Chapter 39: 5 Million Project

County Chief Yang's office is at 304, next to the office of former Deputy County Chief Han Xuyang. Things are different! Lu Fan was very worried about Han Xuyang, but he was powerless.

After knocking on the door, County Chief Yang was discussing the plan with Director Guo. He pressed his hand to let Lu Fan sit down, and then said: "In order for you to be responsible for the creation of the observation point, I have said a lot of good things for you at the standing meeting. You can't let me down."

"County Chief Yang, please rest assured, even if I lose a layer of skin, I will do the work well and complete the task assigned by you without any discount."

"Good, after I discussed with Tongyu, a

Lu Fan was a bit dazed. What County Head Yang said went beyond his understanding, and he had no idea how to go about it.

Yang Chuanbei continued, "At the same time, we must widely organize cadres and the masses to carry out the planting of economic crops; cleverly borrow policies to mobilize social forces and inject investment into the forest-economy industry; link rural areas to adjust planting structures and solve land-use difficulties; and boldly introduce social capital to support large-scale service households in afforestation. Create a strong atmosphere where 'everyone supports tree planting, and every household participates in tree planting'."

Lu Fan was completely lost in the clouds, feeling very panicked.

What County Head Yang said was too high-level; he couldn't even remember the terms for a moment, let alone grasp the spirit of it.

"The plan for the observation content mainly includes the laying of road shoulders, digging pits, planting trees, and whitewashing trees along the radiation forest network of primary and secondary trunk roads, the construction of forest patches, the construction of voluntary tree planting sites, and fixed propaganda slogans for forest creation." Fortunately, Director Guo said something he could understand.

Pretending to understand when you don't only leads to self-humiliation. Lu Fan said, "County Head Yang, Director Guo, I will study the creation plan carefully and grasp the leaders' intentions as soon as possible. If there is anything done incorrectly, please feel free to criticize and correct me at any time."

Yang Chuanbei said, "Tongyu, you should go to Baishu Bay to provide guidance frequently, and I will go when I have time. Lu Fan, if there is anything you don't understand, you can call me at any time. Don't have any burdens; show the vitality of a young person and let go and do it."

"I have initially applied to the County Head for 5 million in startup funds, and the provincial and municipal forestry departments also have special funds. Tongyu, I will run around with you; we must get this money back. By the way, I'll make a suggestion: Youcheng Company has rich experience in this area, so you can try to cooperate with them. However, no matter who does it, you must implement the main responsibility, strictly control the quality, and complete the planting and creation work with high standards and strict requirements. I have a meeting in a moment, you two go get busy."

Lu Fan was thinking, was the last sentence the key point? And what kind of sacred entity was Youcheng Company? The words of leaders really need to be savored carefully; they can only be understood, not spoken. If you don't put your heart into it, you might be out of the game.

After leaving the office with Guo Tongyu, Lu Fan was still thinking about what County Head Yang had said, always feeling that he hadn't grasped something.

"Xiao Fan, come to my office."

"Okay, Director, you have to clear things up for me, otherwise I really don't know how to do it."

"This is an opportunity for you, and also a chance. The forest creation work won't end until 2009, and someone will definitely benefit from it. Deputy Division Level is a hurdle; there are plenty of people who are ordinary cadres for their whole lives."

"If you want to be promoted to Deputy Division Level, first you have to be capable, second, someone has to think you are capable, and finally, the person who thinks you are capable has to be capable themselves. If you want to go far on this road, you have to know how to be flexible. The observation point is a very good reason; you can take this opportunity to report work to County Head Yang frequently."

"Remember, don't go empty-handed. It doesn't have to be very valuable; gifts are never unwelcome. But you must pay attention during holidays. If you want to accomplish big things, you have to 'carry a satchel charge' to have lethality!"

"Director, you are my guiding light, otherwise I would be completely clueless. Regarding the observation point, you tell me how to do it, and I will do it exactly that way."

"We'll talk about work later. First, let me ask you, have you been in contact with Wang Yewei?"

