My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!
Chapter 473 - 306: I Have Never Lied to Him Since I Was Young_3

Chapter 473: Chapter 306: I Have Never Lied to Him Since I Was Young_3

But as soon as it involves people, especially those with familial ties, even the simplest issue can become complicated beyond imagination.

The village head comes to ask for a favor, agree to it, and you well know the character of his nephew.

Refuse, and you risk alienating people, making work in the village difficult thereafter.

Close relatives within five degrees of connection come asking for favors, agree to it, and how can you discipline them when they call you "uncle" and go on to do something wrong?

Refuse, and do you still deal with those relatives?

Those contracting for engineering work are even sharper than monkeys, tracing relationships that could lead all the way back to your distant uncles.

These vexing issues, done right, don’t benefit you; done wrong, they could result in isolation...

In recent days, Mr. Meng can be said to have been walking on thin ice, anxious and fretful, sprouting several more white hairs.

How does that saying go? After spending too much time around people, you start preferring the company of pigs...

He now understood why attracting investment to underdeveloped areas was difficult.

Beyond infrastructure, the more backward the area, the more importance is placed on interpersonal relationships, and the more entrenched becomes the social fabric rooted in family ties.

The tangled web of relationships not only requires a lot of energy to maintain but also drives up operational costs and stifles the competitive mechanisms of the market economy.

Using the words of Consultant Sun from Su City, this is the innate disadvantage of family businesses...

After seeing off Meng Li, he returned to the temporary office.

"Consultant Sun, I truly apologize. My elder brother has already agreed to replace all the substandard materials, sorry for the trouble caused," he said.

Upon hearing this, Consultant Sun’s eyebrows slightly raised, an unexpected look crossing his face, followed by a glimpse of a more genuine smile.

"Manager Meng, you are too kind. I am just a management consultant responsible for providing you with advice. This is all part of my job. As for the final decisions, they still need to be made by you," Consultant Sun said.

That phrase again...

Mr. Meng kept a smile on his face but inwardly smirked.

These so-called urban elites with glasses always like to beat around the bush and keep things concealed.

Oh! The big boss sends someone to give suggestions, and you really take it as if they are just a member of a jury?

And then they say the final decision is still mine?

Have you seen a general manager who invested a pig farm worth 150,000 into a company with assets worth millions and then dictated without question?

I don’t believe you for a second!

Based on such a mentality of "showing weakness," Mr. Meng has always treated Consultant Sun’s advice with the utmost seriousness.

As long as it doesn’t overly offend the local village folk, he generally follows Consultant Sun’s suggestions.

In fact, thanks to Consultant Sun’s presence, he has been able to politely refuse many obligations under the pretext of following professional advice, somewhat borrowing a leaf from the tactic of "the fox borrowing the tiger’s might."

However, what he doesn’t know is that Consultant Sun has just as many concerns!

What were Chairman Gao’s instructions?

Apart from reporting on work progress in detail every three days...

[First, delegate authority to the greatest extent.

Second, provide diligent and responsible professional management advice.

Third, prioritize maintaining good relations with local residents, and secondly, rapidly expand production scale.

Fourth, there is no need to seek short-term profits, even at a loss, as long as the first three principles are not violated.]

Listen everybody, just listen! Isn’t this an absurd work assignment? Consultant Sun thinks the rich really know how to play.

Mr. Meng, Meng Family Village, Mengshan Pasture...

Just from associating these few names, you could argue that it’s a local family business with no convincing power otherwise!

To all appearances, Chairman Gao seems ready to throw in ten million simply for the sake of improving the happiness index of Meng Family Village...

Without asking, it was clear that Mr. Meng, with no prior management experience, must have had an extraordinary background to gain such trust from the big boss!

Before coming here, Consultant Sun was worried about encountering someone both incompetent and autocratic.

Ten million is not a small amount, and it wouldn’t last long under too much mismanagement. If it dissipates in a few months, even he wouldn’t be able to explain to his own boss.

He didn’t expect that Mr. Meng might lack experience but was unexpectedly amenable to conversation, almost describable as "readily following good advice."

