Finally, after having a good meal and a good drink, Fu Hongjun finally turned his attention to me.
"Mayor Guan, I can't refuse the hospitality of General Manager Lin and General Manager Liu today. I am also grateful to you. How about it, are you interested in staying with me for a while?"
I didn't dare to provoke him anymore and just obeyed him obediently.
Liu Yun’s “Yancai Jixian” is a unique place. In the backyard of the restaurant are the guest rooms, and behind the guest rooms are hot spring pools with different scenery on the 께 Mountain.
On this early spring night, in the warm yet chilly night breeze, my master and I stretched our limbs in the outdoor hot spring, feeling the wonderful sensation of ice and fire.
The master was silent for a while, then he said to me in a normal tone: "These two sisters are very smart businessmen, but their products are reliable. When they mentioned this to me, I was a little resistant. But then I thought about it, it was you who facilitated this investment, and you deserve it both publicly and privately."
I asked, "Master, this is bribery, how can I accept it with a clear conscience and at ease?"
The master snorted in the boiling water. I don’t know whether it was because he was upset or disdainful of what I said, or because he was scalded by the water.
He asked in a questioning tone, "Did you use the public power for personal gain? Did you abuse your power for personal gain? Did you transfer benefits?"
I argued, "Of course I didn't!"
The master shrugged and blurted out, "That's it. Besides, they acted first and then asked for permission. They have arranged everything. You are now in a difficult position. It's too late to escape."
I wiped the sweat off Master's forehead with a towel and said firmly, "It's not too late. If you and Zhang Fangfang don't cooperate, they won't achieve their goal."
The master turned his head and stared at me and said, "I can't control your sister. I am definitely enjoying the success. I also want to take advantage of their development. There is no reason not to cooperate."
He was being frank.
"Hongjun, think about it, you are a 70-year-old man, and now you still rely on your wife for living. The salary of a county party committee organization director is with you, and you still have to rely on giving your children piano lessons to supplement your family income. How can you bear it?"
Without waiting for me to say anything, he continued, "Your sister is taking care of your son alone. She has to type two copies of work a day. The last time I saw her, I almost didn't recognize her. Did she have a good life with you? You are doing well now, and she is a widow and unemployed woman who has to make a living alone. Can you blame her for being greedy for money? Your father and mother are still squeezed in a shabby house in the countryside and freezing. They raised you with great difficulty and sent you to college. Shouldn't you repay them?"
I still held on to my bottom line and said stubbornly: "But this is against principle and against the law."
The master sighed again and said with a little sadness: "Although what you said is true, isn't this the current environment? From the secretary to the mayor of Tongxiang Town to the station director, who hasn't invested in the coal mine? You can be clean and you can cherish your feathers. But if you don't want to go along with the crowd, you will be regarded as an outsider, excluded and attacked. You can't change your innate greed with your power."
I shook my head and said, "It's not as exaggerated as you think. The new mayor may not take the plunge."
He splashed water on my face and angrily said, "My apprentice, wake up. Just yesterday, the boss of Taixiang Coal Mine promised to give him 15% of the dry shares. This was told to me by Lin Xun herself. Given her relationship with Boss Zhang, how could this be groundless?"
I almost dropped my head in shock, thinking back to Zhang Weiguo's questioning about my relationship with Zhang Weitang, and comparing it with my father-in-law Zhu Jiang's judgment, I couldn't help but believe it.
The master continued, "He met with the boss of Taixiang and personally promised to help him solve the problem of illegal mining. He said that Deputy Mayor Xu of the city was his old leader, and it would cost a lot to manage the relationship. Zhang Xiao holds 15% of the shares. This is blatant robbery. Compared with what they did, you are already a man of high moral character."
I said sadly, "Master, you have changed. You have forgotten what you said to me in the locker room that day."
The master's mood also darkened, and he said sadly, "Hongjun, it's not me who has changed. It's the environment that has changed. Anyone who doesn't adapt to the environment will have no future."
I said, "Master, I am worried that the truth will come out someday. After all, this kind of thing cannot be exposed in public."
Master comforted me and said, "The current supervision is not that penetrating. With this method of shifting the universe and setting up three layers of buffer zones, it will be difficult to find you."
I felt the hot spring water getting colder and my body began to tremble involuntarily.
Tang Xiaomei asked me, "Is that when you started to become dark?"
I smiled bitterly and answered her, "It's not that dark, but I always feel that from that moment on, I entered the midlife crisis several years early. I fell into a vortex of mental depression, followed by career setbacks and wasted years. And a major change that would change the trajectory of my destiny was about to hit me like a storm."
Regarding my acceptance of the shares from the Lin Liu sisters, I kept it a secret from everyone, including my love.
Because I don’t want Qingwan to be frightened and unable to sleep or eat well because of me.
For a while, I was like a wound-up alarm clock, running non-stop, trying to relieve the anxiety in my heart by running.
First, we attended the signing ceremony held by the county with Daxun Group, which marked the official launch of the Daxun Auto Parts Co., Ltd. project.
I met with the fifth brother Zhang Zhihang and the eighth brother Chen Kai twice and took care of their work and life. I couldn't neglect my brothers and friends, and it was my responsibility to be a good landlord.
On the contrary, I adopted a lukewarm attitude towards Zhang Xiaodong, the newly appointed county magistrate, and kept heating up the cold stove as usual.
Because there are too many people who flatter, what's the difference between me and them? I don't like to do things that are just icing on the cake. More importantly, true brothers don't need to be flattering at all. They only show up at the critical moment to help when the time is right.
The first stop of his grassroots research was Tongxiang Town.
The town officials crowded around him, vying to make a good impression.
He didn't even enter the town office building. He simply greeted everyone and said, "Let's go to the company first."
After saying that, he turned and got into the Coaster he was riding in.
Tian Zhenyu and Zhang Weiguo followed him into the car. He told his secretary, "Ask Deputy Mayor Guan to get in this car. He is in charge of the business. I want to hear his thoughts on the business."
So I broke the convention and sat in this car as a deputy.
On the way to the Tongxiang factory of Daxun Company, Tian and Zhang Er introduced the situation of enterprises in the town from both macro and specific perspectives.
Zhang Xiaodong had a blank expression on his face. He just listened to the report without saying a word.
After the two of them finished, he said to me, "I have a pretty good idea of the situation. Let's talk to Deputy Mayor Guan about the safety of production."