Hearing what Liu Jian said, Liu Fu and his wife both breathed a sigh of relief. Although Liu Fu was moved by Liu Jian's words, what Liu's mother said was also a question in his mind. Hearing Liu Jian say it wasn't as difficult as they imagined and wouldn't cost a lot of money, he felt a lot more relaxed. Liu's mother heard that it wouldn't cost too much money, so she didn't have much objection. She thought buying the winery would cost a lot of money, and she was afraid of investing all of their family's savings. However, hearing what her son said at the end, that the most important thing was the workers, they were both a little surprised.
Seeing that the two hadn't realized the trouble with the workers, Liu Jian explained, "These workers used to have guaranteed jobs. Even though the factory can't pay their wages now, they still hold onto a glimmer of hope. If the winery is sold, wouldn't they have nothing to look forward to? It's like the country won't take care of them anymore. What can they do? I'm afraid they'll cause trouble then, and it will be difficult to deal with."
This era was not yet after the 21st century, with its market economy, comprehensive reform of state-owned enterprises, and laid-off workers everywhere. At this time, layoffs and buying out years of service were still new things, only implemented in some developed areas in the south. In the Northeast, there were still too many people clinging to the state's guaranteed jobs.
Liu Fu understood what his son meant after hearing that. After all, not everyone was like him, giving up the secure government job to start their own business. Many people still had illusions about the country and were waiting for the government to come and save them.
Thinking this way, Liu Fu also became worried. His thinking was completely different from before. Earlier, he was still wondering whether or not to buy, whether it was a good idea to buy. Now, he was only thinking about how to buy it.
Even Liu's mother asked, "Xiaojian, what should we do then? If they really cause trouble and don't let us buy it, wouldn't that be a problem?"
Liu Jian smiled and said, "It's okay, Mom, I was just telling Dad about this too. Some things aren't convenient for us to do, but they are for some people. Some things we can't do, but some people exist specifically to do them."
Liu Fu seemed to understand a little, and asked hesitantly, "Are you talking about Li Si?"
Liu's mother frowned and said, "Li Si? That little hoodlum?"
Liu Jian smiled wryly to himself. A small-time hoodlum? That's the future mafia boss, a real estate tycoon our family can only look up to. But right now, Li Si is just a small-time hoodlum.
Liu Jian nodded and said, "Yes, I'm talking about him. Don't look down on him just because he's a hoodlum. All the young workers left at the Sanbao Winery listen to him. If we control him, we control a large part of the workforce. If he doesn't let them cause trouble, few will dare to revolt. Think about it, all the officials are gone, and the remaining young people won't dare to make trouble. As for the old workers, we'll give them higher salaries. On one hand, it will stabilize their hearts; on the other hand, we need their experience. We need the techniques of these old people. If we do this, it will work out."
Liu Fu nodded and said, "Looking at it this way, this small-time hoodlum plays a pretty big role. By the way, Xiaojian, did you ask him to come see Xiaowu in a few days, so I can meet him then? Not bad, you're thinking far ahead."
Liu Jian smiled and said, "I've had some ideas for a while, but I haven't figured out how our family should change careers, or what to change careers to. It just so happened that I ran into Li Si today, and it suddenly came to me. Dad, I think you should take Li Si seriously. If you use him well, he can do a lot of things for you. Since you don't want Fifth Brother to go down that path, some things can be done by Li Si. Dad, we're not a mafia, but some things are just easier for them to do than us."
Liu Fu nodded, knowing that Liu Jian was right. In this society, there's black and white, and some things really need to be done by these people.
Liu Jian continued, "Dad, I think you can go find Uncle Chen. He's the deputy mayor, and if you want to buy the Sanbao Winery, he can help a lot. After all, he's in the system, and I think acquiring the Sanbao Winery would also be a feather in Uncle Chen's cap, and he'll find a way to make it happen."
Mother Liu also said, "That's right, go find Xiao Chen. This is such a big deal, I'm not sure about it. Discuss it with Xiao Chen and see if this thing is feasible."
Liu Fu thought about the matter and felt he should discuss it with someone. What Liu Jian had said had made him feel fired up, and now the family's opinion was unified. He'd find Chen Sheng to ask, listen to his opinion. No matter what, more people means more ideas, and maybe he could discover problems he hadn't noticed.
Liu Fu didn't go to school much; he joined the army after graduating from junior high school. He always had great respect for educated people. Chen Sheng attended military academy in the army, and after returning, he also obtained a bachelor's degree through self-study, and now he is pursuing a master's degree. In this era, this is very eye-catching, and it has something to do with Chen Sheng's quick promotion to deputy mayor. Liu Fu has always attached great importance to Chen Sheng's opinion. Back then, Chen Sheng supported him going into business, so he would definitely ask Chen Sheng about such a big deal.
Liu Fu picked up the phone and called Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng was at home. Liu Fu said, "I'll be over in a little while, there are some things I want to discuss with you."
The two men were very close, so many things didn't need much explanation. Chen Sheng knew Liu Fu was facing some difficulties. By the time Liu Fu arrived at Chen's house, Chen Sheng had already brewed the tea and set up the chess. The two played two games of chess and drank a pot of tea.
Only then did Chen Sheng ask, "Brother, are you calm now? What difficulties have you encountered?"
