Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

That evening, Cang Lifeng, Lu Wenyuan, and Wang Lide, carrying gifts, walked through the streets of Nancheng, where dusk was falling, and turned into the staff quarters where Director Wan Shoucheng lived. The sycamore tree in the courtyard was exactly the same as the one outside the window of Zhongzhi's office, its dense canopy blocking out half the sky. Wan Shoucheng's house was on the first floor, and several rose bushes in pots by the door were in full bloom. Wang Lide went up and knocked on the door.

The door opened. Wan Shoucheng, wearing a white undershirt and fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, paused for a moment when he saw the three people at the door, then smiled.

"Lide, President Cang, Xiao Lu, come in quickly, come in quickly." He stepped aside and called into the house, "Wife, we have guests. Make a few more cups of tea."

The living room wasn't large, but it was spotless. A purple clay teapot sat on the coffee table, and the opening theme of the evening news was playing on the television. Wan Shoucheng placed a palm-leaf fan on the sofa armrest and gestured for the three of them to sit down.

Aunt Wan brought out three cups of tea, and Cang Lifeng and the other two got up to take them, calling out "Aunt Wan." Aunt Wan smiled and waved her hand, then went back into the inner room to bring out an electric fan, turned it on, and the wind blew over.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Cang Lifeng picked up the gift bag at his feet and gently placed it next to the coffee table.

"Director Wan, this is my first visit, so here's a small token of my appreciation. Two bottles of wine and a pack of cigarettes, it's nothing."

Wan Shoucheng glanced down at the gift bag, his brows furrowing slightly. He fanned himself with a palm-leaf fan and said with a hint of deference, "President Cang, what are you doing? Just come in and sit for a while, why bring gifts? We don't do this."

"Director Wan, you can just call me Lifeng. In front of you, I am a junior. When a junior visits an elder's home, bringing a small gift is basic etiquette and shows respect for the elder."

Wan Shoucheng looked at him, paused for a moment with the palm-leaf fan in his hand, then started fanning himself again. He smiled at Wang Lide and said, "Lide, your boss Cang is not only good at fighting, but also at talking."

Wang Lide also laughed: "Director Wan, Lifeng is telling the truth. On the way here, he was saying that you are an elder, and it wouldn't be right for him to come to your house empty-handed for the first time."

Wan Shoucheng placed the palm-leaf fan on the sofa armrest, which was taken as acceptance.

"Lifeng," Wan Shoucheng picked up the purple clay teapot, took a sip, and put it down, saying, "I haven't had a chance to thank you in person about what happened at the bank last year. That day, I was in the lobby, three counters away, and I saw everything. When you rushed up, my heart was in my throat. Then a bullet hit you, you fell to the ground, blood everywhere... That night, I didn't sleep a wink."

The living room fell silent. The evening news on TV was on its third broadcast, the volume low, like background noise from afar. Aunt Wan peeked out from the inner room, glanced at her husband, and then quietly withdrew.

"Director Wan—"

"Call him Uncle Wan," Wan Shoucheng interrupted him. "At home, we don't call him Director."

"Uncle Wan," Cang Lifeng changed his address, saying, "I just happened to be there that day. Uncle Wan, you don't need to keep it to yourself."

"But you were gambling with your life!" Wan Shoucheng said with deep emotion. "We all learned afterward that those robbers weren't ordinary robbers, but well-trained Japanese spies. If it weren't for you, they probably would have taken everyone with them if they couldn't get out. You were prepared to exchange your life for dozens of ours. That touched me deeply."

Lu Wenyuan sat silently to the side. His gaze shifted from Wan Shoucheng's face to Cang Lifeng's, then back again. He recalled the first time he heard the term "opportunity cost" in a Nanjing University lecture. The professor had said that opportunity cost is all the other possibilities you forgo in order to do one thing. The moment Cang Lifeng rushed forward, his opportunity cost was his life. He hadn't calculated that cost. It wasn't that he didn't understand cost; he simply hadn't factored in his own life.

Wan Shoucheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and calmed his tone before saying, "Lifeng, although I haven't looked at the financing plan that Xiao Lu mentioned on the phone, I trust you completely. Let me see the plan. Don't worry, as long as it's compliant, I'll definitely approve the loan. Not for any other reason than—you shielded us last year, this year it's our turn to support you."

Cang Lifeng didn't speak, but simply stood up, picked up his teacup, and said, "Uncle Wan, let me toast you with tea instead of wine."

Wan Shoucheng also stood up, and the two teacups gently clinked together. The sound of the porcelain cups clinking was crisp and echoed softly in the living room.

Lu Wenyuan hurriedly pulled out the financing plan from his bag, handed it over with both hands, and said, "Director Wan, I have sorted out the core logic of the plan. The feasibility analysis, repayment plan, and mortgage plan for the two projects, the mining machinery factory dormitory building and the Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market, are all in here. Please take a look."

Wan Shoucheng took the proposal and put on his reading glasses. He flipped through the pages one by one, and his fingers stopped on the third page. That page was a table of project personnel, with brief resumes following the names of Cang Lifeng, Lu Wenyuan, and Wang Lide.

"A graduate student from Nanjing University?" Wan Shoucheng looked up at Lu Wenyuan and asked, "You have a bright future ahead of you, why are you willing to go to Lifeng, a newly established small company?"

Lu Wenyuan said, "Director Wan, other places don't lack a Lu Wenyuan, but they lack a Zhongzhi."

