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

Chapter 272 Recruiting Soldiers and Buying Horses
"What's wrong, Fang Fei?" Fang Qingye asked, seeing her like this. "Did your mom scold you this morning?"

“My mom wouldn’t scold me,” Fang Fei said. “I applied for a job at the rural bank yesterday, but I was rejected.”

"Why? Weren't you full of confidence?" Fang Qingye asked.

"I heard they only wanted vocational high school graduates, but when I went to apply yesterday, they said they only wanted college graduates or above! I found out there were too many applicants! Why didn't they say so sooner?" Fang Fei complained.

"They said I could be a loan officer, but I refused. It's just a temporary job with low pay. Why would I go for that?"

“Then just stay and work at the nursery,” Fang Qingye replied.

"Uncle." The girl walked up to Fang Qingye with a smile and asked, "I heard that the new branch manager of the rural bank, Zhao, used to work at the Oriental Bank. He was your colleague, right?"

"Yes what's the matter?"

"Uncle, could you please put in a good word for me with Director Zhao and ask him to give me a special admission?" the girl said, almost shaking Fang Qingye's arm in a coquettish tone.

"No way!" Fang Qingye refused outright.

"Although I'm colleagues with Director Zhao, we're not close. Besides, I absolutely refuse to do this kind of networking! I'll either get in based on my own merit or stay at the nursery obediently!"

"Hmph, so stingy! I've heard there are plenty of people who didn't meet the requirements but got in through connections. I know I'm not your biological niece," Fang Fei muttered as she left the office.

If you were my own niece, I would definitely not let you in. Would I push you into a fire pit?
This is a kid born in the 90s.
Fang Qingye shook her head, took a sip of tea, and continued looking at the financial statements.

After dinner, Song Dahai and Chen Meimei came over to play.

Song Dahai used to frequently invite people out for barbecue, hot pot, and beer, which caused him to gain weight rapidly. He was initially tall and thin after returning from the army, but within a few years he became a very fat man.

Chen Meimei saw that this couldn't go on, so she forbade him and his friends from eating and drinking excessively, and told him to learn from Fang Qingye, cultivate healthy eating habits, and drink more tea, etc.

Despite Song Dahai's tall and chubby appearance, he's as docile as a kitten in front of the petite Chen Meimei, doing whatever his girlfriend says.

Recently, the two of them have been frequently visiting the nursery to have tea and play with Fang Qingye. Moreover, Chen Meimei forbids Song Dahai from driving and insists on walking over, as a form of exercise.

The same is true today.

Bai Ou is also there. She'll be going to work in Jinghai in a week, so the girl spends almost every day at the nursery.

The four sat in the pavilion, drinking tea and chatting.

"Ye Zi, Zhang Rong has resigned," Chen Meimei said.

Fang Qingye was taken aback.

He used to have a good relationship with Zhang Rong, especially after their trip to northwestern Shandong, which ended without incident. However, after he resigned from the bank, they saw each other much less, so he was unaware of Zhang Rong's recent situation.

"Where did he go after resigning?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Apply for a job at a rural bank."

"Wasn't he doing a good job in the finance and accounting department?" Fang Qingye asked, somewhat puzzled. "Did the rural bank give him a position?"

"It seems so, but they didn't say," Chen Meimei replied. "You know, Director Zhao has been in our banking system for many years. Hey, Ye Zi, do you remember Duan Yuanshan?"

“How could I not remember? He used to be the director of the Liulin branch, but Xia He later dismissed him and made him a regular staff member,” Fang Qingye replied.

That happened the summer before last. Fang Qingye accompanied Xia He on a surprise inspection of the Liulin branch, but they encountered a teller arguing with a customer, which had a very bad impact. Duan Yuanshan happened to be away from work that day because a friend was treating him to dinner.

Xia He was furious and punished a number of people, including Duan Yuanshan, who was demoted to a regular employee. After Xia He was transferred, Su Ming became the bank manager and never mentioned him again.

"What, he was poached by President Zhao too?"

“Yes, I heard I’m going to be appointed as the head of a branch of a rural bank,” Chen Meimei said.

