Chapter 151: Trash is just a resource in the wrong place

On the other side, Ning Weidong came out of Nanluoguxiang, but he didn't go straight home; instead, he arrived near Fuchengmen.

He felt his way through the dark to a hutong in front of a Dazayuan.

Zhang Dajun's home was right there; it wasn't his first time coming, so he was quite familiar with the way.

He pushed his bicycle as he entered the gate.

At this time, the Dazayuan wasn't as heavily guarded as it had been over a decade ago, and people no longer had that spirit of keeping a sharp eye on "bad elements."

But if a stranger entered, there would still be people to question them.

Ning Weidong had just arrived at the front courtyard when someone called out to him: "Hey, buddy, who are you looking for?"

Ning Weidong saw a man in his forties, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, squinting his eyes with a look of wariness.

Ning Weidong said with a chuckle: "Looking for Zhang Dajun, we're friends."

The man was taken aback, his expression changing instantly; he hurriedly took the cigarette from his mouth, his body involuntarily bowing slightly: "Oh, you're a friend of Dajun's! Come on in~"

Ning Weidong offered a word of thanks, not minding the man's sudden shift from arrogance to obsequiousness; most people were like this.

He pushed his bicycle inside and arrived outside Zhang Dajun's door.

Just as he arrived, he heard two people inside arguing.

Although they had deliberately lowered their voices, Ning Weidong's hearing was extraordinary, and he could hear them through the window.

Ning Weidong smiled; every family has its own troubles, and it seemed Zhang Dajun was no exception.

He came to the door and raised his hand to knock, and the sound of the argument inside stopped abruptly.

Immediately after, he heard Zhang Dajun ask, "Who is it?"

Ning Weidong said: "Brother Zhang, it's me."

Zhang Dajun immediately recognized it was Ning Weidong and hurried over to open the door.

His wife followed behind him.

Ning Weidong had been here before and had met Zhang Dajun's wife, so he greeted her with a "Sister-in-law."

Zhang Dajun's wife hurriedly ushered him into the room, enthusiastically pouring tea and water, showing no sign that they had been arguing just a moment before.

Zhang Dajun sat casually in the room talking to Ning Weidong.

He knew that Ning Weidong wouldn't have come so late without a reason, so he didn't waste much time with small talk.

Ning Weidong didn't want to disturb them for long, so he explained the situation regarding the courtyard in Nanluoguxiang: "Zhang, find a way to help me look into what's going on with that courtyard."

Zhang Dajun immediately patted his chest and said: "Don't you worry, I'll give you an answer by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Ning Weidong knew that Zhang Dajun handled matters properly and didn't need to be nagged, so he didn't stay long and got up to leave once he finished speaking.

After seeing Ning Weidong out, Zhang Dajun returned from outside, and his wife couldn't help but ask: "Zhang, he just came by, why didn't you mention your situation at the Police Station? If you keep everything to yourself like this, how will he know you have any difficulties?"

Zhang Dajun lit a cigarette, clicked his tongue, and said: "What do you know? How can I just bring that up? I finally managed to get on Ning Weidong's boat through Chu Zhongxin; I haven't even done anything yet, and I'm already asking for this and that—how would that make him feel?"

Zhang Dajun's wife was speechless for a moment, then sat down helplessly and said: "But... but we can't just go on like this. When there's something, he comes over, but when there's nothing, he doesn't say a word."

Zhang Dajun frowned, not knowing what to say.

A while ago, a vacancy opened up for Deputy Director at their Police Station, and Zhang Dajun wanted to take the opportunity to move up, but as things stood now, he feared there wasn't much hope.

On the other side, Ning Weidong smiled to himself after leaving Zhang Dajun's house.

In fact, when he heard the couple arguing outside the door earlier, although he only caught a few words, he had guessed the general idea.

He had originally expected Zhang Dajun to take the opportunity to bring it up, but he hadn't expected Zhang Dajun to hold back.

However, even if Zhang Dajun didn't say anything, Ning Weidong already had his own plans.

Zhang Dajun belonged to the group he had taken over from Chu Zhongxin; he was like a signboard, and he definitely needed to be developed well.

Only by establishing that reputation would those who were on the fringes of the Wang Family or Zhao Family factions be willing to lean toward him.

Otherwise, if coming to his side was worse than before, who would be willing to do things for him?

Ning Weidong also had considerations for Zhang Dajun's future development, but it wasn't about any Deputy Director position.

The next morning, in Ning Weidong's Office.

Zhao Ruyi couldn't help but frown after hearing Ning Weidong describe the situation of Liu Yun's eldest brother's family.

Ning Weidong said: "Is this hard to handle?"

Zhao Ruyi said: "It's not that it's hard to handle. My aunt's husband is in Heilongjiang Province; he used to be with the Production and Construction Corps, but I think it changed to the Land Reclamation Bureau the year before last."

