Chapter 300: Family Planning Matters

Guo Wei returned to Hengyue City with a very clear purpose. Although he did not say it, it was as clear as a mirror in my heart.

He was aiming for Chen Meng!

The treasure in Chen Meng's belly ultimately did not become his burden; compared to his future, other people's children had far less allure than his prospects. Besides, once the child was born, it would call him Daddy.

Guo Wei was a man of deep hidden motives. Abandoning his girlfriend a few years ago to pursue Huang Weiwei was not because he was moved by Huang Weiwei's appearance or anything else; his ultimate goal was to covet the power in the hands of Huang Weiwei's father. Who would have expected that while the fallen flowers had the intention, the flowing water was heartless; Huang Weiwei did not accept his love but chose me instead. This made Guo Wei hold a grudge against me for a very long time.

If one is a hero, the means do not matter. For example, killing on the battlefield—if you cannot win in a one-on-one fight, why can't you gang up on them? Or, for example, all sorts of schemes and tricks—as long as success is achieved, any low-down, dirty tactic is prettified and grandly called a strategy.

Guo Wei had convinced himself through one failed scheme after another. A child that wasn't his own calling him Daddy was, in a sense, a manifestation of victory. Because the title of "Daddy" represents a supreme spiritual pursuit.

Rather than not seeing the light, why not take the initiative to light the oil lamp? As long as Chen Meng became his wife, why would he, Guo Wei, not soar to the clouds? In the officialdom, he could at least save twenty years of struggle, and materially, he would be worry-free for a lifetime. Moreover, Chen Meng was a beauty—the kind of lover so many men dreamed of!

Bidding farewell to Huang Weiwei, I drove the car, pursed my lips, turned the stereo up to the max, and drove triumphantly through the streets of Hengyue City.

From Hengyue City to Chunshan County, in over six years, I don't know how many times I have traveled back and forth. I could even remember clearly where there was a big tree, where there was a village, or where one could get out of the car to take a leak.

Upon arriving at Chunshan County, I went to find Secretary Liu Qimeng overnight.

Seeing the report I brought him, Secretary Liu furrowed his brows and remained silent.

I had no choice but to keep my hands tight at my sides, standing straight as a wooden stake before him.

Secretary Liu threw the report onto the coffee table in front of him and asked me with a dark face, "Did you go find Secretary He?"

I nodded and admitted it timidly. Secretary He's written instructions were on the report, in black and white, clear as day; why ask what was already known?

"Why did you go find Secretary He without authorization?" Secretary Liu stared at me, his gaze sharp and merciless, as if he wanted to strip my clothes off.

At this question, I was instantly speechless. I had bypassed the chain of command—I had committed a fatal mistake! At the thought of this, I broke into a cold sweat. Was I negating Secretary Liu's work? Or was I relying on having a high-ranking official as an uncle and no longer taking the County Committee seriously?

"I went back to see Weiwei," I said. "And while I was at it, I remembered Qian Youyu was still in the detention center, and the New Year is coming soon..."

"You're the only one who would think of that?" Secretary Liu interrupted me without ceremony.

I stammered and could not get a sound out.

"The case of Qian Youyu is a criminal case; it must be handled according to criminal law," Secretary Liu sighed and said. "Now that you've brought back Secretary He's instructions, what do you expect me to do?"

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. I had thought of many ways, so why hadn't I thought of this layer? This was political immaturity!

"Chen Feng, you are a person with a flexible mind, bold, and full of ideas. But there is one thing: you are not yet mature enough in your political thinking." Secretary Liu said exactly what I had been thinking, and the moment the words reached my ears, I knew the position of Deputy County Magistrate was moving away from me.

A person who is not politically mature cannot serve as a Deputy County Magistrate. Secretary Liu had already handed down my verdict, which actually made me feel a sense of relief.

During this time, I had only been thinking about the Deputy County Magistrate matter and had no heart for anything else. It was like having a sharp sword hanging over my head, never knowing when it would fall. Now that the truth had come to light, my mood was actually much more relaxed.

"Secretary Liu, I know I am immature. Under your guidance, I still need to learn more." I buttered him up, putting on a humble face.

I reached into my pocket to take out a cigarette and touched another envelope, only then remembering the other letter Chen Meng had entrusted me to bring him.

So I took out the envelope and respectfully handed it to Secretary Liu with both hands, saying, "Secretary Liu, this is a letter for you from Reporter Chen of the City Newspaper."

