Chapter 267: Doing charity, removing harm for the people

Li Jiaci wasn't being polite with him, laughing and saying, "This brain of mine is the most valuable thing I have from head to toe; anyone who could have my mind would be destined never to fail!"

Wang Zhen fully agreed with that.

Before he formally met Li Jiaci, he only thought Li Jiaci was a hooligan hanging out with Zhang Shiqiang, good for nothing but shouting about fighting and killing.

But over the past year, Wang Zhen has watched Li Jiaci's business grow bigger and bigger, to the point where it could even threaten him.

Facing those rats in the gutters, Li Jiaci was also fearless in the face of danger, calmly dealing with every test.

You should know, those tests would be impossible for anyone else to pass.

No one can match Li Jiaci's mind.

Wang Zhen also said, "We still need to set up a rewards department, specifically to give bonuses to those Maozi who have merit in anti-drug work, right? I'll leave this to you, since you get along well with that Liu Maozi; let her help make connections, and we'll save a lot of trouble."

"Fine, it's all benefit and no drawback for them; carrying it out shouldn't be too difficult!"

Li Jiaci nodded.

All that remained was the plan to console the families of fallen Maozi.

Wang Zhen also had his own idea about that.

"Brother, what do you think—will this work?"

"We shouldn't just console the families of fallen Maozi; we should also go to the countryside to bring warmth to elderly people living alone!"

"Anyway, they're all good deeds—might as well do them together!"

Li Jiaci, puffing on his cigarette thoughtfully, added, "If that's the case, we might as well do more—many villages now lack streetlights and well water; we could set up an engineering department to help them install streetlights and dig wells for water."

This idea again made Wang Zhen feel extraordinarily novel and delighted.

Wang Zhen laughed and put his arm around Li Jiaci's neck.

"Hahaha, I say, little brother, how did your brain grow like that?"

"How do these ideas suit my heart so well?"

"When the two of us are together, we're like twin swords perfectly matched!"

Li Jiaci pretended to be modest and waved his hand.

He said, "If we're talking about ability, it's you, brother, who's the strongest; I can only rack my brain and can't contribute much money, but you truly spare no expense—just the few items we mentioned would swallow up half of your savings, and I can't compare to you."

Wang Zhen smiled without speaking.

Suddenly he pulled out several documents from the drawer.

Li Jiaci picked one up and saw they were all his properties; just collecting rent each month could bring in hundreds of thousands.

"Geez, why would I still worship a wealth god? I might as well just worship you!"

Wang Zhen said, "These are just mine; I haven't even shown you Xiao Na's real estate, anyway. Brother, I'm not short of money—whatever plans we have, let's go ahead and do them without hesitation!"

What else is there to worry about?

Li Jiaci slapped the table and shouted, "Let's do it—tomorrow we'll establish a charity, form an engineering team, and get the media to hype it up!"

"Exactly, strike while the iron's hot!"

Over the next week.

The two went ahead boldly, expanding the charitable cause.

After the charity was founded, Wang Zhen first invested fully in Pingzhou's hospitals, and his name even became a focal point of media discussion for a time.

After that, countless schools named after Wang Zhen began construction in towns and villages everywhere.

This move gave hope to the left-behind children in rural villages.

Wang Zhen's fame spread far and wide, making him Pingzhou's most positive leading figure.

Even Changshulin often mentioned his name in meetings and openly praised his deeds before the media.

Even that wasn't enough.

Wang Zhen brought a group of media to console the families of Maozi who had distinguished themselves in anti-drug work.

Many of those Maozi had sacrificed themselves in this effort; their families endured bitter hardship, washing their faces with tears all day.

What's more chilling is that their sacrifice wasn't rewarded with commensurate honors; their families' lives didn't improve but actually kept going downhill.

Media reporters went deep into investigating their living conditions.

Before the camera, those impoverished surroundings made viewers in front of their TVs feel heartbroken.

Wang Zhen brought consolation money and also delivered plenty of firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

He had the media point the camera at himself.

Before he knew it, his eyes were red.

"Many will wonder why I'm doing these things; now, facing the camera, I will recount the suffering I once endured—this is also my original intention in founding the charity."

"My parents were severely persecuted by drug dealers; when I and my sister were very young, they suffered a drug addiction attack, could not bear the torment, and passed away."

"Because of that, my sister and I lost our shelter, lost our parents, and could only wander the streets, begging to survive."

"I still dare not recall those years; whenever festivals come and I see thousands of homes lit up, my heart feels like it's being cut by a knife, yet I am powerless."

"Now that I've achieved fame and success, I have the ability to give back to society and improve Pingzhou's environment; I must step up to do this, strike down all drug-dealing gangs, and restore Pingzhou to a pure land."

Wang Zhen finished saying that.

He turned away and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes.

Meanwhile, the families of the fallen Maozi on site burst into tears, unable to control themselves.

Their sons, their husbands, also died heroically in the process of apprehending drug dealers.

The pain does not disappear with the passage of time.

Instead, it becomes a thorn that digs deeper into the heart over time.

Wang Zhen composed himself and turned back.

"Here, I solemnly promise to all the citizens of Pingzhou!"

I, Wang Zhen, cannot coexist with drug dealers; I firmly cannot allow them to continue harming innocent civilians.

If anyone discovers the whereabouts of the drug dealer gang, please report it to the police immediately.

As long as the information is confirmed accurate, I will reward the informant with a one‑million prize.

I will fulfill the promise on the same day.

As soon as he said that,

The audience sitting in front of the TV all erupted in an uproar.

That's one million! How many years would they have to work to earn that amount?

I'm afraid some people could never earn that in a lifetime.

Wang Zhen's fame rose to another level.

As the popularity continued to spread,

The police bureau's phones were about to be blown up.

However, these informants were either just trying their luck or trying to swindle the million‑dollar reward by randomly making up a location.

Zhao Dezheng, in order to eliminate this phenomenon, specially issued a regulation.

Those who provide false information will face a punishment of seven days' detention and a fine of 100 yuan.

With this regulation, the situation of troublemakers deceiving to obtain the reward was greatly reduced.

Wang Zhen became Pingzhou's hottest anti‑drug pioneer.

His former enemies, seeing his current glory, all gritted their teeth in hatred, yet besides hating, they could actually do nothing.

Now, whoever dares to oppose Wang Zhen is essentially opposing the whole of Pingzhou.

Behind Wang Zhen there is not only the support of the citizens.

There is also the strong assistance of various high‑ranking officials.

Damn it.

To think they just watched him rise smoothly to the clouds.

That evening,

Wang Zhen finished the interview, drove to the timber factory, and met up with Li Jiaci for a small gathering.

Because charitable work has recently been booming, Wang Zhen has also become a celebrity; even Wang Yingna, upon seeing him, couldn't help feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

"Isn't this the renowned philanthropist, Boss Wang?"

"What wind blew you here?"

Wang Yingna smiled and stepped forward to greet him.