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

In early March, spring finally began to take shape in the steel city.

The willows by the roadside sprouted tender buds, and forsythia blossomed bright yellow in the corner of the wall. In the morning air, the chill of winter had finally faded, replaced by a moist, earthy freshness.

Lin Fan's life entered a new rhythm with the changing seasons. He would get up at 6:30 every morning, leave at 7:00, and drive his Audi A8 to pick up Zhou Wenyuan. If Zhou Wenyuan had a busy schedule that day and needed to visit grassroots areas, he would switch to a Toyota Land Cruiser—it had a high chassis, good off-road capability, and was suitable for driving on uneven roads.

Wang Juan's new store in Chengnan opened as scheduled on March 8th.

On opening day, Lin Fan took half a day off to show his support. On Jinshui Road, the "Juanfan Clothing" signboard stood out prominently in the sunlight. The front of the store was filled with flower baskets—some from Lin Fan on behalf of the Finance Bureau, some from Wang Juan's business partners, and some from regular customers who pooled their money to send. A red archway stood tall, and a red carpet was laid out on the ground; the event was very impressive.

At 9:08 a.m., the opening ceremony began. Wang Juan, dressed in a light gray suit skirt, her hair up, and wearing light makeup, stood at the store entrance and gave a speech. Lin Fan stood in the crowd watching, suddenly feeling a little dazed—the girl who had been serving dishes in a restaurant three years ago, speaking softly, could now confidently introduce her business to hundreds of guests.

"...From a small shop in the Donghe Wholesale Market, to the first specialty store on the commercial street, to the Zhongshan Road store, and now to the Chengnan store, 'Juanfan' has come a long way in three years." Wang Juan's voice came through the microphone, clear and firm. "Thank you to every customer for their support, thank you to the team for their hard work, and thank you to my family for their companionship. We will continue to strive to become a brand trusted by women in the steel city..."

Applause erupted. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, the unveiling of the plaque, and the sound of firecrackers filled the air. As soon as the store doors opened, the long-waiting customers poured in.

Lin Fan didn't push his way in; he stayed at the entrance to help maintain order. Store manager Xiao Xu and her six employees were incredibly busy, and a queue had formed at the checkout. Wang Juan's mother was also helping out in the store, guiding customers and organizing shelves, her face beaming with pride.

Lin Fan entered the store when there were fewer customers around noon. The 120-square-meter space felt a bit crowded at that moment. The spring clothes on the shelves were novel in style and bright in color, perfectly matching the atmosphere of early spring. The price tags read "Opening Special 12% Off," and many customers were buying two or three items at a time.

"How is it?" Wang Juan came over when she had a moment to spare, her forehead covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

"It's hot." Lin Fan handed her a bottle of water. "Drink some water, don't tire yourself out."

"I'm tired but happy." Wang Juan's eyes sparkled. "Look at the customer flow, it's even better than expected. Xiao Xu said that the morning's turnover has already exceeded 30,000 yuan."

"That's only half a day," Lin Fan estimated. "The total for the whole day might be around sixty or seventy thousand?"

"It might be more than that," Wang Juan said in a low voice. "Many are regular customers who come specifically from other stores; they have strong spending power. I estimate that today's sales will exceed 80,000."

Lin Fan was secretly astonished. He knew that clothing profits were high, but with a daily turnover of 80,000, the net profit was at least 30,000 to 40,000. Wang Juan's business was truly growing bigger and bigger.

"Don't just be happy, take care of yourself," Lin Fan reminded him. "Did you stay up late again last night?"

"I only stayed up for a little while, checking the inventory." Wang Juan stuck out her tongue. "Don't worry, I'll get some rest as soon as today is over."

In the afternoon, Lin Fan went back to work at the bureau. Before he left, Wang Juan said she was going to treat the team to dinner that evening to celebrate the successful opening, and told him to take care of his own dinner.

Back at the Finance Bureau, Lin Fan sensed something was off as soon as he entered the office building. Several people from different departments were huddled together in the corridor, whispering amongst themselves. When they saw Lin Fan arrive, they dispersed.

