Chapter 381

Lu Fan was chatting with Liu Jing's parents when he heard noisy voices outside, along with shouting and cursing.

Second Uncle hurriedly said: "Xiao Fan, stay put, don't move, I'll go check it out!"

Lu Fan got off the kang, put on his shoes, and said: "Second Uncle, no need, they're cursing at me!"

"Xiao Fan, listen, your status is different now, don't let people gossip!"

"It's fine, I'll just go check it out!"

Lu Fan stepped out of the room and saw the old bastard Le Jia Lin standing in the courtyard cursing the street: "Lu Fan, you little bastard, son of a bitch, good-for-nothing, come out, you old man! Villagers, it's this damn bastard who killed my three sons! Lu Fan, you jinx, you won't die a good death..."

Lu Fan's face darkened, he stepped step by step up to Le Jia Lin's front, his eyes like knives fixed on him, his icy voice came out: "Le Jia Lin, don't bark here, heavenly principles are clear, retribution will come, back then your Le family caused my family's ruin, and now you still have the nerve to say this? It's utterly ridiculous!"

"Whoever lifts their head three feet sees the divine; good and evil will eventually be repaid; the heavens turn the wheel of karma, who does Heaven spare? It's not that there's no retribution, the time just hasn't come!"

Le Jia Lin was so angry he could barely catch his breath, his face pallid, his eyes wide as copper bells, and he roared: "Killing someone is just a matter of pointing to the ground, you dog bastard's heart is too black—you locked up my three sons, you damned dog, why don't you just die..."

Lu Fan's gaze was icy cold, his tone freezing as he said: "Your three sons are corrupt, guilty of every evil, using power to oppress the people, with embezzlement and bribery amounting to over ten billion! Their heinous crimes will surely be severely punished by party discipline and state law! All this is the bitter fruit they themselves sowed, they brought it on themselves!" His voice was as cold as frost, sending a chill down the spine.

Lu Fan's words struck Le Jia Lin's heart like a heavy hammer, nearly making him unable to breathe.

Le Jia Lin's body trembled slightly, as if he might collapse at any moment. His eyes stared fixedly at Lu Fan, flashing with vicious light, as if he wanted to tear Lu Fan apart.

"Villagers, give me justice—this damned scoundrel caused the loss of my three sons..."

Lu Fan calmly reminded: "There's another one who's no good either; as long as he's done wrong to the people, he'll eventually end up in jail for a family reunion!"

Le Jia Lin flew into a rage, cursing like a shrew, waving his cane and smashing the bowls and chopsticks on the table.

Yang Minghao walked up to Lu Fan and whispered: "Brother Fan, I've notified the Ningyang Public Security Bureau; they'll be here soon to deal with the troublemaker!"

Lu Fan nodded, said nothing more, and quietly watched Le Xue Ren's performance.

Soon, sirens wailed through Wolf Fork Village, and two police cars sped to the gate of Second Uncle's house and stopped.

The deputy chief of the Ningyang Public Security Bureau arrived in person, his expression stern; after questioning those present, his sharp gaze locked onto the panicked Le Jia Lin.

Le Jia Lin's face turned pallid, his body trembling as if he had lost all strength.

"At your age, still causing trouble? Come with us!" As the police car door slammed shut, Le Jia Lin was forcibly taken away; the car roared off, kicking up dust, and quickly vanished from sight.

The courtyard was filled with a tense, solemn atmosphere that moved everyone.

"To live long without dying is to be a thief"; although Le Jia Lin is seventy or eighty, his hatred remains undiminished.

Yang Minghao lowered his voice, leaned close to Lu Fan's ear, and asked softly: "Brother Fan, how should we deal with this old thing?"

Lu Fan pondered a moment, then said slowly: "The wedding is tomorrow; just don't let anyone cause trouble. Minghao, you must not contact Ningyang in any way, nor use any means to interfere with judicial fairness, lest you give others ammunition. This old scoundrel Le Jia Lin won't live many more days, so we won't quarrel with him."

This time returning to the village, Lu Fan no longer crept about cautiously as before; he straightened his back and walked upright and proper!

The heavy mountain in his heart had been completely moved aside; Lu Fan felt as if he had broken free from mental shackles, his mood suddenly brightened, and his state of mind changed noticeably.

His past experiences taught him that no matter how great the difficulty or setback, everything will eventually pass; there won't be another ten years—what should be let go will be let go!

One thought of clinging brings all suffering; one thought of letting go brings rebirth!

After attending his cousin's wedding, Lu Fan returned to Yingjiang and went to Secretary Li Mingzhou's office.

After entering, Lu Fan took out a lunch box from his bag, smiling: "Secretary, the meatballs and crispy chicken taste great—haven't you had dinner yet? I brought some for you to try." He then opened the box, took out chopsticks, and placed them before Li Mingzhou.

Li Mingzhou smiled: "Looks appetizing; I haven't been to a rural feast in a while—let me try! Oh, right, your cousin is still in Xiuyan County, right? If you want to come back to the city, I'll arrange it."

Lu Fan replied: "Secretary, no trouble; I'll go find Minister Ziqiang."

"Fine, handle it as you see fit—leaders and cadres also eat earthly food; looking after relatives is only natural!"

