Chapter 157: A Twist of Fate (Part 4)
“Have you read the case files? In the Shangqinglin incident, was one of the victims blinded in one eye?”
Hou Weidong was startled by his older brother’s sudden mention of Zeng Xiangang. “There is such a person. His name is Zeng Xiangang, the director of the Jianshan Village Committee. Why are you asking about him?”
“The ringleader of the Shangqinglin case is still at large. He is a repeat offender with a long history of crimes, implicated in several major cases. Our team has been hunting him for a while. Recently, we received intelligence that he was planning to return home, so we set up an undercover stakeout operation. During the surveillance, we noticed a man wearing an eyepatch also waiting in the vicinity. The police station officers brought him in for questioning and found a sharp knife on him.”
Hou Weidong was shocked. He immediately recalled something Zeng Xiangang had said in the past. “He once swore that he would cease to be human if he did not avenge this wrong. I didn’t expect him to actually take action. I underestimated him; he is a man of true grit.”
“Are you close with him?”
“Shangqinglin established a gravel association with five bosses, and he is one of them. We are good friends—very close, in fact.”
Hou Weiguo had changed out of his police uniform into sportswear after entering the house. He rubbed his sore thighs and said, “When my men heard he was a victim, they let him go with a warning. Little San, current law does not permit private vengeance. Since you are good friends, you should advise Zeng Xiangang not to seek revenge. It will likely lead to greater losses than gains.”
Hou Weidong, having majored in law, understood this principle well. However, thinking of Zeng Xiangang’s tragic fate—his family destroyed and his life ruined—he couldn’t help but speak with indignation. “That is merely theoretical. If I were Zeng Xiangang, I would cut that ringleader into a thousand pieces. Otherwise, the hatred in my heart would never subside.”
Hou Weiguo had seen too much of the dark side of society. “There are too many such cases. Over time, one gets used to it.”
Jiang Chu was busy in the kitchen preparing the meal. She took a piece of aged cured meat out of the refrigerator and chopped it loudly on the cutting board. After chopping it, she added some pickled vegetables and placed everything into a pressure cooker.
Once the fire was lit, she took off her apron and said, “It is rare for you two brothers to meet. Have a good chat. I am going to buy a salted duck. The shop just ahead makes excellent ones. Weiguo loves them.”
Hou Weiguo looked at his wife with suspicion. This little wife was perfect in every way except for her tendency to be overly frugal. She usually calculated every penny at home. Today, however, she was not only cooking the rural cured meat brought back from Chengkou County in Sichuan but also voluntarily buying a salted duck. Her generosity was completely out of character. He looked at Little San and smiled. “Today, I am eating Chengkou aged cured meat thanks to Little San. This piece of meat was highly recommended by Old Li, a friend from Chengkou, during my business trip there. I bought it and ate it once. Jiang Chu then treated this Chengkou cured meat as a treasure, keeping it in the refrigerator and reluctant to eat it. Today, my craving is finally satisfied.”
A large portion of this household’s expenses were subsidized by Hou Weidong. Jiang Chu’s enthusiasm fit her personality, and Hou Weiguo realized the utility of money. “The last time I met Xiaojia, she wanted to transfer you to Shazhou. But in my opinion, since it is easier to make money in Qinglin Town, you might as well stay there for a few more years. I am a criminal investigator in Shazhou, earning only about a thousand yuan a month. It is really not very rewarding.”
Hou Weidong joked, “Then take off your police uniform and do business. My second sister and I will provide the capital. With your abilities, you might become a wealthy tycoon someday.”
Hou Weiguo shook his head with a smile. “If Dad knew I had taken off my police uniform, he would jump with anger. Besides, I am reluctant to give up this uniform. After all, I have been doing this for so many years. Although police are not always respected in society, I still feel a strong sense of pride. I do not want to get rich in this life; I am content with this career.”
“The last time I was detained by the Procuratorate, I learned a lesson. In Lingxi, and in Shazhou, the government is always the boss. Money alone is not enough. A family must have political status.”
“Looking at the current balance of development, the wealthy are ultimately the masters. When money reaches a certain level, it undergoes a qualitative change. Last time, a businessman from Singapore visited, and the municipal government provided first-level security, treating him like a national leader. Those state security officers have effectively become the door gods of capitalists.”