“This Zhao Wenjun is poaching people everywhere,” Fang Qingye said with a smile. “Yes, and I heard that the salaries are higher than those of several state-owned banks, so many people are willing to go there.”

“The salary is high, but the workload may be heavier. This kind of bank is not a state-owned enterprise where you can just coast along,” Fang Qingye said.

“Exactly, Zhao Wenjun even approached Meimei, trying to get her to work in the loan department, saying she'd give her a deputy section chief position in the future. I firmly refused to let her go. That person is too audacious. What kind of things would she dare to do at the Nanxin branch? She has no principles at all; she'll get into trouble sooner or later!” Song Dahai chimed in.

"I didn't say I was going," Chen Meimei said reproachfully.

“I know you’re smart enough not to fall for it,” Song Dahai quickly said. “I was overthinking it.”

Fang Qingye and Bai Ou smiled.

Fang Qingye knew that the year before last he was referring to was when Zhao Wenjun, in order to squeeze out Xia He, conspired with Qian Weimin of Tenglong Industry to stage a corporate loan theft case.

He eventually saw through her scheme, and Zhao Wenjun resigned and went to Shanghai.

As a result, Hu Hansan returned to fight again!
As for Zhao Wenjun's recent offenses in Shanghai, it seems Song Dahai is unaware of them, and Fang Qingye has no intention of revealing them.

I have no conflict of interest with Zhao Wenjun, so there's no need for me to expose her shortcomings.

Song Dahai and Chen Meimei sat for a while and then left, while Fang Qingye also escorted Bai Ou home.

They didn't drive; the two strolled hand in hand along the street.

“Ye Zi, I think Zhao Wenjun is very ambitious and wants to challenge the status of the four major state-owned banks in Nanxin,” Bai Ou said.

“Yes, he has always been a very ambitious person. The country’s policies for these small and micro banks are quite flexible, such as deposit interest rates and guaranteed financing. He definitely wants to compete with these state-owned banks. Don’t forget, he was forced to resign, so he must be harboring a lot of resentment,” Fang Qingye said with a smile.

“Then, if something happens to the village bank in the future, it will be a big problem,” Bai Ou said.

“Yes, so the farther away the better. Bai Ou, I reckon Zhao Wenjun will definitely try his best to attract deposits in the future, maybe just like in Shanghai. Bai Ou, don’t let your parents deposit money in his bank and wipe out your dowry.” Fang Qingye said jokingly.

"What, you won't marry me if I don't have a dowry?" The girl rolled her eyes at him.

"How could that be? Just come over here!"

"I was just kidding. I'll tell my parents." Bai Ou smiled sweetly.

After delivering the lotus root to his residential complex, Fang Qingye returned to his own home in Yushuiwan. On the way, he remembered Chen Meimei's words and suddenly thought of calling Zhang Rong.

The call connected quickly, and Fang Qingye didn't beat around the bush, asking directly, "I heard you applied for a job at a rural bank?"

"Yes, Chen Meimei told you, right?"

"Ah."

“A few days ago, President Zhao Wenjun approached me privately, hoping I would join his branch. He even offered me the position of deputy branch manager at Liulin branch, with a higher salary than at Dongfang Bank, so I’m planning to go,” Zhang Rong said.

"To be honest, Aoba, I don't have much of a future at Dongfangxing. I'd be lucky to become a section chief in the future. I might as well go out and try my luck, and I can earn more money."

"That's true, but don't push yourself too hard. Don't end up like that guy who got a stomach hemorrhage from drinking too much in northwestern Shandong," Fang Qingye cautioned.

"Thanks for your concern, I know. Hey, Aoba, if you start operating in the future, please deposit some money in, consider it helping me complete my mission."

Ha. They're already trying to attract deposits.

"Let's talk about it when you're open for business."

After exchanging a few words, Fang Qingye hung up the phone.

Nanxin Rural Bank's recruitment drive was so extensive that it even made it into the Jinghai Daily. Fang Qingye never expected to run into someone she knew before.

(End of this chapter)