Chapter 620

The deputy director of the Hazardous Materials Bureau had never had much of a presence.

Actually, he had tried hard before.

Before Director Dai Er arrived to take office, he had arrived in New Jincheng a step ahead and had invited some core agents to meet, have dinner, and build rapport.

Being able to reach the position of deputy director in a department under the vertical management of the Assembly meant that he also had connections and resources behind him.

Unfortunately, Dai Er's connections were tougher than his, and as soon as he arrived, he got mixed up with the mayor.

Thus, he, the deputy director, was marginalized without knowing it.

Many things that should have been handled by him were handled by Director Dai Er himself, and he had no good way to deal with it.

He definitely couldn't win a fight, so he could only pretend to be invisible and wait for a special opportunity.

Perhaps this opportunity would come quickly, but it was also possible that this opportunity would never appear.

When getting off work in the evening, he got into Director Dai Er's car; he didn't know what Director Dai Er had to say to him, but the submissive and respectful attitude he displayed was absolutely flawless.

When getting off work, he arrived at the parking lot five minutes early, and then saw Director Dai Er walking over. After the two greeted each other, the deputy director sat in Director Dai Er's car.

The car left the parking lot of the Hazardous Materials Bureau. Director Dai Er drove while asking, "We have worked together for two years; what kind of person do you think I am?"

This question... left the deputy director a bit confused, but it didn't prevent him from answering immediately, "You are an excellent leader. Under your leadership, the Hazardous Materials Bureau has frequently cracked cases of smuggling and selling alcohol; we are not unknown within this system."

Director Dai Er nodded, "A very formulaic statement. I know you might not like me very much because I have always kept you idle and haven't arranged any specific work for you."

The deputy director was even more confused, "My abilities are still lacking, so my main work now is learning how to become an excellent manager, rather than letting me mess up our work."

The red light in front of them lit up, and Director Dai Er stepped on the brake, stopping the car in the middle of the road.

Around them were the sounds of honking horns, the sounds of pedestrians walking on the sidewalk, and all kinds of other sounds; they mixed together to form a very special sound, full of vitality.

Director Dai Er thought for a moment and found an entry point, "... (a certain agent)'s matters, have they been negotiated?"

It was impossible for him to really not arrange any work for this deputy director, so sometimes when he encountered problems he also found tricky, he would throw them to the deputy director to handle.

For example, this prohibition agent he mentioned was shot in the spine by several moonshiners during an arrest operation at the end of last year and was now paralyzed.

The parts below his lower abdomen had completely lost sensation, and he couldn't even control his bowel and bladder movements.

The Hazardous Materials Bureau had various response plans and measures; whether it was disability compensation or death benefits, they had compensation standards.

But the problem was that this colleague's trouble was too great; he wasn't just ordinarily disabled, for example, organ failure caused by serious injury.

After the one-time treatment fee was paid, there were no subsequent costs.

This colleague generated a hefty bill every week, one or two hundred dollars.

In addition to various medications, there were also people specifically hired to care for him.

After all, being unable to control bowel and bladder movements meant he would defecate in bed anytime, anywhere; even his parents couldn't stand it and had to specifically hire a caregiver.

At the same time, he wouldn't die in the short term; the hospital said that as long as the money kept coming, he could live for another thirty years.

Thirty years, one or two hundred a week—this expense was simply not in the compensation terms.

So this became a trouble: either go to court with the agent to confirm that the Hazardous Materials Bureau didn't need to continue paying him any expenses, or let the State Prohibition Committee or the Federal Prohibition Committee commissioners make a directive.

For example, paying his lifetime bills, but the probability of this was very small; they wouldn't agree.

If they agreed to this, they would have to agree to others' requests.

The rules were always cold and heartless; the State Prohibition Committee didn't intend to continue compensation, so now this agent's problem had become a trouble.

He was injured and paralyzed for the federal government, yet he had to pay for his own treatment—this was unreasonable.

After the deputy director accepted this matter, it wasn't that he hadn't taken action; he had run to the State Prohibition Committee several times, but there had been no progress at all.

Including up to now, there still wasn't.

He shook his head, "Ordinary commissioners don't care much about this matter, but the executive commissioners are adamant that we execute according to the compensation standards one-time."

If executed one-time, this meant this agent would soon slowly die in a hospital bed because he couldn't afford the medical bills.

This was cruel to him, and to everyone, it was a very cruel thing.

They had dedicated everything for the federal government and the Hazardous Materials Bureau, only to be abandoned by the department in the end; even for "official business" federal people, not everyone could accept this.

Director Dai Er sighed softly, "Actually, I heard one more thing."

The deputy director asked, "What?"

He organized his thoughts and said, "I heard that the police department has a similar situation: some are paralyzed, some are injured, some are seriously ill, and some even need to buy a house but don't qualify for a loan, or their children can't afford tuition for college."

"They have some kind of foundation specifically to handle these things and help these people get through the difficulties."