In Liu Jian's house, Liu's mother was still a little unsure and asked, "Xiao Jian, how confident are you about this matter? Can it really make money?"
Liu Jian knew his mother was still worried, so he said with a smile, "Mom, if this works out, you just wait to be the wife of a multi-millionaire, and even a billionaire isn't impossible."
"Multi-millionaire, billionaire," Liu's mother murmured, looking at her son grinning beside her, and said, "I don't have such grand ambitions, as long as we can make a little money, and our family is safe and sound, that's enough." She said that, but her eyes were already narrowed into a line with a smile.
Liu Jian thought to himself, "Mom, don't worry, our family will definitely be safe and sound, and we will definitely not just earn a small amount of money. As long as we keep working hard, even becoming a billionaire is not the end."
Chen Sheng was a little surprised to see Liu Fu sitting quietly across from him. He had always understood his older brother very well, a very upright person. He had no political awareness and would definitely not be able to advance in the system, but it was precisely this upright temperament that made him admire him.
He had suggested that Liu Fu go into business early on, instead of staying within the system. He believed that Liu Fu's personality would allow him to achieve something after going into business. Sure enough, Liu Fu was suited to doing business, and he became wealthy in just over a decade.
Panshi is located in the heart of the Northeast, with convenient transportation in all directions, but it is not a coastal city, nor does it have many private enterprises. There are only some languishing state-owned enterprises, mostly wage-earning workers. A family with savings of tens of thousands of yuan is considered middle class in Panshi, and those with assets of a million yuan are definitely considered top-tier wealthy people.
Unfortunately, Liu Fu is in a less-than-ideal industry. Although he has money, his reputation isn't great because he's known as a construction contractor. The other day, Liu Fu asked him to help him become a People's Congress representative, and he knew that his old buddy wanted to improve his status. To be honest, Chen Sheng was very happy, because it showed that his older brother was also progressing, not just thinking about making money. This was a good thing, and he had long had this idea, but he hadn't mentioned it since Liu Fu didn't bring it up.
But he just became a People's Congress representative and then he called again today. Although Liu Fu didn't say it on the phone, Chen Sheng could tell that Liu Fu was in trouble this time. But what could be troubling Liu Fu so much? Chen Sheng thought for a long time, but couldn't figure it out. So he first told Liu Fu to calm down and be rational.
Liu Fu lit a cigarette and smoked it for a long time before saying, "Brother Chen, I have something I want your opinion on today. You know I'm just a rough guy, and I've gotten this far by being bold and fighting hard. Unfortunately, the social situation is changing, and if things continue like this, I'm afraid I'll be eliminated by society."
Chen Sheng didn't expect Liu Fu to sound so serious, not nearly as relaxed as the last time he came.
Chen Sheng knew that Liu Fu was looking for him because he trusted him, so he didn't stand on ceremony and asked directly, "Big brother, tell me. We've known each other for so many years, no matter what it is, even if what I say isn't necessarily right, it's still good to have another opinion. Your sister-in-law just took Xiaoxue to her mother's house, so it's just us two brothers, no one else around. We have plenty of time."
Chen Sheng was also giving Liu Fu a heads-up. He thought something had happened in his old brother's life, and was afraid he'd be too embarrassed to bring it up. Chen Sheng didn't blame himself for thinking that way; in this era, all the contractors were into eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, except for Liu Fu, who was always an exception. There were never any rumors about him. This time, he thought his big brother had also made this kind of mistake, but when they talked further, he realized he'd been thinking the wrong way.
Liu Fu nodded and said, "You also know that I've made some money going into business these past few years. It looks quite glamorous, living in a small building, driving a small car, and everywhere I go, people call me Boss Liu. But I actually know that I'm just a contractor, not someone who can be respected."
Chen Sheng smiled and didn't say anything. These were the facts, and Chen Sheng had no excuse. He didn't comfort Liu Fu either, because he knew that what was coming next was the main point.
Liu Fu continued, "I didn't used to take these things to heart, thinking that making money was all that mattered, no matter what others thought. But recently, Xiao Jian has changed a lot. He wasn't serious before, and I'm very happy about that. It's just a shame his grades are still not good."
At this point, Liu Fu laughed a little sheepishly and said, "He's no match for your daughter."
Chen Sheng interrupted, "Big Brother, the children are still young. No one knows what they'll be like in the future. I think Xiao Jian is a good kid. Last time he spoke and handled things, he seemed like an adult, not as childish as before, and he doesn't have any crazy habits."
Hearing Chen Sheng praise his own son, Liu Fu was also a little happy and said, "That's true, but with these grades, he can forget about going to college. I want to leave something for the kid, I don't want him to end up as a contractor like me. I haven't been able to figure out what to leave him, just leaving money isn't enough. Every time I think about these things, I get worried. I didn't expect that before I could even figure it out, the kid came up with an idea himself. I'm not sure about it, but I don't want to discourage his ambition."
Chen Sheng knew that he was starting to get to the point, not the random things he had been thinking about earlier, and felt a lot more relaxed. He smiled and nodded, saying, "Go ahead, brother, I'm listening."
Liu Fu put out his cigarette and said, "Today Xiao Jian came back and told me he plans to buy the Sanbao Winery!"