Chapter 741 Planning a House 7
In the slightly cramped but lively public area of the courtyard, Xu Damao folded his hands across his chest, staring straight at Yan Bugui with a barely perceptible cunning in his eyes.
Yan Bugui's hands were hanging limply on both sides of his body, his head was slightly drooped, his brows were tightly furrowed into the shape of a "川" character, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have deepened a little because of his helplessness and anxiety. His eyes were full of anxiety and helplessness, and he was like a bird that had lost its way in a storm and could not find a harbor to rest.
Xu Damao looked at Yan Bugui's expression, and his heart was like a flower blossoming, and he was secretly proud. He felt that his plan was like a carefully planted seed, and now it had quietly sprouted green new shoots, taking the first step towards success. He thought to himself that as long as he could skillfully add fuel to the flames, this plan would surely develop smoothly in the direction he expected, just like sailing with the current.
However, on the surface, Xu Damao pretended to be worried. He deliberately frowned even tighter, as if there was endless sorrow hidden between his brows, and the muscles on his face were slightly tense, with the corners of his mouth drooping down, making him look sad.
He sighed deeply and said in a low voice: "Teacher Yan, you see, it is not a solution for us to keep waiting like this. This housing problem is like a heavy stone that has been weighing on our hearts and we can't afford to delay it at all. Look at the children in our family, they are growing up day by day, just like the bamboo shoots after the rain, jumping up. The room, which was not spacious to begin with, is now squeezed by them, and there is almost no room to turn around. And the elderly in our family are getting worse day by day, and all kinds of minor ailments have come to them. They are looking forward to having a spacious, bright, quiet and comfortable room to take good care of their bodies. But we can only watch them suffer. If we keep waiting like this, I really don't know what to do. Maybe one day the elderly's body can't bear it anymore."
The third aunt was standing next to Yan Bugui. She was wearing an old dress that had turned white from washing, and her hair was a little messy and scattered on her shoulders. After hearing what Xu Damao said, she also sighed.
She sighed and patted her thighs gently with her hands. Her face was full of sorrow and she muttered, "Yes, Old Yan, what do you think the leaders are thinking? We have been waiting for so long, but they haven't given us any definite news. My heart is like a jumping rabbit in my chest, so nervous that I can't rest for a moment. I can't sleep well at night and I always have nightmares. I dream that our family is still living in such a small house and we are so crowded that we can't breathe."
At this time, Lao Wang and Lao Li also came over. Lao Wang was wearing a patched Zhongshan suit, with his hands behind his back and a look of worry on his face. He frowned, nodded repeatedly and said, "That's right, this housing problem is really a headache. We work hard every day, isn't it just to have a stable home. But now, the housing problem has not been solved, and I feel that there is no hope for the future." Lao Li also echoed. He was a little fat, and the flesh on his face trembled when he spoke: "That's right, I hope the leaders can give us an answer as soon as possible. If it drags on like this, I don't know how to explain to my family. The children clamor for their own rooms every day, and the elderly are always sighing. My heart is like an ant on a hot pot, and I am anxious and running around."
Xu Damao saw that everyone was worried about the housing problem and felt that the time was ripe. He pretended to be thoughtful, touched his chin, and took the opportunity to say: "I heard that Liu Haizhong has been doing very well in the company recently and has a wide network of contacts. He is very close to the leaders of several departments and their relationship is as good as brothers. If he can help us to speak in front of the leaders, maybe this matter will be resolved. Think about it, if he mentions our housing difficulties to the leaders, the leaders may pay attention to it and think of a solution for us. Maybe we can be allocated a suitable house soon."
In the slightly dim corner of the courtyard, Yan Bugui narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes full of suspicion and scrutiny, staring straight at Xu Damao, as if he could see through him. His brows were tightly knitted together, forming a deep ravine, and the corners of his mouth were slightly turned down, with a hint of disdain and doubt, and he said in a low voice with a bit of suspicion: "Liu Haizhong? Can he be so kind? You know, he usually only cares about himself in our courtyard and at work, and considers his own interests first in everything. When has he ever cared about the lives of us? Can he have the leisure to help us solve the housing problem?" As he said, Yan Bugui shook his head gently, folded his hands in front of his chest, and put on an unbelieving look.
