Please, mature women, have some self-respect. I just want a raise and a promotion.

Lin Zheng walked in and glanced at the desk without making a sound.

A half-open document lay on the table, a pen sat beside it, and two freshly extinguished cigarette butts in the ashtray still carried a trace of lingering heat.

Someone had clearly been sitting in this office for quite some time.

"Director Li, I'm here to submit the village committee's application materials for funding."

"I came by yesterday afternoon and said you went to a meeting in the district, so I left it at the front desk."

"I came here today to confirm with you in person whether the materials are complete."

Lin Zheng took the stack of documents out of his bag and placed them on the edge of the desk. He didn't push them over, but just placed them in a position that both of them could reach.

If Li Guoshan deliberately choked him, then he didn't need to be polite to Li Guoshan.

Moreover, Yang Wanshan must have put pressure on that old man.

If he appears weak, Li Guoshan will think he is easy to manipulate.

Li Guoshan didn't reach for the stack of documents. He walked back behind his desk, sat down, picked up the thermos on the table, unscrewed the lid, took a sip, and then his gaze fell on the documents.

"I heard about the village committee's funding application from Mayor Yang. Leave the materials with me, and I'll give you a reply after I've reviewed them."

"Director Li, the project schedule is very tight this time, and Mayor Yang is also urging us on. If you can finish reviewing it today, I'll come over this afternoon to pick up the results."

Li Guoshan shifted his gaze from the documents and looked up at Lin Zheng's face.

Lin Zheng's words made him very unhappy.

A lowly state-owned enterprise manager speaking to him in this tone—is he ordering him around?

However, Li Guoshan's expression did not change, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was smiling but not smiling.

"Manager Lin, you are also someone within the system, so you should know that government funding is not something that can be decided with a single sentence. The format of the materials, the figures, the basis, every single one of them must be verified."

If I sign something carelessly and then there are problems during the audit, who will be responsible?

"That's why I sent the materials over for you to review."

"Whatever needs to be changed, I'll fix it on the spot. Whatever materials need to be supplemented, I'll go back and get them. As long as we can complete the process today, the construction progress can keep up."

"Mayor Yang is pressing me hard; he's already called me several times. I need to give him an explanation, don't I?"

Lin Zheng's words were loaded with meaning, implying to Li Guoshan that Yang Wanshan had been keeping a close eye on this matter, and that he shouldn't try to find any more excuses to delay.

Li Guoshan didn't respond. He picked up the thermos on the table again and took another sip, as if using this action to fill the silence.

After a few moments, he finally reached out, took the stack of materials, opened the cover, and scanned the pages one by one.

His gaze lingered on a single page for a longer time than elsewhere, then he closed the document, placed it back on the table, and pushed it back in front of Lin Zheng.

"This part is incorrect. Take it back and have the village committee revise it."

Lin Zheng glanced down at the spot his finger was pointing to—the line for the amount, with no attached budget details next to the number.

He remembered that Deng Hong had written this down, and it was attached to the appendix on the last page.

"Director Li, the attached instructions are on the last page; you can find them by turning the page."

Li Guoshan didn't flip through it; his hand remained pressed on the cover, not moving an inch.

"What I mean is that the budget details should be on a separate page and not attached to the application materials."

"This is the standard format used by the finance office. Go back and have the village committee redo it, listing the details on a separate page, signing and stamping it, and then send it over."

Lin Zheng looked at Li Guoshan's hands, which were pressed on the cover of the document and showed no intention of moving them away.

He paused for two seconds, then reached out, took the stack of documents back, and put them in his bag.

"Okay, I'll go back and revise it."

After leaving the finance office, Deng Hong asked, "Is it blocked again?"

Lin Zheng took the materials out of his bag, turned to the last page of the attachments section, and pointed it out to Deng Hong.

"He said the budget details should be on a separate page and not attached to the application materials. I've never encountered this format requirement when processing funding applications for other departments before; it's a rule unique to the finance office."

Deng Hong glanced down, bit her lip, and said, "I looked through the regulations of the finance office yesterday, and this clause wasn't written in it. He's deliberately making things difficult for me."

"I know, but arguing with him directly won't work now; we have to change course."

The two returned to the village committee, where Deng Hong reprinted a page of detailed budget, bound it separately, and signed and stamped it.

When Lin Zheng arrived at the finance office again with the materials, the clock in the lobby showed 10:40.

He placed the revised materials at the front desk, where the woman with the black-rimmed glasses was still standing.

"Hello, I have revised the materials according to Director Li's requirements. Please pass them on to him."

The woman glanced down at the cover, didn't even open it, picked it up, walked to the end of the corridor, knocked on the director's office door, and then went inside.

About a minute later, she came out, still holding the document in her hand.

She placed the materials on the table and pushed them back in front of Lin Zheng, her expression unchanged.

"Director Li said the format of the budget details was still incorrect. He said it had to be filled out according to the unified template of the finance office, not the village committee's own format."

Lin Zheng stood in front of the front desk, remained silent for a while, and then looked down at the document that had been pushed back to him.

He knew that even if he revised it again, the other party would still find a new reason to reject it.

"Okay, I'll go back and revise it."

Deng Hong waited in the village committee office until almost 11:40 before she saw Lin Zheng appear at the door.

Lin Zheng placed the materials on the table: "They were returned again, saying the format was incorrect."

Deng Hong frowned: "What format?"

"He said the finance office has a standardized budget detail template and the village committee can't use its own format. I checked on the way here, and the finance office's regulations don't even mention this template. He's just deliberately stalling for time."

Deng Hong glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 11:50.

"Go again and see what he says now."

When Lin Zheng pushed open the glass door of the finance office for the third time, only two windows in the hall had their lights on, one of which was being closed.

He walked to the front desk, where the woman was putting the documents on the table into a drawer. When she saw Lin Zheng coming over, she glanced down at her watch.

"Sorry, we're closed for the day. Please come back this afternoon."

Lin Zheng stood in front of the front desk, still clutching the document in his hand, then turned and walked out of the finance office.

After leaving the finance office, Lin Zheng immediately dialed Yang Wanshan's number.

Since Li Guoshan is asking for trouble, let's grant his wish.

"Mayor Yang, the funding is stuck."

"Come to my office this afternoon."

Yang Wanshan didn't say anything more and hung up the phone after he finished speaking.

Lin Zheng could sense Yang Wanshan's anger through the phone call.

Li Guoshan's refusal to allocate funds is tantamount to playing with Yang Wanshan's future.

Could Yang Wanshan easily let Li Guoshan off the hook?