Chapter 24: 023

023 "Actually, solving this problem isn't all that hard."

Fang Qingye parked the car below the steps of the main hall, rolled down the window, poked his head out, and called out: "President Xia."

Xia He immediately walked down the steps, got in the car, sat in the back seat, and asked with a smile.

"Xiao Fang, why are you driving?"

"Driver Zhang had some urgent matter come up at the last minute, so I came to pick you up in his place. Senior, are you heading home or back to the office?" Fang Qingye asked as he drove.

"Back to the office. I still have some things to handle."

"Okay."

The little car left the government gate and headed toward the old city district.

On the way, Fang Qingye glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed Xia He's pretty face looked a bit weary, so he asked with concern: "Senior, you haven't been resting well lately, have you? You don't look so good. Work is important, but you need to take care of your health too."

"Heh, Xiao Fang, you sure know how to show concern for people." Xia He said, then sighed: "Can't be helped. Before May Day, the city branch held a meeting and strictly ordered us to compress the scale of lending to real estate and bring down the non-performing loan ratio. And it's only been a few days since the May Day holiday ended, but today the county leadership is demanding that each of our branches step up support for real estate funding—lend to anyone who qualifies, to back the local economy... Tell me, whose instructions am I supposed to follow?"

"They both make sense, Senior. You can't ignore either side." Fang Qingye answered with a smile.

"Right... The county is thinking about local economic development, protecting people's livelihoods, protecting jobs—they put more weight on social benefits. Our city branch cares more about economic returns. If the loans we send out go down the drain and the bank's non-performing loan ratio climbs, we're all in trouble, sigh..." At the end, Xia He let out another sigh.

"Actually, solving this problem isn't all that hard."

That line from Fang Qingye perked Xia He up: "How would you solve it?"

"There are a dozen or so real estate companies in Nanxin, big and small, but they're a mixed bag. Pick two or three with larger scale and healthier operations, and lend to them—meet their funding needs. That way you satisfy the county leadership's demand without directly going against the city branch leadership's intent. Two birds with one stone."

"Mm, Xiao Fang, you're on the same page as me. That's the simplest, most direct approach." Xia He nodded: "Tell me, which real estate companies are in better shape?"

"Kairui Real Estate, Lin Yuan Company, Sword Art Company." Fang Qinglin rattled off three real estate company names in one breath.

"Kairui?" Xia He seemed to think of something and suddenly asked: "Xiao Fang, I heard you have a really good relationship with Song Qingdong's second son, the boss of Kairui Real Estate. You even call Song Qingdong 'Uncle'... You're not here to act as a lobbyist, are you?"

"Senior, I'm just talking about the facts here." Fang Qingye explained unhurriedly as he drove.

"The three companies I mentioned are the three largest in Nanxin's real estate industry. Kairui Real Estate in particular can be called the industry leader. They've had some cash flow issues lately, but overall operations are still decent, so lending to them is the safest and most meaningful choice. Of course, personally, I do hope Kairui gets the loan too—you said it yourself, I call Song Qingdong 'Uncle.'"

Fang Qingye's words were candid, and Xia He didn't feel much aversion: "Mm... that's more like it. Having a personal motive just means having one—none of us are saints. Balancing public and private interests is best. But Kairui's appetite is too big; we can't satisfy it."

Think of a way.

Fang Qingye prepared to keep persuading, but saw the car had already turned onto Changle Road—three minutes from the office.

Once at the office, it wouldn't be appropriate to follow her into her office to discuss this; if he ran into people reporting to her, he'd lose this chance.

If he had to find another suitable moment to bring up the topic, getting her agreement would become far more difficult.

He had to nail this down today!

Thinking of this, Fang Qingye had a flash of inspiration and said: "Senior, let's grab a bite before going to the office, shall we? It's already mealtime. My treat."

"Sure, but let's not go to some big hotel. Just find a small restaurant to fill our stomachs." Xia He agreed.

"I know a small restaurant nearby, the food's pretty good." Fang Qingye finished speaking and kept driving, turning at the intersection near the office, finally pulling up outside a small restaurant—the very place where Zhao Wenjun had treated him to a meal that day.

The proprietress was still there. Seeing Fang Qingye come in, she recognized the young man who had eaten here with Zhao Wenjun some time ago, followed by a pretty woman in a bank uniform, and hurried over to greet them.

"Proprietress, do you have a private room? Get me one, and bring the menu." Fang Qingye said.

"Yes, yes." The proprietress led them into a private room, handed the menu to Fang Qingye, stood by watching him order, and couldn't help asking: "Where's your President Zhao? Haven't seen him come by to eat lately?"

"He resigned. I heard he went to Shencheng." Fang Qingye answered casually, finished ordering, and handed the menu back to the proprietress.

Xia He had stayed silent the whole time. Only after the proprietress left did she ask curiously: "This proprietress knows Zhao Wenjun?"

"Because Zhao Wenjun used to come here to eat a lot." Fang Qingye paused here: "Last time Zhao Wenjun treated me, it was here too."

Xia He said "Oh," glanced around the room, no one could tell what she was thinking.

Soon the dishes arrived—white-sauce catfish, sizzling clams, Wenfeng double bamboo shoots—plus a soup dish and two bowls of rice. The two began eating, and Fang Qingye brought up the loan matter again.

"Senior, you said in the car just now that the loan amount for Kairui is too large, beyond the branch's approval authority. Actually, this problem isn't hard to solve either."

"Xiao Fang." Xia He put down her chopsticks and looked at him, an expression between a smile and not: "You didn't take me straight to the office, you brought me here to eat—it's so you could keep talking about this topic, isn't it?"

"Senior, you're wronging me here. I genuinely wanted to treat you to a meal." Fang Qingye explained, then smiled: "Of course, chat about the loan along the way too."

"You... so many little schemes." Xia He laughed coquettishly: "Go on, what's your plan? Let me say upfront—breaking a loan into smaller pieces to disburse it, that kind of rule-bending, I won't agree to."

"Senior, how could I let you violate bank discipline? It's actually very simple—submit the materials through the proper channels and let the city branch approve it!"

"I'm your senior, you might be able to talk me around, but you can talk around President Zhang at the city branch too? Quite something." Xia He said with a teasing smile.

"Where would I get that kind of ability? President Zhang doesn't even know who I am." Fang Qingye was all smiles too: "Senior, this still depends on you."

"Depends on me? On what? You want me to take the loan documents and go get scolded by President Zhang?!" Xia He's pretty face shifted slightly.

"Of course not. How could I push you, Senior, into the fire? Listen to me slowly." Fang Qingye looked confident.

"Oh, go on?"

Xia He picked up a piece of fish, looking somewhat absent-minded.

"Senior, what's your take on the current situation in the country?" Fang Qingye suddenly changed the subject and asked unhurriedly.