Having achieved financial freedom, I reorganized my workplace.

Chapter 32 They want me to go to the bureau office? I won't do it.

The sound of a car smoothly braking came from outside the door.

It's Director Song's car.

Lin Kaidong jumped out of the office and practically tumbled and crawled out.

Tang Yuwei also stood up, glanced out the window, then looked back at Lin Chen, who remained calmly seated, and said with a hint of worry, "Squad leader, Director Song has really arrived. Aren't you going out to greet him?"

Lin Chen stared intently at the water loss rate report on the computer screen, his tone flat: "Didn't Director Song emphasize last time that he doesn't like all that formality of welcoming and seeing off guests?"

Tang Yuwei pouted, feeling that the class monitor was truly an anomaly in the workplace, but she couldn't resist her curiosity and went out to join in the fun.

Hu Chou, who had been lying half-dead on the ground, suddenly sprang to his feet as if experiencing a final burst of energy before death. He nimbly rushed to the car, and before the leader had even fully exited, he knelt down with a thud, clutched his head, and began his dramatic performance:

"Your Honor! You must do me justice! The water supply company is bullying us ordinary people! Not only have they ruined the feng shui of my family's ancestral graves, but Director Lin and his men just beat me up. Look at my injuries... They're trying to drive me to my death!"

As he wailed, he lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the spot where Lin Kaidong had kicked him earlier—just a few red marks. He looked like he was in tears and in unbearable pain, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Director Song frowned as soon as he got out of the car at this "surprise." Tang Xin, the deputy director of the office who was accompanying him, reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to try to separate Hu Chou.

Lin Kaidong arrived just in time, yanked Hu Chou aside, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Director Song, Director Song, don't listen to this scoundrel's nonsense. He's trying to extort me, so he's slandering me here."

"Who slandered me!" Hu Chou's voice instantly rose eight octaves, pointing at Lin Kaidong's nose, spitting almost onto his face. "Did you just hit and kick me? Everyone saw it! Boss, look at this! Is this how your subordinates treat ordinary people like us? A company like yours calls itself a people's livelihood company! Bah!"

"Yes, that's too much! How could they hit someone?"

"A cannibalistic world, and heartless businesses!"

"Electricity tyrants and water dragon kings, you little commoner think you can shake a tree like a mayfly?"

The onlookers, always eager for excitement, provided Hu Chou with a perfect opportunity to stir things up.

Lin Kaidong was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at Hu Chou and stammered "You...you..." for a long time, but he couldn't say a complete sentence. Being accused like this by a hooligan in front of his superiors, he, as the director, had lost face to the extreme today.

"If you have something to say, go inside and talk it out. Our Director Song will definitely give you a fair explanation." Tang Xin maintained her professional composure, trying to control the situation and resolve the problem for her leader.

"I'm not going in! Who knows if you're all a bunch of snakes and rats! I'll stay right here and let everyone see! If you don't give me an explanation and compensation, I'll kill myself right here today, so everyone can see how you drive ordinary people to their deaths!"

Hu Chou was indeed well-prepared and very experienced. He also chose the perfect time. He knew that these township units were not afraid of anything except the leaders who managed them.

Director Song's face grew increasingly grim as his gaze swept over the chaotic scene, the furious Lin Kaidong, and the growing crowd of people pointing and whispering.

Lin Kaidong's mind went blank. Hu Chou had completely seized his weakness. He cursed Lin Chen a thousand times in his heart. If he had listened to him earlier and spent three hundred yuan to get some peace and quiet, he wouldn't have made such a fool of himself in front of the leader.

"Hu Chou, if you're so capable, why don't you run someone over right now and show me? Let's see if you have the guts." A cold, sharp rebuke rang out, not loud, but clearly piercing through the noisy crowd.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lin Chen, who was 1.8 meters tall and handsome, calmly walking out of the water supply station. His expression was calm and his steps were steady, completely out of place with the chaotic atmosphere at the scene, like an immortal being.

Tang Yuwei, who was watching the commotion, had her eyes shining. "Class monitor, I knew you'd come out."

Lin Chen walked to the door and stopped. He first glanced at Hu Chou, whose acting was exaggerated, and then lightly swept his gaze over the different expressions of the director and bureau chief. His face remained expressionless, as if the farce in front of him was nothing more than a trivial episode.

