Reborn in 2000: I'm the Boss's Driver

In May, the steel city had completely shed its spring chill.

The plane trees lining the streets spread their dense leaves, sunlight filtering through the gaps and casting dappled shadows on the ground. Women's clothes became more vibrant, their skirts fluttering in the gentle breeze. During rush hour, the flow of electric bikes was filled with many young people without helmets, as if the entire city was stirring with the rising temperature.

Lin Fan's life also entered the rhythm of early summer.

At six in the morning, the sky was already bright. He got up as usual; Wang Juan was still asleep—she had been busy until one in the morning checking the monthly reports for four stores. Lin Fan didn't wake her, quietly washed up, and went downstairs to get his car.

Today I'm driving a Toyota Land Cruiser. Zhou Wenyuan is going to Qingshui County this morning to investigate agricultural projects. The journey is long and the road conditions are complicated, so an off-road vehicle is more suitable.

At 7:20, the car arrived at Zhou Wenyuan's building. Zhou Wenyuan was wearing a light gray jacket and dark trousers today, looking a few years younger than when he wore a suit.

Good morning, Brother Zhou.

"Good morning." Zhou Wenyuan got into the car and handed over a folder. "Take a look at this on the way. We'll need it for the research this morning."

Lin Fan took the documents; they were for the Qingshui County Agricultural Comprehensive Development Project. After starting the car, he quickly browsed through them while waiting at a red light. The project had a total investment of 30 million yuan, with 15 million yuan in government matching funds. It mainly involved the construction of greenhouses and irrigation facilities. The plan was to benefit five impoverished villages and over 800 households.

"This project is progressing a bit slowly," Zhou Wenyuan said from the back row. "The funding was approved last October, and we've only completed 40% of it so far."

"Is it because of the weather?" Lin Fan guessed.

"That's partly true," Zhou Wenyuan said, rubbing his temples. "But the main problem is that the county hasn't paid enough attention and hasn't coordinated effectively. The purpose of our visit today is to put more pressure on them."

The car left the city and entered the provincial highway. The fields in May were lush and green, the wheat already heading, rippling in the morning breeze. In the distance, the red-tiled roofs of villages appeared and disappeared among the green trees.

"Brother Zhou, how's the performance appraisal plan that Deputy Director Zhang is implementing?" Lin Fan asked tentatively.

Mentioning this, Zhou Wenyuan's expression softened somewhat: "Not bad. The official document from the provincial department has arrived, and it aligns with the direction Deputy Director Zhang mentioned. Our bureau made preparations in advance, giving us a head start. The mayor even praised us, saying the Finance Bureau had foresight."

"That's because Brother Zhou is a good leader."

"Deputy Director Zhang did put in a lot of effort." Zhou Wenyuan changed the subject, "But Xiao Lin, have you noticed that Deputy Director Zhang has been going to the provincial department quite frequently lately?"

Lin Fan's heart skipped a beat. He had indeed noticed—in the past two weeks, Deputy Director Zhang had gone to the provincial department three times, each time claiming it was to "report on work" or "connect with business." Xiao Zhao had privately told Lin Fan that the people Deputy Director Zhang met at the provincial department were of high rank, and twice they had even met with deputy directors.

"It's probably for work purposes," Lin Fan replied cautiously.

"It's definitely necessary for the job," Zhou Wenyuan said, looking out the window. "But it's not normal if it happens too frequently. I asked Zheng Ming to keep an eye out for it. Every time Deputy Director Zhang comes back from the provincial department, he brings up some new ideas—some of them are really good, while others... are debatable."

Lin Fan glanced at Zhou Wenyuan in the rearview mirror. The leader's words were subtle, but the meaning was clear: Deputy Director Zhang was using his provincial department background to increase his influence within the bureau.

"So, what Brother Zhou means is..."

"Remain calm and observe," Zhou Wenyuan said calmly. "I support his good suggestions; I shelve his immature ideas. But the bottom line cannot be crossed—the decision-making power within the bureau must remain in my hands."

Upon reaching the border of Qingshui County, leaders from the county's Finance Bureau were already waiting at the intersection. The two vehicles, one after the other, drove towards the project site.

The investigation lasted all morning. Zhou Wenyuan examined everything meticulously, inquiring about the number of greenhouses built, the quality of the cement, and the depth of the pipes buried. County officials followed along, sweat beading on their foreheads—clearly, this young municipal finance bureau chief was not to be easily fooled.

They ate lunch at the county guesthouse. At the table, Zhou Wenyuan didn't mince words with the county officials: "County Chief Wang, this project is highly valued by the province and the city; it's a poverty alleviation project and also a project to improve people's lives. But with the current progress, I won't be able to explain it to everyone when I get back."

County Chief Wang nodded repeatedly: "Director Zhou's criticism is correct. We will definitely speed up the process."

