. Small groups of people were gathered in the office building, whispering amongst themselves. He parked his car and walked into the building, where he ran into Sister Li from the logistics department.

"Good morning, Sister Li."

"What do you mean 'early'? Something's happened." Sister Li lowered her voice. "Have you heard? The bureau chief was in a car accident."

Lin Fan's heart tightened: "Which bureau chief? Bureau Chief Yan?"

"Who else could it be but our bureau chief?" Sister Li said. "Yesterday, he accompanied the mayor on an inspection trip to Bai County, and the car overturned on the way back."

Is it serious?

"The driver broke three ribs, but the bureau chief is okay, just a few scrapes," Sister Li said. "He's in the hospital now, but it's nothing serious, just quite frightened."

Just then, brother-in-law Sun Lin came downstairs, saw Lin Fan, and waved.

Lin Fan walked over: "Brother-in-law, has something really happened?"

Sun Lin nodded and pulled him aside: "It happened yesterday afternoon. The mayor's car was driving too fast, and Director Yan's car was right in front of mine. The roads in Linxi County are bad; he didn't make a turn and overturned."

"How's driver Lao Chen?"

"He broke his ribs and will need to recover for several months," Sun Lin said. "The bureau chief is lucky; he only suffered a minor abrasion on his hand. But this incident has caused quite a stir; even the mayor was alerted and personally took Director Yan to the hospital."

"So what do we do now?"

"What else can we do but treat the illness first?" Sun Lin said. "However, Section Chief Jiang from the Logistics Department is holding a large meeting today, emphasizing safe driving. You're Director Zhou's driver, so drive carefully these next few days."

"I know."

As the two were talking, Zhou Wenyuan came downstairs, looking rather unpleasant.

"Brother Zhou."

"Xiao Lin, you're here," Zhou Wenyuan said. "You heard about yesterday, right?"

"I just heard about it."

"Let's go to the office and talk."

The two went upstairs and into Zhou Wenyuan's office. Zhou Wenyuan closed the door and lit a cigarette.

"What a mess this is." He exhaled a puff of smoke. "Director Yan called me late last night, saying the mayor was very angry. Not angry about the rollover, but angry about the driver's driving skills. He said the driver couldn't even keep up with the car in front, and yet the car still rolled over."

Lin Fan remained silent, waiting for what would follow.

Zhou Wenyuan continued, "The mayor said that there will be many inspections at the end of the year, so the condition of vehicles and the skills of drivers in each unit need to be checked. It is estimated that the next step will be to rectify the entire fleet of government vehicles in the city."

"Then our bureau..."

"Our bureau is the hardest hit area," Zhou Wenyuan said with a wry smile. "I know Old Chen's driving skills. He's been driving for over ten years, always steadily and surely. This time it was just bad luck; the road conditions were bad, and he was in a hurry to follow another car. But ultimately, it's because his driving skills aren't up to par."

"Brother Zhou, then let's..."

"Let's drive as usual," Zhou Wenyuan said. "I trust you to drive. But be careful these next couple of days, don't speed or break any rules. Section Chief Jiang has a meeting today, so listen to him."

"clear."

At nine o'clock in the morning, all drivers and logistics staff of the bureau held a meeting in the conference room on the second floor. Section Chief Jiang sat on the stage with a dark face. There were more than thirty people sitting below, including drivers, logistics staff, and people in charge of vehicles from various departments.

Lin Fan found a corner to sit down. Next to him was Xiao Zhao, the driver from the budget department, and the two nodded to each other in greeting.

Section Chief Jiang tapped on the table: "Quiet down, the meeting is starting."

The meeting room fell silent.

"Everyone has heard about what happened yesterday, right?" Section Chief Jiang's voice was serious. "Director Yan's car overturned in Linxi County. The driver, Old Chen, broke three ribs and is still in the hospital. Fortunately, Director Yan only suffered minor injuries."

People below were whispering among themselves.

"Quiet!" Section Chief Jiang raised his voice. "This incident exposes serious problems in our bureau's vehicle management and driver safety! One car, two people, and a near-disaster! If it weren't for Director Yan's incredible luck, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"

The meeting room was completely silent.

"The purpose of today's meeting is to emphasize safe driving and vehicle management." Section Chief Jiang took out a document. "Starting today, all vehicles in the bureau will undergo a comprehensive inspection. Vehicles in poor condition will be repaired or replaced as needed. All drivers will be re-evaluated. Those whose skills are not up to standard will be suspended from driving until they pass training."

