Chapter 876
Finding People
In response to Yue Feng's question, Guo Jianfeng gave a meaningful smirk and said, "It's no exaggeration to say that there's a perfect fit for every position in the forest farm! With the old leaders retiring, there are too many people vying to take their place!"
Many people know perfectly well that they may not be qualified enough to meet the seniority threshold, but because they have some kind of relationship with the leaders, they still want to give it a shot!
Trying your best might give you a chance, but if you don't try, you have absolutely no chance! You should understand this, right?
Yue Feng nodded in understanding, but what he had just said was about people from outside, which had nothing to do with what Guo Jianfeng had said.
"Brother Guo, didn't you say that people from outside are also connected to these things?" Yue Feng asked again.
"It's true that they're from outside, but they're not from other places! There are many opportunities for networking between units at the same level! If our forest farm has a vacancy, other brother forest farms might not have the chance!"
If we could be transferred here, it might be a huge step forward, opening up a whole new world for us!
Having said that, Yue Feng finally understood.
Well, this isn't just about the position of forest ranger captain; it's directly related to the highly tempting position of Deputy Factory Director Zhou!
"Got it! Judging from this, Brother Guo, you're under a lot of pressure!"
Guo Jianfeng nodded, and said calmly, "Someone like me only has a few cards to play, a few old leaders to rely on, and a little bit of savings to rely on. I've done everything I can, and there's nothing more I can do!"
When the opportunity comes, just be true to yourself. As for whether it works or not, do your best and leave the rest to fate!
I'm still young, there will always be opportunities in the future!
If we disregard the limitations imposed by the times, Guo Jianfeng's thinking is perfectly reasonable.
But Yue Feng, who had lived two lives, knew that the score wasn't calculated that way!
The country's reform of the forestry and mining systems is at most ten years away. By then, once the new policies are implemented, the landscape will have changed, and a large number of formal workers will be laid off. It will be completely impossible to climb the ranks by relying on seniority.
To put it bluntly, this opportunity for Guo Jianfeng is likely his only chance to get promoted in his lifetime. If he doesn't succeed this time, he probably won't have another chance when the forest farm is restructured.
Of course, Yue Feng knew this in his heart, but he couldn't say it aloud.
"Alright, let's all do our best and have a clear conscience!" Yue Feng said calmly.
“That’s right! Getting anxious and upset won’t solve anything. Keep a calm mind and face it with composure!” Guo Jianfeng thought Yue Feng was a bit conflicted, so he comforted him instead.
The two chatted and drank tea inside the house for a while when the gatekeeper came and knocked on the window.
"Xiaofeng, the person is out! I came to let you know!"
"Hey, okay, grandpa!"
Yue Feng responded, immediately stood up, greeted Guo Jianfeng, and quickly left the house.
After leaving the duty room, I first went to the door to get the snakeskin bag, and then carried it swaggeringly to the second floor of the office building, to Director Zhou's office.
Bang bang bang!
Yue Feng knocked a few times, and Zhou Jianchun's strong voice came from inside.
"Enter!"
Yue Feng pushed open the door and swaggered into the house.
Zhou Jianchun looked up and was slightly taken aback when he saw Yue Feng coming to find him, but the surprised expression only lasted for a moment before he quickly concealed it.
"Xiaofeng's here! You're a rare guest at our forest farm! What brings you here today? Come on over and try some of the fine tea my friend gave me!"
Zhou Jianchun took a kraft paper bag directly from next to the tea cabinet and poured water to make tea.
"Hey, grandpa! I've come to you to get some serious business!" Yue Feng unusually didn't call him Factory Director Zhou, but instead addressed him as "grandpa."
Zhou Jianchun was taken aback by the greeting, then smiled slightly and asked, "What important business is it? Do you need some wood to build a house? Or do some relatives or friends want to find work?"
"Given our relationship, I'll speak frankly if you need anything, and if it's something I can handle, I definitely won't hesitate to help!"
Yue Feng grinned and said bluntly, "Hehe, neither of them."
I heard from my dad that Captain Guo's position might be changed.
If things really go as planned, could you let my dad try for the position of forest ranger captain? Don't laugh at me, but my dad, though old, is still got a bit of a knack for being an official..."
Having ascertained their purpose, Zhou Jianchun felt more confident.
Zhou Jianchun had experienced firsthand Yue Feng's connections and influence firsthand. Yue Feng had very close relationships with the leaders of the Forestry Bureau, and even further up the hierarchy, he had a powerful background.
Leaving aside those distant figures, just considering Du Chonglai, this powerful figure, he is Zhou Jianchun's direct superior.
If you want to teach him a lesson, you can easily find an opportunity to make Old Zhou very uncomfortable without him being able to find any fault with you.