"It's not that I want to criticize, it's that the people can't afford to wait," Zhou Wenyuan said seriously. "Here's a timetable: 80% of the project must be completed by the end of June; the entire project must be completed, inspected, and handed over by the end of August. Can you do that?"

County Magistrate Wang gritted his teeth and said, "Yes! I guarantee I'll complete the task!"

"Okay, that's exactly what I wanted to hear." Zhou Wenyuan's expression softened slightly. "As for funding, the city will provide full support. But that's contingent on keeping up with the schedule. If there are delays, subsequent funding will need to be reassessed."

"Understood, understood."

After lunch, they headed back. On the way, Zhou Wenyuan said to Lin Fan, "Call the budget department and tell them to follow up on this project and report its progress every two weeks."

"OK."

After Lin Fan finished making the phone call and giving instructions, Zhou Wenyuan had already leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest. The afternoon sun shone through the car window, casting interplay of light and shadow on his face.

During his six months as director, Zhou Wenyuan has indeed faced considerable pressure. He has demands from city leaders, expectations from counties and districts, and a delicate balance to maintain within the leadership team. At thirty-five or thirty-six years old, this position presents both opportunities and challenges.

As the car approached the city center, Zhou Wenyuan suddenly asked, "Xiao Lin, how's Wang Juan's business?"

"It's going well. All four stores are operating normally, and the total profit last month was over 300,000 yuan."

"Over 300,000?" Zhou Wenyuan opened his eyes. "That's a lot. Can she manage it all by herself?"

"We hired a store manager, who mainly handles purchasing and finances," Lin Fan said. "But she is indeed very busy, often traveling to Guangzhou to select products."

"A strong woman, huh?" Zhou Wenyuan laughed. "You need to support her more. Family and career, husband and wife should support each other."

"I see."

After dropping Zhou Wenyuan off at the bureau, Lin Fan went to the motorcade office. Da Liu wasn't there, but Xiao Zhao was on duty.

"Team Leader Lin." Xiao Zhao stood up.

"Have a seat." Lin Fan waved his hand. "Did Deputy Director Zhang use the car today?"

"Yes, I did. He went to the Construction Bureau this morning, and said he was going to the Provincial Department this afternoon." Xiao Zhao lowered his voice. "Team Leader Lin, Deputy Director Zhang has been going to the Provincial Department a lot lately, and... he doesn't really let me go in with him. He always gets out of the car at the entrance and goes in by himself."

Lin Fan nodded: "Understood. Just provide normal service, don't worry about anything else."

"clear."

After leaving the convoy, Lin Fan checked the time: 3 PM. He thought for a moment, then drove to the Donghe Wholesale Market—Wang Juan's main wholesale store was there, and his mother-in-law usually helped out there.

The wholesale market remained the same—noisy, crowded, and filled with a mixture of smells. But Wang Juan's shop was no longer the same. The small storefront of just over ten square meters had now been expanded by combining two adjacent shops, becoming a large store of nearly forty or fifty square meters. The signboard had been changed to a unified "Juanfan Clothing Wholesale Main Store," and the store employed four employees. Her mother-in-law sat behind the cashier, calculating accounts with a customer.

"Mom." Lin Fan entered the room.

"Xiao Fan's here!" My mother-in-law looked up, her face beaming. "Not busy today?"

"Just got back from accompanying the boss on a research trip, just stopping by to check it out." Lin Fan glanced around the shop. "How's business?"

"It's doing great!" Aunt Wang pointed to the shelves. "This batch of summer clothes just arrived, and half of them are already sold in just two days. Juan'er has a good eye; the styles she chose are all bestsellers."

As they were talking, a familiar figure emerged from the inner room, carrying a stack of clothes. Upon seeing Lin Fan, the man was startled: "Brother Fan?"

"Wang Qiang?" Lin Fan was also taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

Wang Qiang put down his clothes and wiped his hands: "I'm not in the factory vehicle fleet anymore. Now I'm helping out at Sister Juan's place, managing warehousing and logistics."

Lin Fan then remembered that Wang Juan had mentioned last month that the wholesale store had a large volume of goods and needed a reliable person to manage the warehouse and deliveries. At the time, she had asked Lin Fan to recommend someone, and Lin Fan casually mentioned Wang Qiang, a temporary worker from Wang Xin's truck team—unexpectedly, it actually worked out.

"Brother Fan, I really have to thank you for this," Wang Qiang said sincerely. "Sister Juan paid me twice as much as I do at the factory, and the work isn't as strenuous. I don't have to work night shifts as often anymore."

"It's because you're hardworking and reliable." Lin Fan patted him on the shoulder. "Keep up the good work, and Wang Juan won't treat you unfairly."

"Absolutely!"

