Chapter 226: Squeezing Oil from a Stone
Before long, Su Changyi, the county official in charge of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, sideline industries, and fisheries, hurried over.
As a low-ranking county leader, he had never imagined having any contact with CCTV, nor had he expected any notable achievements from his subordinates. He simply hoped to coast through a few uneventful years, then transfer to a municipal department as a head or deputy head. Who would have thought a golden opportunity would fall from the sky? If things developed well, with a bit of maneuvering, climbing another rung wasn't out of the question.
Fortunately, he rushed over right after the city meeting ended. Missing this would have haunted him for life.
He wore a black jacket, white shirt, black trousers, and black leather shoes—the standard attire of the bureaucratic system. As soon as he got out of the car, he headed straight for Zhou You. He had already inquired along the way and learned that Zhou You was the driving force behind everything. Though he didn't fully grasp Zhou You's specifics yet, it didn't hurt to get acquainted first.
"Hello, I'm Su Changyi. Thank you, Teacher Zhou, for your contributions to our hometown. I've prepared a modest dinner tonight—I hope you'll do me the honor of joining us."
Zhou You shook his hand warmly. "It's only right. It benefits both sides—a win-win!"
He then introduced Su Changyi to Xie Yingying.
"I didn't expect the crew to be so low-key, coming to our county without my knowledge. I almost missed the chance to meet you. It's a failure on my part," Su Changyi said, spouting pleasantries.
Xie Yingying gave a faint smile. She had seen this many times before. To be honest, she didn't think much of small-town leaders—she'd likely never cross paths with them again. But knowing how to speak to different people was a basic skill for a host.
"We didn't want to trouble the local authorities. Teacher Zhou had everything arranged—it went very smoothly."
After exchanging a few more formalities, they got into the car and headed to the county seat, a ten-minute drive away.
Zhou Guoqin and Li Baoyin naturally had to come, along with the old village chief, Zhou You, and the town mayor. The rest didn't need to attend—it would only create awkwardness. Socializing required effort and energy.
Zhou You didn't mind, but Zhou Guoqin was a bit nervous. He had only recently become village chief and had never met a county leader, let alone dined with one. The old village chief, now the village party secretary, was indifferent—he was about to retire anyway. With no ambitions tied to the county, he was more relaxed and straightforward. Desirelessness made one unyielding!
The reception was held at the best hotel in the county, where accommodations were also arranged. A large private room, seating over twenty people, was fully occupied.
Su Changyi took the seat of honor. He had initially wanted Zhou You to sit there, but Zhou You declined—he couldn't overstep in front of his local officials. The proper respect had to be given. At this point, Zhou You's reputation was still modest, known mainly in entertainment circles. The two companies he had set up were still in their early stages. In a few years, if his identity were exposed, it wouldn't be a matter of a deputy official hosting him—he'd be swamped by daily investment pitches.
Zhou You sat to Su Changyi's right, Xie Yingying to his left, with Ren Changzhen next to Zhou You. They were seated in an alternating pattern to avoid neglecting anyone.
During the meal, after a brief opening speech, Xie Yingying suddenly asked, "Teacher Zhou, does this restaurant use your farm's ingredients?"
Zhou You spread his hands. "I don't handle that! Big brother, you explain."
Zhou Guoqin gave an awkward smile. "No, our products are mainly in the provincial capital and city. They're not used in the county. We've tried a few times, but the prices didn't work out."
Su Changyi suddenly felt the meal turning sour. The county had a farm that even CCTV was covering, yet its products weren't available locally—not even at the best hotel. That was hard to justify.
He cleared his throat. "I'll look into this when I get back. It's a real shame that our county's residents can't enjoy such fine products."
Su Changyi dared only to say this much. He couldn't outright order the hotel to use their products. The hotel, being the best in the county, had deep connections. As a low-ranking deputy, his word carried less weight than a powerful department head's. Making bold promises would only invite trouble.
