In the blink of an eye, it was winter. The earth was frozen, and snow drifted for miles. The scene was enchanting.
Lunar New Year, as a traditional Chinese festival, was especially grand. Almost since the beginning of the month, every family had started preparing for the new year. Farmers who had been working hard for the past year looked forward to the Lunar New Year reunion. They took out a large portion of their savings to "reward" their families. For them, a decent Lunar New Year was the greatest happiness.
According to the requirements of the Eastern State government, all the coal mines in the city had to stop production early this year. This was half a month earlier than previous years. The coal market was booming. Stopping production for a day was a huge loss. This made many coal mine owners unhappy and anxious. Some dared to secretly mine against the pressure and were given the most severe punishment by the city. They were fined one million RMB and once again stated that anyone who dared to commit a crime would be severely punished.
Although Lu Yiwei was puzzled by the Eastern State's actions, he still obeyed. Two days before the workers went on holiday, he arrived at Dongcheng Coal Mine early.
That year, under the management of Pan Chengjun, Dongcheng Coal Mine did not have a single coal mine accident. The turnover doubled, and the profits reached an unprecedented result, approaching the 20 million mark.
Lu Yiwei did not even dare to think about this result. He did not even know what 20 million meant. And all this wealth belonged to him alone.
Years ago, when he planted the orchard and earned 70,000 RMB, he was so excited that he could not sleep at night. But now, it was more than 200 times that. It was a fantasy and unbelievable.
He knew that he had two people to thank for today's results.
First, he should thank Zhang Zhiyuan. If he had not pulled the strings to sell the land for the cannery, there would be no Dongcheng Coal Mine today. He would never forget this kindness.
Once again, he had to thank Pan Chengjun. Pan Chengjun was born with a mind for business. He was a rare management genius and a business expert. He had given up the northern market and opened up a new world in the south. In this aspect, the people of West River could not compare to him. It was because of his unique insight, advanced thinking, and ingenuity that the once dying Dongcheng Coal Mine was revived and became a key coal mine in Andu County and even Eastern State.
If there was anyone to thank, it should be Xiao Yang. Over the past year, he had taken special care of the Dongcheng Coal Mine, preventing the harassment of the relevant departments and allowing everything to operate normally.
Li Haidong's year had been fruitful, carefree, and glorious. He used to be a hooligan, but now he had become a tycoon. He wore branded goods from head to toe. His car changed from a Mitsubishi to a BMW, and he built a three-story bungalow in the county. He was very proud. Pan Chengjun, on the other hand, was still the same as before. He was dressed plainly and kept a low profile, but he was much thinner than before.
After learning that Lu Yiwei was coming, Li Haidong made preparations in advance. He specially went to the provincial capital to buy a foot-long lobster and a protected wild animal, the pangolin. He invited a chef from a five-star hotel in the provincial capital to cook in the coal mine. The meal cost at least 10,000 yuan.
Pan Chengjun did not agree with Li Haidong's way of doing things, but he could only turn a blind eye. After all, he was in charge of logistics. Besides, his relationship with Lu Yiwei was there, so it would be useless to say too much.
After Lu Yiwei arrived, Pan Chengjun and Li Haidong personally went downstairs to welcome him, as if he was receiving a leader.
Lu Yiwei tried to reduce the number of times he came to the coal mine. Since its establishment, he had been there five or six times at most. Usually, he would do it remotely by phone to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After seeing the changes in the two, Lu Yiwei laughed and said, "Old Pan, I haven't seen you for a long time. You're getting thinner, and Haidong is getting fatter. Look at his belly, it's bulging like a ball. I bet you can't even see his toes when you look down."
Li Haidong had indeed gained weight. His face was bigger, his neck thicker, and his waist thicker. He scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "It's said that middle-aged people get fat easily. Plus, I drink every day and don't exercise, so I naturally become like this. Hehe, looks like I'm on a diet."
"What diet? It's good to be like this!" Lu Yiwei laughed and said, "You used to be as thin as a stick, and you would run away when the wind blew. A man only looks rich when he's fat."
