Chapter 341

There was no one in the lobby; the few women who had been swaying unsteadily had all disappeared.

Xiao Zhen followed behind me, calling out to me in a low voice, "Master, Master, what's wrong with you?"

I comforted her, "It's nothing. I have an urgent matter to attend to."

"You're leaving?" She looked surprised, then suddenly fearful. She didn't dare look at me, her hands twisting the corner of her clothes, looking like she wanted to cry.

"I really have something to do," I said, glancing at her. Xiao Zhen was still disheveled, her hair in a mess, and the buttons she had hurriedly fastened were wrong, causing the pair of breasts on her chest to sway and threaten to break free.

"Master, if you leave now, you're pushing me to my death." Xiao Zhen's tears were about to fall. She looked back at the upstairs and lowered her voice, "Boss Diao will beat me to death."

"He wouldn't dare!" I shouted, cursing, "Is there no law in this country?"

Xiao Zhen hurriedly reached out to cover my mouth. I pushed her hand away and shouted, "Open the door!"

Before the door could be opened, Old Diao's sinister laughter came from behind, calling out, "Deputy County Magistrate Chen, what's the matter?"

I didn't look back, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, also wearing an inscrutable smile, and said, "Aren't you going to open the door?"

"I wouldn't dare!" Old Diao trotted over, leaned in front of my nose, and asked with a righteous look, "Is the leader not satisfied with this woman?"

I shook my head.

"Did she not serve you well?"

I still shook my head and smiled, "Very well. However, I'm not used to it yet."

Old Diao laughed, his face full of lewdness, "Come a few more times, and the leader will get used to it."

I smiled without answering and scanned the lobby. Except for the three of us, the lobby seemed very deserted.

"Why doesn't the leader go upstairs? Old Deng is up there," Old Diao asked, testing me.

"Is there a new paradise on the third floor?" I asked, not intending to move my feet.

"Place a few bets and try your luck." Old Diao tried hard to invite me, handed me a few plastic chips, and smiled, "It's the leader's first time here, so I'll give you a few chips to see how the leader's luck is."

I declined and refused to take them. From the moment Old Diao gave me the chips, I estimated that the casino on the third floor would not be a small-time operation.

"The Old Secretary is also there," Old Diao tempted me again, hinting in his words, "Aren't you going to wait for the Old Secretary to leave together?"

I thought to myself, if I left before Guan Peishan now, it would cast a shadow on him. If I didn't know about Old Diao's villa and what was inside, I would have just left, and no one would care. Now that I had already entered the inner sanctum, if I wanted to leave unscathed, could Guan Peishan let me go?

"Going to take a look is fine," I said, and said seriously to Old Diao, "As for gambling, I'm really not into it. I haven't learned."

Old Diao quickly said, "It's very simple. We only play Baccarat here. Don't worry, the dealers are professionals, and we absolutely guarantee there's no cheating." He added, "Basically everyone with status in Chunshan County has come to play a few hands."

I didn't say anything, but a fire rose in my heart.

Chunshan County is a nationally designated poverty-stricken county, and the county's annual fiscal revenue isn't even enough to pay wages. What is meant by people with status? Those with money are, and those with power are too.

Money can command power! Power can be turned into money.

The only thing that puzzled me was that Guan Peishan was actually here for the first time. This couldn't help but make me deeply confused.

Besides Guan Peishan, who else in Chunshan County counts as someone with status?

Although a few small wealthy people have emerged in recent years, they are ultimately just living a little better than ordinary people. Truly wealthy people wouldn't stay in Chunshan County; they would choose to settle in Hengyue City. For example, Qian Youyu, for example, Sun Demao.

Hiding such a money-burning den right under one's nose, I don't know if I should feel fortunate or sad.

But I didn't have the slightest bit of guilt! I am a newly appointed Deputy County Magistrate, and it is only natural that I didn't know about such a place. But today I already know, and if I continue to let it grow wildly, I would be failing the hundreds of thousands of people in Chunshan County.

Thinking of this, I clenched my fist hard. In the end, I didn't follow Old Diao upstairs, but resolutely turned back downstairs, and directly asked Xiao Zhen to open the door so I could leave.

Old Diao was startled by my sudden change, held my hand, and said sincerely, "County Magistrate, County Magistrate, if you leave now, there's no car to take you out."

"It's fine!" I shook off his hand and said, "I called my driver."

Seeing my determined attitude, and that even bringing up Guan Peishan didn't seem to scare me off, Old Diao had no choice but to follow me downstairs and obediently open the door for me.

Once outside, he shouted for the security guard to come over, took a car key out of his pocket, and asked the security guard to take me.

