While Zhang Guodong and the fat man were talking, Zheng Chunyou, who had participated in the meeting, drove away from the village to a hotel in the district to meet someone.
Zheng Chun was filled with anxiety, inwardly cursing Jin Xiangyang as a "bastard" for his poor decision that had caused such a huge blunder. He was used to suppressing Jin Xiangyang and knew he was daring enough not to cause trouble. But he hadn't expected Jin Xiangyang to be so audacious this time. He had taken firearms and equipment out without permission, causing the entire antique theft plan to fail.
This was a very careless mistake, caused by a small oversight.
Now he didn't know how to explain this to Gu San's boss. He had received 200,000 yuan, and before he could even enjoy it, he was about to hand it over, which might land him in trouble.
Upon receiving the call, the skinny Gu San came downstairs, dressed smartly, a far cry from his previous furtive manner. However, his expression was grim. He had intended to make a good impression, but had botched it. Naturally, he had been scolded by his boss, so how could he be in a good mood when picking up Zheng Chun?
"The boss is waiting for you. You'd better watch yourself!" Gu San forced a cold laugh. "Hey Zheng, your work efficiency isn't much, is it? Didn't you guarantee those people couldn't protect that place at all? This time you've caused the boss to lose so many men, hmph!"
Cold sweat broke out on Zheng Chun's forehead. But then, he became furious. He had never been threatened like this before! Especially by this guy who had just been a nobody—how dare he reprimand him?
"Don't give me that nonsense. Do you think I don't want to succeed? At worst, I'll just return what I received!" Zheng Chun said coldly.
"Haha!" Gu San laughed as if he'd heard the funniest thing ever. "My dear Zheng, you think you can just take things back after accepting them? You're being incredibly naive! Your poor handling of this matter has caused the boss a lot of trouble. The boss is very unhappy!"
Zheng Chun had acted impulsively, but now, upon reflection, his heart sank. He realized he had truly fallen for Gu San's trick, and was now on this dangerous path. Otherwise, would 200,000 yuan be so easily obtained? He was just a township police chief; would the boss really need to spend so much money? Even the Party Secretary could be bribed easily, let alone a police chief!
As they spoke, the two arrived at a luxurious room. Gu San said, "The boss is inside, please!"
They didn't knock. The two went in. The room was very luxurious. By the window, a tall figure stood with his back to them, seemingly leisurely enjoying the scenery outside. Even when Gu San and Zheng Chun entered, he didn't turn around.
"Director Zheng, what explanation do you have for this incident?" the man said calmly.
Zheng Chun immediately became nervous.
He was a little unsure of what kind of boss Gu San was, and said somewhat reservedly, "Boss Liu, I didn't expect this accident to happen. That usually small deputy director actually used a firearm this time. It was my fault for not supervising him properly, and I will definitely be punished when I get back. So I will return all the money this time!"
Asking him to return 200,000 yuan would be like cutting off a piece of his flesh. However, if he doesn't return the money this time, he might get even deeper into trouble. Having risen to the position of director at the grassroots level, he must have some sense and be able to understand things after such an incident.
"Two hundred thousand is nothing to me. I just want to make a friend like you. I invited you here today because I have important business to discuss. I plan to invest ten million in your village!" Gu San's boss said calmly.
Zheng Chun thought he had misheard. They weren't going to care about his money? That meant he didn't have to pay 200,000? This was a huge surprise, but he immediately realized that there's no such thing as a free lunch. If the other party was investing 1,000, they must want something from him. Zheng Chun tentatively asked, "Boss Liu, what do you want me to do?"
"Come. Sit down!" Boss Liu finally turned around, saying with a smile. "Sit down and let's chat."
Half an hour later, when Zheng Chun emerged from the hotel, he was no longer anxious but rather beaming with delight, his face relaxed and carefree. If he weren't worried about staying too long, he would have even considered enjoying the bodies of those pretty young women. A bit of a regret!
Zheng Chun drove back to the township and went straight to Chang Lin's office. As the top leader of the township party committee, Chang Lin's power was naturally considerable.
Now that Zheng Chun has brought in a large investment, naturally he should report it to Chang Lin first. Sure enough, Zheng Chun's mention surprised and delighted Chang Lin as well. Ten million! That's a huge investment! He never expected Zheng Chun to be such a lucky charm.
