271: Chapter 271 Zhang Yuanhang's Growth

Zhang Yuanhang walked out of the Town Government compound.

He pulled the collar of his military overcoat tight with his uninjured right hand, the knife wound on his left shoulder tugging with dull, throbbing pain.

The two words Zhu Wenhao had said echoed repeatedly in his mind.

Sheath.

Since returning from the army, his only thought had been to overturn Village Secretary Zhang Dahai and his gang.

Eldest Branch had been suppressing Second Branch and Third Branch for over a decade. After taking this knife wound, he had assumed the town would let him handle things as he saw fit.

Instead, Zhu Wenhao had put a bridle on him.

An outsider would be the accountant, and someone from Third Branch would be the deputy director.

Halfway down the road, he felt unwilling to accept this.

But Zhu Wenhao's words had made it clear: power without a bridle would eventually consume people.

He walked along the provincial road toward Heishui Village.

It was the middle of the night; there were no streetlights at the village entrance, and only the occasional barking of dogs broke the silence.

Zhang Yuanhang didn't take the main road, instead cutting through the small woods as a shortcut.

As he reached the abandoned agricultural machinery station on the west side of the village, he stopped abruptly.

There was movement ahead.

Two figures climbed out from behind the rear wall of the agricultural machinery station, carrying heavy objects in their hands.

A pungent smell drifted through the air.

It was gasoline.

Zhang Yuanhang immediately crouched down against the base of the dirt wall.

By the faint moonlight, he recognized the one walking in front with a flat-top haircut—Zhang Hu, a younger generation member from a side branch of Eldest Branch.

Following behind was Political Commissar Zhang Qiang.

The two were carrying four white plastic buckets.

Zhang Hu set the buckets on the ground and shook his sore wrists.

"This bulk gasoline is really hard to get; the gas stations don't dare sell it."

"Never mind if it's hard or not. The higher-ups gave the order; we must have everything ready," Political Commissar Zhang Qiang said in a hushed voice. "The re-election is the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow night at midnight, we'll pour all four buckets of oil onto the public bulletin board under the big locust tree. Pour it on the ballot box, too, and set it on fire!"

Zhang Hu chuckled.

"Burn it all, and when the time comes, we'll say it was the outsiders being jealous, instigated by Second Branch. The re-election will be ruined, and we in Eldest Branch can catch our breath."

"Keep your voice down! Hide the stuff in the dilapidated brick kiln at the entrance of the village first, and we'll act tomorrow night."

The two carried the oil buckets and snuck forward along the base of the wall.

Zhang Yuanhang crouched in the shadows, his hand instinctively reaching for his lower back.

Tucked there was a cold iron rod.

His first instinct was to go back immediately, call a few cousins from Second Branch, corner these two in the brick kiln, and break one of their legs each.

He had to make Eldest Branch understand that the sky over Heishui Village had changed.

His hand had already gripped the iron rod.

But Zhu Wenhao's words exploded in his mind.

"Trust is knowing where the sheath is when you are holding a knife."

Zhang Yuanhang's hand, gripping the iron rod, slowly relaxed.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the number for Police Chief Zhao Gang.

"Director Zhao, at the brick kiln on the west side of the village, Zhang Hu and Political Commissar Zhang Qiang have hidden four buckets of gasoline; they intend to burn the ballot box."

Twenty minutes later.

Two Santanas with their police lights off stopped silently at an intersection two kilometers outside the village.

Police Chief Zhao Gang got out of the car with four plainclothes police officers.

Zhang Yuanhang emerged from the woods.

"They are still in the brick kiln, and the oil has been put inside," Zhang Yuanhang said, pointing into the darkness ahead.

Police Chief Zhao Gang nodded. "Cut off their escape route and go in to make the arrests."

"Director Zhao, wait a moment."

Zhang Yuanhang stopped him.

"Leave these two brats to me. I'll take two brothers in and break one of their legs. I have to make the people of Eldest Branch afraid so that no one in the village dares to cause trouble again."

He wanted to establish his authority.

The lingering influence of Eldest Branch was still strong, and he wouldn't feel secure without using suppressive tactics.

