Liu Jun returned to the company in low spirits, seeing Luo Qing hanging around the R&D center again, holding several temporary access passes for him to sign. Liu Jun grabbed Luo Qing into his office—he wanted to consult this clever person who had worked in government agencies for two years about how he should get that piece of land he had his eye on. At the same time, he called Yang Li to ask if Yang Xun had already begun taking action. Yang Li’s answer was straightforward: yes, and now that piece of land had become a treasure site where everyone would cross the sea by their means. Liu Jun had known this would be the answer. If the Yang family hadn’t been paying close attention to that piece of land, Yang Li wouldn’t have known in such detail whether the land was in front of or behind the temple. So it was predictable that Yang Xun would naturally rush to the science and technology park the moment he learned of the small temple’s collapse.
Luo Qing listened from the side while arranging several access passes in front of Liu Jun for his signature. Liu Jun had consulted him before about buying that piece of land in the science and technology park, so he understood what the phone conversation was about. “Is there a better project competing with you for the land?”
Liu Jun told Luo Qing the whole story in detail, then analyzed: “Currently, I only know that Yang Xun is competing for it, but who knows who else might join if this drags on. Looking at the projects, I’m already a certified high-tech enterprise, and I’m going there to establish an R&D center, so I have advantages in this aspect. Yang Xun comes from a commercial background, or maybe Yang Xun will find a technical project to move in? But Yang Xun’s ultimate purpose in getting that land isn’t to do technology projects.”
“It’s possible that Yang Xun would first use a project with technological content to acquire the land, then, after the rice is cooked, find ways to change the land use. Someone like him, having worked in that field for so many years, going to places like the planning bureau is like going home. Ultimately, it depends on the management committee’s choice. But judging from how they immediately began changing the planning and politely declined Manager Liu’s payment, Manager Liu’s project doesn’t have an advantage in their minds. Now there are only two paths: wait, or give up.”
Liu Jun couldn’t help but sigh. “Society doesn’t value scientific research and innovation—fine, everyone go into business or become civil servants. But since it’s called a science and technology park, there should be some policy preference, right?” Yet Liu Jun himself didn’t believe anyone would show preference for him. Society ignoring or overlooking Tengfei was normal; those who valued it were unusual, like Song Yunhui. “But the company’s expansion won’t wait. I don’t want to change the timeline of my plans. This waiting—who knows how long it will take. Luo Qing, help me make some inquiries?”
“Alright. But Manager Liu, I dare to suggest that if that piece of land is troublesome, you could consider other plots. You don’t need to stubbornly insist on that one out of spite. You’re different from Yang Xun and his kind—you urgently need the land and can’t afford to drag this out.”
Liu Jun knew Luo Qing was right, but the problem was that he was now angry that Yang Xun had appeared halfway through and ruined his plans, leaving him frustrated. But what was even more frustrating was that he knew deeply that if Yang Xun wanted that land, what “crossing the sea by their means”—there would be no share for him, Liu Jun. He was no match for Yang Xun, unless the science and technology park management committee inexplicably showed mercy, and that probability was extremely small. Therefore, he didn’t even qualify to be stubborn. Using words learned in childhood to describe it, he could only slink away with his tail between his legs—this was the only so-called rational attitude Liu Jun should have when meeting Yang Xun on a narrow path, and this made him even more internally injured. Luo Qing was being generous when he advised him not to be stubborn.
But to speak of giving up was so hard to voice.
“Alright, I’ll take another look. Luo Qing, although I continue to sign temporary access passes for you, spending a lot of time on technical research is meaningless for you right now. You should do what an administrative person should do and can’t have other distractions. You chose this path yourself, and you must walk it responsibly without being half-hearted.”
“I think so too. But although my official career is going well, I feel empty inside, never as grounded as before. Sometimes I ask myself what value I’m creating for society.”
