Deputy Town Mayor Xiao emerged from the town mayor's office with a dejected expression. Instead of returning to his own office, he went to find Secretary Qin.
Secretary Qin had been Mayor Wang Delai's long-time aide and should know why Mayor Wang had given the spots to the two inexplicable young people, Cheng Lu and Chen Feng.
"Deputy Town Mayor Xiao, it's not convenient for me to discuss this matter," Secretary Qin replied directly.
As Mayor Wang Delai's secretary, although his position was not as high as Deputy Town Mayor Xiao's, he had Mayor Wang Delai as his backer. There was no need to curry favor with Deputy Town Mayor Xiao.
"I am the Deputy Town Mayor of Mingshan Town. Is it too much to ask about the study tour?" Deputy Town Mayor Xiao suppressed his displeasure.
"Deputy Town Mayor Xiao, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I can tell you everything about the other participants of the study tour, except for Cheng Lu and Chen Feng, without any concealment," Secretary Qin quickly explained.
"Secretary Qin, this is strange. One is just an intern, and the other is just a driver. Why can't it be discussed?" Deputy Town Mayor Xiao retorted indignantly.
"Deputy Town Mayor Xiao, you are not an outsider. You should know that Chen Feng belongs to Deputy Town Mayor Qin, and Cheng Lu is someone the Mayor highly regards. If you say that, how dare I speak more about their affairs?" Secretary Qin stated righteously.
"Forget it. Since it's inconvenient to talk about, I won't force it," Deputy Town Mayor Xiao said, mocking himself and feeling immensely displeased.
Before Qin Yan came to Mingshan Town, he was undoubtedly the second most important person in Mingshan Town.
However, after Qin Yan arrived, he was gradually marginalized.
Now, the intern and the driver had higher positions than him. How could he tolerate this?
After thinking for a moment, Deputy Town Mayor Xiao came up with a good way to pit Cheng Lu and Chen Feng against each other.
Since they were full of youthful vigor, let them go to the neighboring town to collect debts.
This was an old debt. Previously, several groups from Mingshan Town had gone, but none of them could recover the debt.
Two inexperienced youngsters would surely not be able to collect it!
"Deputy Town Mayor Qin, I need your help with something."
As it was nearing the end of the workday, Xiao Ming found Qin Yan and got straight to the point.
"We are colleagues, all working for Mingshan Town. Please, just say what you need," Qin Yan replied calmly.
Xiao Ming was an old fox. His sudden approach definitely meant no good.
However, there was nothing to fear. One could handle any situation as it arose. If he couldn't even handle Xiao Ming, how could he survive in the political arena?
"The Kerry Apparel project is progressing smoothly, but there's a small issue with funding, needing a few million more. I was thinking, the neighboring town happens to have a debt of several million. Why not let your driver and intern go collect it? They are both very smart young people, and I think highly of them," Xiao Ming said without revealing his intentions.
"Alright," Qin Yan replied without hesitation.
She knew it was a trap, but jumping into it wasn't foolish; it was because Chen Feng needed growth and tempering.
Navigating the political arena was like being in a constant torrent. Collecting debts, though tricky, was not an impossible task. Letting Chen Feng gain some experience was quite good.
As for Cheng Lu, it was not a problem at all; her background was so formidable that a single phone call could resolve it.
However, given Chen Feng's personality, he probably wouldn't even let Cheng Lu step in.
"You agreed so readily?" Deputy Town Mayor Xiao felt a wave of dizziness.
It was not as he had expected.
In his anticipation, Qin Yan should have vehemently objected.
"The Kerry Apparel project was something I painstakingly attracted through investment promotion from the provincial trade fair. I will not allow its progress to be hindered. Moreover, recovering millions in arrears from the neighboring town is also something I, as the deputy mayor in charge of the economy, should do," Qin Yan replied calmly.
"That's true. Then I wish the two young people success," Xiao Ming said with a fake smile.
Qin Yan didn't hesitate. After Xiao Ming left, she directly called Chen Feng into her office.
