Chapter 91: Temptation (Part 3)

Chapter 91 Temptation (Part 3)

Since they needed to collect the funds from the Transportation Bureau the next day, Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang decided not to return to Qinglin Town that night. Instead, they stayed at the reception center of the Yiyang Veteran Cadres Bureau. The conditions there were naturally inferior to the Yiyang Hotel, but the rooms were quite clean and the prices were reasonable.

If Hou Weidong had been traveling alone, he would have chosen the reception center at Shazhou College. That place was secluded and beautifully landscaped; staying there allowed his mind to settle into a state of calm. However, sharing the space with Zeng Xiangang destroyed that atmosphere of solitary tranquility.

Occasionally enjoying silence was a small indulgence for an intellectual, a subtle pleasure in life.

For Zeng Xiangang, however, the day had been a whirlwind. Fine food, good wine, and beautiful women had all appeared before him in a single day, leaving him dazzled. It felt as though a new world had swung open its doors, revealing wonders he could scarcely imagine in his dreams.

Lying in their beds at the reception center, Hou Weidong teased him. "Director Zeng, why did you run off during the singing? You left Section Chief Gao holding one woman on his left and another on his right. He must have been exhausted."

Zeng Xiangang laughed self-deprecatingly. "Damn it, I’ve never experienced such a scene before. My hands and feet didn’t know where to rest." As he spoke, the bright, alluring figures of the three women still danced in his eyes. He couldn’t help but swallow hard, then asked with curiosity, "Madman, city girls are truly different from country girls. They’re so fresh and lively, with their waists exposed."

Hou Weidong deliberately provoked him. "I’ve only slept with city girls, never with country girls. Based on my analysis, once the lights are out, they’re all pretty much the same."

Zeng Xiangang sighed with infinite longing. "Nonsense. City girls are tender enough to drip water. They must be different in bed."

"Go find a girl to sleep with tomorrow, and you’ll know for yourself. You might even be disappointed."

That night, Hou Weidong slept soundly. Zeng Xiangang, however, lay in bed smoking, watching the smoke rings drift upward one by one, his mind wandering. He kept his eyes open long after turning off the light, finally sinking into sleep only very late.

The next day, the two men went out for a bowl of mixed sauce noodles. They waited until nine-thirty before leisurely making their way to the Transportation Bureau.

The transaction went smoothly. When Hou Weidong received the check, he tried hard to appear calm, but his heart was beating much faster than usual, and the muscles in his face felt stiff. Upon leaving, he rubbed his face vigorously until he could feel his skin again.

Zeng Xiangang, meanwhile, was flushed red, looking as if he had been drinking heavily.

After completing the procedures at the bank, the two discussed their next steps. They agreed that upon returning, each would establish their own quarry. They would then transfer the funds from the Yinggang Quarry into their respective accounts, avoiding the hassle of withdrawing large amounts of cash.

With all matters settled, and at Hou Weidong’s suggestion, they rented a taxi and headed straight for Shangqinglin. The taxi moved quickly. The driver was curious about the two passengers and kept trying to pry into their business. Hou Weidong simply claimed they were government officials on official business. Hearing this, the driver’s expression relaxed, and he stopped asking questions.

They got out of the taxi at a deserted bend, several hundred meters away from the town square. They handed the driver two hundred yuan. This time, even Zeng Xiangang felt that two hundred yuan was a trivial amount.

After getting out, they walked along the newly paved road toward the town square. The new road was extremely smooth, with little dust, making the walk incredibly comfortable. A few yellow dogs joined in the fun, chasing each other along the road. As they approached the town square, a caravan of horses was coming out from the town entrance. The horse drivers, usually so spirited, now walked with their heads down, looking listless as they headed toward Dushi Village.

"Keep your mouth shut to avoid trouble," Hou Weidong reminded Zeng Xiangang once again.

The flush on Zeng Xiangang’s face gradually faded. In the fresh air of Shangqinglin, he regained his confidence. His movements were no longer as awkward and constrained as they had been in the hotel and karaoke hall.

"Madman, rest assured about this matter. I will keep it secret from heaven, earth, and my wife. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t say I earned over a hundred thousand. Only a fool would brag about such things."

In terms of actual age, Zeng Xiangang was significantly older than Hou Weidong. In terms of status, they were partners. However, since Hou Weidong made all the major decisions for the Yinggang Quarry, Zeng Xiangang had habitually treated Hou Weidong as his superior.

For several days, Hou Weidong had felt a sense of unreality thinking about the twelve thousand yuan in net profit that belonged to him. He had calculated the figures over and over again. If he relied solely on his monthly salary of three hundred and seventy yuan, he would need to go without food and drink for nearly thirty years to earn over a hundred thousand. Now that the money had come so easily, what meaning did his future work hold?

Hou Weidong no longer had the patience to clean the office and meeting room every day. He would only brew a cup of fine Qinglin tea and sit in the office when he felt like reading the newspaper.

Having tasted the sweetness of profit and secured his first pot of gold, Hou Weidong no longer wanted to partner with others. Instead, he planned to open a large quarry in Dushi Village under his mother Liu Guangfen’s name. Having spent the previous days on the road, Hou Weidong was quite familiar with the terrain along the route. He had already spotted an ideal location: the resources were abundant, the mountain cover was thin, and there were no residential households nearby. To rent this land, however, he would have to deal with Dushi Village again.

Hou Weidong brought two bottles of Luzhou Laojiao liquor to Qin Dajiang’s house.