Zhou You smiled, unconcerned. Their products had no shortage of buyers. But he still needed to make a point. "No need. The farm's output can't keep up with demand anyway. Besides, Director Ren is right here. He was the lead director for *A Bite of China*—do you think we'll lack a market?"
When he mentioned this, everyone except the CCTV crew was stunned. That documentary would remain relevant for at least a decade. Wherever it was brought up, it carried prestige—more than any movie, with the broadest audience and highest status.
Ren Changzhen, used to such occasions, was very modest. "It's all thanks to Teacher Zhou's support. Without the funding, we couldn't have made it. And with all the movies Teacher Zhou has invested in, every single one has been a hit."
Luo Daxing was a bit dazed. They were all grassroots workers—how had the conversation suddenly reached such heights?
Su Changyi began to grasp why Zhou You could bring in the CCTV crew. So that was the connection. But he couldn't help asking, "Isn't Teacher Zhou a professor at Luzhou University? How do you invest in so many projects?"
To gain everyone's trust, Zhou You had to show some strength. "It's all by chance. I love being a professor most, but I occasionally make investments—a bit of everything. I dabbled in a few movies in the entertainment industry, and they happened to succeed."
Xie Yingying, seeing Zhou You open up, chimed in to support him. "Teacher Zhou is being modest. *Lost in Thailand*, *Finding Mr. Right*—every one was a massive hit, breaking industry records."
Su Changyi thought he had overestimated Zhou You, but he had still fallen short. He immediately texted the county's top leader, summarizing the situation, and asked him to stop by later to show respect. The top leader was also dining at the same hotel—the best in the county, where almost all receptions were held.
The entertainment industry valued exposure. Su Changyi and his peers sought political achievements, and appearing on CCTV was a major one.
"Director Xie, tomorrow I'll personally accompany our honored CCTV guests on a tour of our small county. We'll capture some local features as素材 to enrich the coverage."
Xie Yingying heard this and knew it was going as expected. But she wanted to let Zhou You take the credit for this favor—it was useless to her. She glanced at Zhou You and said softly, "I'd love to, but there's no place in the county connected to the farm. If it feels too forced, it might backfire."
Su Changyi didn't know how to respond. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing it was the top leader, he quickly stood up and stepped out to take the call. As he left, he spotted the top leader nearby, waving him over.
Su Changyi breathed a sigh of relief and briefed him on the situation, especially highlighting the farm's difficulties in the county. There was no choice—the hotel's backer was this very person.
The top leader pondered for a moment. "You did the right thing. This is an important promotion for our county. I'll talk to the hotel and have them support it for now. We'll figure out the rest later."
Su Changyi chuckled inwardly. This was a case of wanting it both ways—having the cake and eating it too. Compared to fame, tangible benefits were more real. Even if they got on CCTV, how much would he personally gain? Better to stay low-key. But while the CCTV crew might not guarantee success, they could easily cause trouble.
The top leader entered with Su Changyi, smiled warmly as he made the rounds with a toast, then excused himself, citing other engagements.
Once everyone was settled, Zhou You said to Su Changyi, "I just discussed it with Director Xie. Tomorrow, we'll film a segment of the farm delivering goods to the county seat. No other appearances needed, but we'll include a few local landmarks."
Su Changyi was overjoyed. Look at how this man handled things—generous and efficient. "Thank you, Teacher Zhou, for helping our hometown. I toast to you."
Zhou You glanced at the time. It was getting late. This kind of socializing was pointless—driven by either self-interest or hypocrisy. A little was enough. Living like this was too exhausting.
"Let's have one last toast together. We have filming tomorrow, so our friends from afar should rest early."
Zhou You proposed wrapping it up. His main concern was that the county might raise more difficult demands—plucking feathers from every passing bird, squeezing oil from a stone. Seeing a piece of唐僧肉, everyone wanted a bite.