Chapter 89 Temptation (Part 1)
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According to the contract signed in advance, the Transportation Bureau was supposed to disburse funds based on project progress. However, the project moved so quickly that it was completed before the Bureau had even released a single payment.
The total amount the Transportation Bureau owed them for the riprap and crushed stone came to 460,000 yuan. This figure far exceeded Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang’s initial expectations.
Hou Weidong suggested, “No matter who asks, stick to the story that costs were high. After deducting wages, land fees, and crop compensation, the entire project only netted us 20,000 yuan. Don’t tell anyone except your wife—not even your parents. We can’t afford any leaks.”
Zeng Xiangang had always believed in keeping one’s wealth hidden, so he readily agreed with Hou Weidong’s suggestion.
On Shangqinglin Mountain, stone was the most abundant resource, yet also the least valued. Many families had stone deposits on their front and back hills. One only needed to scrape away the thin layer of topsoil, use explosives, and a quarry could be established immediately. Therefore, keeping the secret of the quarry’s high profits would minimize competition to the greatest extent.
Hou Weidong knew that once the Shangqinglin Highway opened, shrewd businessmen from outside would surely eye the mountain’s stone resources. This secret would eventually be uncovered, but for now, every day they could keep it hidden was a gain.
During several drinking sessions with Qin Dajiang, Qin repeatedly asked how much money the quarry had made. Looking at Qin’s eager face, Hou Weidong exaggerated the costs and minimized the profits.
Hearing that the investment was over 40,000 yuan and that they had only made 20,000 profit after three months, Qin Dajiang was still tempted. He began calculating in his mind, planning to open his own quarry. Lacking the cash, he started persuading Hou Weidong to partner with him.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang went enthusiastically to the Transportation Bureau to collect the payment. 460,000 yuan was an astronomical sum they had never dared to dream of. To be safe, they secretly carried spring-loaded switchblades for self-defense.
At the Transportation Bureau, they did not see Liu Wei. Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang went directly to the finance office. Three people were sitting there, chatting excitedly about the stock market. When the two strangers entered, they didn’t even lift their eyelids.
Since most people visiting the finance office came to collect money, the staff generally maintained a superior attitude. The three employees in the finance office had developed a habit of looking down on visitors.
Hou Weidong asked several times before a woman finally responded. After clarifying their purpose, she rolled her eyes, flipped through a ledger, and glanced at Zeng Xiangang before saying, “Large sums can only be transferred; cash withdrawals are not allowed. What is the quarry’s account number?”
The two exchanged a look. Hou Weidong hurriedly said, “The quarry doesn’t have an account. I have a personal account.”
The woman replied impatiently, “A personal account won’t do. It must be a corporate account for transfers.”
As they left the finance department, Hou Weidong heard the woman mutter, “They don’t even know this, yet they want to come out and make money?”
When under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head. Moreover, receiving a few hundred thousand yuan from the finance department meant enduring some cold shoulders. Hou Weidong and Zeng Xiangang could tolerate this completely. They were not affected by the staff’s rude attitude. On the ride back to Qinglin Town, they chatted and laughed.
By the time they climbed up Qinglin Mountain, it was four o’clock in the afternoon.
Standing on the summit, the May mountain breeze blew like the gentle hands of a woman caressing them, bringing an indescribable sense of pleasure. The view below was expansive; countless trees swayed in the wind, forming a sea of green waves. From the distant farmhouses, faint dog barks drifted in.
Hou Weidong looked at Zeng Xiangang’s flushed, sweaty face and asked, “Once you get the money, what’s the first thing you want to do?”
“My mother has been ill for many years. She always wanted to go to a large hospital for a checkup to find out what was wrong. But since we just built our house, we had no spare money. Plus, elderly people are reluctant to spend, so she just took some herbal remedies to get by. Once I get the money, my first goal is to take my mother to see a doctor.”
“Madman, what’s the first thing you’ll do when you get the money?”
Hou Weidong said, “I heard that the new head of Shazhou City places great importance on transportation construction. That’s why Yiyang is promoting a ‘Transportation Construction Year.’ If my estimate is correct, running a quarry will be very profitable in the coming years. With this money, I plan to build a large quarry.”
Zeng Xiangang hadn’t thought about reinvesting. He said, “Business carries risks. I’ll deposit a few tens of thousands in the bank first, so I won’t worry if I get sick later. Then, I’ll open a small quarry on the back hill of my house. I won’t hire anyone regularly. If there’s business, I’ll work; if not, I’ll relax. This way, I only make money and never lose it, and I won’t need to borrow from outsiders.”
Back at the small courtyard, Hou Weidong habitually walked toward Yang Xinchun’s postal agency. He was now Yang Xinchun’s biggest customer, enjoying VIP treatment at the Shangqinglin postal agency. This VIP treatment meant that Yang Xinchun kept a special notebook. Whenever someone looked for Hou Weidong, Yang would record the caller’s phone number or message.
Seeing Hou Weidong enter, Yang Xinchun took out the notebook and said, “University Student Hou, Zhang Xiaojia asked you to call her back. She seems to have something to discuss with you.”
Hou Weidong quickly called Xiaojia back. Her voice sounded quite happy. She said, “Husband, I have good news. My staffing issue has been resolved.”
“Really? Then we should celebrate properly.”
