Fan Dacheng led Bao Ruijin and his party on a brief tour of the entire coal mine.

Just to be on the safe side, I didn't dare take the leaders down into the mine.

It was only introduced on the ground.

Then they arrived at a conference room, where Fan Dacheng and his men gave Bao Ruijin a presentation on some data.

Fan Dacheng paid close attention to details such as the number of workers in the mine and the scale of the coal mine.

Liangkou Coal Mine has been hampered by aging equipment, resulting in consistently low production levels—a problem that has persisted for some time.

Some of the equipment in these mines dates back to before liberation; it's completely outdated.

Some operations are so inconsistent that they only work sporadically, severely hindering the production capacity of the Kuang Coal Mine.

He has repeatedly expressed his desire to replace the equipment with a new batch.

However, after submitting the report, it remained unanswered, a fact that Fan Dacheng was aware of.

Introducing new equipment is no easy task, as most equipment needs to be imported.

If it weren't for hearing that the country is recently paying attention to this issue, and that some other units in other provinces and cities have made new progress, it would be a different story.

He wouldn't be in such a hurry; he originally thought this request would be rejected again.

Unexpectedly, he gained the attention of the newly arrived county magistrate, and it's unclear what connections he used.

To Fan Dacheng's delight, the connection was actually successful, and they received a batch of new equipment.

I've also gained a new understanding of this new county head; he's a very capable person.

Normally, even if a report is submitted and the higher-ups agree,

After a series of processes, and even after the goods are purchased from their own mine, it will still take at least a year.

This newly arrived county head actually managed to get a set of equipment directly.

This was clearly obtained by force from elsewhere.

I have great admiration for Bao Ruijin's abilities; it seems some of the rumors circulating in the county weren't unfounded after all.

This Bao Ruijin is truly incredibly influential! We dare not offend him lightly!

Just as I was about to introduce myself cautiously, Bao Ruijin spoke first.

Pointing to a young man beside him, he said, "Comrade Fan Dacheng, this is Mo Yuan. He's quite interested in some of the old equipment that your mine has replaced. Could you see if you can help him out? Within your scope of duty and without violating regulations, please help him out. But let me make this clear first: you're not allowed to use public property to do favors!"

Then he said to Mo Yuan, "Mo Yuan, don't follow us anymore, go do your own thing!"

Mo Yuan quickly stood up to thank Bao Ruijin, and then sincerely greeted Fan Dacheng!

Although Bao Ruijin spoke with righteous indignation, Fan Dacheng, not knowing the details, still dared not be negligent!

We can only take it one step at a time and try to find out what Mo Yuan is capable of, but we dare not offend him easily!

So he quickly asked the accountant to take Mo Yuan to the factory warehouse to look at some old, dusty equipment.

The accountant is quite clever; I believe they can complete this task successfully.

"Alright, County Chief Bao, I'll take care of this little matter. Have Accountant Zhou accompany this young comrade! Our warehouse's old equipment is indeed useless; many of it is beyond repair after breaking down and can only be sold as scrap metal! If Comrade Mo Yuan takes a liking to anything, just tell Accountant Zhou. Of course, it can't be free!"

He gave the accountant a look, and the accountant nodded subtly in return!

Mo Yuan was very excited. Although Fan Dacheng said he couldn't give it away for free, he also said that even if he kept it, it would only be worth selling for scrap metal, which implied that he wouldn't be overcharged.

This reassured Mo Yuan considerably, and he was secretly delighted; it was good to find shade under this big tree.

Thanks to Bao Ruijin, it really worked! Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have even been able to get into this coal mine!

I greeted Accountant Zhou and we walked out together!

He was overjoyed and couldn't wait to go and see the coal mine's warehouse.

Although they claimed their outdated equipment could only be sold as scrap metal, Mo Yuan absolutely refused to believe it.

If it gets that bad, you should be able to find some good stuff by searching through the inventory!

Mo Yuan was very excited all the way, completely unaware that the shrewd accountant Zhou was also secretly observing him!

"Comrade Mo, my name is Zhou Yongli, and I'm the accountant at our mine. You look younger than me, so let's call each other brothers. You won't mind if I take advantage of you, will you? You came here by car with County Chief Bao and the others. You must have had a long journey."

Bao Ruijin didn't introduce Mo Yuan, so neither Fan Dacheng nor he were sure about him and could only serve him carefully!

Let's probe indirectly!

Mo Yuan noticed that the accountant, who was in her thirties, was amiable and didn't seem difficult to get along with.

I know why they're after me, but I'm still willing to befriend them. A local official is more powerful than a distant one.

Fan Dacheng entrusted this matter to him, so naturally he had a certain amount of say in it.

I still need to rely on him for my own affairs, so it's definitely the right thing to do to cultivate a good relationship with him!

Mo Yuan deliberately evaded the question, just to keep the other party guessing!

Seizing the opportunity, he said, "Brother Zhou, you're too kind. Just call me Mo Yuan! I originally wanted to come on my own, but since County Magistrate Bao and the others were going the same way, I shamelessly hitched a ride with them. The road was really bumpy; you know those dirt roads, they're very difficult to travel on. I wonder when they'll be repaired!"

Zhou Yongli hadn't expected Mo Yuan, so young, to be so shrewd.

They had no choice but to patiently and gradually investigate the situation.

"The county used to be poor, so there was no money to repair roads. But this new County Chief Bao is clearly a capable person. I believe that under his leadership, our county will definitely prosper. This road might be repaired soon! When that happens, it will be much easier for people from the mine to go to the county town. Unlike now, when a car passes by, dust flies everywhere, and we always end up covered in dirt!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Brother Zhou is right!"

The two chatted and laughed, getting along very well; an outsider would have thought they were longtime friends.

Until they reached a place that looked like a dilapidated factory.

Zhou Yongli stopped in his tracks. "This used to be a workshop, then it was used as a warehouse. There's a lot of old, obsolete equipment inside."

"They're all unused. We have to dispose of a batch every year. Brother Mo Yuan, go in and see if there's anything you like. Don't be shy, I can handle this. But Mine Manager Fan instructed us to sell it to you as scrap metal. You don't even need to weigh it; I'll just give you a rough estimate. I promise you won't be ripped off!"

Mo Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly offered his congratulations!

He was secretly delighted, but that wasn't all.

After Zhou Yongli opened the locked door and went inside, Mo Yuan casually glanced around.

He immediately asked incredulously, "Brother Zhou... are you sure this is abandoned equipment? You're not lying to me, are you?"

…………