“Haha, I’ve brainwashed you. Luo Qing, I still advise you not to be half-hearted in your work. Even if you get your wish and return to Tengfei to do technical work, can you guarantee you won’t miss the benefits of government work? Why are you laughing? You think it’s absurd too, don’t you? You’re rarely an ambitious young person who can understand enterprises’ difficulties. Do your job well and speak well for our enterprises in the future—that’s also creating value. These days, there are too few government workers who come from enterprise backgrounds. I recently met a young female civil servant who immediately said that private enterprises think about tax evasion and exploiting policy loopholes every day, with very poor standards. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. You wouldn’t be like that—I’m still waiting for people like you to be in power.”
“To tell the truth, there are many ambitious young people like me in government offices. Many people want to do something substantial. But… let’s take the science and technology park as an example. Government offices are administrative units, that’s right, but government operations are similar to enterprises—the same seven daily necessities, and administration also needs costs and money. So, where does the government’s money come from? Taxes and fees. So the management committee has a tendency in mind, which is to try to attract enterprises with good tax expectations. Because the country implemented the tax-sharing system last century, the major portion of tax revenue was taken by national finances, local finances are generally tight, and local countermeasures are on one hand to lobby the central government—so-called ‘running to departments brings money’—and on the other hand to increase tax collection efforts, introducing and cultivating major taxpayers within their jurisdiction as much as possible. At the same time, as you know, without supervision or restraint, that small tendency in the management committee’s heart inevitably grows unchecked. In such an environment, when you work in government offices, you end up making the same choices—people have the same hearts. Therefore, putting Tengfei’s R&D center together with the asset-rich Yang Xun, what will the management committee choose? They’re sincere in their regret, but they can only say sorry to you. Because among domestic R&D centers, how many have money prospects?”
This was an indisputable reality. Luo Qing’s explanation extinguished the last small flame of hope in Liu Jun’s heart. It seemed he shouldn’t count on anything—only self-reliance remained.
“Let me provide you with some perspective-switching thoughts on why I’m fixated on that piece of land in the science and technology park. I also have the same seven daily necessities here—ultimately, I’m just a head steward. Our enterprise’s personnel composition is different from other enterprises. We focus more on people. The R&D center’s researchers are the company’s treasures, and I need to create the best employment environment for these treasures to retain them. If the company only had simple manufacturing and processing, I’d open the factory in a mountain area for more peace of mind—after all, workers nowadays mostly come from all over the country, so it’s the same wherever they settle. But researchers are different. Most researchers are middle-aged with families to support. They need convenient living environments and good school districts for their children’s education—only cities can provide these better. Researchers also have higher demands for spiritual life, which only cities can satisfy. Creating these conditions requires both household registration and money. So I favor the science and technology park, where the collective household registration belongs to the urban area. As a high-tech enterprise, our company can use policies to introduce scarce talent to handle urban collective household registration for our researchers. Then, when researchers buy houses in the urban area in the future, transferring from urban collective household registration to their urban house registration is very convenient. If it were suburban collective household registration, it wouldn’t be so easy. There’s also my company’s consideration—research work is different from regular office hours. Sometimes, when inspiration strikes, but it’s time for the company shuttle bus, if you don’t take the bus, you have to stay in the company dormitories, but if you take the bus, tomorrow you won’t have that excitement anymore. If the workplace were in the high-tech zone, this problem wouldn’t exist. There’s an urban public transportation network there, not like the current urban-rural public transport in this industrial zone that stops running before 6 PM. There’s also the issue of client reception. This is no longer an era where good wine doesn’t fear deep alleys. Nowadays, no matter how good the wine is, you have to put the storefront in a bustling area. There are many other reasons—trivial details, right? But managing an enterprise requires considering such tedious matters. Even though you come from an enterprise background, if you’re not in that position, you wouldn’t understand these things.”
