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

After exiting the highway, the car turned onto a provincial road. The road conditions were noticeably worse, full of potholes. The Land Cruiser's shock absorption was good, so the bumps weren't too severe, but you could still feel them while sitting in the car.

Zhou Wenyuan sat in the passenger seat, reading a document. Outside the window was a typical scene of rural northern China—vast wheat fields, a few villages here and there, red brick houses, and smoke rising from chimneys.

"Lin Fan, where are you?" Zhou Wenyuan asked, looking up.

"We've just passed Qingshui County, and we'll be in Dongzhou City in another half hour." Lin Fan glanced at the navigation. "The people from Dongzhou Power Supply Company said they'd pick us up at the highway exit, but I said no, let's go straight to the company."

"Okay, don't trouble them," Zhou Wenyuan said. "We're here for research, not inspection, so let's not make it too formal."

"clear."

After driving for another twenty minutes or so, we entered Dongzhou city. The city wasn't big, but it was quite clean. Following the navigation, we found the Dongzhou Power Supply Company. The compound was quite large, with a six-story office building and several construction vehicles parked in the yard.

As soon as the car came to a stop, several people came out of the building. The leader was a slightly overweight man in his fifties with a big smile on his face.

"Jay Chou! Welcome, welcome!" The man walked over quickly.

Zhou Wenyuan got out of the car and shook hands with him: "Old Chen, long time no see."

"Yes, the last time we met was three years ago at a meeting in the provincial capital," Manager Chen said warmly. "Mr. Zhou, you must be tired from your journey. Please come in."

The group entered the building and sat down in the conference room. Tea had already been brewed, and there was also a fruit platter.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, they got down to business. Manager Chen reported on the situation of Dongzhou Power Supply Company—grid coverage, electricity consumption, key projects, and existing problems. Zhou Wenyuan listened attentively, occasionally asking a few questions.

Lin Fan sat to the side, taking notes. He brought a notebook and wrote down all the key points. These materials needed to be organized back home, as Zhou Wenyuan wanted to see them.

After the report, Manager Chen said, "Chairman Zhou, shall we go take a look at the substation? It's a 110 kV substation that was just renovated this year, and it's a demonstration site for the whole province."

"Okay, let's go take a look."

The group got back into the car. This time, there were two vehicles: Zhou Wenyuan rode in a Land Cruiser, and Manager Chen and his group rode in a Passat. The substation was in the suburbs, a twenty-minute drive away.

Upon arrival, Lin Fan saw a substation up close for the first time. Huge transformers, a dense network of cables, and various other equipment. The staff were all dressed in work clothes and wearing safety helmets.

"Mr. Zhou, please put on a helmet." Manager Chen handed him one.

Zhou Wenyuan put it on and followed the technicians into the station. Lin Fan also put one on and followed behind.

The technicians explained everything in great detail, from equipment parameters and operational status to intelligent upgrades. Zhou Wenyuan asked very specific questions: Was the voltage stable? What was the failure rate? What was the emergency repair response time?

Lin Fan listened from the side, inwardly admiring him. Although Zhou Wenyuan was an administrative leader, he was very knowledgeable in his work, and his questions were all to the point.

After leaving the substation, we went to a power supply station. It was in a town, a two-story building with seven or eight employees. The station manager was a middle-aged man in his forties, with dark skin, clearly someone who spent most of his time working on the field.

"Mr. Zhou, this is our most basic unit," Manager Chen introduced. "Old Zhang has worked here for twenty years; he knows the lines best."

Old Zhang was a little nervous and spoke with an accent: "Hello Mr. Zhou, our conditions here are... simple, please forgive us."

"The conditions are simple, but that's fine as long as we do our job well," Zhou Wenyuan said with a smile. "Take me to see your duty room."

The duty room is on the first floor. A map of the area's power lines hangs on the wall, and several telephones are on the table. A young employee is answering a phone call; it sounds like a household is reporting a power outage.

"How did you handle it?" Zhou Wenyuan asked.

"We've already sent someone; they'll be there within ten minutes," Old Zhang said. "Our policy is that repairs reported in urban areas will arrive within half an hour, and in rural areas within one hour."

"Is it possible?"

"Yes, we can." Old Zhang was very confident. "We have three emergency repair teams, on duty 24 hours a day. The vehicles and tools are all ready, and we can set off at any time."

