I was reborn without dreams

Chapter 103 Uncle Zhang Remains True to His Nature

"boss Zhang……"

The people who came to talk to Zhang Da'an were all old acquaintances. Zhang Da'an had previously clashed with Beijing TV and barked all sorts of nonsense on media programs, which had really given them a headache.

The troubles have finally subsided, and the "top scholar theory," "Dangyang theory," and "dialogue among talented people" seem to have become a thing of the past, as if the chapter has been turned over.

In the eyes of his comrades, no matter what Zhang Da'an did... could he really cause a ruckus in Shazhou City?

Well, now they've witnessed how ruthless someone can be—they'll even kill their own people.

Fan Wencheng's case involved only a minor charge, while the real trouble came when his relatives were taken away while attending a meeting in the city.

The value of a whistleblower who reports under their real name is quite high.

How tall is it?

It's several stories high.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I'm a law-abiding citizen, it's not unreasonable for me to do my duty, is it?"

"..."

"What, you mean you don't need the public's oversight?"

"You can't say things like that, Mr. Zhang!"

When the comrades saw that this guy was going to put on a show, they immediately got anxious.

Why are you like this?!

This is a one-time exception!
Zhang Da'an, with his legs crossed and expressionless, said, "I'm actually quite easy to talk to, right? I won't offend others unless they offend me, is that wrong?"

"Of course, of course. We know that Mr. Zhang has been wronged, so the main reason we came here is to express our stance and accept Mr. Zhang's supervision. We will discuss any requests we have and then give Mr. Zhang feedback."

“That’s great. Besides Fan Wencheng, I plan to report those old dogs who were putting on airs with me that day. They…”

"Mr. Zhang! Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, we must allow others to turn themselves in, and even more importantly, we must allow them to reform themselves..."

"My 'Zhang An Food Factory' offers a base salary of 1,800 yuan. Is that alright?"

"no problem!"

Am I a successful entrepreneur?

"Not only excellent, but also conscientious. They are a role model that all enterprises in Shazhou City should learn from."

"Is it too much for me to ask for a certificate?"

"Not at all, not at all..."

Zhang Da'an wasn't trying to bargain; the person who jumped out that day and pointed fingers at him offering a base salary of 1,800 yuan is unlikely to stay in business until next summer.

It's auspicious to close the shop.

Whether or not one can continue to live a carefree life depends on luck.

Of course, things have come to this point. The others are easy to deal with, but Fan Wencheng, who was the first to jump out, definitely needs to be crushed.

What a joke! If he has to consult with others before paying his salary, he might as well just give "Zhang An Education" to any young master living in Jiangning.

The development was too fast; before they even had a chance to show their teeth, their net worth had already exceeded 500 million.

"The God of Literature" certainly makes money quickly.

After that, there was another round of closed-door talks with people of considerable influence, but Zhang Da'an showed them no respect whatsoever. Whatever was discussed, he gave the same answer: All the companies under my name strictly abide by the Labor Law.

It almost choked someone to death.

The Municipal Education Bureau knew that Zhang Zhengdong was very stubborn and inflexible. He had been guarding Dongweigang Middle School for more than ten years. Later, his nephew became the top scholar in the imperial examination three times, so they figured his nephew must be an exceptionally intelligent person.

I never expected him to be even more stubborn and inflexible than Zhang Zhengdong.

The key is that there's still no way to do anything about him.

It wasn't difficult for Zhang Zhengdong to be pinned to death at Dongweigang Middle School back then. Qiu Jianmin used all his strength, but he couldn't pull Zhang Zhengdong up even a little bit.

But Zhang Da'an is different. Wherever he stands, he becomes the face of the Education Bureau. Soon, Zhang Zhengdong will also have to work part-time as the face of the Civil Affairs Bureau. The uncle and nephew practice unorthodox martial arts, which mainly focus on increasing health.

Who would have thought that these two uncles and nephews are now practically "naturally blood tanks," even vampires would have to burp to survive.

As a result, Fan Wencheng's Wencheng Water Conservancy Equipment Company was shut down, and his home was also searched, exposing all his activities over the past few years.

Fan Wencheng originally planned to run away, but a group of "cousins" kept watch on him until the middle of the night, and then intercepted him on the county road to Taihu City.

They let his wife and son go, and they planned to travel from Taihu City to Nandu, and then from Nandu to Xiangshan'ao to leave the country.