"Who?" Lu Fan suddenly remembered that gentle and quiet girl and said, "Director, we just met that day and haven't been in contact since. She said let's be friends, I should have some self-awareness, right?"

"I'm telling you, you kid is really a blockhead. If she said she's willing to be friends with you, that means she agreed to get along with you! I asked for you; she has a pretty good impression of you, but you didn't say a word after meeting her. Girls are thin-skinned; as a big man, can't you be more proactive? Happiness must be fought for by yourself. Ask her out for a walk, have a meal, watch a movie, and won't you have a wife? Do I need to teach you how to date? Just take her down first! Old Wang only has this one daughter, and he values character more; conditions and such don't matter."

Lu Fan, this novice, blushed again, thinking, how can you, a dignified director, teach me these things? My head is full of work right now!

"After we finish talking about work, you go find Xiao Wei and have a meal together, you hear me?"

"Director, can I not go? I'm really not good at this."

"You poor kid, are you acting all high and mighty now? No, you must go. This is a political task!"

"Alright, but you have to teach me how to do the work first, otherwise I won't have any spare time. I don't have any direction from County Head Yang's instructions just now."

When they arrived at the office, Lu Fan made tea for the leader, and Guo Tongyu took out paper and pen and started writing and drawing.

Ten minutes later, Guo Tongyu handed what he had written to Lu Fan and said, "The contact information for Youcheng Company is inside; they will probably connect with you soon. The leader's instructions must be carried out. You can give them the infrastructure work, the fixed propaganda for forest creation, the display boards, and the 350-mu landscape forest project; we have to do the rest ourselves: 100 mu of fruit forest, 135 mu of nursery stock and flowers, 200 mu of economic forest, and 150 mu of young forest tending. I'll find someone to do this; the bureau has professional partners. You find someone to do the 300 mu of national reserve forest."

"Projects and procurement must go through the Baishu Bay Forest Farm. You must be airtight in terms of finance; I will send an accountant from the bureau to help you keep an eye on it. In addition, you must control the construction, progress, and quality of these projects, especially for Youcheng Company. Remember, to do work, you must first protect yourself, then talk about other things."

Lu Fan said without hesitation, "Okay, Director, I will strictly follow your instructions. But with such a big job, I have no experience at all, so you must give me more pointers."

When the people from the forest farm approached, Cao Tianma suddenly realized that the person leading them really seemed to be Lu Fan, so he said to his father, "I think I know him? Dad, under normal circumstances, how much money does it take to settle this?"

"If it were Li Yongji, it would be at least five thousand. That son of a bitch is rotten to the core!"

"Did you bring money?"

"How could I not?"

"Give it to me quickly!"

Taking the money from his father's arms, Cao Tianma jumped off the tricycle and hurried to Lu Fan, whispering, "Brother Fan, it's me, Xiao Cao, Cao Tianma!"

Lu Fan remembered; he was the brother who had invited him to eat mutton on his first day at Baishu Bay. He took Cao Tianma aside and asked, "You've got a lot of nerve, stealing materials in the middle of the night!"

"There's no other way; my dad is a coffin maker. Brother Fan, can you go easy on us?" With that, he tried to stuff the five thousand yuan into Lu Fan's arms.

Lu Fan quickly pushed it away and whispered, "Brother, you should leave quickly. Don't let this happen again!"

Cao Tianma hadn't expected Lu Fan, whom he had only met once, to be so easygoing. He was stunned—he could just leave like that?

"What are you still standing there for? Go quickly!"

"What about the materials?"

"I didn't see anything!"

"Brother Fan, I won't thank you with words. I'll come find you tomorrow."

Seeing Lu Fan take the three others to the side to smoke, Cao Tianma quickly ran to the tricycle, told his father to drive fast, and sped away from the essential passage!

"Tianma? Did you give the money?"

"No, that's my Brother Fan; he let us off the hook!"

"He didn't take a single cent? Wait, you said his name is Lu Fan?"