As they were talking, the young employee hung up the phone and stood up: "Chief, Grandpa Wang's house on East Street has tripped the power again. Last time it was because his wiring was old, and we reminded him to replace it, but he didn't."

"Send the second group over, and while they're at it, tell Grandpa Wang that the line must be changed; safety comes first," Old Zhang said.

Zhou Wenyuan nodded: "That's how grassroots work is—trivial, but important. If ordinary people don't have electricity in their homes, that's a big deal."

It was already noon when we left the power supply station. Manager Chen arranged lunch at a small restaurant in town. The dishes were all local farm-style fare, large portions, and reasonably priced.

During the meal, Zhou Wenyuan didn't sit in the head seat, but instead sat with Lao Zhang and chatted about everyday things. Lao Zhang's family was from the countryside; his wife ran a small shop in town, and their son was in high school.

"Is this line of work tough?" Zhou Wenyuan asked.

"It's tough, but I'm used to it," Old Zhang said. "In the summer, there are thunderstorms, and in the winter, there are snowstorms. But when I see the lights on in people's homes, I feel at ease."

"How's the compensation?"

"It's alright, a little over five thousand a month, plus bonuses it can be six thousand," Old Zhang said. "In our town, that's considered pretty good. It's just that sometimes I can't take care of the family, and my wife complains."

Zhou Wenyuan patted him on the shoulder: "You've worked hard. If you have any difficulties at home, tell the company."

"No problem, no problem," Old Zhang waved his hands repeatedly. "The company treats us very well. They give us gifts during holidays and even organize physical examinations."

After lunch and a short rest, I visited several construction projects in the afternoon. One was a rural power grid upgrade project to bring electricity to remote mountain villages. Another was a photovoltaic power station, built on a hillside.

After reviewing the project, it was already 4 PM. Zhou Wenyuan said he would be back in the city that evening for a meeting with the leadership of Dongzhou Company.

On the way back, Zhou Wenyuan leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

"Are you tired?" Lin Fan asked.

"A little." Zhou Wenyuan opened his eyes. "But seeing the situation at the grassroots level, it was worth it. Lin Fan, what are your thoughts today?"

Lin Fan thought for a moment: "The grassroots employees have it tough. The working conditions are poor and the responsibilities are heavy. But they are all quite down-to-earth and don't complain much."

"Yes, that's how the power industry is," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Look at that old Zhang, he's been working on the front lines for twenty years. People like him are the cornerstone of the company."

"Um."

The evening meeting was held in the conference room of Dongzhou Company. All the members of the leadership team were present, about seven or eight people. Zhou Wenyuan encouraged everyone to speak freely, to talk about the difficulties they encountered at work, and what kind of support they needed from the provincial company.

At first, everyone was a little reserved, but they opened up later and raised a lot of questions—aging staff, slow equipment upgrades, insufficient funding, unreasonable performance indicators, etc.

Zhou Wenyuan listened attentively and made Lin Fan write everything down.

The meeting didn't end until after 9 PM. Dinner was a simple work meal at the company cafeteria.

After dinner, accommodations were arranged. Dongzhou Company has its own hotel, which is quite nice. Zhou Wenyuan stayed in a suite, and Lin Fan stayed in a standard room next door.

After washing up, Lin Fan went to Zhou Wenyuan's room to organize today's records.

"Brother Zhou, I've briefly summarized today's content." Lin Fan handed over the notebook. "Take a look."

Zhou Wenyuan took it and looked at it for a while: "Okay, that's settled. We're going to Linzhou City tomorrow, so get some rest."

"You should get some rest too."

Back in his room, Lin Fan called Wang Juan.

"How was your day?" Wang Juan asked.

"Not bad, visited a few locations and had a meeting," Lin Fan said. "Where are the kids?"

"They're both asleep. It's their first day of kindergarten, and they're so excited," Wang Juan said. "The teacher said they're adapting very quickly."

"That's good." Lin Fan paused for a moment, then asked, "Is everything alright at home?"

"Everything's fine, don't worry. It's just... I miss you a little."

"I miss you all too," Lin Fan said. "I'll be here for another three or four days, then I'll go back."

"Okay, take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Fan lay in bed, but couldn't fall asleep. What he had seen and heard that day kept swirling in his mind.

Old Zhang's dark face, the humming sound of the substation, the candid words at the symposium... these images gave him a deeper understanding of the power industry.

