Back to 2008: I Helped My Dad Become the Richest Man

Not long after Director Li and Wang Defa's car drove away, Luo Xinde's phone rang. He hurriedly pulled it out and saw the name "Wang Jianguo" flashing on the screen.

"Hello, village chief?" Luo Xinde quickly answered the call.

"Xinde! Xinde! Where are you now? Are you home?" On the other end of the phone, Village Chief Wang Jianguo sounded even more excited than he was, his voice as loud as thunder.

"I'm at home, on the farm. Village chief, what's wrong?"

"Don't move! Don't move! The county... the county's top leaders are coming to your house soon! The county magistrate is leading the team himself! Get ready!" Wang Jianguo's loud voice made Luo Xinde's ears ring.

"What? County... County Magistrate?" Luo Xinde held the phone, his mind went blank, and he was completely dumbfounded.

The highest-ranking official he'd ever met was the village head. A county magistrate? Those were big shots he only saw on TV; were they really coming to his tiny pig farm?

"Xinde? Xinde, can you hear me?" Wang Jianguo shouted on the other end of the line.

"I'm listening... I'm listening."

"Let me tell you, I just received a call from the town's Party Secretary, who also just received a notification from the county. It says that a leader from the city has spoken to you, and they are taking the matter of your farm being sealed off very seriously! The county is coming over immediately to work on-site and resolve your issues! You... you'd better seize this opportunity!" Wang Jianguo finished speaking very quickly and then hung up the phone.

Luo Xinde stood there, holding his phone, stunned and unable to come to his senses for a long time.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Luo Xiyuan asked quickly when she saw that his expression was off.

"The county...the county magistrate is coming." Luo Xinde's voice was trembling.

"What?" Li Minxia and Master Liu were also stunned.

Luo Xiyuan knew perfectly well what was going on. She knew it was Wang Defa and Director Li's influence at work. She hadn't expected the effect to be so quick, or the scale of the operation so large! The county magistrate's personal visit wasn't just about solving the problem; it was about making a statement!

"Dad, Mom, don't just stand there! Quick!" Luo Xiyuan reacted immediately. "Mom, hurry home, tidy up the house, and brew the best tea! Dad, Grandpa Liu, let's reorganize the office again and put all the documents in the most prominent place! This is the biggest opportunity our farm has ever had!"

The family was in a flurry of activity again.

In less than twenty minutes, several black cars, led by village chief Wang Jianguo, drove up to the gate of Luo's Farm in a grand procession.

The car door opened, and the town's Party Secretary and Mayor got out first. As soon as they got out of the car, they rushed to the door of the car behind them and respectfully opened it.

A man with a receding hairline, a slightly protruding belly, and who looked to be around fifty years old stepped out of the car. He was Zhou Liang'an, the county magistrate of Qinghe County.

County Chief Zhou got out of the car and immediately frowned. The first thing he saw was the glaring white seal on the farm gate.

"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" His face darkened as he pointed at the seal and shouted at the heads of the industry and commerce, environmental protection, and other departments following behind him, "Is this your work efficiency? Is this your service attitude? A benchmark enterprise recognized by experts in the city has become a target for suspension and rectification here? What exactly are your enforcement standards?!"

The bureau chiefs following behind were all pale with fright, not daring to lift their heads. The joint enforcement team leader, who had been so imposing yesterday, was now huddled at the back of the crowd, his shirt soaked with sweat.

Luo Xinde and Luo Xiyuan quickly went to greet them.

"Hello, County Chief Zhou!"

Upon seeing the two men, Zhou Liang'an immediately concealed his anger and smiled amiably. "You must be Comrade Luo Xinde? Hello, hello. I'm Zhou Liang'an." He extended his hand and shook hands with Luo Xinde. "I'm sorry you've been wronged! This matter was a mistake by the relevant departments in our county. On behalf of the county government, I express my sincere apologies!"

The county magistrate personally apologized!

Luo Xinde held that warm, thick hand, too moved to speak. He felt like he was dreaming.

"Boss Luo, don't worry! Our county will definitely handle this matter seriously and investigate it thoroughly! We will not tolerate it!" County Chief Zhou said firmly.

He turned to the director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau and said, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up, go up there yourself and tear off the seal! Restore the normal production and operation of Luo's Farm!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" The director of the Industry and Commerce Bureau dared not delay. He scrambled over and respectfully tore off the seal that he had ordered to be affixed.

As the white seal was peeled off, Luo Xinde felt a huge weight lifted from his chest. He let out a long sigh, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Come on, Mr. Luo, show us inside," County Magistrate Zhou said with great interest.

The group entered the farm. As they walked, County Chief Zhou listened to Luo Xinde's introduction, nodding in approval from time to time.