Zhou Jianchun pretended to be confused, not giving a direct answer, but instead dodging the question by saying, "The news that I mentioned the factory's Party Secretary has been circulating for a long time!"
Director Yang isn't retiring until the end of the year, and there are still many uncertainties. It's too early for you to come to me now; the final outcome is hard to say!
Yue Feng said, "I have heard some rumors. Isn't this a case of being in a good position to get the moon first?"
If you could give me a heads-up earlier and let me know what preparations I need to make, I could prepare accordingly!
Do you think there's any chance of success with your nephew's request?
While brewing tea, Zhou Jianchun shook his head: "It's hard to say, there are too many variables!"
As far as I know, a new deputy factory director might be parachuted in from above! There will also be a batch of demobilized military personnel available at the end of the year!
If Xiao Guo can't move, then everything is in vain!
"So, as long as no one parachutes in, there's still a chance for my dad's case to succeed!" Yue Feng continued, following up on the previous question.
This question stumped the old fox Zhou Jianchun.
He said all this simply because he didn't want to make a clear commitment immediately, but Yue Feng wasn't the type to be subservient and ask for favors. He directly followed up on the conversation by asking more questions.
Continuing to discuss this further would turn uncertainty into a certainty, which is not in Zhou Jianchun's interest or style.
After a few seconds of silence, Zhou Jianchun took a deep breath and said, "This is not a matter that I can decide on my own!"
From the perspective of closeness and distance, I wish your father could take on this position. If things go well, you will definitely remember my kindness, and if I need your help in the future, you will also remember my kindness and do your best!
However, there are too many variables involved! Let me break it down for you one by one, and you can figure it out yourself!
"Hmm, that works! Let me listen!"
"First of all, we look at qualifications."
Your dad got a job at the forest farm through the independent recruitment program, which is a different channel than those soldiers who were professionally placed!
They recruit people and then find ways to get them promoted to permanent positions ahead of time!
Temporary work doesn't count towards seniority! This means that his seniority is only a little over a year and a half, less than two years!
Looking at the forest protection team, the deputy captain, Li Cunming, joined last year and has about the same seniority as your father!
But he was a military officer who was transferred to civilian work, so he was appointed as the deputy captain!
According to conventional logic, if the team leader is promoted, the deputy team leader will be promoted to the team leader position unless the deputy team leader is nearing retirement or has other special circumstances that make them unsuitable for promotion. Then, a new deputy team leader will be selected from among the team members!
Am I right about that?
Yue Feng nodded, signaling the other person to continue.
Zhou Jianchun continued, "Now that we've talked about the forest ranger team, let's talk about my side!"
Although our Hongxing Forest Farm isn't very large, it ranks among the top five in the Fengcheng area! There are plenty of people eyeing this place!
Although the deputy directors of those small forest farms are at the same level, the resources they can mobilize are quite different!
If they have connections, would they try to fill this vacancy by bringing in someone from outside the system? It's permitted by policy to transfer them here!
You wouldn't believe it, but recently, at least four or five leaders have written me notes or made phone calls to ask me to do their bidding. It's really putting me in a difficult position!
After explaining the objective situation, Zhou Jianchun sighed.
Yue Feng nodded after listening: "If that's the case, it's a bit difficult to get you to make the decision! The Forestry Bureau is in charge of the overall arrangements for the staffing of our forest farm's middle and senior management!"
Zhou Jianchun nodded: "That's right!"
If it only involves the appointment and promotion of the forest ranger captain, I can make a decision by simply speaking with the Party Committee members! The personnel appointments just need to be reported to the Forestry Bureau for record-keeping!
However, when it came to Xiao Guo wanting to take things a step further, our forest farm could only submit suggestions; we didn't have the authority to make decisions!
Therefore, I cannot give you a definite answer right now!
You've always had dealings with Director Du of the Forestry Bureau, haven't you? Asking him for help will be much more effective than making things difficult for me!
Regarding your father's promotion, I can promise you it as long as there are no obstacles from higher-ups! But if other unforeseen circumstances arise, there's nothing I can do!
After a thorough explanation, Yue Feng finally understood what was going on.
However, Zhou Jianchun, despite his seemingly clear and sincere words, always gave Yue Feng a sense of unease.
Based on Yue Feng's previous understanding of Zhou Jianchun, he was a very shrewd and cunning old fox. Even though their relationship eased later and they continued to interact, Yue Feng never treated him as a true friend and confided in him. They only maintained a superficial harmony.
"Okay, I'll take a look at it some more! You're busy here, so I won't take up any more of your time!" Yue Feng readily got up and was about to leave after hearing this.
"You're leaving already? You haven't even had a couple of sips of tea yet!" Zhou Jianchun said insincerely.
"I'm going to the Forestry Bureau! We can have some more later! Oh, and there's some tea in the bag too, I brought it back from Beijing, please try some! I'm off now!"