Police Chief Zhao Gang looked at him and shook his head.

"You are a candidate, and the position of Village Party Secretary is being reserved for you. If you go in there now and carry out a lynching, the nature of this will change completely."

Police Chief Zhao Gang didn't give him a chance to argue, turning and pulling open the car door.

"Get in the car. I need to take you to see Secretary Zhu about this."

"It's the middle of the night; do I need to ask for instructions just to catch a petty thief?"

"Get in."

Police Chief Zhao Gang couldn't be bothered with nonsense.

Three o'clock in the morning, at the Town Government compound.

The lights were still on in the deputy secretary's office on the second floor.

The door wasn't closed tightly, and Police Chief Zhao Gang walked in with Zhang Yuanhang.

Zhu Wenhao looked up.

Police Chief Zhao Gang recounted the matter of the brick kiln and Zhang Yuanhang's request exactly as it happened.

Zhu Wenhao put down his documents, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Zhang Yuanhang.

"You want to break their legs."

"Secretary Zhu," Zhang Yuanhang said, not backing down. "Eldest Branch has suppressed us for so many years. In the past, to seize land, they broke my uncle's ribs. Now they want to burn the ballot box. If we don't hurt them, they won't learn their lesson! If I step up, the people of Second Branch and Third Branch will obey me, and Eldest Branch will fear me!"

The room was very quiet.

"Is public power a tool for you to settle personal vendettas?" Zhu Wenhao's tone was calm.

Zhang Yuanhang stiffened his neck further. "This is killing the chicken to warn the monkey!"

Zhu Wenhao stood up and walked over to Zhang Yuanhang.

"Making the common people fear you is more terrifying than making your enemies fear you."

Zhang Yuanhang was stunned.

"Today you kick down the door of the brick kiln and break Zhang Hu's leg. Tomorrow, when you sit in the position of Village Party Secretary, if someone doesn't listen to you, are you going to go kick down their door too?"

"Eldest Branch will fear you, Second Branch and Third Branch will fear you, and the outsiders will fear you even more."

"By then, what difference will there be between you and Village Secretary Zhang Dahai?"

These words were like a heavy hammer striking his heart.

Zhang Yuanhang's lips moved, but he couldn't say a single word.

"Establishing authority does not rely on lynching; it relies on rules and national law."

Zhu Wenhao turned back and picked up the water glass on the table.

"If you have the law in your hands, the common people will respect you. If you only have a stick in your hands, the common people will only guard against you."

"What I want is a Village Party Secretary who can lead Heishui Village to a better life, not a thug."

Zhang Yuanhang lowered his head, his palms full of cold sweat.

The wound on his left shoulder was burning with pain at this moment.

He finally understood the intention behind Zhu Wenhao's repeated reprimands.

"Secretary Zhu, I was wrong."

Zhang Yuanhang stood up straight abruptly.

"Handle it according to the rules."

Zhu Wenhao turned to look at Police Chief Zhao Gang.

"Summon them according to the law; catch them with the stolen goods."

"As a representative of the masses of Heishui Village, Zhang Yuanhang will follow along to witness the whole process. He is not allowed to take action, only to watch."

"Understood." Police Chief Zhao Gang turned and left.

Outside the brick kiln.

The cold wind blew through the withered grass, making a desolate sound.

Police Chief Zhao Gang made a gesture.

Two police officers kicked open the dilapidated wooden door.

The strong light of the tactical flashlight instantly pierced the darkness.

Zhang Hu and Political Commissar Zhang Qiang were leaning against a haystack smoking; startled by the strong light, they instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes.

"Police! Don't move!"

Before the two could react, they were fiercely pressed onto the muddy ground, and the cold handcuffs clicked shut.

In the corner, the four white plastic oil buckets were exceptionally glaring.

Zhang Yuanhang stood outside the door, watching this scene quietly.

No clubs, no bloodshed, only the handcuffs and the majesty of the state apparatus.

This was more powerful than breaking two legs.

Police Chief Zhao Gang walked over and kicked the oil buckets with his foot.