Someone whispered, "Our bureau's cars are all so old and worn out, it's no wonder they overturn."

Section Chief Jiang, with his sharp ears, said, "Who said that? Stand up and speak!"

No one stood up.

Section Chief Jiang snorted, "I know, some people say the cars aren't in good condition. Yes, our bureau's cars are a bit old; the Santana is seven or eight years old, and the Mitsubishi Pajero is five. But that's no excuse! A car's condition can be repaired, and driving skills can be improved, but safety awareness can't be abandoned!"

"What happened yesterday boils down to a lack of safety awareness! Why follow so closely? The mayor drives fast, so why do you have to follow that fast? Don't you know to slow down when the road conditions are bad? Have you forgotten these basic driving common sense?"

No one dared to speak.

Section Chief Jiang then went on to explain a series of safety regulations, concluding, "All drivers, write a safe driving guarantee and submit it to the logistics department tomorrow. Vehicle inspections will begin this afternoon, one vehicle at a time. Meeting adjourned!"

After the meeting, the drivers gathered in the corridor, discussing the matter.

"Old Chen is in big trouble now. He broke his ribs and will have to stay in bed for months."

"The bureau chief was lucky; he only suffered minor scrapes in the rollover."

"I heard the mayor got angry and said he's going to shut down the city's motorcade."

"What's there to fix? The cars are in such a dilapidated state, how can you fix them? You might as well just buy new ones."

"Buy a new car? Dream on, the government doesn't have that kind of money."

Lin Fan didn't participate in the discussion and went straight back to the logistics department office. Sister Li was organizing documents when she saw him come in and asked, "Is the meeting over?"

"Um."

"Has Section Chief Jiang lost his temper?"

"They've made a fortune, a pretty big one." Lin Fan sat down. "They're making us write a guarantee and inspect the vehicle."

"Let them inspect it. Your car is pretty new, and it was just serviced, isn't it?"

"I've had some maintenance done, but I still need to have it checked out," Lin Fan said. "By the way, Sister Li, when does Director Yan start work?"

"I heard he started work today," Sister Li said in a low voice, "but he came with his hand wrapped in gauze, which was quite noticeable."

Just then, Zhou Wenyuan called: "Xiao Lin, come to my office."

"immediately."

When they arrived at Zhou Wenyuan's office, Zhou Wenyuan was looking at documents, and his hand was also wrapped in gauze.

"Brother Zhou, what happened to your hand?" Lin Fan asked.

"It's nothing. I was just helping Director Yan move some things yesterday and got bumped into something," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Go to the hospital this afternoon to see Old Chen and buy him some things on my behalf. Here's five hundred yuan; you can decide what to buy."

Lin Fan took the money: "Okay, Brother Zhou."

"Also, Director Yan's car overturned and will take some time to repair. I'll probably need to use the car a lot these next few days, so be on standby."

"clear."

After leaving the office, Lin Fan drove to the hospital. He bought fruit and milk downstairs, and also retrieved two boxes of nutritional supplements from the garage, spending over a hundred yuan. He planned to leave a five-hundred-yuan red envelope for Old Chen.

Old Chen was in the orthopedic ward, one of three beds, and he was by the window. When Lin Fan entered, Old Chen was lying there, his chest wrapped in bandages, and his face was pale.

"Master Chen."

Old Chen opened his eyes, saw it was Lin Fan, and forced a smile: "Little Lin, what brings you here?"

"Director Zhou sent me to check on you." Lin Fan put his things down. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts, I can't move," Old Chen said weakly. "I broke three ribs, and the doctor said I'll have to stay in bed for at least a month."

"Then take good care of yourself and don't rush."

Old Chen sighed, "Xiao Lin, I'm really in trouble this time. I've been driving for over ten years without an accident, but this is a big deal. Is the bureau chief alright?"

"The bureau chief is fine, just a minor scrape."

"That's good, that's good," Old Chen said. "If anything were to happen to the bureau chief, I would be in deep trouble."

Lin Fan chatted with Old Chen for a while, then tried to give him five hundred yuan. Old Chen refused, but Lin Fan insisted.

"Master Chen, please rest and recover. Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you, Kobayashi."

Leaving the hospital, Lin Fan felt uneasy. He knew Old Chen well; he was honest and reliable, and had been driving for over ten years without ever having an accident. This time, he was just unlucky, encountering those road conditions and rushing to follow another car. The mayor's car was so much better—fast and stable.

