Chapter 94: At the End of One’s Rope, Yet a Path Appears (Part 2)
Friday arrived. This weekend seemed free of trivial matters. Hehe, another small burst of energy to share. Please continue to support Xiao Qiao!
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After the Shangqing Forest Road was completed, public buses finally began running up the mountain. The service was sparse: a single bus departed from the Yiyang Station every day at 3:00 PM, arriving at the Shangqing Forest Town at 6:00 PM. The bus did not return that night; instead, it stayed overnight in the small courtyard of the old township government. It would depart again the next morning at 7:00 AM, reaching Yiyang County around 10:00 AM.
Hou Weidong, Feng Dajiang, Zeng Xiangang, Xi Zhaoyong, and Tian Dadao—the five of them—boarded the bus with complex emotions churning in their hearts. They traveled from Shangqing Forest Town to the Transportation Bureau, hoping to request payment for a portion of the construction funds owed to them.
Although the Shangqing Forest Road was merely a gravel-surfaced track, its recent completion ensured a smooth and rapid ride. By 10:30 AM, the group arrived punctually at the conference room on the sixth floor of the Transportation Bureau. This was the usual meeting space for the bureau’s leadership team, but it had been specially cleared to receive the five stone quarry owners.
Zeng Zhaoqiang and Zhu Bing had already discussed their strategy the day before.
Zhu Bing was the first to appear in the conference room. With a broad smile on his face and a pack of Hongtashan cigarettes in hand, he said, “Everyone, Director Zeng has some urgent matters to attend to. He’ll be here shortly.”
As he distributed the cigarettes, he cracked jokes to lighten the mood. “Secretary Qin, it’s been a while since we last met. I found a drinking expert at the bureau today. Let’s see who can outdrink whom at lunch. Last time I visited your village, you guys really put me through the wringer.” He turned to Zeng Xiangang and added, “Director Zeng, why don’t you just buy a bus and start a transport business? It’s a good way to make money. Come to me to handle the paperwork.”
Zeng Xiangang was already quite familiar with Zhu Bing. Frowning deeply, he replied, “Director Zhu, forget about buying a bus. My family can’t even afford to put food on the table. Please, Director Zhu, release some funds to us to help us out of this emergency. We truly have no other options left.”
Tian Dadao opened his mouth to speak, but Xi Zhaoyong glared at him from the side and whispered, “Keep quiet. Let the others talk.”
Zhu Bing just smiled. He had never met Xi Zhaoyong or Tian Dadao before, so he didn’t engage them in banter. Instead, he turned to Hou Weidong with a grin. “Madman, a college graduate was assigned to our unit recently. She’s very pretty. Tonight, I’ll create an opportunity for you to meet her.”
Hou Weidong laughed. “If my wife finds out, she’ll definitely chop off my little brother. Forget it, it’s too risky.”
“What are you afraid of? It’s popular these days to keep the red flag flying high at home while letting the colorful flags flutter outside.”
Zhu Bing successfully created a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere.
The day before, after Hou Weidong had called, Zeng Zhaoqiang and Zhu Bing had reviewed the financial records. The figures were startling. Just for the crushed stone alone, the bureau owed over 1.2 million yuan to the five quarries in Shangqing Forest. This didn’t even include the massive quantity of riprap stone required. At that moment, the Transportation Bureau’s account held only a few tens of thousands of yuan for daily operational expenses. It was impossible to advance payment for the materials.
Zhu Bing knew that Hou Weidong, Qin Dajiang, Zeng Xiangang, and the others were newcomers to the industry with limited capital. The fact that they had managed to hold out this long was already commendable. However, since there was genuinely no money available, he was at a loss. He could only stick to the pre-arranged plan: first, employ a policy of appeasement, and then let Zeng Zhaoqiang come in to assert authority and intimidate them.
