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

Chapter 835 Chen Danlu gives advice to his junior
When he answered the phone, Gao Pan was sitting in the Passat, a branch office on his way back to the county town.

He had just visited a chicken farm in Liujiaying Village, Wulimiao Town, Wuyang County. Due to the avian influenza outbreak during the Spring Festival this year, which caused the deaths of a large number of poultry, the farmers suffered heavy losses and were unable to repay the 20 yuan loan they had taken out on time.

His personal visit was to conduct an on-site investigation to see if he could process an extension of the repayment period.

This kind of situation is all too common in the branch.

It's funny to think about it now. Just a year ago, I was still in Shanghai, handling hundreds of millions of yuan. I dressed impeccably every day, going in and out of high-end office buildings in Lujiazui, outwitting elites from all walks of life, and seeing millions or tens of millions of yuan vanish in the blink of an eye.

But now, he's busy working in the fields for loans of hundreds of thousands or even tens of thousands of yuan, and he's gotten quite tanned.

However, frequently traveling to the countryside and being exposed to the wind and sun has actually made me much healthier.

He was a little confused when he suddenly received a call from Zhou Yu, wondering what Fang Qingye wanted to discuss with him at headquarters the next morning.

During the year Fang Qingye was transferred to the Wuyang branch, he never came to Wuyang, and Gao Pan himself rarely saw him either.

However, Fang Qingye's business is very large, and he is often away from Jinghai. Didn't the media report not long ago that Fang Qingye was collaborating with "Two Mas" (Jack Ma and Pony Ma) to develop a Chinese version of Starlink?

Their lofty aspirations are truly admirable.

Now Gao Pan has come to terms with it. He'll just go if he's told to; it's just a matter of reporting on his work. He'll just say what he did.

The Passat drove into the county town—Wuyang County is much smaller than Nanxin County (now Nanxin City). Gao Pan lives in the bank's staff dormitory. He also has a house in Shanghai, which was a gift from Jinghai Bank to attract high-level talents, but it has been vacant since he was transferred to Wuyang.

If you're not married, you're always alone wherever you go; you only need to worry about yourself.

It's just past five o'clock now. Although the lobby is closed, the bank hasn't closed for the day. Tellers are still doing their reconciliation, cashiers are summarizing, and vouchers are being organized and filed.

Gao Pan returned to his office on the second floor, filled a glass with purified water from the water purifier, and gulped it down in one go, feeling much more refreshed.

Just then, his phone rang again. He took it out and saw that it was Chen Danlu calling, so he immediately pressed the answer button.

"Gao Pan, where are you now? Is it a convenient time to talk?" Chen Danlu's voice came from the other end of the phone.

“It’s easier to talk in my office. Chen Xing, you go ahead.” Gao Pan said, gently closing the door behind him.

"Did you receive a call from Zhou Yu asking you to come to headquarters tomorrow morning? Fang Xing wants to talk to you."

"Yes, I picked him up on the way. I was wondering what Fang Xing wanted to talk to me about, and I thought about asking Zhou Yu, but I felt it wasn't appropriate," Gao Pan answered truthfully.

"Fang Xing plans to put you in charge of the establishment of the Pengcheng branch."

"Me? Really? Chen Xing, you're not kidding, are you?" Gao Pan was somewhat incredulous.

“Why would I joke about something like this with you? We had a meeting of bank presidents this afternoon, and Fang Xing wasn’t very satisfied with the candidates Zhao Xing recommended, so he suggested that you go.” Chen Danlu briefly explained the contents of the meeting.

Gao Pan was finally convinced, and was both surprised and delighted. He murmured, "Fang Xing... hasn't forgotten me."

"How could I forget you? You're a highly paid professional hired by the bank; it's a waste to keep you in this position at the Wuyang branch," Chen Danlu said with a smile.

"Chen Xing, I'll definitely do my best!" Gao Pan quickly declared. "Hey... don't be too happy yet. Fang Xing wants to talk to you tomorrow, you'll have to get past him first!" Chen Danlu reminded him.

“I understand. I think Fang Xing will definitely ask me about the development plan after the branch is established. I have actually thought about this issue.”

"Although both Shenzhen and Shanghai are metropolises, they have different focuses: Shanghai emphasizes finance, while Shenzhen leans more towards technology. Therefore, I think we should focus on developing 'investment-loan linkage' and 'interbank cooperation' businesses targeting technology companies and private equity funds, transforming the branch into a 'science and technology innovation finance hub' connecting industry and capital, and establishing a professional banking brand that is 'scientific and knowledgeable in technology and investment' in the industry!"

"Hehe... As expected of my junior," Chen Danlu laughed on the other end of the phone. "Your answer was quite good, but not enough."

"not enough?"

"Have you forgotten how you were transferred to Wuyang? What is Fang Xing most worried about regarding you?" Chen Danlu reminded him.

“Oh… it’s risk control! I will learn from the lessons in Shanghai and strengthen risk control, especially in all kinds of off-balance-sheet business.” Gao Pan immediately realized.

“That’s right. But such an empty statement is probably not enough to dispel Fang Xing’s concerns, which is also what Deng Xing and Zhao Xing are most worried about.”

"Then what can we do? We can't just write a guarantee, can we? We can't write that."

“I have a solution. When you discuss this issue with Fang Xing tomorrow, you can suggest that we send a risk director to the Pengcheng branch in the future. This director would be directly under the head office’s risk management department and would only report to the head office! If this solution works, we can extend it to other important branches.”

Chen Danlu paused for a moment before continuing, "I originally intended to bring up this suggestion at today's bank president's meeting, but after thinking about it, I'll leave it for you to discuss tomorrow; it will be better for you."

"Chen Xing, thank you." Gao Pan was deeply moved.

"Why are you being so polite with me? You're my junior, and I recruited you. If you do a good job, I'll be proud of you!" Chen Danlu said.

“I am now the vice president. If I continue to stay at Jinghai Bank, I guess I will only reach this position in my lifetime.”

“Chen Xing, you should try to become the bank manager! Your abilities are no less than Deng Xing's, and Fang Xing greatly appreciates you. He has so many businesses under his control and is already too busy to manage everything, so he will definitely give up this position,” Gao Pan said hurriedly.

“You don’t understand… If President Fang relinquishes his position as president, Deng Hui will definitely succeed him.”

"Why?" Gao Pan asked, puzzled.

"The benefits and contributions you've made to Jinghai Bank in Shanghai far exceed those of Deng Hui. You can now do the work she was in charge of, but she might not be able to come to Shanghai to do the work you're doing!"

"Hehe. You underestimate Deng Hui too much. She has a master's degree in finance from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. How could she not be able to handle my job?" Chen Danlu laughed on the other end of the phone.

"Besides, you don't understand Fang Xing's thoughts... He needs someone who can control the overall situation, is steady in his work, and is fair in his dealings. Deng Hui happens to meet these conditions. You also know that the so-called local faction in Jinghai and the outsiders in Shanghai are not very harmonious to begin with. Now, with the establishment of a series of important branches in Hangzhou, Huacheng, and other places, this contradiction may become even more prominent."

“Actually, I think Fangxing should move its headquarters entirely to Shanghai and abandon Jinghai. In the future, our development may not be worse than banks like China Merchants Bank and Industrial Bank!” Gao Pan couldn’t help but say.

"Hehe... I told you, you don't understand Fang Xing. He will never give up on Jinghai... Alright, let's talk about this privately, don't spread it around. Remember to do your best tomorrow!"

"OK, I see."

(End of this chapter)