"Yes, this layout is very scientific, clean and tidy, and there's no odor at all."

"The 'company plus farmer' model is excellent! This is a path to industrialization that can help local people get rich, and it's a great project that our county needs to strongly support!"

When he walked into the office and saw the various management system charts hanging on the wall and the thick stacks of notebooks on the table, he was even more impressed with Luo Xinde.

"Boss Luo, I never knew you were not only a skilled breeder, but also a management expert!"

Luo Xinde blushed with embarrassment at the praise, scratching his head sheepishly. "County Magistrate, please don't flatter me. These... these were all just my daughter's wild ideas."

He pointed to Luo Xiyuan, who had been quietly following beside him.

County Magistrate Zhou's gaze finally fell on the seemingly quiet and well-behaved little girl. "Oh? Is that so?" he asked with interest, "Little girl, how old are you this year? What grade are you in?"

"Hello Uncle Zhou, my name is Luo Xiyuan, I am fifteen years old and in the third year of junior high school," Luo Xiyuan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"The third year of junior high?" County Chief Zhou was even more surprised. "These management models, you came up with them all?"

"It wasn't just my idea," Luo Xiyuan said modestly. "It was a result of reading many books, combining Grandpa Liu's technical experience, and my parents' management practices, which we all came up with together."

"Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!" County Magistrate Zhou exclaimed three times. "A hero emerges from among the young! Our Qinghe County is fortunate to have someone like you; you are our hope for the future!"

He turned to the education bureau chief beside him and said, "Old Zhang, take note. Luo Xiyuan is an excellent student in both character and academics, and she also knows how to apply what she's learned to help her family start a business and lead her fellow villagers to prosperity. She is a role model for middle school students in our new era! Your education system should promote her well! She should become a role model for all primary and secondary school students in the county!"

The director of the education bureau quickly took out his notebook, taking notes and nodding as he did so.

Luo Xiyuan never expected that the fire would spread to her. However, she knew in her heart that the county magistrate did this for two reasons: first, to express goodwill and compensation to their family, and second, to set an example and promote his own achievements.

At the end of the inspection, County Head Zhou shook Luo Xinde's hand and solemnly promised, "Boss Luo, go all out and do your best! If you encounter any difficulties in your development process, such as problems with land, funding, or policies, you can come directly to me at any time! The county government is your strongest support!"

He also left his mobile phone number with Luo Xinde on the spot.

After the grand procession of leaders departed, Luo's Farm returned to its usual tranquility. But the hearts of everyone remained unsettled for a long time.

Village chief Wang Jianguo patted Luo Xinde on the shoulder, filled with emotion: "Xinde, you're not just an ordinary pig farmer anymore. You're a registered entrepreneur, personally favored by the county magistrate! From now on, let's see who dares to cause you trouble!"

The workers have returned to work, and they're even more enthusiastic than before. With the county magistrate as their backer, the workers feel secure working here.

Looking at the farm, now bustling with activity again, Li Minxia took Luo Xiyuan's hand and whispered, "Xiyuan, Mom finally understands today. In business, money alone isn't enough; you also need... connections above you."

Luo Xiyuan nodded. She knew her mother was speaking the simplest truth: doing business in China is inseparable from political and business relationships. This crisis, though perilous, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Not only did they emerge unscathed, but they also used this opportunity to establish connections with the highest levels of government in the county. This invisible "protective shield" was more important than any amount of money they could earn.

That evening, the family sat down for dinner together, and the atmosphere was more relaxed than ever before.

"Dad, Mom, this incident has served as a wake-up call for us," Luo Xiyuan said. "Although we resolved the crisis, it also exposed our greatest weakness."

"What weakness?" Luo Xinde asked.

"We're just too reliant on others," Luo Xiyuan said. "This time we were lucky, with Uncle Wang's help and Director Li's righteous words. But what about next time? We can't expect a benefactor to come to our rescue every time something happens, can we?"

"So what do you mean?"

"What I mean is, we ourselves must also become 'benefactors'!" Luo Xiyuan's eyes shone. "We not only want to expand our business, but also actively participate in social affairs. For example, we can establish a scholarship fund to support poor children from the village who are admitted to university. We can also contribute money to help the village repair roads and build a senior activity center. We want everyone to see that our Luo's Farm is not just a company that makes money, but also a socially responsible company that contributes to its hometown!"

"When our company's interests are intertwined with those of the entire village, or even the entire county, then we are truly safe. Because anyone who wants to harm us will have to think twice about how many people's interests would be harmed if they did!"

Luo Xiyuan's words made Luo Xinde and Master Liu fall into deep thought. They were once again amazed by their daughter's vision and foresight. They were thinking about how to protect the family business, while their daughter was thinking about how to build an unbreakable "moat" for it.