Chapter 347: Director Zhu: My Father-in-Law, Everyone Must Show Some Respect

Chapter 347: Director Zhu: My Father-in-Law, Everyone Must Show Some Respect

Suzhou Abundant Restaurant.

Deng Yuntao, Zhang Xiuping, Deng Yunzhen, Deng Yunzhu, and others were overjoyed to hear the good news.

Grandma Zhu sighed, "Dear family friend, Yunheng is only 23 this year, right? He's already a deputy county magistrate, truly amazing!"

"He's already 24 in nominal age. The early promotions for graduates from their school are generally faster."

At this point, Deng Shirong looked at his son-in-law and asked, "Ajie, you need to work hard too. Your rank in the military was already at the deputy department level. You've been training in the local government for quite some time now, and you are fully qualified for a promotion."

Zhu Junjie nodded, "Dad, I know. There is indeed an opportunity recently, and I am working hard on it, but I can't say for sure if I'll succeed."

Deng Shirong asked, "What opportunity?"

In front of his father-in-law, Zhu Junjie did not hide anything, "Deputy County Magistrate Li is likely to step down soon. Many people are eyeing this position."

Deng Shirong immediately said, "I'll invite the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate for a meal and see if we can secure your position."

Zhu Junjie was delighted, "Thank you, Dad!"

His father-in-law had more influence with the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate than he did as the county public security bureau director. If his father-in-law interceded, as long as there were no appointed officials to compete, the existing few competitors would definitely not stand a chance. The deputy county magistrate position was almost certain to be his.

Deng Yuntao interjected, "Dad, now that Yunheng has become a deputy county magistrate, should we go back and pay respects to Grandfather?"

Deng Shirong shook his head, "No, he's still a deputy. Let's wait until he becomes the county magistrate before we go back to pay respects to Grandfather."

After chatting for a while, Grandma Zhu said, "Dear family friend, it's getting late. We should head back!"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Alright."

Zhu Junjie looked at his wife, "Ajian, I'll go back to the bureau to arrange some work, and I'll come back to pick you up later."

Deng Yunzhen nodded, "Go ahead!"

After the family left, Deng Shirong looked at his eldest daughter and asked, "How's your health? Have you been going to the hospital for regular check-ups?"

Deng Yunzhen smiled, "I'm fine, and I've been going to the hospital regularly."

Deng Shirong said, "You should remember what your sister-in-law ate when she was pregnant. Eat small, frequent meals, and ensure a varied diet. A diverse diet will provide balanced nutrition, which is beneficial for the fetus's growth and development."

Deng Yunzhen nodded, "I understand, Dad."

Zhang Xiuping added with a smile, "Dad, don't worry. I've been keeping an eye on Ajian, and everything is fine."

Deng Shirong nodded and asked, "How is the employee training for the supermarket going?"

This year, they planned to open a chain supermarket in Nanning. After much consideration, Deng Shirong believed it was necessary to lead a group of experienced employees from the supermarket to Nanning. This would help the Yongjia Supermarket in Nanning get up and running quickly and also provide security for his son and daughter-in-law.

Nanning was different from Bobai. After years of operation, Bobai had established a presence in both the legal and illegal spheres, and the safety of his son and daughter-in-law was no longer a concern.

However, Nanning was still unfamiliar territory, and everything had to start from scratch. If only his son and daughter-in-law went to Nanning to start their business, they could easily be bullied.

Given the current state of social security, the next few years would be very turbulent, and many businesses would face significant challenges, primarily from extortion by local gangs.

Deng Shirong could foresee that once his son's supermarket and his daughter's hot pot restaurant opened, it wouldn't be long before they encountered people demanding protection fees.

Dealing with these people would indeed be a headache.

However, this was only temporary. As more people from Bobai began to develop in Nanning, it wouldn't be long before no one dared to mess with them.

Before a large number of people from Bobai moved to Nanning, Deng Shirong needed to have the strength to protect his own businesses and not allow others to extort protection fees. If they continued to be at the mercy of others, it wouldn't be worth it, no matter how big the business grew.

Deng Shirong had already made plans for this.

Zhang Xiuping said, "The training is complete, and we can dispatch several dozen employees to Nanning at any time."

Deng Shirong said, "You also need to train the store managers."

Zhang Xiuping nodded, "Dad, rest assured. We are following your instructions, and even if we move to Nanning now, it won't affect the operation of the Bobai supermarket."

"That's good."

