Xia Xiang sneered inwardly. Wen Yang indeed did not disappoint him. Even before Li Dingshan had given his consent, he had already made meticulous arrangements to kick Xia Xiang out of the company. However, Wen Yang was unaware that the current Xia Xiang was no longer the one who could be easily bullied. If it weren't for the 12 years of experience, he might have been deceived by Wen Yang's seemingly concerned smile, and perhaps would even be grateful, immediately taking the form and reporting to Jiajia Supermarket. Seeing the shrewdness and smugness in Wen Yang's eyes, Xia Xiang took a deep breath, swallowed his disgust, and took the form in hand, glancing at it briefly. He smiled and said, "Thank you, President Wen. You are truly a good person. I will fill out this form right away and try to report to Jiajia Supermarket as soon as possible."Wen Yang patted Xia Xiang on the shoulder warmly and said, "That's the spirit, young man. Look to the future; the world outside is very broad. Don't thank me. We were colleagues after all, and this is just a small favor. Also, hurry up. I heard they are in urgent need of people. It's best if you go there first thing tomorrow morning. Mention my name, and getting a good position won't be a problem."
He was practically eager to get rid of him. Xia Xiang suppressed his anger, raised the form, and suddenly asked, "Should we inform General Manager Li about this beforehand?"
Wen Yang was taken aback, his face stiffening. In his heart, he cursed, Are you really that stupid or pretending to be? As the deputy general manager, how can I undermine myself? Inform Li Dingshan? Isn't that slapping him in the face? His expression changed, and he said mysteriously, "Time is of the essence, Xia Xiang. Listen to me. First, sign up and secure the job, then tell General Manager Li. By then, he won't be able to stop you. Look at the state of the company now. I don't even have confidence, so what are you doing sitting here every day? Every young person thinks about their future. I'm helping you because I see you as honest and reliable. If you think I'm overstepping, then forget I said anything."
Xia Xiang looked apologetic, lowered his head, and drew two circles on the ground with his toe before saying, "I'm sorry, President Wen. I didn't understand. Don't blame me. I will keep it a secret, fill out the form right away, and report to work tomorrow."
Wen Yang nodded in satisfaction. "That's right. Keep it confidential. This job is in high demand. I heard the salary is 1500 yuan per month."
In 1998, the average monthly salary in Yan City was only three to five hundred yuan, making 1500 yuan an extremely high salary.
Xia Xiang said sincerely, "Thank you, President Wen. I will remember your help. I will definitely treat you to a meal when I have the chance."
As soon as Xia Xiang left the office, the smile on Wen Yang's face vanished, replaced by a look of smugness. A foolish child, digging a pit for him and jumping into it, thinking it's a great benefit. If he falls and gets hurt, he can only blame himself for being too naive and stupid.
However, thinking about Xiao Jia, Wen Yang's good mood quickly disappeared. Xiao Jia was like a freshly baked steamed bun, white, clean, and crispy, both beautiful and delicious. Unfortunately, she was now something to look at but not to touch. If he got too close, he would burn his mouth. After some thought, Wen Yang decided he couldn't let Xiao Jia off so easily. She had no relatives in Yan City. If he forced himself on her and gave her a few ten thousand yuan afterward, wouldn't that shut her up?
A sinister smile appeared on Wen Yang's face.
Xia Xiang returned to his seat, folded the form, and put it away. He saw Wen Yang knock on Xiao Jia's door again, and then Xiao Jia followed him into his office. Not long after the door closed, he heard the sound of a heated argument inside.
Could it be that Wen Yang discovered Xiao Jia's private seal?
With the form in hand and knowing about Wen Yang's secret book publishing, it shouldn't be difficult to make Wen Yang cover up Xiao Jia's actions. But if that happened, he would lose his bargaining chip. Just as Xia Xiang was about to get up to check, Jia He came down from upstairs, shouting, "What's all the noise? If you want to argue, do it outside. Don't disturb others here."
Jia He's shout silenced the argument. A moment later, Wen Yang came out, his face pale, and slammed the door as he left. Xiao Jia, however, walked out calmly. Seeing Jia He, she didn't come over but secretly smiled at Xia Xiang and made an "OK" gesture.
Jia He noticed something, looking at Xia Xiang and then at Xiao Jia, and laughed, "Am I being a third wheel? Xia Xiang, be careful. Xiao Jia is a tough one. She doesn't take any losses."