"Hehe …" Li Haidong didn't say anything and just giggled.
The few of them chatted for a while, and Pan Chengjun went straight to the point. He took out a year's account book and handed it to Lu Yiwei and said, "Yiwei, I'll report the situation of the coal mine to you first …"
Unexpectedly, Lu Yiwei didn't even look at it and threw the account book to Pan Chengjun. "What's there to look at? We still have these, so I trust you guys a hundred percent."
Unexpectedly, Pan Chengjun said in a serious tone, "Yiwei, this is this. Even blood brothers have to calculate their accounts clearly, let alone such a big company. If you were the chairman of the company and I was the general manager, I would have to report the income and expenses of the year to you."
Seeing that Pan Chengjun was unusually serious, Lu Yiwei was stunned for a while, then nodded and said, "Alright, go ahead."
Pan Chengjun then gave a detailed report on the operation of the coal mine for the past year. Especially the expenses, when and how much money was spent, everything was listed out one by one.
It was fine if Dong Xuebing didn't listen, but he was shocked when he heard it. After listening, Lu Yiwei couldn't help but frown. Just the logistics alone had spent more than two million RMB, which was out of his expectations.
Pan Chengjun saw Lu Yiwei frown and knew why he was like this. He glanced at Li Haidong and said, "Yiwei, the logistics expenditure is indeed a bit high, but it includes all kinds of connections."
Li Haidong quickly added, "Yes, yes, yes, Brother Lu, what Old Pan said is right. From the village to the province, all the leaders have to be bribed. Not only our coal mine, but all the other coal mines. I asked around and found out that we didn't spend a lot of money. "
Lu Yiwei stared at Li Haidong for a few seconds, and his smile returned to his face. "What are you talking about? It's not like I don't want you to spend. Don't let this small amount of money ruin the big picture. When we started the coal mine, we agreed that I won't be involved, and you two will be in charge. "
Li Haidong heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Old Pan, did you hear that? I told you, Brother Lu is a loyal person. He's not a stingy person. Everything we do is for the sake of the coal mine."
Pan Chengjun smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Yes, yes."
Although Lu Yiwei didn't have the Golden Eyes Fiery Eyes, he was good at reading people's expressions. He could tell that Pan Chengjun was holding back his words, and Li Haidong seemed to be hiding something. At this moment, he couldn't ask any questions, and he couldn't hold on to the problem. He just laughed it off.
According to the original agreement, Li Haidong would be paid in the form of salary, and Pan Chengjun would get some shares in addition to his salary. On this point, Lu Yiwei would not go back on his word. After thinking about it, he didn't want to be so strict. They were all on the same side, and it would be too much to be too serious. In order to prevent Li Haidong from thinking too much, he raised the salary standard. Each of them would get 50,000 yuan a month, and 600,000 yuan a year. Both of them didn't have any objections to this standard.
After the meal, Lu Yiwei had a chat with Pan Chengjun.
The two of them were like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they had endless things to talk about.
Lu Yiwei said, "Old Pan, it's been hard on you for the past two years. It's mostly because of you that we can achieve what we have today. I'm very grateful to you, really."
Pan Chengjun shook his head as he smoked and said, "Yiwei, don't say such nonsense every time we meet. My ears are getting calluses. I've said it before, without you, Lu Yiwei, I wouldn't be where I am today. Everything I've done is not only to realize my ideals and ambitions, but also to be grateful. "
Lu Yiwei was filled with emotions after hearing those words. He was a man of temperament, and it was easy for him to become irrational when it came to emotional entanglements. He couldn't be considered as a close brother with Pan Chengjun, nor did he have a deep relationship with him. He just relied on his hot-bloodedness and trust to leave this mess to him. With Pan Chengjun's wisdom, it was more than enough to trick him. Even if he poached away a large piece of the wall, he could do it without revealing any flaws. However, he didn't.