With that, Deng Shirong looked at his youngest son and said, "Xiaoheng, you barely made it into Bobai High School. This is a good start. You should take your older brothers as role models, study hard, and aim to get into a good university in three years.

Whether you choose to become an official or do business, I believe you can achieve something significant."

Deng Yunheng was determined, "Dad, I will work hard."

This time, he managed to barely pass the middle school entrance exam and get into Bobai High School, largely due to the stimulation from the ancestral hall's merit stone. After all, his father had already made it very clear to him that once the ancestral hall was completed, their family's merit stone would be placed in the most prominent first position, recording their family's detailed history.

This stone would be passed down for at least a hundred years, if not several hundred, for all the descendants of the Naye Deng Clan to admire. Deng Yunheng certainly didn't want to leave a diploma from Songshan High School on this prominent family merit stone, as that would be truly embarrassing.

Although he couldn't match his second and third brothers, who were academic geniuses, he was much better than his fourth brother, who was a poor student. He certainly didn't want to be labeled with the same Songshan High School tag as his fourth brother.

Therefore, over the past year, Deng Yunheng had indeed worked harder in his studies and finally managed to get into Bobai High School as he wished.

Now, just as he was planning to take a breath of relief, his second brother, who had only graduated two years ago, was already a deputy county magistrate. This gave him a tremendous boost. After all, they were all blood brothers, and the gap couldn't be too wide.

So, he had to work hard during these three years of high school!

...

As the Zhu family of three walked back to the Public Security Bureau, Grandma Zhu couldn't help but ask, "Xiaojie, I heard your conversation with your father-in-law just now. It seemed like as long as your father-in-law intervenes, you could become a deputy county magistrate. What's the situation here? Your father-in-law isn't an official, so how can he influence the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate?"

Grandpa Zhu also chimed in, "Yes, I also found it strange. What exactly is going on?"

"Mom, Dad, although my father-in-law isn't an official, his influence in our county is very significant. Significant enough that even the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate have to give him face."

At this point, Zhu Junjie explained, "Mainly, it's because of my two younger brothers-in-law, one from Peking University and the other from Tsinghua University. Their potential for becoming officials is enormous. As you heard, Yunheng is only 24 and is already a deputy county magistrate. He will definitely hold even higher positions in the future.

"And I, as the director of the Public Security Bureau, am also his son-in-law. Moreover, my father-in-law is the clan head of the Naye Deng Clan, which gives him significant influence within the clan.

"Combining these factors, everyone in the county has to give him some face.

"If the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate were to forcefully promote me, even with his great influence, it would be impossible. However, since I already have an advantage in competing for the deputy county magistrate position, the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate will naturally give my father-in-law this face by pushing me forward smoothly."

Although Grandpa Zhu and Grandma Zhu were still a bit confused, they understood the general idea.

Grandma Zhu sighed, "Xiaojie, your marriage to Ajian is truly a blessing from our ancestors. You should pray to them more often."

Zhu Junjie smiled, "Sure, I'll pray to them more often."

...

Three days later.

Deng Shirong invited the Party Secretary and the County Magistrate for meals, subtly mentioning his son-in-law's situation.

The two leaders were quite accommodating. Although they didn't give a direct answer, Deng Shirong naturally understood their implications.

If everything went as expected, the deputy county magistrate position would definitely go to his son-in-law.

...

A week later.

A train from Nanning to Beijing slowly pulled into Wuhan Station.

Deng Shirong looked at the bustling Wuhan Station and began to consider building a noodle factory here.

He was confident that instant noodles, the flagship product of the food company, could become a nationwide hit. At that time, factories would need to be established all over the country to facilitate shipping to dealers nationwide.

If there was only one factory in Bobai County, shipping goods to the entire country would be extremely troublesome.

The factory in Bobai could only cover nearby cities, and at most, it could cover Guangdong and Guangxi. Any further, the transportation costs would be too high.

By establishing factories nationwide, Wuhan, known as the "Thoroughfare of Nine Provinces," would definitely need a factory. As the largest inland water, land, and air transportation hub in China and the shipping center of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, a factory here could serve a large part of China, making it the most important factory. Once he sold the fruits from the system space, he would come back to find a suitable location and establish the factory as soon as possible.

As Deng Shirong silently planned the development of the noodle factory, a middle-aged man wearing a cadre shirt (a short-sleeved shirt with two pockets on the chest and a subtle V-neck, popular among workers and often chosen by leaders for official occasions) squeezed onto the train, sweating profusely, carrying a suitcase in one hand and a briefcase in the other. He sat down opposite Deng Shirong.

