In the 1980s, banks mainly handled public-sector business, and private clients were extremely rare.
Dressed like a student, Lin Qiqi stood out sharply among the sea of dark blue work uniforms.
At that time, banks didn’t have glass-partitioned counters—only a tall wooden counter with iron bars lined across the top.
Everyone had to stand to conduct their business.
There were many people in line, and by the time it was Lin Qiqi’s turn, it was almost noon.
The person who received her was a fairly young woman, dressed in a black velvet high-neck dress, wearing a pearl necklace.
In those days, anyone who could work at a bank usually had some kind of family background.
The woman in front of her was likely the same.
She glanced at Lin Qiqi’s outfit, slightly surprised, but quickly concealed it.
Then she asked calmly, “Comrade, what business would you like to handle?”
“Deposit?”
“Please show your household registration booklet.”
The counter was quite high, so Lin Qiqi stood on her tiptoes and passed the booklet in.
“Hello, comrade. I would like to apply for a loan.”
“A loan?” The clerk was clearly taken aback.
The girl in front of her looked barely of age—could she be a finance officer from some unit?
“Which work unit are you from? Please also provide your introduction letter and work ID,” the woman continued professionally, following procedure. “Is your unit applying for a technical renovation loan, infrastructure loan, or agricultural credit?”
Lin Qiqi took out her prepared business plan and passed it through the window.
“Comrade, I’m here to apply for a personal loan.”
“This is my business plan. Could you take a look and see if it can be processed?”
A personal loan? That was extremely rare.
Since Gong Xizhen started working at the bank, this was the first time she had encountered it.
Her elders in the capital had mentioned that the country was planning to further open personal loan services, encouraging the development of private and individual businesses. Special economic zones had already started implementing this.
Not long ago, their bank had also received a directive stating that conditions for personal loans could be moderately relaxed, lowering the threshold and increasing demonstration points for the private economy to support further economic development after reform and opening-up.
The document had been issued, but the national economy was still in its early stages. Everyone was feeling their way forward, afraid of taking too big a step and falling into trouble.
So this personal loan service had been suppressed internally.
Gong Xizhen hadn’t expected that the first person to come and apply for it would be a young girl.
Just the fact that she knew about this trend and had the courage to walk into a bank to apply for a personal loan made Gong Xizhen regard her more highly.
She was probably not from an ordinary family.
She didn’t refuse Lin Qiqi. Instead, she opened the so-called “business plan.”
It was handwritten, but neat and well-organized.
The level of detail shocked her—even her older brother, who taught at a university, might not be able to write something like this.
In her eyes, it was extremely valuable.
“Comrade,” Gong Xizhen stood up and looked at Lin Qiqi directly, “our clerks don’t have the authority to process personal loans.”
“It’s not easy for you to come here, so I’d like to confirm something—did you complete this document yourself?”
The question was sharp, but Lin Qiqi didn’t feel offended at all.
She met Gong Xizhen’s gaze with confidence and firmness.
“Comrade, you can rest assured. I completed this business plan independently. If there are any questions, I can answer them on the spot.”
“Alright.” Gong Xizhen placed a “Service Suspended” sign at her window. “Please wait here. I’ll report this immediately.”
Passing through a corridor, Lin Qiqi’s business plan was delivered to the deputy branch manager in charge of loans.
He was already in his fifties, nearing retirement.
He flipped through the document, pondered for a moment, then spoke.
“Comrade Xiao Gong, it’s true that directives encouraging personal loans have been issued.”
“But what kind of uses are encouraged, how strong the support should be, and in what form—it’s all unclear.”
“At this stage, our focus should still be on supporting large enterprises that truly benefit the country, the people, and socialist construction.”
“This kind of small-scale business—selling snacks or small goods—shouldn’t take up too much of our energy.”
That was a rejection.
Gong Xizhen still felt unwilling to give up.
“Director Liu, when I went to the capital for training, personal loans for private businesses had already been opened in the special economic zones. More than half were in food and clothing industries, and the support has been very effective. Many family workshops are gradually developing into enterprises.”
“I think we could try it appropriately.”
Deputy Director Liu closed the document and placed it lightly on the desk.
He lifted his teacup, gently blowing aside the tea leaves before speaking.
“It’s good that you young comrades have initiative.”
“But…”
“Making decisions rashly carries great risk.”
“Especially since this applicant is a young woman under twenty. No matter how impressive the plan is, without hard assets as collateral, it doesn’t meet the requirements.”
“We encourage innovation, but we must also guard against recklessness.”
At this point, Gong Xizhen understood that it was impossible.
She gathered the document, bowed slightly, and said, “Thank you, Director Liu. Sorry for taking your time.”
The thin stack of papers was ultimately returned to Lin Qiqi.
It was already lunchtime at the bank, so Gong Xizhen had time to speak a bit more.
“Comrade, I’m very sorry. Your personal loan application cannot be approved at the moment.”
“Currently, applying for a personal loan still requires collateral such as gold or other hard assets.”
She gently brushed her fingers over the cover of the business plan before handing it back.
“But personally, I think your document is excellent and very valuable.”
“Don’t lose heart. You can try other banks.”
Lin Qiqi smiled, taking back her plan and household booklet, and thanked her.
Only after stepping out of the bank did her shoulders slump slightly.
She hadn’t had high hopes to begin with, but being rejected still felt disappointing.
Try other banks?
She would probably just be rejected again.
Should she just give up and think of another way?
But the encouragement from the clerk had been sincere.
Thinking of her bright eyes, Lin Qiqi regained a bit of confidence.
She couldn’t give up. Over the next couple of days, she would visit every bank.
As long as she gave it her all, even without results, she wouldn’t have regrets.
She found a clean spot under a roadside tree, planning to eat two flatbreads and drink some water before heading to the next bank.
She had just unscrewed the lid of her military-style canteen when a shadow fell over her.
“Lin Qiqi?”