On his drive back to work, Lin Fan was extra careful. On roads with a speed limit of 60 mph, he drove 55; he signaled before changing lanes and never cut in front of others. Safety first—it's easy to say these words normally, but you only realize their weight after an accident.

Back at the station, it was already noon. While eating in the canteen, the drivers gathered together to discuss the matter.

"Have you heard? The bureau is getting a new car."

"Change cars? Where did you get that news?"

"It's just a rumor, but it seems pretty reliable. They say the mayor has said that all the vehicles in various departments are too old and need to be replaced."

"Really? Those Santanas in our bureau really need to be replaced."

"It's not just the Santana, the Pajero is getting old too. If we really have to replace it, what kind of car should we get?"

"Shouldn't we at least get a Passat? Or an Accord?"

"Dream on, we'd be lucky to get a new Santana."

Lin Fan listened without saying a word. He had some recollection of the car replacement in his previous life. Around 2005, a number of organizations did indeed replace their vehicles, but he couldn't remember the exact date. If this accident really was the cause of the replacement, then Old Chen could be considered to have "made a contribution."

In the afternoon, the logistics department began inspecting the vehicles. Lin Fan's Pajero was driven into the repair shop, where two mechanics inspected it thoroughly.

"The car is in good condition and well-maintained," the mechanic said. "The brake pads need replacing, but otherwise there are no problems."

"Then let's replace it," Lin Fan said. "Replace what needs replacing, repair what needs repairing, safety first."

"Okay, it can be changed today."

While waiting for his ride, Lin Fan chatted with several drivers in the repair shop. Their conversation was still about changing cars.

"If they really change the vehicles, will we drivers also have to be reassigned?"

"Of course, who wouldn't want to drive a new car?"

"But it depends on the leader's arrangements. Director Zhou's car will definitely be driven by Lin Fan, no doubt about it."

"That's right, Lin Fan drives steadily, Director Zhou can rest assured."

Lin Fan smiled and said, "New cars and old cars are the same, as long as it's safe."

That's what I said, but I'm also a little hopeful. After driving a Pajero for so long, it would be great to get a better car. But nothing's decided yet, so I shouldn't think about it too much.

The car was repaired, and Lin Fan drove it back to the company parking lot. Just as he parked, he saw Zhou Wenyuan coming out of the building.

"Brother Zhou, are we going out?"

"Yes, I'm going to the municipal government." Zhou Wenyuan got into the car. "Director Yan just talked about changing cars in a meeting."

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't ask any more questions and drove out the gate.

On the way, Zhou Wenyuan said, "The mayor approved it; we're getting eight new vehicles for our bureau. Five sedans and three SUVs. They'll be in place by the first quarter of next year."

"Really changed?"

"It's true," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Old Chen's accident resulted in eight new cars being replaced. Now everyone in the bureau is saying that Old Chen single-handedly got the entire bureau to replace all the cars."

Lin Fan laughed: "Then Old Chen's injury wasn't in vain."

"Yes," Zhou Wenyuan said, "but the new cars have arrived, and allocation is a problem. Our Pajero will probably be returned to the logistics department."

"Brother Zhou, what brand of car do you want for your new car?"

"I don't care, as long as it drives well," Zhou Wenyuan said. "But Director Yan said that if we're going to replace it, we should replace it with a good one. For sedans, we're considering Audi, and for SUVs, we're considering Toyota."

"That's good."

"Hmm, it's not bad." Zhou Wenyuan leaned back in his seat. "Xiao Lin, I trust your driving skills. The new car has arrived, so you can drive it again."

"Thank you for your trust, Brother Zhou."

Upon arriving at the municipal government, Zhou Wenyuan went to a meeting, while Lin Fan waited in the car. With nothing else to do, he called Wang Juan.

"Juan'er, are you in the shop?"

"I'm here, what's up?"

"I have something to tell you. The bureau is getting a new car."

"Change cars? What kind of cars?"

"It's not certain yet, it could be Audi."

"Alright then, you've been driving the Pajero for so long, it's time for a change."

"Yeah, but we'll have to wait until next year," Lin Fan said. "I went to see Old Chen today; he broke three ribs and will have to stay in bed for a month."

"Is it that serious?" Wang Juan asked worriedly. "You'd better drive carefully."

"I know, don't worry," Lin Fan said. "By the way, how's the company registration going?"

