Chapter 98: East Wind and West Wind (Part 2)

Chapter 98: East Wind and West Wind (Part 2)

After sitting for over an hour, two more cars arrived in succession. Most of the passengers were attendees of the morning symposium. Once they reached Wangcheng Villa, the formal pleasantries ceased. The air filled with the clatter of mahjong tiles, the shuffling of playing cards, curses, and laughter—a cacophony of sounds that filled the room.

Zhou Qiang worked at the Huofu Coal Mine, a township-owned enterprise. Every year, the mine was required to remit a fixed profit to the township government. With the firm support of Qin Feiyue, Zhou Qiang had taken out a loan of 500,000 yuan under the guise of facility renovation. Once the loan was secured, he immediately handed over 200,000 yuan of it to the township government as the enterprise’s profit contribution. According to the contract, 10% of the township enterprise’s profit was designated as a bonus for the person in charge. From this arrangement, Zhou Qiang personally pocketed 20,000 yuan.

Shuffling his mahjong tiles, Zhou Qiang spoke loudly, “Running an enterprise requires an insider. When an outsider tries to take charge, things only get more chaotic. Town Mayor Qin is the former Deputy Director of the Township Enterprise Bureau; he is a true expert. Zhao Yongsheng knows nothing about it, yet he insists on sticking his nose into everything.”

Ever since Zhao Yongsheng established a Financial Supervision Group in Qinglin Town, the conflict between Qin and Zhao had become increasingly prominent and overt. Each man had a few die-hard supporters who joined in the clamor, leaving the majority of the township cadres at a loss. Most chose to adopt an attitude of indifference, preferring to do as little as possible to avoid getting burned.

Qin Feiyue did not stop Zhou Qiang. Instead, he smiled and said, “I’ll bump the nine of characters. That’s a good card to play.” He discarded the five of bamboo from his hand.

When Qin Feiyue first became Town Mayor, Station Master Huang had been closer to Zhao Yongsheng, often paying lip service to Qin while secretly undermining him.

Early last year, Zhao Yongsheng went to Shandong for a month of study and inspection. During his absence, the County Discipline Inspection Commission received an anonymous tip and conducted a surprise inspection of the Qinglin Foundation. They uncovered a problem that was neither small nor trivial. Depending on how one looked at it, it could be described as a serious violation of law and discipline, or merely a work error. Qin Feiyue smoothed over the incident but kept the findings from the Discipline Inspection Commission in his own hands. From that moment on, Station Master Huang became Qin Feiyue’s loyal subordinate and close friend.

Their alliance forced Zhao Yongsheng to create the Financial Supervision Leading Group.

Now, Station Master Huang could only cling tightly to Qin Feiyue. Speaking with hidden meanings, he said, “Next year, the Party Committee and the government will hold elections. It would be best if Town Mayor Qin were to become the Party Secretary, unifying the work of the town. We brothers need to understand this.”

Hou Weidong knew that everyone present at Wangcheng Villa was a confidant of Qin Feiyue. Although he was close to Qin, he had not yet reached a level where such candid talk was appropriate. He felt a drum beating in his heart, anxious but knowing he could not ask questions rashly. So, he remained silent and observed.

At 6:30 PM, a waitress approached and announced, “Bosses, the dishes are ready. Please come to dine.”

Qin Feiyue stood up and said to Hou Weidong, “Come here for a moment. I have a question for you.”

The two men walked into a separate room. After sitting down, Qin Feiyue got straight to the point. “Hou Weidong, the town’s treatment of your work assignment has been unfair. Do you know why you were assigned to the Shangqinglin Working Group last year?”

Hou Weidong shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Qin Feiyue lit a Red Dashan cigarette for Hou Weidong and said, “When you first reported to the town, my opinion was to assign you to the Party and Government Office. The town has faced quite a few lawsuits in recent years. Since you studied law, placing you in the Party and Government Office would allow you to help review major contracts, making the best use of your talents.”

