Chapter 117: Secretary Feng's Gift

The officers blocked Yang Huamin’s way, and he flew into a rage. He had never taken these officers seriously, and in the past they had indeed been afraid to provoke him.

“You bastards, get out of my way!”

Township Head Wang was startled and turned around. Yang Huamin’s foot struck one of the officers squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. The officer cried out loudly, clutching his stomach as he rolled back and forth.

“You dare assault a police officer? Brothers, seize him and put him in handcuffs!”

That was precisely the outcome Xie Dapao had been waiting for. He drew his pistol and charged forward first. Yang Huamin was stunned. He had not used much force in that kick—how had the man been knocked down so easily, rolling around on the ground like that?

Before he could recover, Xie Dapao struck him across the back with the butt of his pistol.

“Argh!”

Yang Huamin cried out in pain and tried to fight back, but another officer kicked the back of his knee. He crashed to the ground on his knees. With a sharp metallic click, Xie Dapao snapped the handcuffs onto his wrists, then twisted his arms. Yang Huamin howled again as both hands were locked together.

Leer had watched everything from the side. This time, he had thoroughly offended Deputy County Magistrate Yang. He could not understand what was happening. The last time, he had run into Deputy County Magistrate Long’s family; this time, it was Deputy County Magistrate Yang’s family. And every time he encountered one of them, the other side ended up suffering.

Was he their natural nemesis? Or was he simply unlucky, destined to become sworn enemies with people like them?

Business depended on the right time, the right place, and harmonious relations. As the saying went, the right place was better than the right time, and harmonious relations were better than the right place. Offending people everywhere was the greatest taboo for a businessman.

And did he actually want to offend anyone?

Township Head Wang had never dreamed that things would turn out this way. Yang Huamin continued to curse, hurling the vilest abuse at everyone. Xie Dapao merely sneered and let him rant. Seeing that Xie Dapao would not answer him, Yang Huamin shifted his target to Sha Leer.

“You bastard! You have people protecting you today, but they can’t protect you forever. One day, I’ll make you wish you were dead and unable to die!”

Leer did not want to get entangled with this mad dog. He walked out quickly, his expression extremely grim. He did not even feel like greeting anyone. How could he possibly be happy? This mad dog might lunge at him and bite him at any moment. And what he had said was true. Neither Secretary Huang nor Xie Dapao could protect him forever.

Even Secretary Feng could not remain in Long County forever.

Still, Leer knew that without their protection, he would now be unable to take even a single step.

“Secretary Huang, you’ve both seen and heard what happened. It really is difficult to accomplish anything for one’s hometown!”

He had no choice but to add fuel to the fire and place himself completely at odds with Deputy County Magistrate Yang and the others. Since he had already offended them, there was no point fearing that he might offend them further.

In fortune-telling, there was a saying that wealth and official fortune nourished each other. In other words, if a person’s destiny contained both the star of wealth and the star of office, wealth could give rise to official power, while official power could also bring wealth. That was why businessmen needed the protection of people in government.

Now that he had offended someone in the official world, he needed an even more powerful official to protect him. The only person capable of restraining Deputy County Magistrate Yang was Secretary Feng.

As long as he firmly relied on Secretary Feng, that great tree, he would have nothing to fear from a mad dog like Yang Huamin.

Secretary Huang and the others were using him. Could he not use them in return?

His words might have seemed like mere fuel for the fire, but in truth, they also placed Secretary Huang over the flames. Leer had never received much schooling, yet he possessed an instinctive sense of how to protect himself. He knew how to act in a way that would minimize the harm he suffered.

Why could many people with little education achieve far more brilliant success than those with extensive knowledge? Because they possessed an innate instinct. It worked almost subconsciously, yet it was more effective than the rigid learning of those who merely buried themselves in books. It helped them avoid mistakes, protect themselves, and develop.

After hearing Leer’s words, Secretary Huang could not remain silent.

“Leer, what are you afraid of?” Secretary Huang glanced at Township Head Wang. “As long as you work hard at poverty alleviation and make a contribution to the cause in Long County, then even if it isn’t just one mad dog but a whole pack of bigger, fiercer dogs that dares to bite you, we’ll cripple them and put them down!”

Township Head Wang’s face turned even paler. Although Secretary Huang was only the Party Secretary of the township, his words represented Secretary Feng’s intentions. The mad dog he referred to was Yang Huamin. The bigger mad dog could only be Deputy County Magistrate Yang Huarong. And in Secretary Huang’s eyes, Wang himself was probably a small or medium-sized mad dog.

But how could he dare speak now? That fool Yang Huamin, relying on the fact that he was Deputy County Magistrate Yang’s first cousin, had not only made a complete mess of everything but had also offended Secretary Huang, leaving Wang with no way to shirk responsibility.

“Now that I have Secretary Huang’s word, I’m not afraid anymore. Yang Huamin, you bastard, I refuse to believe that your Yang family owns the whole sky! When did I offend you here in Xiasha Village? You said you’d make me wish I were dead and unable to die. Do I not even have the freedom to do business?”

“Boss Sha, this is all my fault. I meant well, but only made matters worse.” Township Head Wang had no choice but to join in. “You just focus on doing your work. You have nothing to fear. The township government and I will give you our full support.”

“Thank you, Township Head Wang!” Leer replied, visibly moved.

Secretary Huang merely gave a dark, knowing smile and said nothing.