Lin Fan didn't ask any questions and went straight to the team's office. Da Liu was there, and his expression wasn't good either.

"Brother Liu, what happened?"

Da Liu glanced outside the door and lowered his voice: "They got into an argument at the Party Committee meeting this morning."

Lin Fan's heart tightened: "Why?"

"It's about the budget allocation," Da Liu said. "Deputy Director Zhang brought it up, saying that this year's special fund allocation plan is unfair, favoring the development zone and neglecting the old city. He argued with Deputy Director Cong for a bit, and his words weren't very pleasant."

"What did Director Zhou say?"

"Director Zhou has suppressed the rumors, saying we'll discuss it later," Liu sighed. "But the atmosphere is already tense. Team Leader Lin, you know, Deputy Director Zhang... he's only been here a little over a month, how come..."

Lin Fan didn't reply. He recalled Wang Xin's earlier warning and what Old Wang had said. Deputy Director Zhang was indeed not one to stay put.

"Just do your job." Lin Fan patted Da Liu on the shoulder. "Manage the vehicles well, serve the leaders well, and don't ask about anything else."

"clear."

In the afternoon, Lin Fan accompanied Zhou Wenyuan to a coordination meeting at the municipal government. In the car, Zhou Wenyuan remained silent, gazing out the window.

As they approached, Zhou Wenyuan suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Lin, what do you think of Deputy Director Zhang?"

Lin Fan answered cautiously, "We haven't had much contact, but I sense he has a lot of ideas."

"Having ideas is a good thing, but they need to be used in the right way," Zhou Wenyuan said calmly. "You heard about the meeting this morning, right?"

"I've heard a bit about it."

"Deputy Director Zhang's suggestions are not without merit," Zhou Wenyuan said. "The renovation of the old city area does require funding, and the development zone projects cannot be delayed. The difficulty lies in striking a balance."

Lin Fan didn't dare to respond. As a team leader, it wasn't appropriate for him to speak out about such internal disagreements within the leadership team.

Zhou Wenyuan didn't expect an answer, and continued, "I've just become the director, and I need to unite the team. But unity isn't just about being all smiles; it's about unity with principles. We must insist on what we should insist on, and compromise on what we should compromise on. It's not easy to strike the right balance."

When the car arrived at the municipal government building, Zhou Wenyuan said before getting out, "I'm going to treat Deputy Director Zhang to dinner tonight. Please choose a quiet place."

"Okay, Brother Zhou."

The afternoon coordination meeting lasted for more than two hours. Lin Fan waited in the car, and took a moment to send Wang Juan a text message: "How did the opening go?"

Wang Juan quickly replied: "Super successful! Our turnover has already reached 75,000 yuan, and we can push it even higher tonight. Team morale is high, so I've decided to give out red envelopes!"

"Thank you all for your hard work. Have dinner tonight, and please drink less alcohol."

"Okay, you too."

After dropping Zhou Wenyuan off at the bureau in the evening, Lin Fan made a reservation at a restaurant—a private kitchen in the east of the city, with an elegant ambiance and well-soundproofed private rooms. After making the reservation, he sent a text message to Deputy Director Zhang, informing him of the time and location.

At 6:30, Lin Fan drove Zhou Wenyuan to the restaurant. On the way, Zhou Wenyuan asked, "Where did you book?"

"The private room at 'Jingyuan' in the east of the city has been reserved."

"Yes, that place is quiet." Zhou Wenyuan paused. "Xiao Lin, you come too."

Lin Fan was taken aback: "Brother Zhou, this..."

"It's no trouble to have a meal together," Zhou Wenyuan said. "You're the team leader, and you'll be dealing with Deputy Director Zhang a lot in the future. Getting to know him will be beneficial."

"OK."

Upon arriving at Jingyuan, Deputy Director Zhang was already there. He was a little surprised to see Lin Fan as well, but quickly regained his composure and greeted him with a smile: "Director Zhou, Captain Lin."

