Secretary Cui took the passbook handed over by Li Jiandong and went downstairs to withdraw money.

Seeing that Li Jiandong really wanted to give money, Yi Zhonghai didn't say anything more. He waited in the office for a while, and Secretary Cui came back with the money.

500 yuan at that time was not a small amount of money. The largest denomination now was only 10 yuan, and 500 yuan was 50 bills.

Li Jiandong handed the money to Yi Zhonghai and asked him to count it in front of him.

Then they wrote a note and the transaction between them was completed.

After Yi Zhonghai left, Secretary Cui couldn't help but say to Li Jiandong.

"Director Li, you trust him so much with such a valuable item? It seems that this old comrade in your yard doesn't seem to be very wealthy. Could he have accepted a fake item?"

It’s not Secretary Cui’s fault for being too cautious. It’s just that Yi Zhonghai’s image is not convincing.

He looks like a ragpicker, how could he easily find such a valuable thing?

Secretary Cui's office was just opposite Li Jiandong's, and he heard what the two of them said in the room just now from outside.

But Li Jiandong had already made the decision without asking for his opinion, and as a secretary, it would be inappropriate for him to refute his opinion in front of outsiders.

It was only at this time that he could not help but say it out loud, hoping that Li Jiandong could recover the money as soon as possible to avoid huge losses.

After all, it was only 500 yuan. Even if he was the factory director, it was his two and a half months' salary.

However, Li Jiandong just smiled and said.

"You're right. My old neighbor doesn't really understand antiques, but just because he doesn't understand doesn't mean I don't either. I tell you, this painting is worth at least this much."

Li Jiandong stretched out a hand.

Secretary Cui asked doubtfully, "You said this painting is worth 500 yuan?"

Li Jiandong shook his head.

"It's not 500 yuan, it's 5000 yuan, and it's at least 5000 yuan."

“Most people cannot tell the origin of this calligraphy and painting, but I can tell at a glance that it is the calligraphy and painting of Mr. Zhu Da, the Bada Shanren of the Qing Dynasty.

Mr. Zhu Da's landscape paintings are also very famous throughout history, and this calligraphy and painting is his best work. It should not be a problem to sell it for 5000 yuan."

"Ah, this..."

Secretary Cui was a little confused for a moment.

He didn't expect that this ordinary painting would be sold for 5000 yuan.

His monthly salary was only a few dollars, but this one painting was worth nearly seven years' salary.

What Secretary Cui did not expect was that Director Li had always been a very kind person and never let the people around him suffer any loss. So why was he only willing to spend 5000 yuan to buy back the painting when it was clearly worth 500 yuan?

Could it be that because of such huge profits, even Director Li was tempted?
Li Jiandong said with a smile.

"Secretary Cui, don't you think that I am a person who would not spend 500 yuan to buy something worth 5000 yuan? Isn't this cheating? And the person just now was my old neighbor. It's a bit unfair for me to do this, right?"

Secretary Cui was stunned for a moment and quickly explained.

"Director Li, I don't think so. Everyone knows what kind of person you are. I believe you must have your own ideas."

Li Jiandong nodded and said.

"You're right. I do have my own ideas. The man just now was called Yi Zhonghai. If you think about it carefully, you should be able to remember him. Ever since I was a worker in the workshop, Yi Zhonghai has been at odds with me. He has troubled me several times over the years. He came to me with these things today. It's impossible that he didn't know the origins of these things."

"However, his level of skill was still a little lacking. He thought this thing was just an ordinary fake, but he didn't expect it was Bada Shanren copying someone else's work. This was Bada Shanren's early calligraphy and painting. He was not famous at the time, so he copied other people's work. But at that time, his style was already there, so it is not difficult to see that it is indeed his original work."

"But, except for me, even if most people know that this is the style of Bada Shanren, they dare not believe that this is an authentic work. After all, Bada Shanren's reputation is much greater than that of the Ming Dynasty painter."

Secretary Cui understood.

he asked tentatively.

"Director Li, what you mean is that your old neighbor knew that this was a fake, but he still brought it here to sell it to you, right? Then isn't he just trying to cheat you? This guy is too bad. If we had known earlier, we shouldn't have given him even 500 yuan."

Secretary Cui couldn't help but get angry when he thought of this.

Director Li is such a good person who always thinks of others, but he never expected that someone would want to cheat him.

Moreover, he was cheated out of so much money at once. Fortunately, this item was authentic, otherwise Director Li would have suffered a huge loss this time.

Li Jiandong waved his hand and said with a smile.

"No, no, you don't understand my old neighbor's character. If I don't give him the 500 yuan, he would rather take the painting back than sell it to me at a low price. He is a typical speculator. So I offered the 500 yuan because I want to get the painting safely. When he finds out the true value of the painting, he will definitely regret it."

Li Jiandong plans to put this calligraphy and painting in a cultural relic museum after he builds it.

Yi Zhonghai has been collecting antiques for many years. After the museum is built, he will definitely be interested in taking a look.

