如何去攬工程,周興和其實早就謀劃好了。

那一天,周興和與愛人王瓊華的姐夫嚴忠倫、大舅子王安全提了10來只大公雞,背著兩只狗腿,以及城里人喜歡的干豇豆等山區土特產,坐車來到省城成都。下了車,他們徑直來到省政府。省政府森嚴肅穆,站崗的士兵攔住了他們——幾土不拉磯的農民,到這里來干什么?

他們說明來意,讓工作人員有些疑惑的是,他們開口就要找省計經委的張大春主任!工作人員細細將他們詢問一番,將信將疑撥通了張主任的電話。可沒想到的是,不到10分鐘,這個張主任竟親自跑到門口接他們來了!

這個張主任,別看在省政府還算品高官,但他與山里的農民,卻有著不同一般的特殊關系。原來,這個張主任,先前也和興和他們一樣,是個山里的農村人。當年,他考上了大學,因為家庭困難沒有路費、學費去上學,周興和愛人的姐夫嚴忠倫,就利用早晚時間在山上偷割蓑草賣,5分錢1斤,將所賣得的10多塊錢全部交給了他上學。這個張主任大學畢業后,分配到了省政府工作,后來還當上了計經委主任。但這個張主任不忘舊情,為感謝嚴忠倫當年對他的資助,還時常寄給他一些糧票布票和舊衣物等——難怪,當他聽說此人專程從老家趕來看他,就迫不及待跑出來接他們來了。

“你們這是在干什么?”張主任一進接待室,看見那10來只活蹦亂跳的大公雞,以及那一大堆土特產,他皺起了眉頭,隨后二話不說,就把他們人和東西都帶到菜市場,并親自替他們叫賣起來。市場上的人,哪里見過這么鮮活的大公雞,都爭相上前購買。周興和多次叫二姐夫去制止他們,可沒有辦法,這個張主任和買雞的人們根本就不聽他的。大家把雞稱完,就準備付錢離開了。

“大家先不忙付錢,我有幾句話要說,你們聽完后再付錢。”周興和終于忍不住了,他急中生智大聲對眾人說道,“我們是從三臺縣來的農民,我們老家出了個大學生,如今在省里工作,家鄉的父老鄉親委托我們帶這點禮物來看他。雞是自家養的,狗也是自家喂的,干豇豆也是自家產的。中國有句古話,‘千里送鵝毛,禮輕仁義重’。既然他不愿接受鄉親們這點人情,我們又不是做生意的,那我們就把東西放在這里,愿拿的拿,愿抓的抓,這些雞愿跑就跑,愿飛就飛,我們只好回老家去了!”

買雞的人們一聽這話,一下都愣住了,不由自主放下了手里的東西。停了停,有人說話了:“哦,是這么回事!這個人原來進了城就不認鄉親了呀!……”

“你們這是、這是……”張主任此時倒還有嘴說不清了,“鄉親們那么困難,好不容易才喂這些雞,我實在……”

最后,張主任只好搖搖頭,無可奈何地讓周興和他們將東西送到了家里。但當周興和他們一提到要讓他介紹工程時,張主任卻一口就回絕了:“鄉親們有什么困難,在力所能及的情況下,我一定幫忙。但,介紹工程這個事,是有嚴格紀律規定的,你們不要讓我為難。”

無論周興和他們好說歹說,張主任絕不答應違背他的工作原則。

“張主任,其實我們也不想為難你。我知道你是怕我們把事情搞砸了,給你帶來影響。”夜已經很深了,周興和見張主任始終不開口,他最后充滿感情地對他說道,“你知道,我們山里的農民,現在雖說有口飯吃了,但經濟上實在太困難了,好多人家連稱鹽打油的錢都拿不出,眼巴巴地就盼著出來做點事,掙幾個小錢——你就當給家鄉的人做件好事吧……”

張主任依然低頭不語。

“我們了解到,康定最近要修跑馬山公園,我們剛創業,就只想承包點公園的土石方,或者修點上山的路。”周興和接著說,“這都是些力氣活,你知道,我們農村人下力氣是沒有問題的。”

張主任這才抬起頭,認真地聽下去。

“如果你還不放心,我們就跟你到基建辦公室去,就像狐貍跟老虎借點威,不需要你明確介紹,我們跟他們直接談。退一萬步說,就是我們把工程搞砸了,你可以說根本就不認識我們……”

“那樣做,我不是太虛偽了么!”張主任終于松了口,“這件事,讓我再考慮考慮吧……”

就這樣,周興和順利拿到了修建康定跑馬山公園一部分土石方工程,以及一條上山小路的合同——可,當他回到公社,令人遺憾的是,公社黨委經過研究,竟然不同意與周興和的工程隊合伙去承擔這項工程!

或許,有人嫉妒,在背后放了冷槍,給公社領導潑了冷水;或許,公社有的領導對周興和的過去還心存疑慮,對太年輕的他還不太放心。總之,周興和因為勢單力薄,沒有資金,沒有隊伍,沒有經驗,初出茅廬就遭受了挫折,最后這項工程只好不了了之,遺憾地放棄了。

但,周興和在商海中的公關能力,這時已開始初步顯露出來。

How to get any project, Zhou Xinghe actually had a good plan.

