Chapter 242

In Lin Dongfan's eyes, Zhao Lianyue, a huge idiot, is now forty-five years old.

He is big-bellied and round-waisted.

At first glance, he looks like an endearingly honest simpleton.

You can't look too closely.

On close inspection, you'll see he had an expensive hair transplant; his thick, black hair is of top-notch quality, done in South Korea.

Each follicle costs 800 yuan, and each follicle yields 1 to 4 hairs.

Thus, each hair costs no less than 200 yuan.

If you think his most valuable asset is his hair, you underestimate him. Inside his mouth, he has eight molars made of gold, each 24k pure gold.

This history of tooth replacement is tragic.

Before he became a big leader, he tried to open a beer bottle with his teeth like others; he accidentally used too much force, the cap didn't open, two teeth fell out, and his lip was cut.

Later, when getting fillings, he only needed two teeth filled.

The dentist said: "You usually like sweets, right? Your cavities are extensive; it's best to replace them all. Otherwise, next time don't say you were biting a bottle cap—chewing a piece of meat might hurt your teeth."

Just like that.

Under the cunning dentist's persuasion, Zhao Lianyue's eight original molars were all replaced with 24k gold teeth, letting the dentist make a fortune.

The nickname "Zhao Golden Teeth" was thus born.

Later, after becoming a unit leader, Zhao Lianyue rarely smiled, because smiling would expose his eight big gold teeth, and once exposed, netizens would dig up his dark history.

Now no one in the unit calls him Zhao Golden Teeth.

Those who used to call him Zhao Golden Teeth either collapsed under work pressure and resigned voluntarily, or those who didn't resign have already been taken away by the discipline commission, losing their iron rice bowls.

The current committee is now tranquil and harmonious, united top to bottom!

No one dares to touch his sore spot.

Therefore...

When Office Secretary Sun came in to report, saying that Li Chunyan's elderly father Li Zhong was kneeling at the committee gate causing a disturbance, Zhao Lianyue was neither startled nor flustered.

Zhao Lianyue simply asked: "Are there any media reporters outside?"

"No, just him alone."

Secretary Sun pushed up his glasses and added: "However, it's pouring rain outside, and Li Zhong is not young either; I'm worried something might happen."

"He's just over sixty; getting soaked in rain won't kill him." Zhao Lianyue calmly sipped his tea: "If he likes to kneel, let him kneel; once his knees go numb, he'll naturally get up."

Secretary Sun hesitated: "I'm not afraid of anything else; I worry he'll turn around and go cause trouble in the province, then..."

"Then what do you think we should do about this?"

Zhao Lianyue set down his tea cup and fixed his gaze on Secretary Sun.

Secretary Sun pondered and replied: "In my view, it would be better to have the Faction come and charge him with provoking trouble. Detain him for a while, then release him once things calm down."

"Little Sun, you're still not mature enough."

While chatting and laughing, Zhao Lianyue rose, walked to the office window, and pulled up the blinds.

He looked down at Li Zhong kneeling in the heavy rain: "If he goes to cause trouble in the province, will the city people indulge him? Right now someone is more anxious than we are; we don't need to rush out and take the hit."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Sun smiled sheepishly: "Leader, you really have thought this through."

"Go outside and keep watch; be careful of anyone trying to profit from the chaos. If someone secretly films Li Zhong kneeling and posts it online, trouble will ensue." Zhao Lianyue stared fixedly at the movements downstairs.

"Understood."

Secretary Sun obeyed the order, daring not to be the slightest bit lax in this matter.

In Nanzhou, a city of rising clouds and surging winds, Zhao Lianyue now holds an important post, concurrently serving as Party-Work Committee Secretary and Director of the High-Tech Zone Management Committee, among other key positions.

It is well known that Nanzhou is a sub-provincial-level planned single-listed city, its administrative rank half a level above that of an ordinary prefecture-level city.

Thanks to this.

