I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 201: Almost every county in the country is a typical Jianghu (江湖, a term referring to the martial arts world or a江湖 community).
With a good start, the two got into a lively conversation.

Compared to Song Qingdong and Qian Weimin, Fang Qingye found Shi Jingsheng to be very talkative, recounting everything from current national affairs to county news, and even some anecdotes.

"Mr. Fang, did you know? There's been some trouble at the new energy vehicle industrial base that's under construction," Shi Jingsheng said.

"What's wrong? I don't know." Fang Qingye wasn't too concerned about this.

“The cement thickness of the main road in the park is insufficient. The original design requirement was to build it as a heavy-duty road with a cement thickness of no less than 15 centimeters. However, someone reported that about 3 kilometers of the road had a cement thickness of only 10 centimeters, which was built as a normal road.”

After explaining, Shi Jingsheng looked at Fang Qingye and asked, "President Fang, do you know which company built the main road in the park?"

"It seems to be Longtai Construction Company, a subsidiary of the Kerry Group," Fang Qingye said truthfully.

"Yes, what's wrong with Song Qingdong? How could he be so greedy for such a small gain? Doesn't he know this is a key project for the county? Sigh." Shi Jingsheng shook his head at the end.

Fang Qingye did not respond.

He hadn't heard Song Qingdong mention this, but it was probably true; Shi Jingsheng had no reason to spread such a rumor.

But the fact that he suddenly said this to me at this time definitely wasn't just something to chat about over tea, right?
Sure enough, Shi Jingsheng looked at Fang Qingye again: "President Fang, I heard that you and Song Qingdong have a good relationship?"

"It's alright. I'm best buddies with his youngest son, Song Dahai," Fang Qingye said honestly.

These are all things that are out in the open; there's no way to hide them, nor is there any need to.

Shi Jingsheng nodded and looked at the pond: "Song Qingdong is a former contractor. He's hardworking, but he's narrow-minded and likes to take advantage of others. If the county cuts corners on key projects, how much money can he really save? Don't you think so?"

“That shouldn’t be the case. Could it be that someone below did it behind President Song’s back?” Fang Qingye said.

"Haha. I knew you would speak up for Song Qingdong." Shi Jingsheng laughed. "But it's also possible. With such a large business, it's inevitable that Old Song might not manage it well."

Ah?
Ultimately, it all comes down to Song Qingdong's problem.

However, Fang Qingye did not argue further, but casually said, "President Shi, I heard that your Linyuan Group has very strict management?"

"That's not bragging, Mr. Fang. Our Lin Yuan is the first group in the county to implement a professional manager system. All of the company's senior executives are professional managers recruited from outside!"

Shi Jingsheng is right. Fang Qingye has also heard that Linyuan Company has been hiring senior executives from outside in recent years, striving to transform the family business into a modern enterprise.

However, this is not necessarily a good thing. Although it is said that outsiders are better at reciting scriptures, there are also problems with adapting to local conditions, especially for local enterprises rooted in the county.

But today, Fang Qingye doesn't want to delve into this issue.

What does it have to do with me?
I just came here to fish.

Shi Jingsheng was in high spirits. He first boasted about his company's advanced management methods, and then changed the subject to talk about Qian Weimin of Tenglong Industry.

"Mr. Fang, I heard that last year, Tenglong Industry's 2000 million yuan deposit in the Nanxin branch disappeared. It was an inside job, and they even blamed Dongfang Bank. Were you still at Dongfang Bank at the time?"

"Yes, this matter has caused quite a stir, putting the bank's leadership in a very passive position," Fang Qingye said with a smile.

"Qian Weimin is really being dishonest in this matter. The bank gave you a loan and helped you solve your funding problems. How could you do something so ungrateful? You have such a small mind!"

Hearing Shi Jingsheng's words, Fang Qingye understood the purpose of Shi Jingsheng's invitation to go fishing today; it turned out to be a divisive tactic. "Speaking of doing business, to be honest, when you, Mr. Fang, teamed up with Song Qingdong and Qian Weimin to take over the gas company project, outsiders thought I was very frustrated, but actually, it didn't matter to me at all," Shi Jingsheng added.

“Mr. Shi has a large and wealthy family, he doesn’t care about this small project,” Fang Qingye said with a smile.

"Haha. It's impossible to say you don't care at all." Shi Jingsheng laughed.
“If all the projects in the county are like pieces of cake, then the gas company is at most one of the larger ones. But there are other projects besides it. Look, the road greening project in the new county town is pretty good, isn’t it?” Shi Jingsheng’s face showed a hint of pride.

Fang Qingye nodded: "I heard that this project is quite profitable, accounting for 3% to 4% of the profits."

"Hehe, it's not that high, I can still make a little profit." Shi Jingsheng spoke vaguely: "Qian Weimin, you guys snatched this piece of meat from the gas company, you should at least leave me a little soup, right?"

"It's not just soup; this project has a short cycle and quick results, making money faster than the gas company." Fang Qingye wasn't just flattering her.

According to his calculations, it would take three to four years for the gas company to recoup its costs after construction before it could turn a profit. However, roadside greening would be much faster, with a return on investment within a year.

"Actually, Mr. Fang, our Nanxin County, or almost every county in the country, is a typical place of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the underworld or a world of its own), where relationships and personal connections are extremely important. A county may have hundreds of thousands of people, but those who truly have power and influence are probably only a few hundred."

When Shi Jingsheng talked at length about the ways of the people in the county, Fang Qingye didn't say anything, but just listened quietly.

"Among these hundreds of people, there are two or three hundred leaders at the section chief level or above, and then there are dozens of influential businessmen from all walks of life, such as Qian Weimin, Song Qingdong, and myself, and Mr. Fang, you are one of them now."

"I wouldn't say that," Fang Qingye said modestly.

Shi Jingsheng smiled and continued, "There are also a few prominent figures in the martial arts world, like Quan Guohua from our county town, you've heard of him too."

Fang Qingye nodded.

Those who are involved in organized crime are quite popular.

"These hundreds of people actually form a social network of acquaintances. Even if they are not familiar with each other, they can learn about each other's background in a short time through other channels. If someone in the network encounters something and needs to find anyone in the network, they can find a way to connect."

"It can be said that every move and change in the county is controlled by this group of people, and you are one of them."

"Mr. Shi, you have a very deep understanding of the county town," Fang Qingye said with a smile.

"Not at all, not at all. I'm just a few years older than you, and I've eaten a few more bowls of rice, so I've seen and heard a bit more," Shi Jingsheng said modestly.

Fang Qingye had to admit that Shi Jingsheng's words made some sense, and that he was now in this world of martial arts.

In fact, to put it more broadly, isn't society as a whole just a larger world?

The two fished until after 5 p.m., and then went to a farmhouse restaurant for dinner. Since they were both driving, they didn't drink alcohol.

"Mr. Fang, since we can't drink alcohol today, let's toast you with tea instead. I hope we can get to know each other as friends and perhaps do business together sometime!"

"Definitely, definitely." Fang Qingye also raised her wine glass.

It doesn't matter if we don't get along in business, but fishing is still an option.

(End of this chapter)