The deputy director nodded, "Yes, I've heard of it too, but I heard this foundation seems to be Lanse's property; he uses this method to win over all the police officers."

Director Dai Er nodded. At this time, the red light ended, the green light lit up, and he stepped on the accelerator; the slight push against the back told the people in the car that the vehicle had started moving.

"Sometimes his methods make it hard for me to identify with his identity; he is more like a politician, or something else, rather than a gang leader."

The deputy director nodded, agreeing with the director's point of view, "Although I don't want to admit it, you are right; he is a very special guy with charisma."

Hearing the deputy director say this, Director Dai Er's smile grew even more, "If someone could be like him and set up a foundation for us too, this case wouldn't be so heartbreaking."

The deputy director had already vaguely sensed something wrong at this time; he didn't answer immediately, but organized Director Dai Er's words back and forth.

He felt as if Director Dai Er was conveying some information to him, information he couldn't believe.

After the vehicle started, it merged back into the traffic. Director Dai Er's gaze remained fixed on the car in front, as if asking casually, "Our work is very dangerous, often engaging in firefights with those armed criminal transporters, although our death benefits are in the upper-middle range among all government departments."

"But danger isn't just limited to injury and death; we need more support."

"In the past two years, our struggle with moonshiners has become increasingly intense; many people have been injured and left us, and not being able to give them enough support makes me feel guilty."

He mentioned a few more people who had to end this work early because of injuries.

But what the Hazardous Materials Bureau could give them in terms of financial aid was very little, only enough to let them barely survive.

Wanting to live with quality, or even being able to take medicine on time, wasn't necessarily guaranteed.

It wasn't that the system wasn't perfect, just that no matter how perfect a system was, there would always be places it couldn't take care of.

For example, lifetime treatment or lifetime medication—they would all be compensated one-time according to disability standards.

That money was enough for people to use in the short term, but it wasn't enough for the long term.

"You mean...", he turned his head to look at Director Dai Er.

Director Dai Er smiled, "I chatted with Lanse, and he also has the intention to set up such a foundation for our Hazardous Materials Bureau."

At this instant, the deputy director felt as if he had been electrocuted; his whole body went numb, followed by his scalp tightening, and a large patch of goosebumps broke out!

How could he ignore the name Director Dai Er had mentioned as if casually?

Even if he was slow to react, he knew what had happened.

Director Dai Er actually had contact with Lanse—what did this mean?

He felt a bit horrified.

The car stopped slowly again because of a red light. Director Dai Er took a cigarette case out of his pocket, gave the deputy director one, and lit one for himself.

"Lanse... is a very interesting person; we can't look at him in the traditional way of looking at a gang."

"He is different from those people; you will have such a feeling after you have contact with him."

"He is a person who likes to make friends; he wants to make a friend of you."

The deputy director turned his head to look at the director who seemed to be seriously waiting for the traffic light, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

He also had a background; if he didn't have a background, he couldn't have become a deputy director, nor could he have been assigned to New Jincheng.

To put it in a more common way, the people behind him, or those who provided him with help, could let him step onto the brightest stage in Lika Lai State.

As for what level he could reach, that was his own problem, but the people behind him had already done their part.

The deputy director didn't really want to have contact with Lanse; Director Dai Er's successive mistakes and current mediocre performance had already made the State Prohibition Committee think about transferring him away.

Once he was transferred, the person with the most hope of succeeding to the director position was him.

At this time, if he were dragged into this small group of him and Lanse, he would not only lose all initiative, but might also become blind and deaf after he succeeded.

The power he possessed would also not belong to him.

So he didn't want to agree to Director Dai Er; in his eyes, in his heart, his attitude toward Director Dai Er was actually not as respectful as he had shown.

The green light lit up again, and the car was back on the road. Director Dai Er drove while smoking, "Will you consider it?", he said.

The deputy director heaved a sigh of relief; not forcing him to answer immediately was the best answer.

He would find a way to contact the people behind him and let the people of the State Prohibition Committee know that Director Dai Er had betrayed them!

"Good, I will consider it!", he followed Director Dai Er's words, his face carrying a slight smile, "In principle, I am very willing to be close to Mr. Lanse, just as you said, he is not a gang in the ordinary sense."

"He has truly brought stability and order to this city; perhaps cooperating with him is the best way."

"Smuggled alcohol cannot be banned; what we need to do is actually not to completely eliminate smuggled alcohol, but to keep everything under our control."

Director Dai Er also smiled and nodded in agreement, "You see it very thoroughly; the law has been born for so many years, and every year there are still so many people committing crimes; the prohibition order is the same."

"No one will really give up such a large profit just because we promulgated and implemented the prohibition order; catching one will only create two more."

"In short... you consider it."

The deputy director agreed. Director Dai Er chatted with him about work matters for a while, then parked the car outside the community where the deputy director lived.

"I have other things to do, so I won't see you in...", after the car stopped steadily, he said.

