After leaving Pan Chengjun's room, Lu Yiwei walked into Li Haidong's dormitory.
Li Haidong had drunk quite a bit that night. His face and neck were red as he laid on the sofa, watching TV. His mind was completely focused on the room next door, eager to know what they were talking about. He had wanted to eavesdrop a few times, but he resisted the urge.
"Brother Lu, come and sit!" After Lu Yiwei came in, Li Haidong sat up like a carp. Even though there was no dust on the sofa, he still patted it with his hand and grinned.
Lu Yiwei sat down with a solemn expression, lit a cigarette, and stared at Li Haidong. He had yet to recover from the shock of Pan Chengjun's departure. His heart was in a mess, and he had mixed feelings.
Being stared at by Lu Yiwei, Li Haidong felt extremely uncomfortable. He thought that Pan Chengjun had told him everything he had done, and was thinking about how to explain it.
"Brother Lu, have some tea!" Li Haidong carefully brought the teacup over and said, "I know I did some things wrong. If you're angry, scold me, or hit me."
Lu Yiwei came back to his senses and let out a long sigh. "Haidong, Old Pan is leaving."
"Ah? Why? " Hearing that Pan Chengjun was leaving, Li Haidong was secretly delighted. However, he still pretended to be surprised and said, "Brother Lu, Old Pan can't leave. What will happen to the coal mine if he leaves?"
Lu Yiwei shook his head helplessly. "That's what I said, but his mother is seriously ill. I can't force him to stay, sigh!"
"Yes, yes, that's easy!" Li Haidong said casually. "I'll make a trip to Fujian tomorrow and bring his mother over."
"Forget it," Lu Yiwei sighed. "Old Pan wants to show his filial piety, but we can't be unjust. Let him be. As for the coal mine, let me think about it. "
Li Haidong's heart tightened as he panicked. The fact that Lu Yiwei said that he would think about it and not hand it over to him meant that he was still worried about him. Against his will, he said, "Brother Lu, I think it's better if you come back and do it."
"Are you kidding me? Do you think I can get away?" Lu Yiwei said, "Old Pan is leaving, and we can't be ungrateful. Let's give him something in the name of the coal mine as a reward. What do you think we should give her? "
Li Haidong felt sour in his heart. He knew that in addition to the salary, there would be additional rewards. He didn't know the exact amount, but it would definitely not be low. Now, you want to give gifts? Who is your brother here? Although he thought about it, he still said, "You should give me something. How much do you think it's worth?"
"The amount of money doesn't matter. What matters is the thought," Lu Yiwei said.
Li Haidong thought for a while but did not know what to give him. "Why don't we buy him a car?"
"That's fine too." Lu Yiwei nodded. "I don't know if he'll like it."
Li Haidong said, "In my opinion, Old Pan doesn't care about gifts. He's in desperate need of a wife. He's in his forties and still single. That's not a good thing."
Li Haidong's words hit the nail on the head, but Lu Yiwei thought of something else. He remembered that Old Pan had said that he had a daughter. If he calculated, she should be in her twenties now, but there had been no news of her until now. If he could find his daughter, it might be the biggest gift he could give him. But the world was so big. Finding someone was easier said than done.
Even if it was difficult, Lu Yiwei decided to give it a try. He said, "Haidong, did Old Pan mention his daughter to you?"
"Yes!" Li Haidong said, "Old Pan would tell me how beautiful his daughter was when he was drunk. He hasn't seen her for almost ten years. I don't think he can even remember what she looks like."
"Are there any valuable clues?"
"That … I'm not sure." Li Haidong said, "But I remember he has a photo of his daughter when she was young."
"Oh."
Lu Yiwei made a mental note.
After a while, Lu Yiwei said, "The coal mine is about to stop production. Old Pan will be leaving in two days. Since we can't find a suitable candidate, I'll leave all the affairs of the coal mine to you."
Hearing this, Li Haidong immediately beamed with joy. He pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Brother Lu, I don't understand."
