Chapter 190: Farewell to Qinglin (Part 1)

"He beat Bu Gao. His father is the Deputy Mayor. Isn't he just looking for trouble?"

"We didn't reveal our identities, nor did we expose our intentions."

Hou Weidong felt like he was going to spit blood. "If you didn't expose your intentions, what was the point of beating Bu Gao?"

"Even if it served no practical purpose, at least it let off some steam. I can still keep him on a tight leash whenever I want."

Hou Weidong forced a bitter smile. "To spend so much effort just to vent anger? The cost is far too high." In his heart, he thought, Li Jianyong has a unique way of handling things in Shangqinglin. If my guess is correct, it was Zeng Xiangang who chopped off Heiwa’s hand.

Zeng Xiangang’s single eye looked deep and profound. He said, "A person only has a few decades to live. If you can’t settle scores and enjoy the thrill of revenge, life is simply meaningless."

When Zeng Xiangang used the phrase "settle scores and enjoy the thrill," Hou Weidong couldn't help but look at him with new respect. "Brother, your perspective has suddenly elevated. I’m not as free-spirited as you. In the officialdom, one must abide by the rules of the game."

Zeng Xiangang pondered for a moment before saying, "Let’s leave it at that for now. If we need to act again, just tell me, Madman."

On the way down from Shangqinglin, Hou Weidong still drove his pickup truck. However, having learned from previous mistakes, he was much more cautious. He abstained from alcohol at noon, so his mind was clear while driving. He soon returned to Xiaqinglin.

Back in his office, he had been sitting for less than ten minutes when Yang Feng called up. "Township Head Hou, there will be a joint party and government meeting in the small conference room at 2:30."

During the meeting, Zhong Ruihua looked truly haggard. Under Zhao Yongsheng’s arrangement, he spoke first. "The Qinglin Town Study Class has detained sixteen people in total. Today is the fifth day. Nine have paid their dues, leaving seven. These seven owe a total of 540,000 yuan in loans."

Since the establishment of the Qinglin Town Study Class, the township government had assigned over twenty people, divided into three groups, to work twenty-four-hour shifts. Zhong Ruihua, as the head of the Study Class, had held the fort for five days and felt physically and mentally exhausted. Knowing that Hou Weidong was coming to relieve him, he only talked about achievements and avoided mentioning problems, lest Hou Weidong try to shirk the responsibility.

Zhao Yongsheng summarized, "Since the establishment of the Study Class, the results have been evident to all. Nine people have paid 360,000 yuan and signed three-year repayment plans. For the remaining seven, we must strictly enforce the release standards. As long as each person pays off one-third of their debt and signs a responsibility letter, they can be released."

He paused, looking around the room, and added, "The first phase of the Study Class can be considered over. Town Head Zhong will accompany the Debt Clearance Team, so he will not participate in the next phase."

At this time, the Debt Clearance Teams across Yiyang County had already achieved some results. Three directors of rural credit cooperatives had been criminally detained, and the top party and government leaders of two townships had been summoned for talks by the Discipline Inspection Commission. Hearing this news, Zhao Yongsheng decided to pull Zhong Ruihua out of the Study Class and keep him focused on the Debt Clearance Team to prevent any backlash from within.

From a security perspective, keeping a close eye on the Debt Clearance Team was more important than chasing an extra thirty or fifty thousand yuan.

On the issue of personnel for the Study Class, Zhao Yongsheng had deliberated carefully the previous night.

Both Tang Shugang and Hou Weidong were suitable candidates. In the work of rectifying the rural credit cooperatives, Hou Weidong had successively taken on major tasks such as maintaining order at the township government and the credit cooperative, and forcibly sending people like Yang Jiapu to the county-level Study Class. Assigning him to head the Study Class now would make his workload too heavy.

However, among the remaining seven detainees, six were from Shangqinglin. After being locked up for five days, their tempers had flared. They began to argue and shout, with some even using abusive language. Hou Weidong enjoyed high prestige in Shangqinglin, making him the most suitable person to serve as the head of the Study Class.

After much consideration, he finally decided to let Hou Weidong take charge.

"Town Head Hou will serve as the head of the Study Class for the second phase. Town Head Tang will take over the debt collection tasks in Shangqinglin."

Although Hou Weidong had not managed the Study Class, he knew that tensions were rising and that things could easily go wrong. Hearing Zhao Yongsheng’s arrangement, he couldn't help but say, "I’ve just started seeing results in Shangqinglin. Let me continue collecting debts. I guarantee to complete the tasks on schedule."

Liu Kun sat next to Zhao Yongsheng, holding his fountain pen with a serious expression. Hou Weidong thought to himself, Deputy Party Secretary Liu Kun seems quite carefree. With such a huge issue as the credit cooperative, he just holds a few meetings with the branch secretary and considers the job done.

Zhao Yongsheng did not give Hou Weidong the chance to continue complaining. He spoke directly, "Town Head Hou, don’t push it. Six of the remaining seven people are from Shangqinglin. You are the most suitable candidate to be the head." He raised his left hand and habitually pressed it down in the air. "Now, let’s move to the second agenda item. Yesterday, Town Head Su and I attended the county’s mid-year economic work analysis meeting. Please, Town Head Su, convey the county’s directives."

Hou Weidong lowered his head, thinking about the Study Class. He heard Town Head Su speak eloquently for a long time, but he didn’t absorb a single word.

After the meeting, Zhong Ruihua was already waiting at the conference room door, smiling broadly. "Town Head Hou, I’ll hand over the relevant materials for the Study Class to you." The Study Class was a hot potato—high responsibility and bound to offend people. Now that it was passed to Hou Weidong, he was naturally happy.

