Chapter 14 Chapter 4 Greed in the 1990s

Zhou Beifang is the second son of Zhou Guanwu, the former "top leader" of the Capital Iron and Steel Company. Zhou Guanwu is a well-known figure in Beijing and in the national metallurgical system. He was a deputy to the National People's Congress and an alternate member of the Central Committee.Since Deng Xiaoping visited Shougang in 1993, he seems to be a figure with a hard background.That is, what the common people call "Tongtian" characters.In fact, it was not a trivial inspection, but it was just walking around, looking around, and saying something, but it was spread by some people intentionally or unintentionally. , seems to have become an unpredictable and profound event.

As a result of the inspection, it is said that one of our vice premiers had to lead a dozen ministers in a passive manner. After Deng Xiaoping’s inspection, he also went to Shougang to "work on the spot" and asked Zhou Guanwu bluntly: "So what do you think?" Does the central government have any special requirements? Just ask for it!" ——My friends in Shougang told me so. So Zhou Guanwu not only "Tongtian", but also seems to be about to change his surname. At that time, Zhou Beifang was already the general manager of some foreign trade company in Shougang.Under one person, over ten thousand people, the complete real power of Shougang's foreign trade is taken over, and it is also the most important piece of power of Shougang.The only person who can directly "lead" him is his father Zhou Guanwu.Just like Yu Zuomin of Daqiuzhuang is qualified to "lead" his own and be the son of the general manager.

Zhou Beifang was also an educated youth of the Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps, which is collectively known as "Educated Youth of the Great Northern Wilderness".I don't know exactly how many years he stayed in the Great Northern Wilderness. I met him after the educated youth returned to the city, specifically, in 1989. In that year, the educated youths of the Great Northern Wilderness in Beijing launched a "Ten Years Retrospective Exhibition of the Educated Youth of the Great Northern Wilderness".I am a member of the organizing committee, and so is Zhou Beifang.To hold a "retrospective exhibition", of course, funds are needed.Funding depends on attracting sponsorship from all aspects of society.I still don't know how many sponsors I got that year.I am incompetent in this area.I only participated in the approval and planning of the form and content, and I wrote most of the commentary, while the North's contribution was probably in terms of sponsorship.Of course, it wasn't his personal sponsorship. He was already the deputy general manager of a company in Shougang at that time, and he could already personally decide to approve a sponsorship sum.

The educated youths in the Great Northern Wilderness considered each other "comrades in arms" because they were mentally charged with the mission of "reclamation and defense of the border" and were organized according to the military system.Regardless of those who knew each other back then, those who were separated from the regiment or the teacher, they all valued the "combat friendship" in the past-the kind of "educated youth complex" that was often envied and ridiculed by the world. Back then, more than one member of the organizing committee said something similar to me: "Northern is very interesting. When I heard that a 'retrospective exhibition' was going to be held, I readily agreed without saying a word. And said that as long as it is useful, his On the one hand, as long as he is not very embarrassing, he will never shirk."

Therefore, before I met him, I was influenced by my "comrades in arms" and had a good impression of him. After the "retrospective" ended, I finally met him at a thank-you event of the organizing committee.Tall, burly, and handsome.He seemed to be a man of few words, and I tended to be quiet on those occasions, and there was no private conversation between us. Thank you, of course, without eating.At the dinner table, someone repeatedly suggested to me to say something solemnly.I thought, what am I talking about?If I have to say it, it is nothing more than repeating what others have said many times to express my sincere gratitude to the sponsors, and it is indeed what I want to say in my heart.The economy is the foundation, and a "retrospective" cannot be held without money.

I was about to say something, but unexpectedly, the North stood up before me, held his cup and said to me: "Xiaosheng, we all had a few drinks just now, and I will only respect you for this one——your previous articles I have read almost all the novels that reflect the life of our educated youths in the Great Northern Wilderness and the experience of returning to the city. But I also honestly admit that I have rarely read novels in recent years. I am too busy to read them. I have hope for you, I I want to be able to represent everyone present here, as well as more of our comrades-in-arms who are not here. This hope is to write more good works for us educated youths in the Great Northern Wilderness! Don’t just write about the period of our life when we were dispatched, and then write about it. Today, we are a batch of people who are flourishing, promising, and have a bright future! This batch is the pride of our educated youths in the Great Northern Wilderness!"

So everyone applauded. So he drank it down. I can only give up my life to accompany the gentleman, and drink it all. That was the passage he said the most during the thank you event.Shortly after taking his seat, he left because of official business. And the words of gratitude I was going to say to him, because of the stun effect of that glass of wine, I didn't say it to him before he left. At that time, I felt that what he said to me was very pertinent, not just words of humility and maneuvering, and I think so now.This is not because he seems to regard me differently, but because of his frankness.For example, he said, "I seldom read novels in recent years. I'm busy, so I can't take care of them." It will definitely be omitted.

