Chapter 140: The Fierce Battle (Part 5)

Chapter 140: The Fierce Battle (Part 5)

After a while, Hou Weidong carried a bundle of documents out of the conference room. He called Zeng Xianggang separately to get the details. Upon learning that Qin Dajiang’s family had suffered a severed palm, he was greatly shocked and immediately reported the incident to Town Mayor Su Ming.

Su Ming reacted swiftly. “This is actually a good development. Previously, when gangsters smashed cars, the consequences were minor—usually just administrative detention for public order violations. But now that someone has lost a hand, the nature of the case has changed. It has escalated from a public security matter to a criminal case. These hooligans have brought this upon themselves; they deserve no mercy.”

He immediately called Zhao Yongsheng. Learning that Director You of the Public Security Bureau had already been briefed on the situation, Su Ming felt relieved. “Director You is taking this seriously, so there should be no issues.”

Hou Weidong did not refute Su Ming’s view. Having interacted with Heiwa, he had a visceral understanding of the situation. He thought to himself: Heiwa grew up right under Director You’s nose. Now that Director You knows about this, will it really make a difference?

Su Ming had prior engagements and left early. Hou Weidong, still harboring doubts, returned to his home at Shazhou College.

He walked briskly to the school gate. As he entered, tall, straight green trees lined both sides, with common shrubs beneath them. Schefflera was the most abundant shrub on campus. In the two years since his graduation, Yiyang had enjoyed favorable weather, and the Schefflera had grown rapidly, now towering half a head above Hou Weidong.

Entering the campus, surrounded by greenery, Hou Weidong slowed his pace. Several young female students giggled as they passed him. Their laughter was not loud, but it was exceptionally crisp, seeming to transport him back to his days of campus life.

It was strange. Hou Weidong had graduated in 1993. Only three years had passed, yet time had changed everything. His state of mind now was completely different from when he was a student. Although he walked through the familiar campus, he no longer felt the same connection he had during his studies. All the scenery seemed separated by a layer of glass—clear to see, yet lacking any tangible, real sensation.

When he reached the small building in the West District, the faint sound of a piano drifted in on the lake breeze. This melody calmed Hou Weidong’s mood entirely. He stood at the door for a moment, listening, before going upstairs.

Retreat to the small building and rule your own world, regardless of spring, summer, autumn, or winter. This was a true description of the professors living in the small building. Since moving in, Hou Weidong rarely saw his neighbors upstairs or downstairs, having met Guo Lan only a few times.

He went upstairs, turned on the main light in the living room, and switched on the television. The room was filled with light and sound, making it feel lively. Lately, he had been busy, and the frequency of his phone calls with Xiaojia had decreased. After sitting down, he used the landline to call her.

Xiaojia’s attitude remained cool and detached.

“If I have nothing else to do this week, I’ll return to Shazhou,” he said.

“Mm, come back,” she replied.

“Are you still upset?”

“No.”

Previously, Xiaojia had gone to Wu Hai with Deputy Director Liu. They had originally planned to return home together and discuss their marriage with their families. Unexpectedly, just as they were preparing to leave, Director Qin Feiyue of the Development Zone called, inviting him to a birthday dinner.

Qin Feiyue had been expelled from Qinglin Town due to a mistake, but misfortune had turned to fortune; he was sent to establish the Development Zone. As a new venture, no one had experience with it. Qin Feiyue had traveled extensively along the coastal regions and, upon returning, threw himself into the work with great energy. He had made the Development Zone flourish, earning the high regard of the newly appointed County Party Secretary, Zhu Yan.

For this birthday celebration, Qin Feiyue had invited only two tables of guests. Although the number was small, they were all heads of various bureaus and departments. Hou Weidong, holding the lowest rank among them, saw this as an opportunity to network and attend.

At the time, Xiaojia had been unhappy to hear that Hou Weidong could not make it, though she said nothing. They had agreed to meet in Shazhou on Saturday.

Zeng Xianggang had originally planned to go to Chengdu with Zhu Bing and Hou Weidong, but later canceled the trip due to other matters. After Hou Weidong had made plans with Xiaojia, Zhu Bing called again, saying the Chengdu trip would proceed. Reluctantly, Hou Weidong went to Chengdu with Zeng Xianggang.