Lu Yiwei took out a bank card from his pocket and pushed it in front of Pan Chengjun with two fingers, saying, "I can't say much in front of Haidong just now. I'll keep my promise and give you 5% of the profits. There's 2 million in here. Part of it is the shares you deserve, and the other part is an extra reward."
Pan Chengjun became nervous when he heard such a huge amount. He quickly pushed the bank card over and said, "Yiwei, I can't take this money. If I followed you for the money, I could've contracted the coal mine myself. You've already given me enough. "
Lu Yiwei stood up and forcefully stuffed the money into Pan Chengjun's pocket. He covered his pocket and pretended to be angry, saying, "I told you to take it, so take it. Don't talk nonsense with me. You deserve it."
"No, no, it's too much!" Pan Chengjun forcefully took it out of his pocket and returned it to Lu Yiwei, saying, "I really can't. If you insist on doing this, you're underestimating me."
Lu Yiwei didn't let it go. He stuffed it back into his pocket again and said softly, "Can you not take it? If Haidong sees it, what will happen? Put it away!"
Seeing Lu Yiwei's tough attitude, Pan Chengjun had no choice but to accept it. He was touched and said, "Yiwei, what you're doing is a little …"
Pan Chengjun was so emotional that he couldn't speak. His eyes were filled with tears. He choked and said, "Yiwei, you've actually done a good job. To be honest, I'm not as meticulous as you. You give my mother money on time every month. Even as her son, I can't do that! Sigh! "
Lu Yiwei knew about Pan Chengjun's family situation. There was no one else in the family except for his old mother. In order to let Pan Chengjun work at ease, he specially told Li Ermao to give his mother 3,000 yuan a month as living expenses. Li Ermao was very responsible and gave the money on the first of every month.
Lu Yiwei waved his hand and said, "This is what I should do. Your mother is living a poor life alone, and it's time for her to enjoy it for a few days. Our son isn't around, and you're busy with work. It's only right for me to bear the responsibility of being your son. She's your mother, and also my mother. "
Pan Chengjun bent over the table and cried. Lu Yiwei didn't try to persuade him. He knew how Pan Chengjun had been through all these years. Men don't cry easily. Once the softest part is touched, no matter how tough a man is, he will vent the depression and depression in his heart.
Pan Chengjun had experienced a few ups and downs. If it was someone else, they would have collapsed long ago. However, Pan Chengjun was flexible and could put down his identity as a coal boss to work in the coal mine, waiting for a comeback. With such tenacity, Pan Chengjun was made for great things.
After crying for a while, Pan Chengjun raised his head and wiped his tears. "I'm sorry."
Lu Yiwei passed him a tissue and said, "This is nothing. I also cry when I'm wronged. It's just that no one sees it. Who said that men can't cry? "
Pan Chengjun smiled and didn't say anything.
After a while, Lu Yiwei said, "The coal mine is going to stop production soon, and it's in time for the New Year. Before the New Year, you should run up and down. Just do what you need to do and follow the market of other coal mines. Don't break the rules. "
"Mm." Pan Chengjun nodded. "I'll do it in two days."
"Mm, the sooner the better. When you're done, you can go home early and spend more time with your mother. Have a good New Year." Lu Yiwei said, "If it's possible, buy a house in the city and get married."
Pan Chengjun wanted to say something when he heard Lu Yiwei's concern for him, but he kept nodding.
"Alright, let's cut the crap. We'll continue to work together next year, and our benefits will only increase." After saying that, he got up to leave.
"Wait!" Pan Chengjun stopped Lu Yiwei. He stuttered for a long time, not knowing what to say.
Lu Yiwei was puzzled. "Old Pan, what do you want to say? Just say it. As long as I can do it, I won't say no. "
"I … I …"
Lu Yiwei noticed something was wrong with Pan Chengjun the moment he arrived. Pan Chengjun looked distracted and out of sorts. He asked eagerly, "What is it? Just say it."
Pan Chengjun closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and gathered his courage. "Yiwei, we might not be able to continue working together next year …"
"What?" Lu Yiwei was shocked. He stood up immediately. "Old Pan, what did you say?"