When Xiaojia graduated, she was assigned to the Garden Management Office under the Shazhou Construction Commission. The Garden Management Office was a public institution. After transferring to the Construction Commission, her work received high praise. The commission leaders promised to find a way to convert her status from a public institution cadre to an administrative cadre. In January, a vice mayor of Shazhou died in a car accident. After a competition, Bu Haiyun, the head of the Construction Commission, was promoted to vice mayor. He then put in a good word with the relevant departments.
In May, Xiaojia’s staffing issue was finally resolved. She was converted from a public institution cadre to an administrative cadre.
Upon receiving the confirmed news, Xiaojia called Hou Weidong first.
Full of joy, Xiaojia said, “I have another piece of good news. Can you guess?”
Hou Weidong knew he would soon have money, so he didn’t care about the long-distance call charges. He joked, “Your parents have agreed to our relationship.”
On the other end of the line, Xiaojia’s mood shifted, and her tone lowered. “They still don’t agree. Now that I’ve transferred to the administrative track, they will definitely try to persuade me again when I go home.”
Hou Weidong cursed himself internally. “Hou Weidong, you stupid pig, bringing up the one topic that opens no pot.” He tried to sound cheerful. “Wife, you haven’t told me yet. What is your second happy event?”
Xiaojia’s enthusiasm was still low. “I’ve been promoted to Deputy Director of the Construction Commission Office.”
“Wow, my Xiaojia has become an official too. A deputy section-level cadre, the same rank as the deputy town mayor of Qinglin Town.”
Shazhou City was at the prefecture level. The Construction Commission was a department-level unit, and its office was a section-level unit. As Deputy Director of the office, Xiaojia was officially a deputy section-level cadre. Thinking that Xiaojia had reached this level, Hou Weidong felt a sudden sense of loss. He had worked hard in Shangqinglin for over half a year, yet he had not gained any official title. Even his position as Deputy Head of the Working Group, which had no formal rank, had been revoked.
Xiaojia seemed to sense Hou Weidong’s state of mind. She comforted him, “Husband, don’t be anxious. Gold will always shine. I believe you will succeed.” Then she added, “Now that I’m Deputy Director, the unit can provide me with a pager. I’ll buy one tomorrow and get reimbursed. I plan to get a Chinese-character pager, so you can leave me messages in the future.”
Hou Weidong thought to himself, “Once I get the money, I’ll buy a mobile phone. That will be more convenient.”
Hou Weidong had not told Xiaojia about the quarry business. Since the first deal had been a complete success, he wanted to share the news with her.
Just as he was preparing to bring it up, Xiaojia said, “Duan Ying called me. She said she and Liu Kun have confirmed their romantic relationship. Liu Kun is helping Duan Ying with her transfer. His father is the Propaganda Department Minister, so transferring Duan Ying to the Yiyang TV Station should not be a big problem.”
Hearing this, Hou Weidong understood why Duan Ying wanted to confirm her relationship with Liu Kun. She wanted to find a foothold to jump out of the silk factory before it went bankrupt. He thought to himself, “Liu Kun really got a bargain.”
Thinking of the mature, sexy, and understanding Duan Ying throwing herself into Liu Kun’s arms, a man’s possessive instinct made Hou Weidong feel slightly uncomfortable.
On the other end of the line, Xiaojia was still asking about Liu Kun’s situation. Hou Weidong vaguely replied, “He works in the Municipal Government Office. He’s doing okay.” He then proactively changed the subject. “The Wu Hai Silk Factory has gone bankrupt, and Second Sister has been laid off.”
Xiaojia asked with concern, “Second Sister has been laid off. What will she do next?”
“Second Sister and her brother-in-law plan to return to their old trade and open a private small silk factory. Second Sister has a group of sisters, so technical skills are not an issue. Her brother-in-law used to handle sales, so he can use the network of contacts he built previously.”
They chatted for nearly ten minutes before hanging up.
After the call, Xiaojia leaned on her desk with one hand, staring blankly. She remained silent for a long time. Working in the office, she had seen a lot with the leaders and had a preliminary understanding of the grassroots officialdom.
She was actually quite worried about Hou Weidong. Working in a township, even if one’s ability was outstanding and appreciated by leaders, it might take years to be promoted to deputy town mayor. A deputy town mayor was only at the deputy section level, equal to her current rank.
To hold a principal position in a town, one needed the nod of important county leaders. Climbing up step by step from a township was truly a arduous path. More critically, Hou Weidong was at odds with the town party secretary. If this situation continued, as long as the town party secretary remained in place, Hou Weidong would have no chance to turn things around.
“I’ll wait for an appropriate opportunity to speak to Vice Mayor Bu. I’ll suggest transferring Weidong to Shazhou directly.” How to bring it up required waiting for the right moment. Xiaojia pondered this constantly.
At that moment, the Party Secretary of the Garden Management Office appeared at the door. Xiaojia hurriedly stood up and said, “Old Leader, you must have forgotten Xiaojia. You haven’t visited me in at least two months.”
The old secretary of the Garden Management Office smiled. “Tonight, our department has prepared a banquet to congratulate Xiaojia on becoming the Deputy Director of the Construction Commission Office. You are the first female leader to come from our department. Please take care of us in the future.”
Xiaojia laughed. “Old Leader, what are you saying? You’re treating me like an outsider. Tonight, you must be penalized with drinks. At least three cups.”
That night, Hou Weidong dreamed of a pile of banknotes. He also dreamed of himself sitting in the county government office.
Qinglin Days