So my affection for him increased a bit. Soon he hosted a banquet to thank us all.Since he was the host, and because it was a hotel in the Shougang site, he talked more than last time, and drank more actively.The restraint of the first acquaintance disappeared, and gradually, in terms of speech and behavior, he consciously or unconsciously showed the incomparable self-confidence and complacency of a person with "unlimited future", but he never got carried away.Maybe the other "comrades in arms" didn't notice it, it's just because I was writing novels and my observation of people was too meticulous and sensitive, but it didn't destroy my good impression of him.

I have always believed that if a person has some kind of self-confidence capital, it is natural to be self-satisfied. At that time, I only regarded him as my "comrade-in-arms" who was lucky enough to start a second turn in life, and did not associate him with his father. I am not interested in what kind of character Zhou Guanwu is. No matter how much Zhou Guanwu said in Shougang, "one sentence is worth ten thousand sentences", no matter how he stomped his feet, the whole Shougang trembled. What's more, at that time, I only learned fragments from other "comrades in arms" that Beibei's father was a "privileged person" and how he loved Beibei's son so much.

We didn't talk much that time. About three months later, one of his secretaries called me and said that North would like to see me once.I asked what was the matter, and the answer was not clear. So we met one afternoon. It was he who came to my house.I meet him at the street corner.He was sitting in a very high-end, very stylish car. I knew nothing about the level of the car, and I could only tell that it was a famous foreign car - China at that time could not make such a high-end, such a large car. . He talked to me straight to the point about two things-first, he hoped that I would be transferred to Shougang.To be more precise, he wanted me to be transferred under his name.