"Tomorrow, I'll have another driver take the car for the day. You will go to Lianhua Town to collect a debt," Qin Yan said directly.
"Deputy Town Mayor Qin, is it appropriate for me, as a driver, to handle debt collection?" Chen Feng asked tentatively.
"If I say it's appropriate, then it is. Lianhua Town owes Mingshan Town a total of 1.5 million yuan. After collecting it, you can get a 15,000 yuan commission. Don't worry about your end; I'll send Cheng Lu with you to Lianhua Town," Qin Yan stated.
"Deputy Town Mayor Qin, since you've decided, I will obey unconditionally. However, I don't know if I can collect that 1.5 million yuan debt," Chen Feng replied softly.
"I don't want to hear that. I only want to see 1.5 million yuan on my desk in three days, understand?" Qin Yan said coldly.
If young people aren't put under pressure, they find it difficult to be motivated.
"Understood, Deputy Town Mayor Qin. I will get the job done within three days." Chen Feng didn't waste words. If he wanted to do more than just be a driver his whole life, he had to find ways to complete seemingly impossible tasks for his superiors.
After chatting with Qin Yan for a few more words, Chen Feng went to find Cheng Lu.
"That's great! We're working together again," Cheng Lu said excitedly.
"Cheng Lu, if I were you, I wouldn't be happy," Chen Feng sighed and said.
"Working together is good. Why wouldn't you be happy?" Cheng Lu asked with a smile.
"If it were an ordinary matter, I would be happy. However, this time we're going to Lianhua Town to collect over 1.5 million yuan in debt. The task is very challenging. Several groups from Mingshan Town have gone before, and none have succeeded," Chen Feng explained seriously.
"Chen Feng, think about it from a different perspective. If Deputy Town Mayor Qin always gave you only simple tasks, what would be the outcome?"
"Being a driver forever?"
"Exactly! So, don't think too much. Let's just go to Lianhua Town."
After Cheng Lu said that, Chen Feng didn't hesitate and drove Cheng Lu to Lianhua Town.
Just as he imagined, the deputy mayor in charge of finance in Lianhua Town was as cunning as a fox. No matter how they urged the repayment, he always had plausible excuses to fend them off.
"Chen Feng, forget it. I'll just make a call to my friend in Jiangcheng, and it'll be resolved in a second." Cheng Lu said directly and decisively.
"No rush. I don't believe it. Collecting a debt is such a simple matter, and I can't get it done," Chen Feng said earnestly.
If this were some other difficult task, it wouldn't be a big deal for Cheng Lu to use her connections in Jiangcheng. However, if such a straightforward issue as collecting a debt also required connections, then his own value would be too small.
"Alright, then you try again. If it really doesn't work out, I'll make the call," Cheng Lu said, comforting Chen Feng.
To avoid pressuring Chen Feng, Cheng Lu left the deputy mayor's office and returned to the car.
"Chen Feng, your colleague Cheng Lu has left. Aren't you leaving?" Fang Feng, the deputy mayor of Lianhua Town, deliberately provoked Chen Feng.
"Deputy Mayor Fang, if I don't collect the 1.5 million yuan debt today, I'm not going back," Chen Feng said, staring intently at Fang Feng.
"Chen Feng, don't forget your status. You are just a driver for the Mingshan Town government. Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, even your Mingshan Town Mayor couldn't get back the 1.5 million yuan debt. If you want to get the debt back, first resolve the dispute from the previous engineering cooperation between Mingshan Town and Lianhua Town. If the dispute isn't resolved, even someone from Jiangcheng can't get back the 1.5 million yuan debt," Fang Feng said with a smug smile.
"Deputy Mayor Fang, do you think that because the court found it difficult to rule on the previous cooperation dispute between Mingshan Town and Lianhua Town, no one can sort out the dispute?" Chen Feng retorted, his eyes flashing with brilliance.
He suddenly remembered that in the previous cooperation project between Mingshan Town and Lianhua Town, although the main engineering was in Lianhua Town, the core technology of the key components was in Mingshan Town.
With the core technology of the project in hand, he wasn't afraid that Fang Feng wouldn't compromise!