Chapter 47 Order

ity construction committee. The former director Zhou Chunlan was reassigned to the municipal administrative center and enrolled in a party school for further study.Although the Construction Committee...Chapter 47: Order Management

Su Licheng has never found his position as the deputy head of the engineering division easy, nor is it as simple as others might imagine. Without being in that role, one tends to envy from a distance, but once involved in the actual work, one truly understands the current situation of the engineering division.

One day when Su Cang was helping out at the store and Zeng Ke was organizing goods, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a long-sleeved sweater and gray-brown jacket walked in. He seemed to recognize Zeng Ke and bought several soft-cover notebooks and pens, asking for a discount.

When Zeng Ke said that there wasn't much of a discount on small items, the man became unhappy and coldly remarked, "If it's such a small business, you shouldn't be running it. How much money can you earn"

Saying this, he took out his wallet and toyed with one of the pens before flicking it onto the counter and looking around the store. "What profit do you make from selling these little things"

The man's words were somewhat rude. Zeng Ke smiled and replied, "Of course we can't compete with teachers like yourselves. I heard your vocational school is expanding again this year So many more students! You are all well-educated and cultured; you receive good salaries easily. We can't compare to that..."

The man was a teacher at the nearby vocational school, surnamed Ma. Perhaps due to his high position in the school administration and being around forty but not having achieved corresponding maturity, he seemed somewhat restless and had a bad temper. Considering himself superior, he looked down on people like Zeng Ke who run city retail businesses, which was unsurprising given that at this time, many people's views were yet to be easily changed as Bill Gates hadn't surpassed Sam Walton in wealth.

"Of course we've expanded; the principal is pushing for reforms. Previously, there would only be four or five hundred students per semester, but now with our improved reputation, there are over eight hundred this year! This means the teaching staff regulations need to change again. I will definitely be taken care of though, as the principal is my brother-in-law..." The teacher's expression brightened up after hearing Zeng Ke's compliments and he seemed slightly pleased before turning his attention towards Su Cang. "Is that your son At this age, isn't he supposed to be in high school You should send him back there; if he can't get into a good one... Well then, he still needs education! Why don't you send him to our Jincai Vocational School Speak with me and I'll make it happen—others would charge thousands of dollars, but maybe just two or three thousand will do!"

Zeng Ke exchanged looks with Su Cang, unsure how to respond to this talkative middle-aged man with a rotund figure.

Su Licheng arrived at the store right as work was ending and entered while holding his teacup, somewhat distracted. Recently, his father had been stuck in a deadlock over this position. Just then, an employee from the unit approached him: "Director Su, do you have your business license copy on hand I need it for a moment, along with your seal."

"I have the originals here, that huge one... Didn't I give you guys a copy last time Go ask Director Mao, he has the stamp!"

The teacher who came to buy things paused when the employee left. He looked at Su Licheng somewhat uncertainly and took out a cigarette, offering it to him with much more humble tone, "Is this your wife, director Which department do you work in"

Su Licheng smiled awkwardly as he accepted the cigarette, "Ah, what department would that be I just help people out at Construction Engineering Department Four."

"Construction Engineering Department Four" The man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. This place was right next to the government complex, and this middle-aged teacher really feared running into the heads of those bureaucratic units. Even if someone was only a department director in such a small city, they could make people's lives difficult. He worried that Su Licheng might have noticed his eagerness earlier and felt uncomfortable about it; now hearing that he was from Construction Engineering Department Four, he naturally relaxed.

Even when Su Licheng offered to light the cigarette for him, he didn't gesture modestly with his hand. Instead, he lit up the cigarette and exhaled smoke, "That department director job isn't easy, I heard there's been some internal issues..."

This hit a sore spot regarding his father’s recent weakness; his expression immediately darkened.

Teacher Ma saw this in his eyes and felt even more disdainful. He continued chatting with the father intermittently as they talked, eventually adopting a rather dismissive tone, speaking even more brazenly.

Su Licheng received a phone call during their conversation and began to scold someone, "He’s responsible for collecting trash, I said it's 350 yuan! If you have any complaints, who cares! The unit is still paying money to clean the septic tanks!... Do I need to come up there for every little matter Right now, I can't come up! Deal with it yourselves!"

