Chapter 1014: A solid slap

Everyone present was dumbfounded—what does this have to do with Secretary Zhang?

Moreover, this amount isn't just over three million; it's twenty million—how can a state official have that much money?

If it's not from graft or embezzlement, where could it come from?

For a moment they even wondered if Su Yang had simply pocketed fiscal funds—given his past postings in several poor, non‑affluent areas, even impoverished townships.

Qi Guohui felt his heart racing wildly; his excitement surpassed that of a wedding night or topping the exam list, as if he had suddenly seized Su Yang's weak point.

"Su Yang, you yourself said this—you actually have over twenty million? What kind of figure is that? Our county's annual fiscal revenue is only…?"

"With that much money, I think we need to immediately ask the municipal Discipline Inspection Commission to send someone to investigate."

"You've only worked a year at a township post and a few months as our vice county magistrate—where did you get all this money?"

"Our Lieshan County is a state‑designated poor county—where did you get so much money? Oh right, with all those firms coming in for investment promotion, could they be bribing you?"

"Or did you have the Finance Bureau divert special‑use poverty‑relief funds or other special allocations into your account?"

"You're utterly lawless, completely disregarding Party discipline and state law!"

Qi Guohui's words flew like spittle, and he wished he could call the Discipline Inspection Commission right then to intervene.

Normally, if such a huge sum really sat in an account, one would surely end up eating prison gruel—even with backing.

Su Yang remained calm: "Secretary Qi, everyone's background differs; I can swear on my chest that this money is clean, and I can even tell you it was given to me gratuitously."

Qi Guohui and several others present couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Even the usually cautious Jiang Tao couldn't stay out of it; he scratched his head, looked at Su Yang, and said, "County Magistrate Su, are you running a fever? Who would give you twenty million? Is it because you're fair‑skinned, handsome, or just tough?"

Qi Guohui laughed until he doubled over: "Good heavens, that's the biggest joke I've heard in half a lifetime—you think the other side is pig‑brained, mentally disabled, or that their whole family is brain‑dead?"

The more he mocked, the darker Zhang Jiangbo's face grew.

Yet Su Yang's smile only grew wider; frankly, he had never felt such ultimate satisfaction.

He was merely a medium; the real target of the mockery wasn't him.

At this point he was certain: Qi Guohui's momentary foul mouth would earn him a lifetime of supreme enjoyment.

Sure enough, while he kept ranting, Zhang Jiangbo exploded: "Shut up! What occasion is this? What place? What kind of people are we? How is your behavior any different from that of hooligans and street punks?"

"Besides, strange things happen in this world—it's perfectly normal for someone with money to give twenty million to another. You haven't seen much, so don't bite people like a lunatic here!"

Zhang Jiangbo's outburst left everyone present dumbfounded, unable to fathom why. Whether it was Qi Guohui, Jiang Tao, or anyone else, they all spoke up, realizing it was merely to suppress Su Yang—and suppressing Su Yang benefited Zhang Jiangbo in every way, with no downside.

Especially Qi Guohui, who went blank: "What's going on? I was mocking Su Yang—wasn't that for your sake?"

"Is it your brain that's broken, mine, or my ears?"

"Secretary Zhang, could what I'm saying be wrong? Who would just hand over twenty million for nothing? Twenty million is enough for a family to live lavishly abroad for a lifetime."

"Especially someone like Su Yang, born in the countryside—let alone someone giving him twenty million, he's probably never even met a person with that much wealth. So I say he's talking nonsense; Su Yang isn't anyone's father—why would others give him money?"

Whether he spoke or not, the more Zhang Jiangbo listened, the angrier he got—he swung and slapped Qi Guohui across the face.

Smack!

Qi Guohui spun like a top twice, then fell with a thud, vomited white foam, and lost consciousness.

This time he really fainted—no acting.

That slap, Zhang Jiangbo lashed out with nearly all his strength.

Not to mention Qi Guohui, whose body is already hollowed out by drink and lust; even a normal person, caught off guard, would find such a hard slap plenty stinging.

This even left Su Yang a bit dazed; he knew Zhang Jiangbo would surely flare up—who would tolerate being told to their face that their whole family is brain‑dead? Especially coming from that high‑and‑mighty, side‑glancing Jingcheng princeling.

But as a County Party Secretary, to strike a fellow County Standing Committee Member on the spot—he'd only heard of such things before, never actually witnessed them.

This nevertheless left some impression on his heart.

Actually, to everyone's eyes, those inside the system—especially high‑rankers—are surely refined; even if they harbor deep dissatisfaction, they'll appear modest and kind if they can.

As for such direct, vulgar violence, that's the tool of street hooligans and petty townsfolk.

But that's just your assumption; in Su Yang's memory, such incidents have been reported several times, involving even higher ranks than Zhang Jiangbo's.

This world is topsy‑turvy—if not reported, you'd never know that somewhere a businessman once slapped a vice‑ministerial official, with other leaders present.

Without such reports, if someone told you, you wouldn't believe it—how could such a thing happen?

One who presumed himself respectable resorted to the most unbecoming means to desperately salvage a shred of dignity.

Everyone was dumbfounded—this Secretary Zhang, though not exactly refined, certainly wasn't a vicious person; how did he suddenly fly into a rage?

Could Secretary Qi's words be wrong? No way. He spoke with such fervor, yet got only an angry slap—who'd dare to be his lackey after that?

This was a case of kissing up and ending up kicked by the horse's hoof.

And it was an angry hoof.

Seeing this, Su Yang said: "What are you all standing around for? Get the county hospital staff over here right away! Oh, don't wait for the hospital—have the Lie Shan Public Security Bureau notify them to rush Secretary Qi to the county hospital, with absolutely no mishap!"

Sun Chengjun naturally knew what was going on; he put on a solemn face while inside he was already laughing his head off. When Su Yang bellowed, he finally reacted, immediately organizing people to send the truly unconscious unlucky bastard Qi Guohui to the county hospital.

Once Qi Guohui was taken away, Zhang Jiangbo said: "Let's call it a day, folks—we'll discuss the rest another time."

As he was about to turn and leave, Su Yang said: "Secretary Zhang, please wait a moment—I still have something to say."