Little Wang naturally wouldn't accept the red envelope.
However, he felt that the staff at the Quality Supervision Station must be so accustomed to receiving red envelopes that the leaders of the urban village felt it was only natural to hand them out.
This was simply too exaggerated. Five thousand a day, and fifteen thousand in a month.
When he first joined the Quality Supervision Station, Little Wang thought the unit was so poor it was practically jingling.
He hadn't realized it was a highly lucrative fat department.
Red envelopes, kickbacks, and various benefits fees were part of the national culture in China.
When Little Wang was young, Chen Meilan often engaged in such practices to do business.
She once bought some suspended stocks at a high price from Cui Min, and after the stock resumed trading and increased in value, she returned them to Cui Min. In return, Dongfang Group's subsequent projects were all awarded to Chen Degong.
That was a kind of disguised bribe.
Little Wang had seen it since he was a child.
Now, Chen Meilan doesn't do that anymore. One reason is that she has Yan Peiheng and Yan Zhao as her backing, and the second is that her own strength is sufficient. Little Wang, who has been away from Chinese society for several years, thought that with social progress, this kind of atmosphere would gradually fade. But he didn't expect it to become even more rampant.
The practice of kickbacks, which used to be done in the shadows, has now been brought to the surface.
But since he grew up in society, even if he disapproved, he wouldn't say anything. So he said, "Comrades, we are still in our probationary period and can't make any decisions. The red envelope is unnecessary. However, regarding the rectification, let me mention a few points. Regarding the foundation, it seems acceptable to the naked eye. The main structure of these buildings also appears acceptable in appearance. Let's come back another day to test them with professional tools. If everything is in order, we can apply for the leadership to approve them."
Little Wang was speaking formalities, not accepting money but also not giving a definite answer. In common terms, it was a form of lazy governance.
But even with this attitude, the leader of the urban village was thrilled: "Is it really that easy? No need to make ten or eight trips for gradual rectification? Then I'll go prepare the money now. I heard someone gave five thousand and it was approved. I'll prepare five thousand for your leader, and let's get the quality inspection passed in one go."
The quality of large infrastructure facilities concerns the lives and property safety of the people.
And the relocation of urban villages solves the housing problems of residents. Such matters should be measured in terms of money?
The Quality Supervision Station, a government unit, with a single approval document, shoulders the quality safety of hundreds of households' homes.
But it only costs five thousand?
Little Wang pulled Xiong Zhuang and left the urban village.
They should have gone to the Olympic Village, but Little Wang saw a building under construction nearby that was about to be topped out. With the naked eye, one of the high-rise buildings was visibly crooked, and the level wasn't even done properly, let alone quality.
In a construction site, finding the entrance and going in was easy.
Finding a worker, Little Wang said, "Comrade, we are from the Quality Supervision Station. I see that one of your buildings, from the outside..."
"What? Quality Supervision Station? Never heard of it. You'd better leave quickly. It's dangerous here; watch out for falling objects from above."
"Comrade..."
When this worker saw a fat and burly leader approaching, he pointed and said, "Manager, look, here come two swindlers."
"What are you doing?" The manager was burly and looked intimidating.
This time, Xiong Zhuang introduced themselves: "We are staff members from the Capital Quality Supervision Station..."
"This project has connections at the top. Don't believe me? Go ask your leader. Oh, right, you want a red envelope, don't you..." The fat manager said, taking out a stack of red bills from his leather bag and handing it over, pushing Little Wang and Xiong Zhuang out of the site.
He turned back and muttered to the workers, "Today it's quality inspection, tomorrow it's environmental protection, the day after it's natural gas. They say building houses is as profitable as printing money, but look at these hidden costs. They're so high. People come to collect protection money every day, and they're from the government."
Xiong Zhuang, holding five hundred yuan, was stunned and shouted, "Boss, the foundation structure of your building has problems..."
The other party waved his hand: "Comrades, our building has already passed the quality inspection. Giving you money is a gesture of respect. Just leave."
So, giving five hundred was just to get rid of a beggar?
They didn't even care about them and turned away.
Xiong Zhuang looked at Little Wang, who hadn't yet realized the situation, and asked, "Brother, what should we do with this money? Also, with this kind of work method, if we go to the Olympic Village, with so many major projects, won't we make a fortune?"
"Make a fortune? The Olympic Village is a national key project. No one dares to take kickbacks, which is why the leader sent us to run around," Little Wang hit the nail on the head, revealing the truth.
The two then headed to the Olympic Village, where it was a regular and qualified supervision and inspection.
Without using instruments, just with the naked eye, the construction of the venues had no disqualifying aspects.
After circling around, the two should have returned.
On the bus, passing by a residential complex labeled "Junye Luxury, Emperor's Style," not far away, the complex's slogan was "Fire safety inspection has been approved, officially starting pre-sale." But from a professional perspective, just looking at the foundation structure, it was a shoddy project.
Little Wang had once switched from computer science to civil engineering because, during his time at the Three Gorges, he was horrified by the shoddy projects that collapsed at the first sign of floodwaters. He looked at those landslide dams, collapsed walls, and hydropower stations that collapsed with the floodwaters, wanting to do something for the country's infrastructure while making money.
