Chapter 163

After Yue Bai told me the news she had gathered, I headed straight for the county without stopping.

Arriving at the County Committee compound, I didn't go directly to County Magistrate Liu Qimeng. I wandered slowly into Huang Qishan's office and shouted that I was thirsty as soon as I entered.

Huang Qishan had been overwhelmed by the land requisition and demolition during this period, and he said irritably, "If you're thirsty, pour your own water. I don't have time to wait on you."

I said with a fake smile, "A guest is a guest! Secretary Huang, your official rank is one level higher, but is it interesting to make me pour my own water when I come to your office?"

Huang Qishan smiled bitterly and said, "Township Head Chen, you're so relaxed. This mess of mine makes people unable to eat or sleep. I bump into walls above and hit my knees below. Either way, I'm the villain."

I said with feigned surprise, "How is that possible? With Secretary Huang personally handling the work, who would dare talk nonsense?"

"Just look, Secretary Guan scolded me severely yesterday, and today County Magistrate Liu gave me a lukewarm lecture. A group of farmers came in the morning saying they wanted to tear my bones apart, and a group of workers came at noon saying they wanted to eat at my house. What kind of mess is this? I'm just a Youth League Committee Secretary, does this have anything to do with me?"

I said with a grin, "Of course it has to do with you. You are their parent official, aren't you supposed to manage them?"

"It's none of my business. Secretary Guan blames me for setting the land compensation too high, and County Magistrate Liu says I can't deduct from it. What do you want me to do?"

"Say what people want to hear to people, and what ghosts want to hear to ghosts," I said with a fake smile. "You should be familiar with playing both sides."

"Easier said than done!" Huang Qishan brought me a cup of water and asked, "What are you here for?"

"Can't I come to sit for a while without having business?" I retorted, deliberately sighing deeply, "The government office is as deep as the sea."

"Nonsense!" He interrupted me. "Speak quickly, I don't have time to play word games with you."

"Really nothing," I said sincerely, looking envious. "Seeing our Secretary Huang so busy that his feet barely touch the ground, this is what a truly good cadre is."

"Not talking? Then I'm leaving." Huang Qishan picked up the bag on the table and said, "Let's eat together tonight. I'm going to Chengguan Town first."

"Going to Town Mayor Deng's place?" I asked. "I happen to want to go too, is it convenient?"

"What's inconvenient about it?" Huang Qishan said. "If you want to go, let's go quickly."

After saying this, he opened the door and went out first.

I followed behind him downstairs. Huang Qishan's vehicle for the demolition and land requisition headquarters was parked in the County Committee compound. Standing by the car, I hesitated and said, "I think I won't go; Town Mayor Deng won't be happy to see me."

"What's wrong? Is there something between the two of you?"

"Nothing major, he just detained someone of mine," I sighed, pretending to be nonchalant. "Town Mayor Deng is formidable."

"Formidable my foot. He's just a troublemaker," Huang Qishan cursed angrily. "He has nothing better to do than to launch some enterprise restructuring. If you want to restructure, go ahead, but why do you have to get involved with demolition? Isn't this just creating problems for me?"

"What does this have to do with demolition?"

"Sigh," Huang Qishan sighed and said, "Originally it had nothing to do with it, but Deng Hanyu has his eyes on the demolition compensation money and wants to use it to restructure that broken cement products factory of his."

"That's not a bad thing," I said, wanting to continue to induce him to say more.

"Forget it. Let's talk tonight. Are you not going back?" He opened the car door and poked his head out to ask me.

"Not necessarily," I said. "You go ahead and get busy. If I don't go back, I'll call you."

Watching Huang Qishan leave in a hurry, I wandered slowly upstairs and went straight to County Magistrate Liu's office.

The secretary saw me and asked with a smile, "Township Head Chen, you have time?"

I laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare visit your temple without a reason." I lowered my voice and asked, "Is the County Magistrate in?"

