如何去揽工程,周兴和其实早就谋划好了。
那一天,周兴和与爱人王琼华的姐夫严忠伦、大舅子王安全提了10来只大公鸡,背着两只狗腿,以及城里人喜欢的干豇豆等山区土特产,坐车来到省城成都。下了车,他们径直来到省政府。省政府森严肃穆,站岗的士兵拦住了他们——几土不拉矶的农民,到这里来干什么?
他们说明来意,让工作人员有些疑惑的是,他们开口就要找省计经委的张大春主任!工作人员细细将他们询问一番,将信将疑拨通了张主任的电话。可没想到的是,不到10分钟,这个张主任竟亲自跑到门口接他们来了!
这个张主任,别看在省政府还算品高官,但他与山里的农民,却有着不同一般的特殊关系。原来,这个张主任,先前也和兴和他们一样,是个山里的农村人。当年,他考上了大学,因为家庭困难没有路费、学费去上学,周兴和爱人的姐夫严忠伦,就利用早晚时间在山上偷割蓑草卖,5分钱1斤,将所卖得的10多块钱全部交给了他上学。这个张主任大学毕业后,分配到了省政府工作,后来还当上了计经委主任。但这个张主任不忘旧情,为感谢严忠伦当年对他的资助,还时常寄给他一些粮票布票和旧衣物等——难怪,当他听说此人专程从老家赶来看他,就迫不及待跑出来接他们来了。
“你们这是在干什么?”张主任一进接待室,看见那10来只活蹦乱跳的大公鸡,以及那一大堆土特产,他皱起了眉头,随后二话不说,就把他们人和东西都带到菜市场,并亲自替他们叫卖起来。市场上的人,哪里见过这么鲜活的大公鸡,都争相上前购买。周兴和多次叫二姐夫去制止他们,可没有办法,这个张主任和买鸡的人们根本就不听他的。大家把鸡称完,就准备付钱离开了。
“大家先不忙付钱,我有几句话要说,你们听完后再付钱。”周兴和终于忍不住了,他急中生智大声对众人说道,“我们是从三台县来的农民,我们老家出了个大学生,如今在省里工作,家乡的父老乡亲委托我们带这点礼物来看他。鸡是自家养的,狗也是自家喂的,干豇豆也是自家产的。中国有句古话,‘千里送鹅毛,礼轻仁义重’。既然他不愿接受乡亲们这点人情,我们又不是做生意的,那我们就把东西放在这里,愿拿的拿,愿抓的抓,这些鸡愿跑就跑,愿飞就飞,我们只好回老家去了!”
买鸡的人们一听这话,一下都愣住了,不由自主放下了手里的东西。停了停,有人说话了:“哦,是这么回事!这个人原来进了城就不认乡亲了呀!……”
“你们这是、这是……”张主任此时倒还有嘴说不清了,“乡亲们那么困难,好不容易才喂这些鸡,我实在……”
最后,张主任只好摇摇头,无可奈何地让周兴和他们将东西送到了家里。但当周兴和他们一提到要让他介绍工程时,张主任却一口就回绝了:“乡亲们有什么困难,在力所能及的情况下,我一定帮忙。但,介绍工程这个事,是有严格纪律规定的,你们不要让我为难。”
无论周兴和他们好说歹说,张主任绝不答应违背他的工作原则。
“张主任,其实我们也不想为难你。我知道你是怕我们把事情搞砸了,给你带来影响。”夜已经很深了,周兴和见张主任始终不开口,他最后充满感情地对他说道,“你知道,我们山里的农民,现在虽说有口饭吃了,但经济上实在太困难了,好多人家连称盐打油的钱都拿不出,眼巴巴地就盼着出来做点事,挣几个小钱——你就当给家乡的人做件好事吧……”
张主任依然低头不语。
“我们了解到,康定最近要修跑马山公园,我们刚创业,就只想承包点公园的土石方,或者修点上山的路。”周兴和接着说,“这都是些力气活,你知道,我们农村人下力气是没有问题的。”
张主任这才抬起头,认真地听下去。
“如果你还不放心,我们就跟你到基建办公室去,就像狐狸跟老虎借点威,不需要你明确介绍,我们跟他们直接谈。退一万步说,就是我们把工程搞砸了,你可以说根本就不认识我们……”
“那样做,我不是太虚伪了么!”张主任终于松了口,“这件事,让我再考虑考虑吧……”
就这样,周兴和顺利拿到了修建康定跑马山公园一部分土石方工程,以及一条上山小路的合同——可,当他回到公社,令人遗憾的是,公社党委经过研究,竟然不同意与周兴和的工程队合伙去承担这项工程!
或许,有人嫉妒,在背后放了冷枪,给公社领导泼了冷水;或许,公社有的领导对周兴和的过去还心存疑虑,对太年轻的他还不太放心。总之,周兴和因为势单力薄,没有资金,没有队伍,没有经验,初出茅庐就遭受了挫折,最后这项工程只好不了了之,遗憾地放弃了。
但,周兴和在商海中的公关能力,这时已开始初步显露出来。
How to get any project, Zhou Xinghe actually had a good plan.
