Chapter 594: The Discipline Inspection Cadre

When I returned to the small shop, the State Security people and the Discipline Inspection cadre were staring at me in unison.

I felt empty inside! My ankles seemed to be trembling.

Just now, I used the USB drive to copy all the content of the three discs. By doing this, I was stealing secrets. I understood the severity of this charge; if things went wrong, I would be left without a corpse.

I smiled weakly, picked up the wine glass in front of me, and said, "Come, drink."

They smiled meaningfully but didn't clink glasses with me. I felt dull, and although my heart was pounding, I still had to pretend to be indifferent on the surface.

After eating, we paid the bill and prepared to return to the hotel. The woman who poured the tea suddenly came out, holding a piece of paper and a pen, saying she wanted to leave our phone numbers. If she comes to the mainland to study in the future, she will have a chance to find us to play.

The State Security people were very reluctant, and the Discipline Inspection cadre was also hesitant to leave it. I simply took the paper and pen and said, "Just leave mine."

After writing the phone number for her, the four of us went out together.

Just as we walked outside, the Discipline Inspection cadre lectured me, "Director Chen, how can you leave your phone number to others randomly?"

I asked him back, "Did I leave it randomly?"

"She is from Macau."

"Macau has returned now, and it is a member of our motherland's big family." I said righteously, "I left my phone number for a compatriot, is that wrong?"

The Discipline Inspection cadre's face turned black, he glanced at me, and walked forward on his own.

Back in the room, the State Security people carefully checked the computer and took it back to their room. Only I and the Discipline Inspection cadre were left in the room. Because of the unpleasantness on the road just now, he clearly didn't want to pay attention to me.

I can understand him not paying attention to me, but I can't not pay attention to him. So I accompanied him with a smile and said, "You are a leader, you can't be angry with us subordinates. Besides, we are now in a capitalist social environment. If you don't watch me well and I make a mistake, you are responsible."

Teased by me, he really showed a smile and scolded me, "You guy, you have so many ghost ideas."

I hurriedly brewed tea for him, served it to his hand myself, and then sat opposite him with my hands neatly placed on my knees, waiting for his lecture.

The Discipline Inspection cadre didn't lecture me, sighed, and said, "Let me tell you a story."

My heart was tense. He wanted to tell me a story at this moment, would it be a story?

He said that in the early days of our reform and opening up, the economic development in coastal areas was more than ten times faster than in the mainland. The main reason was that coastal areas had the advantages of Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, while our mainland, even if we had money in our hands, was at a loss because we couldn't find projects.

There was a cadre in our Central Province who, after various inspections abroad, came to an experience: if you want to be rich, open a casino!

A casino is a capitalist thing, and domestic law is strictly prohibited. But the more prohibited things are, the more people crowd together. And no matter what you invest in, it can't compare to investing in a casino.

A casino is a business with no capital and huge profits, and there is no need to worry about customers at all.

The cadre's experience came from what someone said. This person said that reform allows failure and one can cross the river by feeling the stones. The subtext is that as long as it is good for economic development, one can do anything.

Watching other provinces come up with their own tricks, economic development was soaring, while Central Province was still marking time because of geographical reasons. At that time, there was only one indicator to measure a leader's ability: economic development.

If economic development is good, no matter what means are used, one is a hero. If economic development is not good, even if one has the talent to cover the sky and the earth, one is still a pile of dog shit.

The cadre's official position was not big at that time, only at the deputy department level in Central Province.

To advance, the cadre had to have achievements. After thinking about it countless times, he finally placed the report on building the gambling and entertainment industry in Central Province on the desk of the main leader.

The report was not passed at that time, and the Provincial Party Committee completely denied his idea. The cadre was unwilling, so he came to Macau to learn from experience, saying that a tiny place like this can make this cause famous all over the world, and economic development is a step up every day. Why is there any place that cannot be tried?

Inspection is inspection, the surface process was finished, and the cadre wanted to practice it and experience the highest stimulation in life.

This attempt caused a huge event.

Originally, the cadre held the mentality of playing around and exchanged some chips to get on the gambling table. Who would have thought that his luck was particularly good that day, and after a few rounds, he won more money than he had ever earned in half a lifetime of work.

Human desire is always impossible to satisfy. After resting for a day, this person quietly went to the casino again. This time, he exchanged all the money on him for chips and sat in the VIP room to enjoy the top-level treatment.

The treatment was enjoyed, but the luck of the second day was gone. In less than an hour, he lost all the money he won yesterday, and he didn't have enough, and he lost everything on him.

Just when he was about to leave, the casino people found him and said they could lend him chips to turn his luck around.

His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately borrowed one million. Who would have thought that in less than an hour, it all went into someone else's pocket. Borrow again, come again, it seemed like the casino was opened by him. As long as he opened his mouth, they would give him as much as he wanted.

In one day, except for smoking a few packs of cigarettes, he didn't touch a drop of water, and in exchange, he owed the casino a huge debt of fifty million.

Fifty million, at that time in Central Province, was worth the entire annual fiscal revenue of a county. When I was the Party Office Secretary in Suxi Township, I knew that the entire annual fiscal revenue of Suxi Township not only had no income but also had to bear a significant negative number.

After losing money, the casino didn't stop him and let him return to the country. In less than half a month, people from the Macau casino came and found the cadre's office.