Two consecutive broken promises had made Xiaojia very unhappy, and she had thrown a tantrum over the phone.

Hou Weidong pretended to be cheerful on the phone. “Xiaojia, I heard you’re going to the Municipal Party School for training. That must mean a promotion is coming. Congratulations.”

Xiaojia just said, “Mm,” and added, “It’s meaningless.”

Hou Weidong continued to coax her. “Don’t be angry. When you’re in the world of officialdom, you can’t always control your own actions. I will definitely come back this week. If I don’t, I’m a puppy. My good wife, please forgive me.”

As Deputy Director of the Office of the Shazhou Construction Commission, Xiaojia actually understood the necessity of social engagements. By now, her tantrum had subsided enough for her to speak softly. “Husband, I just want to be with you every day. This feeling wasn’t particularly strong before, but lately, I don’t know what’s wrong. Seeing other families walking and playing in their courtyards makes me feel distressed. Husband, you must come back this week. We should go out and try to get transferred up here sooner.”

“Transfer back to Shazhou within three years” was the promise Hou Weidong had made to Chen Qingrong. However, the three years had passed, and Hou Weidong’s thoughts were slowly changing. During these three years in Yiyang, he had gradually integrated into the local political circle. Vice County Mayor Zeng Xianggang, Director Qin Feiyue, and Bureau Chief Zhu Bing had all become close friends. In his position as Deputy Town Mayor, as long as he made no mistakes, his chances of promotion were significant.

However, transferring to Chengguan Town in Shazhou would mean starting all over again. Thinking of this, Hou Weidong became somewhat perfunctory about the transfer.

Furthermore, in Qinglin Town, the gravel yard and the soon-to-open stone slab yard would bring him considerable profit. If he transferred to Shazhou, remote management would not be as effective as direct oversight. Moreover, many things were still uncertain. For instance, the Xingping Village stone slab yard was still under construction and not fully secured, while the Shangqinglin gravel yard faced harassment from gangsters.

Hou Weidong’s thoughts were in a mess, tangled and difficult to sort out, making it hard for him to make a firm decision to leave.

More difficult was the fact that he could not tell Xiaojia his true feelings. If he did, it would be a heavy blow to Xiaojia, who was eager for reunion.

No wonder the ancients sighed that one cannot have both fish and bear’s paw.

Hou Weidong changed the subject to the Party School. “I also attended a session of the Party School. Later, I heard from Ren that our ten public recruitment students were merely decorations. It was a special request by County Party Secretary Zhao. The real protagonists were actually those reserve cadres. In this recent leadership adjustment, several of those reserve cadres were promoted.”

Xiaojia’s attention was finally diverted. She said, “This time it’s still a class for female cadres. I’ve attended one before; it’s not very interesting. The Construction Commission is still a man’s world, especially for those with professional backgrounds. After grinding away at their posts for a few years, they all have good prospects. For a non-specialist female colleague like me, it’s hard to move up.” Xiaojia’s career path had been smooth after graduation, but reaching the position of Office Deputy Director had made further progress difficult, leaving her with many reflections.

She added, “There was a news item in the Lingxi Daily the day before yesterday. Haishan City established a Landscaping and Greening Bureau, a unit parallel to the Construction Commission. If Shazhou City establishes a Landscaping Bureau, I wonder if I can secure a good position there.”

Hou Weidong was somewhat surprised. “The Construction Commission is a good unit; everyone is fighting to get in. Why do you want to leave?”

Xiaojia’s voice sounded tired. “The affairs at the Construction Commission are too complex, and the work is exhausting.”

Xiaojia’s mood was quite low. Hou Weidong comforted her for a while before she felt slightly better.

After hanging up, Hou Weidong began to stare blankly. He thought, It seems Xiaojia has her own worries. I hadn’t noticed before. I’ve been negligent.

After thinking about Xiaojian for a while, his thoughts turned to the Xingping stone yard. Yan Daoli indeed had some prestige in Xingping Village. After signing the agreement with Li Jing to exchange stone for a bridge, he held a mobilization meeting for the whole village, and construction on the road along the left bank of the river began.