Hou Weidong laughed. “Qualitative change is not that easy. I am half-official, half-businessman, achieving both official status and wealth. You, Big Brother, should focus on your police work. Ideally, you should attain some official rank and become the protective umbrella for our family.”
The two brothers talked in a relaxed manner. However, when Hou Weidong mentioned Heiwa’s struggle for control of the Shangqinglin quarry, Hou Weiguo’s expression turned serious. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Chu returned home. She placed the bought salted duck on a plate, turned off the pressure cooker, and began preparing vegetables in the kitchen.
Once Jiang Chu was in the kitchen, Hou Weiguo’s eyes became sharp. “A few days ago, we arrested an arms dealer. He confessed to selling three replica Type 54 pistols to Yiyang. Our team is currently investigating this matter together with the Yiyang Public Security Bureau. Intelligence from an insider suggests that these guns were bought by Heiwa’s subordinates. Although this has not been verified, you must be extremely cautious.”
Hou Weidong had been busy with funeral reform recently and then working with Li Jing on the Jinggong Group, so he had put aside the issue of Heiwa. Hearing this, he was startled and immediately called Zeng Xiangang on his mobile phone.
“Mobile phones are for communication. What is the point of constantly turning it off?” He then called the landline. The person who answered was Xiao Sun, Zeng Xiangang’s nephew, who stayed at the Zeng house long-term. Hou Weidong was familiar with him and spoke bluntly, “Where is Zeng Xiangang? Why is his mobile phone turned off?”
Xiao Sun was startled by the rude tone in the receiver. He was about to get angry but realized it was Hou Weidong’s voice. He hurriedly said, “Director Zeng lost his mobile phone. He is not at home right now; I do not know where he has gone.”
Hou Weidong instructed, “Tell the people at the mine to pay special attention to safety in the next few days.”
Xiao Sun said, “Township Cadre Hou, our mine’s safety officer is on duty every day, and the explosives are stored in the warehouse daily. There should be no problem.”
“I am not talking about that. I heard that Heiwa and his group bought pistols. Those who come with ill intent are not here for good reasons. You must be careful.”
Xiao Sun, who had participated in the Sanchalu battle, asked anxiously, “They have guns. What should we do?”
“I also heard this through hearsay. Better safe than sorry. You must find Zeng Xiangang immediately and have him call me back.”
After hanging up, Hou Weidong felt uneasy. He called Qin Dajiang and Xi Zhaoyong consecutively. Qin Dajiang’s mobile phone rang continuously but went unanswered. The landline was also unanswered. Xi Zhaoyong’s phone was turned off. He had no choice but to call the Gubeiwan Quarry. Fortunately, He Hongfu was still at the quarry. Upon receiving the call, he immediately began making preparations.
Hou Weiguo dealt with all kinds of people every day, and his insight was indeed sharp. “Little San, ultimately, you are also a person in officialdom. You should avoid getting involved in underworld matters.”
Hou Weidong merely nodded.
Seeing that Hou Weidong was somewhat perfunctory, Hou Weiguo warned him seriously, “The Communist Party fears the word ‘serious’ the most. When the final reckoning comes, during a crackdown on severe crimes, many people will go to prison. Even if your family is wealthy, it will all be for nothing in the end.”
Hearing his brother’s reminder, Hou Weidong quickly reviewed his own affairs. All legal procedures were in order, so there should be no major problems. “Brother, I studied law. I will not give anyone a handle to grab.”
Jiang Chu was busy moving around in the house. The salted duck, Sichuan Chengkou aged cured meat, stir-fried shredded pork, and green pepper with preserved egg were all placed on the table, emitting an enticing aroma. Hou Weiguo swallowed his saliva and said, “Jiang Chu, I really have no status here. I can only eat this salted duck because of Little San.” Jiang Chu glanced at him disdainfully and simply invited Hou Weidong to eat.
They returned to the Xinyue Building at eight o’clock. Xiaojia had not returned yet; she was probably still playing mahjong at the Su family. Hou Weidong placed his mobile phone on the convenient coffee table and waited for Xiaojia to return while watching television.
At nine o’clock, Hou Weidong called Zeng Xiangang’s home again. Zeng Xiangang was still not there. He then called Xi Zhaoyong’s home. This time, the call went through, but he heard an impatient voice: “Xi Zhaoyong is drunk. Talk about it tomorrow.” The caller then hung up.
