Chapter 425: The Drunkard (Part 1)

Xiaoman said, "That man is Hou Weidong, the secretary to the Municipal Party Secretary. What’s the matter?"

Yan Zi replied, "He left in the middle of the dance, strutting away as if he owned the place. I’ve never encountered anyone quite like him."

Knowing that Yan Zi had a sharp tongue that rarely let anyone off the hook, Xiaoman said, "Hou Weidong is actually a decent guy. It’s likely your harsh words offended him, causing him to leave out of embarrassment and anger."

Yan Zi scoffed, "He’s just a lowly secretary. Mixing with those wealthy playboys? He’s nothing special."

Bu Gao interjected, "You’re misunderstanding him. Shen Hao and Liu Mingming are guests from Shazhou. He was representing Secretary Zhou Changquan to accompany them."

Xiaoman recalled the previous incident where Zhu Yingying had been stood up, which had given her a favorable impression of Hou Weidong’s character. Considering Yan Zi’s proud nature, she added, "It’s a pity Hou Weidong is already married. Otherwise, I might have introduced him to Zi Zi. He is excellent, with an unlimited future, and would be a perfect match for you."

Yan Zi snorted. "I’m not in such a desperate position that I can’t get married."

***

Hou Weidong had half-carried, half-dragged Shen Hao back to Building Three. He had the attendant unlock the door, removed Shen Hao’s shoes, and tossed him onto the bed before leaving him to his own devices.

When he returned home, Xiaojia was already in bed. Hearing the noise, she turned on the bedside lamp and asked, "Who were you entertaining this time? Why are you back so late?"

Hou Weidong often had social engagements, but he usually made it home by nine o’clock. It was now nearly one in the morning—much later than usual.

"You smell strongly of alcohol," she noted.

Hou Weidong lowered his head to sniff his coat. Indeed, the scent was overpowering. He took off his jacket, preparing to shower, and said, "I was singing with a few madmen from the provincial capital at Bu Gao’s karaoke club."

Xiaojia couldn’t help but think of the movie Sister Act, and she smiled. "Even the leaders from the province are going crazy?"

"Not provincial leaders, but the sons of provincial leaders. Secretary Zhou was playing mahjong with the provincial officials, while I accompanied their sons to Bu Gao’s club for singing." Hou Weidong casually recounted Shen Hao’s wild behavior.

Upon hearing this, Xiaojia’s expression changed. She spoke urgently, "Oh no, you’ve done something foolish. You put sleeping pills in his drink. If things go wrong, it could be a disaster."

She had majored in biology. Although she had long since abandoned her professional knowledge after graduation, the basics remained. She explained, "Alcohol initially excites the central nervous system, but it subsequently causes inhibition. Sleeping pills also suppress brain activity. Taking sleeping pills after drinking creates a double inhibition effect. It can slow breathing, lower blood pressure, cause shock, or even lead to respiratory arrest and death. Charlie Chaplin died from taking sleeping pills after drinking."

Hou Weidong was startled. When he had sent Shen Hao back to the small guesthouse, Shen Hao had not woken up at all. He hadn’t paid close attention to whether Shen Hao was breathing properly. Realizing the potential danger, his face paled.

"Is it really that serious?"

"It doesn’t necessarily mean something will happen, but there is a risk."

Hou Weidong could no longer sit still at home. "I need to go back to the small guesthouse to check."

Xiaojia advised, "Why don’t you have the attendant check? There’s no need for you to make the trip personally."

"I arranged this. If something happens, it would be too costly. I’d feel more at ease if I went myself." Hou Weidong put his clothes back on and prepared to leave.

Chen Qingrong had not been asleep. Hearing Hou Weidong open the door, she had gotten up and come to the living room. Seeing him dressed neatly and ready to go out again, she asked, "You’re going out again at this hour?"

"There’s something at the office," Hou Weidong said, unable to reveal the specific details, offering a casual excuse.

After Hou Weidong left, Chen Qingrong went to the balcony and quietly observed the front door. Soon, she saw Hou Weidong driving his car out. She returned to the bedroom and nudged Zhang Yuanzheng. "Hou Weidong came home so late, and now he’s rushing out again. Do you think something is wrong?"

Zhang Yuanzheng was woken from his sleep and mumbled, "It’s so late, and you’re still not sleeping? What could possibly be wrong? Don’t overthink it." He rolled over and continued sleeping. He had worked hard at the factory and was truly exhausted, so he fell back into a deep slumber immediately.

Chen Qingrong looked at the carefree Zhang Yuanzheng with annoyance. Both father and daughter are so careless, she thought. I need to keep a closer watch. She was a particularly meticulous person, concerned about Xiaojia’s happiness. Secretly, she had been observing Hou Weidong’s movements closely, memorizing his routine.

Hou Weidong, preoccupied with Shen Hao’s situation, naturally did not notice his mother-in-law’s gaze from the balcony.