"I've submitted all the materials and am waiting for approval," Wang Juan said. "It should take about two weeks. What about the renovation?"

"Work has started, the workers are at it. My sister's installation has also begun."

"That's good," Wang Juan said. "Are you going home for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, Brother Zhou will be fine after the meeting."

"Okay, I'll make your favorite braised pork ribs."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Fan felt a warm glow inside. No matter how annoying work was, coming home to a hot meal and someone waiting for him made it all worthwhile.

After waiting for almost two hours, Zhou Wenyuan finally came out. Once in the car, he said, "Let's go back to the station."

"Is the meeting over?"

"That's it," Zhou Wenyuan said. "The car replacement is settled, and the official documents will be issued next week. In addition, the mayor has asked all units to strengthen safety management, especially their vehicle fleets. Our bureau should take the lead and conduct safe driving training."

"Training?"

"Yes, all drivers have to attend. The traffic police will give the lectures," Zhou Wenyuan said. "You should also go and listen carefully."

"OK."

Back at the station, it was almost time to leave work. Lin Fan parked his car and prepared to pack his things to go home. Just as he exited the parking lot, he ran into Li Jing.

"Section Chief Li."

"Lin Fan, I was just looking for you," Li Jing said. "The budget department's data is almost ready. Thank you for your help."

"Of course."

"Will you come again tomorrow?"

"Come on, Brother Zhou said he wants me to go over this morning."

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Li Jing took a few steps, then turned back. "By the way, I heard you're getting a new car?"

"Yes, I've heard about it."

"You're so happy to be driving a new car," Li Jing laughed. "But drive carefully, safety first."

"I understand, thank you, Section Chief Li."

When I got home from get off work, Wang Juan had already prepared dinner: braised pork ribs, stir-fried vegetables, and rice. Simple, but delicious.

During dinner, Lin Fan recounted what had happened that day. Wang Juan listened attentively, asking questions every now and then.

"Poor old Chen, he'll have to lie in bed for a month."

"Yeah, they got a new car this time. I guess Old Zhou won't be able to drive for the bureau chief anymore. The bureau chief will definitely find a new driver."

Wang Juan said, "By the way, I went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau today, and the company name has been approved: 'Juanfan Apparel Co., Ltd.'"

"That's great!" Lin Fan said. "Let's celebrate when the license comes through."

"What's there to celebrate? It's just a small company," Wang Juan laughed, but her eyes shone.

"A small company is still a company. We'll take it one step at a time." Lin Fan put a piece of pork rib on her plate. "We'll grow bigger and stronger in the future, and open chain stores."

"That will require your guidance."

"What advice could I possibly give? You're the one running the business," Lin Fan said. "I'll just be your advisor."

After dinner, the two washed the dishes together. Wang Juan washed, and Lin Fan wiped; they worked together seamlessly.

The two chatted and laughed as they finished washing the dishes. They sat on the sofa to watch TV, though they didn't really watch much; they just leaned against each other and chatted.

They talked about home renovation, business, work, and the future.

Ordinary days, ordinary nights.

But that is happiness.

The next day, Lin Fan went to help out in the budget department in the morning. Li Jing assigned him a new task—to prepare a preliminary plan for next year's budget. This task was more complicated than before, requiring him to read documents, classify them, and summarize them.

Lin Fan calmed down and looked through the documents one by one. When he didn't understand some of the technical terms, he asked his colleagues. The people in the budget department were all very helpful, especially the young man named Xiao Liu, who answered all his questions.

"Fanzi, you're so serious, do you want to work in the budget department in the future?" Xiao Liu asked.

"I'm here to help," Lin Fan said. "It won't hurt to learn more."

"That's true," Xiao Liu said. "But the budget department is quite tiring; dealing with numbers every day is annoying."

"What job isn't tiring?" Lin Fan laughed. "Driving is tiring, sitting in an office is tiring."

"That's true."

After working until past ten o'clock, Zhou Wenyuan called: "Xiao Lin, come to my office."

"immediately."

When they arrived at Zhou Wenyuan's office, Zhou Wenyuan was reading a document.

"Brother Zhou."

"Sit down." Zhou Wenyuan pushed the documents over. "Take a look at this."

Lin Fan took a look and saw it was a preliminary plan for vehicle procurement. Eight vehicles: five sedans with a budget of 300 million, and three SUVs with a budget of 180 million, for a total of 480 million.

