freenovelworld Chapter 528 An absolute scoundrel! His heart is despicable!
Chapter 528 An absolute scoundrel! His heart is despicable!
early morning.
Zeng Wensheng woke up right on time.
After a quick wash, I went to the back garden to practice Tai Chi.
For several days in a row, I saw Zheng Peiyun, who lived diagonally across the street, getting up early to practice military boxing. The two would greet each other every day.
But today...
Zeng Wensheng had finished his morning exercise but hadn't seen Zheng Peiyun, so he was naturally a little unaccustomed to it.
"Could it be that Old Zheng went down to inspect the troops?"
"Despite their fierce resistance, Iran was still easily defeated by the United States."
"And our military strength is at least twenty years behind that of the United States."
"If we don't accelerate the modernization and strengthening of our military, we'll only be able to rely on nuclear weapons for self-defense if war breaks out one day!"
Zeng Wensheng picked up a towel to wipe his sweat without giving it much thought.
Back in the room, in the dining room, the nanny had already prepared breakfast.
Zeng Wensheng has always been health-conscious and never eats greasy or spicy food.
After recovering from a serious illness, he became even more disciplined in his daily diet.
Except for smoking and drinking at his daughter's wedding banquet, he follows the doctor's instructions regarding his diet and lifestyle at other times.
Today's breakfast was simple yet nutritious.
In addition to eggs, milk, and whole wheat bread, there was also fried bacon, stir-fried vegetables, and some nuts.
Just as I was leisurely eating breakfast, my secretary, Dai Pingwei, arrived.
In the past few days, Dai Pingwei took leave to go back to his hometown. Zeng Wensheng is not used to not being able to pick him up and drop him off in the morning and evening and accompany him at all times.
Good morning, Director!
Dai Pingwei walked over with a smile and bowed slightly in greeting.
Zeng Wensheng rarely looked up and sized up Dai Pingwei.
"Wow, you've only been back in your hometown for a few days, how come you've gotten so much darker? And your neck is all red!"
Dai Pingwei laughed and said, "It just so happens that it's wheat harvest time back home, so I helped out in the fields for two days."
"I don't usually get much sun exposure, but after being exposed to the sun from morning till night for two days, I'm probably a bit sunburned."
Zeng Wensheng frowned and said, "How many acres of land do you have? Do you really need two days to harvest? Didn't you use a combine harvester?"
“My family grows less than six acres of wheat, but because it’s all hilly and mountainous land, we can’t use harvesters. We have to harvest, bundle and transport it all by hand, which is quite time-consuming and labor-intensive.”
Dai Pingwei knew that even though he had been with Zeng Wensheng for almost five years, he still couldn't remember where his hometown was.
Moreover, Zeng Wensheng, who was not originally from a farming background, had been out of touch with the masses for too long, so how could he know that the level of agricultural mechanization in China was still very low?
Asking why harvesters weren't used right off the bat is just a modern version of "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"
"You, a deputy director-level official, actually went back to your rural hometown and personally went to the fields to harvest wheat. You're really quite filial!"
Zeng Wensheng smiled and looked away, continuing to eat her breakfast.
Dai Pingwei smiled slightly.
"I am the son of a farmer, so of course I have to do farm work when I return to the countryside."
“Those who are high-level executives or bosses in the city still have to work when they go back to the countryside.”
Zeng Wensheng asked curiously, "With your current income, you could easily bring your parents to Beijing to enjoy a comfortable life. Why are you still letting them farm in your hometown?"
Dai Pingwei sighed, "I've tried to persuade them countless times, but they just won't listen. They think that farming, raising pigs and chickens in their hometown, keeping them busy every day, makes their lives quite fulfilling."
"If they come to Yanjing, they'll have nothing to do all day except buy groceries, cook, take walks, and have some leisure time. They'll feel restless and uncomfortable. They'd be better off staying in their hometown as farmers!"
Zeng Wensheng chuckled.
"This is a classic example of how hard it is to leave one's homeland!"
"It is very difficult to change their mindset; they are unwilling to leave the poor and backward countryside for their entire lives."
"Fortunately, young people today have become accustomed to modern life in big cities and are unwilling to return to the countryside to be farmers. Otherwise, our urbanization process would definitely be extremely difficult!"
After saying that, Zeng Wensheng began to eat his breakfast slowly and deliberately.
Dai Pingwei almost rolled his eyes.
Who says young people don't want to go back to the countryside?
Rural houses are large and have large courtyards, allowing for farming and animal husbandry, providing a free and easy lifestyle, and the air is fresher and more pleasant than in the city.
So what are the reasons that make young people unwilling to return to rural life?
Having been out of touch with the masses for too long and having never lived in the countryside, Zeng Wensheng clearly doesn't know that the main reason young people are unwilling to stay in the countryside is that it's difficult to make money there.
If one could earn a decent income in the countryside, and it would be convenient for children to go to school and for the elderly to see a doctor, how many young people would still be willing to leave their hometowns and struggle to make a living in big cities?
Do you think that young people all yearn for life in big cities?
Do you really think it's great to be away from your family, living in a cramped rented room, rushing around from dawn till dusk every day, not eating or sleeping well?
Even if they achieve a certain level of success and buy a house and a car, a family living in a big city will still face considerable pressure due to living expenses, medical care, and education.
And of course you, Zeng Wensheng, wouldn't understand!
You live in a detached villa, have a private car to pick you up, a housekeeper to take care of your housework, can stay in a VIP ward when you are sick, and can go to a special health resort on vacation...
Even after retirement, you still won't have to worry about food, clothing, shelter, transportation, medical care, or hospitalization. You have a lot of money every month, and you don't know where to spend it or where you need to spend money. How could you understand the hardships of life?