Zhang Da'an was hesitating about something, but he didn't mention it to Zhang Zhengdong.

Whether or not to make a decision will depend on how many years Fan Wencheng and his relatives are sentenced to.

The aftermath isn't something that can be discussed in a day, two days, a month, or even two months, or even a year or two. Zhang Da'an will continue to establish himself and operate in Shazhou City.

However, Zhang Da'an didn't leave himself much room for maneuver, nor did he leave Fan Wencheng any chance, because not long after the closed-door meeting, on New Year's Day, amidst various news reports celebrating the New Year, there was a very sensational story of a top-scoring student in the college entrance examination making a real-name report.

The page is quite large...

Coach Zhang still has that much face.

Meanwhile, economic newspapers also reported that "Zhang'an Food Factory" actually benchmarked the basic wages of its workers against those of foreign-funded enterprises, which was bound to be touted as a major achievement.

Following the reports by financial media, media outlets focusing on people's livelihood and rights also quickly followed up.

Media outlets from both Luzhou and Beijing conducted interviews and investigations in two separate groups of over forty people. These included both direct interviews and undercover investigations. The labor conditions of frontline workers and the production environment in factories were all presented to the public through various lenses.

Especially with the "Little Champion QQ Candy" and "Little Champion Smart Candy" series of gummy candies already selling very well, this whole spree has made many rural old men even more diligent in exchanging their beer bottles for soft candies.

"Zhang An Food Factory" has officially made a name for itself in the area surrounding Shazhou City. This is not due to any product advertisement, but rather to word-of-mouth recommendations among the migrant worker community.

The main reason for this wave of publicity is that it is close to the Spring Festival. During the Spring Festival travel rush, many migrant workers are preparing to go home for the New Year. Even the slogans in the central media are "Whether you have money or not, go home for the New Year." But having money is definitely better than not having money, right?
When Zhang Da'an saw the increasingly aggressive advertising, he knew that a bigger parent was involved, intending to use "Zhang'an Food Factory" as a weapon to target those who were not honest.

Because word-of-mouth spread so widely, countless local governments, labor agencies, human resources companies, and individual workers contact us every day to inquire about job openings. Some are even children of laid-off workers who call from far away to ask if we're hiring. My dad used to be a mechanic…

The power of the media is often subtle and unassuming, but when it erupts, it is incredibly potent.

Goebbels-style propaganda is extremely fierce and intense in the short term, to the point that "Zhang An Food Factory," which was not originally a typical example, has now become a typical example of the year.

Of course, he's a positive character!

"How many advertisements have you run? So many newspapers, magazines, and periodicals, all praising 'Zhang An Food Factory,' saying that 'Little Champion QQ Candy' is a product of a conscientious and ethical company, and hoping everyone will continue to support it..."

"I'm just running a small ad, choosing the best among the worst."

Uncle Zhang, worried that his nephew had crashed, came running over, looking disheveled, to ask him what had happened.

The reason he was covered in soot was that when he went to deliver a New Year's gift to his father-in-law, he encountered a house on fire in Gujiawei. The worst part was that it was an elderly couple, and there were no able-bodied men in the family. Uncle Zhang took the lead, carrying the old man on his back and holding the old woman in his arms, and rushed out of the fire...

Without a doubt, he'll be recognized as an "Advanced Individual in Righteous and Courageous Acts."

Before Zhang Da'an was reborn, there was a similar incident. Because Uncle Zhang was very brave, Teacher Li, who originally didn't like him, suddenly felt that this old man was not bad, so she became his aunt.

Now, Teacher Li called Uncle Zhang's cell phone and scolded him for a full half hour.

At your age, why are you still showing off?

Don't you think before you act, considering you have a wife and father at home?

Uncle Zhang let his wife scold him for more than half an hour, then hung up the phone with a grin, drove his beloved second-hand Audi A6, and came to Xindongwei Port Middle School to check on the commotion his nephew had recently caused.

That's pretty exciting. Much more exciting than rescuing people at a fire scene.

The old man and woman together didn't even weigh 200 pounds, and Zhang Zhengdong was a former soldier.

secure.

What does "choosing the tallest among the short" mean?

Uncle Zhang humbly sought advice from his good nephew. There was no other way; ever since he made friends with Secretary Liu Yuanshan, his enthusiasm for learning had greatly increased.

He needs to improve.

Otherwise, he would be a burden to his nephew, and might even cause trouble for him one day.

