Courtyard House: Inheriting the Restaurant, the Jia Family Wants to Get It for Free

After seeing off Director Wang and Section Chief Li, only Cheng Shuhai's family remained in the house.

"Brother, you...you really want to be this deputy team leader?" Sha Zhu was still a little worried. "It sounds like a high-ranking position, but why do I feel like it's so risky?"

"Yes, Shuhai," Chen Xueru said worriedly, "You've already figured out our own problems so well, why are you getting involved in other people's messes? What if you run into someone like that guy surnamed Ma who's sabotaging you behind your back..."

"It's different now." Cheng Shuhai shook his head.

"Why is it different?"

"Before, I was an 'athlete.' Others could report me and investigate me." A meaningful smile appeared on Cheng Shuhai's lips. "But now, I'm a 'referee.'"

He looked at his wife and younger siblings and explained, "Now, I represent the municipal government. When I go out to do things, I'm implementing the city's policies. If anyone tries to use the same old methods against me, they're not just targeting me, Cheng Shuhai, personally."

"He's going to take on the entire organization."

These words made it clear to everyone.

The change in identity brought about a fundamental difference in nature.

Cheng Shuhai has successfully donned the most robust armor for himself, an armor called "organization".

"Then... what about our restaurant and factory?" Qin Huairu asked. Although it had become a joint public-private enterprise, she still habitually addressed them that way.

"Director Cheng, don't worry, with this old man here, no one can slack off!" He Daqing patted his chest and assured him.

"Regarding the cannery," Cheng Shuhai then looked at Qin Huairu, "you, Brother Lou, and Section Chief Li, continue to follow the system we've established. Especially the trade with the Soviet Union; we can't let our guard down for a moment. This is our foundation."

"Brother, I understand." Qin Huairu nodded heavily.

"As for the silk shop and the tavern," he said, turning to Chen Xueru one last time, "wife, you and Xu Huizhen will have to work much harder from now on."

"Go ahead and do your important business with peace of mind." Chen Xueru held his hand, her eyes full of pride.

Sha Zhu scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.

"Brother, is this... a good thing or a bad thing?" Sha Zhu finally asked after holding it in for a long time. "It sounds like I'm going to be a high-ranking official, but why do I feel uneasy?"

Cheng Shuhai smiled, casually placed the official document on the table, and poured himself another cup of tea. He knew in his heart that Sha Zhu's feeling was right. This appointment was a sign of trust and opportunity, but even more so, a hot potato.

He never wanted to be an official, especially not in this era. The higher the rank, the more eyes there are, and the more constraints one faces. What he wanted was the freedom to use his abilities to create an unbreakable haven for his family, not to be tied to a certain position, unable to move.

But now, he has no choice.

The city put him in this position because they valued his successful experience in transforming the cannery, and they also wanted him to tackle the tough challenges that others couldn't. If he stepped down, it would be seen as ungrateful, and all the goodwill he had accumulated would vanish.

"It's a good thing." Cheng Shuhai looked at his family's worried eyes and said calmly, "From now on, it's like we have a sign for the municipal government hanging at our door. Anyone who wants to mess with us will have to think twice before they decide whether they're even a threat."

He didn't elaborate on the dangers involved, but only presented the most favorable aspects to reassure his family.

Chen Xueru was intelligent and naturally understood the implications. She didn't ask any more questions, but silently got up and went to the kitchen to heat up his food.

Qin Huai looked at Cheng Shuhai with eyes full of admiration. In her view, even the most difficult problems seemed to be easily solved by Cheng Shuhai.

That evening, Cheng Shuhai didn't go to bed early as usual. He locked himself in his study and spread a large stack of documents left by Director Wang about enterprises in the city awaiting renovation all over the table.

Textile factories, machinery factories, chemical plants, food factories... each familiar yet unfamiliar name represents a complex mess: unclear accounts, outdated equipment, bloated staff, and tangled web of relationships.

He knew very well that his role as "deputy team leader" wasn't meant to be a sitting in an office giving orders. He had to come up with truly practical and effective solutions. Otherwise, he would just be the scapegoat pushed out to take the blame.

His gaze finally settled on a briefing on "Foreign Trade." It mentioned several items the country urgently needed to import from the Soviet Union: precision machine tools, special steel, chemical raw materials, and... tinplate.

Cheng Shuhai's eyes lit up when he saw the words "tinplate".

This is precisely the lifeblood of the cannery. If he could secure a stable supply of these critical materials by expanding exports, he could not only complete the tasks assigned by the city, but also transform his cannery into an unshakeable fortress.

A grand plan began to slowly take shape in his mind.

The next morning, Cheng Shuhai had just finished breakfast and was preparing to leave for the newly established guidance group office in the city when a black Volga sedan pulled up at the gate.

An elderly man in a Zhongshan suit, with gray hair but a sprightly appearance, stepped off the bus. A young man carrying a briefcase accompanied him.

Yan Bugui was sweeping the ground at the gate when he saw this commotion and his eyes widened. He knew that this was definitely a big shot who had come for Director Cheng.

"Excuse me, does Comrade Cheng Shuhai live here?" the old man asked politely as he walked to the gate of the courtyard.

"Yes, yes, Director Cheng lives in the Central Courtyard." Yan Bugui hurriedly nodded and bowed as he pointed the way, wondering to himself, "Which department leader is this? Judging by his imposing manner, he's much more powerful than Director Wang from the neighborhood committee."

The old man nodded and walked straight toward the central courtyard.

Hearing the noise, Cheng Shuhai came out of the house to greet him.

"Who are you?"

"Comrade Cheng Shuhai, right? Hello." The old man extended his hand and shook hands with Cheng Shuhai. "My surname is Zhao, Zhao Weiguo. This is my identification."

The young man next to him immediately handed him a red booklet.

Cheng Shuhai took it and glanced at it, a slight thought crossing his mind. The document didn't specify a particular position, only a name and a number, but the issuing unit was an extremely core department he had never dealt with before.

He immediately realized that this old man Zhao was no ordinary person.