But now, looking around, this was the capital, and shoddy projects were everywhere.
Society is made up of people. If everyone follows the law and conducts themselves properly, society will operate in a healthy manner.
But if everyone treats their job as a money-printing machine, won't society fall into chaos?
Yan Zhao had given Little Wang a job as lucrative as a money-printing machine, but instead of being happy, he was deeply concerned. Although reason told him that society is made up of people, not just one person, and that he couldn't change much on his own, it would be best to go along with the general environment.
But he still felt uneasy in his heart.
In the evening, when they returned to the unit, almost everyone else had already come back.
It was then that the station chief and deputy station chief introduced Little Wang and Xiong Zhuang to everyone.
Station Chief Wang Lin's face was swollen and looked very tired as she said, "Did you do a good job today? From now on, you two will be in charge of the Olympic Village. It's a bit tiring, but you'll have to cover more ground. The Olympic Village project is very important to us, so you must keep a close eye on it."
Deputy Station Chief Sun Wang added, "Yan Wangqi and Xiong Zhuang are extraordinary. The retired Minister Yan and Minister Qi personally made a call, saying they are new blood sent by the organization to address our lazy and neglectful work culture. You all should also take your work seriously and not let the new employees think we old-timers are slacking off and not doing our jobs properly, okay?"
In a place like the capital, being a civil servant, despite the low salary, everyone has background and backing.
And Sun Wang's words, with their subtle tone, seemed to urge everyone, but actually hinted at the backgrounds of these two young men.
Listen, how impressive.
A ministerial-level leader personally made a call to get them in.
The colleagues exchanged glances, immediately understanding: So, these two young men also got in through connections to make money.
On such a hot day, everyone had been wearing long-sleeve shirts to cover their wrists, but upon hearing that Little Wang and Xiong Zhuang also had backing, they immediately rolled up their sleeves. In such a public service unit, clothing wasn't a big deal, but everyone wore a luxury watch.
Currently, men's competition had evolved from beepers and mobile phones to luxury watches.
Everyone in the station had one, all luxury brands.
After leaving the unit, they had to ride electric scooters home. Xiong Zhuang, still in shock, said, "Yan Wangqi, that was quite a watch exhibition earlier. Deputy Station Chief's Patek Philippe must be worth at least a million, right? He's really bold to wear it to work."
"The others' watches aren't bad either. I saw someone wearing a Rolex. If it's genuine, it's worth at least five hundred thousand. This little Quality Supervision Station is really making a killing." Little Wang said, suddenly his eyes lit up and he pointed to the distance, "Xiong Zhuang, look over there. There's a big beauty. Wow, she's so pretty. Just your type, with a slim waist and a big butt!"
Xiong Zhuang liked voluptuous beauties, especially those with a larger bust. He immediately turned his head: "Where? Where?"
Little Wang hopped onto his electric scooter, and with a whoosh, he was gone.
Xiong Zhuang finally realized what was going on—Little Wang wanted to ditch him to go on a date with Yuanyuan. He jumped up and cursed, "Yan Wangqi, you damn bastard, you shameless piece of trash!"
Little Wang, riding his electric scooter, grinned and gunned it, speeding off down the road.
He understood the chaotic state of the Quality Supervision Institute and the purpose behind Yan Zhao's decision to send him there.
But he didn't dwell on it.
After all, society was made up of people, but it wasn't made up of just him.
He didn't have his "black dad's" tough methods or his pure patriotic heart. He could accept a bit of corruption in the world. He wouldn't take kickbacks, but he would do his job well.
For him, the most important thing right now was to chase after his girlfriend and build a new little family.
Riding his electric scooter, he soon arrived at Yuanyuan's workplace.
Over the past month, Little Wang had often seen Yuanyuan coming and going to work, so he knew the timing and could catch her.
The hard renovation of their little home was already done, and this trip back was just for the soft renovation. Regarding the effect, Little Wang was confident that as soon as Yuanyuan saw it, she would be thrilled because she would definitely love it.
Now, he had to take Yuanyuan to see their little home.
The Institute of Biological Research itself had very few young people, and even fewer female colleagues. Yuanyuan was the prettiest among them, no contest.
She was wearing a white T-shirt, jeans, and had a bob cut, looking like a middle school student with her backpack. After work, she walked out of the institute's gate with a female colleague, chatting as they went.
Little Wang let out a whistle from a distance and honked the horn. Yuanyuan came running over: "Brother?"
"Get on, I'll take you somewhere," Little Wang said with a smile.
Yuanyuan immediately swung her leg over and hopped on, wrapping her arms around Little Wang's waist: "Okay!"
The way Little Wang felt about Yuanyuan, and the way Yuanyuan felt about Little Wang, was different from ordinary lovers. When they were kids, they even slept on the same kang. Although they often teased and fought with each other, whenever either of them had a problem, the other would always be there, silently supporting them.
Although they were young, their relationship could be described as "mutual support in adversity."