"So, do you see that 'sweatshops' are now ubiquitous in coastal areas? Don't the media and news frequently report on wage arrears, wage deductions, difficulties in claiming wages, and appalling working conditions?"

"Hmm, it seems so. So, you mean we're going to support you?"

"Whom do I need to support? My face is my asset."

"..."

Seeing his nephew's continued arrogance, Uncle Zhang was speechless, but he still couldn't understand, "So you're in cahoots with the propaganda department?"

"Bullshit, they need positive role models. As for me, I'm both literate and martial, and I'm very handsome."

"..."

The conversation between the uncle and nephew ended with the nephew being deemed unqualified as a teacher. In the end, Uncle Zhang made a phone call to Liu Yuanshan, and after some discussion, Uncle Zhang was able to provide another round of instruction from the question bank.

"Is there a real lack of positive role models right now? The higher-ups desperately need resilient and long-lasting private enterprises to reverse the negative public opinion? Oh... is that a saying? Yes, we have several chemical plants here, they really deserve to die, but they're about to be relocated, and they're arguing about it in the city every day."

"Old Zhang, once 'Zhang'an Food Factory' becomes a model, it could potentially become a national enterprise brand, just like 'Fantasy Computers.' It's impossible to predict the final output value of 'Zhang'an Food Factory,' otherwise it's truly promising. There's a lot to it. By the way, aren't you about to start an educational assistance project? You could definitely leverage that. Choose one in Jiangkou Province, or one in the surrounding Jianghuai or Yuzhang Provinces—it would be beneficial."

"What's the benefit?"

"Once you're promoted, as long as the local authorities aren't stupid, they can easily invite you to take the top or second-in-command position, maybe even let you hold both positions. Impoverished counties don't have many resources to improve their current environment, but if you bring in a big shot from outside, the situation is completely different. I've been to many places around Jiangning, and let me give you an example. In the northeast of Yuzhang Province, there's a place called Pengli County. All the local specialties sold out are not as profitable as a single production line at a steel plant in Shazhou City. With a few million yuan, you can start projects in two or three townships and then drive the local people to develop specialty industries. But specialty industries don't just appear out of thin air, right? There has to be a market, there has to be a sales channel. If they invite you to be the county magistrate, even if you're just selling long beans, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers, it won't be too bad. Shazhou City only needs to have the school cafeteria and the owner of an industrial town purchase local vegetables."

"That makes sense."

"I'm just giving an example, I'm not saying we actually have to go to Pengli County."

Does Pengli County need Hope Primary Schools?

"I already said I was just giving an example, an analogy. I don't really mean to go to Pengli County. Isn't Jianghuai Province better? It's closer."

How many people live in Pengli County? Can you get there by walking along the Yangtze River?

"..."

Listen to human language, you idiot!
Listen to human language!

Don't start letting your imagination run wild!

Is the ear-grabbing device just for show?!
However, Liu Yuanshan was truly patient with Zhang Zhengdong. Since Pengli County was mentioned, he would check the data for Pengli County. He had been a secretary for so many years, and if his powerful backer hadn't gone to jail, he wouldn't have wasted his time in the eastern part of the city.

Because he's not the only one wasting his time here; his "boss" has been sitting here for years, and the possibility of him moving away is nowhere in sight.

"Old Zhang, wait for me a moment."

Holding the receiver between his face and his ear, Liu Yuanshan chatted with Zhang Zhengdong about other things while searching for something. "By the way, the retrial results for Guan Changsheng's case should be out this month. Make some preparations then."

"What am I supposed to prepare? It's none of my business, it's not like I'm the one getting beaten up."

"Damn it, about your nephew expanding production!"

"Oh, right, right, right, my bad, I forgot about that. Hey, Lao Liu, have you found a venue yet? Once you have, we'll start recruiting. Two years ago, he poached a math teacher from Pengcheng, and the bureau still owes Pengcheng a favor. This time, Pengcheng wants to recommend two hundred students."

"How the hell are there two hundred? Damn it, wasn't it agreed that Sucheng would get priority?"

“But now we’re going to build a Hope Primary School there, and then recruit students and workers around the Hope Primary School, and then introduce construction sites and companies. Shazhou has come up with a ‘one-stop’ policy to specifically support the vocational skills training project of ‘Zhang’an Education’. We’re also about to discuss the feasibility of establishing a private secondary vocational school. Sucheng is still the priority consideration.”

