Rebirth: Fan Debiao rises from the Liaobei land

Six o'clock in the evening, in a small private room on the second floor of Victoria.

Wu Derong picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and put it on Fan Debiao's plate: "Biaozi, this meal is on me. You're a good guy, single-handedly tackling the base station project and still thinking of helping your older brother out. You're a smart guy."

Fan Debiao raised his glass: "Mr. Wu, let's not talk about this between us. This glass is for you. You were there to support my repair center when it opened the other day."

The two glasses clinked together, and the Wuliangye liquor was downed.

After three drinks, Wu Derong lit a soft Zhonghua cigarette, leaned back, and said, "Biaozi, tell me the truth. Do you have enough money to move around this base station project?"

Fan Debiao flicked the ash into the ashtray: "Not enough."

"How much difference?"

"Equipment deposit, construction advance payment, material costs, all added up, it comes to this amount." Fan Debiao held up two fingers.

"Two hundred thousand?"

"Hmm." Fan Debiao picked up a peanut. "The repair center only has 80,000 yuan available, leaving a deficit of 120,000 yuan. Otherwise, could I have come to you?"

Wu Derong squinted, took a half-smoked cigarette, and chuckled: "Biaozi, if you hadn't said you were short of money, I wouldn't have dared to invest. Now that you've laid out your difficulties, I feel much more at ease."

"Mr. Wu, let's be frank," Fan Debiao leaned forward. "Base station construction is profitable, but the returns are slow. The telecom company only pays the first installment after the project passes inspection, which takes at least three months. During those three months, we have to cover all the expenses ourselves."

"What about the risks?"

"Three major hurdles," Fan Debiao counted on his fingers. "First, a safety accident during construction, and everything is ruined. Second, equipment acceptance fails, requiring rework. Third, if the network operator changes personnel, the payment could be delayed indefinitely."

Wu Derong didn't say anything, finished his cigarette, put it out, and lit a new one.

The only sound in the private room was the hum of the air conditioner.

"Biaozi," Wu Derong finally spoke, "if that's how you put it, then I have no choice but to vote."

"But you have to let me have a share." Wu Derong exhaled a puff of smoke. "I'll put up 120,000, and you can add two percent to my engineering share. From now on, the revenue from base station operations will be split according to the new ratio."

Fan Debiao picked up his glass but didn't drink immediately: "Mr. Wu, two is a bit too much. Let's have one and a half. Once this first one finishes, there are five more waiting. Then it won't be a small-scale affair anymore."

Wu Derong stared at him for five or six seconds, then laughed heartily: "Alright, one and a half it is! For your honesty, bottoms up!"

The two clinked glasses again.

Setting down his glass, Wu Derong lowered his voice: "Biaozi, but I have to remind you. If we really want to make something big, our meager savings aren't enough. We need to look into loans."

"bank?"

"Hmm." Wu Derong took out a business card holder from his handbag, flipped out a card, and said, "Hey, Section Chief Li from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China's loan department, he's my buddy. Once your project is on track, I'll invite him out for a chat. The government is supporting small and medium-sized enterprises now, so interest rates aren't high."

Fan Debiao took the business card, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket: "Mr. Wu, I'll remember this favor."

"Stop talking nonsense." Wu Derong waved his hand. "But the loan is a matter for later. You have to keep a close eye on this project. Especially safety. If anything goes wrong, we're all doomed."

"clear."

"Also, you're short-handed on your end right now, let Awei go over and help you!"

The next morning at 7:30, at the base station construction site.

As soon as Fan Debiao got out of the car, he saw Gangzi squatting on the curb smoking.

"Brother Biao," Gangzi stood up, "the construction team has arrived. Engineer Wang asked me to ask you whether we should lay the foundation first or dig the trench first?"

"Let's do it at the same time." Fan Debiao glanced at his watch. "Let's go take a look."

Behind the old post office at the west end of Sima Road, two Jiefang trucks were already parked. Seven or eight workers were unloading cement poles, while Engineer Wang squatted by the roadside looking at blueprints.

Seeing Fan Debiao approach, Engineer Wang stood up: "Boss Fan, you've chosen a tricky location. Have you figured out the ownership of this land?"

"I understand now." Fan Debiao took the folder from Awei. "It's a certificate from the post office's logistics department. This vacant land is an idle asset of their unit, and they've leased it to us for three years. The planning bureau has also filed it, and the approval documents are all here."

Engineer Wang nodded as he flipped through the documents: "Okay. But I need to make it clear first, the erection of poles and the laying of the foundation require at least seven days of concrete curing. If it rains during this period, the construction period will be delayed."

"I checked the weather forecast, there's no rain this week," Awei interjected. "Engineer Wang, I checked the materials list. The cement grade is sufficient, but the steel bars are one size smaller than those specified in the contract."