"Director Zhang, you've arrived early." Zhou Wenyuan took his seat. "Sit down, everyone, please sit down."

The three of them took their seats. The private room was small, but exquisitely decorated, with ink paintings hanging on the walls and blue and white porcelain tableware on the table.

Zhou Wenyuan asked Lin Fan to order, and Lin Fan ordered several signature dishes. He also asked the two leaders about their preferences and added two milder dishes.

While waiting for the food, Zhou Wenyuan spoke up, "Director Zhang, don't take what happened at the meeting this morning to heart. Director Cong is straightforward and outspoken, but he's objective, not personal."

Deputy Director Zhang quickly said, "Director Zhou, you flatter me. I was careless this morning and said some things that were inappropriate. Director Cong's opinion is reasonable; the development zone project is indeed important."

"Your opinion makes sense," Zhou Wenyuan said, picking up his teacup. "The renovation of the old city is a project that benefits the people, and they're watching closely. The allocation of funds must balance efficiency and fairness, which is a challenge in fiscal work."

"Yes, I understand the difficulties the bureau faces," said Deputy Director Zhang. "I'm new here and not familiar with the city's situation, so some of my ideas may be unrealistic. Please forgive me, Director Zhou."

"Let's learn from each other," Zhou Wenyuan said with a smile.

The dishes were served one after another. Zhou Wenyuan stopped talking about work and started chatting about family matters—asking when Deputy Director Zhang's family would be coming, whether the children's schooling arrangements were in place, and what difficulties they were facing in their lives.

Deputy Director Zhang answered each question, saying that the family members would arrive next month, and that the child was attending junior high school in the county town and the transfer procedures were being processed.

"Once you're settled in, please speak on my behalf if needed." Zhou Wenyuan said, "Xiao Lin, Director Zhang has some family matters to attend to, please take care of him."

"Definitely." Lin Fan nodded.

Halfway through the meal, Zhou Wenyuan casually asked, "Director Zhang, what new directives has the provincial department recently issued? We're not well-informed down here, so please pass them on."

Deputy Director Zhang put down his chopsticks: "There really is something. Last week, I went to the provincial capital on business and heard from an old classmate that the budget department is studying new performance evaluation methods, which may link the progress of budget execution and the effectiveness of fund use to the transfer payments for the next year."

Zhou Wenyuan's eyes narrowed slightly: "How exactly is this linkage established?"

"The detailed rules haven't been released yet, but the direction has been set," said Deputy Director Zhang. "Generally speaking, those with slow implementation and idle funds will have their funding reduced in the next year; those who use the funds well will be rewarded. The incentives could be substantial."

"This is a big deal," Zhou Wenyuan pondered. "If this is really implemented, the pressure on the counties and districts will be immense."

"So I was thinking, could our bureau do some work in advance?" Deputy Director Zhang tentatively suggested. "For example, we could strengthen guidance and supervision of counties and districts to help them improve the efficiency of fund utilization. This would not only implement the spirit of the provincial department but also demonstrate the responsibility of the municipal bureau."

Zhou Wenyuan glanced at Deputy Director Zhang for a few seconds and smiled: "Director Zhang's suggestion is good. Here's what we'll do: you take the lead in drafting a plan, and we'll discuss it at the Party Committee meeting. If you need any support, just come to me."

"Yes, Director Zhou, I will do my best."

The dinner ended in a harmonious atmosphere. After seeing Deputy Director Zhang off to his car, Zhou Wenyuan and Lin Fan stood at the restaurant entrance.

"Xiao Lin, what do you think?" Zhou Wenyuan suddenly asked.

Lin Fan thought for a moment: "Deputy Director Zhang's suggestion is indeed beneficial to the bureau's work. But did he bring it up out of genuine concern for the work, or...?"

"Do you still want to show yourself and fight for a voice?" Zhou Wenyuan continued.

"I can't say."

"Both possibilities exist." Zhou Wenyuan lit a cigarette. "But it doesn't matter. As long as the suggestion is beneficial to the work, I'll support it. If he wants to show his abilities, I'll give him a stage. But I'll set the boundaries of that stage."