"Then what did you learn from Old Pan in the past two years? Did you learn to indulge in debauchery, smoking, and drinking?" Lu Yiwei said somewhat angrily.
"Alright then." Li Haidong 'reluctantly' agreed. "Brother Lu, you know I'm not cultured. I can handle daily affairs and make connections, but when it comes to writing and painting, I can't. You'll have to find someone to help me. "
"Mm. I'll think about it. " Under normal circumstances, Lu Yiwei was not willing to lecture Li Haidong. However, since he had handed such a big responsibility to him, he had to say the necessary words. "Haidong, letting you manage the coal mine is a sign of my trust in you. I don't expect you to make a lot of money, but I want stability. The safety of the coal mine must be improved. If an accident happens, we won't be able to bear the responsibility.
"Also, you should keep a low profile in the future. Don't act like a rich man. Also, don't fool around with your scoundrel friends. Calm down and learn more. You have to know that your every move and word not only represents you, but also my reputation. "
Li Haidong nodded in agreement to Lu Yiwei's earnest advice, but no one knew what he was thinking.
"Alright!" Lu Yiwei said, "I won't say anything unnecessary. You've been with me for a long time. You should know my temperament. As long as you do a good job, I won't mistreat you. If you dare to have any other thoughts, get rid of them. "
Li Haidong was a little unhappy. "Brother Lu, I've always been loyal to you. How can I have other thoughts?"
"That's for the best," Lu Yiwei said, "Let me give you a heads up. Some things are better said up front." He then took out a bank card from his pocket and threw it to him. "There's 400,000 yuan in here. I'll give you a million yuan in addition to your salary. Take the money and give it to Mei Jia. Don't spend it on the prostitute. "
Li Haidong took the card and gritted his teeth. "Don't worry. I'll give it to her when I get back in two days. What about Old Pan … "
Hearing Li Haidong asking about Old Pan, Lu Yiwei said, "Let me put it this way. He doesn't have as much as you."
"Really? That's great. "This was the effect Li Haidong wanted. But after thinking about it calmly, he realized that Old Pan had more money than him. What a joke.
That night, Lu Yiwei stayed at the mine and prepared to go home the next morning. Before he left, he asked Old Pan for his daughter's photo and promised to send him home in two days.
When he got home, Lu Ling was at home. The whole family surrounded his one-year-old nephew, Dou Dou, and laughed.
"Brother, you're back." Lu Ling got up and asked.
Lu Yiwei lay down on the sofa tiredly and looked at his nephew. "Is Dou Dou's birthday coming up?"
"Thank you for still remembering your nephew." Lu Ling teased. "Dou Dou had his birthday the day before yesterday. I wanted to call you, but Dad wouldn't let me. He said you were busy with work. I was puzzled. What's so busy in the winter?"
Lu Yiwei slapped his forehead. "Look at my memory." Saying so, he picked up his nephew and kissed him. "Dou Dou, don't blame your uncle. I'll go out and buy you a big present later."
Mother Liu Cuilan looked at Lu Yiwei and asked, "Is Chunfang going to give birth soon? You too, this is her home. When are you going to bring her home? I'll take care of her for a few days. "
"Yes!" Lu Weiguo echoed. "Chunfang's parents are both working. We're both free. Bring her home."
"Sure!" Lu Yiwei said. "Ask her when you're done. She wants to give birth in the hospital in Jiangdong. It's not convenient for her to come back. "
"Medicine is so advanced now. Isn't it the same wherever you give birth?" Liu Cuilan said. "Do you think we went to the hospital to give birth back then? When I gave birth to you, I was still working in the fields. When I had a stomachache, I ran home immediately. I gave birth before I even got home. "
"What era are we in? Why are you talking about this?" Lu Weiguo complained. "My family was poor in the past. Now that things are better, how can I let my grandson suffer? How about this, let Chunfang stay here for a few days. We'll send her back when she's about to give birth. "
"What about Zhong Ming?" Lu Yiwei did not want to discuss this with his parents, so he changed the subject.