Pan Chengjun didn't dare to look at Lu Yiwei. He lowered his head. "I might have to leave Dongcheng Coal Mine."
"Why?" Lu Yiwei was agitated. He couldn't believe this was real. He walked up to Pan Chengjun and stared at him. "Why? Give me a reason. Do you think the benefits are not good enough? This is negotiable. How about this, I'll give you another million on top of the original. What do you think? "
"No, no, no. It's not about the money, but …" Pan Chengjun couldn't say it.
"Then what is it?" Pan Chengjun's sudden departure caught Lu Yiwei off guard. "We had an agreement. You will work for me for three years. I won't stop you if you want to leave after three years. If you want to open a coal mine somewhere else, I can fully support you. "
"Yiwei, I'm sorry. I might have to break the agreement." Pan Chengjun said shamefully. "To tell you the truth, when I returned home a while ago, my mother was seriously ill. I brought her to the hospital for a checkup. It was early stage stomach cancer. The doctor said she wouldn't live for more than a year. I'm not a good son. I haven't been filial for a day, so … "
Lu Yiwei was stunned. He didn't know what to say. After a while, he said, "Then you can bring my mother over. I'll find the best doctor to treat her."
Pan Chengjun knew that Lu Yiwei didn't want him to leave. "I've thought about it, but my mother doesn't want to leave the village. She doesn't want to die outside. So … I'll go home to accompany her. I'll come back to you in a hundred years. "
"This …" Lu Yiwei touched his forehead. He couldn't say anything. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. My mother's health is important. But if you leave, what about me? You can recommend someone to me. "
Pan Chengjun shook his head. "This … I'll leave it to you. Besides, I don't have any suitable people around me."
Lu Yiwei couldn't imagine who would be able to keep this stall if Pan Chengjun wasn't around. After a while, he said, "Do you think Haidong can do it?"
Pan Chengjun said vaguely. "Haidong has matured a lot after a period of training, but he's still lacking in many areas. But I believe he can do it."
Without a reliable candidate, this was the only way.
Lu Yiwei said emotionally, "Old Pan, I feel empty when you leave. I really don't want you to leave."
Pan Chengjun forced a smile. "It's not like I won't come back. I'll come back to see you when I have time."
"Deal!" Lu Yiwei gritted his teeth. "When you go back, take your mother to see a doctor. If Fujian can't do it, go to Capital. If Capital can't do it, go abroad. Don't worry about money. Just take as much as you need."
"That's enough."
Lu Yiwei's eyes were red. He stood up and walked over to give him a hug. "Old Pan, even if you leave, we'll always be good brothers."
"Yes, good brother!"
Pan Chengjun's departure was undoubtedly a great loss to Lu Yiwei. Could Li Haidong take up the mantle? It was a big question mark in his mind. But in the face of death, he had to let go. But was it really the case? Pan Chengjun had a lot to say, but he didn't dare to say it. The truth of the matter was all because of Li Haidong.
Lu Yiwei had asked Li Haidong to help out in the coal mine for two reasons. First, it was for experience. Second, it was for personal reasons. He hoped that Li Haidong could supervise Pan Chengjun. After all, he was an outsider. And he had worked with Li Haidong for many years. He knew him very well. He didn't think that he would be able to change anything. However, Li Haidong had changed.
Li Haidong's state of mind had changed along with the benefits of the coal mine. In the beginning, when the coal mine had just made a little profit, he was already a little impatient and wanted to buy a luxury car. Pan Chengjun didn't agree, but when it came to Lu Yiwei, he agreed and bought it in the blink of an eye.
At the end of the first year, Lu Yiwei gave him 300,000, while Pan Chengjun received 1 million. This made him feel very unbalanced. Why did he get so much, and I only got so little? But under pressure from Lu Yiwei, he didn't dare to show it.
