Chapter 138: The Fierce Battle (Part 3)
The weather was fine, with a vast blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds that drifted lazily, as if alive.
Hou Weidong stepped out of the car, carrying a plastic bag. He walked to the front of the jeep and, seeing the crowd, distributed a round of cigarettes. He casually waved the plastic bag in front of Director Qin, letting it catch the light. Director Qin understood the gesture but merely crossed his arms and smoked, saying nothing.
"Director Qin, you’ve worked hard," Hou Weidong said.
Director Qin took a deep drag from his cigarette and kicked at a few shards of broken glass on the ground. "These fragments are the only evidence left from the car-smashing incident that day. That gang is dangerous. They smashed the glass to send a threat, but they didn’t cause significant damage. I estimate it will be difficult to even file a formal case."
Several police officers were smoking by the car. Director Qin lowered his voice. "If it weren’t for your face, I wouldn’t have brought men to guard this spot. Let me be honest with you, brother. Heiwa is playing guerrilla tactics with us. Who knows when he’ll show up? The station has a pile of other matters to attend to. We can’t stay here on standby indefinitely. Besides, our police car is too conspicuous. If they see it from a distance, they won’t come near."
"I’m afraid that’s the only way. We can only find a solution if we catch them in the act."
Hou Weidong knew Director Qin was telling the truth, but he didn’t let the matter drop. "There has to be a solution to this, right?"
Director Qin replied, "I have other methods. I’ve already placed informants in the area."
As they spoke, several trucks passed by in succession.
Officer Wang Yibing, whose family faced financial difficulties, had been looking for ways to make extra money. Seeing the steady stream of trucks from Shangqinglin, he walked over and said to Hou Weidong, "That damn Heiwa really has a business mind. We’ve been here for over an hour, and at least twenty trucks have passed through. Based on the rates he’s charging, he’s already made two hundred yuan. Where in the world can you find such easy money? Only Heiwa could come up with something like that."
Director Qin remained stern in front of Wang Yibing. "Heiwa is trying to make big money, but he’s reaching too far. He doesn’t understand the wild ways of the people on Shangqinglin Mountain. This time, he’s likely to hit a hard rock."
Thinking of this, Director Qin warned Hou Weidong. "Township Leader Hou, the village cadres on Shangqinglin have fiery tempers. You need to keep Qin Jiang and the others in check. Don’t provoke any major trouble. Heiwa’s men are scum, but if things escalate into a serious incident, Qin Jiang and his group will be the ones to suffer."
That day, Director Qin and his team guarded the spot until two in the afternoon. Nothing happened.
At four in the afternoon, Hou Weidong took the car up the mountain to Jianshan Village. As he approached Zeng Xiangang’s courtyard, several large dogs lunged out, barking fiercely in front of the house. Soon, a few young men emerged from the yard. Seeing Hou Weidong, they shouted into the courtyard, "Brother Zeng, the Madman is here."
Entering the yard, Hou Weidong saw several large sandbags. A group of young men were punching them, shirtless and drenched in sweat. In the corner of the yard, more than a dozen smooth wooden sticks were laid out. Zeng Xiangang stood in the center of the yard, wearing camouflage fatigues with a belt around his waist, his hands clasped behind his back. He carried an air of military discipline.
Hou Weidong had intended to make a joke, but seeing the gloom on Zeng Xiangang’s face, he swallowed the words. He walked up to him and asked, "Director Zeng, what act are you putting on here?"
Zeng Xiangang said seriously, "These young men haven’t been trained; they’re a ragtag bunch. I’m drilling them so they can be commanded properly when the time comes."
As he spoke, a flash of ferocity appeared in Zeng Xiangang’s eyes, sharp and intimidating. Hou Weidong caught this look and was reminded, for no apparent reason, of the first time he had treated Section Chief Gao of the Transportation Bureau’s Finance Section to a meal. Back then, Zeng Xiangang had worn an ill-fitting suit, his expression awkward and timid. Two years later, after going through a storm of events, he had been completely transformed.
"Old Zeng, you’re using these people out of necessity. When you act, you must know your limits. Don’t cause a major incident."
Zeng Xiangang replied coolly, "Madman, this matter has nothing to do with you. If anything happens, I, Zeng, will take full responsibility. You just need to help me look after my son."
Hou Weidong looked at the sticks in the corner of the yard, at a loss for words.