Seeing Yan Bugui's suspicion, Xu Damao felt a little flustered, but he pretended to be calm on the surface. He quickly took a step forward, his face full of flattering smiles, his eyes wide open, pretending to be sincere and anxious, and said: "Teacher Yan, you can't say that. Think about it, people will change. Liu Haizhong is not the same as before. He is now in the unit, and he is trying his best to establish his prestige. You also know that if you can have a good reputation in the unit, it will be much easier to get promoted and make money in the future. If he can help us solve the housing problem, then his image in everyone's mind will be different. He will immediately change from a selfish person to a good person who is eager to help others and cares about everyone. In the future, maybe the leader will be happy and promote him to a small official. This is a win-win situation for both us and him. We can solve the housing problem, and he can also benefit. Why not do it?" Xu Damao said while gesturing with his hands, as if painting a beautiful blueprint.
The third aunt had been standing by, listening to their conversation with her ears perked up. She was originally worried about the housing problem, and when she heard what Xu Damao said, she suddenly felt that there was some truth in it. A glimmer of hope flashed in her originally dim eyes, and she hurried forward, pulled the corner of Yan Bugui's clothes, and said, "Old Yan, why don't we give it a try? You see, what Xu Damao said makes sense. Maybe Liu Haizhong can really make this happen. If it really works, our family won't have to suffer in this small house anymore. The children will have a spacious place to study and play, and the elderly can live comfortably." As the third aunt spoke, a look of longing appeared on her face, as if she had already seen the beautiful picture of living in a spacious new house in the future.
After listening to the words of the third aunt and looking at Xu Damao's confident look, Yan Bugui began to waver. He lowered his head slightly and scratched the back of his head with his hand, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes. After a long while, he slowly raised his head and said, "Okay, I'll go talk to Liu Haizhong. But I can't guarantee that he will help. He has a very strange temper. Maybe he doesn't take me seriously at all and just sends me away. Don't blame me for not trying my best then." Yan Bugui said while sighing helplessly, as if he was ready to be rejected.
Seeing Yan Bugui finally agreed, Xu Damao was delighted, like a mouse that had stolen oil. He quickly stepped forward, patted Yan Bugui on the shoulder, and said with a smile on his face, "Teacher Yan, go ahead and talk. I believe Liu Haizhong will understand the interests involved. If he is smart, he will definitely not miss this opportunity to enhance his prestige. Go ahead, I'll be waiting for your good news here." Xu Damao's eyes flashed with cunning, and he had already started to think about the next plan.
In the slightly noisy and somewhat depressing corridor of the office, Yan Bugui hurriedly walked, his eyes full of anxiety and expectation, looking around for Liu Haizhong. Finally, he saw Liu Haizhong leaning against the door frame and chatting with others at the door of an office. Yan Bugui hurriedly walked forward with a flattering smile on his face, and a layer of fine beads of sweat on his forehead because of his hurry.
"Liu Haizhong, I finally found you." Yan Bugui said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand, took a few deep breaths, and tried to steady his breathing.
Liu Haizhong frowned slightly when he saw Yan Bugui's expression, and asked in confusion, "Old Yan, what do you want from me? You look so anxious."
Yan Bugui took a deep breath and then began to explain the whole story in detail. He started with the difficult housing situation of the people, and mentioned that the children were crowded in small rooms, and their studies were affected; the elderly were in poor health, but they didn't even have a quiet and comfortable environment to rest. When he was moved, Yan Bugui couldn't help sighing, his eyes full of helplessness and anxiety.
Liu Haizhong listened quietly at first, without much expression on his face, but he was secretly calculating in his heart. He knew in his heart that this matter was not so easy to accomplish, the leaders were not so easy to talk to, and the allocation of housing involved many interests, and one could get into trouble if he was not careful. However, when he thought of what Xu Damao had said before about gaining prestige and becoming an official, his heart began to waver. He seemed to have seen himself being respected by everyone in the unit for solving everyone's housing problem, and the leaders also looked at him with new eyes, and then he was successfully promoted and had a salary increase, and from then on he reached the peak of his life.
