Chapter 91

Upon hearing Su Xinghui’s account, Zhang Kaishan’s expression turned extremely grave. He knew how lawless the group led by Dan Xiaolong was, but he had not expected them to be so bold as to commit such acts in broad daylight.

Zhang Kaishan was beyond furious, but the more intense the situation, the calmer he became. He began to think through his countermeasures with great focus.

If he let Lu Zhenghong handle this, it would be easy; Lu Zhenghong might resolve it with a single phone call, and the group led by Tao Yanbin would be punished immediately. However, Zhang Kaishan certainly could not let Lu Zhenghong handle it.

This happened in Shangjun County. If he, Zhang Kaishan, could not even resolve this, he would appear too incompetent. Lu Zhenghong would not have a good impression of an incompetent person.

However, he had to carefully consider how to resolve this. He needed to see who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. If it were just a few kids acting out, it would be easy to solve. If the shadows of Tao Yan or even Dan Guozhi were involved, the matter would be troublesome.

He was a Standing Committee Deputy County Magistrate, while Tao Yan was the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee and the Public Security Bureau Chief. Tao Yan was also a member of the County Standing Committee, ranking one position higher than him. Tao Yan had absolutely no need to show Zhang Kaishan any respect.

As for Dan Guozhi, there was no need to even mention him. He was the Deputy County Party Secretary and County Magistrate. With his immense influence in Shangjun County, he was incredibly arrogant and domineering. Who would he ever show respect to?

Of course, if Lu Xiaoya’s identity were revealed, this matter could be resolved easily. But wouldn’t that be borrowing Lu Zhenghong’s influence? Who knew if Lu Zhenghong liked his subordinates doing such things?

After thinking for a while, he called Su Xinghui out. He wanted to hear Su Xinghui’s opinion on this matter.

The room next door had been opened for Lu Xiaoya. In that room, Zhang Kaishan asked for Su Xinghui’s perspective on the situation.

Su Xinghui said, "Uncle Zhang, is Secretary Ji in the county right now?"

Zhang Kaishan understood Su Xinghui’s meaning. For this matter to be resolved smoothly, Ji Tao had to step in. Although Dan Guozhi was domineering, Ji Tao was, after all, the County Party Secretary. Dan Guozhi would not risk offending Ji Tao to the point of no return over such a trivial matter.

If Zhang Kaishan stepped in directly, it was unlikely Dan Guozhi would show him any respect, as Zhang Kaishan was Dan Guozhi’s subordinate. If Dan Guozhi had truly authorized this, and he released the people and vehicles just because Zhang Kaishan spoke, he would lose too much face. Even if he were willing to release them, it wouldn't be because of today's events.

Furthermore, Zhang Kaishan had just reached a tacit understanding with Ji Tao. Seeking Ji Tao’s help to resolve this incident was, on one hand, a good opportunity to further strengthen their relationship, and on the other, it would force Ji Tao to further clarify his stance, as his position in the county had been too ambiguous before.

Zhang Kaishan said, "Secretary Ji has gone home."

Ji Tao’s home was in the Yulin region. He usually went home every weekend and returned to the county on Monday morning. This was not only because he needed to reunite with his family, but also a way for him to maintain a low profile.

Su Xinghui asked, "Then could you give him a call?"

Zhang Kaishan nodded, but then asked, "Should I tell Secretary Ji that the Secretary-General’s daughter was at the scene?"

This was not because Zhang Kaishan lacked his own judgment; rather, Su Xinghui was more familiar with Lu Zhenghong, so Zhang Kaishan naturally had to seek Su Xinghui’s opinion regarding matters concerning Lu Zhenghong.

After a moment of contemplation, Su Xinghui said, "I think you don't need to mention the Secretary-General’s name directly, but you can drop a hint."

When Su Xinghui offered ideas to Zhang Kaishan, he always used a suggestive tone. This prevented Zhang Kaishan from feeling uncomfortable. Although their relationship was different now, Su Xinghui was very mindful of these details.

Zhang Kaishan then made a call to Ji Tao in front of Su Xinghui. Ji Tao was the one who answered. In this era, there were no mobile phones. Although he had gone home, he could not be completely out of contact with the county. Therefore, on Sundays, especially near dinner time, he was usually at home.

Zhang Kaishan recounted what happened today as quickly as possible. He emphasized that the detained vehicles belonged to the provincial state-run handicraft store, and it seemed that provincial leaders were already aware of the matter.

When Ji Tao received this call, his mind was racing. Recent events in the county convinced him that Zhang Kaishan definitely had connections in the provincial capital; there was no doubt about that. He was quite pleased that Zhang Kaishan had called him first when encountering such a situation.

Tao Yanbin’s recklessness surprised Ji Tao. Was Dan Guozhi really this arrogant? Did he not know who was behind Zhang Kaishan?

