Chapter 562: Pang Xilai Grand Opening

Accompanying the Sun to work, accompanying the Moon on overtime, that's Lu Fan's routine; after finishing the paperwork, it's already 2 a. m.

At half past eight in the morning, Executive Vice Mayor Zhao Haorui was the first to arrive at the Municipal Party Committee, giving a special report on talent training and employment, an issue Lu Fan has always been concerned about.

Zhao Haorui reported: "Secretary, this year Nanyuan set high‑skill talent development as its goal, vigorously launching the 'Nanyuan Skilled Workers' program, training over one million person‑times, and now possesses a strong skilled labor force that ranks first in the province.

Aligning closely with industry and serving the market is the primary principle of training; school‑enterprise co‑construction, the Technical Education Alliance, and the High‑Skill Talent Cultivation Alliance have become Nanyuan's 'single indispensable remedy' for achieving high‑quality employment.

In accordance with the Secretary's directive, training focuses on 'high‑precision shortage' industries. At present the whole city is running training for 214 specialties covering 20 major sectors; enrollment plans, specialty setups, curriculum development, faculty allocation, teaching, and assessment are all jointly decided by schools and enterprises. The vast majority of qualified graduates are directed to local companies, supplying more than one hundred thousand skilled workers to the various industrial parks.

Furthermore, we have implemented the Secretary's instructions: high‑skill personnel who hold senior worker, technician, or senior technician professional qualifications—or equivalent skill‑level certificates—are treated on par with associate‑degree and bachelor‑degree holders when taking civil‑service exams, applying to public institutions, or undergoing professional title evaluations.

Lu Fan nodded and said, "Employment is the most fundamental livelihood, the primary livelihood, the foundation of livelihood, and it is also a very complex undertaking, affected by many factors, requiring participation from all sectors of society, and every possible means to stabilize and expand employment.

You must precisely match local enterprises, raise the organization and branding level of labor output, provide bottom‑line assistance to hard‑to‑employ groups, and ensure that the number of zero‑employment households drops to zero dynamically.

The next step is to focus on the employment of university graduates, veterans, migrant workers, and urban disadvantaged persons, helping recent graduates secure jobs before choosing careers. At the same time, we must establish a rights‑protection mechanism, precisely promote insurance participation for flexible‑employment workers, migrant workers, and other key groups, so that delivery couriers, riders, and ride‑hailing drivers who work rain or shine can feel more at ease, safer, and better protected.

"Alright, I will definitely implement the Secretary's directives in my work."

After the work discussion, Lu Fan suddenly asked, "Haorui, by year‑end the municipal leadership team may change; there are two options for you to consider. First, the vacancy of Deputy Minister of the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department, which could be combined with the Civil Service Bureau—I'm fairly confident about it; second, Deputy Secretary of the Nanyuan Municipal Party Committee, which, barring any mishaps, isn't a big problem."

Facing a major career crossroads, Zhao Haorui was very cautious. If he moved to the Provincial Organization Department, he could attain a regular‑hall‑level rank and continue working under the Secretary, interacting daily, but the next promotion would be extremely difficult. The advantage of the Municipal Deputy Secretary position is that it places him in the succession queue, making him the most favorable candidate for mayor, which aligns with current personnel trends. Both posts are highly competitive, leaving Zhao Haorui momentarily indecisive.

After weighing the options, he said, "Secretary, I'll follow your arrangement!"—throwing the decision back to Lu Fan, with a hint of "you'll have to see it through."

Lu Fan smiled and said, "Then stay in Nanyuan; the opportunity will be great in another two years."

"Alright, thank you for the Secretary's support!"

Lu Fan's consideration was to accelerate everyone's progress as much as possible. He planned to promote Executive Vice Mayor Yang Jiankian to the Provincial Organization Department, elevate Organization Department Head Feng Guanjiao to Executive Vice Mayor, reassign Secretary‑General Dou Zhengyang as Executive Vice Mayor, and move Publicity Director Li Mu Ci to become the Organization Department Head.

At nine o'clock, Lu Fan, accompanied by Secretary‑General Dou Zhengyang, went to the Pang Xilai Wolong Plaza Store to attend the opening ceremony.

Since the announcement that Pang Xilai would set up in Nanyuan, the hearts of nearly ten million Nanyuan residents have been tugged!

From staff recruitment to finalizing the opening time, every piece of news about Pang Xilai has been linked to the heartbeat and breath of Nanyuan's people.

November 7 is the day Pang Xilai's first store in Nanyuan opens, and the people of Nanyuan have finally waited for this day!

The opening time is set for 10 a. m., but with an hour and a half still remaining, a crowd of citizens has already gathered at the Wolong Plaza entrance, eager to see immediately just how "high‑end" Pang Xilai is.

As the opening time approaches, the number of citizens waiting at the entrance increases every minute; their affection for Pang Xilai is indescribable, expressed only by the length of the queue.

To ensure citizens' travel safety, public security, traffic police, and urban management units all deployed, maintaining order around the supermarket. They also reminded the public that today's opening site is crowded with people and vehicles; if you can ride a bike, don't drive a car, and if you can walk, don't ride a bike.