After chatting casually for a while, a beautiful woman in a business suit walked in. She carried a purple clay teacup, placed it on the table, and said to Zhu Bing, “Director Zeng has arrived.”
A minute later, Zeng Zhaoqiang appeared at the door of the conference room. His hair was slicked back in a large pompadour, and he wore a navy blue suit with a dark red tie. His expression was stern, carrying an air of authority. Upon entering the room, he ignored everyone, sat in his designated seat, and took several slow, deliberate sips from the purple clay teacup. Only then did he lift his head, scanning the faces of those seated before him, and asked Zhu Bing, “Are all the stone quarry owners from Shangqing Forest here?”
Zhu Bing nodded. “They are all present.” He then introduced them one by one: “This is Hou Weidong from the Goubeiwang Quarry, and this is Qin Dajiang from the Qin Family Quarry.”
After the introductions, Zeng Zhaoqiang glanced at his watch and said, “I’ve met with everyone today to share my thoughts.”
Everyone sat quietly, listening intently.
Zeng Zhaoqiang waved his hand and began, “The Shayi Highway is a key project for the county government. With the commencement of the Shayi Highway, the bottleneck restricting Shazhou’s development will be broken. All individuals and units participating in the construction of the Shayi Highway are contributors to Yiyang’s development.”
Hou Weidong thought to himself, He starts with praise before the criticism. The situation looks grim.
Zeng Zhaoqiang shifted his tone. “Yiyang is a poor county, operating on a typical ‘payroll-only’ budget. Funds for road construction are extremely tight. Currently, the county fiscal funds have not been allocated. Therefore, your material payments must be temporarily delayed. It’s not that I don’t want to pay; it’s simply that there is no money.”
The faces of Qin Dajiang and the others turned green with shock.
Xi Zhaoyong, being a police officer accustomed to high-pressure situations, spoke up. “Director Zeng, with just a stroke of your pen, you could release some funds to us. Otherwise, we will be forced to halt production.”
Zeng Zhaoqiang shot a glance at Xi Zhaoyong. “When we signed the contract, the terms were clear. If you felt that full advance funding was difficult at the time, you should not have signed the agreement. Now that the project is halfway complete, unless there are special circumstances, we must strictly adhere to the contract.” He paused, emphasizing his words. “I prefer to deal with people who value integrity. Integrity is the foundation of our continued cooperation. Transportation construction is a long-term process. If it can’t be finished this year, it won’t be finished next year either. If you bosses want to stay in this business for the long haul, you must uphold your word.”
Having said this, Zeng Zhaoqiang turned to Zhu Bing. “Director Zhu, if any boss wishes to settle their account, that is acceptable. But let me state the unpleasant truth upfront: if you settle today, do not expect to do business with the Transportation Bureau in the future.”
He stood up. “I have another meeting to attend. If you have any further thoughts, discuss them with Director Zhu. Please stay for lunch; Director Zhu will host you.”
Watching Zeng Zhaoqiang’s retreating back, the group from Shangqing Forest was momentarily speechless. Zeng Zhaoqiang had exhausted all the high-minded arguments, and he held all the power. What was there left to negotiate?
In that instant, a lightning-fast thought struck Hou Weidong. What if all the crushed stone enterprises united and refused to supply the Transportation Bureau? What could Zeng Zhaoqiang do then?
He pondered this possibility silently. A county-wide alliance of crushed stone producers was unrealistic. However, the stone from Shangqing Forest was of the highest quality and had the lowest mining costs. If they united, they might gain some leverage.
After Zeng Zhaoqiang left the room, Zeng Xiangang complained in a low voice, “When we signed the contract, I said we couldn’t afford full advance funding. Now that the contract is signed, we are all trapped.”
When the contract was signed, the Transportation Bureau had demanded full advance funding. Several rounds of negotiations had failed to change this. Hou Weidong had agreed to the full advance funding. He had specifically clarified to Zeng Xiangang that the Yinggang Quarry was a partnership requiring mutual consent to sign. As for the Goubeiwang Quarry and the Zeng Family Back Mountain Quarry, no consultation was needed; they could sign if they wished, or refuse if they didn’t.