The secretary nodded and also lowered his voice, saying, "The County Magistrate hasn't closed his eyes for two days, hasn't eaten anything, and has been busy the whole time."

I asked in surprise, "What's so important?"

The secretary smiled bitterly and said, "I'm not very clear, but it's definitely not anything good." He glanced at the tightly closed door and asked me, "Shall I announce you?"

I smiled gratefully and said, "I'll go myself."

I knocked on the door a few times, and County Magistrate Liu's voice came from inside: "Please come in."

Pushing the door open, I saw County Magistrate Liu buried in correcting documents, so I didn't dare to disturb him. I walked to the sofa and sat down obediently to wait.

After a while, County Magistrate Liu looked up. Seeing it was me, he smiled and said, "You're here."

I hurriedly stood up and said, "County Magistrate, I'm here to report on my work."

"Speak," he said, uttering a single word.

I took the analysis report for the construction of the mineral water plant out of my bag, handed it to him respectfully with both hands, and sat back on the sofa, waiting for County Magistrate Liu's decision.

County Magistrate Liu glanced at the title of the report and immediately looked up, saying with great joy, "Good, not bad, you have ideas."

I said with a sad face, "Everything was ready, but now the 'east wind' has been borrowed away by someone else."

"What do you mean?"

I briefly reported the ins and outs of the water plant construction, and at the end, I said, "County Magistrate, what you see now are just a few sheets of paper; I'm afraid it won't be possible to get things done."

County Magistrate Liu slapped the table and roared, "Deng Hanyu wants to turn the world upside down. He doesn't even know he's committing a crime." After saying this, he was about to pick up the phone to call the Public Security Bureau.

I hurriedly stopped him and said, "Actually, Town Mayor Deng is doing this for public business. It's also a matter of having no other choice."

"Even if there's no choice, he can't commit a crime. This is illegal detention, do you know that?"

I nodded and said, "It's not that serious yet. County Magistrate Liu, I came to report today because I wanted to ask you to step in and help me coordinate. If this matter blows up, it won't be good for anyone. If the developers get scared, no one will benefit. I think, since this is all being developed in our county, where it's developed shouldn't matter."

County Magistrate Liu nodded approvingly and said, "Hmm, cadres should have your sense of the big picture. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

I said, "Please have Town Mayor Deng release the boss he has under house arrest, and we can sign a cooperative management contract with Chengguan Town. Everyone will be happy, what do you think?"

County Magistrate Liu smiled and said, "Little Chen, I've long seen that you have a belly full of ideas."

I smiled without answering. Throwing this hot potato to County Magistrate Liu Qimeng to handle was the best and only choice. Deng Hanyu wouldn't listen to me! Now when he saw me, it was like enemies meeting, eyes burning with hatred. In his view, I had snatched his person, and snatching his person was snatching his money. Qian Youyu was a village cadre under their Chengguan Town, and Yuetang Village was a natural village of Chengguan Town. It was a piece of fat meat already cooked in the pot; could he just watch it being snatched away by me, a bird passing by?

"Does Secretary Guan know about this?" County Magistrate Liu asked me nonchalantly.

I shook my head and said, "I haven't reported it yet. County Magistrate, do you think I should report this to Secretary Guan?"

"It might not be a bad thing to tell him," he said, lowering his head to look at my report, and stopped talking.

I sat for a while, and without saying goodbye to him, I quietly opened the door and slipped out, heading straight for Secretary Guan's office.

Guan Peishan seemed very surprised by my arrival. He didn't invite me to sit, but stared at me for a while and said, "Township Head Chen, when you have time, go back and report to Secretary He. The Martyrs Cemetery welcomes him to come and guide or inspect at any time."

I smiled indifferently and said, "Secretary Guan, I didn't come for that."

Guan Peishan looked at me in astonishment and said, "You have other business?"

I calmed my heartbeat and repeated what I had just reported to Liu Qimeng.

Guan Peishan frowned, and after hearing my report, he spat out a sentence: "This Deng Hanyu is simply playing the piano in chaos."