Seeing Su Licheng angrily hanging up the phone, Teacher Ma chuckled secretly, "Another of those petty things from your unit."

Su Licheng nodded, "Just some trivial matters.

"Old Su, who doesn't know about the Engineering Six Bureau The former director surnamed Zhao was really no good. My sister-in-law's brother dealt with him and the project got stalled, causing major problems later on. Now when people hear 'Engineering Four Bureau,' they roll their eyes. It’s not what it used to be; nobody looks up to you anymore. So why don't you take advantage of your current power and do something for yourself A teacher I know broke off with her boyfriend simply because he works there. What is reality This is reality."

As they stepped out of the shop, this Teacher Ma looked at Su Licheng inside the store, chuckled lightly, and asked, "Fishing"

Su Lichcheng shook his head and left with a sense of satisfaction.

Anyone who has spent their youth in Xihaic and experienced its ups and downs knows about Engineering Four Bureau. Back then it was bustling and highly regarded as a stable job, famous throughout the city. Before state-owned enterprises were reformed, it was very desirable, with many provincial leaders having once served there. But after reform, this company began to decline.

People's perceptions of value and status naturally shifted; before, everyone envied those who worked there, but now they look down on them more often. There are even internal conflicts and problems within the company.

Su Cen had been watching his father’s conversation with Teacher Ma from a distance.

Even if his father, Su Licheng, was the director, judging by that middle-aged man's sneer, it was clear how much value this position held nowadays.

The projects and face-saving initiatives initiated by former Director Zhao have become heavy burdens for Engineering Four Bureau, like tumors on thin branches. While Su Licheng once felt some sympathy towards Zhao Chengrong, he now barely has any good feelings left.

Zhao Chengrong’s smooth retirement is the best outcome possible; if it were to continue, things might turn out differently. Constantly complaining about the past won't solve anything. How can the company maintain basic operations and pay its workers amid a credit crisis and a severe financial crunch That's the immediate challenge at hand. With Zhao Chengrong’s downfall and problems surfacing, Engineering Four Bureau is on the brink of collapse.

Not taking up a position, one does not plan for its affairs; once involved in such matters, this marks the most challenging period for Su Licheng and Tong Jianjun regarding their careers.

This is an issue beyond Su Can's control. Given Engineering Division Four's history of numerous legacy problems, it’s not something that can be easily rectified with mere words or simplistic methods.

...

The conversation turned to the matter of deliveries. Lately, more and more units have been contacting them, with their parents being pleasantly surprised by an order from the Ba Yi Triumph Hotel. This hotel is the exclusive accommodation for the Xia Hai naval division and falls under the Ba Yi chain group in Xia Hai. In contrast to the open Kailai guesthouse located downtown, this one stands proudly on the outskirts of the lake area. The latter, however, serves as a designated reception unit at the municipal level, typically hosting military district committees and visiting leaders from other cities. Some retired military veterans often visit here for their vacations, making it somewhat mysterious to ordinary people.

The list of items wasn’t extensive; several soldiers had driven up in a jeep with about 300 yuan worth of goods including thirty notebooks, fifty pens, and some miscellaneous stationery like pencils and calculators. Originally, Li Yulian was supposed to make the delivery, but Su Can took it upon himself.

Initially, no one would have allowed Su Can to handle such tasks, but seeing how mature he had become recently, Zeng Ke felt more at ease. She mentioned the hotel’s finance office address and provided instructions on taking the circular lake bus route.

Su Can then carried a plastic bag containing stationery items out of the house onto the bus.

After leaving the city limits, small rural villages gradually came into view. Sitting on the swaying public bus along the lakeside loop road, Su Can took out a note Lin Luoran had left for him at school. The address on it read "88 Binhai Road, Ba Yi Triumph Hotel. Phone: 1856432."

The handwriting was crooked and messy; recalling Lin Luoran’s gentle demeanor, Su Can shook his head with a smile.

====== back. A few security team members came down from the trucks, heading straight for the two large yellow parasols outside Su Cen's store that originally blocked direct sunlight from hitting sensitive s...