Zhong Ruihua was a native of Qinglin Town and generally handled interpersonal relationships well. Hou Weidong did not want to make things difficult for him. He accepted the materials and said, "I am the head of the Study Class for the second phase. I don’t know if there will be a third phase."

Zhong Ruihua cursed under his breath. "Damn it, this way of running the Study Class isn’t sustainable. These people can’t come up with the money. What’s the use of locking them up? Even if they wanted to sell their bodies to make money, they’d have to be let out to do it."

Back in his office, Hou Weidong opened the files. He discovered that three of the six detainees were partners in the same coal mine. They had jointly taken over a mine and just finished setting up the facilities when the credit cooperative rectification began. Unable to repay their loans, they were "invited" in. Their situation was identical to Zeng Zhaoming’s, except their loans were smaller, so they ended up in the township-level Study Class, while Zeng Zhaoming, with a larger loan, was in the county-level Study Class.

"This is actually a good opportunity," Hou Weidong thought. He had made his fortune in the dry stone quarry business. Although the coal industry was sluggish, he still believed that resource-based enterprises like coal mines had significant investment value.

At five o’clock, he went to the Study Class.

The Study Class was set up in a farmhouse. Due to poor moisture-proof treatment of the foundation, it was exceptionally damp. The moisture problem in Qinglin Town had never been properly solved, so rheumatism was very common. Everything in the world has its counterbalance; consequently, local doctors and folk remedies for treating rheumatism in Qinglin Town were famous far and wide.

The three rooms on the first floor were occupied by the detainees. Hou Weidong entered one of the rooms and saw two people sleeping while four were gathered together playing a card game called Shuangkou. Two township cadres stood behind them watching. The scene was surprisingly harmonious, quite different from the hostile atmosphere he had imagined.

The police station had also assigned officers to rotate shifts at the Study Class. Today, Zhou Qiang happened to be on duty. Seeing Hou Weidong enter, his appetite stirred immediately. He followed him into the room and said, "Town Head Hou, since it’s your first day at the Study Class, we’ve prepared a welcome dinner for you."

Hou Weidong was extremely smart and knew Zhou Qiang well. Seeing his expression, he understood his thoughts. "Forget the welcome dinner. You’ve been sticking to your posts for so many days. Let me treat you all."

At this moment, the card players also stopped. These were all young men from Shangqinglin. One of them had been an active participant in the road construction project years ago. Seeing Hou Weidong approach, he stood up and said, "Brother Hou."

"Lin Yong, how much are you still short?"

Lin Yong had a sharp and capable look, but now his face was full of dejection. "I borrowed 50,000 yuan, and with another 60,000 yuan scraped together from here and there, I invested a total of 110,000 yuan. Now it’s all sunk in the water, without even a ripple."

Hou Weidong patted Lin Yong sympathetically. "There are thousands of depositors waiting to withdraw their money. The township has no choice but to take these measures. Let’s not talk about this today. I’m treating everyone to spicy chicken." He turned to Zhou Qiang. "Officer Zhou, thanks for running around. Ask Zhang’s Restaurant to slaughter three chickens and serve them in large basins for lunch."

Zhou Qiang smiled and ran off to arrange the food.

Chao Pangzi also appeared at the door. He was the former Deputy Town Head, dismissed for soliciting prostitutes. Since he had managed the credit cooperative, Zhao Yongsheng had asked him to assist Zhong Ruihua. Chao Pangzi believed that if you’re not in the position, you shouldn’t meddle in the politics. He set up a bed on the second floor and came to work every day to do only three things: play cards, eat, and sleep. His belly had grown even larger than when he was a leader.

It was dinner time, so he came down from upstairs. Hearing Hou Weidong’s arrangement, he said, "Town Head Hou, just spicy chicken isn’t satisfying. Bring two more cases of beer."

Hou Weidong felt a bit of sympathy for this old leader, who was decadent and dispirited. Pointing at his belly, he joked, "Old Leader, you should lose some weight. If you keep getting fatter, you’ll easily get the 'three highs'." Chao Jie didn’t care. "In this life, it’s all about two 'bas'—the mouth above and the penis below. I never diet. If I can eat, I eat. If I can fuck, I fuck."

The steaming spicy chicken was served at the Study Class. Hou Weidong had the seven detainees sit in the courtyard. He said to Lin Yong and the others, "This is a private treat. Business is business, friendship is friendship. Don’t be polite. Eat your fill. As long as you follow the rules of the Study Class, you’ll be relaxed, and so will we."

In the Study Class, Lin Yong and the others only ate meat once every two or three days. Their stomachs were empty. He said, "Brother Hou, since you’re here, we won’t make things difficult for you. It’s just that we have real difficulties. We’re not intentionally defaulting. We hope the township can consider our actual situation."

To stabilize their emotions, Hou Weidong deliberately sat at the same table with them. "My second sister is in the Yiyang County Study Class, and my second brother-in-law is in the Wuhai County Study Class. Sigh, this is the general climate. It’s really not the fault of us grassroots civil servants." He ate and spoke, "Complaining about heaven and fate is useless now. The key is to find a way to repay the money."

Lin Yong had done some small business outside and was considered wealthy in Shangqinglin. This time, returning home to open a coal mine had really given him a headache. Knowing that Hou Weidong had strong financial backing, he said, "Brother Hou, our small coal mine is worth at least seven or eight hundred thousand yuan. The resources are also abundant. It can be operated immediately upon takeover. Are you interested? I’ll sell it to you at a twenty percent discount."