Chapter 37

Chapter 22: Storms Are Brewing

Today was a tumultuous day, starting with a basketball game against Mu Shan, then being caught by the principal, and finally hearing many secrets from Zuo Yuxi. Wen Liang felt dizzy and sore all over. He hurried home to take a shower and change clothes. Fortunately, Ding Mei was cooking in the kitchen, and Wen Huaiming hadn't returned from work, so no one questioned his dirty appearance, allowing Wen Liang to breathe a sigh of relief, having prepared a whole set of lies.

After dinner, Wen Huaiming finally returned from outside. He went straight to the study without a word. Ding Mei and Wen Liang looked at each other, and Wen Liang stopped his mother from going to check. He brought a cup of tea to the study, knocked on the door, and without waiting for a response, pushed it open.

Wen Huaiming was writing something under the desk lamp. Wen Liang placed the cup of tea beside him and asked, "Is there trouble with the Qinghua Factory?"

After that incident, Wen Huaiming no longer kept anything from his son. He put down his pen, rubbed his temples, and said, "The provincial opinions are divided, and the support for Zhou Yuanting is strong. Xu Piaotian, at Xu Fuyan's level, always keeps his true cards hidden. You might think you see everything, but it's probably just the tip of the iceberg. Some people you think have deep backgrounds and solid foundations are actually just bluffing and making a show of strength."

"False becomes true, and true becomes false; this is the most accurate portrayal of the political arena," Wen Liang said, knowing that his father had run to the provincial capital, Guanshan City, many times with Xu Fuyan, possibly catching some information. Wen Huaiming smiled bitterly, "I've met seven or eight officials of various ranks, from the provincial party secretary Qian, the vice governor Zhu in charge of industry, the provincial economic and trade commission director Yan, the planning commission director Wang, to the industrial department director Lin. But I have no idea who is truly willing to help Xu Fuyan. I wander around the departments during the day, and after the evening banquet, I return to the hotel, while Xu Fuyan goes somewhere unknown."

Wen Liang nodded, which was expected. Wen Huaiming's loyalty to Xu Fuyan was trusted, but his rank was too low, and he had no qualifications to be a pawn in the provincial political game. Xu Fuyan naturally wouldn't let him know too much.

After a moment's thought, Wen Liang smiled and said, "Although the Qinghua Factory is well-known in the province, it's not worth the attention of those big shots. The final decision will still be made by the Qingzhou municipal party committee and government. Therefore, whether the province supports or opposes, they won't say it outright. Taking a clear stance means taking responsibility, right?"

Wen Huaiming sighed and threw the materials he was writing to Wen Liang, saying, "So Xu Fuyan will inspect the Qinghua Factory again tomorrow. I need to prepare some materials and go with him. He might give a speech on the spot..."

"Oh?" Wen Liang raised his eyebrows, took the materials, and teased, "The 'Raising Hand Secretary' is quite bold this time, inspecting the Qinghua Factory twice in a month. This signal is quite dazzling."

"Who says it isn't?" Wen Huaiming frowned, "The opposition is so intense, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse."

Wen Liang glanced through the materials and comforted, "It's fine. After all, Xu Fuyan is the top leader. Being forced to this point is inevitable. The people's eyes are sharp. Zhou Yuanting won't dare to go too far. Public opinion is just a fart, but sometimes the sound can scare people."

Wen Huaiming glared at him, ready to scold, but Wen Liang quickly surrendered, "Alright, I know I'm wrong. Dad, the materials should include these points: state-owned enterprise reform is a gradual process, but it cannot come at the cost of the people's interests. Regardless of the reform plan for the Qinghua Factory, the first priority is to ensure that state assets are not lost. Second, the resettlement of over 3,000 employees must be fully considered. Third, the factory must turn a profit within a certain period. You can refine the content, but as long as these three points are emphasized, we will be invincible!"

Wen Huaiming, with years of experience in the political arena, understood immediately. The first point secured the political high ground, the second appealed to public sentiment, and the third set obstacles for the opposition. It was a bold and strategic move, making Zhou Yuanting feel like he had swallowed a fly, unable to say "no"!

These theories weren't particularly profound, but Wen Huaiming subconsciously didn't want to offend Zhou Yuanting deeply, leading to a cautious approach.

Wen Liang wanted to tell him that since they were at this point, there was no turning back. If Xu Fuyan took a step back, he would lose most of his control over Qingzhou, but he would still be the secretary. However, if Wen Huaiming took a step back, he couldn't expect Zhou Yuanting to leave him alone.

Therefore, to protect himself, whether for self-preservation or ambition, Wen Huaiming needed to push Xu Fuyan forward until there was no room for compromise with Zhou Yuanting.

Wen Huaiming understood Wen Liang's meaning, thought for a long time, and then slammed the table, "Let's do it!"

The next day, Xu Fuyan's speech at the Qinghua Factory caused a stir. Zhou Yuanting didn't mention it at the routine office meeting, showing his contempt. One of the main figures in the Fang faction, the municipal party committee member and propaganda minister Wei Chenfeng, even instructed the Qingzhou TV station to downplay the coverage. Xu Fuyan's 15-minute speech was edited to less than five seconds, a blatant and arrogant act. This made the forces that were considering joining Xu Fuyan retreat. It was clear that before the situation was clear, Xu Fuyan would find no support in Qingzhou.