Seeing that Hou Weidong’s Goubeiwang Quarry had signed the full advance funding agreement, Zeng Xiangang had followed suit. Qin Dajiang, Xi Zhaoyong, and Tian Dadao had subsequently signed as well.
Tian Dadao, with his impulsive nature, blurted out, “Madman Hou, it was you who insisted on signing the full advance funding contract. If we don’t get the money, you bear full responsibility. The power station is pressing hard for payment. Lend me some money so I can pay the electricity bill first.”
Hou Weidong was furious. “Tian Dadao, it was you who wanted to sign the contract. What does it have to do with me? I didn’t force you with a knife.”
Xi Zhaoyong supported Hou Weidong. “Tian Dadao, in business, you accept the consequences of your own voluntary choices. Besides, it was you who begged Madman Hou for help. You should speak and act with a conscience.”
Although Tian Dadao was often rude and unreasonable toward others, he was uniquely intimidated by Xi Zhaoyong. Seeing Xi Zhaoyong speak, he closed his mouth.
Zhu Bing, seeing the internal conflict among the Shangqing Forest group, found it amusing. He tried to smooth things over. “Everyone, stop complaining. I’ve checked the accounts. Once the Shayi Road is completed, you will all make a fortune. Right now, you’re just receiving the money a little later. Grit your teeth and hold on. The money you earn in one year is what I would take a lifetime to earn. Think of it that way, and no difficulty seems insurmountable.”
Qin Dajiang, wanting to maintain a good relationship with Zhu Bing of the Transportation Bureau, said, “Forget it. Director Zeng has spoken. We can only go back and figure out another way. Let’s talk more over dinner. It’s rare for the Transportation Bureau to treat us. Today, we must properly toast Director Zhu.”
After the meal, the five men had no desire to linger in Yiyang. They prepared to take the bus back. Since they had advanced so much capital, they were all short on cash. At the bus station, they looked at each other, none willing to take the initiative to buy tickets. Finally, Hou Weidong, unable to bear the awkwardness, paid for everyone’s tickets.
Throughout the journey, the five men were weighed down by heavy hearts. The quarries needed to keep running, and money was absolutely essential. Yet they had borrowed from everyone they could, and each of them had already taken loans from the credit union. There seemed to be no new solutions.
Besides his family, the only person Hou Weidong could turn to was Jiang Dali. However, he had already borrowed thirty thousand yuan from Jiang Dali last time. Asking again felt difficult.
Upon returning to the Goubeiwang Quarry, Hou Weidong gathered the thirty-plus villagers working there. He honestly explained the current situation and, mimicking Zeng Zhaoqiang’s technique, said, “Everyone, you have been working at the quarry for over four months. I have never delayed your wages. Now, the Transportation Bureau has not paid a single cent, and I truly have no money left. For this month’s wages, I can only issue IOUs. If you are willing to continue, come back to work tomorrow. If you are not willing, tell me clearly. I will try to find a way to pay this month’s wages, but you will not be able to work at the quarry in the future.”
“You don’t need to answer now. Go home and discuss it with your families. If you are willing to stay, once the Transportation Bureau pays, I will add a fifty-yuan delay allowance to each person’s monthly wage.”
Hou Weidong had always maintained a good reputation and was known for keeping his word at the quarry. The villagers trusted him. They also saw the practical difficulties. Most expressed their willingness to continue working. Only a few villagers, worried about not receiving their pay, did not commit on the spot.
Having basically resolved the wage issue, Hou Weidong had to start worrying about basic expenses like electricity and explosives. These had to be paid in cash.
In his quest for funds, Hou Weidong understood what it meant to be a trapped beast. He also deeply understood a saying: Money is not omnipotent, but without money, nothing is possible!