The cadre's official position was not big, but he was in charge of the economic development lifeline of Central Province. For example, urban development planning, investment attraction. Anything related to the economy was under his control.

The cadre couldn't help but be afraid. If this matter were exposed, it would be a matter of losing his head. But owing people money, it was impossible not to pay it back.

But to pay back fifty million, even killing him wouldn't be enough.

At that time, face was the most important thing. A person can lose their life, but they cannot lose face. Without face, living is like being dead.

As long as the cadre's matter leaked even a little bit of wind, his life would be over. The cadre's life would be over, and the casino would not be able to collect the money. The casino was unwilling to see such a situation, so both sides began to stalemate.

Just when both sides were deadlocked, someone came forward to pay off his gambling debt. The person who paid the money for him was a Cantonese, who had a real estate company and also liked to play a few hands, often going to Macau to try his luck.

Although this boss liked to gamble, he never gambled big. He set a rule for himself: every time he went, it was ten thousand yuan. If he won, it was the same, and if he lost, he absolutely wouldn't increase the bet. He went often and became a regular customer, naturally getting familiar with the casino.

Chinese people like to build relationships the most, as if the world would be difficult to move without relationships. The Cantonese boss was no exception. Although he didn't gamble big, he couldn't stand that he would definitely come every three or five days. The casino naturally wouldn't offend such a guest. As they went back and forth, the Cantonese boss got to know the casino boss, and to some extent, they became brothers.

The cadre's every move in the casino was seen by him. He appeared when the cadre was at a dead end, and the only condition was to let his real estate company enter the Central Province market.

His appearance was no different from sending charcoal in the snow. The cadre agreed immediately and promised that all matters of the Cantonese boss in Central Province, whether good or bad, would be settled by him.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but ask, "Is this boss named Liang Tianxing?"

The Discipline Inspection cadre smiled and said, "You listen first, and then think after listening. As for who is who, we don't match them."

"And then?" I asked.

"And then?" The Discipline Inspection cadre pondered for a moment and said, "Later, the cadre often went to Macau, basically once a month. It is said that he met a card sharp in the casino, and this card sharp helped him win back the money he had lost in the past."

"Is this card sharp Lao Can?" My heart was getting colder and colder, and my back felt like a basin of water had been poured on it, almost soaked and cold all over.

"Think for yourself."

"And then?"

"There is no more." The Discipline Inspection cadre sighed and said, "A story is a story, and a story is fictional."

"Is this fictional?" I asked hesitantly. In fact, my heart was already as bright as a mirror, but I felt that the more I knew, the more dangerous it would be.

I began to regret agreeing to Dai An to go on this business trip. I should have understood long ago that in such a bustling world as Macau, how could a few old men hand it over to me?

The Letters and Visits Bureau is a unit of dog shit, with no money and no power. Usually, when the bureau wants to hold an activity, the funds have to be racked with brains to think of ways.

No one in the Letters and Visits Bureau is willing to go on business trips because business trips in the Letters and Visits Bureau are strictly reimbursed according to subsidies. The hotel accommodation fee set back then was forty yuan a night, and now it's impossible to get a big dormitory to sleep in. The meal subsidy is even more pitiful, five yuan a day, not even enough for breakfast.

The Letters and Visits Bureau has no funds, but the Joint Investigation Team has funds. The Mayor allocated over one million in special funds for the Joint Investigation Team. This money is simply a huge sum for our Letters and Visits Bureau.

And there is no specific limit on the spending of this huge sum, which means that as long as it is related to the investigation, this money can be used.

For example, our trip to Macau was spent with this money.

The Discipline Inspection cadre didn't want to continue talking. Although I wanted to listen, I couldn't stand the fear, so I had to quietly wash my body and prepare to lie on the bed to rest, waiting to pass the customs back to Hengyue City tomorrow morning.

Lying on the bed, I couldn't close my eyes no matter what. The Discipline Inspection cadre suddenly told me this story, what was his intention? Was he hinting at something to me?

I suddenly remembered their strange smiles when they saw me go back from the hotel in the small shop, and my heart felt cold.

I came to Macau, and everything was in their calculations! But why did they want to calculate me?

I understood that they must know I copied the disc content. They did it on purpose, setting a trap for me to drill into. And that Lao Wei, who exactly is he?

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became, tossing and turning.

The Discipline Inspection cadre on the next bed asked me, "Can't sleep?"

I sighed and said, "I'm not used to new places. Just arrived here, a bit not used to it."

The Discipline Inspection cadre laughed, "I'll tell you a simple way, close your eyes and count sheep, count to one thousand and I guarantee you'll fall asleep."

I simply sat up and said, "I want to go out and walk around, okay?"

"Won't it violate discipline?" He looked at me with a smile that wasn't a smile.

"Guaranteed not to." I said firmly. But I was very unhappy in my heart. Damn it, you are a Discipline Inspection cadre, and I am a Deputy Director of the Letters and Visits Bureau. In terms of rank, I might be half a level higher than you. But here, I am like your subordinate, and I have to look at your face to do anything!

"If you really can't sleep, it's fine to go out and walk around." He didn't get up and urged me, "Come back early."

I was like being pardoned, put on my clothes and pants, opened the door, and walked out.

I'm not going for a walk, I'm going to find Mr. Wei! ===== CHAPTER 595 =====