80: Chapter 80 The Two-Man Team from Lake Mining Township

Township Government, Office of the Party Committee Secretary.

Secretary Hu Dakui sat behind his large desk, holding a cup of tea, the smile on his face not yet fully faded.

He narrowed his eyes, savoring the sensation of the handshake from moments ago; her small hand was as soft as if it had no bones, her skin so fair that the veins were visible, and it felt smooth in his grip, like touching fine silk.

"Old Ge."

Secretary Hu Dakui said to Township Head Ge Jiefang, who was sitting on the sofa, "Did you see that? That Education Bureau director from the county, her looks, her figure—it was incredible!"

Township Head Ge Jiefang sipped his tea slowly, without responding.

Secretary Hu Dakui continued on his own, "When I shook her hand, I made sure to hold on for a little longer."

"You didn't see her reaction—her face flushed slightly, yet she couldn't lash out. That expression, tsk tsk, it was interesting."

Secretary Hu Dakui stood up and paced back and forth in the office, a look of endless reminiscence on his face.

"Let me tell you, this kind of woman, while she looks cold and aloof, is actually the most uninhibited."

"She seems very proper on the surface, but who knows what she's like deep down."

"If she worked here in Hukuang Township, I would definitely find a way to get her into bed."

Township Head Ge Jiefang put down his teacup and finally spoke, "Secretary Hu, isn't one Zhang Ya enough? Now you're setting your sights on county-level leaders?"

Secretary Hu Dakui froze for a moment, then chuckled, "I'm just talking for the sake of it, just saying."

"That Director Ye, she became the head of the County Education Bureau in her twenties; her backing couldn't be small, could it?"

"I'm not crazy; why would I provoke her?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang nodded, though his expression turned serious.

"Speaking of Zhang Ya, Secretary Hu, there's something I've been holding back for a long time."

Secretary Hu Dakui looked at him and said in a flat tone, "Go ahead."

Township Head Ge Jiefang pondered for a moment, choosing his words carefully, "Zhang Ya will always be a problem."

"She knows too much."

"Although General Manager Wan Baolai is inside, she is still in our hands."

"But if someone starts investigating one day, neither of us will be able to escape."

Secretary Hu Dakui's smile faded; he walked back to his desk, sat down, and was silent for a few seconds.

"You mean..."

"Get rid of her as soon as possible."

Township Head Ge Jiefang said it very casually, as if it were an everyday occurrence.

"Clean and swift, leaving no future troubles."

Secretary Hu Dakui frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

"Get rid of her... wouldn't that be a pity?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang looked at him, his gaze filled with a touch of speechlessness.

"Secretary Hu, Secretary Chen and County Head Lan have both fallen; why are you still thinking about things below the belt?"

Secretary Hu Dakui felt embarrassed by this remark, but he quickly returned to his smiling appearance.

"That's not what I meant."

"I mean, keeping her might be useful."

"In case we need..."

"Need what?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang interrupted him, "Need her to testify against us? Need her to be a prosecution witness for us?"

Secretary Hu Dakui stopped talking. Township Head Ge Jiefang sighed, his tone softening, "Secretary Hu, we must see the situation clearly."

"Secretary Chen Tianci and County Magistrate Lan Tianxing have fallen—what does that mean? It means the authorities above are getting serious."

"We don't even know what kind of people the new secretary and county magistrate are."

"If we don't prepare early, we will be the next to fall."

Secretary Hu Dakui looked at him, his tone shifting, "What do you mean?"

Township Head Ge Jiefang stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to him.

"Director Li Zhongmin, you know him, right?"

"I know, the former chief of the Hukuang Township Police Station who was transferred to the county to be the deputy director."

Township Head Ge Jiefang turned around, "Correct."

"Why was he able to move up? Because he latched onto the big tree that is Xu Weidong."

"Who is Xu Weidong? He is the son of Commander-in-Chief Xu!"

"Once Director Li Zhongmin followed him, he went from a police station chief to a deputy director."

Township Head Ge Jiefang paused, his gaze becoming profound.

"Secretary Hu, tell me, if Director Li Zhongmin can rely on Xu Weidong, why can't we?"

Secretary Hu Dakui froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"You mean..."

Township Head Ge Jiefang walked back to the sofa, sat down, took a sip from his teacup, and said slowly, "We have a ready-made pledge of allegiance in our hands."

Secretary Hu Dakui's brain spun rapidly, and then he chimed in, "Sihai Mining?"

"Correct."

Township Head Ge Jiefang nodded, "The things Sihai Mining has done over the years are enough for President Cheng Xin to die several times over."

"Illegal mining, tax evasion, hiring thugs to injure people, human trafficking... any one of these, if pulled out, would be a major case."

"If we send these materials to Xu Weidong, it will be a grand gift."

Secretary Hu Dakui's eyes grew brighter and brighter, but then they dimmed again.

"But... our relationship with Sihai Mining isn't clean either."

"The benefits we've received over these years..."

Township Head Ge Jiefang waved his hand, "That's all in the past."

"Now is the time for the Crackdown on Organized Crime, the time to strike at protective umbrellas."

"If we confess voluntarily and expose them proactively, that counts as meritorious service."

"With merits offsetting demerits, we might even get off with a lighter sentence."

Township Head Ge Jiefang paused, his gaze becoming even deeper.

"Besides, the new secretary and county magistrate will definitely want to make a statement."

"If we present such a grand gift, how could they not appreciate it?"

"By then, we might not only be fine, but we might even..."

Township Head Ge Jiefang didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Secretary Hu Dakui remained silent for a long time, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Township Head Ge Jiefang made sense; Secretary Chen Tianci and County Magistrate Lan Tianxing had fallen, and their protective umbrella was gone.

If they didn't hurry to find a new backer now, once the new secretary and county magistrate arrived, they would be the first to be dealt with.

And Xu Weidong was the best choice.

Following him was equivalent to latching onto the thickest thigh.

As for Sihai Mining...

That bastard President Cheng Xin was never a good thing to begin with.

Over the years, relying on him, Secretary Hu Dakui, how much dirty money had he made?

Now it was time to pay back, and there was also Zhang Ya...

He thought of that woman, and his heart felt a bit reluctant.

But Township Head Ge Jiefang was right; things below the belt, compared to his life and career, were nothing.

"Fine."

Secretary Hu Dakui slapped the table, "It's settled."

"We'll organize the materials on Sihai Mining and find an opportunity to send them to Xu Weidong."

Township Head Ge Jiefang nodded with satisfaction, "That's the right way."

He stood up, ready to leave.

Walking to the door, he turned back and said, "Secretary Hu, as for Zhang Ya..."

Secretary Hu Dakui waved his hand, "I know."

"Tonight... tonight will be the last time."

"I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Township Head Ge Jiefang looked at him, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing and pushed the door open to leave.

The moment the door closed, Secretary Hu Dakui leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

He looked at the clock on the wall; it was 4:00 PM, still a few hours until nightfall.

Secretary Hu Dakui thought of Zhang Ya's eyes, remembered the look of despair on her face when he pinned her underneath him, and an unspeakable thrill surged in his heart.

"Tonight, I'll make her wear that outfit."

"It has to be the same one Director Ye wore today!"

"A white coat, a black turtleneck sweater... I'm going to properly enjoy this last time."