Around 9:30, the big boss of Pang Xilai, Yu Xilai, appeared at the supermarket entrance, greeting the enthusiastic Nanyuan residents.

In less than three minutes, Municipal Party Secretary Lu Fan got out of the car and hurried forward to meet Yu Xilai.

Facing the enthusiastic crowd, Lu Fan smiled and said, "Everyone wait a bit longer; I'll go in first to guard the entrance for you!"

Seeing Municipal Secretary Lu appear, Nanyuan's enthusiasm surged; some shouted loudly, "Secretary Lu, well done!"

Entering the supermarket, Lu Fan saw the shelves stocked with a dazzling array of goods, arranged neatly and uniformly.

Yu Xilai introduced, "Secretary Lu, the Wolong Plaza store covers about 17,000 square metres, with an investment of 600 million yuan; it is a one‑stop consumer shopping centre integrating supermarket, dining, apparel, and medical services."

"Building on our other locations, we have comprehensively optimized the merchandise mix, traffic flow layout, equipment and facilities, improving product quality and service to give customers a higher‑quality shopping experience, moving toward sincerity and quality, so that Nanyuan residents can eat with confidence and use products safely."

As Lu Fan walked and looked around, he noted that service lies in the details, and details determine success or failure. In this regard, Big Fat interprets the details to the fullest: every floor has restrooms; the first and second floors each feature a mother‑and‑baby room, accessible restroom, and drinking water stations; the second floor also includes a smoking room, fully considering every shopper's various needs beyond purchasing.

Lu Fan exclaimed, "Pang Xilai's human‑centered service is truly worth learning; for a third‑tier city mall, achieving such refined service is indeed rare!"

Many malls talk about how hard business is, with few customers visiting; many blame the impact of e‑commerce and the internet. So they swarm to place online ads and build web stores, yet they remain quiet.

The internet brings commerce back to its essence; customers need emotional connection and interaction with the mall. A personified IP brand, humane and considerate service, combined with the internet's efficient dissemination tools, can build a loyal user‑fan community and a powerful offline service experience—this is the business model the new era demands.

Yu Zong, I hope Nanyuan becomes Pang Xilai's largest agricultural‑product supply base and its most solid partner, and I wish all fourteen of Pang Xilai's Nanyuan stores become "6A‑level scenic spots with no off‑season!"

At 9:55, the crowd outside the supermarket swelled, packed to the brim, bustling and overflowing with popularity!

At 10 a. m., Wolong Plaza's "Big Fat" officially opened!

As soon as the main doors opened, the crowd surged into the mall, instantly "storming" the supermarket, and the elevators became overcrowded!

Seventy percent of those entering the mall headed straight for the supermarket, showing a fanatical reverence for Pang Xilai's merchandise.

A dazzling array of goods—snatching, buying, buying!

Over thirty checkout counters, exuding dominance! "Pang Xilai" is a god‑like presence!

Citizens worship it fervently! Why is Pang Xilai like this? Because among the people it is hailed as "the best store," embodying many retailers' dreams and consumers' shopping ideals.

Seeing the scene, Lu Fan sincerely told Yu Xilai, "This spectacle is inspiring; it should spark new thinking among retailers nationwide—we are a banner of private enterprise!

I believe that once all fourteen Pang Xilai stores are fully operational, they will have a profoundly important impact on Nanyuan's commerce, providing the public with quality goods and services while elevating Nanyuan's business—from products to service, from corporate culture to social responsibility—to a higher level!"

Although the supermarket was thoroughly prepared, it could not contain the enthusiasm of Nanyuan's people.

"Big Fat" had been open only two hours when the big boss Yu Xilai personally closed the doors, halting customer entry—people could only exit, not enter. Such a scenario is rare in the history of department‑store openings nationwide.

The reason was that the foot traffic exceeded the maximum capacity, forcing a sudden closure to thank the customers.

Look at what Nanyuan residents are posting on their social circles!

"Pang Xilai finally opened in Nanyuan, it's so satisfying!"

"I have to say sincerely, you're awesome! Once 'Big Fat' appears, who can compete?"

"The opening of 'Big Fat' reminds me of the Spring Festival travel rush, civil‑service exam registration lines, stock‑trading floors… I can't take it, I'm getting claustrophobic!"

"It's terrifying; you can't even walk a few kilometers around, and the business is this big—no one can dispute it!"

"Is 'Big Fat' giving stuff away for free? Haha, Nanyuan people just accept 'Big Fat'!"

"Thank you, Secretary Lu, for bringing 'Big Fat' to Nanyuan!"

…

Consumer word‑of‑mouth is the essence of every business! When many merchants lament that online and offline ads cost a lot with little effect, Nanyuan residents promote 'Pang Xilai' this way!

Carrying large and small bags, Lu Fan walked out of the supermarket, personally experiencing shopping at 'Pang Xilai'.

As they part, he reminded Yu Xilai again to get the remaining thirteen supermarkets operational quickly, so more Nanyuan residents can enjoy 'Pang Xilai's' service and quality right at their doorstep.

At the same time, Lu Fan also reminded Yu Zong that Nanyuan should summarize its management experience, laying a solid foundation for entering the next city.