"So expensive?" Lin Fan blurted out.

"It's not expensive anymore, good cars are all this price," Zhou Wenyuan said.

"When should we buy it?"

"We'll be bidding and purchasing in the first quarter of next year," Zhou Wenyuan said. "But the word has already spread among the drivers, and they're all looking forward to driving the new cars."

"That's normal, who wouldn't want to drive a new car?"

"Yes," Zhou Wenyuan lit a cigarette. "But the new cars have arrived, and how to allocate them is a problem. Director Yan will get one, I'll get one, and the other three deputy directors will each get one. But there are only three SUVs, not enough to go around."

"What should we do then?"

"Let's draw lots, or take turns using them," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Anyway, it's not urgent. We'll deal with it when the car arrives."

Lin Fan nodded and returned the document.

"By the way, the safe driving training starts next Monday, so get ready," Zhou Wenyuan said. "You'll have to take a test after the training, and you can only drive a new car after you pass the test."

"We still have to take an exam?"

"Of course, it's what the mayor requested," Zhou Wenyuan smiled. "But you're fine, I trust you to drive."

"Thank you, Brother Zhou."

Leaving the office, Lin Fan pondered the training. He wasn't afraid of the test, and he was confident in his driving skills. However, safe driving was something he definitely needed to take seriously. Old Chen was a cautionary tale.

Back in the budget department, back to work. At lunchtime, the drivers gathered again to discuss replacing their vehicles.

"I heard the plan is out: 480 million yuan for eight vehicles."

"480 million? That's so expensive?"

"Of course, good cars are expensive, aren't they?"

"When can we start driving it?"

"It'll have to wait until next year; there's still training and exams to take."

"An exam? What kind of exam?"

"Just drive safely. I heard they invited the traffic police to give a lecture."

"Go to class if you want, take the exam if you want, as long as I can drive a new car, anything goes."

Lin Fan listened without saying a word. After finishing his meal, he called Wang Juan to ask about the store's situation and the progress of the renovations.

Everything is fine.

In the afternoon, Lin Fan went to check on the new house. The workers were laying tiles, and the progress was quite fast. When Master Zhang saw him, he came over to report on the situation.

"Mr. Lin, the tiles in the kitchen and bathroom will be laid today. We'll start installing the ceiling tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Lin Fan looked at the tiles; they were laid neatly with the seams aligned perfectly. "The quality is good."

"Absolutely, you can rest assured about our work."

After leaving the new house, Lin Fan returned to his workplace. He had nothing much to do in the afternoon, so he spent his time reading the newspaper in his office, waiting to leave.

Around 4 PM, Zhou Wenyuan called: "Xiao Lin, everything's fine today, you can go home now."

"Okay, Brother Zhou."

When Lin Fan got home from get off work, Wang Juan wasn't back yet. He cooked himself some porridge and stir-fried some vegetables. Just as he finished cooking, Wang Juan returned.

Why are you so late today?

"I went to check on the renovations at the new store." Wang Juan put down her bag. "The progress is pretty fast; it should open by the end of the month."

"That's great." Lin Fan served the rice. "Let's eat."

The two ate and chatted. Wang Juan talked about the plans for the new store with great enthusiasm. Lin Fan listened, occasionally offering suggestions.

"Lin Fan, what kind of opening promotion do you think we should have?"

"Let's offer discounts, or spending thresholds for reductions," Lin Fan said. "We need to attract customers for our new store opening."

"That's what I was thinking too," Wang Juan said. "I plan to offer a 20% discount on everything for the first three days after opening. We'll also have a membership recharge promotion: recharge 500 yuan and get 80 yuan free."

"Okay, you decide."

After dinner, the two sat on the sofa watching TV. The news was reporting a traffic accident, saying that there were many cars on the road at the end of the year and reminding everyone to be careful.

Lin Fan looked at it, thinking of Old Chen, the new car the bureau was going to replace, and the days to come.

Everything is moving forward.

There were some setbacks and unexpected events, but overall it was a good day.

He held Wang Juan's hand tightly.

"Juan'er, next year will be even better."

"Yes, I believe you." Wang Juan leaned on his shoulder.

Outside the window, the winter nights in the steel city are long.

But inside, it was warm as spring.

this is life.

There were ups and downs, surprises and joys.

But as long as family and loved ones are around, there is hope for the future.

Lin Fan thought about it and smiled.

Good.

It's really good.