However, Dai Pingwei was too lazy to waste words with Zeng Wensheng, and he had no right to lecture him.
Taking a small notebook from his briefcase, Dai Pingwei began to speak:
"Today's schedule is as follows: from nine to ten in the morning, we will meet with the visiting Minister of Energy of Harlins to discuss energy cooperation."
"At 10:30 a.m., you will attend the summary meeting on supporting the private economy in the first half of 2003. You will need to make arrangements for the work plan in the second half of the year."
"At 2:30 PM, you will attend the inter-ministerial joint meeting on the construction of the social credit system. You will need to give a keynote speech on basic systems, credit supervision, and financial risk prevention..."
Dai Pingwei didn't care whether Zeng Wensheng was listening attentively or whether he could still be so busy today; he simply gave a serious report on his schedule.
"It was another busy but fulfilling day!"
Zeng Wensheng picked up the cup, finished drinking the milk, and then wiped her mouth with a tissue.
"By the way, in two more months, you'll have been with me for five years, right?"
"Yes."
Dai Pingwei put away his notebook.
He stood aside, looking as if he was listening attentively to instructions.
"Time flies! Before I knew it, almost five years had passed!"
Hearing Zeng Wensheng's sigh, Dai Pingwei felt nauseous.
You are being waited on, so of course you are unaware of it.
But I live in constant fear, like I'm walking on thin ice, and each day feels like an eternity!
"According to the relevant regulations, no matter how reluctant I am to part with you, you can only work with me for five years. What are your thoughts on the next work arrangements?"
Zeng Wensheng glanced sideways, looking like he cherished talent and was reluctant to part with it.
"I will follow the organization's arrangements!"
Dai Pingwei answered without hesitation.
Dai Pingwei was absolutely telling the truth when he said that.
I've long since given up on being Zeng Wensheng's secretary, so I'm willing to be transferred anywhere.
Even if he were transferred to the far northwest, to a remote, underdeveloped, and impoverished county, he would be willing to do so.
"Obey orders? Ha, would you be willing to be transferred to the Western Regions or Longlan?"
Zeng Wensheng gave a disdainful snort.
"How old are you? Even if you don't think about yourself, shouldn't you at least think about your wife and children?"
"In my opinion, it would be better to arrange a job for you in Yanjing. What do you think of the Urban Construction Group?"
"It just so happens that the head of this group went to jail for corruption at the beginning of the year, and the position has been vacant ever since!"
“You are meticulous and responsible in your work. I believe that once you arrive, the construction projects for those Olympic venues will be completed quickly and efficiently.”
Upon hearing this, Dai Pingwei's first reaction was not happiness, but rather that Zeng Wensheng truly didn't treat him like a human being!
Yanjing Construction Group is one of the top 500 enterprises in China. It is a large state-owned construction engineering enterprise with considerable strength and assets.
The group has more than ten wholly-owned and holding subsidiaries, including two listed companies, and is currently responsible for the construction of several key engineering projects.
If it were an ordinary person, upon hearing that they were to be transferred to be the head of the urban construction group, they would definitely be overjoyed, thinking that Zeng Wensheng had given them a wonderful job!
This position offers great potential for advancement, and with a little bit of cunning, one can make a fortune – it's definitely a great job.
But Dai Pingwei is no longer a naive and inexperienced young man in the system.
Zeng Wensheng pushed himself, who had no professional background and absolutely no experience in the construction industry, to be the head of such a company. Wasn't he just pushing himself into a fire pit?
With the group's top leader recently imprisoned for corruption, a large number of others will inevitably be investigated and implicated, leading to significant personnel changes that will undoubtedly have a major impact on business operations.
Moreover, the group not only engaged in many real estate development projects, but also undertook many municipal engineering projects, including Olympic venues. Various interest groups were intertwined, making it extremely complicated and overwhelming.
So how could this be a pleasant job?
He clearly left himself with a mess.
And it's a mess that could explode at any moment!
Because he works in the construction industry, corruption has created widespread fear and anxiety.
Who knows which construction site might be the site of a major accident that results in casualties?
Major accidents inevitably lead to accountability, and as the top leader, wouldn't I become the scapegoat?
Once held accountable, one can forget about making any further progress for at least two or three years, or at most four or five years.
Considering that Zeng Wensheng is too busy ruining his own career to help him anymore, he might end up stuck at the deputy director level for life.
Not wanting to be taken advantage of, Dai Pingwei immediately declined:
"Director, although I really want to contribute to the Olympics and do my part for the development of Yanjing, my major is not relevant to this!"
"I know nothing about construction or business management. If I were to become the head of a company, wouldn't that be like an outsider directing an expert? I'm afraid it would be a complete mess!"
Zeng Wensheng raised an eyebrow.
"Do you have a company you'd like to work for?"
"I……"
Before Dai Pingwei could say anything, Zeng Yuanqian called out "Dad" from afar.
"I'll go to your office with you in a bit and make a copy of the documents."
Zeng Yuanqian sat down casually and began to eat breakfast.
As if Dai Pingwei didn't exist, he spoke without any restraint.
On the contrary, it was Zeng Wensheng...
Knowing that he couldn't copy those materials and take them home, his expression immediately changed slightly.
"Why do we need to copy it?"
Zeng Yuanqian casually said, "I've been very busy these past few days, haven't I? I don't even know where that USB drive is..."
"What? It's gone?"
Zeng Wensheng was shocked and cried out loudly.
After he said those words, he realized that Dai Pingwei was still standing next to him.
"Hey Pingwei, you go out first and wait for me in the car. We need to talk about some family matters!"