Thank you for your concern.

Su Jianguo smiled.

I need it urgently.

He carefully put the thick stacks of banknotes into the canvas bag he carried with him, put on an old cotton-padded coat over them, and then rode his bicycle away from the bank.

Two hours later.

When Su Jianguo and Su Jianjun arrived at Shenjiabao Village Committee again, they found that the atmosphere was obviously not right.

Shen Degui, who was all smiles yesterday, had a stern face today and didn't even pour them tea.

"Village Chief Shen, I've brought the money."

Su Jianguo patted the bulging canvas bag.

"Shall we sign the contract now?"

Shen Degui coughed lightly, his mind wandering.

"Well... Comrade Su, the situation has changed. Our village committee has reconsidered the reservoir issue and feels... we still can't contract it out to you."

Su Jianguo's smile froze.

"What do you mean? Didn't we agree on this yesterday?"

"Oh dear, plans can't keep up with changes!"

Shen Degui rubbed his hands together, refusing to look at him.

"Our village also needs to use that reservoir..."

Su Jianjun stood up abruptly.

"Shen Degui! Are you playing us? We clearly agreed on this yesterday!"

"Build an army!"

Su Jianguo pressed down on his younger brother's shoulder, suppressing his anger as he asked.

"Village Chief Shen, can you tell me the real reason?"

Just then, the curtain of the inner room was lifted, and a burly man in his early thirties walked out.

He was wearing a brand-new leather jacket, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and looked incredibly arrogant.

"Dad, why waste time talking to them?"

The man glanced sideways at the Su brothers.

"Just tell them, I've contracted the reservoir!"

Shen Degui gave an awkward introduction.

"This is my son, Shen Daqiang... He works at the Fisheries Bureau..."

Shen Daqiang walked directly up to Su Jianguo and spoke condescendingly.

"I heard you guys wanted to lease a reservoir to grow vegetables? Sorry, I'm planning to raise fish. Aquaculture is being encouraged these days; raising fish is much more profitable than growing vegetables!"

Su Jianguo then realized what was going on.

Shen Degui changed his mind because his son had his eye on this lucrative opportunity!

"Comrade Shen."

Su Jianguo suppressed his anger and tried to speak calmly.

"Do you know anything about that reservoir? It's been abandoned for many years and requires a lot of investment to repair..."

"none of your business!"

Shen Daqiang rudely interrupted him.

"I've worked at the Fisheries Bureau for eight years, don't I know more than you? Get lost and stop getting in my way!"

Su Jianjun was so angry that he trembled all over.

Su Jianguo held him tightly and said in a deep voice.

"Village Chief Shen, we made a deal yesterday. Honesty is essential in business..."

"Integrity?"

Shen Daqiang laughed heartily.

"You haven't even paid, how can you claim to have integrity? Get out of here, or I'll call the police!"

As he spoke, he whistled towards the door, and immediately five or six young villagers gathered around, all with unfriendly expressions.

Knowing he wouldn't get away with this, Su Jianguo pulled Su Jianjun outside.

"Okay, let's go. But this isn't over."

Leaving the village committee, Su Jianjun stomped his feet in anger.

"Brother, are we just going to let it go like this? That reservoir is so important to us!"

Su Jianguo squinted, looking in the direction of the village committee.

"Of course not. Come on, let's take a walk around the village."

The two brothers did not leave immediately, but instead pushed the tractor slowly through the village.

Su Jianguo would stop from time to time to chat with the villagers by the roadside, offer them cigarettes, and have casual conversations.

Gradually, he figured out the situation.

It turns out that Shen Daqiang wasn't a legitimate employee of the Fisheries Bureau at all; he was just a temporary worker who idled away his days.

His so-called fish farming plan was a complete scheme to get something for nothing.

Lacking both funds and technology, they simply wanted to seize the reservoir resources by taking advantage of their father being the village chief.

"Brother, what do the villagers think of your village chief going back on his word like this?"

Su Jianguo lit a cigarette for an old farmer and asked casually.

The old farmer looked around and whispered.

"Everyone's furious! Comrade Su, you have such good conditions—the contract fees go into the collective account, and you even hire people from our village to work... But Shen Degui listens to his son and insists on starting his own fish farm. Isn't that ridiculous!"

"that is."

A middle-aged woman nearby chimed in.

"Shen Daqiang doesn't even have the money to buy fish fry, how is he going to raise fish? He's just trying to scam subsidies!"

A glint of light flashed in Su Jianguo's eyes.

He thanked the villagers and led Su Jianjun to the big locust tree at the entrance of the village.

"Brother, what do we do now?"

Su Jianjun asked anxiously.

Su Jianguo pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

"Jianjun, have you noticed that the villagers of Shenjiabao are very dissatisfied with Shen Degui and his son?"

"So what? Shen Degui is the village chief, he's the one who calls the shots!"

"not necessarily."

Su Jianguo's eyes gleamed.

"Now that rural areas practice village self-governance, major matters should be decided by the village assembly. Shen Degui's unauthorized transfer of collective property to his son is against the rules."

Su Jianjun suddenly realized.

"Brother, you mean..."

"Let's go talk to the village accountant and a few respected elders."

Su Jianguo patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

"Since Shen Degui doesn't follow the rules, then we'll follow them!"