Chapter 26: Borrowing Strength to Hit Strength

Accountant Wang Le locked himself in the office, psychologically struggling fiercely. Where should he go in the future?

Admit defeat here, convert to the Lu sect? Or go to the end of the road, confront to the end? Or, find a way to topple Lu Fan and replace him?

Thinking about it, Wang Le still couldn't make up his mind. However, it can be seen from today's matter that even if Lu Fan is toppled, he may not be able to get on top. The county seems to have never considered him. Without Lu Fan, there are Wang Fan and Li Fan. Without relationship, the organization will never notice you! If there is a relationship, can he still stay in the most remote township in the whole county for ten years?

Looking up, Lu Fan is back, an eighteen-year-old kid!

Even if there is ten thousand unwillingness, he has become the "speaker" of the forest farm. Wang Le suddenly figured it out. Confrontation has no way out. If you should be a coward, be a coward!

Returning to the forest farm, Lu Fan inexplicably produced a strong sense of belonging. In just one day, things were different, the mountains were long and the water was wide, and he thought about it everywhere. The ups and downs of life were too exciting!

Returning to the office, Lu Fan finally reminisced. There was a feeling of being satisfied.

Before two minutes passed, accountant Wang Le came. As soon as he entered the door, he said: "Farm Director, I am here to report on financial work!" The attitude took a 180-degree turn. Although it was not said to be respectful, he definitely lowered his posture.

In fact, Lu Fan didn't care about these details. He was still used to Wang Le's unruly appearance before. Now he didn't know how to deal with it, and didn't even know how to address Wang Le. Call Brother Wang? Obviously not appropriate. Call by name? The change was too big!

Simply didn't address him, Lu Fan said: "I am also a duck on the shelf. I didn't understand these things before. I can only learn while doing it. Financial work still needs you to be responsible in the future."

Wang Le was happy in his heart and began to report: "Farm Director, our forest farm budget income is 752,100 yuan, salary and welfare expenditure is about 400,00

Lu Fan could roughly understand: if you can't even spend the money given to you, it means you're useless; the finance department will take it back, rebalance it next year, and if you want that money again, you'll have to beg everyone you know. Besides, with the New Year right around the corner, some connections need to be maintained; why not use public funds to maintain those relationships?

Lu Fan asked, "Referring to the past, who needs to be visited during the New Year? How much money needs to be prepared?"

Wang Le hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Bureau Director gets five thousand, the three deputy directors get two thousand each, and Station Director Li still has some good connections within the bureau; getting them a piece of mutton will cost another three to five thousand. Then there are the leaders of the township government; Station Director Li only looks after Secretary Li Daqiang, which cost thirty thousand last New Year."

Lu Fan asked in confusion, "Then how are these funds accounted for?"

"Car rental fees, office expenses, entertainment expenses, staff canteen, and temporary worker wages. We have three cleaners, one chef, and two kitchen assistants on the books. We also hire people for afforestation every year, which can cover some of the accounts."

Lu Fan suddenly realized; he had truly learned something. He had only ever seen one cleaner and one head chef in the kitchen, yet four extra people were collecting wages.

Wouldn't doing this cause problems? Could it withstand an audit? Lu Fan felt a bit afraid; he couldn't let this job, which hadn't come easily, get him implicated.

Lu Fan made a prompt decision and instructed Wang Le, "Stop all the 'empty' paychecks for those 'eating empty rations.' That's Li Yongji's business; it has nothing to do with me. Car rental and entertainment expenses aren't a big problem. You report the money needed for this year as soon as possible, just follow the usual routine, but you must find reliable people and have proper invoices."

"Alright, I'll go do it immediately. Station Director, there's one more thing: the New Year is almost here, how should staff benefits be distributed?"

"How was it done last year?"

"Rice, flour, and oil, plus two boxes of fruit, purchased from that grain and oil shop right across from us."

Lu Fan thought for a moment and said, "Then follow last year's precedent. How about this: I'll go to the bureau on Friday to report on my work, and while I'm at it, I'll find a grain and oil shop in the county seat. We'll issue grain and oil vouchers this year to save the cadres the inconvenience of carrying things back and forth."

"Fine, then I'll go prepare first and report the money before Friday. Station Director, should we still use the old car?"

"No need, I'll look for another one." Lu Fan knew that Li Yongji used a Santana 2000 exclusively.

After Wang Le left, Lu Fan was very excited. No wonder everyone wants to be a leader; being able to decide on expenditures of thousands or tens of thousands at will—this feeling of having great power in one's hands is so satisfying!

Before long, Li Yifeng came in, closed the door, took a black plastic bag from his chest, and without a word, put it into Lu Fan's cabinet, saying with a smile, "The New Year is almost here, I'm here to visit a leader, and also to congratulate the leader on your promotion!"

This terrified Lu Fan; he hurriedly stood up, wanting to return the items, and so the two began to push them back and forth.

"Station Director, it's just two cartons of cigarettes. If you don't take them, you're looking down on me!"

"This definitely won't do, Yifeng, don't make me commit a mistake!"

But Li Yifeng's attitude was unusually firm, vowing not to stop until his goal was reached. Lu Fan really couldn't refuse, so he could only let him leave them there for the time being.

After sitting down and chatting for a few sentences, Li Yifeng began to express his request: "Station Director, are you going to report the handling opinion to the bureau on Friday?"

"Yes, Secretary Guo of the County Party Committee was present at the time and gave the order himself, and the Organization Department Head and the Bureau Director gave instructions personally. You saw it too; I really have no choice."

