Cangmang Asks the Way 1: Guardian of the Lamp

One morning at the end of June, Tianci was discharged from the hospital.

Su Yumei helped him walk slowly down the hospital corridor. He was wearing a light gray tracksuit, the sleeves and trousers a little too long, bunching up at his wrists and ankles. His hair had been shaved, and a short layer had grown out, lying flat against his scalp. Morning light streamed in from the window at the end of the corridor, falling on the back of his head. The new stubble looked very soft in the light.

Cang Lifeng walked ahead, carrying a suitcase in each hand. The suitcases contained things that Tianci had brought from Ji County.

Cang Xiangyang walked at the back, carrying two huge snakeskin bags on his shoulders. The bags were filled with gifts from people he knew and people he didn't know.

The hospital doors were two glass doors with aluminum frames. Cang Lifeng walked ahead and pushed one open. Morning light rushed in from outside. Tianci paused. The light was too bright. He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. Then he stepped out.

They walked out of the hospital and came to the roadside. Cang Lifeng reached out and hailed a taxi. He opened the back door and put his suitcase in the trunk. Xiang Yang also stuffed his bag in.

Su Yumei helped Tianci into the back seat. She let him lean on her shoulder. Tianci tilted his head, resting it against her neck. That was the position he slept in every day before he was three years old. He didn't remember. But his body remembered.

Xiangyang boarded the bus from the other side. The door closed.

Cang Lifeng stood outside the car window. He looked at Tianci. Tianci leaned on his mother's shoulder, his eyes half-closed. The morning light shone on his face, which was very white, but no longer the white of the hospital room.

"Brother, we're leaving," Xiangyang said.

Cang Lifeng nodded.

The taxi started moving. A faint puff of exhaust fumes billowed from its tail, dissipating in the morning light. Cang Lifeng stood by the roadside, watching the car merge into the traffic. It grew smaller and smaller, farther and farther away, until it became a gray dot and disappeared at the end of the road.

After a long time, he turned around.

In the days after Tianci left Nancheng, Cang Lifeng buried himself in his office. The mess Jinzhou left behind was bigger than he had imagined. The accounts Wang Lide sent piled up on half a table. Lu Wenyuan called to say that his graduation procedures were completed and he wanted to talk to him.

That afternoon, Wang Lide came to find him and said that Lu Wenyuan had arranged to meet him at the teahouse.

"Let's go," Cang Lifeng said.

He put on the light blue shirt and walked out of the construction site gate with Wang Lide.

The teahouse is the same one as last time.

When Cang Lifeng arrived, Lu Wenyuan had already been sitting for a while. A copy of the *Nancheng Daily* was spread out on the table, page four facing up, the print densely packed. His finger was pointing at a small announcement, and he looked up when he heard footsteps.

"Big brother." He stood up.

Cang Lifeng sat down opposite him. Wang Lide followed behind, his steps very light. He stood by the table for a moment before pulling out his chair. Lu Wenyuan's gaze lingered on Wang Lide's face for a moment. That was Jinzhou's financial manager; he had seen him at a dinner party at Yuebinlou.

"Teacher Lu," Wang Lide called out.

"Brother Wang, you're too kind. I'm young, you can just call me Lu Wenyuan from now on," Lu Wenyuan said with a smile.

"Yes, Brother Wang, Lu Wenyuan and I are brothers, so my brother is your brother too. Don't be so polite," Cang Lifeng replied.

Wang Lide thought for a moment, then extended his hand and said with a smile, "Okay. Brother Wenyuan, let's get to know each other again. My name is Wang Lide, financial advisor of Nancheng Zhongzhi Construction Company."

Cang Lifeng added, "Wen Yuan, Brother Wang is still on probation. His title of financial advisor is just that. In reality, he is still the financial manager."

Lu Wenyuan nodded, smiled, and extended his hand, saying, "Lu Wenyuan, a graduate student from Nanjing University, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Their hands were clasped tightly together.

"Alright, alright, what are you still standing for? Aren't you tired? Sit down, let's have a good chat." Cang Lifeng pulled the two of them down to sit.

The waiter from the teahouse came over carrying a copper kettle. Cang Lifeng ordered a kettle of Longjing tea. The waiter put down three cups, poured the tea, and left.

Lu Wenyuan pushed the newspaper forward.

"Big brother, look at this."

His finger hovered over the notice. Cang Lifeng looked down—it was a list of construction projects at Jinzhou Construction that had been halted. Binjiang New City Phase II, Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market, the Mining Machinery Factory Staff Dormitory Building… the names were densely packed, like inscriptions on a tombstone.

"Jinzhou collapsed, and all these projects came to a halt. The government is even more anxious than we are—every day that the projects are suspended means another batch of homeowners who won't receive their properties and another batch of workers who won't get their wages."