Noticing Deng Shirong's gaze, the middle-aged man nodded and greeted him with a smile, "Comrade, hello."

Deng Shirong also smiled and greeted him, "Hello, comrade."

The middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and complained, "This weather is really stifling."

Deng Shirong sighed, "Wuhan is one of the four furnaces, so the weather is indeed much hotter than other places."

The "Four Furnaces" refers to the four cities in China with the most severe heat, specifically in the southern Yangtze River basin and the northern Huai River region. The term originated during the Republic of China era when Chongqing, Wuhan, Nanchang, and Changsha, known for their scorching summers, were collectively referred to as the "Four Furnaces."

The middle-aged man clearly knew this designation and nodded, saying, "Yes, Wuhan truly lives up to its reputation as one of the Four Furnaces. Every summer, it gets so hot that it's unbearable, especially during the hottest part of the day. Even at night, when you sleep with a fan, the air it blows is still hot. The only time it's somewhat comfortable is from around two or three in the morning until the sun comes up. The rest of the time is really miserable."

Deng Shirong said, "Living in an apartment building must be the worst, as they retain heat and don't cool down quickly. It feels like a steamer inside. The mud-brick houses in Guangdong and Guangxi cool down much faster. If we could build those types of houses here in Wuhan, the summers wouldn't be so unbearable."

The middle-aged man asked, "Are you from Guangxi, brother?"

Deng Shirong nodded, "Yes, I'm from Guangxi. What about you? Are you from Wuhan?"

The middle-aged man shook his head, "No, I'm from Jingzhou."

Deng Shirong immediately praised, "Jingzhou is a wonderful place. It's one of the oldest cities in China, with a history dating back to the time of Yu the Great, who divided the land into nine provinces, with Jingzhou being one of them. The city's history is at least four to five thousand years old, right?"

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, "I didn't expect you to know so much about Jingzhou."

Deng Shirong smiled, "I wouldn't say I know much, just a bit of trivia."

The two men chatted about Jingzhou for a while before exchanging names and occupations.

Upon learning that the middle-aged man, Liu Hongxing, was the head of the business department at a machinery factory, Deng Shirong's interest was piqued. Besides selling the fruits from the system space and finding a suitable location for the instant noodle factory, he had another important task: purchasing the necessary production equipment for the instant noodles.

Originally, Deng Shirong planned to sell the fruits first and then inquire about the equipment, but now that he had encountered someone from a machinery factory, he asked, "Mr. Liu, what are the main products your factory currently produces?"

Liu Hongxing casually mentioned a few products and then emphasized, "We've also recently produced a batch of instant noodle production equipment. I'm on this trip to Beijing to promote these new products."

Deng Shirong couldn't help but smile. It was a fortunate coincidence that this machinery factory had the equipment he needed. He asked, "Mr. Liu, what is the production capacity of your instant noodle equipment, and how much does one production line cost?"

"Brother Deng, you're really impressive, knowing about our latest equipment," Liu Hongxing said in surprise before answering, "Our factory has developed instant noodle production equipment with a production capacity of 10,000 packs per shift, which is leading in the domestic market. Although it's not as advanced as the Japanese lines, our prices are much more affordable. A single production line costs only 300,000 yuan, making it truly high-quality and cost-effective."

Deng Shirong smiled, "Mr. Liu, what a coincidence. One of my important tasks on this trip to Beijing is to purchase instant noodle production equipment for our factory. If your factory's equipment meets our requirements, I would definitely consider buying from you."

Hearing this, Liu Hongxing's eyes widened, and he became excited. He hadn't expected to meet a potential customer so soon after boarding the train. If he could secure this order, it would be a great start for the machinery factory.

With that in mind, Liu Hongxing opened his briefcase, took out a stack of documents, and handed them to Deng Shirong, saying, "Brother Deng, here are the materials for the instant noodle production line. Please take a look, and feel free to ask me any questions. I believe our factory's equipment will meet your needs."

"Sure, I'll take a look. If the capacity and price are suitable, there's no need for me to look elsewhere, and I'll place the order with your factory," Deng Shirong said, then began to carefully read the documents.

Ten minutes later, Deng Shirong returned the documents to Liu Hongxing and said, "Mr. Liu, your factory's instant noodle production equipment looks quite good. I'll visit other cities and compare the options. If your factory offers the best value, I'll definitely place the order with you."