When Ning Weidong heard this, he thought, isn't this a coincidence?

Although Zhao Ruyi's mother was gone, her aunt was still around.

Furthermore, given the situation of the Zhao Family, this connection couldn't possibly be severed.

As for this little matter of Liu Yun's eldest brother, he didn't even need to find her aunt's husband; just a word to her cousins would be enough.

Zhao Ruyi's focus wasn't on this, however; instead, she kept talking about that Siheyuan: "Weidong, you say that Siheyuan is really that good?"

Ning Weidong could guess what Zhao Ruyi was thinking.

Her situation was different from Wang Yuzhen's; Zhao Ruyi had been pampered since childhood, and in the past few years, the situation for Zhao Ruyi's father had been more relaxed than for the Wang Family, so the impact on Zhao Ruyi's life hadn't been particularly great.

Plus, this girl was skilled in martial arts and was fierce and ruthless in a fight, so no one dared to provoke her.

Last time, although Zhao Ruyi didn't say anything when she went home with Ning Weidong, she actually felt some fear in her heart about living in a Dazayuan.

That kind of neighbor with no sense of boundaries and all sorts of complex neighborhood relationships were things she had never experienced before.

Now that she heard Ning Weidong say there was a private, standalone courtyard, she immediately perked up.

Ning Weidong said with a smile: "If you're talking about it being good, it's definitely better than my two rooms, but in terms of living convenience, it's actually not as good as an apartment building."

Life in a Siheyuan is ultimately an ancient model; to live comfortably in a Siheyuan, you actually need people to serve you.

Just like those officials and wealthy families in the past, who could live in a three-section Siheyuan without having a few servants to wait on them?

But that is impossible now.

Therefore, before Ning Weidong transmigrated, although many Siheyuan in Beijing had sold for sky-high prices, few people bought them to live in; most were used as clubhouses.

If one truly wants to speak of living comfortably, it is still modern-designed apartment buildings, with centralized heating, centralized gas, clean and convenient.

After hearing Ning Weidong finish, Zhao Ruyi curled her lips and said, "You talk nicely, the courtyard is ready-made, but the apartment building hasn't even begun to take shape."

However, at this time, apartment buildings were all staff housing built by various units, and they could not be bought or sold at all.

On the contrary, old houses like Siheyuan occasionally had transactions.

If one wants to live in an apartment building, counting on buying is definitely impossible; for the time being, one can only count on the Red Star Factory building staff housing.

Ning Weidong said, "Alright, you don't need to worry about the house matter; put some heart into the Heilongjiang Province side."

Zhao Ruyi gave an "en" sound: "Understood, I'll send a telegram over in a while."

Ning Weidong nodded; he didn't demand a direct phone call, as this matter wasn't that urgent to begin with.

Zhao Ruyi added, "Right, regarding the Li Family, how exactly should we handle it?" After the last meeting, neither side had spoken definitively; it belonged to initial contact and probing.

After these days have passed, there should be a result.

Ning Weidong said, "Ruyi, if you really want to walk this path, there is no need to hold onto this job at the Manager."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ruyi subconsciously frowned.

In this era, the significance of a job at a large State-owned factory is extraordinary; even someone with Zhao Ruyi's family background cannot avoid being conventional.

Ning Weidong smiled and said, "What, reluctant to let go?"

Zhao Ruyi said, "That's not it, it's just... it doesn't sound good to say it out loud."

Ning Weidong said, "How much is your monthly salary at your current job, and how much will it be a month once you earn money from getting the Approval Document later?"

Zhao Ruyi was speechless.

Ning Weidong added, "Besides, since we are going to do this, it is better to clear up some relationships in advance to avoid trouble later."

Zhao Ruyi pursed her lips, thinking, and nodded: "Alright, I'll listen to you."

Ning Weidong was not too surprised by Zhao Ruyi's easy agreement.

Ultimately, it is still a matter of cost.

For the average person, Zhao Ruyi's current job is something they might not be able to obtain in a lifetime.

Asking someone to give it up is definitely as difficult as scraping bone and cutting flesh.

But for Zhao Ruyi, such a job is merely a question of whether it is decent or not.

Moreover, taking a step back, even if she regrets it in the future, with the Zhao Family's capabilities, they could completely help her find a similar unit.

However, Ning Weidong knew clearly in his heart that such a situation would definitely not occur.

Ning Weidong added, "Then you also follow Li Yuanchao and set up a collective-nature Trade Company, temporarily hanging it under the Mechanical Bureau..."

Zhao Ruyi nodded, understanding Ning Weidong's meaning.

The Wang Family has strong control over the Mechanical Bureau, and with Ning Weiguo there, one is that it is convenient to do things, and two is that one must share the cake.

Although Ning Weidong does not have the surname Wang, being able to marry Zhao Ruyi this time represents the interests of the Wang Family.

Therefore, one must introduce the Wang Family into this, otherwise, it is just asking for trouble.

