Just when Qin Shou thought a parking ticket was the end of it, a tow truck pulled up.
Damn!
Isn't Liu Shuang taking this too far?
Not just a ticket, but towing his car too?
She was trying to get him twice!
Qin Shou hurried over.
The tow truck driver was clearly a pro. By the time Qin Shou got there, he had already skillfully hooked the Santana up and was starting to tow it.
"What are you doing? Unhook my car right now!"
As Qin Shou tried to stop the driver, Wu Fan, the officer who had ticketed him, walked over and warned, "Please do not obstruct law enforcement!"
"How am I obstructing law enforcement?"
"You parked illegally, obstructing traffic. Your vehicle must be towed to the Traffic Police Brigade for processing!"
"This is a damn dead-end road, there isn't a single car here! What damn traffic am I obstructing? I can accept the ticket, but you're towing my car? Don't take it too far!"
"Even if the road ahead is under construction, this section is still in use. Whether there are cars or not is no excuse for breaking the law!"
Wu Fan waved his hand dismissively and ordered the driver, "Tow it away!"
Qin Shou's Santana was forcefully towed away.
Of course, Wu Fan had only come all the way out here to enforce the law on Qin Shou at Liu Shuang's behest.
Although Wu Fan was only 25, a middle school graduate who had never spent a single day in a police academy, he was the Deputy Captain of the county's Traffic Police Brigade.
This was because his father, Wu Dexing, was the Executive Deputy County Governor and a County Party Standing Committee Member, ranking fifth in Changle County's leadership.
As for why Wu Fan took orders from Liu Shuang—well, it was because she was beautiful, and he was pursuing her.
In Changle County, Liu Shuang was known as the "flower of the system," with a long line of men queuing up to woo her.
***
Although the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station wasn't officially operational yet, it was fully staffed. The station was a public institution with over a hundred employees on its payroll.
Despite not generating a single cent of profit, the annual expenses for salaries, bonuses, and various benefits for these hundred-plus employees amounted to over ten million yuan.
Once the station officially began operations, the expenses would be even higher.
If the station had been built to proper quality standards without any corners being cut, the annual difference between operating costs and revenue should have been around five million yuan. Read the latest chapters at NovelPing.
In other words, the station was incapable of turning a profit. Even in the best-case scenario, the county would have to sink five million yuan into it each year just to cover the losses.
However, the station's construction did serve a purpose in flood and drought control. Therefore, if managed properly, it could just about be considered a public welfare project.
Qin Shou had never managed a hydroelectric station before and had no idea how many people were actually needed.
But after a quick tour, he discovered that everyone, from the regular staff on the first floor to the department heads on the second, was idle with nothing to do.
Based on his experience, Qin Shou figured the station could run just fine even if two-thirds of the hundred-plus staff were laid off.
If they did that, they could save at least six or seven million in personnel costs. And if the station could generate electricity according to its design specifications, it could actually be profitable.
Changle was already a designated poor county with a tight budget. Why was the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station supporting so many idle hands?
Besides, everyone who worked at the station was a relative of some official or another—aunts, uncles, cousins, you name it, they were all given jobs here.
Of course, some had also gotten in through the back door by giving gifts and paying bribes.
After his quiet observation tour, Qin Shou headed for the Station Chief's office.
As soon as he entered, he saw a man with a round face and a full beard sitting at the desk—a guy whose looks could rival Ruby Lin's.
This man was Gou Zhongcheng, the Deputy Station Chief of the Jigong River Hydroelectric Station.
Gou Zhongcheng hadn't even finished middle school and naturally didn't know the first thing about hydroelectric power. Nevertheless, he had still become the Deputy Station Chief thanks to his powerful connections.
Because his sister was Gou Min!
And who was Gou Min?
She was the wife of County Mayor Wang Rende!
Even though Qin Shou had already walked into the office, Gou Zhongcheng, the usurper occupying the chief's chair, showed no intention of getting up and giving way.
He even picked up his teacup and took a sip.
He was making a statement to Qin Shou: this seat was his.
Qin Shou, of course, wasn't going to put up with this. He asked coldly, "Gou Zhongcheng, are you in the wrong seat?"
"Am I in the wrong seat?"
Gou Zhongcheng picked up a pack of He Tianxia cigarettes from the desk, pulled one out, and stuck it between his lips.
*Click!*
He lit it with a lighter.
After blowing out a thick ring of smoke, he retorted, "Qin Shou, shouldn't this seat be mine?"
Although Qin Shou was the Station Chief, his backer had fallen from power, leaving him like a stray dog without a master. Moreover, Gou Zhongcheng had just received news that Qin Shou had been demoted to a Level-Two Clerk.
Although Gou Zhongcheng's rank was in general administration and not a leadership position, he was a Level-Four Chief Clerk, equivalent to a deputy section chief. Therefore, Qin Shou, as a Level-Two Clerk, was two ranks below him. This chapter was taken from novelping . com without permission.
In the system, your rank is more important than your title!
Qin Shou pointed to the sign on the door, which bore five large characters: Station Chief's Office!
"Gou Zhongcheng, can't you read? It says Station Chief's Office, not Deputy Station Chief's Office!" Despite his military background, Qin Shou was a man who believed in courtesy, always preferring civility before resorting to force.
"Oh, you mean this sign? It was put up by mistake."
Gou Zhongcheng picked up the landline on his desk and dialed a number.
"Little Sun, come here for a second."
Soon, Sun Chao, the head of the logistics department, came jogging over.
"Chief Gou, what are your orders?" Sun Chao asked, bowing and scraping.
Even though the legitimate Station Chief, Qin Shou, was standing right there, Sun Chao completely ignored him.
Everyone knew that Qin Shou's backer was gone, his wife had divorced him, and he was finished.
Gou Zhongcheng pointed to the door sign and remarked, "Qin Shou says this office is his. After all, he *is* the Station Chief of our Jigong River Hydroelectric Station!"
Sun Chao glanced at the sign, understood immediately, and quickly said, "Chief Gou, this is an oversight on our part in the logistics department. The sign is wrong. I'll have someone change it right away."
Gou Zhongcheng pretended to be angry and slammed his hand on the desk.
*Smack!*
After the slam, he berated him, "Then hurry up and change it! If you can't even handle a small thing like this, what's the point of your logistics department?"
"Yes! Chief Gou, I'll have it rectified immediately!"
Sun Chao immediately went to fetch two workers, who took down the "Station Chief's Office" sign and replaced it with one that read "Deputy Station Chief's Office."
Gou Zhongcheng took a sip of tea and asked Qin Shou with a smug look, "Station Chief Qin, the correction has been made. Are you satisfied now?"
"Where is my office?" Qin Shou asked.
Gou Zhongcheng immediately said to Sun Chao, "Little Sun, now that you've taken down the 'Station Chief's Office' sign, you still need to find a place to put it up!"
"But Chief Gou, there are no empty offices left on this floor!"
"Isn't there an unused restroom on the first floor? Put the sign there."
"Yes, Chief Gou!"