Wang Gong was taken aback, then turned and shouted at the truck, "Old Li! Get over here!"

A short, stout man ran over, and Engineer Wang pointed at the steel bars: "What's going on here?"

Old Li wiped his sweat: "This is the only batch left in the warehouse, they said the strength is the same..."

"Same as always!" Wang cursed, then turned to Fan Debiao, "Boss Fan, I'm sorry, I'll have them take it back and replace it right away."

"Can we exchange it back today?"

"It will be this afternoon."

"Let's do something else first," Fan Debiao said, pointing to the open space. "Can the cable trench be dug today?"

"able."

"Then let's dig." Fan Debiao took out a cigarette and offered it to Wang, "Engineer Wang, I'm short on time. The sooner we finish, the sooner we'll see the return on our investment. I'll settle the payment every three days as per the contract, no delays, no arrears. But you have to guarantee the quality and quantity."

Engineer Wang tucked the cigarette behind his ear: "Understood."

When the excavator roared over, several elderly men and women had already gathered by the roadside.

An old man in a cotton vest came over, leaning on a cane: "Hey, what are you all doing here?"

Fan Debiao walked over and said, "Grandpa, let's build a communications base station."

"What kind of chicken station?"

"It's a device that improves cell phone signal strength."

The old man frowned: "Does that thing emit radiation? My grandson says radiation causes cancer."

Awei quickly chimed in, "Sir, this device has low power; it doesn't even emit as much radiation as your TV. There are national standards, and everything we have here has passed inspection."

"What's so qualified about it?" The old lady next to her curled her lip. "Putting this pole up here is such an eyesore. This area is usually quite quiet."

Gangzi took a step forward, but Fan Debiao stopped him with a look.

"Auntie," Fan Debiao pulled out his work ID, "we're a legitimate company, we have the necessary permits. Once this base station is built, your son and daughter will have a great signal when they make calls outside. And look—"

He pointed to a corner of the open space: "We deliberately moved the location ten meters to the side so it won't block the light or take up the road. Once it's finished, we'll also plant a ring of holly around it for you; we'll take care of all the landscaping."

The old lady's expression softened a little: "Really?"

"It's written in black and white in the contract." Awei opened the folder. "Look at this clause: the construction company is responsible for the surrounding landscaping."

The old man craned his neck to look: "That's alright... but construction can't be done at night, it'll disturb people's sleep."

"8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a two-hour break at noon," Fan Debiao said. "If you're late, just call this number."

He handed over a business card with the repair center's number printed on it.

The old man took the business card, muttered a couple of words, and turned to leave.

Gangzi leaned over and said, "Brother Biao, why waste time arguing with them?"

"If you force it, he'll be lying in front of the excavator today, and the construction period will be delayed by three days." Fan Debiao watched the excavator start digging. "The first hurdle in doing construction is dealing with the people. You have to explain things clearly."

Awei jotted down a few notes in her notebook: "Brother Biao, I have to go to the power company this afternoon. The base station needs a separate electricity account, and they said they need a power consumption list for the equipment."

"Did Motorola give it to you yet?"

"They gave it to us, but the power company said they need the manufacturer's engineer to stamp and confirm it."

"Then let's go build it." Fan Debiao glanced at his watch. "You stay here and keep an eye on things for a while this morning. I'm going to the Ericsson office."

Ericsson's office in Kaiyuan is located on the sixth floor of the Telecom Building, and consists of only two offices.

The project manager, surnamed Zhao, was in his early thirties, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and spoke with a slight southern accent.

"Boss Fan, you guys are quick on the uptake." Manager Zhao looked at the base station planning map. "But I have to remind you, our people must be present during the BTS equipment installation. Your own construction team cannot touch the main unit."

"Understood," Fan Debiao said. "When will the equipment arrive?"

"It will be shipped from Shenyang next Wednesday." Manager Zhao flipped through the schedule. "Installation and debugging will take two days, and then there will be network optimization testing. You need to lay the transmission lines in advance."

"The fiber optic cable has already been arranged with the telecom company; it will be run directly from their data center."

"Alright then." Manager Zhao paused. "Boss Fan, I heard you also took over Motorola's operations?"

"Yes, there's another one in the East District."

Manager Zhao adjusted his glasses: "I shouldn't be saying anything... but if you're handling equipment for both sides, it'll be difficult to maintain them properly later. The two systems aren't compatible, and the parts aren't interchangeable."

Fan Debiao laughed: "Manager Zhao, Kaiyuan is only so big. If I only work with one company, I'll be handing over the other half of the market. As for maintenance—"

He leaned forward slightly: "My repair center currently has six apprentices, divided into two groups, one specializing in Ericsson and the other in Motorola. I stock spare parts for both sides, so we don't mix them."