On that day, Zhou Xinghe, Yan Zhonglun (brother-in-law of his wife Wang Qionghua), and Wang Anquan (brother-in-law), brought about a dozen roosters, two doglegs and dried cowpeas - the local specialty in the mountainous area favored by city residents, to Chengdu, the provincial capital.Getting off the bus, they went straight to the provincial government.They were stopped by soldiers on guard before the solemn provincial government. What were the farmers doing here?

They explained their purpose, and what the staff doubt was that they asked to visit Director Zhang Dachun, the Provincial Planning and Economic Committee!The staff inquired them carefully and dialed Director Zhang's telephone with suspicion.Unexpectedly, less than 10 minutes later, Director Zhang ran to the entrance to pick them up!

This Director Zhang, although was a senior official in the provincial government, he and the farmers in the mountains had a different and special relationship.It turned out that this Director Zhang was a rural people in the mountains previously, just the same as Xinghe and other villagers.In that year, he was admitted to the university; because of the family difficulties, there was no money to go to university; Yan Zhonglun, Zhou Xinghe’s brother-in-law of his wife, used the time in the morning and evening to secretly cut the demoiselle in the mountain and sell out, which was 10 cents per kilogram, and gave all the 10 yuan to Zhang as the travelling expense and tuition for university.After graduating from university, Zhang was assigned to work in the provincial government and later served as the director of the Provincial Planning and Economic Committee.And Director Zhang did not forget the old kindness, in order to thank Yan Zhonglun’s financial aid, also often sent him some food stamps and old clothes - that’s why, when he heard that his benefactor specially came from his hometown to visit him, he can't wait to run out to pick them up.

“What are you doing?”Upon entering the receiption room, Director Zhang frowned at the 10 roosters and the large quantity of local specialties. Without another word, he took them and their things to the vegetable market and began to peddle by himself.People in the market, had not seen such live roosters, were scrambling to buy.Zhou Xinghe called his brother-in-law many times to stop them, but there was nothing he could do. Director Zhang and the chicken buyers did not listen to him at all.After weighing the chickens, they were ready to pay and leave.

"One moment please. I have a few words to say. You can pay after you hear them out."Finally, Zhou Xinghe could not bear any more. He was so anxious that he shouted to the crowd, "We are farmers from Santai County. There is a college student in our hometown who is now working in the provincial government.The folks back home have commissioned us to bring this gift tovisithim. The chickens are homegrown, so are the dogs, and the dried cowpeas.As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘When a goose feather is sent from a thousand miles away, the present is trifling, but the feeling is profound’.Since he won't accept the favors of his folks, and since we are not in business, let's leave the things here; anyone wants to take shall take it, or if the chickens want to run or fly as they please, and we'll just go back home!"

When the chicken buyers heard this, they were shocked and involuntarily put down what they took in their hands.There was a pause, and then someone said, "Oh, that's it!This man denied to recognize his folks when he entered the city!..."

"No no no, you are..."Director Zhang at this time felt anxious and could not explain clearly, "The villagers are so difficult in life; it is not easy to feed these chickens; I really......"

Finally, Director Zhang shook his head and reluctantly let Zhou Xinghe deliver the things to his home.But when Zhou Xinghe mentioned to introduce some projects to them, Director Zhang refused at once, saying, "If you have any difficulties, I will help you as far as I could.But there are strict rules about project introduction, so please don't make me feel awkward."

No matter what Zhou Xinghe and other folks said, Director Zhang would never agree to violate his working principles.

"Actually, Director Zhang, we don't want to embarrass you either.I know you're afraid we may screw up and affect you."The night was already deep, Zhou Xinghe saw Director Zhang always shut his mouth, and finally so affectionately said to him, "You know, we are farmers in the mountains; although now we are well fed, it is still difficult in the economy; a lot of people even hardly have the money to buy the salt and oil, and eagerly look forward to come out to do something, to earn a little - please do a good thing for your folks back home..."

Director Zhang still kept his head down.

"We’ve learned that Kangding is going to build the Paomashan Park recently. We just started our business, and only want to contract the earth and stone of the park or build the road to the mountain."Zhou Xinghe added, "It's all hard work. You know, we rural people have no problem in working hard."

Director Zhang raised his head and listened carefully.

"If you still don't trust us, we just go to the infrastructure office with you, like the fox borrowing power from the tiger. We don't need your explicit introduction. We will talk to them directly.At the very least, if we screw it up, you could say you don't even know us..."

"It would be hypocritical of me to do that!"Director Zhang finally said, "For this matter, let me think about it again..."

In this way, Zhou Xinghe successfully got the contract of part of the earth and stone project of the Paomashan Park in Kangding, as well as to build a path up the mountain - but when he returned to the commune, it was a pity that the Commune Party Committee, after studying, did not agree to cooperate with Zhou Xinghe's engineering team to undertake the project!

Perhaps, someone was jealous, firing a sniper’s shot in the back, or throwing the cold water on the commune leaders;perhaps, some commune leaders still had doubts about Zhou Xinghe's past and felt uneasy about his young age.In a word, Zhou Xinghe suffered setbacks when he was just a greenhand because he was weak, had no funds, no team and no experience. Finally, the project had to be abandoned and gave up regretfully.

However, Zhou Xinghe’s public relations ability in the business had begun to show at this time.