Chapter 247

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Chen Yi would naturally not go to some hacker gathering with a middle school girl, but when Chen Rongxi saw he disagreed, she feigned grievance: "You can't let the three of us girls go together, right? Inside it's all bearded uncles."

"The three of you indeed can't." Chen Yi pondered for a moment, and before the three could show delight, he said: "I'll assign bodyguards to you."

"No!"

"Bodyguards in movies are such a hassle."

Chen Yi decisively said: "It's settled then."

In his martial arts hall, there were plenty of high-caliber bodyguards; bearded uncles could be scattered like beans into soldiers, but they'd only end up beaten into beards.

The room was filled with wailing.

As Chen Yi was leaving, he heard Chen Rongxi quietly persuade them: "Don't worry, without an invitation you can't enter the venue; when the time comes we'll just sneak in."

"If you shake off the bodyguards, you won't be allowed to go." Through the door, Chen Yi's voice was just as clear.

"We're done for, should've known not to say it." Now it was Chen Rongxi's turn to wail.

Downstairs was still a noisy, bustling scene, as if someone had successfully run for Jiangning Mayor and they were all celebrating wildly, demanding a share of the spoils.

In fact it wasn't far off; the American-style political patronage that draws criticism, even at the governor level, doesn't run as deep as in China — a mere string of junior cadre titles is enough to excite everyone for a long time, and a whole series of mid-level and even senior position changes are like pieces of rendered fat being poured into everyone's bellies.

The Chen Clan disciples were all delighted; if not for this current situation, waiting for positions by the book, who knows when it would've been.

The front hall, back hall, and restaurant were long since packed with visiting disciples and former subordinates; Chen Yi saw his father's secretary greeting people and couldn't help asking: "Expanded again?"

"Yes, late this afternoon someone leaked some information about Bureau Chief Liao of the Finance Bureau; heard his family housing alone embezzled 20 million; Secretary Sun slammed the table." The Chen Group Chairman's secretary was no simple figure either, well-versed in officialdom dynamics and often handling his father's official connections.

The Jiangning Finance Bureau Chief is at Deputy Department Level, and is the most critical post in the Xingju Bureau Bureau Bureau — pull one hair and the whole body moves; the entire Finance Bureau would have to vacate at least 20 positions. Chen Yi quipped: "Looks like this storm won't be over in ten days or half a month."

Not just ten days or half a month; the Finance Bureau isn't some cheap Cultural Bureau — a single Section Chief of the former can look askance at a Division Chief of the latter. Institutions like the Appraisal Office, regardless of how much money they rake in, are worlds apart in status and power.

In officialdom parlance, even a dog in the Finance Bureau lives a dignified life.

Secretary Dong accompanied with a smile: "These few days of turmoil are unavoidable."

"Father seems used to it."

Chen Congyu in the crowd was like a fish in water, chatting enthusiastically.

Politics is originally the art of public administration; if one can't endure annoyance, one can't do politics; a hands-off shopkeeper can exist but a hands-off official cannot, and a hands-off bureaucrat even less so.

Boss Bai was also in the front hall chatting with two young Chen Clan officials; seeing Chen Yi come downstairs, he smiled and came over to greet him: "Thank you, Mr. Chen, for the introductions; I've met quite a few friends."

"Not at all; Mining Group has deep capital, everyone is dying to know you." The few people within earshot all laughed.

Someone even joked: "If Boss Bai leaks a little from his cuffs, it's enough for a poor county to shake off poverty."

"I'll take your auspicious words." Boss Bai himself laughed until he nearly fell over, as if he greatly appreciated the other's humor.

If it were somewhere outside Southeast Province, a mining company of tens of billions scale would be a seat-of-honor guest for city high officials, but in this cursed land of Jiangning, enterprises of ten or a hundred billion scale are a dime a dozen; even within Uncle's jurisdiction the High-tech Zone has over a hundred such companies, let alone Jiangning City — where would there be any poor county for him to help shake off poverty?

On the other hand, the Southeast region habitually discriminates against resource-based enterprises; it's extremely hard for Boss Bai to make a name locally. Having finally caught Chen Yi, he absolutely wouldn't let go; after everyone finished laughing, he said: "The long night is sleepless; Mr. Chen, what do you like to eat? I'll have someone send it over."

"No need to trouble yourself."

"Everyone has to eat. I've hired Heping Hotel's chefs; they'll come in a bit to prepare several banquet tables; whatever dishes you like, we'll add the ingredients now." Boss Bai paused, smiling: "Eat in batches; those who like excitement, I've cleared out two small private rooms nearby, also convenient."

Not many officials would sleep tonight; rather than go home and suffer insomnia, better to stay at the Chen Family. However you put it, Chen Congyu is the Chen Family's spokesperson in Jiangning, and since he's not an official, staying at his place won't invite criticism. But this way, the Chen Family's non-full-time chefs probably couldn't cook for so many people. And everyone would probably feel awkward letting the Chen Family host; Boss Bai stepping up to host the banquet is much more comfortable.

This person isn't simple; he thinks too thoroughly. Chen Yi nodded inwardly; hiring people to prepare a few banquet tables costs how much money, but on such an important day, and catering for the Chen Family, it's easier to remember than any precious gift.

In life, one lives for face, belly, and eggs — only those who satisfy these three points are truly giving gifts.

"Get me some beef, more of it." Chen Yi patted his belly. Holy Qiao's knights treat meat as snacks; it's quite necessary — Pocket Qi consumes quite a lot of physical stamina.