On that day, Zhou Xinghe, Yan Zhonglun (brother-in-law of his wife Wang Qionghua), and Wang Anquan (brother-in-law), brought about a dozen roosters, two doglegs and dried cowpeas - the local specialty in the mountainous area favored by city residents, to Chengdu, the provincial capital.Getting off the bus, they went straight to the provincial government.They were stopped by soldiers on guard before the solemn provincial government. What were the farmers doing here?
They explained their purpose, and what the staff doubt was that they asked to visit Director Zhang Dachun, the Provincial Planning and Economic Committee!The staff inquired them carefully and dialed Director Zhang's telephone with suspicion.Unexpectedly, less than 10 minutes later, Director Zhang ran to the entrance to pick them up!
This Director Zhang, although was a senior official in the provincial government, he and the farmers in the mountains had a different and special relationship.It turned out that this Director Zhang was a rural people in the mountains previously, just the same as Xinghe and other villagers.In that year, he was admitted to the university; because of the family difficulties, there was no money to go to university; Yan Zhonglun, Zhou Xinghe’s brother-in-law of his wife, used the time in the morning and evening to secretly cut the demoiselle in the mountain and sell out, which was 10 cents per kilogram, and gave all the 10 yuan to Zhang as the travelling expense and tuition for university.After graduating from university, Zhang was assigned to work in the provincial government and later served as the director of the Provincial Planning and Economic Committee.And Director Zhang did not forget the old kindness, in order to thank Yan Zhonglun’s financial aid, also often sent him some food stamps and old clothes - that’s why, when he heard that his benefactor specially came from his hometown to visit him, he can't wait to run out to pick them up.
“What are you doing?”Upon entering the receiption room, Director Zhang frowned at the 10 roosters and the large quantity of local specialties. Without another word, he took them and their things to the vegetable market and began to peddle by himself.People in the market, had not seen such live roosters, were scrambling to buy.Zhou Xinghe called his brother-in-law many times to stop them, but there was nothing he could do. Director Zhang and the chicken buyers did not listen to him at all.After weighing the chickens, they were ready to pay and leave.
"One moment please. I have a few words to say. You can pay after you hear them out."Finally, Zhou Xinghe could not bear any more. He was so anxious that he shouted to the crowd, "We are farmers from Santai County. There is a college student in our hometown who is now working in the provincial government.The folks back home have commissioned us to bring this gift tovisithim. The chickens are homegrown, so are the dogs, and the dried cowpeas.As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘When a goose feather is sent from a thousand miles away, the present is trifling, but the feeling is profound’.Since he won't accept the favors of his folks, and since we are not in business, let's leave the things here; anyone wants to take shall take it, or if the chickens want to run or fly as they please, and we'll just go back home!"
When the chicken buyers heard this, they were shocked and involuntarily put down what they took in their hands.There was a pause, and then someone said, "Oh, that's it!This man denied to recognize his folks when he entered the city!..."
"No no no, you are..."Director Zhang at this time felt anxious and could not explain clearly, "The villagers are so difficult in life; it is not easy to feed these chickens; I really......"
Finally, Director Zhang shook his head and reluctantly let Zhou Xinghe deliver the things to his home.But when Zhou Xinghe mentioned to introduce some projects to them, Director Zhang refused at once, saying, "If you have any difficulties, I will help you as far as I could.But there are strict rules about project introduction, so please don't make me feel awkward."
No matter what Zhou Xinghe and other folks said, Director Zhang would never agree to violate his working principles.
"Actually, Director Zhang, we don't want to embarrass you either.I know you're afraid we may screw up and affect you."The night was already deep, Zhou Xinghe saw Director Zhang always shut his mouth, and finally so affectionately said to him, "You know, we are farmers in the mountains; although now we are well fed, it is still difficult in the economy; a lot of people even hardly have the money to buy the salt and oil, and eagerly look forward to come out to do something, to earn a little - please do a good thing for your folks back home..."
Director Zhang still kept his head down.
"We’ve learned that Kangding is going to build the Paomashan Park recently. We just started our business, and only want to contract the earth and stone of the park or build the road to the mountain."Zhou Xinghe added, "It's all hard work. You know, we rural people have no problem in working hard."
Director Zhang raised his head and listened carefully.
"If you still don't trust us, we just go to the infrastructure office with you, like the fox borrowing power from the tiger. We don't need your explicit introduction. We will talk to them directly.At the very least, if we screw it up, you could say you don't even know us..."
"It would be hypocritical of me to do that!"Director Zhang finally said, "For this matter, let me think about it again..."
In this way, Zhou Xinghe successfully got the contract of part of the earth and stone project of the Paomashan Park in Kangding, as well as to build a path up the mountain - but when he returned to the commune, it was a pity that the Commune Party Committee, after studying, did not agree to cooperate with Zhou Xinghe's engineering team to undertake the project!
Perhaps, someone was jealous, firing a sniper’s shot in the back, or throwing the cold water on the commune leaders;perhaps, some commune leaders still had doubts about Zhou Xinghe's past and felt uneasy about his young age.In a word, Zhou Xinghe suffered setbacks when he was just a greenhand because he was weak, had no funds, no team and no experience. Finally, the project had to be abandoned and gave up regretfully.
However, Zhou Xinghe’s public relations ability in the business had begun to show at this time.
