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

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the New Year celebrations are officially over.

Lin Fan drove a Lexus 570, with Zhou Wenyuan in the passenger seat and two suitcases crammed into the trunk—that was all the stuff Zhou Wenyuan was bringing. The provincial power company would provide the rest.

"Brother Zhou, have everything been arranged at the provincial level?" Lin Fan asked.

"It's all settled. I'll stay in the dorm for now." Zhou Wenyuan looked out the window. "Once things settle down a bit, I'll find a suitable place. What about you? Have you found a place yet?"

"I've got my eye on that villa area near the Second Ring Road," Lin Fan said. "It's 7,500 yuan per square meter, 520 square meters, fully furnished, with front and back gardens. I plan to go and make a decision tomorrow."

"Great, that's a generous offer." Zhou Wenyuan laughed. "Over 500 square meters, that'll be enough for us."

"I was thinking that my parents sometimes come to stay, and so do Wang Juan's parents, so having more rooms would be convenient," Lin Fan said. "Plus, the front and back gardens are large, so the kids have somewhere to play."

The car got on the highway and headed north. The steel city receded further and further away in the rearview mirror, while the provincial capital drew closer ahead.

Two and a half hours later, the car entered the provincial capital. There were more tall buildings, more cars, and more people. Although it was the first month of the lunar calendar, the streets had already returned to their usual bustling state.

The provincial power company building is located in the city center; it's twenty-eight stories high and quite impressive. Lin Fan drove the car into the underground parking garage and went upstairs with Zhou Wenyuan.

The chairman's office is on the 26th floor, facing south with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a wide view. The office is already furnished, with a new desk, bookcase, sofa, and coffee table.

"Mr. Zhou, welcome, welcome." A man in his forties greeted him; it was Old Chen, the office manager. "Your office is all set up. Is there anything else you need?"

Zhou Wenyuan looked around: "That's fine, let's leave it at that. Lin Fan, help me pack my things."

Lin Fan brought his suitcase in and started unpacking. Zhou Wenyuan and Lao Chen went to a meeting, saying they were going to meet with the leadership team.

After tidying up, Lin Fan sat on the sofa to rest. The office was large and quiet. From here, one could see half of the provincial capital.

He felt a pang of emotion. Seven years ago, he was just a temporary worker at the Finance Bureau, driving for Zhou Wenyuan. Seven years later, Zhou Wenyuan had become the chairman of the provincial power company, and he was still driving for him. But everything was different now.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Xiao Liu, the real estate agent.

"Mr. Lin, are you here to view the property today?"

"Come on over, I'll be there in an hour."

"Okay, I'll wait for you at the sales office."

---

An hour later, Lin Fan drove to the sales office. The villa area was called "Jinxiu Shanhe," a rather grand name. The community was already built, and the landscaping was excellent; although it was winter, the evergreen trees were still green.

Xiao Liu, a young woman in her early twenties, was very enthusiastic: "Mr. Lin, you've finally arrived. Several more people came to see Building 8, which you looked at yesterday. If you're really interested, you'd better hurry."

"Take me to take another look," Lin Fan said.

Building 8 is located in the center of the complex, away from the street, making it quiet. It has three floors, a basement, and front and back gardens totaling over 300 square meters. The apartment is fully furnished by the developer in a simple and elegant style.

The first floor consists of a living room, dining room, kitchen, a maid's room, and a shared restroom. The living room has a six-meter high ceiling and large floor-to-ceiling windows, providing excellent natural light. The dining room can accommodate a table for ten, and the kitchen is open-plan and fully equipped.

There are four bedrooms on the second floor, each with its own bathroom. The master bedroom is the largest, with a walk-in closet and a balcony. The other three bedrooms are about the same size and are suitable for children or the elderly.

The third floor has two bedrooms and a large terrace. The terrace is over 50 square meters and has a wide view, with a view of the distant mountains.

