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

On Sunday morning, the sky over the provincial capital was overcast, threatening rain, and the air was stuffy.

Lin Fan drove his A8 and waited at the high-speed rail station early. Just after nine o'clock, he saw Wang Xin carrying a bulging travel bag and walking briskly out with the crowd. Today he was wearing a more neat work jacket and a pair of sturdy work boots, clearly ready to work.

"Fanzi!" Wang Xin, with his sharp eyes, waved from afar.

The two got into the car, and Wang Xin tossed his bag onto the back seat, his face revealing undisguised eagerness: "Shall we go straight to the venue?"

"Let's go!" Lin Fan knew he was desperate to see the venue, so he turned the steering wheel and drove straight to the north of the city.

As the car drove out of the city, the tall buildings thinned out, and the view opened up. Turning onto a fairly wide old asphalt road, after a few minutes, a tall, long wall appeared on the right. The wall was painted a faded, pale yellow, and topped with barbed wire, exuding the order and solemnity of an old military unit. A rusty but sturdy electric sliding gate was tightly closed, next to a small guardhouse.

"This is it." Lin Fan parked the car outside the gate.

Wang Xin couldn't wait to get out of the car. He looked up at the gate and the endless wall, his eyes wide with amazement. "My goodness... this wall, this imposing presence... Fanzi, was this really the fire brigade's training base before?"

"Of course it's real," Lin Fan laughed, taking out his phone to call Section Chief Zhang. Section Chief Zhang told Lin Fan that the key was pressed under the bricks in the crack below the window of the small gatehouse.

Sure enough, they found the keychain wrapped in a plastic bag under the window of the guard booth. They opened the small side door next to it and went inside.

Upon entering, the first thing that catches the eye is an extremely spacious, paved concrete playground. The ground, neglected for a long time, is covered in dust and moss, with weeds sprouting from some cracks, but overall it's very smooth. Wang Xin quickly walked to the center of the playground, circled it, and, estimating its size, muttered to himself, "This...this could easily accommodate twenty large cranes! Turning around, swinging the boom, extending the outriggers—there's definitely enough space!"

Directly opposite the playground stands that two-story multi-purpose building. The exterior walls are painted red, though some paint is peeling off. The windows are intact, but covered in a thick layer of dust. The building is square and appears very sturdy. On the first floor is a row of huge roller shutter doors, which used to be the garage doors for fire trucks.

Wang Xin jogged over and tried to pull up a roller shutter door. The hinges were a bit rusty, making a creaking sound, but it was still usable. The door slowly rose, revealing a spacious and tall room inside. The floor was thick concrete, and the ceiling was at least six or seven meters high. There were some discarded training mats and other miscellaneous items piled up in the corners, and the air was filled with dust and a faint musty smell.

"This garage... its height and width are incredible!" Wang Xin exclaimed excitedly, gesturing with his hands. "I reckon even a 160-ton truck crane could fit in without its counterweight! It'll be so convenient for maintenance, upkeep, and sheltering from the rain!"

They went up the external staircase to the second floor. The second floor was a long corridor with rooms on both sides, including offices, duty rooms, dormitories, a small conference room, and a public restroom with a sink. The rooms were not large, but there were many of them. Some of the paint on the walls was peeling, the floors were old terrazzo, and the window seals were worn, but the overall structure was intact, and the water and electricity pipes, although old, were still working.

"Once this upstairs is cleared out, it can be used for offices, duty shifts, and living quarters—it solves everything!" Wang Xin pushed open a south-facing window, looking down at the spacious playground below, his eyes shining. "Fanzi, this place... it's amazing! Absolutely amazing! You've got our company a prime location! Two hundred thousand a year, it's like finding a bargain!"

Lin Fan laughed as well: "The location is good, but there's a lot of work to be done in cleaning up and renovating it, and a lot of money to be spent."

"I'm not afraid! As long as I have the strength to work and the money to earn, I feel at ease!" Wang Xin said with great enthusiasm.

