Chapter 1456

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

"His demand... was actually to support me?"

Wang Xiaohua's mouth gaped slightly, his mind reeling.

This was something he had completely never expected.

Xiao Xueqing spoke at this moment:

"We are fulfilling the initial promise; otherwise, it would have been absolutely impossible for you to be promoted so quickly to Temporary Director of the Shangang Town Rural Revitalization Office. Everything you have gained now constitutes an exceptional appointment."

Xiao Xueqing spoke these words lightly.

But Wang Xiaohua felt as if struck by a heavy hammer.

Only now did he suddenly realize: Chen Yuancheng had sat in the Poverty Alleviation Office Director position for so long; even without merit, he had put in the hard work. It was impossible that he would be ousted directly just because a poor household was accidentally killed. According to normal disciplinary severity, he would at most receive a demerit. After all, a homicide case is fundamentally not under the Poverty Alleviation Office's jurisdiction; if anyone were to be punished, it would be the Police Station leaders.

Yet the final result was that Chen Yuancheng bore this huge black pot.

It turned out that all of this, which seemed perfectly reasonable on the surface, was actually the result of behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

It was the force represented by Xiao Xueqing driving the development of this matter!

Having figured out this layer, Wang Xiaohua's face couldn't help but reveal a pained expression.

He didn't want to go through the back door, didn't want to be corrupt and take bribes; he only wanted to serve the people wholeheartedly.

What a pity — once you enter this big dye vat, you are no longer master of yourself!

Seeing Wang Xiaohua's complexion turn unnatural, Xiao Xueqing spoke again:

"Xiao Hua, I know you might not believe my words, but I have evidence. Let me show you something."

Xiao Xueqing turned around, took out a U disk, plugged it into the computer, opened a video inside the U disk, and showed it to Wang Xiaohua.

It was a video of Li Zhongxian communicating with Xiao Xueqing during his lifetime.

The location was this very villa, filmed by surveillance equipment.

"County Magistrate Xiao, this is my criminal data. The Discipline Inspection Commission arrives tomorrow; please trouble yourself to help me hand it over to the Commission."

Li Zhongxian handed over a thick stack of documents.

The Xiao Xueqing in the video was stunned:

"Li Zhongxian, what do you mean? You can turn yourself in; why do you need me to do this?"

Li Zhongxian chuckled:

"The Discipline Inspection Commission is inspecting our county town; they obviously need to produce some results before they'll be willing to leave. If I surrender, they'll just have caught a small fry — not enough to make those big buddhas leave satisfied. But if County Magistrate Xiao personally reports me, and I resist stubbornly to the end, taking all possible scandals onto myself and this local power of mine, then they should leave satisfied. And you lot, a whole group of you, can also land safely."

Xiao Xueqing frowned at Li Zhongxian:

"Why would you do this?"

Li Zhongxian sighed:

"My wife's material desires are too strong. To satisfy her desires, I've embezzled too much over these years. With the Commission here, I can't escape. Since I'll be taken down anyway, I might as well take the opportunity to give you a hand. I ask for no return — only that later, when my son-in-law returns to the county town to develop, you give him a boost."

Xiao Xueqing was stunned:

"Just that one demand?"

Li Zhongxian nodded:

"Right, just that one demand."

Xiao Xueqing questioned:

"Why not let us help your daughter directly?"

Li Zhongxian said instead:

"My daughter won't come back to be an official; she doesn't need your help."

Xiao Xueqing asked again:

"Aren't you afraid that after Wang Xiaohua rises step by step, he'll abandon your daughter?"

Li Zhongxian said:

"I believe in Wang Xiaohua's character; he shouldn't do such a thing. However, if that really happens at that time, then please help me sanction him. As long as you helped him when he was just starting out, that's equivalent to him leaving a handle in your hands. Sanctioning him would be as easy as flipping a palm."

Xiao Xueqing nodded, finally accepting the materials:

"Li Zhongxian, I promise you."

Li Zhongxian smiled knowingly:

"Then here's to a pleasant cooperation!"

The two shook hands.

Then Li Zhongxian said goodbye and left.

The video ended here.

After Xiao Xueqing finished playing the video, she pulled out the U disk.

"That's how things are. This U disk I give to you — you can handle it however you want, even hand it to the Discipline Inspection Commission, and I won't object."

Wang Xiao stared at that U disk, his inner heart incomparably complex.

Xiao Xueqing spoke again:

"Wang Xiaohua, this is the whole cause and effect of the matter. You mustn't let Liu Xinwen fool you. You and I are a community of shared interests, while Liu Xinwen — he merely treats you as a knife."

Wang Xiaohua laughed at this moment.

A bleak laugh:

"So, actually, whether it's Liu Xinwen or you, County Magistrate Xiao, neither of you is completely clean, right?"

Xiao Xueqing was stunned, completely not expecting Xiao Hua to have this reaction.

But she soon accepted it.

She even laughed with interest:

"Aren't you also no longer clean? You're now sitting in the position of Director of the Shanchang Town Poverty Alleviation Office, which is the result of power operations, not the result of your hard work."

This is what pains Xiao Hua the most!

He doesn't want to get involved in these things!

He only wants to do well the things he wants to do; he never even thought about getting promoted and getting rich!

But even so, he was still passively dragged in, getting a body full of black!

Xiao Xueqing then said:

"Xiao Hua, you're a smart person; actually, you know better than anyone, how could this world possibly be black and white? This world is mostly a gray area; where there are people, there is the jianghu; where there is jianghu, there are exchanges of interests, human relations; as for rules, they are merely the product of interest moats."

How could Xiao Hua not know these principles?

Even before he graduated, he already understood clearly!

But he didn't want to fall into it; he only wanted to be an existence outside this gray world!

Xiao Xueqing said again:

"Every person in this world cannot be judged simply as a good person or a bad person; you should understand this principle too. I hope you can mature a bit; don't waste your father-in-law's good intentions while he was alive."

Xiao Hua let out a cold laugh:

"He indeed had good intentions; it's just a pity he probably never would have expected that his daughter would ultimately commit suicide by jumping from a building; this is perhaps Heaven's punishment for him."

Xiao Xueqing, however, said:

"How can you think like this? This matter has causes and effects, has its inevitability; the so-called Heavenly Dao is actually just a product under the rules of social operation."

Xiao Hua took a deep breath; he handed the U disk back to Xiao Xueqing:

"I'm returning this to you; rest assured, I won't help Liu Xinwen deal with you, but I also hope you won't help me behind my back anymore."

After saying these words, Xiao Hua turned around and left.

He only wanted to hurriedly escape from here, even escape from this big dye vat.

Xiao Xueqing shouted at his back:

"If I don't help you, you may never be able to walk out of Shangang Town!"

Xiao Hua didn't answer her; he now needs to calm down, needs to rethink his life.

Seeing Xiao Hua leave without looking back, Xiao Xueqing couldn't help but sigh:

"Being like this, you'll be in a lot of pain..."