Wan Shoucheng patted Lu Wenyuan on the shoulder and said, "Young man, you have a good eye. If I were twenty years younger, I would also work for Lifeng."

"Uncle Wan, you flatter me. If I ever do anything wrong in the future, I hope you can give me your guidance," Cang Lifeng said politely.

Wan Shoucheng nodded, saying nothing more, and simply lowered his head to continue flipping through the pages. He turned to the page on the repayment plan, reading it very slowly. After finishing, he closed the plan, took off his reading glasses, placed them on the coffee table, and said:

"The plan is well done, professional, solid, and clear. Lifeng, you've brought a professional team. The project is also feasible. But ultimately, the reason I dared to approve this loan is because of you. Two million, annual interest rate of 1.2%, two-year term, disbursed in three installments. The first installment of 500,000 will be credited to your account after the loan contract is signed. The second installment of 1 million will be disbursed when the main construction of the mining machinery plant is halfway completed. The third installment of 500,000 will be disbursed after the main structure is completed."

Cang Lifeng stood up, reached out and tightly grasped Wan Shoucheng's hands, saying excitedly, "Uncle Wan, I truly don't know how to thank you enough!"

Wan Shoucheng also stood up, chuckling, "Lifeng, you've already called me uncle, isn't it only right for an uncle to help his nephew?"

"Uncle, please come visit our company more often when you have time. We won't disturb you and Auntie's rest any longer." Saying this, he called out to Aunt Wan, who was busy in the kitchen, "Auntie, we're leaving."

Aunt Wan, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen and said, "Lifeng, why don't you sit for a little longer?"

"No, Auntie. I've been bothering you for so long."

Emerging from the Wan family's residence, a night breeze caressed their faces. Lu Wenyuan stood on the steps and let out a long sigh. Wang Lide also let out a long sigh.

"At the mining equipment factory, the advance payment for the project is 20% of the contract amount. The condition is that the commencement report and performance bond are in place. As for the suppliers, Brother Wang is sorting out Jinzhou's old accounts. For those who are willing to continue cooperating, the old accounts will be transferred to new accounts and repaid in installments. For those who request cash settlement, the first loan will be used for priority settlement. The workers' wages for the first month will be partially deferred, and from the second month onwards, they will be paid in full every month."

"Can you hold on?" he asked Cang Lifeng.

"Yes," Cang Lifeng replied. He stood up and walked to the window. The leaves of the sycamore tree outside the window were curled at the edges by the sun, but the crown was still green, densely covering half the sky. In the distance, there were several buildings under construction, with tower cranes slowly turning in the heat.

He stood there for a while, then said, "Now that our company is established, we have a concept, regulations, and projects, but we still lack talent."

Cang Lifeng turned to Lu Wenyuan and Wang Lide and said, "Wenyuan, Brother Wang, what kind of talent do you think our company is currently lacking?"

Lu Wenyuan opened his notebook, thought for a moment, and said, "Brother, the most urgent need right now is a technical supervisor. The dormitory building at the mining machinery factory is a brick-concrete structure, while the Chengnan Farmers Market is a frame structure. With both projects starting simultaneously, we need someone to be on-site to oversee them. Brother Wang and I can manage contracts and accounts, but neither of us studied civil engineering. We can only look at the blueprints; we can't make decisions."

Wang Lide chimed in, "Wen Yuan is right. Why did Jinzhou collapse back then? Besides Song Jinrong's ruthlessness, there was another reason—the people in charge of technology and those in charge of money were the same group, and no one dared to say 'no.' Zhongzhi cannot follow that old path. The technical lead must be independent and able to speak directly to you."

Cang Lifeng nodded: "Anything else?"

"Materials clerk," Wang Lide said without hesitation. "Jinzhou's materials procurement is a mess. Suppliers and purchasing staff are in cahoots. The incoming sand and gravel are of insufficient grade, and expired cement is used anyway. This aspect must be separated: the purchasing staff should not be responsible for acceptance, and the acceptance staff should not be responsible for payment. The three should check and balance each other. I have already written this framework in the financial system, but to implement it, we need people."

Cang Lifeng pondered for a moment, then asked, "What are your thoughts on the selection of the project manager?"

Lu Wenyuan paused for a moment and said, "Brother, project managers are hard to find. The mining machine factory is a state-owned enterprise that contracts out projects, and the project managers they need must be qualified and experienced. We've interviewed a few, but either their resumes are inflated, or they ask about salary without mentioning projects. I don't dare hire those kinds of people."

"No rush," Cang Lifeng said. "We'll find a project manager from outside first. We'll decide on the technical lead and materials clerk first. Wenyuan, add two more requirements to the job posting—technical lead: over five years of on-site experience, knowledgeable in brick-concrete and frame structures; materials clerk: over three years of experience, familiar with building material standards and acceptance procedures."

Lu Wenyuan took notes.

Wang Lide thought for a moment and then said, "Lifeng, there's one more person I think you should meet."

"Who?"

"Jinzhou's original safety officer was surnamed Yuan, Yuan Tiesheng. He was in his early fifties and had been working in safety for over twenty years. After Jinzhou went bankrupt, he returned to his hometown. A while ago, he asked someone to pass on a message to me, saying that he still wanted to work in this line of work, but he didn't want to follow the wrong person again."

Cang Lifeng was silent for a moment, then said, "Please ask him to come back. Tell him that at Zhongzhi's construction site, the safety officer can stop work whenever he wants, and the project manager can't bypass that authority."

Wang Lide nodded.