The two came out of the building again and went around to the back. Behind it was an even larger wasteland, which used to be a training ground, but was now overgrown with waist-high weeds that stretched all the way to the base of the distant wall. The area was indeed astonishing, and the open space was refreshing.

"This backyard, once leveled, can be used as an equipment storage area, a repair area, or even a place to store spare parts in the future!" Wang Xin was already planning in his mind. "In that corner over there, I think we could build a simple corrugated steel shed to serve as a repair workshop..."

Just then, Lin Fan's phone rang. It was the construction team leader, introduced by Section Chief Sun from the company's logistics department, calling to say they were almost there. Lin Fan gave him their exact location.

Less than ten minutes later, a slightly worn white van pulled up and stopped in front of the building. Three people got out. The one in the lead was a dark-skinned man in his forties surnamed Zhao, who was the construction team leader. Behind him were a younger technician and a more experienced-looking man.

"Assistant Lin, hello! Section Chief Sun told us that he will definitely do a good job for you!" Captain Zhao said enthusiastically, offering a cigarette.

Lin Fan took the cigarette and introduced them to each other: "Captain Zhao, this is General Manager Wang. He will be in charge of this place from now on. You can discuss the specifics with him."

"Hello, Mr. Wang!" Captain Zhao shook hands with Wang Xin again.

Wang Xin was still a little uncomfortable with being addressed as "General Manager Wang," and smiled憨厚ly: "Captain Zhao, don't be so polite, let's talk about the job."

The four of them began their on-site discussion on the playground in front of the building. Wang Xin poured out his needs and ideas, while Captain Zhao listened and took notes in his notebook, occasionally interjecting to ask about details. The technician took a measuring tape and measured around, while the experienced worker tapped on the walls and checked the pipes.

"Mr. Wang, Assistant Lin, I think I understand." Captain Zhao closed his notebook. "Let's proceed in several steps. First, we need to 'clear' the area. Thoroughly clean the entire site and remove all trash and debris. Inspect all water and electrical lines; any aging or damaged ones must be replaced. In particular, we need to recalculate the electrical load. When you use large equipment in the future, the power supply must be sufficient and safe. We also need to check the water pipes to ensure a reliable water supply for daily use."

"Second, 'solid.' The house structure is fine, but the doors and windows are old and don't seal well, so they all need to be replaced with new, sturdy, and durable ones. The roof waterproofing needs to be redone, as I see some areas might be leaking. The interior and exterior walls need to be repainted. The terrazzo flooring in the garage and on the first floor can be used after polishing. For the floors in the second-floor dormitory and office, depending on your requirements, you can lay floor tiles or laminate flooring."

"Third, 'modification.' Modify according to your usage needs. Inside the garage, you may need to divide it into areas and make tool racks and accessory cabinets. On the second floor, you need to decide which rooms will be used as offices and which as dormitories, how to partition them, and how to run the wiring and network cables. The wasteland in the backyard needs to be leveled, compacted, and preferably paved in part for parking. There are also security facilities such as walls, gates, lighting, and surveillance cameras that need to be installed."

Captain Zhao spoke clearly and professionally. Wang Xin nodded repeatedly: "Captain Zhao, you're an expert! We'll do it your way. We have two requirements: first, the quality must be good, especially in terms of safety, there can be no ambiguity; second, it must be done as quickly as possible, we need it urgently."

"I understand," Captain Zhao said. "Okay, we'll finish the detailed plan and budget this afternoon and show it to you tomorrow morning. If there are no problems, we'll immediately organize personnel and machinery to enter the site. We'll start with cleaning and repairing the water and electricity."

"Okay! Thank you, Captain Zhao!" Lin Fan and Wang Xin were both very satisfied.

After seeing the construction team off, it was almost noon. The two were hungry. Lin Fan said, "Come on, Brother Xin, let's eat first, then I'll take you somewhere."

They found a clean little restaurant in a nearby town and ordered a few dishes. While eating, Wang Xin was still immersed in excitement, constantly planning what to put here and how to arrange there.

