The next morning.
A black Audi Q7 drove out of the city through the light morning mist and headed straight for the highway.
Inside the car, Chu Xiaobai sat in the passenger seat, looking exhausted. His eyes still sleepy, he said,
"Chen Yang, it's just to go see a pyrite mine, is it really necessary to leave so early? It's not even fully light yet!"
After saying that, Chu Xiaobai couldn't help but yawn again, saying,
"No, I need to take a nap..."
With that, he reclined the seat, nestled into it, and closed his eyes.
Chen Yang, driving and chuckling, said,
"Brother Xiaobai, this drive will take four or five hours! We'll arrive in Nanpu just in time for lunch, and then we can go to the site for the site visit this afternoon! If we leave any later, we'll be late!"
Chu Xiaobai, without even opening his eyes, yawned again and said,
"I'm already asleep... Don't worry about me, just drive carefully..."
Chen Yang smiled wryly, glanced at him, shook his head, and continued driving attentively.
In the back seat sat Su He and her brother Su Jun. Su Jun's eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation. He hadn't been back for a month or two and missed his classmates and friends back home. Moreover, he had brought back an acceptance letter from the Central Academy of Drama from Beijing, a triumphant return home. The Central Academy of Drama was the highest institution of performing arts! Su Jun had every reason to be proud.
In contrast, Su He's expression was much calmer. Chen Yang's strategy was correct; once Su Jun intervened, Su He quickly agreed to go back together—it was a good way to relax! Su He had always taken good care of her younger brother since childhood. Although his request was a bit strange, Su He decided to grant it. After all, her grandmother had a professional team in Rongcheng to care for her, and the two housekeepers, Wu Ma and another woman, could also help, so there was really nothing to worry about.
The car drove north along the highway. Chu Xiaobai slept soundly in the passenger seat, occasionally letting out a snore. Su He and her brother Su Jun chatted quietly in the back seat, with Chen Yang occasionally chiming in. Time passed quickly.
Before 11:00 AM, Chen Yang's car exited the highway and drove along the national road towards the county town. Around 11:15 AM, they finally saw the iconic sculpture at the south gate of the county town in the distance.
Chen Yang drove directly to the Oriental Hotel, opposite the county government guesthouse.
After Fang Xu had spoken to Han Wenhai yesterday, Han Wenhai had booked a private room at the Oriental Hotel, insisting on showing him hospitality. Unable to refuse such hospitality, Chen Yang and Chu Xiaobai naturally couldn't decline.
As soon as the car came to a stop, a man hurried down the steps from the hotel entrance to greet them.
Chen Yang was taken aback to see that it was Su He and Su Jun's uncle, Su Weimin. As Chen Yang and the others got out of the car, Su Weimin, seeing Chen Yang and his nephews and nieces all present, showed a look of surprise. After a moment of awkwardness, he said,
"Mr. Fang... Xiao He, Xiao Jun..."
He then politely nodded to Chu Xiaobai, unsure of how to address her.
It turned out that after Chen Yang and the others left Nanpu last time, Han Wenhai, who was also new to the area, had seen Su Weimin talking with Chen Yang and Fang Xu in a room that day. He deduced that Su Weimin must have some connection with them. Furthermore, after a few days of interaction, he felt that Su Weimin was a reliable and hardworking worker, and since he hadn't yet been assigned a communications officer upon arriving in Nanpu, he simply transferred Su Weimin from the county guesthouse to his side as a communications officer.
The so-called "correspondents" were essentially doing the work of secretaries. It's just that county-level leaders weren't supposed to have full-time secretaries, only the title was different; the essence was the same.
Thus, Su Weimin, somewhat bewildered, went from a lowly deputy director and guesthouse manager in the county party committee office to the secretary of Han Wenhai, the third most powerful person in the county. Although his administrative rank remained the same, his status had undergone a dramatic transformation. He could clearly feel that his previously indifferent colleagues were now looking at him differently.
Su Weimin was still grateful to Chen Yang. He knew Chen Yang hadn't told Han Wenhai about the previous incident; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep his position as guesthouse manager, let alone become a secretary. He might have been transferred to a remote township as a nominal deputy leader for life.
Having found an opportunity for advancement, Su Weimin seized it. Although Han Wenhai was a few years younger than him, Su Weimin always treated him with great respect at work and made sure to keep pace with him in everything he did. Han Wenhai had been quite satisfied with his work lately.
Today, Han Wenhai told Su Weimin that he was hosting some private friends, had booked a private room at the Oriental Hotel, and instructed Su Weimin to wait for the guests at the hotel entrance. He also gave him Chen Yang's car license plate number, but didn't specify who the guests were.
Therefore, when Su Weimin saw Chen Yang and his group getting out of the car, especially Su He and Su Jun, he was genuinely surprised. Remembering what had happened last time, he still felt quite embarrassed.
"Director Su, hello!" Chen Yang greeted him with a smile.
"Uncle!"
"Uncle!"
Su He and Su Jun also came forward to greet Su Weimin. Although there had been some unpleasantness last time because of Grandma's matter, Su He was always mild-mannered. After all, Su Weimin was her uncle, and the matter of Grandma was mainly caused by her aunt He Chunzhi, so Su He didn't give Su Weimin a hard time.
Chen Yang, with his exceptional ability to read people, quickly guessed the reason and asked with a smile:
"Director Su, did Secretary Han send you to wait for us?"