The basement is over 200 square meters and can be used as a home theater, gym, or storage room.

Both the front and back gardens are covered with lawns, and the developer has also planted several trees. The front garden has a shared parking space that can accommodate three cars. The back garden has a gazebo and a barbecue area.

Lin Fan looked around the house and was very satisfied. This house was big enough for his family, and the renovations didn't need to be major; they could move in after buying some furniture.

"How much?" he asked.

"Seven thousand five hundred and twenty square meters, totaling three million nine hundred thousand," Xiao Liu said. "Also, the underground parking garage has a small door leading to the basement, each costing 150,000. How many do you need?"

"Two, I'll take," Lin Fan said. "Can you give me a discount?"

Xiao Liu thought for a moment and said, "How about this, I'll ask the manager for 3.85 million yuan, and we'll throw in two parking spaces. Is that alright?"

"Okay." Lin Fan answered readily. "Can we complete the formalities today?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Liu's eyes lit up. "Are you paying in full or taking out a loan?"

"Full payment."

The paperwork was completed quickly. The contract was signed, the card was swiped, and 3.85 million yuan was transferred. The property certificate would take a few days, but the keys could be given out first. Lin Fan stood at the door of his new house, holding the keys, feeling reassured.

This is their home in the provincial capital.

Over the next few days, Lin Fan was extremely busy.

First came buying furniture. The house was big, so they needed a lot of furniture. He went to several furniture stores, selecting sofas, beds, dining tables, bookshelves… piece by piece. Wang Juan offered remote advice over the phone, and the two often spent ages discussing which colors and styles to choose.

Then came the home appliances. A TV, a refrigerator, a washing machine, an air conditioner… Lin Fan made a list and bought them one by one. He specifically bought a large refrigerator for the kitchen and a large freezer for the basement, so Wang Juan could stock up on more food later.

Next came household necessities. Pots and pans, bedding, toiletries... these small items took the most time to buy. Lin Fan visited several supermarkets before he could basically buy everything.

Finally, there's the children's room. Baby Beibei's room is on the second floor. Lin Fan bought a bunk bed, a desk, and a toy cabinet. Cartoon wallpaper was pasted on the walls, and soft mats were laid on the floor. He also specially bought a piano—Wang Juan said she wanted the child to learn to play.

After a busy week, the house finally looks like a home. Although it's still missing some small items, it's basically habitable.

On the 23rd day of the first lunar month, Lin Fan drove back to Gangcheng.

When I arrived home, Wang Juan was packing. The living room was piled high with cardboard boxes labeled "clothes," "books," and "kitchenware." My mother was helping me pack, and my father was organizing things in the garage.

"You're back?" Wang Juan wiped her sweat. "Is the house all set up?"

"It's all set up, ready to move in," Lin Fan said. "How did you guys do with the cleaning?"

"That's almost done, just some odds and ends left," Wang Juan said. "Oh, and my parents' place is all packed up too, we can move in tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll drive to pick them up tomorrow."

The next day, Lin Fan went to pick up his parents-in-law first. They didn't have much stuff, just a few suitcases and some personal belongings. Wang Juan planned to rent out the apartment they lived in and had already found a tenant.

Then they went back to their own homes. Everything had already been moved downstairs, piled up like a small mountain. Wang Juan's Land Rover's trunk was full, and some was also placed in the back seat. Lin Fan's car was also packed to the brim.

"Dad, Mom, we're leaving," Lin Fan said to his parents.

The mother's eyes reddened, and she held her baby Beibei tightly, refusing to let go: "When we go to the provincial capital, you must listen to your father and mother, be good..."

"Mom, we'll come back often." Wang Juan's eyes also reddened.

The father patted Lin Fan on the shoulder: "Go on, do a good job. Your sister is here, don't worry."

"Dad, Mom and I, please take care of yourselves. If anything happens, please call me anytime."

"Know."

Lin Ping and Sun Lin also arrived, bringing Niu Niu with them.

