She was all smiles, with a hint of wit and humor in her words: "As the saying goes, you must burn incense in every temple. Not to worship is a disease. What's more, this is a big temple. If I don't kowtow here, who can I expect to bless me in the future!"
Her words not only expressed her respect for me, but also created a relaxed and humorous atmosphere. Although she was humble, she did not seem restrained or fawning at all.
I asked with concern: "You are still used to it?"
She confessed: "To be honest, I'm not used to the slow pace of this small county town."
I nodded to show my understanding: "Yes, the efficiency of the government agencies here is indeed unsatisfactory. Compared with the provincial capital, the gap is still obvious."
She didn't care and said confidently: "But fortunately, I have a strong ability to adapt. No matter what the environment is, I can quickly adjust myself and integrate into it."
I said firmly: "You should change them instead of letting yourself be assimilated by them."
Lu Yuting's eyes drooped slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered twice like butterfly wings. Then she raised her eyes and stared at me, and said slowly: "County Magistrate Guan, I am just a person. I know that I have no ability to change the environment, but you are different."
There was a deep meaning in her eyes that I seemed to understand but couldn't fully understand. However, I couldn't help but want to explore it in depth.
I said, "I'm slow in thinking, so don't beat around the bush or play any charades with me."
She smiled lightly, and that smile was like a flower blooming in spring, elegant and charming: "Then let's not talk about this. In fact, I came here today to ask you for a favor."
I responded generously: "Just say whatever you want to say. Don't be polite to me."
She said: "The people from Mr. Feng's side have arrived, but the business doesn't seem to be going smoothly. I heard that in recent years, there has been a person in the county who specializes in providing financing to non-standard enterprises, and this has competed with the business that Mr. Feng plans to develop. I just got here, I'm not familiar with the people and the place, and I don't know the other party's details, so I need your help."
Her tone was no longer that of a subordinate asking for instructions from her superior, but rather more like that of a eunuch conveying an imperial decree, with a hint of unquestionable authority. When I thought of the word "eunuch", I couldn't help but laugh.
She looked herself up and down with some doubt, checking if there was anything inappropriate on her body, and then asked me: "What are you laughing at?"
I quickly explained: "Don't get me wrong, I was laughing at the fact that we were sitting in this government office and talking about Mr. Feng's business."
She said frankly: "When someone trusts you, you should be loyal to them. Once you are in the world, you have no choice."
I frowned, stared at her with a sharp gaze, and asked in a deep voice, "You can't help yourself? Could it be that Mr. Feng forced you to do this?"
As soon as I finished speaking, her relaxed expression suddenly tensed up, and her expression became extremely serious. She spoke word by word: "County Magistrate Guan, I am just like you. I have always had the idea of relying on others. But this world has its own set of rules. If we are outside of these rules, we will be like walking barefoot in a thorn bush, with difficulty. Have you heard about the incident with Deputy Secretary Xu of the Municipal Party Committee?"
Hearing this, I couldn't help but be shocked. My eyes were full of astonishment, and I subconsciously asked, "His matter... is it also related to Mr. Feng?"
The serious expression on her face instantly disappeared, and she was replaced by a smile, but the smile seemed to be covered by a thin veil, making it hard to understand. She said softly: "Why do you want to go there? I don't know the details. I just want to remind you, don't take any chances."
In an instant, her originally dignified and beautiful face turned eerie and terrifying in my eyes, as if hiding countless unknown secrets and conspiracies.
After seeing Lu Yuting off, I slowly returned to my office chair and sat down slowly. I felt as if I was frozen in place, not moving an inch. My mind kept recalling what she had just said and that frightening expression.
Yue Mingyuan's power far exceeded my imagination. He is like a giant octopus hiding in the dark, with its tentacles extending wantonly and covering every corner. As long as he wanted, he could tighten those tentacles at any time, tightly wrap around his opponent, and kill him. A deputy secretary of the municipal party committee was brought down by them overnight. When you think about the power and means behind this, it is really chilling and makes your spine cold.
The task that Lu Yuting entrusted me to do progressed much faster than expected, and soon there was some progress. Unexpectedly, the person who provided funds for the farmland water conservancy project was Zheng Tong.
I learned an astonishing secret from a person familiar with the inside story: Zheng Tong actually lent high-interest loans to those contractors who had difficulty in cash flow at an annual interest rate of 36%, thereby making huge profits. You know, such an interest rate is just like a blood-sucking devil. Once the payment of fiscal funds is delayed, these package heads will be in trouble. Not only can they not expect to make any profit from the project, some may even lose everything they put in. Years of hard work will go down the drain in an instant, leaving them with a miserable fate of losing everything.
Normally, I only need to tell Lu Yuting the news truthfully and I will have done what she asked me to do. However, somehow, an idea suddenly flashed through my mind - why don't I use Yue Mingyuan's hand to hit Zheng Tong hard? Looking back on the years since the “9.22 Mine Disaster”, the resentment suppressed in my heart is like a poisonous snake, gnawing at my heart from time to time, causing dull pain. I have never been able to let go of the darkness and injustice hidden behind the mining disaster, and Zheng Tong was one of the key figures behind it.
It happened to be the weekend, and after much thought, I decided to go to the provincial capital to meet Yue Mingyuan in person and see if I could arouse his interest in Zheng Tong. Besides, I really missed my children, so I took this opportunity to go to Lin Xun's home and visit Xu Anqi.
This meeting with Yue Mingyuan was deliberately arranged at the Qingfeng Society's headquarters. Stepping through that door is like stepping into a world full of intrigues and conflicts of interest, with an unsettling atmosphere all around.
Yue Mingyuan didn't beat around the bush. As soon as he saw me, he asked directly about Zheng Tong's situation. I made plans in my mind, and told him everything I knew and could tell him openly. As for the complicated and deep-seated grievances between Zheng Tong and me, I chose to remain silent and bury them deeply.
He listened to me quietly, without much expression on his face. He just said calmly, "Well, this Zheng Tong does have some power, but in the end, he is just a rich man. His business methods of exhausting all resources are really despicable. If he can't even help these contractors get money from the treasury, this business will end sooner or later."
He merely commented on Zheng Tong's means of doing business, but did not mention his character at all, without any praise or criticism. From this subtle detail, it is not difficult for me to see that Yue Mingyuan and Zheng Tong are actually birds of a feather. Although their intentions are different, they are essentially the same. They are all ruthless and will do anything for the sake of profit.
We were talking when He Zhibin suddenly came in hurriedly and said, "Boss Feng, they are here."
Yue Mingyuan nodded slightly, glanced at me and said, "Hongjun, sit still, I'll show you their virtues."
I was just about to ask him who these “they” were, but before I could even open my mouth, the door creaked open.
When I saw the person coming in, I suddenly felt a chill running up from the soles of my feet to my forehead, and I couldn't help but gasp!
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