He called Qin Dajiang, and this time, Qin himself answered. After some vague responses, Hou Weidong understood the situation: “Xi Zhaoyong is celebrating his birthday. He invited everyone to drink at the town center.”
“A bunch of drunkards. Why don’t they learn from Zeng Xiangang’s lesson?” Hou Weidong was furious, cursed a few times, and had to hang up. He made up his mind to return to Shangqinglin the next day to discuss the Heiwa matter properly.
Xiaojia returned home at eleven o’clock, in a good mood. As soon as she got into bed, she acted coquettishly, stirring Hou Weidong’s passion. After their intimacy, they slept dreamlessly through the night.
At nine o’clock the next morning, neither had woken up when a piercing telephone ring suddenly sounded.
Upon hearing the first sentence, Hou Weidong jumped out of bed. His voice was unusually high-pitched and sharp. “What? Say it again.”
Xi Zhaoyong’s voice was as loud as the noise of a supersonic jet. “Qin Dajiang was shot dead.”
“Who the hell did this?”
“The Criminal Investigation Brigade and the police station officers are rushing over here. I am alone protecting the scene.”
Cold sweat poured from Hou Weidong’s forehead like a violent rainstorm. He clumsily dressed and said to Xiaojia in bed, “Something major has happened. Qin Dajiang is dead. I must rush back to Shangqinglin.” He hurriedly called Li Jing’s mobile phone and said unequivocally, “This is Hou Weidong. Send a car. I need to return to Shangqinglin immediately.”
Li Jing was in her office in Shadaosi. Hearing Hou Weidong’s urgency, she said, “Wait. I will send the car to the entrance of the Xinyue Building.”
When Xiaojia chased out, Hou Weidong was standing at the entrance of the Xinyue Building, breathing heavily and waiting anxiously for the car. Xiaojia turned around, bought milk and bread, and comforted him, “The incident has already occurred. Worrying is useless. You should eat something.”
Hou Weidong did not speak. He took the bread and bit into it, gradually calming down. He thought to himself, “In times of crisis, one must remain calm. Do not panic.”
Xiaojia reached out and wiped the sleep from his eyes.
An off-road vehicle stopped at the entrance. The driver was a thin young man. He rolled down the window, looked around, and asked Hou Weidong, “Excuse me, are you Township Cadre Hou?”
After getting into the car, Hou Weidong waved to Xiaojia and said, “Go back. Do not worry about me.”
Xiaojia’s heart was pounding violently. Stories she had only seen in movies were suddenly happening before her eyes, filling her with an indescribable fear.
After passing Yiyang, Hou Weidong completely calmed down. He called Director Qin. Director Qin’s voice was cold. “The criminal investigation team is currently examining the scene. The results are not out yet. There are seven or eight shell casings on the ground. Qin Dajiang was hit by four bullets. The shot to the head was fatal.”
“It must be Heiwa who did it.”
“There is no evidence.”
“I just returned from Shazhou. Hou Weiguo said that several guns flowed into Yiyang. This is a clue. The Shazhou Criminal Investigation Brigade will also trace these guns.”
Since the incident occurred in Qinglin Town, Director Qin was under immense pressure. Upon receiving this information, he immediately spoke to the person in charge of the scene, Captain Li. Captain Li took out his mobile phone and said, “Xiao Wen, invite the two officers from the Shazhou Criminal Investigation Brigade to come over and help us solve the case.”
Hou Weidong put down his mobile phone and reported to Zhao Yongsheng and Su Ming. Both had also received the news. Zhao Yongsheng had a bad temper and said, “You are the divisional leader in charge of comprehensive management. Where did you go yesterday? Come back immediately. The County Party Committee is very concerned about this matter and is waiting for our report.”
After making a series of calls, Hou Weidong became completely calm. He sat in the car, pondering a strategy. As a party involved in the Shangqinglin Quarry, he could easily deduce with his gut feeling that this was undoubtedly the work of Heiwa and his gang.
At this moment, Zeng Xiangang called. “Madman, something has happened.”
“You bastard, where the hell have you been? I told you to call me back yesterday. Were your ears swatting mosquitoes?”
Zeng Xiangang was scolded but did not retort. “I only returned to Shangqinglin this morning.”
(End of Chapter 157)