"Old Zheng, you've really done a great job this time! Ten million in investment is a third of the annual investment attraction target!" Chang Lin praised.
Zheng Chun, somewhat smug, said, "Secretary Chang, isn't this all thanks to your leadership?"
"Good, not arrogant or impatient! Old Zheng, you need to contact them as soon as possible. When they come to inspect, you and I will visit them in person!" Chang Lin chuckled and gave instructions.
“Okay, Secretary Chang, however, the construction of a large quarry will require the removal of many hilltops,” Zheng Chun from the township government said with a blink of his eye.
Chang Lin waved his hand and said seriously, "Attracting investment is the driving force for the township's economic development. It is the most important thing for the whole township at this stage. Everyone must obey this overall situation and no one can disrupt it. Besides, those are just barren mountains, so there won't be any big problems. This matter will be decided by everyone at the township party committee meeting!"
"Secretary Chang, I'll contact them right away!" Zheng Chun smiled immediately. Wasn't the Party Committee meeting still controlled by Secretary Chang? Of the seven Party Committee members, five were on Secretary Chang's side. Only Wang Kang and the old man who was the Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission remained. And the two weren't even on the same side; how could Wang Kang get anything done by himself?
A major case of antique theft was cracked in Zhangba Township. Twenty criminals were arrested, and the news spread throughout the district. Interrogation of these twenty individuals revealed that they were idle and, upon hearing of the large number of antiques found at the border of Lishi Village and Huangyan Village, decided to seize them. They then formed their own group.
The district issued a notice commending Jin Xiangyang, the deputy director of the police station, and eight officers for their courage in fighting the criminal, as well as Li Dinggui and others. This is a good example of police-community cooperation. Naturally, the government reimbursed all medical expenses for the injured police officers and villagers.
This is only the third day, and they've already got the results in just two days! This greatly displeased the fat man. How could they draw such a hasty conclusion? Why weren't those who escaped arrested? They haven't even found out who was behind it all. This is far from what the fat man had initially hoped for.
But the call came from Luo Jianhui, which made the fat man very uncomfortable.
“Wang Kang, if this case is investigated too deeply, its impact will be enormous, involving too many people. So we can only keep it under wraps for now. For the time being, we'll just put it on hold temporarily.” Luo Jianhui’s tone was somewhat helpless. The fat man understood what he meant.
Luo Jianhui was probably under some pressure, so he temporarily compromised. However, what made the fat man extremely uncomfortable was that he had been used as a bargaining chip this time, humiliated in exchange for Luo Jianhui's benefits?
The fat man was seething with anger; he was truly unwilling to accept this. He naturally had a way to deal with Luo Jianhui. However, he needed to find out what had happened, so he called Jiang Lihan again, but unexpectedly, Jiang Lihan was in an even worse mood.
"Damn it, there's a mole in my bureau! I don't know how those bastards got involved, but the city's discipline inspection commission sent people to supervise the interrogation. With those people present, those bastards immediately recanted their confessions, insisting they were threatened and coerced into confessing, and that they originally organized themselves!" Jiang Lihan cursed.
Upon hearing this, the fat man realized that Jiang Lihan had also suffered a loss. Someone had likely contacted these arrested thugs, and they had collectively changed their testimonies. The interrogation had reached a point where no progress could be made; those few people from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection were clearly there to interfere with the interrogation. These thugs were all seasoned veterans; how could they get the truth out of them without giving them a taste of their own medicine?
As a result, these twenty people memorized all the charges against them. There was no way to keep the case closed at this point!
Fortunately, only one inscription was missing from the ancient tomb; everything else was intact. This result brought a sigh of relief to everyone. The district specifically praised the township party committee and government for their solid work in combating crime, but the praise was directed not at economic development, but at the preservation of antiquities, which left the man somewhat frustrated.
The primary purpose of a local government is to develop the economy and improve people's lives. If its only function is to combat crime, then the government's performance will be significantly less effective. Otherwise, what's the point of having a police station?
"I'm not satisfied! All I got from this operation was a few words of praise?" The fat man found Zhang Guodong, feeling somewhat frustrated, and the two drank some wine. "The situation in the village can't be improved without outside help," Zhang Guodong asked in surprise. "Can't we get help from Luo Jianhui?"
There's more to it than that. Why does Fatty have to work so hard when his father is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee and the Municipal Party Secretary?
