Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 526 was forced

Old Wu scratched the back of his head and said, "I remember it used to be an office of some unit, and then it was used as a dormitory for quite a long time. I can't remember exactly when it became vacant, but it must have been several years ago. Wait a minute, I'll go back and look for it. I remember I had their phone number with me, I'll help you find it."

Old Wu went into the general store while thinking. Old Xu said, "I thought it was a store owned by him personally, or a supply company."

Xiao Wei said, "I guess he probably booked it. If the supply company were to operate it themselves, he wouldn't be the only one there every day."

Old Xu said, "So the front design is settled then? I'll stop considering the cake shop side. I'll think about the signboard. You go back and write the lettering down for me."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, let's do it this way for now. Actually, I'm not as professional as you in this area, and I haven't thought of everything as thoroughly as you."

Old Xu said, "That's good then. This part is almost done. Shall we head back today or first thing tomorrow morning?"

Xiao Wei checked the time and said, "If we have time, let's leave today. I have things to do back home. I'll have someone deliver this bag to me."

Old Xu said, "Okay, then you go ahead and get busy. I'll finish up here and then go back to the guesthouse to pack my things. I'll buy the train tickets and page you after I do."

Old Wu came out holding a thick, old, yellowed notebook, and said, "Found it. It used to be used by the Armed Forces Department. There was a militia training command post here back then, and the armory was also here. This area was closed down and has been idle ever since. The phone number here is no longer working. You should ask someone to go to the Armed Forces Department to inquire."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, thanks, Brother Wu. I'll invite you over for a drink once I'm done here."

Old Wu closed his notebook and said with a smile, "Okay, that's great."

Xiao Wei said to Lao Xu, "Then I'll go first. I'll go find someone to ask about the house, and maybe get a car while I'm at it."

Old Xu nodded, and Xiao Wei offered Old Xu and Old Wu a cigarette before walking along the road into the city.

I went to the power company and found Liu Sui. Now, Liu Sui is the only person I can contact in Andong. She's the only acquaintance I know.

In those days, government offices weren't as heavily guarded as they are in later years. They had their doors wide open, and people could come and go as they pleased. Security relied entirely on the old man guarding the gate.

Xiao Wei knocked on the office door and heard someone inside say, "Come in." He gently pushed the door open, and Liu Sui was sitting behind her desk looking at documents. She looked up and saw Xiao Wei, smiled, put down her documents, and stood up: "Hey, Xiao Wei, when did you come to Andong? What's up?" She greeted him.

Xiao Wei entered the house with a smile and said, "I came here to tidy up that house, preparing to open a restaurant here. I need your help with something, Brother Liu. I can only trouble you with this. You're the only acquaintance I know, so please don't think I'm bothering you."

Liu Sui smiled and said, "Just do what you need, no need to be so polite. Come, sit down, what's up? Want some water?"

Xiao Wei sat down on the sofa with Liu Sui and said, "Two things. The house has been measured, but it's not enough. I heard from Brother Wu at the Materials Bureau next door that the right half of the back annex has been empty for several years. He said it used to be used by the Armed Forces Department. I was thinking, Brother Liu, could you ask the Armed Forces Department for me if they'd like to sell it?"

Liu Sui asked, "Are you sure it's the Armed Forces Department?"

Xiao Wei said, "I'm not sure. It used to be used by the Armed Forces Department, but it's been vacant for several years."

Liu Sui said, "Okay, I'll ask. It's alright over there, everyone's a familiar face. Anything else? Aren't there two things?"

Xiao Wei was a little embarrassed and said, "It's that sidecar. Director Qin helped me set it up. I was wondering if I could find a car to take it to Fengtian."

Liu Sui said, "This is nothing. Okay, I'll have a construction vehicle deliver it to you this afternoon. Where to?"

Xiao Wei said, "Just send it to the power company building, just leave it in the power company compound, I'll live there."

Liu Sui said, "Okay, I'll just go pick up some supplies, it's a quick thing. I'll make a call." She stood up and walked to her desk to make the call.

Liu Sui made a phone call, and Xiao Wei sat on the sofa waiting. When the pager went off, he picked it up and saw that it was Chen Hui.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Liu Sui put down the phone and came over. Xiao Wei got up and said, "I'll return the pager." He went over and picked up the phone to call Chen Hui back.

"What's up? I'm talking to Brother Liu here."

When are you coming back?

"I'll be back this afternoon, arriving in Fengtian tonight. What's wrong?"

"Oh. We've set up a company, so you've automatically joined the Xiehe Federation of Industry and Commerce. They've notified us of a meeting, which you have to attend. Then the district political consultative conference notified you to attend a meeting, and I guess you'll become a representative. My dad said you have to go, but just show up as a formality. At our current level, you'll definitely be a city-level representative in the end. The district is just going through the motions; just show the gesture and don't offend anyone."

Xiao Wei said, "I don't understand any of this. What would I do there? Why don't you go?"

Chen Hui said, "You're the legal representative, if you don't go, who will? If you go, you'll just listen, raise your hand and applaud, nothing much."

Xiao Wei said, "Is this mandatory?"

Chen Hui said, "To be honest, the individual business associations and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce do force people to go, but the CPPCC doesn't. But then again, if they ask you to go, can you refuse? Who can refuse?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, I'll go check it out tomorrow. Anything else?"

Chen Hui said, "We've talked about a few houses. You're back to take a look. Lao Xia and I both think they're alright."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, let's talk about it when I get back. Keep an eye on the construction site." He hung up the phone, walked over to the sofa, and sat down. Liu Sui asked, "Is something wrong in Fengtian?"

Xiao Wei nodded and said, "They said it's something about the Federation of Industry and Commerce or the CPPCC, and they notified us to attend a meeting. Do we have to go?"

Liu Sui lit a cigarette and said, "We have to go. Going to the Federation of Industry and Commerce is just a formality; you can just listen in. There's usually nothing much going on. At most, they'll call for you to study some documents and ask for donations, and that's about it. But we need to pay attention to the CPPCC. This representative status is still useful. You guys have made quite a stir."

Xiao Wei said, "We had too many operations, and things got a bit chaotic, so we set up a group company to manage them. We just registered it."

Liu Sui asked, "A group company? That's impressive. Your business must be quite large. How much is the registered capital?" Unlike now, where registered capital is just a figure of speech and doesn't represent anything, registered capital back then was real and could directly demonstrate a company's strength.

Xiao Wei said, "They said it was ten million, but Xiao Hui ran away. I've been in Longcheng for a while now."

The cigarette butt in Liu Sui's hand suddenly fell onto her clothes. She hurriedly stood up, frantically patted herself down, and asked, "Ten million?"

Xiao Wei said, "Actually, no, we only have a few million. Xiao Hui said that writing more would make us seem more powerful."

(End of this chapter)