Hanging the relationship under the Mechanical Bureau is giving the Wang Family an opportunity to reach out.

Ning Weidong added, "In addition, aren't there many people staying at home unemployed now~"

Zhao Ruyi was stunned for a moment, not understanding how Ning Weidong's train of thought jumped here all of a sudden.

In the current situation in Beijing, it is not only difficult for ordinary children to find work; families like Zhao Ruyi's also have many unemployed.

Any family's resources are limited; to ensure the continuation of the family, one must concentrate resources and cultivate seed players.

Such as the eldest brother of the Wang Family, such as Zhao Lichun.

The rest, like Zhao Ruyi, belong to those who are abandoned.

Zhao Ruyi is still considered quite good, because the Zhao Family has few children, only three siblings.

But some have six or seven, or even eight children; those children who didn't receive resources were almost left to fend for themselves.

Coupled with some who were affected in the past few years and are idle all day without even a job, there are plenty of them.

Ning Weidong said, "You find a few such people, find ones who are relatively reliable and have corresponding relationships, call them over, and work together."

Zhao Ruyi asked in surprise, "Find them?"

Ning Weidong said, "No one wants to give up on themselves; trash is just resources placed in the wrong place. However, it is only a cooperative relationship; keep the scale well and don't get stuck to them."

Zhao Ruyi pondered and nodded: "I understand. I have more experience than you in dealing with them. If any of them dares not to listen to orders, I'll beat the shit out of them."

Ning Weidong's mouth twitched: "That... never mind, do as you please~"

The next day, at noon, Zhang Dajun rode his bike over.

He talked about the situation of that courtyard; Liu Yun and her husband did not hide anything.

Ning Weidong nodded; Liu Yun has something to ask of others here, so there shouldn't be any problems with this courtyard.

He turned and asked: "Right, Zhang, I heard that a Deputy Director in your office recently retired due to illness?"

Zhang Dajun was stunned, a look of expectation flashed in his eyes, but he immediately calmed down and said: "There is such a matter. Old Fu was injured when he was young, and now he is over fifty; his body is getting worse and worse, so he can only retire early due to illness."

Ning Weidong nodded and said with a smile: "Do you have any thoughts?"

Zhang Dajun's heartbeat couldn't help but accelerate, and he quickly said: "I~ I will listen to your arrangements."

Ning Weidong patted his shoulder; he had long guessed that Zhang Dajun would say this: "If you listen to my arrangements, then wait for a while."

Zhang Dajun was stunned for a moment; he originally thought that Ning Weidong bringing it up proactively today was to help him secure the Deputy Director position, but he didn't expect this result.

But just for a moment, Zhang Dajun adjusted himself and said firmly, "Good."

Ning Weidong instead smiled: "Not asking why?"

Zhang Dajun gave a silly laugh and said honestly: "No need to ask, you must have your own arrangements. Since I said I would listen to your arrangements, I will just wait patiently."

Ning Weidong said, "You certainly know how to keep your cool, but I'm afraid your wife hasn't complained little to you, has she~"

Zhang Dajun let out an "uh," immediately realizing that Ning Weidong must have heard something outside his door when he visited that day.

He couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, "Women just don't understand anything, please don't mind her."

Ning Weidong, however, said, "What kind of talk is that? Women hold up half the sky! Zhang, I have to criticize you for this way of thinking."

Zhang Dajun hurriedly agreed, feeling a sense of relief in his heart; Ning Weidong's tone clearly showed he wasn't holding it against him.

Ning Weidong continued, "Besides, we are doing revolutionary work, so we must manage our family affairs well. What is war fought for? It's fought for logistics. What is logistics? It's the home front. Only when the home front is stable can the team have combat effectiveness. Zhang, don't you agree?"

Zhang Dajun gave a dry laugh and hurriedly agreed.

Ning Weidong patted him on the shoulder and said, "I didn't consider your family situation before; that was my fault."

Zhang Dajun opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by Ning Weidong raising his hand: "You don't need to explain, it's only human nature. Go back and give your wife some peace of mind. Zhang, I have plans for you; I won't let you stay holed up in the Police Station forever."

Zhang Dajun's eyes lit up.

Ning Weidong's words made him overjoyed; although he had said he would follow orders, he hadn't been without his doubts.

After all, it concerned his career and future development.

Ning Weidong continued, "As for this Deputy Director position, I don't think it's worth doing. In the second half of the year, I will find a way to help you transfer to the district Sub-bureau..."

Although Ning Weidong didn't specify the exact position, being able to transfer from the Police Station to the Sub-bureau was already a qualitative leap.

How many veteran Public Security officers have worked their whole lives, lingering in grassroots Police Stations.

If Zhang Dajun lacked ambition, that would be one thing, but the fact that he resolutely chose to leave Chu Zhongxin and join Ning Weidong showed that he was not content to be like this for the rest of his life.

(End of this chapter)