When Hu Chou saw Lin Chen come out, he felt a chill run down his spine, and his previous life-or-death spirit dissipated somewhat. But he still stubbornly insisted, "I...I know you wish I were dead! I won't fall for your tricks! I'm going to expose all the embarrassing things your water supply company has done."

Lin Chen gave him an undisguised snort: "Go ahead and rant, rant now, say it out loud, let the leaders and everyone hear whether it's our water supply department that's bullying you, or whether you're just being unreasonable and extorting money."

Strangely, Hu Chou, who had shown no fear in front of the bureau chief and the station chief just moments before, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine when Lin Chen stared at him and shouted at him. Why wasn't this kid playing by the rules?

Didn't that person say that these state-owned enterprises are most afraid of things getting out of hand and affecting their reputation? Why does this little squad leader act like, "Go ahead and cause trouble, I'll admit defeat if you even flinch"?

Lin Chen was naturally unafraid. What did the company's reputation damage have to do with him? He wasn't a leader, and he had no desire for advancement. Lin Chen's old phone was waiting for this moment to completely burst the bubble and solve the problem.

Sure enough, overwhelmed by Lin Chen's powerful aura, Hu Chou was completely dumbfounded, stammering and incoherent, with all the prepared words stuck in his throat.

It's so painful.

"Lin Chen, tell me what's going on." Director Song fixed his gaze on Lin Chen, feeling a strange surprise. How could this little class monitor have such a powerful aura?

All eyes immediately focused on Lin Chen.

Lin Chen spoke up, succinctly explaining Hu Chou's unreasonable demands for compensation.

There was no embellishment; it was simply a statement of the facts.

Finally, he looked around, raised his voice, and said in a steady and powerful tone: "The Meihua Village water supply project is a major project benefiting the people, personally overseen by Director Song. It is about to be completed and put into operation today, and the project quality fully meets the standards. As for the compensation involved in the project, it has already been paid in full and on time in accordance with the policy, without any delays or arrears."

We have verified the situation of the Hu family. The pipeline is more than 30 meters away from the Hu family's ancestral graves and there is no impact on it. There has never been a precedent for compensation in this case.

He's a scoundrel, insatiable and greedy. Tolerating him will only embolden him. Give him three hundred today, and he'll dare ask for three thousand tomorrow. Then he'll bring a whole bunch of people to hog the water. Will our water supply station even be able to open then? How can we still serve those truly in need?

Wow, well said, that's so true! Tang Xin's eyes were filled with laughter, while Tang Yuwei's eyes sparkled like stars. In her heart, Lin Chen seemed to be the center of the universe at this moment.

"That makes sense, well said."

"Yeah, you can't bully Class Monitor Lin."

"You can disbelieve what Director Lin says, but you can blindly believe what Sergeant Lin says."

"Squad Leader Lin is indeed a good person; he's the best to us ordinary folks."

The eyes of the masses are discerning; they know who treats them well. This is why Lin Chen is so deeply rooted here, and it is also the source of his confidence.

Lin Kaidong's face flushed; he realized at that moment that he was indeed inferior to Lin Chen.

"Very good." Director Song's eyes were full of approval: "Comrade Lin Chen did the right thing. When faced with such unreasonable demands, one must dare to uphold principles and dare to say no."

After finishing his sentence, Director Song turned to Lin Kaidong and said, "Director Lin, I understand that grassroots work is difficult, but difficulty is not a reason for unprincipled compromise, nor is it a reason for your impulsive violence. We must adhere to the bottom line of policy and protect the legitimate interests of the people."

Lin Kaidong could only nod repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Director Song's criticism is correct, I will definitely reflect deeply..."

Hu Chou's matter is settled.

Director Song went to Meihua Village and took a quick look at the completed project. He neither said it was good nor bad, but he kept frowning.

Lin Chen knew the quality of the project was mediocre, but there was nothing he could do about it; given the rush to complete the project and various other factors, it was already quite good.

Most of the villagers didn't recognize Director Song, but they did recognize Lin Chen. When they saw him, they greeted him enthusiastically, "Little Lin! Little Lin, come and have a drink of water!" But no one greeted the director standing to the side, and the scene became somewhat awkward.

Before leaving, Tang Xin suddenly smiled and spoke, her tone leaving no room for argument: "Director Lin, since Director Song is here, I'd like to discuss something with you. Could you please ask me for someone?"

Lin Kaidong was taken aback: "Director Tang, who do you want?"