Both men had strong constitutions for alcohol. After each had drunk half a bottle of Luzhou Laojiao, Qin Dajiang took off his shirt, revealing the robust physique characteristic of a stone mason. With a slightly flushed face, he said, "You’re not straightforward."

Hou Weidong knew that although Qin Dajiang appeared rough on the outside, he was actually meticulous and thoughtful. Such a statement must have a deeper meaning. He did not argue, but smiled and said, "Too much talk. Let’s drink."

Sure enough, after clinking glasses two more times, Qin Dajiang said, "Madman, how is our relationship? Since we are brothers, why don’t you partner with me to open a quarry? Your old brother is also a stone mason by trade, an expert in cutting stone. I’m not boasting, but I’m more reliable than Zeng Xiangang."

Hou Weidong continued to drink and eat, waiting for Qin Dajiang to speak the truth under the influence of alcohol.

"Your old brother asked about the price. This time, with the Transportation Bureau repairing the Shangqinglin road, you definitely earned this amount." Qin Dajiang made a 'ten' sign with his fingers. "One hundred thousand. No less, only more. Be straightforward with me. Am I right?"

Hou Weidong thought to himself: It seems the news of getting rich from the quarry cannot be hidden for long. Qin Dajiang is a local power, and he is a decent person. I should make him an ally in opening the quarry.

At this moment, although Hou Weidong was still an ordinary township cadre, he suddenly possessed a huge sum of one hundred and sixty thousand yuan at his free disposal. His self-confidence began to grow. Extreme self-confidence manifests in various ways: some people become arrogant, while others become increasingly steady and reserved. Hou Weidong was as steady as a big shot, quietly listening to his counterpart express his views, while retaining the right to make a concluding statement at any time.

Qin Dajiang, feeling the effects of the alcohol, looked at Hou Weidong’s constant smile and became annoyed. "Madman, what are you smiling about? The management fee that the Yinggang Quarry pays to the village will be raised to five thousand yuan this year. If it’s one yuan short, I’ll have the villagers cause trouble for you."

Hou Weidong continued to smile, speaking unhurriedly. "I have my eye on Dog’s Back Bend. I plan to rent it to build a quarry. How much management fee does the village intend to charge?"

Qin Dajiang’s eyes widened. "Madman, your eyes are sharp. To be honest, I was planning to open a quarry at Dog’s Back Bend."

Hou Weidong spoke decisively. "Dog’s Back Bend is mine. Choose another location."

Qin Dajiang slapped the table. "Madman, on what grounds are you so domineering? I am the Party Secretary of Dushi Village. This is my territory."

"I know you also want to open a quarry. If you open a small quarry and do small business, it will be tiring and unprofitable. If you want to do business, do big government projects. I am familiar with the Transportation Bureau. I will strive to get the gravel from Shangqinglin included in the Shayi Road and Yiwu Road projects. Then you can work with me." He also slapped the table. "How much money do you need to open a quarry?"

Hou Weidong had hit the right spot. Qin Dajiang chuckled twice. "Madman is a good brother. He knows his old brother’s difficulties. If you lend me ten thousand yuan, I can open shop."

Hou Weidong agreed readily. "Lending money is fine. Come get it tomorrow. But I have one requirement: you must write an IOU."

Qin Dajiang’s face turned red and his veins bulged. "Does Brother Hou not trust me?"

Hou Weidong insisted. "In business, even brothers must keep clear accounts. It’s my consistent principle to settle matters beforehand to avoid confusion later. An IOU is definitely required."

Qin Dajiang was furious. "Damn Madman, you’ve become arrogant because you have money. Fine, you damn stubborn guy. I’ll come tomorrow to get the money, and we’ll sign the agreement for Dog’s Back Bend at the same time."

Returning to the small courtyard with the smell of alcohol on him, Hou Weidong saw Zeng Xiangang pacing back and forth in the yard. Seeing Hou Weidong, Zeng said, "Where did you go? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time."

The two sat in the inner room. Zeng Xiangang looked radiant, his eyes shining. "We earned so much money, but I can only tell my wife about ten thousand. I have to keep the rest inside. It’s damn uncomfortable."

Hou Weidong had also woken up laughing several times in the middle of the night after receiving the over one hundred thousand yuan. He understood Zeng Xiangang’s feelings too well. However, he said, "Over one hundred thousand yuan has burned you up like this. If you earn more money in the future and have to keep it inside, you’ll definitely go crazy."

"When are we going to Shazhou to have some fun? I want to buy a couple of nice suits."

Zeng Xiangang had another secret desire: he wanted to wear nice clothes and go see the girls in the Shazhou karaoke halls. His humiliating escape last time had cost him face.

Hou Weidong, of course, could not know Zeng Xiangang’s inner desires. He was thinking about something else. "The Yinggang Quarry is our partnership. We cannot keep all the profits this time. We need to thank Director Zhu, Section Chief Liu, and Manager Liang. We should treat them to dinner and karaoke. There is another matter to discuss with you. These three people are very key. We should give each of them a red envelope to show our gratitude, and at the same time, strive for the next project. What do you think?"

Having experienced giving away ten thousand yuan before, Zeng Xiangang’s tolerance had clearly increased. He said, "Madman, how much do you suggest we give?"

"Before securing the business, give each of them two thousand. If we secure a major project, we can discuss how to give money then."

Zeng Xiangang also started calculating in his mind. The money belongs to both of us. If Hou Weidong goes to give the money every time, people will only remember Hou Weidong. I need to find a way to give the money myself.

On Friday morning, Hou Weidong called Liang Bifa, arranging to meet Zhu Bing and Liu Wei at the Yiyang Hotel.