After the meeting, Pan Chiyan returned to his office and made a phone call. The line barely rang twice before it was picked up and Mayor Sun's voice came through the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hello, Mayor Sun. It's me, Pan Chiyan."
The moment he said his name, there was a brief silence on the other end before Mayor Sun responded, "Comrade Pan, do you need something?"
Pan Chiyan didn't bother with small talk and got straight to the point. "Mayor Sun, we might need your help procuring more grain. This time, we need at least 5,000 tons."
The line went quiet before Mayor Sun exclaimed in shock, "5,000 tons?!"
"Comrade Pan, I'm afraid I can't help this time. That amount is far too much, and I don't have the resources to gather that kind of money."