"I understand, I understand. Not reporting it definitely won't work; it mainly depends on how it's reported. You know my situation; if it's reported truthfully, I'm finished. I might even be dismissed from public office. We both come from rural backgrounds; it's not easy to have a job. Station Director, you must show mercy."

Lu Fan began to play dumb, saying, "The leaders ordered an investigation and verification; how would I dare to deceive them? I can only report it truthfully. If I were to fake it and the leaders found out, I'd probably lose this acting position too." It's not that I don't understand, it's just that there's no need for me to do it for you!

Looking at the Station Director's innocent and naive appearance, Li Yifeng felt like a tiger trying to eat the sky with no way to sink his teeth in, because this kind of thing can only be understood, not spoken of. Does the Station Director really not understand?

"Station Director, there's a time limit for 'eating empty rations.' For short-term ones, at most you get a warning, and at worst you just return some money. But for long-term 'empty rations,' the problem is huge. You might get a disciplinary action, and more seriously, it will affect your work. If the higher-level departments make a big deal out of it and treat it as a typical case, you might be fired."

"Sigh, I don't know much about this either. The leaders have repeatedly ordered me to investigate truthfully; I can't deceive the organization, can I? How about this: when I go to the bureau to report, I'll plead for you and see if it's of any use. I don't dare to fake anything!"

Li Yifeng had black lines on his forehead, his face looking as if he were constipated, and he said extremely conflictedly, "Station Director, please help me out. I can't lose my job. If you just lift your hand, this matter will pass. I'll admit to two months of 'eating empty rations,' okay?"

Lu Fan thought about it; two months would be enough to satisfy the requirements. He felt that the leaders were all thunder and no rain, just saying things for the sake of appearances. If they really smashed someone's rice bowl, that would be creating an enemy, and most people wouldn't do that.

"Sigh, this really puts me in a difficult position. You also know I'm just an acting Station Director. Your 'eating empty rations' is too easy to investigate. If the leaders find out from the side, I'll become an accomplice, and maybe this acting position will fall through too. How about this: you go to the accountant and pay the fine first. I'll write two handling opinions; one will be treated as two months. If that doesn't pass, then I'll have to report it as two years of 'eating empty rations.' Brother Li, why don't you find some connections and smooth things over at the Organization Department and the bureau?"

Li Yifeng's old face flushed red as he said, "Station Director, if I had connections, I would have transferred back to the city long ago. This matter still requires your trouble. Please, I promise to go to work on time from now on and will never cause trouble for the station again. Wherever you point, I'll strike!"

Lu Fan was waiting for these words; otherwise, who would do the work in the future?

"Brother Li, I've just started acting, I have no foundation in the bureau, and my words carry little weight. I can only say I'll do my best; please understand."

Li Yifeng breathed a sigh of relief; he knew the opinion of the person in charge of the unit was very important.

"Station Director, I won't say words of thanks. You can rest assured about the work; I can definitely handle it. You go ahead and get busy, I'll go clean up the office."

Lu Fan smiled with satisfaction. As long as you're a monk for a day, you must ring the bell for a day. If you have no people, are you going to work yourself to death?

One down, two to go. Lu Fan sat and waited for Wang Yulong to come to his door.

Sure enough, not long after Li Yifeng left, Wang Yulong pushed the door open and entered, also carrying a plastic bag in his arms. Lu Fan continued to play dumb, acting as if he were naive and strictly following official business, while his words revealed that one must think of oneself first.

With no other choice, Wang Yulong offered to pay for three months of "empty rations," also promising to go to work properly in the future.

Seeing that it was time to stop, Lu Fan agreed to do his best to help.

Only Liu Jing was left, and she hadn't made a peep until now. Lu Fan decided to report it truthfully. After investigation, she had left the unit since 2002, reportedly to accompany her child's studies in Chang'an, but her husband was a deputy director of the Human Resources Bureau, and he didn't want to offend them.

However, if you respect me an inch, I will respect you a foot; if you ignore me, then I can only treat you with disdain.

It wasn't until the afternoon that the unit's phone rang. After picking it up, Lu Fan heard, "Hello, may I ask if Station Director Lu is there?"

"I am Lu Fan, but I am not the Station Director; I am temporarily in charge of the work."

The caller laughed, "Acting is also Station Director! I am Xu Zheng, the spouse of our forest station employee Liu Jing, and I work at the Human Resources Bureau."

"Hello, Deputy Director Xu. I didn't want to trouble you, but a vicious incident occurred at the forest station, and Secretary Guo of the County Party Committee came to inspect. Several people who hadn't been to work for years happened to be in the line of fire. When Minister Li of the Organization Department and Director Guo came to inspect, your wife hadn't arrived at her post yet."

"Station Director Lu, I'm really sorry. I went to the village today, and there's no cell signal there. I just received a call from my wife; she's rushing back from Chang'an. You'll have to be accommodating in this matter!"

"Deputy Director Xu, it's not that I don't want to help, but you might not know that Secretary Guo was very angry at the time and instructed the Discipline Inspection Committee and the Organization Department to start an investigation. I've just started acting as Station Director and don't want to get burned. You have extensive connections and wide paths; I think it's better to find a way from the county level!"

"Station Director Lu, my wife and I will arrive at Baishu Bay in another half hour. Let's meet and talk in detail."

"Welcome, Deputy Director Xu. I'll have the kitchen prepare a meal for you."

Lu Fan had no foundation whatsoever. To control the unit, he had to take this opportunity to use force against force and go with the flow. He had no friendship with them; wanting to eat empty rations was wishful thinking.