This road was originally on flat ground. As long as the fields were adjusted, the road alignment could be easily laid out. Before coming to the meeting, Hou Weidong had taken time to visit the site. In just a few days, he had followed the laid-out alignment and approached the riverbank.

His thoughts drifted past the Xingping stone slab yard. He muttered, “Damn, greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant.”

However, this annoying snake had already coiled around him, and the Shangqinglin stone yard had no choice but to respond.

Just as he was lost in thought, a clear piano melody drifted in.

The small building was some distance from the music department’s practice rooms. Usually, the piano sounds heard were intermittent and faint, but this melody was exceptionally clear, as if playing right beside his ear. The notes were initially sparse and broken, but after a while, continuous passages began.

Following the sound, Hou Weidong stood on the balcony.

The piano sound came from the neighboring room. After standing there for a while, he heard Guo Lan’s happy voice: “Dad, the tone is wonderful. I like it.” Professor Guo said, “Your mother and I have wanted to buy you a piano for a long time. As long as you like it, that’s what matters.” Guo Lan’s voice was filled with joy. “Dad, Mom, this is the best birthday gift I could ask for.”

The family next door was harmonious and happy, and Hou Weidong seemed to be infected by their warmth. He listened to the piano for a while longer before returning to the living room.

The next day, Hou Weidong continued attending meetings.

In Shangqinglin Town, Zeng Xianggang continued his journey. A dozen young men, carrying uniform wooden sticks, sat hidden in the back of a large truck.

The truck drove neither too fast nor too slow toward the three-way intersection. It passed through Yiyang County town without incident. At a remote spot on the outskirts of the city, everyone rested for a while, then turned the truck around and headed toward the three-way intersection.

According to Zeng Xianggang, they were adopting the Japanese tactic of “patrolling the traffic lines.”

Just past the three-way intersection, at a larger bend, they heard a commotion of shouting and beating. Zeng Xianggang, sitting in the driver’s cab, narrowed his pupils. He turned his head and spoke through the small window behind the cab: “Keep it down. There’s a situation ahead.”

The back of the truck fell silent immediately. Zeng Xianggang said, “Don’t panic. Split into two teams and flank them.” Jumping off the truck and flanking from both sides was a tactical maneuver Zeng Xianggang had practiced over a dozen times to handle fights on the road.

As the truck turned the corner, they saw seven or eight people attacking another truck. The driver had been pulled out, his arm bleeding. Three men held machetes, forcing him to the side.

One man picked up a vegetable oil bucket and poured the liquid onto the truck’s hood. The driver cursed from the side, “Whoever dares to burn the car, I’ll fight them to the death.” But under the threat of three sharp machetes, the strong driver did not dare to rush forward.

As their truck stopped, Zeng Xianggang watched helplessly as a cigarette butt was thrown onto the truck’s hood. A huge fire erupted instantly. The driver, no longer caring about the threat of the machetes, bent down to pick up stones. Before he could stand up, three machetes came down on his head.

In an instant, blood sprayed everywhere.

As Zeng Xianggang jumped out of the truck door, the young men sitting in the back all roared and stood up. They leaped from both sides of the truck and charged toward the arsonists.

The thugs, who were in the middle of looting and smashing, did not expect such a sudden ambush. They were seasoned fighters and prepared to engage, raising their knives. Zeng Xianggang’s side had the numbers advantage. Flanking from left and right, they surrounded the thugs. Their sticks were longer than the knives, and with a series of dull thuds, the thugs began to scream in pain.

Zeng Xianggang had a scar on his face and wore a black eyepatch. Seeing these men with knives, he was reminded of that bloody night, and flames of revenge burned in his eyes. A tall, thin thug charged toward Zeng Xianggang. He had already been hit several times with sticks. Seeing his companions fleeing in all directions, he panicked and, in his desperation, charged straight at Zeng Xianggang.

Zeng Xianggang swung his stick and struck toward the man’s head. The thin thug tried to block the stick with his knife, but the blow was powerful and heavy. The knife was knocked to the ground. The thin thug let out a strange cry and tried to run to the side. Zeng Xianggang swung his stick again, striking the man’s calf. The blow was solid. The thin thug screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground.