Chapter 34

The height of your stance determines the height of your thoughts.

The key lies in whether you dare to stand at the height you should.

Zhao Zhiqiang didn't feel that his stance was particularly high.

Even in the strange looks of the officials from the street and district, he didn't find anything amiss, thinking it was just standing on the roof of a car.

However, the villagers' gazes revealed a different story.

Da Qiangzi actually returned sitting in the back seat of the district party secretary's car, with the mighty Deputy District Chief He sitting in the front, and the female district party secretary sitting beside him. When they got out of the car, the district party secretary was the first to step down!

Don't underestimate the common people; the concept of official hierarchy is deeply rooted in the hearts of the Chinese, even illiterate old men know that those who sit in the back are the big officials, and the last one to get out is the biggest of all...

Now, Da Qiang had jumped onto the district party secretary's car, which was equivalent to riding the district party secretary's horse!

This subtle action sparked many speculations among the crowd. What they didn't have time to consider earlier now rippled through the minds of the more calculating villagers.

In the past, not to mention jumping onto the district party secretary's car, even getting close was unthinkable.

The fear of official authority is innate and deep-seated. Now, Zhao Zhiqiang's action was like a spark falling into flammable oil, igniting the suppressed emotions of the villagers.

Their eyes were filled with admiration and reverence.

Enthusiasm.

Hope.

In the eyes of some young peers and brothers, Zhao Zhiqiang saw a glint of wild desire.

All those gazes meant little to him.

He had been on the battlefield and faced life and death; there was little that could make him nervous.

What he wanted now was to calm these excited villagers.

After shouting, the crowd indeed quieted down. Even the current deputy director Zhang Jike, the public security commissioner Hu Jun, and the villager representative Wu Bing felt a mix of bewilderment, admiration, and jealousy.

Because in the past, in similar situations, no one would listen except for the old party secretary Zhang Weifa's shouts.

But Zhao Zhiqiang had managed to do it.

Standing on the car roof, Zhao Zhiqiang surveyed the scene and understood the situation. The villagers of Chang'an Village were not unreasonable; they simply wanted more benefits.

"The government is developing a new district, planning and constructing a new rural area to improve our lives. This is a great opportunity for us to gain both wealth and happiness. We can sell our land and get new houses, no longer toiling in the fields, and live like clean, urban residents. Everything will be beautiful. This is something I never dared to dream of three years ago. Now, due to Zhao Guangming's crime, the relocation work has been suspended. The new plan and solutions will be formulated after the new director is elected and the village committee consults all the villagers. This is the procedure and the law. Please don't believe rumors. The district party secretary and the district chief are here to conduct research and provide explanations. We need to cooperate with the government and address any issues through dialogue without compromising our interests."

"Da Qiang, you can't just talk empty words. You don't know how corrupt the officials are! It's rumored that Zhao Guangming has already received millions from the developers. He sold the village's land and only gave us a hundred per person, while he kept over a million for himself!"

"Exactly, Zhao Guangming has betrayed the entire village!"

"The officials from the street are no better. They act all high and mighty and have probably taken a lot of bribes. They want to take our land at the government's compensation price and then resell it to some company for a huge profit!"

"That's right. We don't have much good land left on Longbei Slope. It's infuriating to see these officials not standing up for the people!"

"What if the compensation money isn't enough after our houses are demolished? The plan says we'll be compensated based on the number of people and the size of the houses, but what if the money isn't enough? We'll be left with nothing."

"Right, what if another corrupt village chief like Li Guangming or Wang Guangming comes along?"

Just as the crowd was about to get rowdy again, the troublemakers looked at Zhao Zhiqiang and smirked.

"Alright, everyone, let's calm down."

Zhao Zhiqiang shouted.

Then he slowly took off his military overcoat and threw it to the people below, followed by his white cotton military shirt and undershirt.

No one knew what he was doing.

The noise died down as everyone watched his actions.

Bare-chested, Zhao Zhiqiang threw his clothes to Wu Bing standing below.

On his chest was a fist-sized scar.

It stretched across his right side, and his muscular upper body was steaming in the cold wind.

It was cold and windy.

But he was not afraid.

Three days of lying in wait at minus thirty degrees was a mandatory test; compared to standing bare-chested in the cold, it was nothing.

The crowd was stunned by the prominent scar on his chest, staring in silence.

They imagined how it must have happened.

Zhao Zhiqiang pointed to the scar and said,

"This was from a mission in the western border, where I was shot by an automatic rifle. Six months ago, I saved a comrade by taking the bullet, and I was lucky to survive. Of course, because of this injury, I can no longer serve in the military, so I came back."

Zhao Zhiqiang continued slowly,

"In my heart, the interests of our village and its people are as sacred and inviolable as my comrades. If any corrupt village chief dares to embezzle the village's assets and infringe on the common interests of the villagers, I will be the first to hold him accountable!"

No one interrupted, and the wind seemed to stop.

Staring at the large scar, they were speechless.