Leaving Zeng Xiangang’s house, Hou Weidong went to inspect Tian Dadao’s quarry. Tian Dadao had asked his uncle to manage the site, and he himself had not appeared there for several days. The quarry was in chaos. The excavation face was vertical, rising more than ten meters high. Hou Weidong, who considered himself an expert in quarry operations, felt a chill seeing the scene.
"Old Tian, you can’t mine like this. It’s too steep. You must use terraced mining."
Old Tian was a cheerful man. He earned a monthly salary of 800 yuan. In contrast, He Hongfu, who managed the Goubewan Quarry, earned 2,000 yuan a month. Old Tian felt he was neither the best nor the worst; his attitude toward work was mediocre. As long as there were no major accidents, he was content. Technical improvements were Tian Dadao’s concern, not his.
Seeing Old Tian’s expression, Hou Weidong could only smile bitterly. "Remember to tell Tian Dadao when he returns. This is a serious matter. Learn from the last lesson. Tell him I said so."
Old Tian smiled as he spoke. "Township Leader Hou, I’ll tell him as soon as Dadao is back."
With a sense of unease, Hou Weidong left Tian Dadao’s quarry. He then visited the Goubewan, Dawan, and Yinggang quarries in turn, inspecting and giving instructions: first, ensure safety in production; second, prevent outsiders from causing damage. He instructed He Hongfu to keep three men on guard every night, with a ten-yuan overtime fee for each night.
Running around all day, time flew by. Hou Weidong did not go down the mountain but stayed in Shangqinglin. Wang Bing wanted to return to the city for a date and refused to stay, driving down the mountain in a flash.
Going up to the second floor, Hou Weidong pushed open the door and turned on the light. It had been more than ten days since he last came up the mountain, and a thin layer of dust had settled in the room.
Just as he was preparing to cook noodles, Aunt Liu invited him to her home for a long-awaited meal of twice-cooked pork. While they were eating, Xi Zhaoyong saw the light on in Hou Weidong’s room and shouted loudly from the hallway. Township Leader Gao also called Xi Zhaoyong down. The three of them opened a bottle of wine and chatted while eating.
After eight o’clock, Hou Weidong was watching TV when Tie Bingsheng and his wife, having heard from somewhere that Hou Weidong had returned, came specifically to express their gratitude. After a thousand thanks, Tie Bingsheng said with difficulty, "Township Leader Hou, we are deeply grateful for your great kindness. However, we haven’t been able to gather the money yet. Please forgive us."
Hou Weidong had almost forgotten that he had lent money to Tie Bingsheng. Seeing that Teacher Tie’s wife was fine, he was in good spirits and said generously, "I don’t lack money. Principal Tie, don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about repayment when you have the money."
Tie Bingsheng rubbed his hands together. "After Ruiqing graduates, our family’s financial situation will improve. We will definitely repay the money then."
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Wang Bing drove the car up to Shangqinglin.
Before getting in the car, Hou Weidong called Ouyang Lin at the Party and Government Office to report his whereabouts. This was a rule established by Zhao Yongsheng: every morning, all township leaders had to report their locations to the Party and Government Office. Hou Weidong considered this a good system. Although there were always ways to circumvent policies, the system itself was sound.
Hou Weidong then took the training car straight to the three-way intersection to check the situation along the way. Zeng Xiangang stayed on the mountain with his men, waiting for Hou Weidong’s call. Qin Jiang took the collective signature letter from the Shangqinglin quarries to the Qinglin Township Government, demanding protection for the legal operations of the enterprises. Xi Zhaoyong took the bus to Yiyang County early in the morning and found Deputy Section Chief Liu of the Public Order Section to investigate Heiwa’s background and use police power to pressure him.
When the training car reached the three-way intersection, everything was calm. Hou Weidong asked casually, "The Shangqinglin quarries might come into conflict with Heiwa. This has nothing to do with you; you didn’t have to come drive."
Wang Bing looked indifferent. "When I used to drive to Qingzang County, I’ve seen all kinds of things. This is nothing."
With nothing happening at the three-way intersection, Hou Weidong took the driver’s seat. Under Wang Bing’s guidance, he drove slowly, observing carefully. Before they knew it, they had reached the suburbs of Yiyang City. The two got out of the car and stood side by side behind it to urinate. The streams of water washed the tires clean.
Hou Weidong mocked himself. "That damn Heiwa. What is he doing? Acting like a turtle hiding its head."
Wang Bing shook himself three times to ensure he was completely dry, avoiding any drops on his pants, and replied, "When I came up this morning, I saw Director Qin parking his car at the three-way intersection. I’m afraid Heiwa is also trying to avoid attention."