Consultant Sun and Mr. Meng, one understands enterprise management, the other knows the local customs and relationships.

One regards the other as royal family, while one believes the other holds the imperial sword.

In a way, they actually complement each other’s strengths, treating each other with mutual respect, nearly ready to sing a duet of harmony.

Both of them were very pleased with the look in each other’s eyes, and they said in their hearts at the same time,

"What a pleasure to cooperate..."

...

By the time they returned to the Meng family’s small courtyard, Mr. Meng, who had been busy all day, slumped onto the sofa and took a long breath.

"I’m worn out from day to day, I’ve come to realize what those double-o sevens in the city feel like. Huier, fetch me a glass of water."

Mr. Meng tugged at the collar of his shirt, which he wasn’t quite used to wearing.

"Get it yourself, can’t you see I’m busy! Achoo~"

Mr. Meng was speechless and glanced at Yang Hui, who was sitting on the other end of the sofa, blowing her nose and taking notes on a batch of photographs.

Yang Hui had always been in poor health, and with the large temperature difference before and after the change of the seasons, she had caught a cold by accident.

Mr. Meng resignedly poured a glass of water for her too and then leaned in to take a look.

Height, age, occupation, income... wow, even personality traits were noted!

"I say, you’ve been poring over these for days, haven’t you? Are you selecting concubines for the Empress Dowager or something?"

"Choosing concubines is easy, but selecting the Empress is tough!"

With that, Yang Hui put down the photographs in her hand and couldn’t help but sigh. "Ah!"

"What’s the matter? Can’t find one you like amongst all the girls from the nearby villages?"

"There are plenty I like, but what’s the use if I like them? If your son doesn’t come back, can I marry them first and tell him later?"

"That’s true. Speaking of that rotten boy, he did such a big thing without making any noise. And what happened?

I’m busting my guts here playing Mr. Meng, and he, the relaxed proprietor, doesn’t even make a call to ask how things are going!" Mr. Meng vented with full resentment.

"Then you call Xiao Lang and tell him to come back soon to check things out. Who knows when the big boss might also ask about this?

Um... and he can check out these girls while he’s back!" Yang Hui suggested.

"Forget it, if I tell him to come back for a blind date, that kid won’t come back!

Isn’t he your little lover? Figure out a way to trick him into coming back yourself!"

"No! How could a mother deceive her son? I’ve never deceived him since he was little!" Yang Hui rolled her eyes.

But looking down at the batch of girls’ photos in her hand, she felt somewhat regretfully in her heart.

Mr. Meng felt that his sudden ascent to Mr. Meng was somewhat unreal, and he didn’t know how long he could keep the role.

He thought it best to pick a good one during this "mass recruitment" event because there might not be another chance like this.

If he waited any longer, the good girls inside might all be snatched away by others...

After thinking it over, for his son’s lifelong matter, she picked up the new phone Meng Lang had bought for her.

"Dial tone~dial tone~" The phone rang twice before it connected.

"Hello! Mom?"

"Xiao Lang, have you eaten yet?"

"Mom, it’s only four in the afternoon, eat already?"

"Oh! Mom’s getting muddleheaded. You kids are all out there, and now even your dad is so busy he can’t touch the ground. There’s no one at home.

I just wanted to talk to you... cough cough!"

"Mom, are you okay?" The voice on the other end instantly became anxious.

"Oh! It’s nothing! Maybe it’s just bad reception. I meant to say, it’s the end of the month today, and in a couple of days it’ll be May Day. The rapeseed we planted is ripe too.

When you were still in school, you and Qingqing could come back to help, but now... cough cough!"

"Mom, why the constant coughing? What are you thinking about harvesting rapeseed for at this time?

Dad too, no matter how busy, should take care of you! Alright, alright, you just rest, and I’ll go back to help you harvest!"

"No need, no need, mom can manage alone, really! Cough cough!"

"That’s settled then, I’m coming back tomorrow!"

"I told you there’s no need, you child..."

In the end, watching Yang Hui put down the phone with a composed face and then pull out a tissue, "Achoo~"

Mr. Meng: "..."