mijobooks Chapter 98 Playing Chess with the Big Boss
Chapter 98 Playing Chess with the Big Boss
Chapter 98 Playing Chess with the Big Boss
The space continues to produce a steady stream of output, so He Yuzhu often needs to enter the space at night to work.
Of course, since we're not selling supplies, we don't need to grow too much. In particular, the number of livestock has decreased, and there are plenty of large fish in the ponds every year.
I don't know if it's a problem with the space, or if the fish fry I chose were too good.
Now, hundreds of fish are caught from the pond every year, the smallest weighing five pounds and the largest over twenty pounds.
Basically, every few days, the three restaurants serve braised fish, stewed fish, or grilled fish.
The three children are now very experienced at eating fish. Even during the most difficult times, they would secretly eat dried grilled fish and dried meat.
Even though He Yuzhu was already a deputy division-level cadre, Director Yang still frequently ordered him to serve the leaders.
The key point is that the other party has never given He Yuzhu any benefits, and seems to think that as a subordinate, He Yuzhu should be at their beck and call at any time.
It was like ancient nobles ordering around their servants, without any psychological burden. He Yuzhu would still go each time, but he looked down on the other party more and more, thinking that such behavior deserved the other party's downfall.
He Yuzhu had visited the homes of many leaders, including bureau chiefs, division chiefs, district heads, and directors, but two of them were particularly special.
One was Director Yang's former superior, and the other was Li Huaide's father-in-law.
Today, He Yuzhu visited the high-ranking leader's home again. Having been there several times before, He Yuzhu was quite familiar with the place.
He Yuzhu wasn't stupid; he saw the high-ranking leader's wife the first time he saw her, but he didn't argue with her.
On the contrary, she left a good impression on the other party from the very first time, and now that He Yuzhu has come to her home, they are already quite familiar with each other.
The wife of the high-ranking leader was very friendly to He Yuzhu and often gave him gifts.
The big boss liked to play chess. Once, after He Yuzhu finished cooking, he was about to leave when the big boss invited him to come and play chess with him.
He Yuzhu had no choice but to bite the bullet and go up. He originally thought he didn't know how to play chess, but he found that his opponent was also a terrible chess player.
It's likely that everyone else was letting him win, but the big boss had a strange sense of self-confidence and thought he was a very skilled chess player.
He Yuzhu, a mediocre person, could hold his own against him, which gave He Yuzhu confidence.
When two people play chess, it's a matter of evenly matched opponents. Since everyone is bad at it, there's nothing to complain about.
Now, He Yuzhu isn't afraid to cook at a high-ranking leader's house, but he's afraid to play chess with that leader.
With his strong willpower, He Yuzhu always manages to stand out quickly no matter what he does.
From initially playing chess blindly and recklessly, He Yuzhu's chess skills have improved considerably. Now, playing chess with high-ranking leaders requires He Yuzhu to strain his brain cells every time.
He Yuzhu really wanted to say, "This is too hard for me, I want to go home."
The top leader didn't realize that He Yuzhu was racking his brains to let him win, and even frequently encouraged He Yuzhu to study chess more.
He Yuzhu smiled wryly, saying that he was too stupid and that this was too difficult for him to learn.
The senior leader thought He Yuzhu was a very honest young man, and since he was a good cook, he always kept to himself when he came to the house.
After several encounters, I developed a better impression of He Yuzhu. Recently, we've been talking more often, and I've even given him some pointers on how to conduct himself as an official.
What do you think of Xiao Yang?
The big boss's words left He Yuzhu completely bewildered. His mind was racing, wondering if the question was asked unintentionally, or if the big boss was testing Director Yang and, incidentally, himself.
He Yuzhu felt that if he didn't answer this question well, it might become a disaster for him in the future. He didn't want to give an answer against his conscience, so in the end, he made up his mind to be more direct.
"What's wrong? Is it hard to answer, or are you afraid to say it?"
"I don't know if I should say this, but I think Director Yang is a rather simple person."
Time was too short; there wasn't enough time for him to think. He Yuzhu chose to be honest, but honesty didn't mean being foolish enough to say everything.
"You have a problem with Factory Director Yang?"
The senior leader was surprised that He Yuzhu would speak so highly of Director Yang. He had assumed that He Yuzhu was Director Yang's protégé because the latter had invited He Yuzhu to his home to cook.
He Yuzhu felt he had already said what he wanted, so he might as well just go all out. At worst, he'd be kicked out by the big boss, but he was going to be a tycoon eventually anyway.
If you endure for a few years, you can still live a carefree life.
"It's not that I have any objections, it's just that I feel Director Yang treats his subordinates a bit too casually."
"Alright, little Yang, I won't make things difficult for you anymore."
He Yuzhu broke out in a cold sweat after saying just a few words. He was actually having a hard time saying them; there were some things he couldn't say directly.
On the way back, He Yuzhu shook his head, feeling that what was meant to be would be, and what was meant to be would be.
Even if the big boss stops asking me to cook for him in the future, I'm not afraid. I don't lack connections now, so even if I offend someone, I'm not afraid of anything.
He was originally brought here by Director Yang, so he doesn't need such an assistant.
He Yuzhu originally thought he had messed up the conversation at the big boss's house, but unexpectedly the big boss still frequently asked him to cook at his house.