Liu Hongxing didn't rush, but asked, "Brother Deng, may I ask how many production lines your factory plans to purchase? One line or multiple lines?"

Deng Shirong chuckled, "Of course, we plan to purchase multiple lines. If the capacity and price are the best in the country, the quantity we order might surprise you!"

Liu Hongxing was thrilled and said, "Brother Deng, since we've hit it off, let me be honest with you. The price for one production line can be lowered to 280,000 yuan. I can guarantee that, among domestic instant noodle production lines with the same capacity, no other factory can offer a lower price."

Deng Shirong asked, "How many production lines do you have in stock? If I place an order, how long will it take to receive the goods?"

Liu Hongxing immediately replied, "We have five production lines in stock at the factory. If that's not enough, we can start production immediately. How many production lines does your factory need?"

Deng Shirong said, "Our factory plans to purchase in batches. For the first batch, five production lines should be sufficient. In the future, we might need several dozen or even a hundred production lines, but we'll discuss the specifics later."

Liu Hongxing understood. Five production lines was the real order quantity. The mention of dozens or even a hundred production lines was more of a promise. If the instant noodle factory really took off and the noodles sold well, they might indeed need to expand and purchase more production lines. However, if the factory didn't perform well and the products didn't sell, there would be no need for more production lines.

Liu Hongxing saw this clearly. Even if the client only planned to purchase five production lines, they were still a significant customer for the factory. Therefore, before arriving in Beijing, Liu Hongxing, as the head of the business department, did his best to cultivate a good relationship with this important client.

...

Two days later.

Beijing Railway Station.

Liu Hongxing said politely, "Brother Deng, let's part ways here. I'll be waiting for you at the factory."

Deng Shirong nodded slightly and said, "Director Liu, in business, let's talk business. I will visit several other instant noodle equipment manufacturers for comparison. If there's no better deal than your factory, I will definitely come to discuss cooperation with you. If I find a better deal, I may have to work with another factory. I hope you can understand."

Liu Hongxing said confidently, "Brother Deng, I understand, but I'm not boasting. Our factory's products are indeed the most advanced and cost-effective in the country right now."

"Since Director Liu is so confident, we'll see each other again soon."

"Sure, see you soon."

...

Over the next twenty days, Deng Shirong sold the wood pineapples, ground pineapples, and longans from the system space in several cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Jinan, and Taiyuan. By the time he finished, he had earned over 5 million yuan. Adding the 2.6 million yuan he earned from selling lychees, he made a total of over 7.6 million yuan this summer.

Compared to the over 6.42 million yuan profit he made last year, he earned an additional 1.18 million yuan, which restored his depleted cash reserves.

After selling all the fruits, Deng Shirong began to focus on the instant noodle factory.

...

Nanning.

Wuyue Plaza.

The Wuyue Plaza had undergone a complete transformation.

First, the exterior was now adorned with large glass mosaics and marble accents, making it stand out as one of the most modern buildings of its time.

The first and second floors were already fully renovated. The first floor was the Yongjia Supermarket, designed to resemble the one in the county, but with significant changes due to the larger space. The second floor was a hot pot restaurant, elegantly decorated and laid out similarly to modern hot pot restaurants.

The third and fourth floors were not yet renovated.

The fifth floor was still under construction and was expected to be completed next year.

The Wuyue Plaza featured both internal and external staircases, with elevator shafts reserved for future installation.

At this moment, although the Wuyue Plaza had its main doors installed, the three security guards, led by Li Weixiong, were still diligently on duty, guarding the plaza every day.

On this day, it was Li Weixiong's turn to work. Since all other entrances were locked except the main door, he only needed to guard the main entrance. Only the renovation workers were allowed to enter and exit freely; he did not let other strangers in.

Deng Shirong arrived at Wuyue Plaza and immediately saw Li Weixiong, who was steadfastly on duty. He nodded in satisfaction.

As Deng Shirong approached, Li Weixiong saw him and greeted him respectfully, "Boss!"

"Thank you for your hard work!"

Deng Shirong praised him and then asked, "Do you have any comrades who are still unemployed?"

Li Weixiong's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, "Yes, four of my comrades are still without work."

Deng Shirong said, "Ask these four comrades if they are willing to work as security personnel at Wuyue Plaza."

Li Weixiong said excitedly, "Boss, I can promise you that they will accept. This is such a good job; they would be grateful for the opportunity, and none of them would refuse."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end