Lu Ling said, "His uncle has left the country. He's been keeping an eye on things at the resort for the past two days."
"Oh, then what about your mother-in-law?"
"Oh, she's a workaholic like you. She doesn't come home all day. I haven't seen her for almost a week." Lu Ling said, "Why, are you looking for her?"
"Yes, there is."
"Then I'll call and ask?"
"Sure."
After a while, Lu Ling ended the call and said, "She's at the government office now. She wants you to go and look for her."
The Eastern State Municipal Party Committee and the government office were all located in the same compound. It should be said that the Eastern State Municipal Party Committee compound was the most luxurious compound in the province. It took up several hundred acres of land, forming a large building complex.
In the middle of the compound was a 20-storey European-style office building. It was surrounded by smaller office buildings, like stars surrounding the moon, a symbol of power. Before the main building was a wide avenue with lush greenery on both sides. Even though it was winter, one could still see the shadow of spring. Walking on it was like stepping into the main venue's Walk of Fame, and one could not help but feel a sense of pride.
At the bottom of the building was a large boulder. On it, the words' Serve the People 'were written in red. Even though the wind and the sun were beating down on it, the words were still bright and eye-catching.
Lu Yiwei took the elevator to the fifteenth floor. He found Liu Wenli's office and knocked on the door.
"Yiwei, you're here. Come in and take a seat." Liu Wenli stood up to greet him personally. "If you need anything, just come and find me. You don't have to ask Lingling to call me. That's too formal."
Even though Liu Wenli was the deputy mayor, her office was quite grand. It was more than 200 square meters, and the furnishings were exquisite. It was many times better than his own 30 square meters office.
Lu Yiwei said politely, "Lingling said you're busy and was afraid that you wouldn't be around, so I called in advance."
Liu Wenli was in charge of science, education, health, and health. She said with a serious face, "I've been busy for the past two days. You've seen the SARS outbreak in many places. As the leader, I can't let my guard down."
"Is it really that scary?" Lu Yiwei asked curiously.
Liu Wenli sat down and said, "Your father-in-law works in the Ministry of Health, so he should know the severity of the situation. This SARS is different from the previous influenza. People will die. We've already found a few cases in Xijiang Province. Last night, I was in a meeting in the province, and I requested that we pay close attention to the situation and strengthen the epidemic prevention. "
Fan Rongkui rarely talked about work at home, so he was too lazy to ask. He said, "Our Dongzhou City should be fine, right?"
Liu Wenli frowned. "It doesn't seem to be a problem at the moment, but it's almost Lunar New Year, and a large number of migrant workers are returning home. We can't ignore this group of people. If they bring the virus back, it will be a huge challenge for our work. I've just had a discussion with the director of the Ministry of Health, and we've decided to conduct a strict medical examination on the returning workers. "
The situation in Dongzhou City also existed in Heishan County. Lu Yiwei agreed and said, "We should be stricter. If they really bring it back, it will be a serious problem."
"Hmm, when you go back, you have to strengthen the management of your county and try to nip it in the bud."
Lu Yiwei nodded. "I'm not in charge of the Ministry of Health, so I can only give my opinion. The specifics will be decided by the leader."
Liu Wenli said, "Hmm, just do your job well. By the way, is your father-in-law doing well?"
"He's doing well," Lu Yiwei said, "I have to thank you for last time. If not for you, I really don't know what to do."
"Let's not talk about the past," Liu Wenli said. "Why are you looking for me today?"
"Oh." Lu Yiwei took out a photo of Pan Chengjun's daughter from his pocket and said, "Auntie, my friend's daughter got separated ten years ago, and there's no news of her since. You used to work in the police system, so I want you to help me look for her. "
Liu Wenli took the photo and looked at it. "Do you have any details?"
Lu Yiwei shook his head and said, "Other than this photo, I only know that her name is Pan Yue, and she's from Fujian."
"Are you sure she's in Xijiang Province?"
"This … I'm not sure."
