Chapter 2747

They say these coal bosses always carry cash in huge sacks, with several such sacks stuffed in their cars, paying for everything in cash without even counting it—instead measuring it with a ruler.

Of course, some of these legends are exaggerated, but the sheer wealth of these mine owners is still evident.

Xiang Dong shook his head and said, "These mine owners may be rich, but they're still uncultivated."

Su Xinghui said, "Yes, most of them are poorly educated, even ex-hooligans who got rich from mining and now want political status. Haven't you seen the titles printed on their business cards—Vice Chair of the Federation of Industry and Commerce, CPPCC member, and so on? Who knows how much they paid for those titles."

Yu Ruizhi picked up the two gold-foil business cards sent by Zhang Dacheng and Li Shuangli, read out each title on them with sarcasm, then flicked his finger—the cards flew precisely into a trash bin. He said, "This is truly a monkey wearing a crown!"

Yu Sister Sister Ruoqiu laughed and said, "Second brother, I've noticed you're getting more cultured—your use of that idiom is spot-on."

Yu Ruizhi feigned anger and said, "You're just making fun of your second brother!"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "When I first arrived in Baozhou, my driver was Zhang Dacheng's son."

Yu Ruizhi asked, "And now?"

Su Xinghui said, "I found my own driver and replaced Zhang Heping."

Yu Ruizhi asked again, "You found your own driver? Who is he?"

Su Xinghui then told Yu Ruizhi and the others how he met Zhai Yingjie, which sparked Yu Ruizhi's interest in him. He said, "So Zhai Yingjie is a special forces veteran?"

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Yes, he served in special forces but was forcibly discharged after beating up a quartermaster who was embezzling military rations. After discharge, he applied for a driver position at the municipal government, but Zhang Heping took his spot. He's had bad luck."

Zhu Zheng smiled and said, "But meeting you was his stroke of luck."

Su Xinghui said, "I hope he makes good use of this luck."

As they ate and chatted, after finishing, Yu Ruizhi said, "Shouldn't we move to a different place? Staying here makes me uncomfortable."

Su Xinghui smiled and said, "Is that necessary?"

Yu Sister Sister Ruoqiu said, "Let's move anyway—I'm also uncomfortable here."

Su Xinghui nodded and said, "Alright, then let's stay at the municipal government guesthouse."

Su Xinghui went to the front desk to settle the bill, canceled the previous room, and the group then went to the municipal government guesthouse, checked in, and settled in.

While cleaning the private dining room where Su Xinghui and the others had eaten, the waitresses found the discarded gold-foil business cards in the trash. They didn't dare ignore them, picked up the cards, and handed them to Zhang Dacheng and Li Shuangli. When the two heard their gold-foil cards had been thrown in the trash, their faces flushed red with rage—but they could do nothing.

What could they do? Could they go confront Su Xinghui?

The next day, Su Xinghui began visiting the county-level districts—his first inspection tour since assuming office.

Su Xinghui brought along Luo Guoxiu, Director of the Education Bureau, and Liu Xin, Director of the Tourism Bureau. Liu Xin was a female director, under forty, very beautiful, with the tall, slender frame and fair skin typical of northern women, and her features were strikingly elegant.

Yu Ruizhi and his group also followed Su Xinghui down to the counties—they were evaluating Baozhou's tourism potential; if the tourism industry here showed promise, they planned to invest in it.

Liu Xin, hearing these were tourism investors from Jingcheng, held high hopes. Becoming director of the Tourism Bureau had been hard for her—she'd paid a heavy price—but Baozhou's tourism industry remained underdeveloped. Over a year in office, she had zero achievements.

While you can still brag without achievements, wouldn't it be better to have real ones? And easier to brag about too. If these investors truly invested hundreds of millions as they claimed, it would be a massive achievement—and a huge political asset for Liu Xin.

Su Xinghui's first stop was Yinxian County—the place where Xing Guodong served as county magistrate. Su Xinghui naturally had to visit here first, to support Xing Guodong's face, and if Yu Ruizhi and the others truly invested in tourism, starting here would be a major boost for Xing Guodong.

Yinxian County was about fifty kilometers from Baozhou, and the highway between them was in decent condition, so the car arrived in roughly an hour.

The Party Secretary of Yinxian County, Ma Changgeng, and County Magistrate Xing Guodong, along with other county leaders, had been waiting for a long time at the western outskirts of Yinxian. When they saw Su Xinghui's convoy arrive, they hurried forward to greet him.

Su Xinghui's car pulled over to the roadside, and the following vehicles stopped too. Su Xinghui got out. Ma Changgeng laughed heartily, "Welcome, Mayor Su, to our Yinxian County for guidance!"

Ma Changgeng was in his fifties, not very tall—about 1.7 meters—but solidly built. His hair, like Party Secretary Shi Fengnian's, was combed immaculately and dyed jet-black and glossy, making him look younger than his age.

Ma Changgeng clearly had strong vitality—his voice was deep and resonant, his presence imposing. Even facing Deputy Mayor Su Xinghui, he held his ground without yielding.

Su Xinghui shook Ma Changgeng's outstretched hand and said, "No need for guidance—I'm new here, just trying to understand the situation in each district."

Ma Changgeng shook Su Xinghui's hand firmly—his grip was strong, his hand large, as if testing Su Xinghui's mettle. Su Xinghui showed no emotional reaction, returned the handshake with moderate strength, as if utterly unaware of Ma Changgeng's attempt.

Ma Changgeng was inwardly surprised. He'd used more force than usual, hoping to gauge this young deputy mayor's character.

Yet this young mayor, though young, was remarkably composed—he seemed completely unaffected by Ma Changgeng's strength, while Ma Changgeng felt his own force vanish like mud sinking into the sea.

Realizing this, Ma Changgeng immediately reduced his grip. The two shook hands as if nothing unusual had happened, then Ma Changgeng released Su Xinghui's hand and shook hands with Luo Guoxiu and Liu Xin.

When shaking Liu Xin's hand, Ma Changgeng laughed, "Director Liu, you're getting younger and more beautiful! Last time I saw you, you weren't this youthful—today you look like a twenty-something girl!"

Liu Xin laughed and said, "Secretary Ma, you're teasing me—I'm about to turn forty. How could I be as young as you say?"

Su Xinghui shook hands with Xing Guodong, nodded to him, then shook hands with the other Yinxian county leaders.

When Ma Changgeng shook hands with Yu Ruizhi and the others, he learned they were investors from Jingcheng planning to invest in Baozhou's tourism industry. He felt no ripple of emotion—he already knew Deputy Mayor Su had powerful connections and a wide network; finding investors wasn't hard for him.

Still, if they invested in Yinxian, it wouldn't necessarily benefit Ma Changgeng. As County Party Secretary, he knew these investors were closely tied to Su Xinghui—their investment would become County Magistrate Xing Guodong's achievement.

If Xing Guodong's achievements shone brightly, it would naturally threaten Ma Changgeng.