The deputy director nodded repeatedly, pushed open the car door, "Good, you go ahead and get busy."

The two looked at each other for two or three seconds; Director Dai Er nodded in acknowledgment and drove away.

After watching Director Dai Er's car leave far away, the smile on the deputy director's face gradually faded.

This matter was somewhat of a trouble.

What he didn't know was that after Director Dai Er turned at the next intersection, he immediately pulled over and then dialed Lanse's number in a phone booth.

"He is unwilling to cooperate; we need to make him shut up as soon as possible; he knows about our relationship."

Since they were going to drag the deputy director into the water, they definitely had to expose the relationship, so Lanse wasn't surprised by this matter; he just said he understood and hung up the phone.

Director Dai Er didn't drive away; after circling around, he drove the car back outside the deputy director's community, then bought some fast food and sat in the car staring at the community gate.

At the same time, the colleague in front of Pang Da angrily shook off his hand, "I thought you were a warrior with faith; I didn't expect you to actually...", he looked left and right, walked to Pang Da, pressed his forehead against his, and lowered his voice, "You actually colluded with Lanse!"

"Holy crab, I even told them they should learn from you; you are truly a shameful thief, Pang Da!"

"You had better take the initiative to explain your problems to the higher-ups clearly; for the sake of us once being colleagues, I will give you three days."

"Three days later, if you don't take the initiative to explain the problems, I will report and expose you!"

"Fuck, you've made me have no appetite tonight!"

"Now, get the hell away from me; I have nothing to say to someone like you!"

Pang Da's persuasion failed; he had only slightly revealed that someone wanted to meet with this colleague, chat, and make friends.

Then, after he said Lanse's name, this colleague began to explode.

Looking at the righteous expression on the other's face, Pang Da felt a bit dazed.

Once, he was also like this, his heart full of sunshine, without a trace of shadow.

Watching the other leave while cursing, he walked into the phone booth on the side of the road.

He knew that after this call was made, what kind of end this righteous messenger who still had a sense of justice would meet.

But he also had his own difficulties; he wanted to gain people's respect, he wanted his wife to be able to gain a sense of security, he wanted to master his own destiny!

He needed power; only power could let him achieve this.

"I'm sorry!", he dialed the last number on the keypad.

Soon the phone was connected, and he said that word again to the receiver.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Lanse, I didn't handle him; he refused my proposal and told me to surrender to the director within three days, otherwise he would report and expose me."

"Good... I understand; um, good, goodbye."

He hung up the phone, feeling somewhat lost; when he walked out of the phone booth, his nicotine craving hit.

He took out his cigarette case and took one out.

The fast-moving pedestrians around him and him standing still outside the phone booth formed a strong contrast.

The lonely and solitary temperament on him was out of place with the lively and noisy street; no one could understand him, only cigarettes and alcohol.

He took a puff of the cigarette, looked at this colorful city, exhaled slowly, and then said the word "I'm sorry" for the third time.

Ten minutes later, Director Dai Er, who had been observing the community gate, perked up; four cars began to turn and enter the road inside the community.

The security guard at the gate just intercepted them briefly and soon let them pass.

Looking at the figures sitting upright in the cars, Director Dai Er knew they were going to take action.

At this moment, he had a kind of... morbid pleasure that even he himself didn't understand.

Since you are unwilling to be corrupt with everyone, then destroy you!

What are you being so high and mighty for?

What are you pretending for?

He narrowed his eyes slightly, and a light that was impossible to understand flashed in the slits of his eyes.

At the same time, the deputy director sat in the study, supporting his chin with one hand and thinking about the problem.

It was dinner time; he had just called the person behind him, but it didn't go through; they should be dining.

They were also big shots; the dinner time span was longer because they needed to socialize.

Socializing itself, besides eating dinner, had many other things to do, so before nine o'clock, it was highly probable that the call wouldn't go through.

He was thinking about how deep the "cooperation" between Director Dai Er and Lanse was, why they suddenly started "self-exposure," and whether Lanse or Director Dai Er thought everything was under control?

This made him feel a sense of horror; were they exposing these relationships so recklessly because they weren't afraid at all?

The deputy director felt uneasy inside; besides wanting to tell the person behind him about this matter, he was also considering whether to transfer away from New Jincheng.

After the Lanse family solved the five major families, they became the emperors of the underground world of New Jincheng, coupled with the rise of Assemblyman Williams.

One controlled New Jincheng during the day, and the other controlled New Jincheng after nightfall; this city was like a sand table toy in front of them.

Even if he squeezed Director Dai Er out, could he really sit in this position himself?

If he agreed to cooperate and make friends with Lanse, he would become unable to help himself, which would be worse than just leaving early.

Thinking of this, he tried impatiently to dial the phone number of the person behind him again. After the phone rang twice, the busy signal suddenly disappeared, as if... the phone line had suddenly been cut.

He stood up abruptly and looked out the window...