Chapter 665: Heart-to-Heart with Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary Hou Junlai

County Magistrate Su, sorry to have kept you waiting; I received a call from the higher‑ups when I was about to go out, which held me up for a while.

Does it feel a bit odd that there's a filing cabinet here? In fact, there's no documents inside at all; it's just a place for fruit and food.

He said that and opened the filing cabinet, taking out a plate of snacks and a plate of fruit.

By the way, I don't know if County Magistrate Su eats lamb; if you do, I can have them bring some hand‑grab for us to eat while we chat. Oh, I also have some wine here, though nothing fine—just a couple of hundred yuan's worth.

Hou Junlai looks perpetually sullen, giving the impression that everyone owes him a hundred thousand yuan; most people avoid him, even the County Standing Committee Members are reluctant to interact with him much.

It is only because of Geng Miao, this unique presence, that they seem to have formed a solid front.

But when he sees Su Yang, he becomes very easygoing, as easygoing as the neighbor Old Wang—of the proper, respectable sort, not the kind who climbs over walls.

"Secretary Hou is really enthusiastic, so I won't be pretentious. If you can bring two jin of hand‑grab, that's perfect. For me, getting a free meal saves a meal's worth of money."

A brief exchange subtly brought the two closer. Speaking that, they sat down beside the tea table.

Hou Junlai got to the point: "County Magistrate Su, you are truly bold! As soon as you entered our county you set off a landmine, causing many people to be unable to cope and the whole thing to blow up."

To be honest, Geng Miao's influence in our county far exceeds your imagination; it reaches every aspect of life, and everyone within the system likely has a file on him.

In recent years, as the government has emphasized economic development, his Twin Ditch Large Koji Winery has sold well, contributing to the county and even the city's economy, which made him arrogant and reckless.

At first he only courted a few Section Chief Level cadres, but later he began to bribe county leaders with money. Of course, some people despised him and even hinted at taking over the Twin Ditch Large Koji Winery, yet all these twists occurred when the provincial leadership came for an inspection and went straight to his winery.

After the inspection, he received high praise, and the accompanying city officials were instructed on the spot to give more policy support. From then on, Geng Miao became unstoppable, a genuine Local Tyrant in the county.

Sometimes I even feel scared hearing that the security department of a winery legally possesses firearms. Because of those guns, many incidents have arisen, and many people tried to take action against him, but they were all beaten back.

When the Former County Magistrate Tong Guohua was still in office, he might have been a bit restrained, after all the County Magistrate is also a native of ours.

Now he is not restrained at all—an absolute Local Tyrant; anyone who doesn't obey him will feel his hand.

The previous two County Magistrates and Secretaries were either eliminated by him or thrown in jail. As you have seen this time, besides those who collude, not everyone is merely a sycophant; they just keep their positions and dare not oppose him.

If you put a nice spin on it, it's called self‑preservation; if you call it bluntly, it's cowardice—being afraid of losing the black silk hat. Of course, among the people I despise for that, I include myself.

At one point I thought Lieshan Xian was beyond saving, that we'd have to muddle through with our consciences compromised, but fortunately you arrived.

I also know about you—people call you the "political arena assassin", yet you shouldn't be a Vice County Magistrate; you came straight to be Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary, taking my seat. Anyway, your reputation is well known; you're not afraid of anyone watching you, nor of stirring any hatred.

As he spoke, Hou Junlai chuckled; his words alone made his current stance clear. It sounded very genuine, and Su Yang wasn't worried about what tricks this Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary might be pulling behind the scenes.

Within the system, including him, everyone places great importance on the black silk hat atop their heads. He didn't ask how Fang Jingwen negotiated with Hou Junlai, but Hou Junlai could clearly tell that the advantages Fang Jingwen could provide were far beyond what he imagined, even beyond what he dared to hope for.

But if Fang Jingwen were truly displeased, even Geng Miao couldn't protect his black silk hat. Moreover, deep down he already despises people like Geng Miao.

Facing such frankness, Su Yang said, "I have been fighting alone, and indeed I am a bit overmatched. That's why since day one I wanted to report to Secretary Hou, but as you know the situation then, I felt like a plague—everyone avoided me. So I didn't want to bother you; today finally gives me the chance."

Speaking that, he unceremoniously opened the wine Hou Junlai had brought and poured a large cup for himself. "I won't say anything else; I offer this wine to you as a tribute."

Hou Junlai laughed heartily: "You really are a straightforward person, not pretentious at all, which suits my temperament. Fine, I'll toast you."

"For now, that's the deal: I have no finer wine or food. This is all saved from my salary, plus whatever this tea house earns; otherwise…"

Su Yang didn't care whether he was truly that poor or if this old Discipline Inspection Commission Secretary was naturally so frugal; he lifted his cup, tipped his head back, and the large drink slid down his throat. Hou Junlai did the same, drinking with equal gusto.

After setting the cup down, he refilled the wine: "We don't have to wait for each other to offer a toast; according to our winery's rules it's six cups, but I break that rule and go straight for three. But it's not this small cup, it's this bowl—what do you think?"

Hou Junlai's move truly caught Su Yang off guard; he had no idea what it meant, but he wasn't shy about it at the table.

One of these small bowls holds about two liang of wine; three bowls would get at least half a jin into the mouth. Why only half a jin? Because the rest would spill over the lip onto the floor.

Hou Junlai saw that Su Yang didn't even blink, got up, and took two more small bowls from his metal filing cabinet. Without further words, the two consecutively downed three bowls of wine.

The over‑half‑jin of wine in his stomach made the originally dark‑complexioned Hou Junlai's face flush with a black‑red hue, reminiscent of a farmer laboring all day under the setting sun—plain yet exuding an endless vigor.

He wiped his mouth and said, "Don't mind me; I just enjoy dealing with hearty people. Some words only come out after a drink, some deeds need alcohol to embolden my timid heart and free my hands. Of course, whatever I do needs your support, otherwise I'm a lone tree that can't stand on its own."