Lin Fan understood. Zhou Wenyuan was maneuvering—giving Deputy Director Zhang room to maneuver while keeping him under control.

"Keep a close eye on Deputy Director Zhang's movements," Zhou Wenyuan said, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Cooperate with him at work, but keep your distance in private. If anything seems amiss, let me know immediately."

"clear."

After taking Zhou Wenyuan home, Lin Fan returned to Riverside Garden after nine o'clock. Wang Juan hadn't come back yet; the house was empty.

After washing up, he sat in his study, reflecting on the day's events. Deputy Director Zhang was indeed no ordinary person—he had connections within the provincial department, understood policy, knew how to seize opportunities, and had a strong desire to impress. Such a person, if used well, could be an asset; if misused, he could be a nuisance.

Zhou Wenyuan handled the situation skillfully: he acknowledged your suggestion, gave you the task, but kept the reins in his hands. He both united the people and maintained control of the situation.

But Lin Fan remained uneasy. He recalled the look in Deputy Director Zhang's eyes at the dinner party—the fleeting glint in his eyes when Zhou Wenyuan asked him to lead the project wasn't gratitude, but rather... a sense of triumph.

Perhaps he was being paranoid. Lin Fan shook his head and closed his notebook.

Just then, the phone rang; it was Wang Juan.

"Lin Fan, I'm almost there." Wang Juan's voice was tired but excited. "Do you know how much revenue we made today?"

"How many?"

"Ninety-eight thousand six! Almost one hundred thousand!" Wang Juan said excitedly. "The shop assistants went crazy. Xiao Xu's hands were shaking when he was doing the calculations."

"So tall?" Lin Fan was also surprised.

"The opening event was a great success, and with the weather getting warmer, spring clothes sold out," Wang Juan said. "I gave everyone red envelopes, the smallest one was 200 yuan, and I gave Xiao Xu 500 yuan. Everyone was overjoyed."

"It's time to send it out. Thank you all for your hard work."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Fan went to the balcony. The steel city was bathed in the night light, neon lights flashing. In the distance, towards Jinshui Road, the sign for "Juanfan Clothing" could still be faintly seen lit up.

Wang Juan's business is thriving; her four stores are operating smoothly, and her brand has gained recognition. This is a good thing, but it also means more responsibility and pressure. She has more people to manage, more things to worry about, and more challenges to face.

Just like Zhou Wenyuan, the higher the official rank and the greater the power, the more complex the relationships to balance and the more difficult the situations to deal with.

And I, caught between these two important people, must both be Zhou Wenyuan's assistant and Wang Juan's support. I need to constantly find the right balance in this situation.

My phone vibrated again. It was a message from Zhou Wenyuan: "Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, there will be a bureau meeting to discuss the performance appraisal plan. Please inform Deputy Director Zhang to prepare a report."

"receive."

After replying, Lin Fan stood on the balcony for a while longer. The spring night breeze was exceptionally gentle, brushing against his face with a faint floral fragrance.

He suddenly remembered himself before his rebirth, at forty-five years old, struggling to make ends meet every day, worrying about the mortgage, and anxious about his children's tuition fees. Back then, his biggest dream was "stability"—a stable job, his own house, and his family's safety and health.

Now, we have all of these, even more than we imagined back then.

But that's human nature; once basic security is achieved, people start wanting more—career advancement, increased wealth, family happiness, social recognition…

This isn't greed; it's human nature. And it's the driving force that propels people forward.

The key is to not lose sight of our original aspirations in the pursuit of more – that cherishing of "stability", protecting our families, and adhering to our bottom lines.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and went back inside. He had to get up early tomorrow, work, and deal with those relationships, both overt and covert.

But it's okay. He's confident and prepared.

In this life, he wants not only his own "peace and wealth," but also to protect the peaceful lives of everyone around him.

No matter how many undercurrents lie beneath the surface, he will be the one to keep the boat steady.