Chapter 37

The village committee of Qingzhu Village was bustling this afternoon, the air filled with the smell of money.

In the 9·28 forest fire, 11 people unfortunately died, but the official report listed only two, with nine people missing from the official death toll.

The families of these nine victims are now gathered at the village committee.

With Li Hengbo's help, Dai Fannian began to employ a conciliatory policy.

Earlier, the Forest Faction had ruled:

The 9·28 forest fire was to be blamed entirely on Yang Shoushan, the owner of the pig farm.

After negotiations, the Yang family agreed to compensate each victim's family with one million, nine victims totaling nine million.

However, Yang Shoushan had already died in the forest fire, his son Yang Tao went missing while petitioning, and the Yang family obviously could not come up with the nine million in compensation.

What are the victims' families to do if they cannot get the compensation?

The advance funds from the Qingzhu Ridge Project Development Department would cover the compensation, this being the conciliatory policy Li Hengbo devised for Dai Fannian, aimed at silencing the victims' families.

But advance payment is advance payment; for the victims' families to actually receive all the compensation is not easy.

The imaginative Li Hengbo gave Dai Fannian a tip: implement staggered compensation.

What is meant by staggered compensation.

It means don't even think about getting the compensation all at once.

Today, each victim's family can receive 10% of the full compensation, that is 100,000. The village committee's office desk is piled with 900,000 in cash; sign the agreement and you can take the money.

Next year on this day, they can take 20% of the full compensation, that is 200,000.

The year after next on this day, they can take 30% of the full compensation, that is 300,000.

Two years after next on this day, they can take 40% of the full compensation, that is 400,000.

In total, one million in compensation, to be paid out over four years. Within these four years, if anyone violates the agreement and talks nonsense, they can forget about receiving the remaining payments.

This is the big move to silence them that Dai Fannian came up with, with Li Hengbo's help.

One seal for four years!

Li Hengbo said to the victims' families present: "Whether you make a fuss or not, the dead cannot come back to life. What matters most now? Of course, it's the compensation. With money you can buy a house, a car, marry a wife; without money you are nothing. Do you want money or do you want the true death list made public? Think it over yourselves."

Needless to say, Li Hengbo's move really works, precisely grasping the victims' families' psychology.

The nine victims' families didn't even think twice, they lined up on the spot to collect the money. Holding ten thousand in cash is far better than getting nothing after a death.

The balding, over-fifty-year-old Dai Fannian personally handed out the money to everyone.

After the victims' families had all taken their money and left.

Dai Fannian excitedly patted Li Hengbo on the shoulder: "Little Li, you did a great job today. If you hadn't proposed the staggered compensation plan, we really couldn't have silenced these people."

This bald guy has probably forgotten:

Not long ago, he scolded Li Hengbo bloody because the Yang family's daughter-in-law had gone to the provincial government's gate to kneel and cry injustice, saying Li Hengbo couldn't even keep an eye on a village woman.

Considering Secretary Bai's instructions, we must prioritize the overall situation and be sure to cooperate with Dai Fannian in doing a good job with the consolation work.

Li Hengbo, holding onto old resentment, smiled like a dutiful grandson: "Director Dai, being able to relieve your worries is my honor."

"Haha, you little brat can talk; interested in playing a couple rounds of mahjong?"

Dai Fannian was in high spirits.

Li Hengbo said: "How coincidental, I just brought over an automatic mahjong table yesterday. Please wait here a moment, I'll go call two more people."

In the lounge next to the village committee meeting room, a brand-new mahjong table was set up.

Li Hengbo was about to go out to call people when, upon stepping out, he bumped into Lin Dongfan and Jian Sining. Seeing enemies, there was no particular red-eyed hatred; instead, it made Li Hengbo excited beyond measure.

One guess and you know, Lin Dongfan is here to arrest Dai Fannian.

Li Hengbo feigned ignorance while understanding: "Mr. Lin, what brings you to our village?"

"Get out of the way."

Lin Dongfan simply shoved Li Hengbo aside like trash.

He walked straight up to Dai Fannian: "Director Dai, your complexion looks good."