"Xiao Fan, be careful on the road." Lin Ping handed him a thermos. "There are dumplings inside. Eat them if you get hungry on the road."

"Thank you, sister."

Niu Niu held Lin Fan's hand: "Uncle, you have to come back to see me."

"I'll definitely come back to see Niu Niu." Lin Fan picked up his niece. "Niu Niu, you must study hard and listen to your parents."

"Um."

The farewell words were repeated again and again, but in the end, it was time to leave. Lin Fan started his car, and Wang Juan drove the other one. The two cars slowly drove out of the residential area, and in the rearview mirror, his parents and sister's family were still waving goodbye.

Lin Fan felt a lump in his throat. This departure meant he was truly leaving the steel city. Although it wasn't far, his life was about to shift.

The car entered the highway, and the steel city gradually disappeared into the distance. Baby Beibei fell asleep in the back seat, Wang Juan focused on driving, and her parents-in-law talked quietly.

Lin Fan looked ahead. Provincial capital, new home, new life.

Everything will start anew.

At 3 PM, the car drove into the "Jinxiu Shanhe" residential complex. It stopped in front of Building 8, and the family got out.

"Wow, what a big house!" Baby Beibei woke up, saw her new home, and excitedly ran inside.

Wang Juan and her parents also went inside to take a look. They walked around upstairs and downstairs and were very satisfied.

"This house is really nice," my father-in-law said. "The front and back gardens are so big; we can grow some vegetables in the future."

"Dad, you can plant whatever you want," Lin Fan said with a smile.

Wang Juan touched the wall, looked at the window, and nodded: "The renovation is fine, no major changes needed. It's just that the curtains need to be changed; the color is too plain."

"It's up to you. Change it if you want."

Everyone started moving things. There was a lot of stuff, so they made trip after trip, and didn't finish until evening. Dinner was takeout from a restaurant, and the family sat around in the dining room of their new home, eating their first meal in the provincial capital.

"From now on, this is our home." Lin Fan raised his glass. "Come on, let's celebrate."

"Celebrating our new home!" Baby Beibei mimicked raising a glass.

"Celebrating a new life," Wang Juan said with a smile.

After dinner, the children went to play. The adults sat on the living room sofa, looking at their new home, and were all somewhat emotional.

"I never imagined we could live in a house like this," my mother-in-law said. "Back in the steel city, we thought it was pretty good to live in such nice houses. Now look at this house, it's so big and nice."

"Times have changed," the father-in-law said. "Our children are capable, and we can enjoy the good life along with them."

Wang Juan leaned on Lin Fan's shoulder: "Xiao Fan, do you think we'll be able to get used to life in the provincial capital?"

"Yes, I can." Lin Fan hugged her. "I have a house, I have family, I can get used to anywhere."

It was late at night, and the children were asleep. Lin Fan and Wang Juan lay in bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling.

"Do you miss Steel City?" Wang Juan asked.

"A little," Lin Fan said. "I miss my parents, and I miss my sister's family."

"Me too," Wang Juan said. "But thinking about it, the provincial capital is better for the children's education, and it's also better for your career development. It's worth it."

"Mmm." Lin Fan held her hand. "Go to sleep. We still need to get ready tomorrow."

The lights were turned off, and the room became quiet. Soft light from the streetlights shone through the window.

Lin Fan closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep. He thought about many things. He thought about his seven years in the steel city, the experiences he had, and the people he had met. He also thought about the future of the provincial capital, his new job, and the new challenges.

In this life, he has come this far. From a steel city to the provincial capital, from a temporary worker to a section chief, from a small house to a large villa.

But he knew this was not the end. The road ahead was long, and he had to keep going.

As long as my family is by my side, as long as I feel at ease, I'm not afraid to go anywhere.

The moonlight streamed in through the window, cool and clear.

And so began the first night in the provincial capital.

A new life begins.