"Getting so much gasoline in the middle of the night, whose house were you planning to burn?"

Zhang Hu lay on the ground, his face against the cold mud, still being stubborn.

"Director Zhao, this... this was bought to fill up the tractor."

Police Chief Zhao Gang ignored him and turned to look at the bulging jacket pocket of Political Commissar Zhang Qiang.

"Search him."

A police officer immediately reached in and pulled out two thick kraft paper envelopes.

Opening them, they were full of brand-new hundred-yuan bills, at least twenty thousand yuan.

Police Chief Zhao Gang took the envelopes and crouched down.

"Filling up a tractor requires carrying twenty thousand yuan in cash?"

Political Commissar Zhang Qiang's face turned pale.

"Not talking? Fine, take them back to the Police Station and interrogate them all night."

When the sky was about to brighten.

The interrogation room of the Town Police Station.

Zhang Hu couldn't hold out; he was just a spineless person who lived by drifting along.

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

He sat in the interrogation chair, shivering all over.

"The gasoline was prepared to burn the ballot box, just to create chaos so the re-election couldn't be held."

"What about the money?" Police Chief Zhao Gang slapped the table.

"The money... the money was left by the Seventh Uncle before he went inside," Zhang Hu swallowed a mouthful of saliva. "The people of Eldest Branch are unwilling to accept this; even if Zhang Yuanhang takes office, they can't let him sit securely. They told us to take this money and go to the village tomorrow to distribute subsidies to the elderly over sixty, five hundred per family."

"Distributing money to buy votes?"

"It's not buying votes," Zhang Hu was still quibbling. "It's to be distributed in the name of the Heishui Village Red and White Council. As long as the old people take the money, they will be obligated. Later, when the village holds meetings, no matter what Zhang Yuanhang says, these old people will have to stand on the side of Eldest Branch and vote against him. Isolate him!"

Police Chief Zhao Gang closed his notebook.

This bunch from Eldest Branch, if they can't do it openly, they do it secretly, actually wanting to use the greed of the elderly to buy people's hearts before the re-election.

The Red and White Council, this folk organization in rural areas used for handling weddings and funerals, had actually always been a tool for Eldest Branch to collect wealth and control village affairs.

The deputy secretary's office.

The sky was bright.

Police Chief Zhao Gang placed the confession on the table.

Zhu Wenhao finished reading it and tossed it aside.

Director Xu Jie happened to come in with several documents.

"Eldest Branch is using the accounts of the Red and White Council for money laundering." Zhu Wenhao looked at Director Xu Jie. "Does this matter fall under the jurisdiction of the Party and Government Office?"

"The Town Government has the right to audit the finances of rural folk organizations." Director Xu Jie answered crisply.

"Go investigate."

Zhu Wenhao stood up.

"Take the people from the Finance Office and dig out all the account books of the Red and White Council over the years. Find out how much money is left, who the money was distributed to, and completely cut off this chain of interests. Don't leave Eldest Branch with a single cent of capital!"

Director Xu Jie nodded. "I will take people down there immediately."

Zhu Wenhao walked to the window.

The re-election in Heishui Village is about digging up the roots of the old order completely.

Zhang Yuanhang is a knife.

But this knife, now, can be considered truly back in its sheath.

Secretary Du Changhe sat in his office.

He received news early in the morning that Zhang Hu and Political Commissar Zhang Qiang had been arrested in the middle of the night, suspected of arson and bribery in the election.

He sat in his chair, motionless for a long time.

Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan had told him to delay the re-election and use Eldest Branch as a counterbalance.

Now, the last spark of struggle from Eldest Branch had been uprooted by Zhu Wenhao.

The internal phone on the desk rang.

Secretary Du Changhe picked it up.

"Secretary Du," Zhu Wenhao's voice came through. "The arson and bribery case in Heishui Village poses a significant public security risk. As the Political and Legal Affairs Commission member, you will personally lead the team to maintain order at the scene during the re-election tomorrow."

Secretary Du Changhe's hand gripping the receiver tightened.

"Fine."

He could only agree.

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back in his chair.

For this re-election, he had completely become a security captain maintaining order.