Previously, at the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, I dealt with cases and policies. Now, working under Zhou Wenyuan, I'm dealing with specific tasks, grassroots staff, and the electricity issues of ordinary people.

Although the fields are different, the principles are the same—serving the people.

As I thought about it, I slowly fell asleep.

---

The next few days were packed with activities.

The next day, we went to Linzhou City, visited a 220 kV substation, and held two symposiums. The third day, we went to Shanxian County, a mountainous county with difficult roads but beautiful scenery. We visited a small hydroelectric power station and a remote mountain village where electricity had just been connected; the villagers were overjoyed.

On the fourth day, we arrived in Pingzhou City, focusing on the intelligent transformation of the power grid. On the fifth day, on our way back, we visited two power supply stations along the way.

Every day is a whirlwind of early mornings and late nights, with visits during the day and meetings at night. Lin Fan is responsible for driving, arranging itineraries, taking notes, and coordinating. He has to think about everything, big and small.

Zhou Wenyuan is incredibly hardworking; despite being over forty, he has more energy than many young people. Wherever he goes, he makes sure to see the situation at the grassroots level and hear the most authentic voices.

Lin Fan learned a lot from him. Not only in terms of business skills, but also in terms of work methods and interpersonal relationships.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, we returned to the provincial capital. As the car entered the city, the streetlights were just coming on.

"Finally back." Zhou Wenyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your hard work these past few days."

"It's not hard work, it's what I should do," Lin Fan said. "Brother Zhou, you're the one who's working hard, with so many things to do every day."

"I'm used to it," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Lin Fan, what do you think of this research trip?"

"I've gained a lot," Lin Fan said earnestly. "I saw the real situation at the grassroots level and heard the voices of the employees. I think it was the right thing for you to do to conduct such in-depth research since you just joined the company."

"Yes, I feel more confident now," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Next, it's time to get down to business."

After dropping Zhou Wenyuan off at his hotel, Lin Fan drove home. It was already past eight o'clock in the evening when he arrived.

Wang Juan and the children were watching TV in the living room when they saw him come back and gathered around him.

"Daddy!" Baby Beibei rushed over.

"You're back?" Wang Juan took his bag. "Have you eaten?"

"We ate, we ate on the way." Lin Fan picked up the two children. "Did you miss your dad?"

"Yes!" the two children said in unison.

My parents-in-law also came out of their room: "Xiao Fan's back? You must be tired?"

"It's alright." Lin Fan put the child down. "Mom and Dad, how's everything at home these past few days?"

"Okay, everything's fine," my mother-in-law said. "It's just that the children keep asking when you're coming back."

"I'm back now," Lin Fan said with a smile.

The family sat in the living room, and Lin Fan briefly recounted his itinerary for the past few days. Wang Juan listened attentively, occasionally asking a few questions.

"Working at the power company is completely different from working at the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, isn't it?" she asked.

"They are different, but they both serve the people," Lin Fan said. "The Political and Legal Affairs Commission upholds fairness and justice, while the power company ensures electricity supply for people's livelihoods. Essentially, they are both working to improve the lives of ordinary people."

"That's right." My father-in-law nodded. "No job is inherently superior or inferior; a job that helps people is a good job."

They chatted until after ten o'clock, when the children got sleepy and went to bed. After washing up, Lin Fan lay in bed, feeling completely relaxed.

These past few days have been tiring—driving, running around, taking notes, coordinating… but I feel fulfilled.

Wang Juan lay down next to him: "Xiao Fan, I think you really like your current job."

"Yeah, I like it," Lin Fan said. "Following Brother Zhou, I can get things done and help people. Plus, there's no need for backstabbing or intrigue; it's simple."

"That's good." Wang Juan grasped his hand. "If you like it, I'll support you."

"Thank you, honey."

The lights were turned off, and the room became quiet. The streetlights outside shone softly through the curtains.

Lin Fan reflected on his experiences over the past few days and considered what he needed to do next.

Zhou Wenyuan's secretary will be in place soon, and his job will be clearer then—to cooperate with the secretary and do a good job as an assistant.

He remains a driver and an assistant. He doesn't seek official positions or vie for power.

This is good.

Feeling grounded, secure, and with a clear conscience.

This is enough.

He closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

In his dream, he saw Old Zhang repairing power lines, saw the lights come back on in the homes of villagers in the mountain village, and saw the indicator lights at the substation flashing...

These scenes are warm and real.

This is his job, this is his life.

Ordinary, but meaningful.