Liu Wenli said, "As long as she's in Xijiang Province, everything will be fine. But if she's not, it'll be very difficult to find her."
"Hmm, I know." Lu Yiwei said, "There's no rush. You can take your time to look for her, and I'll try to find her through other channels."
"Okay, I'll go to the police station later."
When he came out of Liu Wenli's office and went down to the first floor, a group of people happened to be hurrying over. Lu Yiwei recognized the person walking at the front. It was the mayor of Eastern State City, Han Hongtao.
Out of courtesy and respect, Lu Yiwei stepped out of the elevator and took the initiative to make way for them. Han Hongtao did not seem to notice his presence and entered the elevator with a blank expression.
After a while, Xiao Yang appeared. Seeing Lu Yiwei, he said in surprise, "Brother Lu, why are you here?"
Lu Yiwei said vaguely, "I'm here to run some errands."
"Why didn't you come to me for errands?" Xiao Yang said angrily, "Come, come, come. Let's go to my office. We can have a chat."
While Lu Yiwei was hesitating, Xiao Yang pulled him into another elevator.
"Hello, Chief Liu, Mayor Han wants you to come to his office immediately." "Hello, Chief Zhang, Mayor Han wants you to come over now …" In the elevator, Xiao Yang's phone kept ringing. He was very busy.
When they reached the sixteenth floor, Xiao Yang hurried out of the elevator and brought Lu Yiwei to an office. "Brother Lu, take a seat first. I'll come over after I've settled Mayor Han." Before Lu Yiwei could reply, Xiao Yang had already left.
Seeing how busy Xiao Yang was, Lu Yiwei seemed to see a shadow of himself in the past, and he sighed.
Xiao Yang had changed. He had become more mature, especially when it came to speaking. Lu Yiwei felt that he was much better than him. Three days felt like three years. The Xiao Yang of the past had undergone a qualitative leap and was no longer the young and inexperienced person.
Lu Yiwei sat in his office and flipped through the documents. Suddenly, he saw Xiao Yang's medical report. Thinking of his missing brother, Lu Yiwei was full of guilt.
Outsiders said that he and Xiao Yang looked alike, including his parents. In fact, he agreed with them in his heart. But he couldn't tell who was related by blood just by looking. The most scientific way was still DNA testing.
Lu Yiwei had this thought before, but he gave it up due to various reasons. If it wasn't all right, and if it was true, all kinds of problems would follow. First, whether Xiao Yang could accept reality. Second, whether Xiao Yang's parents could face it calmly. There was also the pressure of public opinion, which would disrupt his life. It was better not to try.
But if he didn't solve this mystery, he would never be satisfied. What should he do? He couldn't make up his mind.
Xiao Yang came back in a hurry. He took out a cigarette from the drawer and passed it to Lu Yiwei. "This is a True Sect's white leather cigarette. It's hard to get."
Lu Yiwei took a look at it and said with a smile, "You smoke now?"
Xiao Yang smiled awkwardly. "Mayor Han is a big chimney. Plus, he has to attend all kinds of social gatherings. He was forced to pick up this bad habit. Smoking and drinking are the most direct ways to socialize. If you don't smoke, you'll look different. "
"Then you should smoke less. It's not a good habit."
"Okay, I'll handle it myself." Xiao Yang said. "You said you were going to do something. Is it difficult? Do you want me to take you there? "
Lu Yiwei waved his hand. "It's done."
"Is it about the coal mine?"
"No."
"Oh." Xiao Yang lit the cigarette. "You don't have to worry about Dongcheng Coal Mine. I'll take care of everything. This year, I went to Andu County many times to remind the local leaders to take care of it. They gave me face and basically didn't harass me. I even told Mayor Han that this year's Red Flag Enterprise award will be given to Dongcheng Coal Mine. "
"Hehe, that's all empty talk. I don't care." Lu Yiwei asked, "Why did the coal mine stop production so early this year?"