And even though Yuanyuan didn't know that Little Wang had renovated the house, when she saw him yesterday, she felt that he must have been ready to marry her.
It was as if they had a telepathic connection. Many things didn't need to be said; they just understood each other.
Of course, once Yuanyuan got on her brother's motorcycle, she didn't care where he took her.
In her mind, her brother was someone who would never let her down.
In just three minutes, they arrived at their new home.
It was an apartment with an elevator. Pushing the door open, the living room had a slightly dark green background wall, a gray minimalist leather sofa with two playful mustard yellow pillows, and a dining area with a wooden style. The chairs were covered in gray leather, matching the living room perfectly. The overall decoration was simple and elegant.
It was the Nordic style that Yuanyuan particularly liked.
Opening the bedroom door, the wall was a soft pea green, and the bed had a soft back, perfect for leaning against while reading. There was also a beautiful dressing table in the corner.
Little Wang didn't say a word the whole time, just crossed his arms and followed Yuanyuan around.
When Yuanyuan opened the door to the study, she was completely amazed: "Wow, brother, this bookshelf is so beautiful."
The entire wall was covered with a bookshelf, currently empty, but once Yuanyuan's books were moved in, it would be filled.
"Let's go to Xinjiekou and eat all the good food today," Little Wang said, opening the door.
Yuanyuan nodded with a smile.
As they were about to leave, she took one last look around this cozy, three-bedroom, two-living-room home.
In the Red Building, Chen Meilan was Yuanyuan's mainstay, and even though she was already 24, Yan Zhao had hardly ever let her do housework. He took care of everything—her cups, her bags, her documents, even whether she had her keys.
Being so comfortable at home, Yuanyuan subconsciously resisted getting married and moving out.
But if there was anyone in the world who truly understood her, it was Little Wang.
He didn't need to say anything. Just by creating a beautifully decorated, cozy little nest right next to her workplace, he made Yuanyuan want to get married and move out to be independent.
This time, it was Little Wang who was caught off guard.
As they were about to leave, Yuanyuan suddenly stood on her tiptoes, turned his dusty, concrete-covered face, and kissed him on the lips.
Her soft lips brushed against the sand and gravel on his mouth, like a light touch of a dragonfly. She kissed him.
At that moment, the healthy, strong heart of the 1.83-meter-tall Yan Wangqi almost jumped out of his chest.
The two of them, like when they were kids sneaking out, rode their electric scooter to the food market in Xinjiekou to eat delicious food.
They wandered and ate their way through the market.
But for Little Wang, today was different from any other day in his life.
He had always liked Yuanyuan, but he had never thought about kissing her, hugging her, or sleeping in the same bed.
Even though their bedrooms were only separated by one room, even though Yuanyuan often walked around in her pajamas in the morning, even though they often argued over who would use the bathroom first.
But he had never felt like this before. He wanted to kiss the little girl hugging him from behind, wanted to press her against the wall and kiss her a thousand times, ten thousand times. He loved the feeling of her soft lips brushing against his so much.
Yan Wangqi felt like a wild beast. He felt like he could devour the girl next to him.
But happy times are always short.
Halfway through their eating spree, Yan Zhao called and told him to come home quickly, saying he had something important.
The taste of Yuanyuan's kiss was too wonderful. Riding the electric scooter, Little Wang was distracted, constantly reminiscing about the kiss. He kept looking back, wanting to muster the courage to kiss her, but he was afraid she might not want him to.
Maybe she was just playing around, and if he kissed her back, she might call him a pervert.
In contrast, Yuanyuan was bolder. As they passed the residential compound and reached their home, Little Wang put his foot down to stop the electric scooter. Suddenly, she hugged him from behind, her soft lips pressed against his ear, and she whispered, "Brother, did you not like it when I kissed you? Are you mad?"
Little Wang, with one foot on the ground, was stunned.
So, Yuanyuan wanted him to respond, right? She wanted him to kiss her too?
Yuanyuan had already jumped off the scooter, her face red, and ran into the house.
What was he waiting for? Little Wang pushed the electric scooter over and turned to chase after her.
This time, he was going to kiss Yuanyuan enough!
But as soon as he entered the house, he ran into his "black dad," Yan Zhao, sitting in the living room watching a video.
His "black grandpa," Yan Peiheng, was also there, along with someone else—Minister Qi from the Ministry of Supervision, who had previously worked at the Ministry of Public Security.
They were probably discussing a case related to anti-corruption.
But Little Wang wasn't interested in such matters. All he wanted to do was go upstairs and kiss Yuanyuan enough.
Even though Little Wang tried to sneak around quietly, his "black dad" noticed him.
"Yan Wangqi, come here and help!" Yan Zhao said.
Little Wang glanced at the stairs. Yuanyuan was covering her mouth, her eyes smiling, looking at him from the stairs, as if saying, "Come on, come on, hurry up!"
Turning back to the living room, there were three old men sitting on the sofa, glaring at him.
Little Wang was anxious, but he had to play along for now.
Then he would go upstairs and kiss Yuanyuan!