"Why?!"

“Shazhou City has always had a good relationship with Sucheng. Many people used to cross the river together, including my company commander’s old superior, who was from Sucheng. We have that connection. He’s now the CEO of an education investment company. It wouldn’t be appropriate to refuse him this much face, would it?”

"Damn, wouldn't it be great to put it in the East District? And let me tell you, the land cost is guaranteed to be satisfactory. Old Zhang, can you pass on a message and see if it can be put in the East District? Xianlin is right next to Baohua Mountain in Runzhou. As long as the road is even slightly decent, you can get five or six hundred acres of land in Baohua Mountain to build a school without any problem. Trust me... Oh, I found it. I'll talk to you about this later. Let me tell you about Pengli County first, let me see..."

Liu Yuanshan has economic development annual reports for the surrounding areas, but they are not watered-down reports; they are "peeled" reports.

As a large city with a considerable population, Jiangning City has a much greater demand for labor than Wudu City.

The logic is simple: there's not much potential for civil engineering projects in the core urban area of ​​Wudu City. Every brick and tile of the ancient city must be preserved, so development that increases land value is out of the question.

Therefore, looking at the entire Wudu city, from industrial electricity consumption to residential electricity consumption to population distribution, it presents a scattered pattern.

No region stands out; the distribution is extremely balanced.

Jiangning City is different; its urban area is quite crowded, even congested.

Labor demand is also concentrated; the labor market responds in a concentrated manner to any job, regardless of income level.

Therefore, capable grassroots cadres, like Liu Yuanshan, never just focus on the districts and counties in front of them when it comes to data collection; they also keep their eyes on the surrounding provinces and cities.

However, they cannot influence industry development or industrial planning, so they mainly focus on basic employment, and taxation can sometimes be put aside. In Jiangning City, employment is far more important than taxation.

After all, from the perspective of the entire Jiangkou Province, the difference in taxation is not significant in any one city or region. Of course, there may be differences in taxation in one city or region, but such things are not something that people like "Liu Yuanshan" can control.

"Pengli County, Pengli County, Pengli County... Oh, found it. Old Zhang, the agricultural output value here is only 400 million yuan, and the industrial output value is a little over 100 million yuan. After removing the exaggeration, let's estimate it at around 100 million yuan. Combined, it's not even worth a fraction of the output value of a single workshop in your steel plant. You don't even need a few million yuan in start-up capital. For this scale, you can start a project with just 500,000 to 600,000 yuan."

"Then let's go here. Can you help me see which place is suitable and set up a Hope Primary School there?"

"Didn't your mother know to do some research first?"

"I don't have time, I need to go to Sucheng first."

“Shenjin, it’s not easy for me to get there. I have to go through Jianghuai Province first, which is seven or eight hundred kilometers round trip. It’s exhausting to go there.”

"so far?"

"Didn't you listen to what I told you before?! Didn't I tell you it's in Yuzhang Province, Yuzhang Province, Yuzhang Province? I already told you to go to Jianghuai Province and choose a place nearby. You kept talking about Pengli County, Pengli County, Pengli County, you never listen to what I say..."

"Alright, alright, alright, you've had a long journey. I've had a long journey too. When you come to Shazhou, 'Old Northeast' will still be the same."

"I fuck you..."

beep……

The phone call had ended, and as always, Uncle Zhang ignored what others were saying, humming "Shajiabang" to himself, and leisurely went to report his work to the old company commander.

Qiu Jianmin is currently reading the newspaper; the company's performance this year... is fantastic!

Both Wudu City and Shazhou City sent people to inspect and commend Qiu Jianmin, affirming his outstanding work.

By the first quarter of the new year, eight million yuan of the special education fund will have been transferred, and several million yuan will still be left in the bank to earn interest...

The pace of merging township primary schools in Shazhou City will accelerate next year, which is actually in line with the development of "merging villages and hamlets". However, Shazhou City has been moving very fast in the past two years. Primary schools in the urban area and many industrial towns have begun to purchase school buses and have uniformly painted them with the "Shazhou City Education Bureau" logo.

All directly administered primary schools can be assigned school buses, which are of course managed uniformly by the municipal bureau.

This was not a single action; the city's bus company created a large number of driver positions thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the city's education bureau, so it was a multi-departmental collaboration led by the city.

However, the Municipal Bureau is in the center position.

(End of this chapter)