Boss Bai smiled and went to instruct them, his attitude quite natural, and went to ask the other bigwigs.

After eating and drinking his fill, Chen Yi called out a greeting, only saying "going outside to take a look," but actually delivered over 20 tons of supplies to the West Continent and the Holy Qiao Kingdom.

Merely transporting supplies used up 8 hours, making one especially miss high-grade highways; Yu Weichao agreed to do it, but who knows how long it'll take.

Returning to Jiangning, it was already a bright dawn. Dedicated sanitation workers swept the fallen leaves and dust left from last night on the roads; eager-to-learn elementary schoolers frolicked on the streets; boys who like girls pushed bicycles and waited lonely in the shadow of the stairwell corner... Chen Yi drove the Raptor straight to Jiangbei, then parked in front of the Martial Arts Hall with great surprise.

The Martial Arts Hall seemed to have undergone tremendous changes.

The first difference was the facade; the old Martial Arts Hall's front gate was built with cement pillars, like a township factory gate; now it's entirely clad in expensive marble, looking like a ceremonial column.

The second difference was the plaza in front of the gate.

The Martial Arts Hall previously had no plaza; it was a courtyard built at the foot of a mountain; though there was extended space, it wasn't much, especially the road in front of the gate, which clearly restricted its expansion.

But now, the road had long been moved away... a plaza of roughly two to three thousand square meters was paved flat and open, like a coffin with its side panels removed, giving a very comfortable feeling that you could lie down on it.

The road was moved away!

Chen Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Such a grand gesture, and not asking him for money — probably only Liu Xinyu could pull it off; although he was very guarded against her, he had to admit this woman was extremely capable.

Possibly even the most capable person he'd ever seen; his father might not even compare — fighting her way up to a quasi-senior-management position in an organization teeming with elites by her own strength, how could she be ordinary? Fixing a few official figures, borrowing the tiger's might to use government power to change water, electricity, and roads — presumably not too difficult.

With a tourist's mindset, Chen Yi parked the car in the parking lot on one side of the plaza, then went around to the main gate and walked in.

There's actually another plaza! Who knows when this was built.

Most surprising of all, this small plaza of several hundred square meters was filled with kneeling young people — at least three to four hundred.

"What's going on?" Chen Yi couldn't help grabbing the last boy in line and asking.

"Paying respects as disciples." The other didn't even raise his head, said a sentence, then kowtowed devoutly.

Kowtow?

Chen Yi was about to go crazy. The 21st century — the century where you don't even kowtow when given red envelopes; even a conservative clan like the Chen Family only has the younger generation do a perfunctory kneel on a soft cushion, and that's facing the ancestors... yet these young people are kowtowing at his own Martial Arts Hall's gate, and by the look of it, they're kowtowing with quite a spirit of dedication.

"Better not turn into a cult." Chen Yi worriedly rushed inside; his quick footsteps drew the attention of many.

Fortunately, the first few cohorts of students from the Martial Arts Hall who maintained order had seen him before, and they restrained the others, not letting anyone disturb the Hall Master's light jog.

The hurried sound of leather shoes in the early morning likewise attracted Liu Xinyu, who was practicing inside the Martial Arts Hall; her office and trainer were on the newly built top floor of the Martial Arts Hall, occupying the entire 500 square meters — of course, nominally this office belonged to Hall Master Chen Yi.

She chuckled softly twice, slowly finished up, and before she had even put on her coat properly, she saw Chen Yi rush in.

"How barbaric!" Liu Xinyu's smile carried some indescribable flavor, causing Chen Yi's anger to rise. Inside the coat she hadn't finished putting on, a one-piece bodysuit that accentuated her figure was revealed.

Chen Yi silently tore open a Listening Scroll, listened in all directions for a circle, relaxed slightly, and said: "Speak then."

"I thought you would be furiously angry." Liu Xinyu's tone was full of teasing.

Chen Yi was indeed unhappy; it looked as if Liu Xinyu had made quite beneficial constructions for the Martial Arts Hall, but since this construction proceeded detached from his own situation, it gave him a sense of crisis that his position was being usurped.

The Martial Arts Hall was the arrangement Chen Yi prepared to establish himself and make a living; no matter what, it could not be seized away by Liu Xinyu. He could remain calm, and one-third of that was thanks to the restless twin peaks beneath the bodysuit.

The little head congests with blood, the big head lowers the fire — a very good method for staying calm.

Seeing Chen Yi's anxious and flustered appearance, Liu Xinyu's pride diminished slightly, and she said: "Among the third and fourth cohort students, there are people who have reached Body Technique Level 5. Did you know?"

"Of course, Cao Zheng and the others."

"Cao Zheng, Xie Wuyang, Li Feng — three people. Additionally, the students taken in by the first and second cohorts have reached Body Technique Level 4: Li Changning, Ma Zhongcheng, Sang Chengqiang, Song Zhuang... they are either Jiangbei people, or relatives of Jiangbei people..." Liu Xinyu caught her breath and said: "Level 1 Student subsidy 3000 yuan, Level 2 6000, Level 3 12,000, Level 4 24,000, Level 5 48,000; if they have a job, double that. You say why so many people come to the Martial Arts Hall to become disciples? Moreover, those few Southeast Asia athletes returned to their countries to participate in the University Games, and their results seem to be very good as well... (Unfinished, if you want to know what happens after this, please log in to www. qidian. com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)"