This year, the price of coal rose, and Li Haidong became more and more arrogant. Especially after seeing that the other coal mine owners were living very freely, he also became impetuous. He always found all kinds of excuses to satisfy his own selfish desires. Pan Chengjun was a righteous person. He rejected many of Li Haidong's requests and asked him to discuss it with Lu Yiwei. Li Haidong didn't dare to do that, so he quarreled with Pan Chengjun many times.
Once, the two of them fought over a sum of money, and Li Haidong slapped Pan Chengjun twice. Pan Chengjun endured it and didn't tell Lu Yiwei.
Seeing that Pan Chengjun didn't say anything, Li Haidong became more and more daring. He often bypassed Pan Chengjun and used all kinds of excuses to spend money. When Lu Yiwei first arrived in Black Mountain County, he proposed to buy a BMW for Lu Yiwei, and Pan Chengjun agreed without hesitation. In fact, he knew what Lu Yiwei was thinking. Even if he drove it, he didn't dare to drive it. Sure enough, when he drove it, it was immediately sent back. Naturally, it became his car.
In addition, he often socialized and spent lavishly outside. Those who didn't know him would think that he was the boss of Dongcheng Coal Mine. Furthermore, he had even managed to get money from them to fill his own pockets. In just over a year, he had earned at least a million.
Pan Chengjun was very clear about Li Haidong's various misdeeds. He even knew that Li Haidong had three women outside and bought two houses in the provincial capital. However, some things couldn't be said. After all, the two of them were closer than he was. To put it bluntly, he was an outsider, and Li Haidong was a true brother. Wasn't the reason why Li Haidong was sent to the coal mine to supervise him?
Once, when Li Haidong was drunk, his friends took advantage of the fact that he was drunk and egged him on. Why did they let an outsider be the mine manager and not him? Because of that, Li Haidong had this idea.
Since then, Li Haidong went against Pan Chengjun in every way. Once, he directly fell out with him and asked him to get lost. Moreover, his words were hurtful. He said that Li Haidong had taken a fancy to Lu Yiwei's money, embezzled a lot of it, and refused to leave like a dog … After receiving such a great insult, if it weren't for the agreement with Lu Yiwei, he would have left long ago. But now, he had no choice but to leave.
His old mother was indeed sick. Pan Chengjun also wanted to go home and spend more time with his mother. It was a good excuse to get away.
The current situation was completely caused by Lu Yiwei. His distrust of Pan Chengjun and his excessive indulgence of Li Haidong caused the former allies to go their separate ways.
The reason why Li Haidong became like this, other than Lu Yiwei's favoritism, was that his original bad habits were hard to get rid of.
Li Haidong had been an orphan since he was young. Later on, he became a gambling addict because of his idleness. If it weren't for Lu Yiwei who pitied him and helped him, he probably wouldn't be able to imagine what would happen to him now.
Lu Yiwei was really good to him. He earned his first bucket of gold from the orchard and built a house for him in the village. Later on, when they were about to get married, he bought a house in the county town. All the expenses of the wedding were borne by Lu Yiwei. He also helped his brother-in-law settle his job. This was not something an ordinary person could do.
However, Li Haidong's nature was hard to change. After he became rich, he gradually became arrogant and tried to take over the coal mine. He knew that once Pan Chengjun left, the coal mine would be his.
He dared to kill Pan Chengjun, but he didn't have the guts to do that to Lu Yiwei. He always maintained a respectful heart and carefully maintained the relationship between the two.
If he pushed Pan Chengjun away, he would have succeeded. Now it seemed that he had succeeded.
Did Lu Yiwei really not know about Li Haidong's actions? In fact, that was not the case.
When he was in the Party School of the Provincial Party Committee, Li Ermao worked in the mine for almost a year. Some things kept coming to his ears, but he didn't say anything after listening to them.
Li Haidong had lived a poor life since he was young. Now that he had money, it was natural for him to enjoy himself. He didn't know if it was Li Haidong, but weren't other nouveau riche the same? Therefore, he turned a blind eye and let Li Haidong live freely. However, the result of excessive indulgence directly forced Pan Chengjun to leave.
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