Xu Fuyan wanted to test Zhou Yuanting's limits, but after the second move, he realized how vulnerable he was. The provincial balance was hard to break, and he lacked strong support. To change the situation, he had to fight alone in Qingzhou, but facing the massive entity that Fang Mingtang and Zhou Yuanting had built over ten years, he felt increasingly powerless.

All of this was within Wen Liang's expectations.

He encouraged his father to take these actions to force Xu Fuyan into a corner. The more difficult Xu Fuyan's situation, the more important Zuo Yuxi's support would become, and as the intermediary, Wen Liang's position would be more secure. This was a three-pronged strategy.

Everything was ready, and now he needed to find a suitable opportunity to visit Xu Yao's father, the nominal leader of Qingzhou, known as the "Raising Hand Secretary" Xu Fuyan.

This meeting was easy to arrange, but it was also as difficult as simultaneously winning over Zuo Yuxi, Xu Yao, Ning Xiaoning, and Ji Su.

On the 10th, after school, while at home pondering a strategy, Wen Liang suddenly received a call from Li Shengli, which surprised and delighted him. After almost a month, he thought Li Shengli still didn't trust his sincerity or was still struggling with his wife's betrayal. He felt relieved but also guilty, knowing he had done his best and could face Nuan Nuan.

But Li Shengli did call, and Wen Liang immediately rode his bike to his house. Since the start of the school year, he had been busy with Mu Shan, and hadn't visited Nuan Nuan, which made him feel guilty. Perhaps because of his improved mood, Li Siqing's face had regained some color, unlike the sallow complexion he saw initially. Her hair was tied back with a rubber band, and she looked more lively and enthusiastic, like a girl her age.

"Uncle Li, how can I say this... I'm glad you've come to terms with those things," Wen Liang said.

In his previous life, Li Shengli treated Wen Liang well, always bringing the best food and toys when the families visited, making the young Li Siqing jealous. In this life, helping him overcome his shadow made Wen Liang genuinely happy.

Li Shengli's hair was clean, and he wore the light blue work uniform of the agricultural machinery factory, shaved, and looked very spirited. Hearing Wen Liang's words, his eyes showed a hint of emotion, and he stroked the edge of the table, sighing, "It's been two years already. You've grown up and become more mature..."

Wen Liang felt a lump in his throat and smiled, "After resting for two years, it's time to move. Do you want to hear my plan?"

Li Shengli nodded, "Sure, go ahead."

Wen Liang pulled out a map of Qingzhou and spread it on the table, asking Li Siqing to take a pencil and draw a large circle in a certain area.

"Uncle Li, what do you see in common here?"

Li Shengli examined it carefully and pointed to a corner, "It seems the municipal industry and commerce bureau, the first construction company, the Industrial and Commercial Bank, and the power plant's residential areas are here, along with some residential neighborhoods." Then he moved his finger down, "I'm not familiar with this area. It seems it wasn't developed a few years ago..."

Wen Liang clapped his hands, "Good! That's a newly developed commercial area with few businesses and not many people working there. It looks a bit deserted now. But look at this position," he pointed with the pencil, "right at the intersection. Whether it's the people from the municipal departments or private company employees, they all have to pass through here. Regardless of their purchasing power or willingness to consume, they are all potential customers."

Li Shengli had read the breakfast shop plan Wen Liang gave him. If it weren't for the detailed explanation, he wouldn't have believed a teenager. Now, he understood immediately and slapped his thigh, "Good! Opening a restaurant here will definitely make money!"

Wen Liang smiled, "Great, we've reached a preliminary agreement—opening a restaurant! But what kind of restaurant? Why did your previous business fail?"

Li Shengli thought for a moment and said, "I've thought about this for a long time. I seem to understand, but I can't explain it clearly!"

"In my opinion, there are three main reasons. First, the foot traffic was too low. Your restaurant was near the agricultural machinery factory, mainly targeting single employees. How many people could there be? Second, the purchasing power was low, and people's willingness to consume was weak. I know those guys from the agricultural machinery factory. They can eat a steamed bun with vegetable soup and clean it all up. How much could they spend in your restaurant in a year? Third, and most importantly, you had a small business but offered too many varieties. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, buns, fried dough, steamed buns, porridge, soy milk, tofu pudding, spicy soup, noodles, stir-fried dishes, and more. You couldn't sell much in a day, but you had to stock all the ingredients. The waste cost alone was significant. How could you not lose money?"

Li Shengli was a simple and honest person. His decision to quit his job and start a business was his bravest act, influenced by Zhao Yaqing. He lost everything, including his wife. Over the past two years, he often blamed his bad luck and gave up. Today, after hearing Wen Liang's words, he truly looked at him with new respect.

Li Siqing had stopped her work, her chin resting on her hand, listening intently to Wen Liang. Although she didn't understand everything, from her father's expression, she knew Wen Liang was right. In her eleven-year-old mind, Wen Liang was the most capable person, with no exceptions.

This was the simplest form of admiration, pure and touching, without any ulterior motives or judgments, a clear and flawless appreciation.