Tang Xin: "Lin Chen, I think he is a handsome and talented man with excellent eloquence and a strong sense of responsibility. Chun Da, who is in charge of handling public disputes and promoting spiritual civilization in our office, is about to retire. Let him go to the bureau office to help out."

Lin Kaidong was startled. He was extremely unwilling, but he didn't dare to refuse directly. He could only stammer, "This...this...it mainly depends on Lin Chen's own wishes. As for me...I will definitely support the work of the higher-ups."

Tang Xin nodded in satisfaction, then her gaze fell on Lin Chen, filled with inquiry and certainty: "Lin Chen, come to the bureau office. The platform here is larger, and you can better utilize your talents."

She believed that no one could refuse this opportunity to be closer to the center of power.

Everyone thought Lin Chen would agree with tears of gratitude.

However, Lin Chen merely frowned, and without any hesitation, blurted out, "I'm not going."

! ! ! !

Lin Chen's "I won't go" was like a stone thrown into calm water, leaving everyone present stunned.

The air froze for a few seconds.

Tang Xin's smile froze. She clearly hadn't expected someone to refuse so decisively. Lin Kaidong was dumbfounded, secretly pleased, but also cursing Lin Chen for being ungrateful.

"What a fool! Don't you know how many people are desperate to get into the bureau?" A hint of surprise flashed in Director Song's eyes, followed by a playful expression as he waited quietly for Lin Chen.

This person was the biggest surprise he encountered during his visit to Balu County.

Tang Yuwei was initially happy for the class monitor, finally someone appreciated his talent. But when she heard him refuse, she tugged at Lin Chen's sleeve anxiously and said in a low voice, "Class monitor, are you crazy? That's the bureau office, how can you not go?"

Lin Chen seemed not to hear, smiled politely at Tang Xin, and said in a calm but firm tone: "Thank you for your kindness, Director Tang, but I'm used to working at the grassroots level. I like the people and things here. The key is that I'm clumsy and straightforward, and I can't adapt to the meticulous work in the bureau office. There are many miscellaneous things to do at the water supply station, and they can't do without me for a while."

This was a perfectly worded statement that both saved face for the other party and clearly stated one's own position.

A few years ago, Lin Chen would have been extremely grateful and moved to tears. But now that he's thirty, he really doesn't want to work hard anymore. The key is that novels make money, and he needs "free" time to write them.

Going to the bureau office would mean living under surveillance and the watchful eyes of superiors every day, which would be very uncomfortable for Lin Chen. And then there's his ex-girlfriend, Chen Ya; they see each other every day, it's so awkward.

Tang Xin was taken aback, her beautiful eyebrows twitching. Over the years, countless people had begged her to join the bureau, but this was truly the first person she had refused. She composed herself and said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "Oh, it seems our little temple can't even get a big shot like Sergeant Lin?"

"Director Tang, you're joking. I know my abilities are limited, and I'm afraid I'd cause you trouble if I went. Besides, I've seen that the people love me, and I love them too. I just want to stay at the grassroots level and do some real, practical things for the people."

Lin Chen's words elevated them to a higher level.

When the group looked at Lin Chen, it was as if they were seeing an angel; he seemed to radiate a divine light.

Director Song listened from the side, a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he could see through Lin Chen's thoughts.

He patted Lin Chen on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "Xiao Lin, capable people can shine anywhere. However, sometimes the platform is also very important. The bureau office really needs young cadres like you who dare to act and have prestige among the masses."

Director Song has only been in Balu for a short time and his position is not yet stable. Last year, he kept a low profile and got along well with Director Tan. Now he needs to do something, which means he needs to cultivate some of his own people in the office. Lin Chen's outspoken personality makes him a suitable artilleryman.

Even after Director Song spoke up, Lin Chen remained unconvinced: "I've been here for ten years. I'm not going to just leave like that, unless they say they don't want me anymore."

Tang Xin couldn't insist any longer: "Okay, think about it again."

The inspection ended there.

On the way back, Tang Xin muttered to Director Song, "That Lin Chen is so ungrateful." Director Song laughed, "Interesting. This is the first time in all these years that I've seen a young man who doesn't want to climb the ladder."

"Then...do you still want him?"

"Yes, of course we want him." Director Song's gaze was deep. "We can trust people like him."

"But he doesn't want to come..."

"Unwilling?" Director Song chuckled. "Within the system, sometimes whether you want to or not is not up to you."

He was doing well at the provincial company and didn't want to come to this dump.

The will to organize is paramount.

......