Damn thing, acting with utter impunity!
Lu Guohua’s face flushed red. What kind of nonsensical division of labor was this? Advertising and promotion? Where would the Guesthouse advertise? Staff training? They’ve been working for so many years, why would they need training?
Water and electricity logistics support? Wasn't that just paying utility bills? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, wanting to loudly reprimand Chen Donglai; however, seeing the Guesthouse staff and the renovation workers all standing with Chen Donglai, he dared not erupt immediately.
Just then, a bell rang from the Second floor. A moment later, Yang Xiaojin shouted down, “Director Chen, a call from the County Party Committee Office!”
Chen Donglai immediately went upstairs. Seeing that the Director was occupied, the others also returned to their posts and continued working. Only Lu Guohua, whose face was now pale and purple, remained standing there.
……
Yong'an County, No. 1 Xianzheng Road, County Party Committee Office Building.
“The County needs a sum of funds for the renovation of old coal equipment,” Yue Wangbei said directly to Chen Donglai, who was standing before his desk. “Tell me honestly, do you have any connections at the Department of Coal Industry?”
“I know a Deputy Director. Someone I can speak to and meet face-to-face,” Chen Donglai replied. In reality, he had never even met Ming Jinggao in this life, but to avoid disappointing the Leader, he had to exaggerate. “Of course, whether we can actually secure the money is another matter.”
He estimated that speaking this way offered the greatest benefit and was the safest approach. He didn't necessarily have to get the money; he couldn't guarantee that part.
As for meeting Ming Jinggao? At worst, he could have Ming Yuezhao bring Yue Wangbei to meet him. What was the big deal about that?
When he was young in his previous life, he lacked perspective and always felt that a high-ranking official like Deputy Department Level Ming Jinggao was an unattainable existence. In the end, he was timid even about meeting Ming Jinggao once.
Only after he himself became a Leader did he realize that high officials were just ordinary carbon-based life forms; eating, drinking, defecating, and sleeping—how were they any different from normal people?
“Being able to meet him is enough, hmm,” Yue Wangbei pondered carefully. “That’s sufficient. We depart tomorrow morning.”
Yue Wangbei felt somewhat insecure. He knew that compared to the garrulous Wang Zangfeng, his own eloquence was lacking. His long tenure in the military had given him the bad habit of being too direct.
He always believed that speaking frankly and directly was a good thing. For subordinates, clearly explaining one's requirements allowed them to understand and execute orders most quickly. This was the ethos he had grasped in the military. During wartime, the most critical thing for commanders to avoid was unclear information.
But now he was navigating Officialdom. This crude linguistic habit wouldn't cause trouble when speaking to subordinates; after all, everyone had been scolded by a Leader before. He just scolded more often and more frequently. Subordinates could only endure it.
However, this manner of speaking was clearly highly inappropriate when addressing a superior Leader. Yue Wangbei recalled that when he was the County Mayor of Shennü County, he had been criticized by the County Party Secretary several times over issues of language and word choice.
If he hadn't been an old acquaintance of Deputy Secretary of the Prefectural Committee Jiang Ziliu, given his volatile temper, he probably would have been kicked into some remote Prefecture for a sinecure long ago. This time, he was expected to persuade a Deputy Director to loosen his purse strings and approve a large sum of funds. Could he really do it?
He thought of Wang Zangfeng repeatedly traveling between Huichuan and the Capital City to raise money... He sighed deeply. Missing an opportunity wasn't the end of the world, but watching an opportunity slip away right before his eyes, he was absolutely unwilling to accept it.
……
Yong'an County, East Crossroads, Luo Family Old Residence.
“Absolutely not one hundred thousand,” Luo Qiyong said from his rattan chair, his tone full of doubt. “Guohua, do you know how much money one hundred thousand is?”
“I know!” Seeing that Luo Qiyong and Luo Qizhi, the two brothers, were skeptical of him, Lu Guohua became anxious. “A whole lot of furniture, if not one hundred thousand, then at least seventy or eighty thousand! And that doesn't even include renovation costs.”
“I called several surrounding counties, and they all said they haven't issued any large loans to Yong'an recently,” Luo Qizhi said grimly.
“I called the Prefecture too, and they said no,” Luo Qiyong added, also puzzled. Where did this money actually come from? Could it really be borrowed from the Provincial Capital, Huichuan City? Would the big banks in Huichuan lend money to the Yong'an Guesthouse? A pipe dream!
“One hundred thousand is no small sum,” Luo Qiyong mused. “This is different from borrowing one or two thousand. Many government agencies and Townships borrow ten or twenty thousand, sometimes without needing Collateral.” His tone was firm. “For one hundred thousand, something must have been mortgaged.”
“The Guesthouse? Mortgaged?” Luo Qizhi considered the Guesthouse, which he remembered as being dirty and messy. “What do they have that’s worth one hundred thousand? Even selling the Land Plot wouldn't bring in that much!”
His words brought silence to the other two. A moment later, Lu Guohua shouted, “They must have mortgaged the Guesthouse building! After all, our Guesthouse is on Renmin Road, and the Land Plot alone could definitely sell for over one hundred thousand!”
He suddenly became excited. The Guesthouse's Land Plot was State-owned Assets. If Chen Donglai mortgaged it without approval from his superiors, it was definitely a violation! If he could use this opportunity to take down Chen Donglai, wouldn't the position of Guesthouse Director be his for the taking?
As for how to repay the money after becoming Director? That was naturally outside Lu Guohua’s consideration. It wasn't him who borrowed the money, so why should he repay it?
Besides, Chen Donglai had already renovated the Guesthouse to look quite presentable. Once he took over, performance would still increase.
If there was any money left over from this one hundred thousand plus... the remaining funds could be used to grease the palms of his superiors and secure a better post for himself. Wouldn't that be better than spending it on the Guesthouse?
Poor Chen Donglai, all his hard work would end up just paving the way for me!
Lu Guohua desperately wanted to laugh out loud. He was already fantasizing about becoming Director, single-handedly turning around the Guesthouse's crisis of owing 200,000, and becoming famous throughout Yong'an. At that point, not only would his Civil Servant status be secured, but he might even have a shot at Deputy Section Level!
Once he became a Leader in the Government Affairs Administration Bureau, he would definitely make Chen Donglai suffer. How about making him clean toilets? He secretly rejoiced. A graduate of Beijing Normal University being ordered to clean toilets by him? Just thinking about it gave him a sense of accomplishment!
“It’s not that simple,” Luo Qiyong adjusted his posture to lie more comfortably in the rattan chair. He then said to Lu Guohua, “Without proof, Chen Donglai will certainly deny it. What if he claims he borrowed it from a friend? Are you really going to investigate that?”
As for directly having Chen Donglai’s superior unit, the Yong'an County Government Affairs Administration Bureau, issue a Document inquiring about the loan source—they had considered that option. The reason they hadn't chosen it was made clear by Luo Qiyong: Chen Donglai only needed to make up a story; at worst, he would just be taking a risk—
If he could borrow a loan of over one hundred thousand just by saying so, why would he fear taking this small risk?
“It would be best if we could find his mortgage documents,” the Director of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Luo Qizhi, interjected from the side. “If we have the Document, nothing he says matters. At the very least, we need to know which bank gave him the loan.”