"You're here, why bring anything? I haven't even done anything for you, this isn't right!"
"That's a rather unorthodox way of putting it!"
"We still have the things at home; they're not anything valuable. It's just a small token of my nephew's appreciation. Even if we're not doing anything special, it doesn't stop me from bringing a small gift to keep in touch! Goodbye!"
Yue Feng said a few polite words and then got up to take his leave.
Zhou Jianchun also got up and escorted Yue Feng to the door of his office, watching Yue Feng leave before returning to his office and opening the snakeskin bag to check what Yue Feng had brought.
Cigarettes, alcohol, tea, and cash—in terms of overall value, the "stepping stones" Yue Feng brought were far more valuable than those brought before him.
Zhou Jianchun took out the cash and put it in the bottom drawer. He then tidied up the remaining supplies and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "This Yue Feng, he's not very old, but he's very generous. Money really gives him a lot of influence!"
Let him handle this headache; it'll be perfect for me to win favor with both sides without offending anyone!
……
Yue Feng came down from the office building, strolled to the parking space, started his motorcycle, and rode straight out the gate.
As he was leaving, the gatekeeper called out, "Xiaofeng, leaving so soon?"
Hearing the gatekeeper's greeting, Yue Feng's heart skipped a beat. He immediately slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. Then he got out and walked over to the gatekeeper's ear, whispering, "Sir, I'd like to ask you for a favor!"
"What is it? Tell me!"
"Could you please make a note of the people who have come to see Director Zhou for business in the last few days? I'll come back in a couple of days to pick up the results!"
This is a difficult task for others, but it's a piece of cake for the security guard.
There are two types of visitors: strangers and acquaintances.
The security guard knows him well and will definitely recognize his name.
For strangers and visitors, the gatekeeper needs to register the visitor's name and purpose of visit. The gatekeeper is also very strict about this.
The advantages of small favors in ordinary times are now evident. The gatekeeper nodded without hesitation and said in a low voice, "Okay, I'll remember it for you!"
But you can't tell anyone about this. If the boss finds out, I'll lose my job!
Yue Feng nodded and gave the other person a reassuring look: "Then I'll be going now. We'll make it up to you later, guys!"
"Walk slowly and be careful on the road!"
……
After leaving the forest farm, Yue Feng rode his motorcycle down the mountain along the Chaiji Road.
On the way, Yue Feng hesitated, wondering if he should go home and bring some things back if he went to find Du Chonglai now.
When they reached the pass at the bottom of the mountain, Yue Feng slapped his forehead and decided not to go back.
His relationship with Du Chonglai was much closer than his relationship with Zhou Jianchun.
My interactions with Zhou Jianchun were limited to traditional greetings during holidays and festivals, but with Uncle Du, we met up every few days, whenever the mood struck us, without any awkwardness or pretension.
Let's sound out the Forestry Bureau first. If Lao Du can help, we can find an opportunity to thank him later.
The closer the relationship, the less one should be willing to use or exchange favors immediately. After several years of immersion in this world, Yue Feng gradually matured in his interactions with people.
And so, Yue Feng rode his motorcycle down the mountain, turned around, and entered the city. More than an hour later, he arrived at the Forestry Bureau.
He parked the car with practiced ease, went upstairs, knocked a few times at Du Chonglai's door, and quickly went inside.
"Grandpa, I'm busy!"
"Hey kid, what brings you here today! Come on in, have a seat!"
Du Chong came to see Yue Feng and greeted him with a smile.
"Just got back from Beijing. I missed you, so I came over to check on you!" Yue Feng said with a grin, looking a bit silly.
"Go to Beijing and mess with your Raptor Club?"
"I guess so. I was involved in some routine construction and training, and spent a few days overseeing things!"
"That's a great idea! If I'm not mistaken, once the club is up and running, there will be plenty of rich young masters or gangsters eager to join and become members!" Du Chonglai said with certainty.
"It's not that exaggerated! It's still in the early stages of construction and development, and there hasn't been much publicity yet! It'll probably get more lively in the fall when the club's autumn hawks arrive!"
"When the time comes, take me with you to broaden my horizons!" Du Chonglai asked, his eyes shining.
Well, before Yue Feng could even voice his demands, Lao Du had already offered his own ideas.
"That's no problem. Not only can I take you to the Ye family's club, but even if you're interested in a club run by Zhang Chaochao, I can use my connections to take you there!"
These are not problems.
"I need your help with something small right now!"
"A small matter? What is it?"
“My dad’s forest farm… I think…” Yue Feng briefly explained the situation again.
After hearing Yue Feng's description, Du Chonglai's relaxed brows furrowed slightly, and he cursed angrily, "That son of a bitch Zhou Jianchun, he's got a good plan!" (End of Chapter)