I refused Old Diao's kindness, indicating that I had a car coming to pick me up and wouldn't trouble him. Old Diao looked very sad and said in a low, humble voice, "How about I drive you back myself?"

I comforted him with a smile, "No need, you go get busy. The Old Secretary is still waiting for you. By the way, tell the Old Secretary that I really have something to do and have to return to Hengyue City overnight, and please ask him to forgive me. I'll just walk along this road and wait."

What I said was meant to give everyone a way out. The meaning was very clear: it was absolutely not because of Old Diao's problem, and even less because of Guan Peishan's problem. It was my own problem.

"It's cold and dark! I'm worried about you walking alone!" Old Diao looked very worried and insisted on driving me.

I didn't want to continue wasting words with him. While he went to get the car, I started walking along the road I had come in on.

After walking a few steps, I shouted to Old Diao, who had his headlights on, "I said no, so no. So that people don't miss me when they come to pick me up later."

Old Diao seemed to think for a while, but in the end, he turned off the headlights.

After walking a hundred steps or so, I took out my phone and called Yu Wei, telling him I was on the road at Old Diao's place.

Yu Wei chuckled on the phone and asked, "County Magistrate, you know that place too!"

I ignored his comment and told him I was alone and walking back along the road.

Yu Wei hung up the phone. Standing in the darkness, I pondered the meaning behind the kid's words; he seemed very familiar with this place.

After thinking about it, I called Li Lian again. If this famous gambling woman of Chunshan County didn't know about this place, it would mean Old Diao's business hadn't grown big yet.

As soon as the call connected, I heard Li Lian's unbridled laughter, asking me, "Great County Magistrate Chen, now that you're a big official, you still remember to call your sister-in-law to report the good news. Thank you."

I laughed, "Is my big brother home?"

Li Lian retorted, "What do you think?"

I asked strangely, "How would I know?"

"Don't you want to come and see?" She teased me. In front of the sharp-tongued Li Fulian, I always felt clumsy and slow-witted.

Seeing that I didn't say anything, she said with a giggle, "Great County Magistrate, if he were here, would I talk like this?"

I laughed. Between men and women, the most feared thing is misunderstanding. If the relationship between a man and a woman is as clear as water, no matter how many nasty rumors there are, they will just laugh them off. The problem is that Li Lian is a passionate, fiery, and incredibly sexy woman, and I had had a romantic encounter with her on a snowy night. Once there is a ghost in one's heart, one feels that there are ghost shadows everywhere.

I cleared my throat and asked, "Do you know a person named Old Diao?"

She hesitated for a moment and asked me, "Why are you asking about him?"

"It seems you know him, sister-in-law!" I said, throwing the cigarette butt into the snow.

"You suddenly ask about this person, do you have ideas?" Li Lian pressed me.

"No!" I said nonchalantly, "Just asking casually."

"Just asking?"

"Just asking. Really!"

She said "Oh" and asked where I was.

I teased, "Right downstairs at your place."

Li Lian laughed instead and said, "It's also downstairs at your place. Great County Magistrate, you live in the same unit as me now, right across the door."

I was taken aback. The County Government Office Director said he would arrange my housing, how could it be such a coincidence?

Lao Mo is the director of the detention center, considered a section-level cadre, and the County Public Security Bureau should have allocated housing to him. Li Fulian married Lao Mo, so naturally, she should live in Lao Mo's house. How could she have her own house in the county government family building?

Suddenly I remembered that Li Fulian is a cadre of the County Women's Federation. Among all the cadres in Chunshan County, who doesn't have a house in their name! Li Fulian is naturally no exception.

"Great County Magistrate, I have your keys here. Old Xiao from the government office waited for you all night, and since he couldn't find you, he left the keys with me. You have to come to my place to get the keys," Li Lian told me, "Don't worry, everything is arranged at home, you can just come back and live there."

I couldn't help but admire the efficiency of the government office. In less than a day, the office was arranged, the accommodation was arranged, and I was even given a home!

Suddenly I saw a beam of headlights shining over. I stood on the side of the road, wanting to let the car pass, but saw the car stop in front of me. Yu Wei jumped out of the car and called to me respectfully, "County Magistrate, I'm here!"

Sitting in the car, my body, which had been chilled by the cold wind, felt like my lips were trembling.

Yu Wei handed me a teacup and said with a smile, "Newly bought, for you to drink tea, County Magistrate."

After drinking a few sips of hot tea, I felt much warmer. Looking out the window, the dark tree branches seemed to fly past the car body.

"Go straight to the hospital!" I said, closing my eyes, and began to digest the lingering warmth of being a Deputy County Magistrate for half a day.