The top leader is from Sichuan Province and enjoys Sichuan cuisine. He Yuzhu is currently the most famous Sichuan chef in Beijing.
Sha Zhu got to know the big boss through this, and later even asked the big boss to save Lou Xiao'e, including arranging a job for Bang Geng.
This shows that the top leader is actually quite nice to people; at least he does things for you. This is also why He Yuzhu was initially willing to listen to Factory Director Yang and cook for the top leader.
He Yuzhu naturally didn't need to use such a sledgehammer to crack a nut; given his level and his relationship with Li Huaide, this was no longer necessary.
Arranging for one person every year is a bit of an exaggeration, but arranging for one person every few years is relatively easy.
He Yuzhu has been doing this for several years, and all he's managed to get now is to get his brother-in-law, Liu Dawei, a job as a driver in the transport team.
Qin Huairu was hired by Jia Dongxu to work at the steel rolling mill. He simply assigned her to the guesthouse to manage guest rooms.
He Yuzhu continued to live his life as usual.
Perhaps because He Yuzhu frequently interacts with leaders, Lou Bancheng now values He Yuzhu more and more.
Because of the initial invitation from the other party to work at the steel rolling mill, He Yuzhu would show some goodwill towards Lou Bancheng.
Whenever the other party invited him through Lou Xiao'e, He Yuzhu would make time to visit the Lou family.
When I arrived at the Lou family home again, I saw Lou Bancheng with gray hair, sitting on the sofa looking somewhat forlorn.
I remember the first time I met Lou Bancheng, he was incredibly spirited and ambitious.
Now, just a few years later, He Yuzhu hardly recognizes Lou Bancheng when they meet again. It's undeniable that times create heroes; the current Lou Bancheng is nowhere near as spirited as he once was.
"Master He, you've arrived?"
"Hello, Director Lou."
"Please have a seat, Chef He. I didn't invite you to my home today to cook. I've heard you've been frequently visiting leaders' homes lately. Could you tell me if you've heard anything about how people like us are treated?"
Lou Bancheng seemed to be grasping at straws in his desperation, otherwise he wouldn't be so anxious as to ask Yu Mang to find a cook to gather information.
"Director Lou is joking. I'm just a cook. How could I possibly hear what the leaders are saying?"
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"Master He, let's not beat around the bush. Rest assured, as long as it benefits the Lou family, I will not let you down."
"Director Lou, I really don't know anything, but I heard that there are no restrictions on free movement there recently. Alright, Director Lou, since I'm not cooking today, I'll head back now."
After listening to He Yuzhu's words, Director Lou sat there blankly, repeatedly saying the same thing.
Although He Yuzhu didn't say it explicitly, the meaning behind his words was quite clear. It all depended on how Lou Bancheng considered it; he wasn't afraid of others knowing what he had revealed.
He Yuzhu believed that the other party could understand his hints, but whether the other party would make up their mind was another matter.
In return for accepting the original owner's body, he has given the Lou family the necessary reminders, and he will even lend a hand when Lou Xiao'e is in danger.
Ultimately, it depends on Lou Bancheng's decision. If the other party continues to harbor illusions, then He Yuzhu will not continue to persuade him.
At most, we can save Lou Xiao'e's life, and that would be enough to repay the Lou family.
Lou Xiao'e was both excited and at a loss when she came back from outside today.
Upon arriving at the He family's house, he simply sat there blankly.
Liu Yulan asked Lou Xiao'e, but she did not answer.
In the end, Liu Yulan stopped asking. She knew that Lou Xiao'e was waiting for He Yuzhu.
She was quite clear about the relationship between her husband and Lou Xiao'e.
He Yuzhu treated Lou Xiao'e like a younger sister, and Liu Yulan also liked this innocent girl.
Liu Yulan continued to busy herself with making clothes. Her two children, He Dongliang and He Feifei, were growing up.
Their clothes were constantly being updated, and Liu Yulan only started learning to make clothes with a sewing machine after coming to the city.
Nowadays, most families don't buy ready-made clothes from outside; they're too expensive. Women in the family who have sewing machines will make several outfits themselves.
The styles are simple; no one would dare to wear anything truly complicated.
For other people, making clothes would be very difficult; the cloth ration coupons alone would prevent them from buying cloth, let alone making new clothes.
However, He Yuzhu had already bought 100 zhang of cloth in advance.
Liu Yulan often saw Zhu Zi bringing back new fabrics from outside, but she didn't let the children wear old clothes because of this. Not only the children, but also Liu Yulan, He Yushui, and He Yuzhu have all been wearing new clothes since Liu Yulan married into the courtyard house.
There weren't even any patches; when their clothes were worn out, they were given away. Luckily, there were quite a few people in the Liu family, so they weren't picky.
Besides, the clothes they sent out were all relatively new; with a small patch, they were no different from brand new clothes.
Nobody in the village, or even in the city, cares.
Lou Xiao'e spoke excitedly only after He Yuzhu returned home. Seeing He Yuzhu's return, Lou Xiao'e could no longer contain her excitement.
"Brother Zhu, I went to the hospital for a checkup, and I'm fine. The doctor said I'm very healthy, and the one who can't have children isn't me."