Manager Zhao was taken aback: "Your line of thinking is quite clear."

"It's all about making money." Fan Debiao stood up. "Next Wednesday I'll send a truck to Shenyang to pick up equipment. Could you send an engineer to accompany me?"

"Okay, I'll arrange it."

It was already noon when I came out of the telecommunications building.

Fan Debiao ate a bowl of noodles at a roadside stall when his phone rang.

Xiao Jun: "Brother Biao, there's something I need to tell you."

"explain."

"A man came in this morning with a TCL 3188 that he wanted repaired. When I opened it up, I found that the motherboard had been tampered with and the capacitors had been replaced with inferior ones. When I asked him where he had it repaired, he hesitated and wouldn't say."

"Where is he?"

"Still waiting at the store."

"I'll go back right away."

Inside the repair center, a man in a leather jacket sat on a bench, holding a cell phone in his hand.

Seeing Fan Debiao come in, Xiao Jun pointed at the man and said, "It's him."

Fan Debiao walked over: "Hey buddy, let me see your phone."

The man in the leather jacket handed over the phone. Fan Debiao removed the back cover, examined the motherboard, and then put it back together.

"You didn't get this machine repaired at a legitimate place, did you?"

The man in the leather jacket avoided eye contact: "It was...it was fixed by a roadside stall."

"How much did it cost?"

"eighty."

Fan Debiao placed the phone on the counter: "The original capacitors on your phone were surface-mount, but they replaced them with pin-type capacitors. The soldering was also subpar; there were cold solder joints. Now the problem is that it gets hot after being turned on for a short time, right?"

"Yes, yes!"

"The repair will involve replacing the original capacitor with a new one, plus testing fees, totaling 150."

The man in the leather jacket snapped, "So expensive? I just had it repaired three days ago!"

"The roadside stall charges eighty, mine is one hundred and fifty, you choose." Fan Debiao looked at him, "But I have to tell you, if you don't fix it soon, the motherboard will burn out and the machine will be useless. A new TCL 3188 is selling for one thousand three hundred now."

The man in the leather jacket gritted his teeth: "Repair it!"

"Come pick it up at five o'clock this afternoon." Fan Debiao handed his phone to Xiao Jun. "Make the receipt."

After the man left, Xiao Jun whispered, "Brother Biao, this is the fourth one this week. They all come here after they've fixed the roadside stalls and then it breaks down."

"Which street's stall?"

"Under the overpass at the train station, I heard it's a cripple doing it."

Fan Debiao thought for a moment: "Take some time this afternoon to go and check it out. If it's really just laid-off workers trying to make a living by setting up a stall, then ignore it. But if they're deliberately using substandard parts to rip people off—"

He paused for a moment, then said, "Call Old Liu at the Industry and Commerce Bureau."

At 3 PM, the base station called.

Awei's voice was a little anxious: "Brother Biao, the people from the power company are here. They said there's a problem with the electricity load we reported and they need to re-survey it."

"What's the problem?"

"They said the base station equipment power was underestimated; with the current power, a separate high-voltage line would be needed. That would cost an extra 20,000 yuan."

Fan Debiao frowned: "Where's the power rating Motorola provided?"

"The power company doesn't recognize it, saying they need a stamped document from the equipment manufacturer."

"Wait here, I'm coming."

When they arrived at the construction site, two power company employees were arguing with Engineer Wang. Awei was standing nearby, pressing keys on a calculator, her face flushed red.

"Comrade, I'm in charge." Fan Debiao walked over. "Let's talk about any problems."

A bespectacled staff member took out a document: "Boss Fan, you reported a peak power of 5 kilowatts, but according to our calculations based on the equipment model, it should be at least 8 kilowatts. This difference of 3 kilowatts means the entire line design will be different."

Fan Debiao took the document, glanced at it, and then took out his phone to call Manager Zhao.

After the call was connected, I pressed the speakerphone button.

"Manager Zhao, this is Fan Debiao. What is the maximum power output of your BTS equipment?"

"The standard configuration is 4.2 kilowatts, plus air conditioning and lighting, with a 5-kilowatt margin in the design capacity," Manager Zhao's voice came through. "If your power supply bureau can't calculate it, I'll send them a technical white paper."

The bespectacled man's face froze.

Fan Debiao hung up the phone, took an envelope out of his pocket, and quietly stuffed it into the bespectacled man's hand: "Comrades, thank you for making this trip today. Don't think this is too little for gas money."

The envelope was neither too thick nor too thin, containing exactly five thousand.

The bespectacled man pinched the thickness of the fabric with his fingers, his expression softening: "This...this isn't appropriate."

"Of course," Fan Debiao smiled sincerely. "Regarding the technical parameters, I'll have to trouble you to put in a good word for us with Section Chief Sun. Our business is small and can't afford any setbacks."

