leonardwarren Chapter 30 Getting things done is such a hassle
Chapter 30 Getting things done is such a hassle
Inside the "Starry Sky Internet Cafe" opposite the North Gate of Shandong University, forty brand-new computers are neatly arranged. The blue light strips illuminate the gray and white walls. The futuristic space is just waiting for the final piece of the pie—the "Internet Culture Business License" that will allow it to open.
Ling Yun got up early and carefully checked the thick stack of materials he had prepared: property ownership certificate, fire safety inspection certificate (he had gone to get this certificate several times, emphasizing the fire exit and fire extinguisher configuration, and finally got it), business license copy... He completed all the prerequisites meticulously.
He was the first to arrive at the office of the Market Management Section of the District Cultural Bureau and wait outside. The corridor was filled with the smell of old newspapers. Ling Yun sat on a long wooden bench with peeling paint, patiently waiting for the staff to arrive.
At 8:30, staff members began arriving at work. A middle-aged man in a navy blue Zhongshan suit, with a briefcase tucked under his arm, slowly opened the office door. His surname was Wu; he was the deputy section chief here. He had a thin face, droopy eyelids, and a common air of arrogance.
"Hello, comrade, I'm here to apply for an Internet Culture Business License." Ling Yun stepped forward, speaking politely, and handed over the documents with both hands.
Section Chief Wu didn't even lift his eyelids. He took the materials, flipped through them casually, tapped his finger on the "Fire Safety Inspection Certificate" and the "Business License," and snorted out, "Hmm, the materials are quite complete."
He raised his eyelids, glanced at Ling Yun's overly young face, and said slowly, "However, this certificate has a long approval process, requiring multiple layers of checks, involving content security, protection of minors... it's very complicated. Go back and wait for notification, it could be as quick as two or three months, or as slow as six months or a year, who knows."
Two or three months? Half a year? Ling Yun's heart sank. He couldn't wait. The campus basketball tournament was at its peak, and the name "Starry Sky Internet Cafe" had already spread. He had to open as soon as possible to take advantage of this wave of traffic.
"Section Chief Wu, could you make an exception and speed things up a bit? Our store meets all the requirements..." Ling Yun tried to plead.
Section Chief Wu picked up the enamel teacup on the table, blew away the foam, took a sip, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Rules are rules, and no one can make exceptions. Go back and wait." After saying that, he stopped looking at Ling Yun and picked up a newspaper to read.
Having been rebuffed, Ling Yun knew the usual channels were blocked. He walked out of the Cultural Bureau, hesitated for a moment at the door, wondering if he should ask his cousin for help. Just then, a man in a leather jacket approached him, lowering his voice: "Brother, running into trouble getting your documents?"
Ling Yun glanced at him but didn't say anything.
The man chuckled, unconcerned, revealing his smoke-stained teeth. "My surname is Huang, everyone in this area calls me Huang San. With Section Chief Wu, rules are rules, but people are flexible." He rubbed his fingers together. "Want fast? No problem. This amount," he held up one finger, "ten thousand yuan. I guarantee the certificate will be in your hands within a week."
Ten thousand yuan!
Ling Yun's eyes instantly turned cold. In 1996, this was equivalent to nearly twenty years' wages for an ordinary worker! It was an outrageous demand!
"Thank you, but no need." Ling Yun refused decisively and turned to leave.
Huang San sneered behind him, his voice carrying a chilling threat: "Kid, don't you know the rules? Fine, let me tell you, in this area, if you don't follow my rules, you'll never get this permit in your next life! Just you wait and see!"
Ling Yun didn't turn back. He went straight back to the Cultural Bureau, found Section Chief Wu again, and solemnly submitted all the materials.
Section Chief Wu took the materials, glanced at them without even looking at them, and casually tossed them onto the top of a pile of documents on the corner of the table, his action as casual as if he were discarding waste paper. He raised his droopy eyelids, glanced at Ling Yun, and his eyes held a hint of barely perceptible mockery.
"Alright, hand it in and go back to wait." He waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly.
In the following days, things went exactly as planned, like a stone sinking into the sea. When Lingyun called to inquire, the answer was always, "Under review, please wait patiently."
During the days while waiting for the procedures, Ling Yun was not idle. He wanted to develop an internet cafe management software. The main problem was that there wasn't much good programming software available at the moment. Otherwise, he could have finished the software in two days. Fortunately, he completed the software development in five days.