Lu Wenyuan paused, then tapped the words "Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market" twice with his finger.

"I've inquired about it. Jinzhou has completed the main structure of this project, with only the water and electricity installation and exterior wall painting remaining. Work has been suspended for almost two months, and vendors are crammed into makeshift sheds to do business. Complaints have been made to the municipal petition office. For this kind of project, whoever has the ability to take it over has the bargaining power."

"But taking over requires two things: money and trust. We don't have much money. Trust—"

He paused, then pointed at Cang Lifeng and said, "You have it."

Wang Lide had been keeping his head down, but when he heard this, he raised his head.

“Wen Yuan is right. I handled these projects at Jinzhou. I know exactly how much money is in each project's accounts, how much each project owes to suppliers, and which project's clients made timely payments—I have it all.” He pressed his hand to his chest, where an old notebook lay close to his body. “But knowing that isn't enough. Jinzhou has collapsed, and banks are tightening their lending to construction companies. Now, if you try to get a loan, nobody dares to approve it.”

"Unless the bank trusts this person," Lu Wenyuan continued.

He looked at Cang Lifeng, adjusted his glasses, and continued:

"I've inquired around, and the head of the credit department at the People's Bank of China in Nancheng is surnamed Wan. He was also in the lobby on the day of the bank robbery last year."

Cang Lifeng's finger stopped.

A car horn sounded outside the window, far away. Only the three of them were in the teahouse; steam rose from the rim of their cups, slowly dissipating in the afternoon light.

Cang Lifeng picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was hot.

"Go on," he said.

Lu Wenyuan pulled a notebook from his bag and opened it. It was filled with writing, some parts underlined, others marked with question marks. He turned to the page with the slip of paper tucked inside and cleared his throat.

"Let me start from the beginning."

He laid the notebook flat on the table and pointed to the first line of text.

"Not long ago, the State Council issued a document—the Decision on Deepening the Reform of the Urban Housing System. The core of this document can be summarized in one sentence: Stop the welfare housing allocation and commercialize housing."

"What does this mean? It means that starting this year, houses will no longer be allocated by work units, but will have to be purchased with money. The entire Chinese real estate market will only truly have a 'market' starting with this document."

Cang Lifeng listened. He recalled the classes he had attended in night school, and the demand curve that Professor Li Zhenhua had drawn on the blackboard. Back then, he didn't understand what that downward-sloping line meant. Now, he seemed to understand a little.

"I've sorted out the situation in Nancheng." Lu Wenyuan's finger moved to the next page.

Before its collapse, Jinzhou was the leading company in the construction industry in Nancheng. It had seven projects under construction: the first and second phases of Binjiang New City, the Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market, the dormitory building of the mining machinery factory, and three other scattered municipal projects. Of the seven projects, five were suspended, and two were taken over by other companies. But the two that were taken over are also now at a standstill—the companies that took over are unable to keep up with the funding, banks are afraid to lend money, and suppliers are afraid to extend credit.

He closed his notebook, looked at Cang Lifeng, and said:

"The collapse of Jinzhou is not just the collapse of one company, but the collapse of the entire industry's credibility. Banks don't trust construction companies, suppliers don't trust construction companies, and even homebuyers don't trust construction companies. At this time, whoever can rebuild trust will be able to win projects."

He paused, then looked intently at Cang Lifeng and said:

"And in this respect, brother, you have it."

Cang Lifeng remained silent. He stared at Lu Wenyuan's open notebook, at the densely packed words, the underlines, and the question marks. This young man had sat in the teahouse, thoroughly exposing the inner workings of the Nancheng construction industry, all for this very conversation.

"Tell me about the disadvantages," Cang Lifeng said.

Lu Wenyuan paused for a moment, then smiled. The smile was very gentle, like a student being asked a question by a teacher that he had just prepared for.

There are three disadvantages.

He broke off a finger.

"First, funding. Your reputation can help us get projects, but once we get them, we need real money to build them. I've calculated it—the Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market project alone requires this much in start-up capital."

He wrote a number in the blank space of the notebook and pushed it over. Cang Lifeng glanced at it. Wang Lide also glanced at it. Neither of them spoke.

"Secondly, qualifications. Zhongzhi Construction is a newly registered company, and its qualification level only allows it to undertake small projects. Most of the projects left by Jinzhou are medium to large-scale. We need to communicate with the relevant authorities to see if we can use the special policy channel of 'taking over unfinished buildings' to bypass the qualification restrictions. This will take time and manpower."

He broke off his third finger.

"Third, people. Brother, you understand construction sites and you understand your brothers. But to operate a company, you need people who understand contracts, finance, and policies."

He paused, looked at Wang Lide, and then looked back at Cang Lifeng.