***

Late at night in Shazhou, the streets were empty except for the solitary streetlights. Hou Weidong drove fast, speeding along until he reached the small guesthouse. The guesthouse was nestled among tall trees, quiet and desolate. The guard room still had a dim yellow light on, and the retractable gate emitted a weak white glow.

Hou Weidong parked his car to the side, knocked on the door, and called out twice.

Knocking in the dead of night elicited a routine, cold voice from the guard room: "Who is it? It’s so late. Wait a moment."

Since this was the small guesthouse, the reception window for Shazhou City, the guard’s attitude was not overly rude. However, waking up from bed in the middle of the night was unpleasant. Without seeing who it was, the guard was not enthusiastic. He slowly pulled on his clothes, came to the door, and squinted at the visitor.

Hou Weidong visited the small guesthouse frequently, and every time, the director was always bustling about. Therefore, the guard recognized Hou Weidong. Upon identifying him, the guard instantly switched from a cold face to a warm one, smiling. "Director Hou, you’re here so late."

He diligently used the remote to open the retractable gate and took out a cigarette. "Director Hou, please have a cigarette. Don’t mind that it’s a cheap one." This was a humble expression in Shazhou; whenever offering a cigarette, regardless of its quality, one would say "have a cheap one." He always kept two packs of cigarettes on him. Today, seeing Hou Weidong, he offered Yunyan, a decent brand.

Having arrived at the small guesthouse, Hou Weidong had calmed down. He was always polite to the most grassroots workers, such as guards. He accepted the cigarette generously and said, "Master Sun, sorry to bother you. I have a small matter to attend to, and I’ll be out soon."

Seeing Hou Weidong so approachable, Master Sun felt slightly honored. He replied enthusiastically, "Director Hou, you’re such a high-ranking leader. Please don’t be too polite with me."

Hou Weidong said, "Trouble you again," and walked toward Building Three. As he passed Building One, he noticed lights still on at the top.

The Wu family lived in Building One. This was the room usually used by Zhou Changquan, with excellent facilities. Building Two served Mayor Liu Bing, and Building Three primarily served Gao Zhiyuan, the Director of the Municipal People’s Congress. However, Gao Zhiyuan rarely stayed overnight in Building Three, so Liu Tiesong, Shen Hao, and Liu Mingming were arranged to stay there. Liu Tiesong was on the upper floor, while Shen Hao and Liu Mingming were on the lower floor.

At Building Three, a young female attendant was sitting in the service room at the entrance, watching TV. The volume was low, and she was watching intently.

Management at the small guesthouse was strict; duty staff were not allowed to sleep. However, rules were rules, and the staff still slept as usual. After all, the guests had a certain level of quality and wouldn’t run around at this hour. Today, this attendant was watching a serial drama and hadn’t slept.

Hou Weidong thought for a moment and decided he needed the attendant to accompany him into Shen Hao’s room. The attendant was in her thirties and often met Hou Weidong. She yawned and said, "Director Hou, you could have just called me to check. Why come personally in the middle of the night?"

"My job is to serve. Making a trip is normal."

The attendant smiled. "If everyone in the country worked like Director Hou, the Four Modernizations would have been achieved long ago."

Shen Hao was lying face down on the bed, his hair messy, silent and still. This made Hou Weidong very nervous. If something has happened, he thought, I can only form a pact of silence with Bu Gao, firmly denying that I put sleeping pills in the drink. But a medical examination would reveal the truth.

He turned Shen Hao over. Shen Hao was breathing heavily, still in a deep sleep, with drool flowing from the corner of his mouth. His arrogant demeanor from the day had turned vulgar in his sleep.

He was still alive! Thank goodness!

Hou Weidong let out a long sigh of relief. He smiled and said, "Mr. Shen is very drunk. He fell asleep without taking off his clothes." He removed Shen Hao’s jacket and covered him with the blanket.

The attendant was truly puzzled. Director Hou made a trip just to take off Mr. Shen’s clothes? Making a mountain out of a molehill, she thought.

Hou Weidong turned to the attendant and said, "Mr. Shen is a guest from the province. We should take good care of him. He drank too much tonight. Please keep an eye on him. If there are any adverse reactions, notify the clinic immediately."

After giving these detailed instructions, Hou Weidong left Building Three. As he passed Building One, he saw someone walking in the courtyard.

"Hall Director Wu, you’re not asleep yet."

The person walking in the courtyard was Wu Ying. Seeing Hou Weidong, she asked curiously, "Xiao Hou, you’re just leaving?"

Hou Weidong said, "Shen Hao is very drunk. I couldn’t settle down at home, so I came back to check."

Wu Ying frowned. "Xiao Shen likes to have a drink. That’s his biggest flaw. This child is nothing like his father. I don’t know when he’ll grow up."

She praised, "Xiao Hou, your work is very meticulous. Not bad, not bad. No wonder Secretary Zhou values you so much."