The software was developed, but there was still no news. Lingyun had no choice but to go and inquire in person. Section Chief Wu's attitude became increasingly indifferent, and later he simply avoided meeting her. Lingyun only received a formal notice: "The materials do not meet the requirements and are being returned." The reason was vague, only saying that "some content needs to be further verified and supplemented."
Looking at the returned materials, Ling Yun's face remained calm, but his eyes had turned completely cold. He knew that this was a scheme orchestrated by Huang San and Section Chief Wu.
He picked up the returned document and went directly to the city government building.
Compared to the outdated state of the district cultural bureau, the environment here was much more solemn and tidy. Ling Yun found her cousin Ling Guo's office and knocked on the door.
"Please come in."
Ling Guozheng was writing something at his desk when he looked up and saw Ling Yun. He was somewhat surprised: "Xiao Yun? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"
"Brother, I've run into some trouble and need your help." Ling Yun didn't beat around the bush and explained what had happened, then placed the returned document on Ling Guo's desk.
Ling Guo picked up the documents and quickly flipped through them, his brows furrowing slightly: "Internet Culture Business License... Old Wu from the District Culture Bureau..." He hesitated for a moment, not asking for more details, but simply picked up the phone on the table and dialed a number.
"Hello, is this Lao Zhang? This is Ling Guo from the Inspection Office." His tone was very ordinary, even with a hint of casual laughter. "There's this matter. My younger brother opened an internet cafe near Shandong University called 'Starry Sky Internet Cafe'... All the procedures are complete, fire safety and business licenses are all done, but it's stuck with Lao Wu from your bureau's market section... Yes, the materials were returned, saying they don't meet the requirements."
The person on the other end of the phone seemed to be explaining something.
Ling Guo listened, his smile fading slightly. His tone remained calm, but carried a more authoritative force: "Old Zhang, we'll follow the rules. He's met all the prerequisites. If it doesn't meet the regulations, we'll reject it if necessary and supplement it if required. We absolutely support him. But if it's held up by some external factors, that's not appropriate. The city encourages college student entrepreneurship, so we should support it if we can… How about this, I'll have him send the materials over again, and you can arrange for someone to review them as soon as possible according to the normal procedure? Okay, thank you for your help."
The call was very short, and Ling Guo didn't even mention the scalpers' solicitation of bribes, but his meaning was clearly conveyed.
After hanging up the phone, Ling Guo said to Ling Yun, "Send the materials over again and go directly to Director Zhang."
"Thank you, brother." Ling Yun understood.
"Go quickly, follow the procedure." Ling Guo nodded and continued working on the documents.
That afternoon, Ling Yun appeared again in the office of the Market Section of the District Culture Bureau.
This time, the atmosphere was completely different.
As soon as he reached the door, Section Chief Wu, who had previously had droopy eyelids, sprang up from his seat as if springy, his face beaming with a fawning smile, and quickly came to greet him.
"Mr. Ling... Mr. Ling! You're here! Please come in, please come in!" he said, hurriedly pulling out the chair opposite his desk and vigorously wiping the surface with his sleeve. "Please sit down, please sit down!"
The other staff members in the office also cast curious and awe-inspiring glances at them, whispering among themselves.
Ling Yun handed over the materials, which Section Chief Wu took with both hands, bowing slightly, his smile almost ingratiating: "Oh dear, Boss Ling, look at the mess this has made...it's truly a misunderstanding, a huge misunderstanding! We weren't careful enough before, and there was a slight error in the review process, causing you to make so many trips. I'm so sorry, so sorry!"
As he spoke, he quickly flipped through the documents, muttering repeatedly, "Complete, so complete! Fire safety certified, business license in order, premises compliant...it's completely in accordance with regulations! Our director just personally instructed that we must strongly support outstanding college student entrepreneurs like yourself, handle matters specially, and open a green channel!"
He picked up the official seal and stamped it onto the pre-printed license with a "thud." Holding the "Internet Culture Business License," still smelling of ink, with both hands, he respectfully handed it to Ling Yun.
"Boss Ling, your certificate is ready! I wish you booming business and abundant wealth!" His smile was so warm it was almost exaggerated, a stark contrast to his cold arrogance just a few days ago.
Ling Yun took the thin piece of paper, glanced at Section Chief Wu whose forehead was even beaded with sweat, and nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Section Chief Wu."
"No trouble at all! No trouble at all! Serving the people is our duty!" Section Chief Wu waved his hand repeatedly, escorting Ling Yun all the way to the office door, his back still not fully straight.
Stepping out of the Cultural Bureau, the afternoon sun was rather dazzling. Ling Yun carefully put away the permit.