Xiao Jia's face turned cold. "Don't talk bad about people in front of them."
Soon, it was time to leave work. Jia He called Li Dingshan again and then told Xia Xiang that Li Dingshan was waiting for them at Chu Feng Tower.
Chu Feng Tower was located on the northern part of Friends Street, in the center of the food street planned by the Yan City government after 2000. However, this area was still quite desolate, with only a few hotels. When Xia Xiang and Jia He arrived at 7:00 PM, which should have been the peak dining time, the entrance of Chu Feng Tower was empty, with only two or three cars parked outside. The hostess, dressed in a high-slit cheongsam, stood listlessly at the door, gazing at the stars.
Li Dingshan was in a private room on the second floor. When Xia Xiang and Jia He arrived, Li Dingshan was alone, smoking. He looked haggard, his hair disheveled, and his face full of fatigue. Xia Xiang felt a pang of sympathy, guessing that Li Dingshan's meeting with Gao Hai yesterday must not have gone well. Since it was a bad situation, it likely involved the land issue.
As soon as he saw Xia Xiang, Li Dingshan asked, "How credible is the news that Li Kailin is being transferred?"
Li Dingshan was anxious. The situation had not taken an unexpected turn and was proceeding as expected. In Xia Xiang's memory, the approval for the land would be granted within half a month after Li Kailin's transfer. Unfortunately, Li Dingshan would no longer have a source of funding.
"Eighty percent!" In fact, Li Kailin's transfer was already a done deal. The branch should have already issued the transfer order, waiting for the right moment to announce it. Li Dingshan, familiar with the rules, was simply panicking and grasping at straws.
Xia Xiang, however, wanted to remove this last straw, so Li Dingshan could give up completely.
"The land approval has not been granted. Gao Hai said we need to resubmit the application. Even with his mediation, it will take at least a month for the mayor to review it. If Li Kailin leaves before then, we should start looking for other investors. Xia Xiang, do you have any ideas? Share them with us."
Xia Xiang glanced at Jia He, who was pouring water for Li Dingshan, his eyes filled with surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected Li Dingshan to seriously seek Xia Xiang's opinion. To Jia He, Li Dingshan had invited Xia Xiang to dinner just for company, not realizing that Li Dingshan had important matters to discuss.
"General Manager Li, if I may be blunt, the LCD screen project is facing many difficulties. Even if we manage to get it started and find the funding, I don't think the prospects are good. We might end up in an even worse situation. It's better to stop now while we can," Xia Xiang said directly, not wanting to give Li Dingshan any false hope. He knew that the higher Li Dingshan's hopes, the greater his disappointment would be.
Cutting through the chaos with a decisive move was a kind of courage and wisdom.
Li Dingshan seemed to age instantly, slumping in his chair. He waved his hand and said, "Stop? How do I stop? How do I let go? I have no way out now."
"There are no outsiders here, so I'll speak boldly..." Xia Xiang looked steadily at Jia He and smiled. "Last time, I heard Jia He say that General Manager Li has a wide network of contacts, including a classmate who is a high-ranking official in the province... Perhaps entering politics is a good choice. With General Manager Li's connections and influence, he could become a city mayor within a few years."
Many of Li Dingshan's affairs had been revealed by Jia He. Jia He also hoped that Li Dingshan would enter politics. After all, even if the income was lower in the government, he would still benefit. Being a favorite of the county party secretary, even as a driver, many people would curry favor with him. Jia He, coming from a rural background, was more obsessed with power. However, he lacked the insight and foresight to influence Li Dingshan's decisions.
Prompted by Xia Xiang's gaze, Jia He understood the hint and, seizing the rare opportunity, said, "That's right. I also think it's a pity if General Manager Li doesn't use his connections. I have a comrade who drives for a township chief back home, earning only 150 yuan a month, and he acts like a big shot, always boasting whenever I go back..."
Li Dingshan waved his hand, interrupting Jia He. "Jia He, don't say anymore. Let Xia Xiang speak. Chao Du mentioned this to me. He can arrange for me to become the county party secretary in a suburban county. Since my personnel relationship is with the provincial youth league, my rank and experience are sufficient. It won't be difficult for him to arrange. Entering politics is not impossible, but the current situation is complex and cannot be explained in a few words. Besides, even if I become a county party secretary, I might be sidelined to an unimportant department after a few years."
Xia Xiang knew what Li Dingshan was worried about.