Xiao Yang said, "This was decided by Mayor Han. Since this year, there have been many accidents in the coal mines. Mayor Han intends to thoroughly clean up the hidden dangers. In addition, with the current SARS situation, the early holidays are good for the control of the floating population. Also, Mayor Han just took office. He needs to make his voice heard. "
After listening to the explanation, Lu Yiwei understood everything. He was not an outsider to Xiao Yang, so he dared to say some things directly. He said, "I think the last point is the main point, right?"
Xiao Yang smiled and said nothing.
The previous mayor of Dongzhou City was transferred because he did not cooperate with the enterprise restructuring led by Secretary Huang of the Provincial Party Committee. Executive Deputy Mayor Han Hongtao took advantage of the situation and successfully took office. Therefore, everything depended on luck and coincidence. More importantly, one's official luck was the most important thing. Han Hongtao happened to have a good opportunity.
After Han Hongtao took office, the enterprise restructuring was nearing completion. This project was led by Secretary Xu Caimao of the Municipal Party Committee. He urgently needed to make his voice heard, so he set his sights on the coal mine. Stopping the coal mine production was not the goal, but to test whether his words were effective. His words were powerful and full of vigor. This was the kind of boldness that was needed.
In today's society, the most powerful person was not the one who controlled the resources, but the one who mobilized the resources.
This simple truth might have revealed why the popularity of being an official had not diminished for thousands of years.
"The coal mine's doing well this year, right?" Xiao Yang said with a smile.
"It's alright." Lu Yiwei said calmly, "Oh right, in two days, Old Pan will be visiting Mayor Han. Make the arrangements."
"Uh, okay." Xiao Yang said, "But you have to be mentally prepared. Mayor Han may not fall for it."
"Why?" Lu Yiwei was surprised.
Xiao Yang said, "He usually won't meet strangers who come to visit. Although I've mentioned the Dongcheng coal mine to him many times, I'm not familiar with Old Pan. But don't worry, I'll handle it. "
"What should I prepare?"
"Uh … just use the card."
"Okay, I'll get Old Pan to contact you. Make it in two days."
"Okay."
After talking about work, they returned to their personal lives.
Xiao Yang only found out about what happened to Lu Yiwei's family later, but he did not mention it. It was better not to talk about it.
"Brother Yiwei, I'm getting married." Xiao Yang's face was beaming with happiness.
"What? Really? "Lu Yiwei was surprised to hear that Xiao Yang had come out of his bitter love.
Xiao Yang scratched his head embarrassedly. "Of course it's true. And you know my girlfriend."
"Who?"
"Tong Xin."
"Huh?" Lu Yiwei could not believe it. "How did you two get together?"
Xiao Yang said with a smile, "You forgot. We met at your house this New Year, so …"
The world was really too small. After going around in circles, it always came back to him. What made him puzzled was that Tong Huan had never mentioned Xiao Yang and Tong Xin getting together. He said with emotion, "Well, since it has come to this, I'll give you my sincere blessings. When are you getting married? "
"18th of December."
Lu Yiwei counted with his fingers. There were still more than ten days left. He said happily, "Okay, I'll definitely come to support you and give you a big gift."
"I'm very happy that you can come. The gift is not important."
"Okay, don't worry about it."
Coming out from the Municipal Party Committee's compound, Lu Yiwei could not wait to call Tong Huan. "Xiao Yang and Tong Xin are getting married. Why didn't you tell me in advance?"
Tong Huan said in a wronged tone, "I just found out. That damned girl nagged all day long. Some time ago, she suddenly came back and told me that she was getting married. I was confused. But when I heard that it was Xiao Yang, I was relieved. "
"That's a good thing!" Lu Yiwei said, "You've met Xiao Yang. He's good-looking and has a good character. Moreover, he has a decent job. As his sister, you can't interfere."
"Hehe." Tong Huan laughed. "Have I ever doubted you, Lu Yiwei's friend? By the way, do you have time tonight? I have something to talk to you about, and we can discuss their marriage. "
"Okay, no problem."
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