He pretended to be in a difficult situation, frowning tightly, with the corners of his mouth slightly turned down, and he folded his hands over his chest, sighed and said, "Old Yan, this is not easy to handle. I don't have the final say on the leadership side. Housing resources in the unit are already tight, and many people are eyeing us. If you want to solve our housing problem, it has to go through layers of approval, and it depends on the mood of the leadership. However, since everyone is in such a difficult situation, I can't just sit back and watch. I'll try my best, but don't hold out too much hope."
After hearing what Liu Haizhong said, Yan Bugui felt like he had grabbed the last straw, and hope flashed in his eyes. He quickly put his hands together, bowed to Liu Haizhong, and said gratefully: "Liu Haizhong, thank you so much. If this thing can be accomplished, everyone will be grateful to you. You are our great benefactor, and everyone in the courtyard will definitely look at you differently in the future."
Liu Haizhong looked at Yan Bugui's grateful expression, and felt even more proud. The corners of his mouth rose slightly unconsciously, but he still nodded calmly and said, "Okay, you go back first. I'll let you know when there's news. But you have to make it clear to everyone that this may not work out, so don't blame me later."
Yan Bugui nodded quickly and said, "I know, I will definitely explain it clearly to everyone. Just go ahead and do it, we all trust you." After that, Yan Bugui left, looking back every few steps.
After Yan Bugui disappeared at the end of the corridor, Liu Haizhong immediately changed his expression, with a smug smile on his face, and walked briskly towards Xu Damao's office. As he walked, he hummed a little tune, as if he had seen the glory of his success.
As soon as he entered Xu Damao's office, Liu Haizhong couldn't wait to say: "Xu Damao, I have promised Yan Bugui to give it a try. However, this matter is not that simple. You have to give me some advice and see how to do it." He sat down on the chair, crossed his legs, his eyes full of expectation, waiting for Xu Damao to give him advice.
Xu Damao had already thought of a countermeasure. He leaned close to Liu Haizhong and whispered, "Second Uncle, we can first find a few colleagues who have a good relationship with the leader and ask them to talk about our difficulties in front of the leader. Then we can prepare some small gifts and find a suitable opportunity to give them to the leader. The leader is also a human being. Seeing how sincere we are, maybe he will soften his heart."
Liu Haizhong thought Xu Damao's idea was good, so he said, "Okay, let's do as you say. But the matter of this little gift must be kept secret and no one else can know about it."
Xu Damao patted his chest and said, "Second Uncle, don't worry. I'll take care of this matter. I promise I can do it properly."
In the next few days, Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong started to move around. They first found a few colleagues who had a good relationship with the leaders, invited them to dinner, and exaggerated the housing difficulties at the dinner table, hoping that they would say a few good words in front of the leaders. Those colleagues were a little hesitant at first, but they couldn't resist Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong's soft and hard persuasion, and they agreed because they were soft-spoken.
At the same time, Xu Damao also asked around about the leader's preferences. He learned that the leader liked to drink tea, so he spent a lot of money and asked someone to buy some high-quality tea from other places. He carefully packaged the tea and prepared to find a suitable opportunity to give it to the leader.
However, their actions did not escape Yan Bugui's eyes. Although Yan Bugui was a bit stingy, he was very careful and soon discovered the abnormality of Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong. He began to suspect whether Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong were doing something behind their backs.
One night, Yan Bugui quietly found Lao Wang and Lao Li. He told them about Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong's actions and said, "I think Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong must have bad intentions. They are so active in helping, maybe they want to get some benefits from it. We can't let them succeed."
After hearing this, Lao Wang and Lao Li also felt that something was amiss. Lao Wang said, "Teacher Yan, you are right. We can't let them ruin our business. We have to find a way to stop them."
Old Li also said: "Yes, we have to find an opportunity to ask Xu Damao and Liu Haizhong in person to see what they really want to do."