Chapter 121: Found a Treasure! A Street‑Side Stall Encounter with the

Lu Qingshan felt a stir in his heart and looked up.

The speaker was a man of about forty, his hair tinged with gray, but his eyes were sharp; he wore plain work clothes, had a bottle of Erguotou in front of him that he poured and drank himself, and his brows bore a melancholy of frustrated ambition.

"So where do you plan to go next? You can't just go home and retire, can you? With all those skills, it'd be a waste to sit idle."

"I don't know; let's rest first and talk later."

The man known as Lao Li sighed, lifted his cup and drained it in one gulp, a hint of bitterness flashing across his face.

Lu Qingshan held his noodle bowl, hesitated briefly, then walked over.

"Excuse me, Master, may I trouble you to ask about something?"

Lao Li looked up at Lu Qingshan, saw his dust‑covered face but sincere eyes, and nodded, "Go ahead."

"I heard you just say that you're an engineer at a machinery factory?"

Lu Qingshan asked cautiously.

"Former Deputy Chief Engineer, Li Jianqiang."

Li Jianqiang chuckled self‑deprecatingly, "What is it, young Comrade, something?"

Lu Qingshan's heart quickened a few beats; it was a stroke of luck after endless searching!

He inhaled deeply, solemnly took from his satchel a packet of Dried Meat wrapped in oil paper, placed it on the table: "Master Li, I'm from Shanwan Village near Baishan in Jilin; our village has set up a few small factories and lacks a leader who understands technology and management. This is our village's own dried meat; please try it."

Li Jianqiang's companion beside him was startled, then looked at Lu Qingshan with some wariness.

Li Jianqiang showed little reaction, merely watching Lu Qingshan and then the packet of dried meat, his eyes carrying a hint of inquiry: "A small factory in the mountain gorge also needs an engineer?"

"Needed! Very needed!"

Lu Qingshan said earnestly, "Master Li, although Shanwan Village is modest now, we have resources, policies, and a desire to do things right! The compensation we offer will certainly not shortchange anyone with real ability!"

He briefly outlined the salary terms he was offering and his yearning for talent.

Li Jianqiang listened quietly, without interjecting, his fingers absent‑mindedly rubbing the cup.

When he heard the monthly salary starting at 120 yuan with no ceiling, a faint, hard‑to‑notice spark flashed in his once‑cloudy eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.

"Young Comrade, I accept your goodwill. However, at my age, I can no longer strain myself."

Li Jianqiang waved his hand, his tone carrying a hint of desolation.

"Master Li!"

Lu Qingshan pressed, "Age isn't the problem; experience is the treasure! The new casting technique you mentioned may not be used in the factory, but that doesn't mean it lacks value! Our Shanwan Village's factory is small, but a small temple can have great energy; if your technology is solid and can bring us profit, you'll be our village's wealth god! We'll give you a platform to unleash your talent without those constraints!"

Li Jianqiang snapped his head up, his sharp gaze fixed on Lu Qingshan as if to see through him.

"You're just a young man, but you speak boldly. Do you know how much investment my process would require if we were to launch it? If it fails, can you shoulder that responsibility?"

Lu Qingshan met his stare without any retreat, instead straightening his back.

"Master Li, to be frank, before I came to the provincial capital, our village had already been recommended by the city as a 'Rural Reform Pilot Advanced Model.' We have policy backing and the whole village's resolve to change our destiny! Regarding investment and risk, without input there's no output; without risk there's no reward. As long as your technology is genuine and can solve our difficulties, even if we have to smash pots and sell iron, I'll agree! I, Lu Qingshan, speak with each word like a nail!"

Li Jianqiang looked at the undeniable firmness and blazing fire in the young man's eyes and fell silent.

His companion also opened his mouth wide, stunned by Lu Qingshan's words.

After a while, Li Jianqiang picked up the packet of Dried Meat on the table, unwrapped the oil paper, plucked a piece, placed it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

The rich meat aroma and unique chew gave his brows a slight lift.

"This meat tastes good."

He set the dried meat down, looked at Lu Qingshan, his gaze complex, "Where exactly is the Shanwan Village you mentioned, and what do you do there?"

Lu Qingshan felt a surge of joy, realizing there was a chance!

Lu Qingshan saw Li Jianqiang finally get to the point, and the weight of the stone hanging over his head seemed to ease a bit.

He hurriedly described Shanwan Village's location, guarded by Guandong Mountain, its abundant resources, the already‑sized food factory, and the planned medicinal herb processing plant and herbal beverage plant, summarizing the essentials concisely.

He specifically emphasized the villagers' unwillingness to accept poverty, their united drive for development, and the county and city's attention and policy tilt toward Shanwan Village.

Li Jianqiang listened attentively, his brows occasionally furrowing, then relaxing slightly.

His companion, surnamed Wang, muttered softly nearby, "Three factories in the mountain gorge? Sounds like that, but can it really become a real force?"

Li Jianqiang ignored his companion's doubt, lifted the already‑cooled cup of white wine, took another sip, and his gaze lingered on Lu Qingshan's young yet resolute face. "What products does that food factory you mentioned mainly produce? How are the sales?"

"At present we mainly produce Dried Meat and Sausage, exactly the kind you tasted."

Lu Qingshan pointed to the oil‑paper packet on the table, "The quality is absolutely top‑notch. As for sales, we have already signed supply contracts with several large municipal canteens, the first batch of payments has already been received, and the response is excellent. Not to hide it from you, Master Li, our village has also been recommended by the city to apply for the provincial 'Rural Reform Pilot Advanced Model.' If we get selected, it would be like adding wings to a tiger for us."

"Oh? There's also that?"

Li Jianqiang's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise.

The weight of this 'Advanced Model' is something a person who has crawled within the system for years naturally understands.

If it truly gets selected, it shows that Shanwan Village indeed has some clout, not just a small‑scale operation.

He set down the cup, fell silent for a moment, as if weighing something.

Those eyes, weary from long hours at the desk, now revealed a technician's characteristic caution and inquiry.

"Young Lu Comrade," Li Jianqiang began slowly, the address shifting from 'young Comrade' to a more formal 'young Lu Comrade,' "I won't beat around the bush. In my former unit, besides handling daily technical management, I've actually been working on a project for a while."

Lu Qingshan's heart leapt to his throat; he sensed the crucial point was coming.