"Brother Wang understands finance and the mess Jinzhou left behind. That's our advantage. But one finance manager isn't enough. Contracts, policies, and financing plans all need a dedicated person to oversee them, and that person is me."

The teahouse fell silent for a moment. The copper kettle bubbled on the stove, and the sycamore leaves outside the window fluttered in the wind, revealing their silvery-white undersides. Cang Lifeng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said thoughtfully:

"Wenyuan, you've graduated. You can go to a bank, a government agency, or stay at Nanjing University. Those places offer permanent positions, good career prospects, and comprehensive benefits. I have nothing here. Zhongzhi Construction is just a name; the money in the account is only enough to support the first project. If you come, I can't even afford to pay your salary. Why did you come?"

Lu Wenyuan remained silent for a long time. The light from the window shone on his glasses, obscuring his eyes.

"Brother, do you remember the first time you came to Nanjing University to attend a class?"

Cang Lifeng nodded.

"That day, Professor Li was talking about 'opportunity cost' in class. He said that every minute you choose to sit here means giving up the money you could earn on the construction site. That's your opportunity cost. At that time, you asked me—'How do I know if this cost is worthwhile?'"

He took off his glasses, wiped them with the corner of his shirt, and put them back on.

"I can't answer that. Because economics can only quantify 'cost,' not 'whether it's worth it.' Only you know whether it's worth it."

He took a hardcover notebook out of his bag and placed it on the table. On the first page was a line of bold, legible words: "Economics studies the optimal allocation of scarce resources—because human desires are infinite, while resources are finite."

"I wrote this in my freshman year of college." He pointed to the line of text. "I was eighteen years old then, and I felt that college students like us were a scarce resource in this society."

"For the past six years, I've been thinking, where is the best place to allocate my scarce resource? Banks, government agencies, Nanjing University? Those places don't need another Lu Wenyuan. But you are the place that needs one."

He closed his notebook, looked at Cang Lifeng, and said with a determined gaze, "Brother, I've studied economics for six years, learning how to allocate other people's scarce resources. Now it's my turn."

"Big brother, I've decided to work for you. Do you want me?"

Cang Lifeng stood up, extended his hand, and said, "I couldn't be happier!"

Wang Lide also stood up, grasped Cang Lifeng and Lu Wenyuan's hands, and said, "Brothers united, their strength can break metal!"

The three of them sat down again.

Cang Lifeng turned to Wang Lide and said, "Brother Wang, from now on, you'll handle financial matters with Wen Yuan. He'll do the budgeting, and you'll do the bookkeeping. He'll handle bank loans, and you'll handle the bank counters."

Wang Lide nodded and replied, "Okay."

The tea had gone cold. Cang Lifeng poured out the cold tea, picked up the copper kettle, and poured three more cups. Steam rose again, wafting away in the afternoon light.

Cang Lifeng then said to Lu Wenyuan, "Wenyuan, continue. How will you secure the start-up capital for the Chengnan Agricultural Wholesale Market project?"

Lu Wenyuan opened his notebook.

"I'll handle Director Wan's side. As for the payments Jinzhou owes to suppliers, Brother Wang, please sort out the accounts, and we'll talk to each one individually—not to repay the money, but to renegotiate the contracts. For those willing to continue supplying, the old debts will be transferred to new accounts and repaid in installments; for those unwilling, we'll pay a portion first, and the rest will wait for the project's payment."

Wang Lide frowned.

"Many of those suppliers have been owed money by Jinzhou for more than half a year. They may not be willing to pay up."

"If they refuse, we'll find other suppliers. With Jinzhou gone, their contracts are worthless. If we take them over, at least we'll give them something to look forward to."

Wang Lide remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"What about the dormitory building at the mining machinery factory?" Cang Lifeng asked.

Lu Wenyuan turned to another page of the notebook.

"That project was halted as soon as Jinzhou finished laying the foundation. The mining machinery factory is a state-owned enterprise, and the contracting party had no problem with funding. The problem was that they dared not hire any more unreliable construction companies. I went to talk to them, bringing with me the news reports about my brother's bank robbery last year, and the announcement from the Public Security Bureau's press conference. I wanted them to know that the boss of Zhongzhi Construction was that person."

He closed his notebook and looked at Cang Lifeng.

"Brother, I've done the calculations. Starting two projects simultaneously just barely covers our funding. Any more than that and we won't be able to keep up. But if these two projects succeed—this time next year, we can take on a third one."

Cang Lifeng picked up his teacup and took a sip. The tea was hot.

"Then two will do."

He put down his cup and looked at the two people in front of him. One was the husband of the pregnant woman whose life he had saved, and the other was a student who had explained "opportunity cost" to him when he was at his lowest point. They sat in the afternoon light, waiting for him to make his final decision.

"Zhongzhi Construction will open on the eighth day of next month," he said.