By then, once he found his calligraphy and paintings in a museum.

And it was highly praised.

I don’t know how he will feel then.

It will definitely be exciting.

Thinking about this outcome in the future, Li Jiandong couldn't help but laugh.

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, another two years have passed.

82 years.

A gust of spring wind blew, and the flowers bloomed until they fell all over the ground.
With the issuance of a document, the entire society suddenly underwent earth-shaking changes. Many people who had nothing to do started their own businesses in order to make money.

There are many more vendors hawking their wares in the streets and alleys.

Those small shops that were taken away during the public-private partnership were also sold back to individuals.

That day, Li Jiandong found his boss and submitted his retirement application.

The senior leader looked at the retirement application and was incredulous.

"Li Jiandong, what do you want to do? You have been working well in the steel mill for these years. You are only 58 years old this year. Why do you want to retire so early? I am almost 70 years old and still working hard here. Are you going to desert at such a young age?"

Li Jiandong said with a wry smile.

"Big boss, look at what you said. I have worked in the steel mill for so many years and I have feelings for this factory. But to be honest, it is difficult for the steel mill to develop further after its development to this day. Now the operation of the factory is also very smooth. I think it can run smoothly even without me. Instead of staying in the factory, it is better to leave all the opportunities to the young people."

"Besides, even if I leave, I can still do something else. I don't have to shine in the steel mill. Aren't other places also contributing to our country?"

The big boss thought that he would really retire after retiring. After hearing this, he realized that Li Jiandong just wanted to leave the steel factory, but he didn't really want to retire. Instead, he wanted to continue doing something else.

"From what you said, you plan to leave the steel mill and start your own business?"

Li Jiandong nodded.

"That's right. Didn't the document come down? I think this is a good opportunity. To be honest, the work in the steel mill is almost the same whether I am here or not. It will be the same if I hand it over to someone else. So I want to do something else and improve the happiness of our people in other ways."

The big boss nodded and asked again.

"So do you have any ideas now? What are you going to do after you leave? Jiandong, let me tell you, even though we have the documents now, we can't do everything. Forklifts, excavators, and even bicycles that you developed before are all regulated. Only large enterprises like our steel mill can produce them."

"If you want to do these things yourself after you retire, the country won't allow it."

The big leader solemnly reminded Li Jiandong.

Although it has been reformed now, not everything can be bought and sold.

Except for some daily necessities.

Many heavy items and things related to steel are not allowed to be traded privately.

Including televisions and bicycles.

Not to mention excavators and forklifts.

Even if these things were developed by Li Jiandong, he has no right to produce them.

Of course, Li Jiandong had known all this for a long time.

It would take another six or seven years to truly realize reform and opening up. We had to wait until around 85 and 86 before some major projects would be gradually and fully liberalized.

By the 90s, everything could be bought and sold freely.

But this did not prevent him from starting to engage in business now. If big things could not be bought and sold, could small things not be bought and sold?
Now the country is still in a state of disrepair. Although it is not like 20 or 30 years ago when we couldn't even produce a match, most things still have to be imported.

For the past two or three decades, Li Jiandong has been developing the country's heavy industry in the steel rolling mill.

In the next period of time, he plans to start with light industry.

While improving the living standards of the people, you can also accumulate wealth for yourself.

Although the apprenticeship system has brought him a lot of money over the years, if he wants to do big things, this money is still a little short of what he needs. The most important thing is that this money does not come from a normal source.

After you start your own business, you can slowly take out the money and spend it.

"Boss, I know what you said, but I still want to step down."

Li Jiandong has made up his mind.

It’s not something that can be changed by just a few words from a top leader.

Seeing how stubborn he was, the leader knew that it was useless to say anything more, so he could only sigh and say.

"Okay, since you have made up your mind, I respect your opinion. But you can step down. You have to arrange the work of the steel mill first. We can't let the production in the factory come to a standstill because of your departure."

"Don't worry, boss. I handed over the work to Yan Jiecheng a few months ago. He has been in charge of finding a steel mill during this period. Even if I leave, nothing will go wrong."

Li Jiandong pushed Yan Jiecheng out. Although it seemed a bit like executing first and reporting later, they were all family members and the top leader had no intention of blaming him.

Nodded and said.

"Okay, if that's the case, then I'll approve it. Anyway, even if you retire, you'll still be in North City. If there are any problems with the steel mill in the future, you have to come out and help me solve them."

Li Jiandong said with a smile.

"Of course I came from the steel mill. The steel mill will always be my home."

After leaving the big boss.

A few days later, the official transfer order was issued.

Li Jiandong officially retired, and Yan Jiecheng inherited his position and became the new director of Zhao Steel Plant.

As soon as this appointment was issued, there was an uproar in the steel mill.

Those team members had known the news for a long time, but many workers still didn't know what had happened.

They have all worked with Li Jiandong for many years.

I also enjoyed many benefits in Zhangang City.