Of course, Liu Jun kept to himself considerations like how land in the science and technology park, though peripheral, still belonged to the urban area and could be more easily mortgaged to banks for loans at good prices. There was no need to spell out every detail. But even just these points were enough to make Luo Qing sigh with emotion—so a boss needed to consider so much, in such detail. In government offices, they always said they served the people and were practically the people’s nannies, with too many things to manage in all aspects. But government offices had so many departments and people who could manage things by categories. A factory, however, had only a few administrative personnel. The smaller the enterprise, the more administrative staff had to be know-it-alls. It was clear that small bosses were even more exhausted.
Although Liu Jun had given up hope for that piece of land in the science and technology park, he still called every few days to inquire, treating a dead horse as if it were alive. Meanwhile, Dong Qiyang finally arranged to bid farewell to Liu Jun. He had found a new employer and peacefully parted with the Shen family. Liu Jun asked Dong Qiyang why he didn’t become a boss himself, with his skills, starting his own business would be twice as effective. Dong Qiyang disagreed and asked Liu Jun in return if he hadn’t had enough of being a small boss. This perceptive person hit the nail on the head with one remark, leaving Liu Jun with infinite emotion. When his father had initially lured him into these murky waters, even if he had grown three heads and six arms, he never would have imagined that managing an enterprise would be so complicated. Now, it was difficult to extricate himself. But Dong Qiyang was leaving, and no matter how much he tried to mediate between Shen Huadong and Dong Qiyang, it was useless—one mountain couldn’t contain two tigers. In the past, he had received much guidance from Dong Qiyang in management, especially marketing management. With Dong Qiyang’s departure, opportunities for consultation would be minimal. He spoke frankly to Dong Qiyang, saying it was a pity that Tengfei was currently too small, otherwise, he would never let Dong Qiyang go. Dong Qiyang felt comforted hearing this—this was a rare bit of warmth during his melancholy departure from Shi Yiji. As the two men drank and bid farewell, Dong Qiyang looked at Liu Jun and thought that sometimes people didn’t need to be too calculating. Straightforward people were likeable, and the help gained from being likeable was enough to offset the harm avoided by being calculating. For instance, he quite liked Liu Jun, knowing this person was consistent in word and deed, someone he could safely associate with and entrust with matters. Whether Liu Jun was at odds with Yang Xun or on good terms with Shen Huadong didn’t affect his judgment of Liu Jun. Dong Qiyang secretly thought that perhaps there could be new interactions in the future, hoping Liu Jun’s future development would flourish.
As the weather turned cold again, Jia Li, who didn’t like exercise and loved staying home, and little Xiao Suihua inevitably caught colds again. But Qian Hongming was focused on his affairs in Shanghai, beyond his reach. Of course, Liu Jun also knew that Qian Hongming had another nest in Shanghai, possibly more than one. So it was still Liu Jun who was called by Jia Li’s phone in the middle of the night to drive the mother and daughter to the hospital. Watching Jia Li, who was burning with fever and had a runny nose and tears but still insisted on smiling apologetically at him, still insisted on trying her best to take care of Xiao Suihua to avoid troubling Liu Jun more, Liu Jun could only curse Qian Hongming in his heart while helping even more wholeheartedly. He didn’t even dare to say a word in front of Jia Li about what use such a husband was, fearing it would add insult to injury.
Ultimately, of course, they were sent to the injection room for IV drips again. Liu Jun held the exhausted and sleeping Xiao Suihua for Jia Li, constantly watching the feverish and dozing Jia Li beside him, idly thinking about his concerns. The injection room of the maternity and children’s hospital was as chaotic as chickens flying and dogs jumping, so Liu Jun didn’t notice an unexpected person’s approach. Only when Yang Xun patted his shoulder did he see that Yang Xun was already sitting steadily beside him. After their falling out, this was the first time Liu Jun had observed Yang Xun at such close range. He had gotten fatter, like other bosses, his face showing prosperity. Prosperous faces easily appeared kind and benevolent, and Yang Xun was no exception, except that Yang Xun’s temples had added quite a bit of gray hair.