“Secretary Huang, Factory Director Yang was only acting on impulse. As for Deputy County Magistrate Yang…” Township Head Wang glanced at the handcuffed Yang Huamin, then looked toward Secretary Huang. “Could you release him?”

They were people of equal rank, so by speaking this way, Township Head Wang was effectively asking Secretary Huang for instructions.

“Township Head Wang, to be honest, this puts me in a difficult position. Yang Huamin assaulted a police officer…” Secretary Huang frowned. “Very well. For your sake, and for Deputy County Magistrate Yang’s sake, I’ll take responsibility this time. Hmph. I’ll demand an explanation from Deputy County Magistrate Yang. This bastard has truly become lawless. Director Xie, release him.”

“Wait, Secretary Huang. What about the people at my station? Are they supposed to be beaten for nothing?” Xie Dapao looked at Secretary Huang with resentment. “Just because his elder brother is the county magistrate, does that mean he can beat my officers? I’m going to report this to the higher authorities too.”

“Let it go,” Secretary Huang said lightly. “Keep the matter under wraps for now. I’ll wait for Deputy County Magistrate Yang’s explanation. Have Little Liu go to the hospital for an examination. The township government will cover the medical expenses.”

“You bastard!”

As Xie Dapao unlocked the handcuffs, he cursed Yang Huamin viciously.

“If you come here to cause trouble again, I don’t care who comes to plead for you—not even the Jade Emperor himself. I still won’t let you off!”

Yang Huamin glared darkly at Xie Dapao, then at Sha Leer. Leer turned his head toward the green mountains opposite them and said nothing.

“Secretary Huang, Director Xie, Boss Sha, I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

How could Township Head Wang still have the face to remain there?

“All right. You may go,” Secretary Huang said calmly. “Secretary Feng sent me to congratulate the Great Snake King Company on its commencement ceremony. I’ll have to stay until the ceremony is over.”

“Oh.” Township Head Wang glanced at the large pile of firecrackers and banners on the table. “Look at my memory. How did I not think to buy some firecrackers? This is a major event for our township. The township government should naturally come to offer its congratulations as well. The ceremony won’t begin for a while, will it? I’ll go back first, buy some firecrackers, have two banners made, and return at once.”

“That’s right. The county Party committee and county government have prepared banners and firecrackers, and so has the township Party committee. Secretary Feng even personally wrote a congratulatory couplet.” Secretary Huang smiled faintly. “Township Head Wang has been very busy lately. It’s no wonder you overlooked it.”

“I’ve been so busy recently that I hardly know which way is up.” Township Head Wang seized the opportunity to smooth things over. “I’ve often heard that Secretary Feng has superb calligraphy, but I’ve never seen it for myself. Secretary Huang, why not take it out and let us broaden our horizons?”

Township Head Wang seemed to have come back to life, displaying great enthusiasm.

“That’s right, Secretary Huang. I haven’t seen it either,” Xie Dapao called out.

“All right. Let’s have a look.”

The couplet had been written across two joined sheets of red paper, the ink still rich and fragrant.

The first line read:

“Merit in poverty alleviation shall endure for a thousand autumns; benefit shall reach ten thousand people.”

The second line read:

“Economic development fulfills the Party’s wishes above and follows the people’s will below.”

The banner read:

“May the Snake King enterprise prosper.”

Just then, Li Ying entered. At the sight of the couplet, she immediately recognized Secretary Feng’s handwriting.

“Secretary Feng is truly wonderful to our Great Snake King Company,” Li Ying said, somewhat excitedly.

She had never seen a government leader personally write a couplet and present it to a company, let alone the top official of Long County. It showed just how seriously he regarded the Great Snake King Company.

“Secretary Feng really is a calligrapher,” Township Head Wang said, putting on an equally excited expression as he showered praise upon it. “Not only is his handwriting excellent, but the meaning of the couplet is even more important. We must fully understand Secretary Feng’s intentions. He is educating us through these words.”

“That’s right. Secretary Feng is telling us that poverty alleviation and economic development are the county’s most important priorities at present. The Great Snake King Company is the county’s new model for poverty alleviation and economic development. Anyone who dares to obstruct it will certainly come to no good end!”

Secretary Huang glanced at Township Head Wang and Yang Huamin. It was also a warning to them.

“That’s right. Whoever dares to obstruct poverty alleviation and economic development, I, Wang Chaowei, will fight them to the very end,” Township Head Wang declared passionately. “The Great Snake King Company is the new model for poverty alleviation. Whoever dares to obstruct it is obstructing our township’s economic development!”

Only Yang Huamin stood to one side, his face dark and his eyes flickering like those of a snake.

“Secretary Huang, I really can’t bear to hang this couplet outside,” Leer said with a broad grin. “I think I’ll put it away and place it on the household shrine.”

Secretary Huang was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

“Good, very good.” He laughed. “Secretary Chen, hurry and take a vehicle into town. Have another couplet made using the same wording. Leer can keep this one. And Leer, you don’t need to place it on a shrine. We don’t encourage that sort of thing. Just keep it in your collection.”

“All right!”

With a simple, delighted smile, Leer carefully put away the couplet.

Li Ying could not help laughing. She thought that this fellow looked rather foolish, yet whenever he did something, he managed to do it better than ordinary people. If someone else had said such words, others might have accused him of currying favor. But when Leer said them with that guileless expression, it could only be called skillful flattery.

When those words reached Secretary Feng’s ears, he would surely be pleased as well.