After finishing his meal, Lin Fan started the car, but instead of heading back to the city, he took another road.

"Fanzi, where are we going?" Wang Xin asked.

"I'll get you a car," Lin Fan said.

"A car? I... I don't need it, do I? I don't usually need it here at the base..." Wang Xin said, somewhat surprised.

"Why wouldn't you need one?" Lin Fan said as he drove. "You'll be in charge of this company from now on. You'll need to visit factories to check on equipment, go out to discuss business, and handle all sorts of things. How can you manage without a car? Are you going to ride an electric scooter or take a taxi every day? That's not right. Besides, you've come all the way from the steel city; it's inconvenient not having a car."

Wang Xin was touched, but said, "Then... then get a cheap one, as long as it can be used. The company hasn't opened yet, we can't waste money."

I know what I'm doing.

The car drove into the largest auto mall in the provincial capital. It was a weekend afternoon, and the mall was bustling with people, with the 4S stores of various brands brightly lit. Lin Fan drove directly to the area where SUVs were concentrated.

"Pikachu!" Wang Xin looked out the window. "Fanzi, let's look at this."

Lin Fan parked the car in the driveway: "Brother Xin, I think we should buy you an off-road vehicle first." Wang Xin waved his hand, saying that a pickup truck was fine as long as it wasn't a pickup. "It can carry people, and the back bed can hold tools and small parts. It can go to construction sites and the wilderness. It's sturdy and durable, and the maintenance is cheap. It's just right for what we need now."

The two got out of the car and walked into a 4S store that mainly sells domestically produced commercial vehicles. The salesperson greeted them warmly. The store had several pickup trucks on display, ranging from fifty or sixty thousand yuan to over one hundred thousand yuan.

Wang Xin's gaze was quickly drawn to a rugged, tall green pickup truck. It was a Great Wall pickup, with an imposing appearance and sturdy tires.

Seeing this, the salesman immediately began his introduction: "Sir, you have excellent taste! This is the Great Wall Wingle commercial version, a 2.4T diesel engine. It has plenty of power and torque, making it perfect for hauling cargo and climbing hills. The rear bed is large and comes with a roll bar, which is very practical. The high chassis provides good off-road capability. The features are also sufficient, including air conditioning, power windows, and a large central control screen. Most importantly, this vehicle has a good reputation, is durable, and is inexpensive to maintain."

Wang Xin walked around the truck twice, touched the heavy doors, looked at the spacious cargo bed, and then sat in the driver's seat to experience it. The space was ample, the visibility was good, and although the interior wasn't luxurious, it was very practical.

"How much does this car cost?" Wang Xin asked.

"This is the high-end model, with a list price of 120,800. There's a discount now, so the total price is just over 130,000," the salesperson said.

Wang Xin looked at Lin Fan, his eyes saying: It's a bit expensive, just buy one that costs tens of thousands.

Lin Fan nodded and asked the salesperson, "Can I take a test drive?"

"Yes! Of course! Please wait a moment, I'll go get the keys and the test drive agreement!"

After a test drive, Wang Xin was even more satisfied with the car. The power was indeed good, it drove smoothly, and the noise level was within an acceptable range. He just felt the price was still too high.

"Fanzi, I think that one over there costing fifty or sixty thousand is fine too. It's just for transportation and hauling goods..."

"This is it," Lin Fan decided. "A car is a tool. If you buy a cheap one, it'll break down every few days, causing delays and higher repair costs. This car has a good reputation, so you'll feel safer and more at ease driving it. Don't worry about the money."

He turned to the salesperson and said, "This one, the green one, do you have it in stock? Can I pick it up today?"

The salesperson was overjoyed: "We have a car in stock! All the paperwork is complete, you can drive it away today! Are you paying in full or taking out a loan?"

"Full payment."

