Chapter 178: The Study Session (Part 2)

Chapter 178: The Study Session (Part 2)

Hou Weidong had spent more than half a month in Qinglin Town, sleeping in an empty bed for just as long. The ancients said that a single day apart felt like three autumns; for him, these weeks without intimacy had left him craving comfort. With his robust physique, by Friday, he was practically itching to sprout wings and fly straight to Xiaojia’s side.

At five o’clock, he watched as the crowd in the courtyard thinned out. The remaining villagers looked as wilted as eggplants struck by frost, showing none of the earlier agitation. Satisfied that the situation had stabilized, he relaxed and drove toward Shazhou.

Zhao Yongsheng held the reins of the foundation, yet when trouble arose, he had left Hou Weidong to bear the brunt of the crisis on the front lines. This rankled Hou Weidong, but as the divisional leader in charge of political and legal affairs and comprehensive social security management, it was his duty to do his best.

Gripping the steering wheel and watching pedestrians waiting by the roadside, Hou Weidong felt a surge of pride. The greatest advantage of car ownership was the vastly expanded radius of activity and the effective extension of one’s time. Fundamentally, a vehicle was a mechanical supplement that enhanced human capability. Without a car, departing from Qinglin Town at five o’clock, factoring in wait times for transport, would mean arriving in Shazhou no earlier than eleven at night. Driving himself, however, took only three hours, allowing him to reach Shazhou by eight in the evening.

As he approached the Yiyang County seat, thinking that he was getting closer and closer to Xiaojia, Hou Weidong’s heart swelled with joy. Suddenly, Yang Feng called, notifying him of a meeting at eight that evening. The news was like a bucket of cold water, dousing the rising fire of desire that had begun to kindle within him.

“Damn it, treating me like a coolie,” Hou Weidong muttered a complaint. Yet his professional discipline compelled him to obey the arrangements of the Party committee and government. He checked his watch; it was just past six. He turned the car around and headed straight for Shazhou College within Yiyang City.

After parking, he grabbed his bag and climbed the stairs. The railings were iron. As he reached the second floor, he heard footsteps. Looking up, he caught a glimpse through a skirt of a slender, jade-like leg, extending from the calf to the thigh. It was snow-white and dazzling to the eye.

Hou Weidong recognized it was Guo Lan. He gentlemanly averted his gaze and slowed his pace. By the time he reached the fourth floor, he saw Guo Lan standing at the door, holding a badminton racket and looking down as she searched for her keys.

Hou Weidong took the initiative to greet her. “Hello, Guo Lan. It’s been a while since I last saw you.”

Guo Lan’s forehead was beaded with fine sweat. She replied, “Oh, it’s Mayor Hou. I haven’t seen you for a while. What have you been busy with?”

“Every town has been rectifying its foundations recently. I’ve been bogged down in this matter for over ten days. I came back just to take a shower, and now I have to rush back to Qinglin Town for a meeting.”

“How exactly is the situation with the foundations?”

Hou Weidong had already opened his door but did not enter. Standing in the doorway, he said, “The situation is not good. To be precise, it’s insolvent. Even if we sold off the entire town government, we couldn’t repay the debts.”

Guo Lan had heard many rumors about the foundations, but the versions were so conflicting that she remained unclear about the specifics. She asked, “If the common people can’t get their money back, won’t they cause an uproar?”

Hou Weidong smiled bitterly. “The Qinglin Town government has been besieged for over ten days. I’ve been guarding the gate every day, engaging in a battle of wits with these depositors. I had just reached the suburban area when I received a call from the office saying I needed to return for an emergency meeting. It’s likely to convey the new directives from the county government today.”

Guo Lan had opened her door and turned back with a gentle smile. “You still have to rush back to Qinglin Town. You’ve really worked hard.”

Back in his room, Hou Weidong took the materials regarding Huang Weige out of his briefcase and read them carefully again. This time, he gleaned some new insights. Intuitively, he felt these materials were very important to Zhao Yongsheng and might have some utility value.

He placed the materials into a hidden compartment in the wall and casually checked his bankbook. Just as he straightened up, ethereal piano music drifted in from the next room, sounding like a celestial being playing.

After listening for a while, Hou Weidong went to the bathroom to shower. He left the bathroom door slightly ajar. Warm water poured down from above, and the ethereal piano music seemed to fly through the thin mist, occasionally striking Hou Weidong’s still-strong body before falling with the water onto the uneven tiles of the bathroom.

Suddenly, he recalled the fleeting glimpse on the stairs. That flash of snow-white skin was so clear in his mind that his body involuntarily reacted.

“Tch, why is my testosterone so旺盛 (vigorous)? Even listening to music can cause an erection.”

He took off the showerhead and flushed his flaccid member vigorously. After leaving the bathroom, he felt even more consumed by desire. He drank a bottle of mineral water taken from the refrigerator, and only then did he feel slightly better. He changed into a cotton T-shirt, drove to the surface, and then drove back to Qinglin Town.

At eight o’clock, all members of the Qinglin Town Party and Government gathered in the small conference room.

