Fang Qingye parked the car below the steps of the hall, rolled down the window, and called out: “Director Xia.”
Xia He immediately walked down the steps and got into the back seat, asking with a smile.
“Xiao Fang, why are you driving?”
“Zhang Shi had an urgent matter, so I came to pick you up instead. Senior, are you going home or back to the office?” Fang Qingye asked while driving.
“Back to the office, I still have some matters to handle.”
“Alright.”
The car left the government gate and headed toward the old city.
On the way, Fang Qingye noticed through the rearview mirror that Xia He’s pretty face looked somewhat tired, so he asked with concern: “Senior, haven’t you been resting well lately? You don’t look too good. Work is important, but you should also take care of your health.”
“Oh, Xiao Fang, you’re quite good at caring for others.” Xia He said, then sighed: “No choice. Before May Day, the municipal bank meeting strictly ordered us to reduce the scale of real estate loans and lower the non-performing loan ratio. It’s only been a few days since May Day, and now the county leadership is demanding that all banks increase financial support for real estate, lending as much as possible to support the local economy. Tell me, who should I listen to?”
“They both make valid points, senior. You can’t ignore either.” Fang Qingye replied with a smile.
“Indeed… The county focuses on local economic development, protecting people’s livelihoods and employment—they prioritize social benefits. Our municipal branch values economic benefits more. If the loans go bad and the bank’s non-performing loan ratio rises, we’ll all be in trouble, sigh…” Xia He sighed again at the end.
“Actually, solving this problem isn’t very difficult.”
Fang Qingye’s words perked Xia He up: “How to solve it?”
“There are over a dozen real estate companies in Nanxin, but their quality varies. You could select two or three larger ones with better business conditions to provide loans, meeting their funding needs. This way, you fulfill the county leadership’s demands without directly violating the municipal branch’s intentions—killing two birds with one stone.”
“Hmm, Xiao Fang, you and I think alike. This is the simplest and most direct approach.” Xia He nodded: “Which companies do you think have better business conditions?”
“Kerry Real Estate, Linyuan Company, and Jianfa Company.” Fang Qingye listed three real estate companies in one breath.
“Kerry?” Xia He thought of something and suddenly asked: “Xiao Fang, I heard you’re very close with Song Qingdong’s second son from Kerry Real Estate, and you even call Song Qingdong ‘Uncle’… You’re not here to lobby for them, are you?”
“Senior, I’m just stating the facts.” Fang Qingye explained calmly while driving.
“These three companies are among the largest in Nanxin’s real estate industry, especially Kerry Real Estate—you could say they’re the industry leader. They’ve had some issues with their cash flow recently, but overall, their business condition is still quite good. So, lending to them is the safest and most meaningful option. Of course, personally, I do hope Kerry gets the loan. As you said, I call Song Qingdong ‘Uncle’.”
Fang Qingye’s words were very candid, and Xia He didn’t feel much aversion: “Hmm… that’s more like it. If you have personal interests, just admit it. None of us are saints—balancing public and private interests is best. But Kerry’s appetite is too big; we can’t satisfy it.”
Think of a way.
Fang Qingye was about to continue persuading when he noticed the car had already turned onto Changle Road. They would reach the workplace in three minutes.
Once at the office, it would be inconvenient to follow her into her office to discuss this matter. If they encountered someone reporting work, he would lose this opportunity.
Finding another suitable moment to bring up this topic would drastically increase the difficulty of gaining her approval.
He had to settle this matter today!
With this thought, Fang Qingye had a sudden inspiration and said, “Senior, why don’t we grab a meal before heading to the office? It’s already mealtime—my treat.”
“Alright, but let’s not go to a fancy hotel. Any small restaurant to fill our stomachs will do,” Xia He agreed.
“I know a small eatery nearby with decent food,” Fang Qingye said, continuing to drive. After turning at the intersection near their workplace, he finally parked in front of a small restaurant—the very place where Zhao Wenjun had treated him to a meal before.
The proprietress was still there. Recognizing Fang Qingye as the young man who had previously dined with Zhao Wenjun, and noticing the beautiful woman in bank uniform following him, she hurried over to greet them.
“Proprietress, do you have a private room? Get us one and bring the menu,” Fang Qingye said.
“Yes, yes,” the proprietress replied, leading them to a private room and handing Fang Qingye the menu. Standing by as he ordered, she couldn’t resist asking, “Where’s your Director Zhao? I haven’t seen him come for meals recently.”
“He resigned. I heard he went to Shencheng,” Fang Qingye answered casually, returning the menu after ordering.
Xia He remained silent until the proprietress left, then asked curiously, “Does this proprietress know Zhao Wenjun?”
“Because Zhao Wenjun used to eat here often,” Fang Qingye paused before adding, “Last time he treated me, it was also here.”
Xia He uttered an “oh,” glancing around the room, her thoughts unreadable.
The dishes arrived quickly: White Sauce Hilsa Herring, Iron Plate Clams, Wenfeng Double Bamboo Shoots, along with a soup and two bowls of rice. As they ate, Fang Qingye brought up the loan matter again.
“Senior, you mentioned in the car that Kerry Company’s loan amount is too large, exceeding the branch’s approval authority. Actually, this problem isn’t hard to solve.”
“Xiao Fang,” Xia He set down her chopsticks and looked at him with a faint smile. “You didn’t take me directly to the office but brought me here for a meal—was it just to continue discussing this topic?”
“Senior, you’re wronging me. I genuinely wanted to treat you to a meal,” Fang Qingye explained, then smiled. “Of course, it doesn’t hurt to chat about the loan too.”
“You’re quite the schemer,” Xia He chuckled playfully. “Go on, what’s your idea? But let me state upfront: I won’t agree to any violations like splitting the loan into smaller amounts to bypass limits.”
“Senior, how could I ask you to violate bank regulations? It’s simple: submit the materials through the regular process and let the city branch approve it!”
“You’re my junior—you might be able to persuade me, but can you really sway Director Zhang at the city branch? Quite the talent,” Xia He said with an amused smile.
“I don’t have that ability. Director Zhang doesn’t even know who I am,” Fang Qingye replied, also smiling. “Senior, this still relies on you.”
“On me? Why? Are you asking me to take the loan documents and get scolded by Director Zhang?!” Xia He’s pretty face tightened slightly.
“Of course not, how could I push you, senior, into a fire pit? Listen to me explain slowly.” Fang Qingye appeared confident.
“Oh, go on?”
Xia He picked up a piece of fish, somewhat absentmindedly.
“Senior, what are your thoughts on the current domestic situation?” Fang Qingye suddenly changed the subject, asking leisurely.