Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 870 Getting Old

"Over there with General Manager Chen, the electricity in Northeast China is practically his own, you know? The head of the power industry, his mother is the executive director of the People's Bank of China. My old boss said that next year he'll be promoted to the central government, to the executive director of the Ministry of Electric Power, it's already a done deal."

Director Mou, with an "I knew it" expression, said to Director Hu, "How about that? I told you he could achieve so much and rise so quickly, how could he be from an ordinary family?"

The district chief said, "You're really mistaken. This business has absolutely nothing to do with their families. They're bound to take the fall, but these guys built it from scratch with nothing but their own hands. I've investigated. It's absolutely legitimate, not even bordering on illegal. That's why I'm optimistic about it, understand?"

"They're smart, good at business, and have powerful family connections. Do you really want to offend them? You're not businessmen; do you think your promotions depend on hotel profits? Besides, what they said isn't wrong. What's the current situation with the Trade City and Rose? Do I not know, or do you? How old are you? How old is she? Do you even need to think about whether you'll become friends or enemies? At the very least, you can't afford to offend her, right?"

Director Mu asked, "What is their current strength?"

The district head said, "You guys, even from the commercial system, don't even bother to check out the companies within the province. Let me put it this way, this building is the smallest they've ever built, the really small kind. Andong Dalian, Xidu, Bingcheng, Xingcheng, all projects worth hundreds of millions. He said he'd open hotels all over Northeast China next year, and he's not kidding. Right now, they're building everywhere except Bingcheng."

"In Fengtian, right across from your hotel, they're about to acquire over 100 acres of land. The terms are almost finalized. Do you think they're joking? If you don't sell here, a new one will definitely be built across the street next year, far more upscale than yours. Why did I go through all that trouble with my old boss to get this land in Fengtian? I really don't understand you guys. If it weren't for my old friend, I wouldn't even bother with you."

The district chief flicked his sleeves, stood up with a smirk, and said, "I'll go talk to them. Let me tell you, if you're going to sell, then sell; if you're going to sell, then say so directly. Don't try anything funny. They don't understand your tricks, and they're not going to follow your path. If they come in all high and might cause trouble, don't blame me for helping them. I can't afford to offend them."

Old Hu raised his hand and called out to the district chief, "Hey, hey, what's the rush? You mean we should sell? How much do you think he'd accept? It's just the power industry, is it really that big of a deal?"

The district head said, "He's a celebrity in the political and legal system, and he's as close as father and son with Director Liu. He has national-level military merits and has been given the honorary title of a full-fledged department head, understand? There's nothing more to reward him with."

In one province, the power, urban construction, banking system, and public security are all standing behind someone else. Lao Hu, tell me, how can you call that tough?

And do you know what the toughest thing is? They're clean. They build their businesses from scratch. Do you know what's most terrifying? It's this kind of relationship. No matter what your official connections are, they'll still do business with you behind the scenes because they're clean, understand?

Just a couple of days ago, I dealt with a few cadres because of them. They weren't high-ranking, just section chiefs. Lao Hu, do you dare to file a formal complaint? They were just low-ranking section chiefs.

"They don't even bother with beatings, understand? Last year, Chen Jianguo directly filed a formal complaint with the provincial authorities against that guy from the Tiexi branch, all because he messed with someone's kid. In today's society, cleanliness is the strongest foundation. I've finally figured it out. I'm going to befriend this guy."

Old Hu beckoned: "Hey, you, come here. Let me tell you the truth, okay? Sit down, and you help us make a decision."

The district head thought for a moment, then sat down and asked, "What?"

Old Hu said, "Now you have something to look forward to, and you don't care about your old buddies at all. We're both at the department level, but what good is a department level position in the supply and marketing cooperative? Now that the head office is gone, there's nowhere to go up, no place in the government. We're just stubbornly holding onto this little patch of land and waiting to retire. What will we do in the future? What will happen to our children and grandchildren?"

The district head frowned, thought for a moment, sighed, and said, "Just tell me, I think I understand."

Old Hu said, "Nobody knows how the supply and marketing cooperatives will be regulated in the future. The head office has been defunct for so many years, and each province is struggling on its own. Some provinces have even been transferred to the city level."

Everyone was bewildered.

You're a bit younger, just turning fifty, you still have potential, there's room for growth. As for me and Lao Mou, I'm fifty-six, he's a bit younger, fifty-four, how many more years do we have? What will happen in these few years? It's all in the air.

This time, we discussed it and figured that since they wanted to buy this land, if we blocked it, would they not understand? If one person makes some money for retirement, how can their grandchildren and siblings survive?

There's not much hope left. My whole life has been a struggle, climbing mountains and crossing rivers, enduring ice and snow. I've contributed to the Party my whole life, and now I have about 100,000 yuan in savings. What can you do with that these days? How much money have I made for the country? How much have I generated for my company? Our generation has really lost out.

Director Mou also sighed and remained silent.

The district chief thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll go tell you. You don't need to play these games anymore. Just tell me the price. Let me tell you, how much are these people worth if they help you out sometime?"

Director Mou nodded and said, "We've done some estimates. All the miscellaneous items on both sides are worth about 130 to 150 million. We own more than 60% of the hotel, and with the trade city, it should be around 80 to 90 million. We'll give him 60 million, and as for our side... we'll see how it goes."

The district chief nodded, thought for a moment, said nothing, opened the door and went out. He frowned and went straight to Xiao Wei's side. When he reached the door, he raised his eyebrows, took a breath, and pushed the door open to go inside.

Xiaowei and Chen Hui were still sitting on the sofa talking when they turned around and saw the district head come in. The two stood up, and Xiaowei said, "Have you made up your minds?"

The district head walked over, sat down on the sofa, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "These two are like my old brothers. We used to work together in the same pot. Later, they went into the commercial system, and I went into the government. Back then, the commercial system was rich. We could eat our fill and had everything. Haha, but then the supply and marketing cooperatives went bankrupt, and each province went its own way, and that's how it is now."

To be honest, he was a department-level cadre, which wasn't low-ranking, but as a cadre in the supply and marketing cooperative system, he was nothing. He had no way to get into the government, and with the collapse of the head office, there was no longer any central-level leadership. Although he was under the leadership of the province, he wasn't a government unit. At most, he was a public institution, a completely independent historical legacy unit.

Now, these people are all old, most of them are about to retire, and they have no future. When they retire from the government, they can still hold a sinecure and have some benefits, but when they retire, they really have nothing left. Their retirement pensions will have to be paid by their former employers. But as you know, the entire business system is declining, getting worse every day.

As I just mentioned, the entire supply and marketing cooperative holds 60% of the shares in Zhongjie, which is worth at least 80 or 90 million. I said I'd give you 60 million, but I hope you can consider their personal circumstances. Consider it a helping hand. They've dedicated their lives to the country, and now they're old and hopeless. Can you understand that?

Chen Hui thought for a moment and said, "This isn't easy, is it? Wouldn't this be considered a bribe? How much do you want?"

(End of this chapter)