"Da Qiang, put your clothes back on, don't catch a cold. We understand your intentions!"

"That's right! Da Qiang, your character is well-known; we trust you!"

"Da Qiang, you're willing to risk your life to save others; we believe you can improve our village!"

"Right, put your clothes back on!"

Zhao Zhiqiang put on the clothes Wu Bing threw up to him.

"I think everyone knows that I, Da Qiang, am running for the position of village chief of Chang'an Village. I grew up under the watchful eyes of uncles, aunts, and grandparents. Before I joined the military, I was a troublemaker. I climbed trees, climbed walls, fought, and caused mischief. I once secretly put Uncle Zhang Shan's donkey on the mountaintop and trampled Aunt Miao's corn. I fought with the boys from Fugou and Zhangjiavillage, including breaking Fu He's front tooth and pulling down Zhang Xiaopang's pants. I've also been beaten by you all. I remember in junior high, Zhang Jichen and a few others surrounded me in the ditch and beat me up!"

"Ha ha!"

"Ha ha!" Many people laughed, remembering the old days.

"This kid was a real troublemaker. Just because I said something about his father, he put my donkey on the mountaintop, and it took a whole day to find it!" Old man Zhang laughed, recalling the past.

"That's right, you were a tough fighter back then. We couldn't beat you one-on-one. We planned to corner you, and it's still a funny memory!"

Zhang Jichen, who was in the same class as Zhao Zhiqiang, smiled, remembering the old days.

Zhao Zhiqiang smiled and waved his hand, "Joining the military was a turning point in my life. In the army, I learned many skills, but more importantly, I changed a lot. Before, I would fight anyone who called my father 'Old Nian.' Now, I understand that in a village, nicknames are often a sign of affection. I apologize, Da Qiang is sorry!"

"It's nothing!"

"That's right, our children have grown up. We shouldn't call Uncle Jincai 'Old Nian' anymore."

"Exactly, it's hard to hear in front of the children!"

"Zhao Zhiqiang, from now on, we old folks won't use nicknames. We realize you've grown up, and it's disrespectful to use them."

"Right, I agree." Many of the elders also responded, as they were also sensitive to these nicknames. Now that it was clarified, they would stop using them.

The conversation shifted to other topics, and even the district party secretary, Gu Meiyun, became a listener, thinking that this guy was quite persuasive, managing to shift the villagers' attention and turn the discussion into a casual chat!

He Dacheng nodded in approval. This was what organizational influence and charisma looked like.

Jiang Han, with her short, neat hair, kept her eyes on the scar and the muscular body steaming in the cold. She felt a sudden warmth, her admiration for soldiers bordering on blind.

The hundreds of villagers' anxiety and helplessness were relieved.

Zhao Zhiqiang's words were like a lighthouse for countless small boats lost at sea.

Wu Bing stepped forward at the right moment.

"Uncles, aunts, grandmas, sisters, today is Da Qiang's campaign speech. We all know what kind of person Da Qiang is; his word is as good as gold. Let's all go home. Each village should leave a representative and a few articulate people to report to the higher-ups, including Secretary Gu from our district, to coordinate and solve the issues."

"Right, everyone go home. It's too cold to stay here. The relocation won't start until spring. Don't worry; if Zhao Zhiqiang leads us, he won't let us down and will surely improve our village!"

The public security commissioner and militia captain, Hu Jun, who had been quiet, also draped his coat over Zhao Zhiqiang.

The villagers were simple and many were moved by the scar on Zhao Zhiqiang's chest.

They were impressed by his boldness in standing on the district party secretary's car.

They were intrigued by his relationship with the district officials, a connection not easily obtained. Zhao Guangming had been proud for days after riding in the street (town) party secretary's car!

The young people admired Zhao Zhiqiang's skills, especially the way he handled the situation with Niu Dan, which made them envious.

Everyone had their own yardstick.

They knew what kind of person Zhao Tiejun was. He had been bullying the village for three years, taking all the benefits and doing many bad things. It was rumored that he was even the top figure in the criminal underworld in the southern city. If he became the village chief?

They couldn't bear to think about it... especially the people from the four groups on the mountain, who had a poor opinion of Zhao Tiejun, were pleasantly surprised by Zhao Zhiqiang's other side today!

As for Zhang Jike, he seemed a bit effeminate. He was good at specific tasks, but as a leader? Not really. The position of village chief required more than just knowledge and culture.

Fu Jinghua was smart, but he was better suited for business, not as a village chief. After looking at Zhao Zhiqiang a few more times and saying a few words of concern, the villagers gradually left.

Gu Meiyun, dressed in a simple black down jacket, was lost in thought, looking at the small man in front of her, suddenly feeling that her ten years of experience were useless against this guy.

"Secretary Gu, let's go inside and talk." Zhao Zhiqiang, stepping down from the car, invited her like a host. As for Zhang Jike, who was clenching his fists in a threatening manner, no one paid him any attention, treating him as if he were air.

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