This sudden incident was, of course, a crisis. If handled poorly, he, Ji Tao, would certainly lose significant standing in front of his superiors. However, a crisis also meant an opportunity. If this matter were handled well, he could gain points with his superiors, and it was also a chance to further stir up the stagnant water of Shangjun County.

Thus, after hearing Zhang Kaishan, Ji Tao immediately decided to rush back to Shangjun County. His driver had been brought from the region to Shangjun County; the driver had taken him back to the region for the weekend and was also staying there. Therefore, he could set off immediately. The Yulin region was only about forty kilometers from Shangjun County, and the road conditions were good, so he could make it back in about half an hour.

About forty minutes later, Ji Tao arrived at the County Party Committee guesthouse. He first expressed his concern to Deputy Manager Li, Lu Xiaoya, and the three drivers, then went to the room next door to discuss the matter with Zhang Kaishan.

The two discussed it privately for about ten minutes, and then Ji Tao called Dan Guozhi directly, asking him to come to the guesthouse to discuss something.

Although Dan Guozhi did not care for Ji Tao, Ji Tao was the County Party Secretary and the top leader, so he still had to maintain appearances. Moreover, today’s event was very unusual. It was Sunday, and Dan Guozhi knew Ji Tao had gone home yesterday afternoon. Why was he at the guesthouse this afternoon?

Dan Guozhi’s intuition told him that something must have happened. Therefore, he did not hesitate and went straight to the guesthouse.

Ji Tao and Zhang Kaishan did not let Deputy Manager Li and the others meet Dan Guozhi directly. Instead, the two of them first explained the sequence of events to Dan Guozhi. They did not blow things out of proportion but described them objectively, believing that Dan Guozhi also knew the gravity of the situation.

This was not the time to seize upon Dan Guozhi’s mistakes, and it would not be easy to catch him personally anyway, as it was Tao Yanbin who had stepped forward, not Dan Xiaolong. The most important thing now was to solve the problem.

Upon hearing Zhang Kaishan, Dan Guozhi was shocked and said, "They are that bold? Could there be a mistake? Could it be that the detained vehicles really have problems with their paperwork?"

Ji Tao said amiably, "County Magistrate Dan, whether the paperwork has problems or not, a check will make it clear. Since the comrades from the Jiangnan District Handicraft Store have complained to us, I think we should go to the Traffic Police Brigade together to check the situation!"

How could Dan Guozhi let Ji Tao and Zhang Kaishan go to the Traffic Police Brigade? As soon as he heard it, he knew that the matter was likely true. It was possible that Tao Yanbin had acted recklessly, wanting to fish for some benefits, which then escalated into this situation. He knew Tao Yanbin’s character all too well.

Thus, he said to Ji Tao, "Secretary Ji, I think everything should go through the proper channels. It’s not very appropriate for us to go directly to the Traffic Police Brigade. I suggest letting Comrade Tao Yan investigate the situation, how about that?"

Ji Tao pondered and said, "County Magistrate Dan, your suggestion makes sense. It is best to go through the proper channels. However, this matter involves Comrade Tao Yan’s son; wouldn't it be inappropriate for him to investigate? I suggest letting Comrade Zheng Jianan, the Deputy Bureau Chief in charge of the Traffic Police Brigade, investigate."

Ji Tao’s words initially made Dan Guozhi feel that he was going to hold onto this matter, but when he proposed letting Zheng Jianan investigate, he felt relieved. Because Zheng Jianan was a deputy chief promoted by Tao Yan, it seemed Ji Tao did not intend to hold onto this matter, but simply wanted to resolve it.

Dan Guozhi quickly nodded and said, "Secretary Ji, your consideration is very thoughtful. I was the one who thought wrong just now. It is more appropriate to let Comrade Zheng Jianan investigate. I will call him right now."

In front of Ji Tao and Zhang Kaishan, Dan Guozhi called Zheng Jianan. On the phone, he explained the situation and told Zheng Jianan to "investigate the situation truthfully. If the three vehicles have complete paperwork, please release the people and vehicles as soon as possible to give an explanation to the merchants visiting Shangjun County. If there is any disciplinary violation, please deal with the parties involved strictly."

In front of Ji Tao, Dan Guozhi naturally had to show this stance. Anyway, even if they were dealt with strictly, such internal handling wouldn't amount to much.

Logically, Ji Tao should not have asked Dan Guozhi to resolve today’s matter. However, in Shangjun County, everyone knew the relationship between Tao Yanbin’s father, Tao Yan, and Dan Guozhi. Only Dan Guozhi could resolve this matter. Tao Yan and those deputy chiefs in the Public Security Bureau would not show respect to anyone except Dan Guozhi.

Dan Guozhi had to resolve today’s matter, because it was clear at a glance who was right and who was wrong, and it involved Tao Yanbin. It was better for him to handle it; he could easily turn a big problem into a small one and a small one into nothing.