"We're here, this is it."
Old Zhang stopped in front of a small red brick building and pointed to the second floor.
"Director Liu's office light is on. You can go up there yourself. I need to go back and keep watch."
Su Jianguo thanked him and parked his bicycle downstairs.
As soon as I reached the stairwell, I heard Liu Dehai's signature loud voice coming from upstairs.
"This batch of work gloves must be distributed according to plan! Not a single pair can be missing!"
Su Jianguo straightened his collar, took a deep breath, and walked up the stairs.
The door to the logistics department office was ajar, and he knocked gently.
"Come in!"
Liu Dehai's voice was tinged with impatience.
Pushing open the door, Su Jianguo saw Liu Dehai buried in a pile of documents, his bald head gleaming oily under the fluorescent light.
Hearing footsteps, Liu Dehai didn't even look up.
"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy?"
"Director Liu, it's me, Su Jianguo."
Liu Dehai suddenly looked up, his small eyes narrowing into slits.
"Hey, isn't this our 'reform pioneer,' Su Jianguo?"
He deliberately emphasized the words "reform pioneer," a mocking smile playing on his lips.
"What, life in the countryside is tough, you want to come back?"
The other two staff members in the office also looked up, curiously examining their former colleague.
Su Jianguo calmly walked to Liu Dehai's table.
"Director Liu is joking. I'm here today to discuss business."
"Business?"
Liu Dehai chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his hands on his protruding belly.
"What business do you, a farmer, have with me?"
He said the word "farmer" very loudly, which made the two clerks chuckle.
Su Jianguo didn't take it seriously, took out a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes from his pocket, pulled one out and handed it over.
"Director Liu, have a cigarette."
Liu Dehai glanced at it but didn't take it.
"Get to the point, I'm busy."
Su Jianguo put the cigarette back in the cigarette pack and said slowly.
"I heard the factory canteen is experiencing a meat shortage lately, and the workers are complaining?"
Liu Dehai's expression changed.
"Who told you that?"
He glanced warily at the two clerks, who immediately lowered their heads and pretended to be busy with their own work.
"That's not important."
Su Jianguo smiled.
"The important thing is that I have a batch of wild boar meat, over 6,000 jin (3,000 kg). I wonder if the factory would be interested?"
"How many?"
Liu Dehai suddenly sat up straight.
"Six thousand catties."
Su Jianguo repeated.
"They were all just injected today, they're still fresh."
Liu Dehai's small eyes widened, and the fat on his face jiggled.
He jumped up and grabbed Su Jianguo's wrist.
"Come, come, let's talk over here."
Then he turned and yelled at the two clerks.
"You guys can go home first!"
After the staff left, Liu Dehai immediately changed his demeanor, smiling broadly as he pulled Su Jianguo to the sofa.
"Jianguo, sit down, sit down! You said there are 6,000 catties of wild boar meat? Really?"
Su Jianguo sat down unhurriedly.
"Absolutely true. Yesterday the village organized a wild boar hunt, and this morning they killed over eighty. I specifically set aside the best parts for our factory."
Liu Dehai rubbed his hands together, his face wrinkled into a chrysanthemum shape.
"Great! Great! The factory was just worried about not having enough meat!"
He strode to his desk, opened a drawer, took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, and handed one to Su Jianguo with both hands.
"Here, try this one!"
Su Jianguo took the cigarette, and Liu Dehai immediately took out a lighter and came over to light it for him.
How is the price calculated?
Liu Dehai sat down right next to Su Jianguo.
Su Jianguo exhaled a smoke ring.
"The market price for pork is 80 cents per pound, and although wild boar meat is lean, it's rare. I'm thinking of giving the factory a discount, 75 cents per pound."
"Seventy-five cents?"
Liu Dehai's smile froze.
"Isn't that too expensive? The factory only buys pork for six cents a day."
"Director Liu."
Su Jianguo smiled.
"What you're talking about is the planned quota of meat. How much is that a month? Enough for several meals for the workers? Besides, don't you know what the market price of pork is right now?"
Liu Dehai gave an awkward smile.
"That's true, but the factory is short on funds..."
Su Jianguo made a move to get up.
"Never mind then, I'll go to the machinery factory tomorrow and ask. Their factory manager, Mr. Wang, said last month he wanted to treat me to dinner."
No, no, no!
Liu Dehai grabbed Su Jianguo.
"The price is negotiable!"
He gritted his teeth.
"How's 70 cents?"
Su Jianguo shook his head.
"Director Liu, that's not very sincere. Wild boar meat may be lean, but it's highly nutritious, and the workers will definitely like it. Besides..."
He whispered.
"This batch of meat isn't going through the planned distribution, you know what I mean."
Liu Dehai's small eyes darted around a few times.
"Jianguo, let's be frank. You know, being the logistics director isn't easy."
Liu Dehai made a pointed remark.
Su Jianguo understood immediately. He sneered inwardly, but put on a troubled expression.
"Director Liu, this meat is village collective property, and every expense must be transparent. However..."
He then changed the subject.
"I can reserve the two best ones for you separately; consider it a personal gift from me."
Liu Dehai's eyes immediately lit up.
"Both ends? How heavy is it?"
"Each one weighs at least 200 jin (100 kg)."
Su Jianguo deliberately exaggerated.
"They're all the fattest hind legs and tenderloin."
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