This is beyond my expectation. I was stunned for a while, and said in a low voice, I am a writer, what can I do if I am transferred? He said——Xiaosheng, in fact, you don’t need to do anything specific, it’s like keeping you idle.When necessary, you can use your brain and pen for Shougang.The so-called "raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for a while" relationship.But I don't just raise you as a "soldier", but as a "general".What conditions do you have, just mention them.As long as it's not too much, leave it to me... I thought to myself, then, didn't I become a "staff"? According to my common sense, in ancient and modern China and abroad, almost no one who is willing to be a "staff" will end well.What's more, to be a "staff member", you must have at least the qualifications.I can only write novels. Apart from this "special skill", I am almost useless in other aspects, and I think I have no qualifications to be a "staff".But in the north, he sat face to face, sincere and pious, so I couldn't bear to refuse firmly, so I had no choice but to delay the attack, saying that I would give my answer after careful consideration. North gave me a week to think about it. Second, I was asked to write a "series report TV film" reflecting the "big idea" of Shougang's "reform and opening up", and took out a stack of materials from the corker box to me, saying that this "series report TV film" "Become a "tape document" of Shougang, hoping to cause huge repercussions across the country. At that time, I was immersed in the creation of my own plan every day, so I immediately declined and apologized. Seeing that Bei Bei's complexion darkened, he clearly became displeased. He said that it was not that no one wanted to write, but that there were so many people who were willing to write; that this matter had nothing to do with his duties at all, and that he "instruded in a horizontal way" and patted his chest for me to take care of everything.Because he has complete trust in my ability and thinks that it is me. Hearing this, I was actually terrified. I felt that I had failed his trust too much, and I had too much refuted his face. How can I ask him to explain it to others?Isn't that the same as taking his prestige in front of others insignificantly? So I hastened to add the following words—you must read the materials carefully, and if you think you are competent, you would rather postpone the creation of your plan. Only then did he smile again, he patted my shoulder with his big hand, and said with great loyalty: "We are still comrades in arms! I won't say polite words; otherwise, I would feel too uncomfortable when I leave your house!" A week later, his secretary called again, and I politely declined both requests. The secretary said: "Northern is right there, you can talk to him directly!" And I am most afraid to talk to him directly, I really don't know how to talk, I naturally lack the wisdom and skills to reject others.I'm a moron at this. So he hurriedly said: "You don't need to talk to him directly, don't disturb his work! You can just tell me for me." Putting down the phone, I felt as if I had done something that I was sorry for his life. No contact with each other for more than a year. In the third year, an old comrade from the Literature Department of Beijing Film Studio asked me to help his daughter-in-law who worked in Shougang transfer jobs.I once talked to him about the North, and I made a promise that as long as there is anything that needs to be taken care of within the scope of Shougang, I will ask the North for help. It seems that there is no big problem. But after I rebuffed the offer from the North, especially after not communicating with each other for more than a year, I was in a dilemma. After some hesitation, he finally wrote a letter to the north. I figured it must be a letter that went unheeded and went unanswered. Unexpectedly, he soon received a letter from the secretary on his behalf, saying that he must "check it out in person" and "take it as a matter of course". But it didn't work out in the end. But I know that one of his subordinates, the director of the personnel department, did "take it as a matter of course" for him, and it wasn't entirely a vain and obsequious coping.There are also factors that the daughter-in-law of the old comrades of Beiying had too high expectations, and later changed their original intentions. This makes me very grateful to the North. Every time a new book is published, I always want to send him a copy, but when I recall his words that "I don't care about reading it", I give up the idea. Gradually, I began to hear more discussions about the north and his father on certain occasions and from certain people. Beijingers are sensitive, and many Beijingers can be called half-experts on Chinese phenomena. I started to worry about him. Some of the "comrades in arms" at that time said: "Zhou Beifang is very proud now, and his status is very noble. He has gone abroad to live in the presidential suite, and he is so close to a certain son. He can almost be called a brother!" Some of Shougang’s friends said: “Shougang is about to become the Zhou family’s father-son contracting company. When Zhou Guanwu meets with important foreign business groups, his son is often the only one accompanying him!” A well-informed social person said: "Except for one Chen Xitong, Zhou Guanwu doesn't pay attention to the Beijing Municipal Committee at all! He makes an exception for Chen, because he thinks that Chen and he are backed by the same big tree! Otherwise, he would dare to consistently look down on the Beijing Municipal Committee. The Ministry of Metallurgy, openly singing against the policies of the central government and the State Council?" I once saw a volume of Shougang's internal magazine "Kai Kai".Zhou Guanwu's standard photo occupies the entire cover, and the large-character banner titles in the internal magazine are actually "Comrade Zhou Guanwu's latest instructions", "Secretary Guanwu made an important speech" and so on. I can't help but think that all the things I've heard, no matter who they come from, are not groundless. So I decided to write a letter to the north. With a pen in hand, facing the manuscript paper, I don't know where to start. Nevertheless, the letter was written and sent to him. But there are only two lines, which are written with a thick signature pen on a piece of clean white printing paper. Those two lines are - there is no beautiful tree on the top of a high mountain, and it hurts because of many yangs; there is no beautiful grass under a big tree, and it hurts because of too many shades. I wrote it carefully and stroke by stroke in regular script.I hope he can be pressed under the glass of his desk, self-reflection and self-discipline, self-warning and self-discipline. I sent it in the largest envelope.Because I don't want to fold that page.And posted registered stamps.I think he must have received it.I can no longer express what I want to say more clearly and understandably.Unless he's mentally handicapped. I transcribed for him two sentences from Liu Xiang in the Han Dynasty. No reply. I'm not expecting to hear back either.It's just a reward for helping me once after all.Although I do not turn to him myself, but turn to him for others. If there is any other factor that promotes it, it is a kind of friendship between "educated youth" and "comrades in arms".If on his side, it has been to me.I think there was undoubtedly at first, I can feel it, and I am not retarded.I think it faded away because it was something neither he nor I could keep for long.It's like what Li Yuhe said in "The Story of the Red Lantern" - "The cars running on the two roads do not take the same road." Still later, he received a beautifully printed invitation in his name—his company was hosting a party. A "comrade in arms" from that year also received it and called me to ask if I would go. I said, "No." Ask again: "No time?" I said, "I won't go if I have time." Ask again: "Why?" I couldn't help shouting loudly: "Listen, Zhou Beifang is marching triumphantly into a dangerous situation! Corruption will also find diffusers in our generation!" The other party was silent for a long time, and said in a low voice, "Then I won't go either..." Later, it was heard that he had been arrested. I believe that after this major economic case is announced nationwide, Zhou Guanwu will once again become "famous" because of his son.Just like in the north because of his father, he was an educated youth from the Great Northern Wilderness and went straight up in Shougang Qingyun, and jumped to a high position with one person below one person and above ten thousand people in a few steps. It was rumored that he was dead; There are rumors that he is not dead, but has become a vegetative state, and there is nothing more to explain; Some people think that he must be shot if he does not die; Some people think that it is useless for him to explain anything more, because a certain son is involved, and because a certain son will inevitably affect... ——It seems that, as some people say, "the Party will perish if you fight corruption, and the country will perish if you don't fight corruption." This is too extreme, too pessimistic.Common people have their own logic in their minds, regardless of whether this logic is wrong or right. As they say - whoever dies, the earth will still turn!China will continue to develop. But every time I think of the north, I can't help feeling a ray of sadness in my heart. If he wasn't Zhou Guanwu's son, his life would never have ended like this; If he hadn't had a close relationship with that so-and-so son, his life wouldn't have ended in such a way; If his father had not relied on his background, he would have abstained from power two years ago, and he would not have pushed him to the position of the natural and natural "successor" of Shougang's "top leader"; if…… North, north, you know what? —I sigh and sigh for you. Sigh you, what's the point to you? Pity you, what can I pray for?