"Yes, yes!" Su Weimin quickly replied, "Secretary Han said some friends were coming, I didn't expect Mr. Fang to be here..."
Seeing that Su Weimin still looked somewhat reserved, Chen Yang understood the reason perfectly, and introduced him amiably:
"Director Su, this is Mr. Chu Xiaobai from Beijing, he is the guest of honor that Secretary Han is hosting!"
After saying that, Chen Yang turned to Chu Xiaobai and said:
"Brother Xiaobai, this is Deputy Director Su Weimin from the Nanpu County Party Committee Office, he came here specifically to wait for you!"
"Hello, Mr. Chu!" Su Weimin quickly shook hands with Chu Xiaobai to greet him.
"Secretary Han is already waiting at the hotel, Mr. Chu, Mr. Fang, please follow me!" Su Weimin said. Su Weimin led the group straight to the entrance of Lotus Pavilion, the largest private room in the banquet area of the Oriental Hotel. Chen Yang glanced at the room's name and couldn't help but turn to Su He with a smile. Su He blushed slightly; she had been a little nervous about having lunch with the county's top officials.
"Brother Dahai! Long time no see!" Upon entering, Chu Xiaobai saw Han Wenhai sitting on the sofa drinking tea and greeted him with a smile.
Han Wenhai stood up when he saw Chen Yang and the others enter and said, "Xiaobai, welcome to Nanpu!"
He then greeted Chen Yang and the others, and said with a smile, "Let's eat! You must be tired from your journey!"
Su Weimin immediately called the waiter to serve the dishes and then helped the waiter with tasks such as unfolding napkins and pouring wine. Han Wenhai, holding his wine glass, said:
"Xiao Bai, Chen Yang, I heard from Fang Xu that you guys are interested in our pyrite mine project. I want to thank you! This is a great support for our county's investment promotion efforts! Come, let me toast you with this first glass!"
The first glass was naturally shared, so everyone raised their glasses, even Su He, who doesn't drink, raised her beverage glass.
After finishing their drinks, Chu Xiaobai jokingly said,
"Brother Dahai, I've discovered that working at the grassroots level really toughens you up! You've only been in the Southeast for a short time, but I feel your whole demeanor is different from when you were at the National Development and Reform Commission. Hmm… how should I put it! You have that commanding presence of a regional warlord!"
Han Wenhai smiled wryly and said,
"Xiaobai, don't be ridiculous! Working in the ministries, I didn't know the difficulties at the grassroots level. Now I truly understand. Grassroots cadres have it tough! Everyone's asking for money, and nothing can be delayed, but the county's finances are so limited. What do you think we can do?"
Chen Yang glanced at Han Wenhai and noticed he looked much more haggard than before. As the deputy secretary of the Party Committee, Han Wenhai felt this deeply, showing he truly understood the situation. Han Wenhai paused, then continued:
"Take this pyrite mine for example! Back in the 1970s and 80s, it was a star enterprise and a major taxpayer in our county, contributing a large amount of money to the treasury every year. But in just a few short years, it's fallen into ruin. Product sales are stagnant, the machinery is outdated and unusable, and it's been losing money year after year! Sigh! This pyrite mine has become a major headache for the county party committee and government leaders; restructuring is imperative!"
At this point, Han Wenhai's expression became much more resolute. He said to Chu Xiaobai:
"Xiaobai, the county party committee is holding a standing committee meeting this afternoon, so I can't leave. I'll have Weimin accompany you to the pyrite mine. If you can really take over this project, it will be a huge help to me!"
Hearing Han Wenhai describe the pyrite mine in such a negative light, Chu Xiaobai's heart pounded: Is Chen Yang reliable? What if we end up not making any money and having our capital tied up in it? So, after hearing Han Wenhai's words, he quickly said:
"Brother Dahai, I mainly came to check things out this time. I haven't decided whether to invest or not yet..."
Chen Yang chuckled inwardly. If Chu Xiaobai knew that there was a priceless marble vein near this dilapidated pyrite mine, he wondered if he would still have this expression.
Han Wenhai didn't actually have high hopes, so he smiled and said:
"Let's go take a look first! Whether we invest or not, I'll appreciate your kindness... Weimin, this afternoon you need to take good care of the guests and ensure the service is top-notch!"
Su Weimin quickly stood up and nodded in agreement.
Han Wenhai said enthusiastically,
"You should be able to make a round trip to the pyrite mine in half a day. I'll treat you to a proper farmhouse dinner tonight!"
Chen Yang quickly replied,
"Brother Dahai, let's skip tonight. I've finally managed to get back to my hometown, and I have to return to Rongchen Guoli tomorrow. I should at least have dinner with my mother!"
Chu Xiaobai slapped his forehead and said,
"How could I forget that! Chen Yang, since Auntie is here, I should definitely pay her a visit."
Han Wenhai hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said,
"Xiaobai is right. I think we should all go to your house to visit Auntie tonight! As for dinner, Weimin can order from that farmhouse restaurant and have it delivered!"
Han Wenhai still remembered Chen Yang's request for his help with his mother. Last time time was tight, but this time there's still time. If we don't go and visit, it would be impolite.
Upon hearing that Han Wenhai was also going, Chen Yang's mind raced, and he quickly made a decision, saying with a grin:
"That's fine, we can do both! Let's do as Brother Dahai instructs!"