From the information passed by Liang Bifa, Hou Weidong knew that Heiwa would definitely make a move.
Heiwa was a local thug and a member of the underworld. He decided when to do bad things, thus holding the initiative in the attack. The Shangqinglin quarries, being honest people, were purely on the defensive, making their tactics passive.
This was determined by the nature of both sides. Hou Weidong had no way to change it.
After finishing, Hou Weidong stood outside the car, smoking, and called Xi Zhaoyong to arrange lunch at the Yiyang Hotel.
In the Huangshan Pine private room at the Yiyang Hotel, Hou Weidong had just sat down when Xi Zhaoyong and Deputy Section Chief Liu of the Public Order Section walked in.
Deputy Section Chief Liu was an ordinary middle-aged man. After a few brief remarks, he got straight to the point. "Ten years ago, Heiwa started running the underworld. He fought recklessly and gained quite a reputation in Yiyang City. In recent years, his gang has been running dance halls and casinos, making a lot of money. Heiwa has now retreated behind the scenes, registering a Black Forest Limited Liability Company. They do all sorts of messy business."
"I used to be in the Criminal Investigation Brigade. There was a case involving Heiwa. We were making progress, but the key witness disappeared mysteriously. The case eventually fizzled out. In recent years, Heiwa has paved the way with money. It is said he has some connections with county leaders."
Hearing Deputy Section Chief Liu’s introduction, Hou Weidong felt a heavy weight in his heart.
Xi Zhaoyong, who was always bold, said, "No matter how fierce Heiwa is, he will still give Deputy Section Chief Liu some face. You go and give him a warning. Tell them not to interfere with the Shangqinglin quarries. The people in Shangqinglin are mountain dwellers, and many have hunting rifles. If they get annoyed, Heiwa’s life won’t be easy either."
Deputy Section Chief Liu agreed. "I’ll go see Heiwa this afternoon. However, now that he has money and power, whether he will listen to my warning is still unknown."
After lunch, Xi Zhaoyong went to find people in the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Hou Weidong took the training car back to Qinglin Township. Along the way, the sunlight was warm, and the country seemed peaceful. As the training car entered the courtyard of the township government, Ouyang Lin was standing by the window shouting, "Township Leader Hou, Secretary Zhao is looking for you. Please go to his office."
On Zhao Yongsheng’s desk lay a signed letter, the one Qin Jiang had delivered. He tapped the paper and said, "Township Leader Hou, what exactly is going on here?"
"A few days ago, Heiwa from Yiyang City came to collect protection money and smashed a car."
Since the Shangqinglin road was completed, it had become an important source of revenue for Qinglin Township. Zhao Yongsheng attached great importance to the mountain area. He said angrily, "Who does Heiwa think he is? How can a legitimate primary-level government be afraid of him?"
He called the police station, but no one answered. Zhao Yongsheng checked his notebook and sent a pager message to Director Qin. Hou Weidong knew Director Qin’s mobile number, but he didn’t say anything, just watching Zhao Yongsheng send the pager message.
A while later, the phone on Zhao Yongsheng’s desk rang. He looked at the number; it was an unfamiliar mobile number, but the voice on the other end was familiar. "Secretary Zhao, what are your instructions?"
"Qin Jiang sent me a report with hundreds of fingerprints on it, saying that the trucks in Shangqinglin were smashed by Heiwa’s men."
"Secretary Zhao, I know about this. I’ve been patrolling the three-way intersection for two days, and there have been no abnormalities."
Zhao Yongsheng knew these police officers well. "Did you catch the people who smashed the car last time? Even if you can’t criminally detain them for this behavior, administrative detention should be no problem, right?"
Director Qin complained, "Those who smashed the car are not locals. There are no clues, making it difficult to solve the case. Moreover, the damage caused by this case is minor—just broken glass. It’s difficult to even file a case."
"When did you buy a mobile phone? Why didn’t you tell me the number?"
"I just bought it. I haven’t had time yet."
After hanging up, Zhao Yongsheng said to Hou Weidong, "Township Leader Hou, you are the divisional leader in charge of comprehensive management. I’ll leave this matter to you. For the public security organs, this is just a minor incident. However, we must be vigilant. Since there are signs of trouble, it is likely to spread. We must not take it lightly."
Hou Weidong nodded continuously, thinking to himself: "Although Zhao Yongsheng has his flaws, his work ability is strong. His judgment is accurate, and he has a strong sense of the big picture. His conflict with Qin Feiyue is simply because one mountain cannot tolerate two tigers."