Chapter 39: The Bet

Half an hour later, the sound of slaps echoed repeatedly in Room 102 of the guesthouse.

"Crap! Crap!"

"That's what you get for kicking the door! That's what you get!"

"You nearly scared me to death with my weak heart!"

Liu Weiguo, who had just realized the serious trouble he'd caused, stood with his head lowered. He could never have imagined that the old man slapping him, who claimed to be the assistant general manager, was actually the former head of the Forest Protection Department. Nor could he have anticipated that the man who called himself the general manager was the former head of the Forestry Administration Office. And most shocking of all, the elderly man who casually entered the room carrying a thermos and then made a simple phone call that caused the director to rush over, sweating profusely, was the former head of the Forestry Bureau!

He thought he was coming to settle a problem, but instead, he had stirred up a hornet's nest in the Forestry Bureau!

Next to him, the Commerce Bureau Director, Yan Lijun, wore a worried expression, but not out of concern for his subordinate getting hurt. "Mr. Wu, please don't tire yourself out..."

Wu Shengli was furious, "Damn it! Is this how your Commerce Bureau enforces the law nowadays?"

Yan Lijun forced a smile, thinking to himself that Wu must have forgotten the notorious enforcement style of his own Forest Protection Department back in the day...

But he didn't dare to say this out loud. Wu Shengli was a former platoon leader of the 54286 unit who transferred to the Forestry Bureau. His former soldiers were now scattered throughout the Forest Industry and Police systems, making him a formidable figure.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Yan Lijun said obsequiously, "I will handle this properly when I return. Please, old leader, don't be upset."

Zheng Weishi, who had been sitting calmly, stood up and pulled Wu Shengli aside. "That's enough. Take a break." Then he turned to the heavily bruised Liu Weiguo and asked, "So, what's the deal? There are many construction teams in the Forestry Bureau without commercial registrations, why did you target this one?"

Liu Weiguo, clutching one side of his face, glanced weakly at Yan Lijun.

"Answer Mr. Zheng!" Yan Lijun cursed the man's lack of awareness. Why was he looking at him at a time like this?

"It was... Vice Director Wu's orders. He said that a young guy from this construction team scammed his uncle..."

"His uncle?" Yan Lijun frowned, "Wu Guohua?"

Hearing this name, Zheng Weishi raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Linhe, it looks like this is your doing."

Wang Linhe, troubled by the situation, responded, "Taking down people like him is the right thing to do! For a deputy principal, what kind of behavior is this? Making mistakes and then seeking revenge everywhere?"

Zheng Weishi chuckled, waved his hand, and instructed Yan Lijun, "Alright, take your people and leave. By the way, handle the construction team's paperwork properly so there won't be any issues in the future."

Feeling as if he had been granted amnesty, Yan Lijun quickly had his men apologize once more before hastily departing.

After things calmed down in Room 102, Zheng Weishi grinned, "Linhe, do you have a special interest in Li Xian? Are you considering him as a future grandson-in-law?"

"That's nonsense!" Wang Linhe retorted, glaring at him.

"Hey, I heard you on the phone with Xiao Xu. It's one thing to discuss Lin Technical School's job assignments, but you specifically asked the new bureau director to resolve Li Xian's employment issue. And you say you don't have your eye on this kid? I've known you for over ten years, and I've never seen you pull strings for anyone like this."

Faced with the teasing, Wang Linhe sighed, "The overall performance of the Forestry Bureau isn't great right now. Depending solely on timber isn't going to cut it. Developing a market economy? How can a bunch of rigid thinkers make any progress? I'm pulling strings because I see potential in this kid. If he's left to fend for himself in society, it'll be a waste. But if we bring him into the Bureau, he might just stir things up a bit."

Zheng Weishi, who managed the Forestry Bureau's critical Forestry Administration Office, was effectively the second-in-command. However, due to various circumstances, he had always been overshadowed by Wang Linhe, leading to a subtle, competitive relationship between them.

They had often clashed over minor issues, both during their time in the Bureau and now in retirement.

Hearing that Wang Linhe admired Li Xian's talent, Zheng Weishi scoffed, "You're retired now, why still worry about this? The Bureau's situation is Xu Zhaoyang's problem now. What does it have to do with you? Besides, what's this talk about wasting talent in society? The kid's made almost twenty thousand yuan this month. Does that sound like wasting talent to you? I think this kid might actually make something of himself. Times have changed; your ideas about building up the Forestry Bureau don't apply to the younger generation anymore."

"That's nonsense! I don't believe that if Li Xian had a good job in front of him, he wouldn't be tempted!"

"Hey! How about we make a bet..."

As the two of them argued, an old man suddenly rushed in from outside, shouting, "It's a disaster! There's a forest fire at Dongfeng Forest Farm!"

...

In just a few days, Li Xian had secured over sixty orders, thirty of which were already completed.

According to Zheng Weishi's financial records, they had already made nearly twenty thousand yuan.

But no one could have anticipated that just as they were about to enter the fire prevention period, a forest fire would break out at Dongfeng Forest Farm!

This fire immediately disrupted the momentum of the renovation team.

Although the various forest farms were far apart, the areas being logged were relatively close. If the fire at Dongfeng Forest Farm spread, it could become a major disaster for the entire Forestry Bureau.

As soon as the fire alarm was raised, all the forest farms mobilized, gathering able-bodied men to either fight the fire or establish firebreaks.

The renovation team, already short on manpower, lost half its members. Worse still, with the fire, the nearby forest farms were suddenly deserted.

The demand for renovation services instantly dropped, and several business deals that Li Xian was in the middle of negotiating fell through as he couldn't reach the clients.

Given the current situation, even if they completed all the remaining thirty-plus jobs, the revenue would only be a bit over thirty thousand yuan. Even if they included the ten thousand yuan bonus from the tile factory, they would still fall short of Li Xian's goal of fifty-five thousand yuan.

The fire wouldn't put the business out of commission; they could continue once the fire was dealt with. But there simply wasn't enough time!

Now, with less than half a month until the deadline set by the Asset Office, Li Xian stood on the hill of the Hongqi Forest Farm, staring at the column of smoke rising in the distance. His stress manifested physically as a blister formed on his tongue.