After chatting with Wang Qiang for a while, Lin Fan learned about the current scale of the wholesale store—in addition to supplying its own four specialty stores, it also supplies more than twenty clothing stores in surrounding counties and cities. The monthly turnover has exceeded one million yuan, and the profits are considerable.

"Sister Juan said she plans to set up a wholesale outlet in the provincial capital in the second half of the year," Wang Qiang said. "The market there is bigger and has a wider reach."

Lin Fan was secretly surprised. Wang Juan's steps were faster than he had expected.

After leaving the wholesale store, Lin Fan went to the Experimental Middle School again—Xiao Lei got out of school early today, and he was picking him up on the way.

The entrance to the Experimental Middle School was crowded with parents. Lin Fan parked his car on the side of the road and waited for a while. He saw Xiao Lei walk out with his schoolbag on his back and a girl beside him. The two of them were talking as they walked.

When Xiao Lei saw Lin Fan, he quickly said a few words to the girl and ran over: "Brother-in-law."

"School's out?" Lin Fan looked him over. "That girl is...?"

"Our class monitor asked me a physics question." Xiao Lei was a little embarrassed. "Brother-in-law, please don't tell my sister."

Lin Fan laughed: "What are you saying? It's normal for classmates to discuss their studies. Let's get in the car."

On the bus, Xiao Lei proactively reported on his studies: "I ranked twelfth in my class and in the top 100 in the grade in the midterm exam. My homeroom teacher said that if I keep this up, I'll have no problem getting into a top high school."

"That's quite an improvement," Lin Fan praised. "The competition at Experimental High School is fierce; making it into the top 100 is excellent."

"The main thing is that I used the right learning methods," Xiao Lei said. "The error notebook you taught me, brother-in-law, is especially useful. I now have one for each subject, and I review them regularly, so I rarely make the same mistakes again."

"As long as it works."

When he got home, Wang Juan was already back and cooking in the kitchen. Hearing the door open, she poked her head out and asked, "Did you pick up Xiaolei?"

"Yeah, it's on my way." Lin Fan changed his shoes. "You're back pretty early today."

"I went to the Zhongshan Road store this afternoon, but nothing came of it, so I came back."

After dinner, Lin Fan sat in his study and reviewed recent events. He jotted down a few things in his notebook:

1. Deputy Director Zhang is making frequent moves, using his provincial department background to increase his influence. Director Zhou is adopting a wait-and-see approach, but caution is advised.

2. Wang Juan's business expanded rapidly, and the company operated in a standardized manner.

3. The father-in-law has a stable job, the mother-in-law helps run the shop, and Xiao Lei is making progress in his studies.

4. The fleet is operating normally; Da Liu is capable, and Xiao Zhao is reliable.

Everything seemed to be on track, but Lin Fan remained uneasy. Especially regarding Deputy Director Zhang's matter—Zhou Wenyuan's words in the car today, seemingly calm, actually concealed a sense of unease.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Zhou Wenyuan.

"Xiao Lin, at tomorrow morning's bureau meeting, please inform the team members to add one item to the agenda: study the provincial department's new requirements regarding budget performance management. Have Deputy Director Zhang prepare accordingly."

"Okay, Brother Zhou, I'll notify them right away."

After hanging up, Lin Fan notified everyone one by one. When he called Deputy Director Zhang, the other party was very polite: "Captain Lin, thank you for your hard work. I will definitely prepare carefully. By the way, would you like to take a look at the materials for tomorrow's report?"

"Director Zhang, you're too kind. Please prepare accordingly," Lin Fan politely declined.

"Okay, see you at the meeting tomorrow."

After giving the notification, Lin Fan looked at his phone, lost in thought. Was Deputy Director Zhang's initiative in showing him the materials a gesture of goodwill, or a test?

The atmosphere at the bureau meeting the following morning was indeed delicate.

Deputy Director Zhang gave a report on budget performance management, which was well-prepared, detailed in data, and included three specific suggestions. Zhou Wenyuan listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

After the report, Zhou Wenyuan first affirmed, "Director Zhang's report was very comprehensive, and the suggestions were also actionable. In particular, the third point, establishing a red, yellow, and blue early warning mechanism for county and district budget execution, is a very good idea."

Deputy Director Zhang smiled.

But Zhou Wenyuan changed the subject: "However, this mechanism involves a wide range of issues and requires thorough communication with the counties and districts. I suggest we select two counties for a pilot program first, and then promote it further after it proves successful. Director Cong, what do you think?"

Cong Jie chimed in, "I agree with Director Zhou's opinion. A hasty, full-scale rollout might encounter resistance from counties and districts. Pilot programs can accumulate experience and refine the details."

Deputy Director Zhang's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered: "Director Zhou has considered everything thoroughly; the pilot program is indeed more prudent."