Qin Feiyue was telling the truth. The town operated several township-owned enterprises, and disputes regarding debts and contracts were constant. In 1993, the township government had been named as a defendant in several lawsuits. Consequently, Qin Feiyue wanted a cadre who understood the law to help review contracts, much like the Legal Affairs Section established at the county level.

“At that time, Zhao Yongsheng’s niece’s job issue had not been resolved, which cost him face. When you came to report for duty, he noticed you had no backing, so he took his anger out on you. He insisted on placing you in the Shangqinglin Working Group. His approach was unreasonable. As Party Secretary, his heart was simply too small. Later, when I tried to transfer you to the Family Planning Office, he refused.”

Hou Weidong was somewhat confused.

“You probably didn’t understand the subtleties when you arrived. Several of the ten civil service recruits had powerful backers. I know that when Ren Lindu from Lishan Town reported for duty, he was personally escorted by Minister Xiao of the Organization Department. Yang Liu was escorted by Director Li of the People’s Congress. You were the only one who arrived rashly with just an introduction letter.”

What Qin Feiyue said largely matched the facts and aligned with what Hou Weidong had already learned. However, many things Hou Weidong had only analyzed and inferred. Now, hearing the details from Qin Feiyue, the person directly involved, he suddenly understood everything.

More than a year had passed since those events. Hou Weidong had now successfully developed the Goubeiwang Quarry and did not care much about his position in the township government. Nevertheless, hearing Qin Feiyue speak this way, he feigned anger, saying, “I never understood why I was exiled to Shangqinglin. So it was Zhao Yongsheng who played tricks.”

Hou Weidong’s anger was half genuine and half acted.

Being exiled to Shangqinglin Township was indeed an irresponsible move for a university graduate. It was natural to feel angry.

Since Qin Feiyue was bringing up old matters, he surely had other purposes. By pretending to be angry, Hou Weidong allowed Qin Feiyue to feel reassured.

While speaking, Qin Feiyue had been observing Hou Weidong’s expression. Seeing the anger on his face, he relaxed and said, “Next year, the Party Committee and the government will hold elections. Zhao Yongsheng is working behind the scenes to ensure I lose the election. Hou Weidong, you have a good foundation among the masses in Shangqinglin. You must stick to your principles. If you discover anyone doing negative work, you must tell me immediately.”

Hou Weidong vowed solemnly, “I will definitely pay attention from now on. Town Mayor Qin, rest assured. If it weren’t for you reporting directly to County Mayor Ma, how could Shangqinglin have received a subsidy of one million yuan for the road? All the people in Shangqinglin know this. The hearts of the people are with you, so I need not say more. If any villagers do not understand the truth, I will go and explain it to them clearly.”

Qin Feiyue sighed feigning regret, “Hearts are separated by bellies. Some people are human to your face but demons behind your back. One cannot be too careful.”

As they were leaving, Qin Feiyue shook Hou Weidong’s hand firmly and added, “The Goubeiwang Quarry is doing well. I have visited it myself. You must insist on stepped mining, and ideally, move to underground mining in the future. This reduces the risk of accidents. The other quarries have no safety measures at all; an accident could happen any day.”

Having served as Deputy Director of the Township Enterprise Bureau, Qin Feiyue was indeed an expert in enterprise management. He had spotted the potential dangers in the several quarries.

After the meal, because there were so many people, they did not go singing or visit hostesses. Everyone dispersed.

Hou Weidong did not go home. He took a car into Yiyang City and paged Liang Bifa, leaving his own pager number. Soon, Liang Bifa called back.

“Madman, you bastard, you’ve run to the city again? I’m at Xintiandi Karaoke City, drunk out of my mind. Hurry up and save me.” Before Hou Weidong could ask for details, Liang Bifa said in the call, “Madman, if you dare not come, watch out or you’ll be beaten up.”

Facing such unreasonable people, Hou Weidong had no choice. He hailed a taxi to Xintiandi Karaoke City. As soon as he got out, a young man with short hair approached him and said, “Are you Brother Madman? The Boss told me to pick you up.”