The High-Tech Zone Management Committee, which nominally belongs to a Division Level unit, is actually Deputy Department Level.

That is to say, Zhao Lianyue is now Deputy Department Level.

Although the rank is not low.

But Zhao Lianyue still feels a slight regret in life.

Because the leadership of Wuzhou's High-Tech Zone Management Committee is held concurrently by the Vice Mayor; compared to that, Zhao Lianyue's committee leadership is a low-end version, and going out he loses face.

In order to obtain the title of Vice Mayor (Department Level), he has spent the past two years constantly flattering the Gao family.

Now is precisely the period of his career's rise.

Whoever drags him down.

Will not be able to get away with it.

Having worked under Zhao Lianyue for many years, Secretary Sun has long figured out his temperament; this middle-aged man who never shows even a hint of a smile in public never goes easy on those who hold him back.

After Secretary Sun went downstairs, he personally kept watch at the main gate.

Under the steps.

Li Zhong, in his early sixties, knelt in the rain shouting: "Director Zhao, the day before the ethylene warehouse exploded, my son came to see you to discuss attracting overseas investment. He only wanted to make the company thrive; how could he possibly blow up the company's ethylene warehouse? Please step forward and testify for me—my son truly has been wronged."

The southern downpour, once it starts, never seems to end.

Li Zhong was soaked to the point he could barely open his eyes.

He kept raising his hand to wipe his eyes.

Perhaps he wasn't just wiping rainwater, but also tears of helplessness.

But no one paid heed to his shouting.

Secretary Sun stood on the steps, coldly staring at Li Zhong kneeling below: "Li Zhong, whether your son is wronged or not, you should take this up with the Faction; what's the point of shouting here?"

"What I want now is evidence!"

Earlier, Li Zhong had gone to the security department of Strong Petrochemical, wanting to retrieve the company's surveillance footage to see who exactly had blown up the ethylene warehouse.

The other side said the surveillance had all been destroyed, with no backup.

Several security guards roughly threw him out.

Now he really can't think of any other way; he can only kneel here and beg Zhao Lianyue, hoping Zhao Lianyue will step forward to testify, proving that his son Li Chunyan is a businessman who gets things done.

He again pleaded with Secretary Sun: "For the sake of my son's contributions to Nanzhou's economy, Secretary Sun, please pass a word to Director Zhao and ask him to come out."

"Li Zhong, you're old and confused, aren't you?" Secretary Sun replied coldly: "Even if your son came to see Director Zhao the day before the warehouse explosion to discuss attracting overseas investment, what does that prove? Could it prove your son didn't blow up the warehouse? It's utterly nonsensical! Director Zhao is busy; he has no time to wrangle with you here."

"My son secured over a hundred million in overseas investment—this was personally confirmed by Director Zhao!" Li Zhong shouted loudly: "Given that he had secured the investment, why would he blow up the warehouse? This is clearly illogical! He has no motive for the crime! I hope Director Zhao will step forward to clarify and clear my son's name."

"You're wrong."

"Where am I wrong?"

"Your son did indeed come to see Director Zhao to discuss attracting investment. But Director Zhao never met the investors, so there was no confirmation of the investment. It's just your son making things up, bragging—he never secured any investment at all!"

"Secretary Sun, you can eat food randomly, but you can't talk nonsense!"

Li Zhong, eyes bulging with anxiety, suddenly stood up and walked toward the steps: "Since Director Zhao won't come out, I'll go find him myself!"

"Stand right there!"

Secretary Sun warned sternly: "If you're kneeling outside, I don't care about you! But if you run inside to cause trouble, no one will indulge you! At your age, don't be ungrateful!"

"Today I must see Zhao Lianyue."

Li Zhong stepped step by step toward the steps, with no intention of stopping.

Secretary Sun coldly shouted, "You're looking for death!" and kicked hard at Li Zhong's abdomen; Li Zhong, already weak and exhausted, was sent staggering backward and rolled down the steps.