"Then it's settled." Zhou Wenyuan made the decision. "Director Zhang, you will take the lead in developing the pilot program, with Director Cong assisting. A first draft should be produced within a month, and the Party Committee of the Bureau will discuss it."

"OK."

The other agenda items of the meeting proceeded smoothly. After the meeting adjourned, Lin Fan noticed that Deputy Director Zhang was the last to leave the meeting room, and he looked rather unhappy.

At noon in the cafeteria, Lin Fan overheard some discussions—that Deputy Director Zhang had connections in the provincial department and wanted to achieve results as soon as possible, but Director Zhou was slowing down the pace and not letting him rush things.

Whether these rumors are true or false is hard to say, but at least it shows that some people in the bureau have already noticed the delicate relationship between the leadership team.

In the afternoon, Lin Fan accompanied Zhou Wenyuan to the municipal government. In the car, Zhou Wenyuan brought up the morning's meeting: "Deputy Director Zhang's suggestion was actually good, but it was too hasty. Impatience is the worst thing in financial work; it easily leads to problems."

"Brother Zhou wants to proceed steadily and surely."

"That's right," Zhou Wenyuan said. "As the newly appointed director, my primary task is to maintain stability. We need to lay a solid foundation, establish rules, and unite the people. As for innovation and breakthroughs, that's a matter for the next step."

Lin Fan understood. Zhou Wenyuan wasn't conservative; he was methodical—first consolidating power, then pushing forward reforms. Within this rhythm, anyone trying to move ahead would be appropriately suppressed.

"Xiao Lin, remember this," Zhou Wenyuan said earnestly, "In government offices, sometimes slow and steady wins the race. Taking each step firmly is more effective than rushing ahead recklessly."

"I've got it."

May passed by day by day. On the surface, all was calm, but beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.

Wang Juan was extremely busy, but full of energy. Summer clothing sales were booming at all four stores, especially the new store in the south of the city, which recouped its costs and started making a profit within two months of opening.

Zhou Wenyuan's work proceeded methodically, pushing forward what needed to be pushed forward and suppressing what needed to be suppressed. Deputy Director Zhang's pilot program was being formulated, but progress was slow—Zhou Wenyuan wasn't urging him, Cong Jie wasn't in a hurry, and Deputy Director Zhang had the energy but couldn't exert it.

Lin Fan maintains a balance between his two roles. By day, he's Zhou Wenyuan's driver and assistant; by night, he's Wang Juan's husband and advisor. Occasionally, he also checks in on his parents-in-law and inquires about Xiao Lei's studies.

One weekend at the end of May, Lin Fan had a rare day off. Wang Juan also made time for them to go for a walk in the park.

At the end of May, the park was in full bloom with flowers and lush green grass. Many families brought their children to play, and laughter filled the air.

"Lin Fan, look at that family of three over there." Wang Juan pointed to a spot not far away where a young father was teaching his child to fly a kite.

Lin Fan looked over, and a thought suddenly struck him: "Juan'er, shouldn't we have a child too?"

Wang Juan turned to look at him, her eyes bright: "Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind." Lin Fan took her hand. "Now your career is stable, my work is going smoothly, and our parents are settled. It's time."

Wang Juan's eyes were slightly red: "Actually... I stopped using contraception last month."

Lin Fan was taken aback, then realized what he meant: "You..."

"I wanted to surprise you," Wang Juan said, leaning on his shoulder. "But I'm not pregnant yet; the doctor said it might be next month."

Lin Fan hugged her tighter: "No rush, let's let nature take its course."

The two sat down on a bench and looked at the lake in the distance. The setting sun cast a golden glow on the lake.

"Lin Fan, sometimes when I think about it, it feels like a dream," Wang Juan said softly. "Three years ago, I was a waiter in a restaurant, earning three hundred yuan a month. Now, we have four stores and more than two million yuan in savings."

"It's all thanks to your own hard work."

"But meeting you is my greatest fortune," Wang Juan said earnestly. "Without you, I might still be working in a restaurant, or married to an ordinary person, living a predictable life."

"You have to live your own life," Lin Fan said. "Your current achievements are the result of your hard work."

Wang Juan didn't say anything more, she just held his hand tightly.

As the sun gradually set, the sky was painted with a magnificent sunset. People gradually left the park, the noise subsided, and only tranquility remained.

Lin Fan looked at this tranquil scene, but he knew in his heart that beneath the tranquility, life never stopped flowing.

Night falls, and the city lights begin to twinkle. Night descends once again upon the steel city.

Lin Fan and Wang Juan got up and walked home hand in hand. The streetlights cast long shadows of them, intertwining and making it impossible to distinguish one from the other.

Just like their destinies, they were already closely intertwined and could never be separated again.

And this is precisely the most cherished gain Lin Fan has received since his rebirth.