"Lin Dongfan?"

Dai Fannian sized up Lin Dongfan from head to toe, also guessing his purpose. Last night, Bai Wentao had already greeted him, asking him to cooperate in an act, to lure Lin Dongfan into a pit and bury him alive.

I haven't raped underage girls, I haven't kept a mistress, and I have no so-called illegitimate child.

What do I have to fear from you?

Dai Fannian thought it funny and said cheerfully: "Looking at your posture, are you from the anti-corruption bureau today wanting to take me down?"

"Indeed, you are exceptionally clever."

Lin Dongfan smiled while admiring Dai Fannian's bald head.

Dai Fannian sneered contemptuously: "I'm clever to the point of being bald, which is still better than being a soft-rice eater. I heard that before you married Chu Lingxi, you lived like a dog—is that true?"

"Director Dai, don't insult dogs." Li Hengbo laughed: "Let me tell you this: I used to be a secretary in the Political and Legal Affairs Commission office; he was at most a tiny ant under my feet."

"Haha, no wonder you reek of the petty triumph of a scoundrel."

Dai Fannian laughed so hard he couldn't close his mouth.

Originally not wanting to interject, Jian Sining couldn't hold back and retorted: "Even at death's door you're still stubborn; it seems you're not exceptionally clever, just had your head caught in a door."

"Where did this wild little sprout come from? When leaders speak, do you have a right to chime in?" Li Hengbo looked Jian Sining up and down, deliberately putting on an act as if he'd never seen her before.

"You also have no right to interject; get lost!"

Before the words even finished, Lin Dongfan kicked Li Hengbo, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"You dare to hit me!"

That kick sent Li Hengbo into a rage; he got up wanting to strike back.

Just as he swung his fist, Lin Dongfan glared at him angrily, frightening him into hesitation; only then did he recall that fighting was Lin Dongfan's forte.

Dai Fannian saw Li Hengbo fuming like a child, angry but unwilling to retaliate.

On the spot he flaunted his authority, angrily shouting at Lin Dongfan: "Surname Lin, do you still have any organization? Any discipline? Just based on that kick just now! I……"

"What 'you' you? It's not yet your turn to speak!"

Lin Dongfan interrupted Dai Fengnian's pretentious act.

He turned his head and coldly stared at Li Hengbo: "Obstructing, interfering with the Anti-Corruption Bureau's investigation of a major case, do you believe I can arrest you right now?"

"You! ……"

Li Hengbo was so choked he dared to be angry but not speak.

Dai Fengnian sneered with a laugh: "Damn, you're young but you're putting on quite the official air. If you've got the ability, arrest me today, come on, try putting handcuffs on me."

Saying that, Dai Fengnian stretched out his hands toward Lin Dongfan.

Lin Dongfan smiled lightly, not rushing to pull out handcuffs, first took out his phone and called Yang Qing: "Old Yang, got the goods?"

"Still smashing the wall, don't rush."

From the phone came not only Yang Qing's voice but also the sound of smashing the wall, as if Tang Xia that idiot was swinging a hammer and shouting: "Eighty, eighty……"

That was a disheartening signal.

The pig teammates still smashing the wall indicated that the illicit money hadn't been found yet; without finding the illicit money, they couldn't immediately bring out the handcuffs to detain Dai Fengnian.

Damn, we still need to let the bullet fly a bit longer.

Lin Dongfan glumly put away his phone and said to Dai Fengnian: "You guys don't want to play mahjong, do you? Come, I'll play a couple rounds with you. If you win, I might consider not putting handcuffs on you."

"You little bastard, speaking frankly to grandpa, are you just not daring to arrest me?"

Dai Fengnian still kept his hands stretched out in front of Lin Dongfan, every pore of his body emanating an unrestrained provocative aura.

Lin Dongfan lit a cigarette unhurriedly: "Mainly because I don't want to humiliate a eunuch."

"You!!!! ……"

Dai Fengnian's eyeballs practically bulged out, almost popping from their sockets— in this world, is there any humiliation more vicious than this?

And what made Dai Fengnian even more distraught was—— how did this guy know I'm a eunuch?