39: Chapter 39 Another Side of Lake Mining Township (Part 1)

Night fell, and the snow fell even harder.

Five miles north of Hukuang Township, there was a place called Cuiyun Villa, hidden in a depression between two hills, surrounded by dense larch forests, completely invisible from the township road.

Only by turning onto the gravel road that could accommodate just one vehicle and passing through the pine forest would the view suddenly open up.

There was a three-story pseudo-antique building with two large red lanterns hanging in front of the door, inscribed with the words "Cuiyun".

The villa had no sign and was not open to the public, but anyone with a bit of standing in Hukuang Township knew it was an internal reception point for Sihai Mining.

Inside the innermost private room on the third floor, it was steaming hot.

Six dishes and one soup were laid out on the round table; there weren't many, but each was exquisite.

Steamed mandarin fish, braised soft-shelled turtle, sea cucumber with scallion, garlic scallops, braised venison, and a pot of wild mushroom and chicken soup.

The liquor was Moutai, and the cigarettes were Zhonghua.

Sitting in the main seat was a middle-aged man in his early forties with a square face, thick eyebrows, a buzz cut, wearing a navy blue cashmere sweater, and a gold Rolex watch on his left wrist.

His name was General Manager Wan Baolai, General Manager of Sihai Mining.

To his left was Secretary Hu Dakui, Party Committee Secretary of Hukuang Township, and to his right was Township Head Ge Jiefang, the Township Head.

"Come, Secretary Hu, Township Head Ge, I'd like to toast you both!"

General Manager Wan Baolai raised his glass and said, "In this freezing weather, it is my honor that you two could grace me with your presence!"

Secretary Hu Dakui smiled and raised his glass, saying, "General Manager Wan, you are too polite! Do we really need to stand on such ceremony between us?"

The three of them drank it down in one gulp.

Township Head Ge Jiefang put down his glass, picked up a piece of sea cucumber with his chopsticks, chewed it slowly, and suddenly said, "General Manager Wan, I heard that over at Zheng's side... there's some movement?"

The smile on General Manager Wan Baolai's face paused, then he waved his hand and said, "Township Head Ge, your information is very up-to-date."

"Yes, Zheng has transferred all his shares to Chairman Cheng. From now on, he has nothing to do with Sihai Mining."

"Transferred all of them?"

Secretary Hu Dakui was stunned, his chopsticks suspended in mid-air, and he said in complete surprise, "Sixty percent of the profits of Sihai Mining, just like that, he doesn't want them anymore?"

General Manager Wan Baolai gave a bitter smile and said, "Secretary Hu, this wasn't my call; Zheng went to talk to Chairman Cheng himself."

"I don't know the specific terms, but the result is that Zheng took the money and left, and he has no further connection to Sihai Mining."

Township Head Ge Jiefang pushed up his glasses, his eyes flickering as he said, "Zheng... is he afraid?"

"Afraid of whom?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang didn't answer directly, but took a sip from his glass before saying, "Secretary Hu, think about it, who is behind Zheng?"

Secretary Hu Dakui stopped talking. Behind Zheng Qi was Zheng Dongguo, Deputy Director of the Provincial Renmin University of China, and the former secretary of Lvjiang City.

Although Zheng Dongguo had severed his father-son relationship with Zheng Qi years ago because of that messy business, and the procedures were all completed at the Civil Affairs Bureau, who in the circle didn't know that Zheng Qi's success in Lvjiang City relied on the shade of the Zheng family?

Sihai Mining had been able to mine coal steadily in Hukuang Township for so many years, and the management fees paid to the county every year could smooth over everything, all thanks to this connection.

But now, Zheng Qi had run away.

Township Head Ge Jiefang suddenly lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the old man of the Zheng family has been closing his doors to guests recently, and he doesn't even see Secretary You and the others much."

Secretary Hu Dakui's heart skipped a beat again. Secretary You...