"The district is currently prioritizing stability at the grassroots level; we can't let it affect economic development!" the fat man said helplessly. "I've told you before, I gained experience at the grassroots level. My dad won't interfere, so I can't leverage his influence."
Furthermore, the fat man is quite arrogant. He wants to use his connections to achieve something significant. Therefore, he's unlikely to reveal his father's identity or anything like that.
As for Luo Jianhui and Jiang Lihan, they basically listen to Luo Jianhui. Luo Jianhui may have compromised with some people this time, and he must have benefited as well. However, the fat man is going to suffer an injustice.
"What's the situation in the township now? How many votes do you have?" Zhang Guodong asked.
“I’m still all alone right now. Apart from the deputy secretary of the Party Committee and the secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission, everyone else is led by Chang Lin. He has five votes out of the seven committee members. I’m the only one here!” the fat man said bitterly. “However, I’ve spent most of my time these past few months investigating the economies of more than a dozen villages and townships. That’s probably my only gain!”
"Hehe, I feel a little sorry for you. Your work still has a long way to go. Politics, indeed, is something only officials can handle!" Zhang Guodong said with a sigh after hearing this.
"Guodong, do me a favor!" The fat man suddenly put down his wine glass and said in a serious tone.
Zhang Guodong suddenly felt a little uncomfortable under his serious gaze. This phrase, "Do me a favor," was quite unusual. Zhang Guodong remembered that this was the first time he had ever heard someone speak so earnestly.
Zhang Guodong had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the fat man said, "Get me evidence of Zheng Chun's crimes!"
"Pfft!" Zhang Guodong spat out all the wine he was drinking.
"Are you kidding me? Even you officials can't get it, how could I possibly get it?" Zhang Guodong wiped the wine stains and said, dumbfounded.
He wondered to himself, "Could it be that this little guy has discovered something?"
But the fat man continued to stare at him without saying a word. The fat man was also feeling uneasy. He was also bluffing; Zhang Guodong was shrouded in mystery, and he could never see through him. Had he been wrong?
"Stop looking! You're like a complaining woman, it gives me the creeps! I'm scared of you, I'll try my best and see if I get lucky!" Zhang Guodong originally wanted to brush it off, but then he thought, the fat man really has nowhere else to turn now, if he doesn't help, who will? As for his identity as a plant cultivator, perhaps he won't be able to hide it from the fat man in the future. After all, his father is a member of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, and once he's promoted to a high-ranking leadership position, he might find out some things through certain channels.
If you want to remain mysterious, then stay mysterious. Anyway, the fat guy won't see you directly, so it doesn't really matter.
The fat man had prepared a speech, but Zhang Guodong's quick reply rendered all his persuasion useless. He was immediately overjoyed, thinking, "Damn it! I almost fell for your trick! Haha!"
"Hehe, you're a true buddy! Why don't you come work for the government too?" the fat man said happily.
Zhang Guodong gave him a disdainful look. To be honest, he really looked down on politics. In his eyes now, the affairs of the plant cultivators were more important than anything else. A life of traveling, enjoying nature, and living a leisurely life suited him best.
Besides, with four wives at home, two in politics, one in agriculture, and one in business, that's enough. For a grown man like him, becoming the man standing behind the women isn't so bad, actually.
After they parted, the fat man immediately threw himself into his work. Zhang Guodong could tell he was very busy, so he simply didn't bother him. Back at Peach Blossom Abode, Xuan Qing was actually having an enthusiastic conversation with Qing Zhu and Li Yun in the courtyard.
"Senior Sister, Qingzhu, Li Yun, what are you talking about? You seem so happy." Zhang Guodong walked into the courtyard and asked curiously.
But as soon as Zhang Guodong arrived, Xuan Qingban shut up, while Qingzhu glared at Zhang Guodong.
Li Yun, that girl, is the best. She said, "Guodong, Sister Qingban just said that the spiritual energy outside is too thin. Nowadays, cultivation is purely predatory. We use as much as we can, and once we use too much, many places will become arid and deserts will appear, and the land will become barren. So we were talking about what to plant here. Plants can also create spiritual energy!"
"Farming?" Zhang Guodong asked in surprise. "Senior Sister, don't plants absorb spiritual energy? How can they create it? Is this kind of land even useful?"
Note: Only one update today, 4,000 words.
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