“The county government held an important meeting this afternoon, requiring all towns to execute immediately. They demand that we treat economic issues as political tasks,” Zhao Yongsheng set the tone as soon as he arrived, his tone firm. “We must execute the county government’s decisions without principle.”

With the secretary setting the tone, Su Ming discussed the specific details.

“It is decided that starting tomorrow, we will begin collecting loans. All recovered loans will be used entirely for repayment.”

Zhao Yongsheng interjected, “The more loans we collect, the lighter our pressure will be. This is the ultimate solution to the problem.” He waved his hand forcefully, demonstrating his determination.

Su Ming paused briefly and continued, “Secretary Zhao and I have discussed forming collection teams. Hou Weidong will lead one group, responsible for collecting from Shangqinglin, Jianshan Village, Dushi Village, and Wangri Village. Tang Shugang will lead another group, responsible for the nine villages of Xiaqinglin. Zhong Ruihua will not handle specific collections; you will mainly follow the clearance team to thoroughly investigate the foundation’s accounts.”

Zhao Yongsheng added another sentence, “Secretary Liu is in charge of cadres. Your task is to handle personnel. Any cadres from government organs, enterprises, or institutions who do not cooperate with the collection teams will be dealt with by you together with the Discipline Inspection Commission. This is a political task; no one is allowed to bargain.” He continued, “The loans from town-owned enterprises are the largest portion, so I will personally handle the collection.”

After accepting the tasks, Hou Weidong began to calculate. Although he was only responsible for collecting loans from three villages, Shangqinglin had many enterprises and large loans. The amount and difficulty of collecting from these three villages were likely greater than those from the twelve villages of Xiaqinglin. As for Zhao Yongsheng, who would personally collect loans from town-owned enterprises, Hou Weidong thought of that list and sensed there was indeed something fishy.

The meeting ended at eleven o’clock, so Hou Weidong could not return to Yiyang. He drove his pickup truck back to his dormitory at the grain station, looking dejected.

Old Xing’s money had also been withheld in the foundation, but he still trusted the government. He kept his deposit certificates safe, waiting for the town government to actively redeem them. Therefore, he ate well and slept soundly. When Hou Weidong returned gloomily, snoring sounds came from his room.

With the dehumidifier and quicklime, the dampness in the dormitory had improved somewhat, but touching the bedding still felt slightly moist.

He took out his mobile phone, intending to call Xiaojia, but the phone rang sharply. The number was from home. Hou Weidong was startled, as his family had never called him this late.

Liu Guangfen’s voice came through the receiver. “San-er, your sister was taken away by people from the county. They said she must repay the money, or she won’t be allowed to go home.”

Hou Weidong was shocked. “This is illegal restriction of personal freedom. It’s a violation of the law. How dare the county people act so recklessly?”

Liu Guangfen’s voice was tinged with tears. “I heard the county is setting up a study session to learn the law. In reality, they are concentrating major debtors. If they don’t repay, they aren’t allowed to go home.”

Having worked in the government for over three years, Hou Weidong knew that in Yiyang County, or even in Shazhou City and Lingxi Province, government actions often outweighed legal actions. Especially in major issues involving politics, the law served politics. Therefore, regarding the illegal actions of the county, he did not even think of seeking a legal solution.

“Before the foundation was banned, I specifically warned your second sister, but she didn’t take it seriously. Now that major banks have frozen loan businesses, where can she find someone to lend money?”

Liu Guangfen said tactfully, “You’ve earned some money these past few years, buying a car and a house. Can you give some to your second sister to help her get through this difficulty?”

Hou Weidong understood this was the main purpose of the call tonight. “How much did your second sister borrow?”

“Haven’t you asked?”

“No.”

Liu Guangfen sat on the edge of the bed. “Today your brother-in-law told me that they borrowed over two million in total. They repaid some, and now there is still seven hundred thousand left.”

Hou Weidong hesitated. In terms of assets, seven hundred thousand was not too much. However, his expenses today were significant. He had first invested one million in Jinggong Group, then spent nearly four hundred thousand on quarrying equipment for the Goubeiwan Quarry, equipped two large trucks worth over thirty thousand, plus the four thousand promised for the foundation deposit certificates, and over a hundred thousand for the car purchase. This year alone, he had used nearly two million in cash. Moreover, the Lingxi Expressway had not settled accounts yet, so the cash on hand was only around a hundred thousand.

“Mom, I don’t have that much money right now. Does your brother-in-law have no other way?”

Liu Guangfen said, “Hou Xiaoying is your second sister. If you can bear to see her locked up by the county, then don’t bother with this matter.”

Hou Weidong had not yet clarified the attitudes of his second sister and brother-in-law, nor would he easily agree to pay this sum. He was about to ask, “What are your second sister and brother-in-law’s attitudes?” but before he could speak, Liu Guangfen hung up angrily.

Hou Weidong had a decent relationship with his second brother-in-law, He Yong. However, over the past three years, everyone had been busy with their own affairs, and contact had been sparse. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched TV for a while, then still called He Yong. The result was a busy signal.

“Since Wu Hai has concentrated these people for a study session, Yiyang will surely do the same,” Hou Weidong thought for a moment. “Why worry about the county’s affairs? I should focus more on my second sister’s situation.”