Secretary You was the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and an old subordinate of Zheng Dongguo.

If he wouldn't even see him, what did that mean?

"Do you think it might have something to do with that person surnamed Xu?"

General Manager Wan Baolai was stunned, then asked, "Which person surnamed Xu?"

"The new Deputy Secretary in the township."

Township Head Ge Jiefang answered for Secretary Hu Dakui, "His name is Comrade Weidong."

General Manager Wan Baolai frowned and said, "Just that twenty-four-year-old greenhorn? He could scare Zheng away?"

"General Manager Wan, you weren't there that day."

Secretary Hu Dakui gave a bitter smile. "You didn't see the spectacle."

"The Municipal Party Committee Secretary, the Mayor, the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, and the Head of the Organization Department, four Standing Committee members personally escorted him here!"

"All the cadres in our Hukuang Township were so scared their legs went weak."

"I've worked in grassroots positions for so many years, and I've never seen a scene like that."

General Manager Wan Baolai stopped talking. He indeed hadn't gone to the scene.

That day, he was at the mine watching a batch of "goods" leave the mountain, and by the time he received the news, the city leaders' motorcade had already left.

Later, he asked around, and the stories he heard were all over the place, but the core meaning was only one thing.

That person surnamed Xu had a very big background.

"How big?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang shook his head. "That's really hard to figure out."

"I've seen his file; he's a legitimate select cadre, a graduate of Civil Engineering University, first in both the written exam and interview, worked as a secretary in the Municipal Committee Office for a few months, and then was sent directly down here."

"His resume is as clean as a blank sheet of paper; you can't see any background."

"Then how do you know his background is big?"

"General Manager Wan."

Township Head Ge Jiefang smiled and said, "Think about it, a select cadre who just started working six months ago, being personally escorted down by the Municipal Party Committee Secretary—is that normal?"

General Manager Wan Baolai was silent for a moment, then picked up his glass and put it down again. "So that's why Zheng ran away?"

"It's possible."

Township Head Ge Jiefang said calmly, "The old man of the Zheng family has been in officialdom for most of his life; his sense of smell is sharper than anyone's."

"He had his reasons for telling Zheng to withdraw."

"We're at the grassroots level and can't see the trends from above, but one thing is certain: anyone who can make the Zheng family wary is definitely not an ordinary person."

Secretary Hu Dakui sighed. "Whatever kind of person he is, as long as he doesn't block our path to wealth, we'll treat him like an ancestor."

"If he wants to make political achievements, we'll cooperate."

"If he wants a promotion, we'll send him up."

"Once he leaves, won't Hukuang Township still be our world?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang nodded. "Secretary Hu is right."

"Young people, after all, always have some pursuits."

"He wants political achievements, we want benefits; to each his own."

General Manager Wan Baolai rolled his eyes and asked, "Then what about the mine..."

"As usual."

Secretary Hu Dakui waved his hand. "As long as he doesn't investigate, we'll do what we do."

"If he doesn't mention the mine, we won't either."

"If he asks, just say everything is a legal operation."

"General Manager Wan, keep your people under control, just don't let any trouble happen."

General Manager Wan Baolai smiled. "Secretary Hu, don't worry, my brothers know what they're doing."

After three rounds of drinks and the dishes were mostly eaten.

Secretary Hu Dakui's face began to flush, and his narrowed eyes revealed a bit of lust from the alcohol.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling toward the door of the private room, where a figure flashed by.

"General Manager Wan."

Secretary Hu Dakui lowered his voice, his face revealing a smile that men all understand.

"This villa of yours is really well done. Especially that proprietress... what was her name again?"

General Manager Wan Baolai was stunned, then said, "Zhang Ya?"

"Yes, yes, yes, Zhang Ya."

Secretary Hu Dakui smacked his lips. "That face, that figure, tsk tsk, just like a juicy peach."

"General Manager Wan, where did you dig up such a character?"