Everyone outside knows that the director of their steel rolling mill is a very good director. He is not only capable but also kind to the workers. Why did he suddenly retire?
"Why? How old is Director Li? Why did he retire so early?"

"You may not know this, but our factory director Li is already 57 years old this year. He has been working in our factory for nearly 30 years. It is normal for him to retire at this age."

"Ah? Is Director Li already this old? But he looks so young."

"Yes, Director Li looks to be in his 30s, or at most s. It turns out he is already this old."

"If you ask me, Director Li has done a lot of good things, so he looks young. People like him will definitely live a hundred years, and God will not be willing to take him away."

"In fact, I think even if Director Li is 57 years old, he can continue to work for a few more years. He is less than a year old, and you can see that many members of the team are already over 60 years old, and they have not retired yet. Why is Director Li in such a hurry?"

"Yes, even if you are 57, you are not yet at retirement age. It is not too late to retire after 60."

The workers in the steel factory couldn't understand why Li Jiandong wanted to retire so early?
If workers retire, it is understandable, after all, workers work harder.
I do physical work every day, so if I retire early I can rest early.

But Li Jiandong is the director of the steel rolling mill.

Not only do they earn a lot of money, but they also have power.

There were more than 3 people in the audience, and everyone respected him very much. In the factory, his words were law and his word was final.

With such a glorious life, why did he retire so early?

Many cadres couldn't understand it, and even the members of the class were the same. If they were replaced by Li Jiandong, they would definitely not retire early.

They will even try every possible way to extend this time.

If you can serve as the factory director for a few more years, then serve as the factory director for a few more years.

However, Li Jiandong was not greedy for the power of the factory director at all.

In his two lives, Li Jiandong can be said to have no desires or requests. He doesn't care about money, fame, or power.

The only thing he cared about was that he wanted to see the development of his motherland with his own eyes, and he wanted to witness the great rejuvenation of the country in his lifetime, break through the blockade of all external forces, and stand on top of the world again.

In order to achieve this goal.

Not to mention the director of a steel mill.

Even if he was a higher-ranking official, he could just let it go.

"Congratulations to Director Yan on his promotion. We will work under Director Yan in the future. I hope Director Yan can bring us to a new level."

After the handover meeting, all the team members, whether they were convinced or not, came forward to congratulate Yan Jiecheng.

In any case, the new factory director has been decided. Yan Jiecheng will be the new director of the steel rolling mill and their superior.

It's no use even if some people are not convinced.

What's more, Yan Jiecheng is Li Jiandong's apprentice. Li Jiandong has been running the steel mill for so many years. It can be said that he was the one who brought the steel mill to its current level.

He arranged for his apprentice to take over his job, and even if others were dissatisfied with Yan Jiecheng, they had to give Li Jiandong face.

Yan Jiecheng was well aware of this. He was no longer the young man he used to be. Having followed Li Jiandong for so many years, he certainly knew that the world of power was like a battlefield.

At this moment, whether facing his own people or those with whom he had competed, he smiled very enthusiastically.

"Thank you all for your support. We are old colleagues. I hope we can work together in the future to bring our steel mill to a new level."

The Zha Steel Plant warmly welcomes the new director.

Courtyard 40 has also received the news.

Yan Bugui is now full of energy and vigor. He has always been the third in command in this courtyard. Not only is he suppressed by Li Jiandong, but even Liu Haizhong has always been bossing him around.

Yan Bugui knows his own worth.

Before that he was just an ordinary primary school teacher.

Even if I look down on this idiot Liu Haizhong.

But he holds a higher position than me and is in charge of more people than me.

I don't have the confidence to refute the other party.

But it is different now.

Thirty years ago, we saw the father respecting his son; thirty years later, we saw the son respecting his father.

Although Yan Bugui is now retired and is just an ordinary old man, his son has risen to become the director of a steel factory, managing 3 people.

It can be said that there is no one in this hospital with a higher rank than him. Isn’t this enough for Yan Bugui to be proud of?

So Yan Bugui was also particularly happy today.

He had never been generous before, but today he changed his habit and waved his hand and spoke to others.

"We are so happy today. My eldest brother has become the leader of the steel mill. Let's celebrate together in the whole hospital. Old lady, you go buy some vegetables now. Buy some more meat and ask them to send it over. I will ask two chefs to prepare a good meal for us tonight. Let's treat everyone and let us be happy together."

The three aunts were also very happy.

He said with a smile, "Why are you looking for a chef? Don't we have two ready-made chefs in our courtyard?"

The third aunt has the same personality as Yan Bugui.

They are all extremely stingy.

If Yan Bugui wanted her to buy some vegetables, and buy more meat vegetables, the third aunt would have told him to get out of the way long ago.

However, as today was such a happy event, instead of scolding him, the third aunt was very supportive.

"Oh, what do you know? If I tell you to buy it, just go buy it quickly. It will be so late when Daqing and Zhuzi come back. Will there be enough time to eat?"

Yan Bugui said with a glare and puffed his beard. (End of this chapter)