The older man in the driver's seat spoke up: "Old Zhang, Boss Fan is a sensible man. Keep it, and we'll approve the document quickly later."

The bespectacled man then put the envelope into his briefcase: "Alright, Mr. Fan, don't worry, we'll get through the process as quickly as possible."

The car drove away.

Engineer Wang walked over and gave him a thumbs up: "Boss Fan, you get things done quickly and efficiently."

"When it comes to construction, you have to be firm when necessary and flexible when appropriate." Fan Debiao patted him on the shoulder. "Get the construction going; the concrete must be poured today."

Gangzi was squatting by the cable trench supervising the work when he saw Fan Debiao coming over. He stood up and said, "Brother Biao, at this speed, we can finish laying the cable in three days."

When will the fiber optic cable be connected?

"The telecom company said next Monday or Tuesday."

Fan Debiao nodded: "Gangzi, do you know anyone with a mountain climbing permit?"

"What are you doing?"

"The base station equipment is mounted on the pole, and someone has to climb up to install the antenna," Fan Debiao said, pointing to the 15-meter cement pole. "This is a job that most people can't do."

Gangzi thought for a moment: "I have a distant cousin who used to climb utility poles for the power company, but he's laid off now. He definitely has a high-altitude climbing permit."

"Find him, 150 a day, meals included."

"Okay, I'll go tonight."

When I returned to the repair center in the evening, the roller shutter door was half-closed.

Xiao Jun and his three apprentices were still busy behind the counter, the counter lights illuminating the workbench. The air smelled of rosin and solder.

"Brother Biao," Xiao Jun looked up, "I checked out that stall at the train station. It was just a lame old man with only a soldering iron and a multimeter. I squatted there for half an hour and watched him repair two machines. His skills were indeed not good, but he didn't seem to be deliberately ripping people off."

Fan Debiao took off his coat: "Where are the accessories?"

"They were all salvaged from old boards; they're usable, but they have a short lifespan."

"Then forget it." Fan Debiao poured himself a glass of water. "It's not easy for anyone."

Awei came out from the inner room, looking tired: "Brother Biao, everything's settled with the power company. The Motorola project manager is arriving tomorrow and wants to meet with you."

"What's up?"

"Let's talk about in-depth cooperation."

Fan Debiao thought for a moment: "Let's meet tomorrow at noon and find a decent restaurant."

"Okay." Avi paused for a moment, "Also, Lao Liu from the Industry and Commerce Bureau called today, saying that someone reported our repair center for using substandard parts."

Fan Debiao stopped moving: "Who reported me?"

"It was an anonymous call, but Lao Liu hinted that it might be from a competitor."

Xiao Jun interjected, "Is it the place over there, the Golden Splendor...?"

"Don't speculate without evidence." Fan Debiao took a sip of water. "What did Lao Liu say?"

He said it was just a routine inspection and asked us to prepare the purchase invoices and maintenance records, and that he would come to take a look tomorrow.

"Then let's get ready." Fan Debiao put down his cup. "All our parts are sourced from authorized dealers in Shenyang, and every single one has an invoice. Our repair records are also complete, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Awei nodded, then hesitated for a moment: "Brother Biao, about that five thousand yuan today..."

"It's money that needs to be spent." Fan Debiao lit a cigarette. "The power company blocked you once, delaying the project by three days and causing a loss of more than five thousand. In the future, keep a clear record of these kinds of favors, but do what needs to be done."

"clear."

Around 8 PM, the last apprentice left.

Xiao Jun was still tidying up the workbench, turning off the soldering iron and putting the tools away. Fan Debiao leaned against the counter, flipping through today's repair orders.

"Brother Biao," Xiao Jun suddenly spoke up, "Today I taught them to identify components, and that tall guy learned the fastest. I had him practice soldering; his hands are pretty steady."

"Um."

"It's just that our family isn't well-off, so we only have a steamed bun for lunch." Xiao Jun paused for a moment, "I offered to provide lunch, but he refused, saying he couldn't eat for free."

Fan Debiao looked up: "Starting tomorrow, we'll order boxed lunches for everyone at noon. I'll cover the cost."

"it is good."

When the roller shutter was pulled down, there were hardly any people left on the street.

Fan Debiao locked the door and turned around to see Awei still standing under the streetlight.

"Aren't you going home yet?"

"Wait for the car." Awei tightened her coat. "Brother Biao, do you think what we're doing will really work?"

"We'll only know if it works out after we get there," Fan Debiao said, walking up to her. "But at least it's better than before."

"In the past?"

Fan Debiao paused for a moment, then waved his hand: "I misspoke. The car is here."

In the distance, a red Xiali taxi with its "For hire" light on drove by.

Awei got into the car and rolled down the window: "Brother Biao, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."