Chapter 51: Director of the Township Enterprise Office

"Come, come, come, Dai Dong, have a drink. Secretary Hu of Jinsha Village is a shrewd man; he won’t act unless he sees the rabbit. Asking him to raise funds for a factory is simply impossible." Hou Yong, seeing Zhu Da Dong’s interest rising, quickly urged him to have another drink. He enjoyed drinking with Zhu Da Dong, not only because they got along well, but also because he didn’t need to worry about Zhu Da Dong’s drinking capacity. No matter how much Hou Yong drank, Zhu Da Dong would never get drunk, so Hou Yong could drink freely.

Secretary Hu left a very shrewd impression on Zhu Da Dong. Although he was very polite to Zhu Da Dong, it was only because Zhu Da Dong had once been his grandson’s homeroom teacher and was now the secretary of the township government. Once it came to the interests of Jinsha Village, he seemed like a different person. That stubbornness was typical of an old party member, but insisting on such principles now would cost Jinsha Village a good opportunity.

"Brother Hou, you know Secretary Hu well?" Zhu Da Dong asked. Secretary Hu seemed easy to get along with on the surface, but he had a distant and aloof air. After hearing Zhu Da Dong’s introduction of the funds needed for the tofu factory, he had already made up his mind. The subsequent talk about profits went in one ear and out the other. For such an old-school cadre, keeping money in his pocket was the safest option.

"I’ve been in the police station for over a decade; which village secretary in the township don’t I know? If you can provide the funds to help him set up the tofu factory and ensure it makes a profit, he might be interested. Otherwise, he won’t be interested at all." Hou Yong smiled. Not just village secretaries, but anyone with a bit of fame, he knew them all. There was a joke about him: in Shumu Ridge, Hou Yong knew half the people, and the other half knew him.

"Does Secretary Hu dare to use Jinsha Village’s money to start a business, but your father dares?" Zhu Da Dong drained his glass, picked up the bottle, and refilled Hou Yong’s glass before his own.

"My father, though also a stubborn old man, is not rigid. He can still listen to what I say. And I have confidence in you." Hou Yong looked at Zhu Da Dong and said, "I really believe in you. Although you were a teacher last year and had no experience in running a business, I trust you. Maybe, as you said, it’s intuition. And I trust my intuition!"

"Alright, then I thank you, Brother Hou." Zhu Da Dong raised his glass, clinked it lightly, and drank it in one gulp.

"I should be the one to thank you on behalf of the more than two thousand villagers of Houjiatang Village." Hou Yong quickly said, "Although your goal might be to prove your ability, your intention is good, to help the people get out of poverty. And you haven’t proposed anything flashy; your plan is very practical. I think this is worth a try after hearing your plan."

Back at the township government, Zhu Da Dong saw Chen Shuli still in the office and went to report on today’s trip. Previously, Zhu Da Dong had mentioned to Chen Shuli that he wanted to find a village to pilot a project to help the people get out of poverty, but he hadn’t had a specific plan. Now, he had detailed plans for the tofu factory, including equipment, raw material procurement, product sales, and market forecasts, making his proposal more convincing.

"Your idea is good. It leverages the advantages of Shumu Ridge Township. Secretary Hu of Jinsha Village just lacks the courage. Tomorrow, you should first talk to Hou Lihua of Houjiatang Village. If he also disagrees, I’ll find another village for you." Chen Shuli listened quietly to Zhu Da Dong’s plan and then slowly said, "I’m also deeply moved. I’ve been in Shumu Ridge for five or six years, but I’ve never truly developed based on the local conditions. My current project has nothing to do with Shumu Ridge; the raw materials have to be brought from other provinces, the technology has to be introduced from Beijing, and the talent is still uncertain. Compared to you, I have a lot to learn from you."

If it weren’t for my project being almost ready, Chen Shuli thought, I might have directly implemented Zhu Da Dong’s plan as a township enterprise, funded by the township and supported by the county, expanding it several times. But now, I can only think about it. Let him try it out first. Young people have the drive and the courage; I should give him this opportunity.

"Having your support, I feel much more at ease." Zhu Da Dong said happily.

"Zhu, the director of the township enterprise management office has always been concurrently held by Old Pan. Do you have any interest in taking on this responsibility?" Chen Shuli, wanting to give Zhu Da Dong an opportunity, thought it would be appropriate for him to take on this role. The enterprise management office in Shumu Ridge Township was basically defunct, with only one enterprise, the old white spirit distillery, which Zhu Da Dong often visited. The distillery didn’t need the enterprise management office for coordination, and the office’s only function was to collect management fees from the distillery each month. If not for this, the office wouldn’t even be necessary.

"Is that appropriate?" Zhu Da Dong’s heart skipped a beat. Although the enterprise management office wasn’t an important department, it was a perfect identity for him at this stage. With this title, it would be much easier to discuss the tofu factory with the village.

Old Pan, one of the three deputy township heads, was in charge of agriculture. His relationship with Chen Shuli was similar to that between Li Jin and Yuan Ping. Shumu Ridge Township was primarily an agricultural economy, and the deputy township head in charge of agriculture was the most important, equivalent to a vice-county head.

"What’s inappropriate about it? We’ll have a meeting tomorrow to finalize this. With this title, you can better handle the tofu factory project." Chen Shuli waved his hand, and the matter was settled.

The next day, the matter was confirmed. Pan Daoyi didn’t care much about the enterprise management office; it was optional for him to hold the position. So when Chen Shuli mentioned it, he readily agreed. With Pan Daoyi not objecting, no one else dared to say anything. Besides, this was proposed by Chen Shuli, and everyone knew Zhu Da Dong’s status in Chen Shuli’s eyes, so no one wanted to risk it.

Moreover, the enterprise management office wasn’t an important department. Apart from collecting management fees from the distillery each month, it had no other functions. The position of director was a very idle one, which was another reason no one objected.

But Zhu Da Dong saw it differently. After receiving the official notice, he nailed a sign for the enterprise management office on the door of his office. Originally, the director of the enterprise management office was concurrently held by Pan Daoyi, who didn’t have a dedicated office. So after taking over, Zhu Da Dong moved the office to his own.