Secretary Liu took it, tore it open in front of me, glanced at it, looked at me a few more times, and a strange, inscrutable smirk appeared on his face.

After reading the letter, Secretary Liu slowly stuffed it back into the envelope, looked up, and said to me, "What are you standing there for? Sit down and talk."

His attitude had done a 180-degree turn; clearly, Chen Meng's letter had worked. I didn't know what that little girl had said in the letter, but regardless, Secretary Liu was now all smiles, and his mood seemed to have cleared up.

"You kid..." Secretary Liu smiled, didn't continue, and gave me a meaningful look.

"Now that it's snowing, the project can't proceed. As a Town Mayor, what are you going to do now?" Secretary Liu bypassed the letter and turned to ask about my work.

"Winter is here, and heating is the biggest problem," I said. "Everyone used to cut firewood, but in recent years, with the mountain closure and reforestation, no one dares to cut trees, so winter heating has become the most troublesome issue in rural areas. Especially for the elderly living alone; they need help."

Secretary Liu nodded, acknowledging my point.

"The matter of family planning also needs to be grasped well during this time." Countless things to do flooded my mind.

"Mm," Secretary Liu tapped his knees lightly. "Do a good job of stabilizing the people and ensure the common folk have a good New Year."

I nodded busily, my attitude earnest, my eyes fixed on him without blinking.

"You go back first and handle the few urgent matters at hand," Secretary Liu issued an order to leave.

"Secretary Liu..." I started to speak but stopped, my eyes fixed on the report on the coffee table.

Secretary Liu ignored me entirely, stood up on his own, and stretched.

I wanted to continue asking, but he turned and went into the study.

I grabbed the report from the coffee table and shouted toward the study door, "Secretary Liu, rest well, I'm leaving."

Once outside, hit by the cold wind, my head cleared up quite a bit. Clutching the report in my hand, I began to ponder Secretary Liu's meaning. He didn't give me an answer—neither signing it nor giving verbal instructions—what did that mean? He couldn't possibly ignore Secretary He's instructions; he wasn't a rigid person! So what exactly did he want to do?

After stepping down the stairs, I suddenly kicked a rock protruding from the ground, tripping me and nearly causing me to fall. So, my anger flared up, and I cursed at the ground, "Fuck your grandmother, are you bullying me?"

I kicked the rock again fiercely, and the pain made me grimace; I squatted on the ground for a long time before I could get up.

Back in the car, by the light of the small lamp on the roof, I discovered that the kick had been too hard; it had actually torn a hole in my leather shoe.

Damn it! A bad start! I cursed, started the car, and drove toward Suxi Town.

It was already past ten at night, and Chunshan County town was as if in hibernation, silent and still. Occasionally, the sound of a television would drift out from an open window, scattering into the empty street, appearing incomparably desolate.

As the car passed the County Committee Hotel, I was distracted by the colorful neon lights on the wall. The large characters "Sauna, Bath, Massage" were like a seductive young woman, winking at me. My body suddenly felt itchy, so I turned the steering wheel and headed toward the neon lights.

Before I even entered the door, I saw Huang Qishan rushing out from inside, looking anxious, so I stood there and called out to him.

Huang Qishan stopped, saw me at a glance, came over with his head down, and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

I smiled without answering, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and asked him, "What are you doing here so late? Doing something bad?" I pointed at the flashing neon lights and smirked.

"Bullshit! I'm broke." Huang Qishan spat a thick glob of phlegm onto the ground.

"What? Playing cards?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"That son of a bitch Deng Hanyu called a few people here to play San Gong, and I lost thirty thousand yuan. Out of money, going home to sleep." Huang Qishan smiled reluctantly, his expression bitter.

"What are you afraid of if you're out of money? You have me!" I patted my chest and said, "Let's go back, brothers. If we win, we split it; if we lose, it's on me. You going?"

"I'm going!" Huang Qishan gritted his teeth with hatred. "Fuck his mother, I'm going back to turn the tables on him."

"Let's get this straight: I'll play, you just back me up," I said, seeking his opinion.

"Let's both play, okay? Give me some money." Huang Qishan looked at me almost pleadingly; his pitiful appearance made me want to laugh.

"No, I'm playing alone," I said firmly, allowing no room for doubt.

"Fine! Whether I win or not isn't the big thing; I'm going to vent my anger." Huang Qishan pulled me and walked straight into the main hall.

I touched my handbag, which contained over twenty thousand in cash. Feeling bold, I held my head high and chest out, following him in.