After a few bites, Li Mingzhou set down his chopsticks and said: "Lu Fan, in a few days I'll be transferred away from Yingjiang!"

"Ah, that soon?"

"The position has been vacated; I need to report for duty soon. Tomorrow I'll go to the Provincial Party Committee to talk with Governor Hong Tao about Yang Shaokai and your matter. I'm about to leave, and I still feel a bit reluctant."

"Secretary, the people of Yingjiang will surely remember your contributions to Yingjiang!"

"Ironclad camp, flowing water soldiers—I've long been used to it! After I leave, you must strive on your own; let me give you a few words of advice, which also counts as my years of official experience. The officialdom is an invisible net; we who are in it are merely a knot on that net. Don't imagine officialdom as flawless jade, nor as utterly worthless. Treat rules as not rules, and you will surely fail; treat rules as too much rule, and success is not guaranteed."

"Power is the art of balance; the ability to wield it is actually the capacity of the leadership collective and individual leaders to maintain balance. 'Where your seat is, there your mind follows' is a hallmark of officialdom—what you say in a given position must be obeyed as a rule of conduct. Being adept at grasping real authority and seizing key points from the clouds and mist and seemingly unintentional actions is a skill that must be continually honed and improved."

"The way of being an official boils down to three sayings: mingle with the dust, share blessings equally, and let everyone lift the flowery sedan! To eat alone is not sustainable."

"Remember: when benevolent, do not yield in taking on labor; when successful, retire to make way for the worthy! You'll understand it yourself!"

"Secretary, I will surely keep your teachings in mind, speak and act prudently, focus my energy on planning and doing, keep myself clean and strict with myself, strive to achieve something, and never disappoint your expectations!" Lu Fan likewise felt deep reluctance, even a bit lost.

These past years, Lu Fan had sailed smoothly under Li Mingzhou's protection, grown accustomed to the easy life under someone's patronage, and upon learning that his powerful 'backing' would leave, a sense of loss welled up.

But Lu Fan deeply understood that one cannot forever rely on others; one must bravely face reality. A sparrow will never soar to the heavens, for it only eyes the grains on the ground; an eagle can freely soar above the peaks because its eyes are filled with rivers, lands, and the heavens, and because of the pain of broken wings and the anguish of a severed beak.

Life's road is full of twists and obstacles; a true strong one endures the lows alone, dares to confront his own weakness, must neither detour around the thorns blocking the way nor evade the scouring of wind and rain. The eagle must spread its wings and fly high to soar above the nine heavens.

June 11, Li Mingzhou went to the Provincial Party Committee and had in-depth talks with Governor Wang Hongtao, reaching agreement on some personnel matters.

On the evening of June 13, the Municipal Party Committee Deputy Secretary Guo Zhitao, Municipal Party Committee Secretary Yang Shaokai, Organization Department Head Zhang Ziqiang, Discipline Inspection Committee Secretary Wu Xiaohua, Political and Legal Committee Secretary Chen Zijun, Executive Vice Mayor Zhang Rongqiu, Standing Committee Vice Mayor Zhang Shibin, Vice Mayor Bian Jide, and Vice Mayor who also serves as Public Security Bureau Chief Ye Chen gathered at the Yingjiang Guesthouse.

When Lu Fan accompanied Secretary Li Mingzhou into the private room, everyone rose to their feet, their eyes filled with deep reluctance.

After Secretary Li Mingzhou took the main seat, he looked around, meeting each person's gaze, his face retaining a faint smile, and said: "There is no banquet that never ends; time flies. For a common goal we have come together. These days my mind keeps replaying scenes of us working side by side, fighting shoulder to shoulder. Whenever work ran into difficulties, you all offered ideas and lent strong support, backing me without reservation—I want to sincerely thank you."

"Ironclad camp, flowing water soldiers—personnel turnover, past and present linked, the revolutionary cause passes the torch. I believe that after I leave, you will surely be of one mind and one effort, united in work, harmonious in accomplishment, of one heart and virtue, cooperating wholeheartedly, sharing the boat, helping each other, planning development together! If you encounter any difficulty in work or life, be sure to come to the capital city to find me!"

Tonight, Secretary Li Mingzhou mingled with everyone, accepting every toast, and got roaring drunk.

June 14, Yingjiang City carried out personnel adjustments; Secretary Li Mingzhou's secretary Tan Yin was transferred to Ding Shui County as deputy county committee secretary. What most baffled Yingjiang cadres was that the municipal government secretary Lu Fan was reassigned as deputy municipal party committee secretary and director of the municipal party committee office!

Once the document was issued, it immediately caused an uproar throughout the city; some cadres joked, "The officialdom is truly bewildering, genuinely incomprehensible—Secretary Lu went around in a circle and ended up right where he started?"

Even many cadres in the municipal government office were dazed, unable to comprehend or accept the secretary's sudden transfer, reluctant to part—after finally finding a good leader, he's gone after just a few months?

But the officialdom is not lacking in smart people; they have already foreseen that Yingjiang's political arena will undergo earth-shaking changes, and everyone is watching developments.

Lu Fan silently carried out the work handover and bade farewell to each vice mayor.