Chapter 10: The Parachuted-in Director

Half an hour later.

Shen Yu drove Lu Weizheng to the entrance of the Nanshanwan Police Station and said to him with a smile, "Comrade Lu, we have arrived at Nanshanwan Police Station."

Lu Weizheng turned to her and said, "Thank you. I appreciate your trouble today."

Shen Yu smiled. "Don't mention it. We'll both be around Nanshanwan from now on, so we'll likely have many dealings in the future. If you ever have time to visit Nanshanwan Village, you are welcome to come to my house as a guest."

The Nanshanwan area consisted of more than just Nanshanwan Village; it also included Nanshanwan Old Street, the Nanshanwan Industrial Zone, and several other villages.

The Nanshanwan Police Station likely had quite a lot to manage.

Lu Weizheng picked up his large army-green backpack, got out of the car, and waved to Shen Yu before turning to stride purposefully into the police station.

As Lu Weizheng reached the office door and was about to knock, he overheard two people inside discussing him.

He paused his hand mid-knock.

"Old Luo, didn't they say that the newly parachuted-in Director was coming to report for duty today? Why is it this late and we still haven't seen the big boss arrive?"

The other person chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe something came up to delay him!"

The first person then said in a gloating tone, "Old Luo, think about it. Deputy Director Sun has been working so hard and running around for that promotion, and now a new Director is suddenly parachuted in to keep him in check. He's going to be furious this time."

Old Luo shot him a glance. "Alright, stop talking. If Deputy Director Sun hears you saying these things, you'll be in deep trouble."

"Fine! I'll stop. Sigh, I wonder if this new parachuted-in Director is easy to get along with?"

"As long as you do your job well and have a clear conscience, he shouldn't go out of his way to make things difficult for you."

"Heh, that's true."

Lu Weizheng wasn't intentionally eavesdropping; it just so happened they were talking about him behind his back. He didn't feel it was wrong to walk straight in; if anything, the people talking would be the ones feeling awkward.

After a moment, Lu Weizheng reached out and knocked on the door.

The office door had only been halfway closed to begin with.

As soon as Lu Weizheng knocked, someone responded, "Come in."

Lu Weizheng pushed the door open and walked in, observing the two men sitting in the office.

One appeared to be in his forties with an ordinary appearance and a weathered face. He had two vertical lines between his brows, suggesting he was a deep thinker; he seemed to be a veteran officer.

The other looked to be in his twenties with a somewhat youthful face, likely a new officer who had only been on the job for a few years.

As soon as the two officers saw Lu Weizheng enter, seeing his camouflage uniform and the large army-green backpack, they instantly guessed his identity.

The elder, Luo Jinbu, and the younger, Deng Zhanfei, both stood up simultaneously.

Deng Zhanfei had a more active and talkative personality, so he was the first to ask, "Are you the new Director Lu?"

Lu Weizheng nodded to them. "Yes, I am Lu Weizheng, the newly appointed Director of the Nanshanwan Police Station."

Luo Jinbu and Deng Zhanfei hurried over to shake Lu Weizheng's hand, both saying with smiles, "Welcome, Director Lu! I am Luo Jinbu."

"And I am Deng Zhanfei."

Lu Weizheng then asked Luo Jinbu, "Comrade Luo, where should I go to complete my formalities?"

Luo Jinbu immediately replied, "I'll take you there."

Lu Weizheng nodded. "Alright, thank you."

From the conversation between Luo Jinbu and Deng Zhanfei, Lu Weizheng had already prepared himself for the possibility that Deputy Director Sun might not accept him easily.

However, Lu Weizheng was never one to fear competition.

He had been able to earn "Outstanding Exemplary Soldier" honors in the military year after year and lead an entire regiment; managing a tiny police station with just a few people was nothing. If he couldn't manage this, he might as well walk straight into a wall.

***

As for Shen Yu.

After dropping Lu Weizheng off at the Nanshanwan Police Station, she drove to the Nanshanwan Old Street Market to set up her stall.

The Old Street Market was the center of the entire Nanshanwan area; everyone came here to buy groceries and shop.

As far as Shen Yu knew, even decades later, this old street would remain prosperous and bustling.

Many food stalls were located here, making it a famous food street that attracted both tourists and local diners.

Recalling her encounter at the railway station earlier that day, Shen Yu abandoned the idea of opening a shop at the railway station or the East Gate for now.

She would first buy a storefront here in the Old Street.

She was quite familiar with the surroundings of Nanshanwan Village, and her relatives and friends were all here, so she wouldn't have to worry about people causing trouble.

She definitely intended to open shops at the railway station and the East Gate Old Street, but not right now.

Once she had a reliable team of talent and a certain level of financial strength, she would expand to those areas.

Currently, she was alone, so her sales capacity was limited, making it difficult to scale the business.

She needed to establish a storefront and a sales team in the shortest time possible before she could talk about future expansion.

"Boss, one soda, please!"

"Coming right up! Do you want ice?"

"Yes!"

The foot traffic at Nanshanwan Old Street was certainly not as high as at the railway station.

However, since the establishment of the Nanshanwan Industrial Zone, many foreign-funded factories had opened, each employing hundreds of people.

There were also construction workers from the industrial zone and the docks, staff from the Huashang Group, and the surrounding villagers. Consequently, the Old Street now saw a significant flow of people and consumption every day.

Shen Yu's stall was set up at the intersection of the Old Street Market, a spot passed by many commuters.

With the weather being so hot, many adults and children flocked to her stall when they saw she was selling iced soda, iced Cola, and steamed buns.

"Boss, I want a Cola, with ice please~"

"Sure thing, please wait a moment, I'll pour it for you right away."

"Boss, give me two meat buns."

"Coming right up~"

Since the country had just begun its Reform and Opening-up, goods were not yet abundant. Many people had never even heard of novel drinks like Cola, let alone tasted them.

Yet, Shen Yu had them for sale.

Word spread quickly—from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred. By the time the nearby school let out, her stall was suddenly surrounded by people.

Shi Zichen and his two cousins had also heard from others that iced Cola and soda were being sold here, so they followed their classmates to take a look.

When he arrived and saw that busy figure, he was startled and immediately rushed forward.

"Mom, Mom! Why are you here?"

Seeing her eldest son and two nephews, Shen Yu smiled and said, "Chenchen, Xuanxuan, Xiaorong, are you out of school? What would you three like to drink? Soda or Cola?"

Shi Zichen replied immediately, "Mom, I want Cola! I've never had this stuff before."

"Alright, I'll pour you a glass."

After pouring a glass for Shi Zichen, Shen Yu turned to her nephews, Shi Zixuan and Shi Zilong, and asked, "Xuanxuan, Xiaorong, do you want some Cola? Auntie will treat you."

(End of Chapter)