The rest of the procedures were completed quickly. Signing the contract, swiping the card, buying insurance, and getting a temporary license plate. Wang Xin was a little dazed throughout the process, watching Lin Fan swipe his card for over 100,000 yuan without batting an eye, feeling both moved and heavy-hearted. He knew that this was not just about a car, but also about Lin Fan's trust and expectations of him.

A little over an hour later, all the formalities were completed. A brand-new black Great Wall Cannon was parked in front of the store. When the keys were handed to Wang Xin, his hands were trembling slightly.

"Brother Xin, this will be your warhorse from now on." Lin Fan smiled and patted the roof of the car. "Come on, let's drive your new car and take a look around the venue again. Then we'll find a place where you can go over the things we need to do when we get back."

Wang Xin nodded emphatically, opened the heavy car door, and got in. After familiarizing himself with the gear shift and buttons, he carefully drove the car out of the dealership. He was a little rusty at first, but after a few minutes, he got used to it. The car had a high seating position, a wide field of vision, and a solid, powerful feel when driving it.

He followed Lin Fan's A8 back to the old training base. After parking the new car on the empty training ground, Wang Xin got out and circled the car several times, admiring it greatly.

"Fanzi, this car... is really nice." He hesitated for a long time before finally saying this.

"As long as it works well," Lin Fan said. "Now that we have the vehicles, construction on the site will begin immediately. You'll have a lot of tasks when you get back. First, finish the final procedures for your resignation as soon as possible, don't leave any loose ends. Second, focus all your efforts on company registration and qualification applications. I'll consult with a professional agency to clarify what materials are needed, which departments to contact, and the procedures. I'll send you a list and contact information, and you can follow it. If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to let me know. Third, start looking for manpower. Operators, safety officers, maintenance workers—contact suitable candidates first, and clearly explain our compensation and career prospects. Don't rush to finalize anything, but have a reserve of talent."

Wang Xin took out his phone, opened the notes app, and carefully wrote down each item.

"Fourth," Lin Fan continued, "when you have some free time, you can visit XCMG's office in the provincial capital or a major distributor to get a clear understanding of the specific parameters, prices, payment methods, delivery cycles, and after-sales service policies for various crane models. Once you have a clear understanding, you can make a quick decision when your funds are in place and you have all the necessary qualifications."

"Understood! I've written it all down." Wang Xin looked at the densely packed items on his memo, but instead of being intimidated, he was filled with fighting spirit. Having something to do and a direction felt wonderful.

"Oh, right," Lin Fan remembered something, "the gas card and maintenance for this car are all paid for by the company. Once the company has its own finance department, we can gradually standardize things. I'll cover the initial startup costs first, just make sure the accounts are kept clear."

"Fanzi, I..." Wang Xin wanted to say something to express his gratitude, but felt that anything he said would be too inadequate.

"Alright, brothers, let's not talk about that." Lin Fan interrupted him. "Doing a good job is the best way to repay him. Go back and proceed according to plan. I'll keep an eye on the construction progress here and stay in sync with you."

Before parting, Wang Xin gripped Lin Fan's hand tightly: "Fanzi, don't worry! If I, Wang Xin, fail to make something of myself, I'll have no face to see you!"

"Take it easy, take it one step at a time," Lin Fan advised.

Watching Wang Xin drive away in his brand-new green pickup truck, Lin Fan felt a surge of anticipation. Every beginning is difficult, but this start seemed to be going exceptionally smoothly. The site, the vehicles, the construction team, and the initial plan were all in place.

He sat back in the A8, not leaving immediately. He took out his phone and sent a message to Zhou Wenyuan, briefly reporting that the site had been found and renovations had begun, and thanking him again for his previous tacit approval and support.

Zhou Wenyuan quickly replied, "Understood. Be careful and follow the rules."

Simple, but enough.

Lin Fan put down his phone and looked at the bustling crowd in front of the station. The clouds in the provincial capital had parted, letting in a few rays of afternoon sunlight. His new career, his brother's new future, were like this pickup truck that had just set off, already in gear and steadily heading towards its clear destination.