Hou Weidong looked at the man’s demeanor and style, which resembled a Hong Kong triad henchman. With doubts in his heart, he followed him upstairs. Inside, the air was thick with smoke and the smell of alcohol. There was a large round table that could seat twenty people. Liang Bifa and several people from the Engineering Department were there, along with a few other young men whose expressions were unfamiliar. Liang Bifa’s face was flushed red; he had clearly drunk quite a bit. He said, “Madman, come sit.”

Sitting next to Liang Bifa was a short-haired man with a somewhat gloomy expression, around thirty years old. He shouted, “Lao Qi, make room for Madman.” A young man next to Liang Bifa stood up abruptly and said, “Brother Madman, sit inside.”

Seeing this scene, Hou Weidong’s heart beat faster. He thought to himself, Who are these people?

Liang Bifa picked up two glasses of wine and said to the person beside him, “Heiwa, this is my good brother, Madman.”

Heiwa was a famous figure in Yiyang County. During high school, he fought recklessly and was expelled. Since then, he had been drifting in society, considered a top figure in the Yiyang underworld.

It really is the triads. Hou Weidong was startled internally, but his expression remained unchanged. Calmly, he said, “Brother Heiwa, I’ve heard your name for a long time.”

Heiwa said generously, “Since you are Brother Liang’s friend, there is nothing more to say. Switch to large cups.”

The waitress brought two large red wine glasses. Heiwa opened a bottle of Jiannanchun liquor, which poured exactly two cups. He raised one cup and said, “First time meeting, drink from large cups to deepen the impression.”

Although Hou Weidong could hold his liquor, he had never drunk half a jin of baijiu in one go. After Heiwa threw his head back and drank, several bald young men stared at him. Hou Weidong gritted his teeth and poured the half-jin of liquor into his stomach in one gulp.

This won a round of cheers.

At Wangcheng Villa, he had already drunk about one jin of liquor. With this additional half-jin, his head began to spin. He didn’t know how much time passed before Liang Bifa patted his shoulder and said, “Madman, go up.”

Hou Weidong followed Liang Bifa dizzily, turning in circles. It seemed they reached the fifth floor. Liang Bifa pushed him onto a bed and left. After a while, a pretty young woman entered. She looked only seventeen or eighteen. After helping Hou Weidong take off his clothes, she quickly stripped naked herself, climbed onto the bed, and began to massage the heavily intoxicated Hou Weidong.

Suddenly, Hou Weidong, who was in a daze, felt a wave of nausea surge in his chest and abdomen. He jumped up and asked urgently, “Where is the toilet?”

The woman said, “It’s outside.”

Hou Weidong looked down at his naked body and prepared to put on his clothes. But as soon as he picked them up, he lost control. Seeing a trash can, he knelt on the floor and vomited violently for a long time.

After vomiting, Hou Weidong’s mind became clearer. This was not his first time experiencing such a sensual scene, so he was not too surprised. However, he firmly remembered the name Heiwa in his mind.

With a background in law and a family of police officers, he knew well that one must not get involved with triads. He treated the woman as if she were invisible and said, “I’ve drunk too much. I need to go home.”

A trace of fear appeared in the woman’s eyes. She said, “Brother Heiwa gave instructions. If I don’t accompany you well, I will be beaten badly.”

Hearing this, Hou Weidong’s resolve to leave became even stronger. While speaking, he put on his clothes and said, “I’ll sit for ten more minutes before leaving. This way, you can hand in your report.”

The woman did not put on her clothes either; she just sat on the bed, staring blankly.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Hou Weidong said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll go and talk to them. They won’t make things difficult for you.”

Upon leaving the room, he saw two young men in black clothes sitting in the corner. Seeing Hou Weidong come out, they said, “Brother Madman, you’re out so quickly?”

Hou Weidong pretended to be casual and said, “Damn it, I’m drunk out of my mind. I can’t get it up. I’ll come back next time.”

The young men in black laughed a few times and accompanied the staggering Hou Weidong downstairs, saying, “Brother Madman, there’s a car to send you back.”

Sitting in the Santana, Hou Weidong had no specific destination. He did not want these people to know where he was going. On a whim, he said, “Take me to the gate of Shazhou College.”