Chapter 40

The man in black paused slightly, seeing someone come out from a distance, he immediately started the car and left.

After a while, his phone lit up slightly, receiving a call. The man, wearing a glove on his left hand, picked up a simple black and white screen phone.

"Understood. Three miles down the road, there's an unfinished resort hot spring. He's been there, good."

The man, wrapped up, turned off his phone and drove the unbranded old jeep along the dirt road towards the half-built resort in Guomu Gou.

...

It was the afternoon when Zhao Zhiqiang took Gu Quanyou up the mountain.

Gu Meiyun and He Dacheng returned to the city committee to report the situation to Secretary Li Yuan and Mayor Xue Quan, who had just returned from Bincheng. Various departments dealing with emergencies also reported one by one. Zeng Xiaofeng, the responsible person of the town where the incident occurred, was severely criticized. With such a major incident, someone had to take responsibility, and the street committee secretary and director were the first to be held accountable.

Li De, the street committee director who hurried back from Shenyang, also made a self-criticism. Although he didn't understand the situation, an incident happening near the New Year was a big deal.

Zhang Weifa, the village committee director, didn't have the qualifications to enter the meeting room, but he was like an ant on a hot pan, waiting for the meeting to end and to return with the street committee leaders.

After the meeting, Gu Meiyun reported to Secretary Li about Zhao Zhiqiang's matter.

Li Yuan was very surprised.

"He wants to run for village committee director? No way..."

In his view, the rather bizarre Zhao Zhiqiang seemed to be on the same wavelength as Old Lin.

Forming a brotherhood with his father and Old Lin was just a bit of fun for the two of them and Old Lin's whims. Zhao Zhiqiang seemed like a very stubborn person, so why would he run for village committee director? It was interesting.

Moreover, after returning from the military, even without a cadre status, he could have become a civil servant with his relationship with Old Lin. As a doctor, it would have been even easier, given that he could cure his father's headache, which many experts couldn't. Being a doctor seemed like a no-brainer, right?

"Comrade Gu Meiyun, your information is very timely. Comrade Zhao Zhiqiang's proposal is quite innovative. Your district should study it and see if Chang'an Village can be developed as a model for the new district. It would be a good opportunity to try new approaches in village renovation, relocation, and attracting investment. Comrade Zhao Zhiqiang's idea is excellent. Building and governing the village by the village is more worth exploring than the previous government-led or developer-led methods. This is a new attempt at deepening reforms. A village is neither too big nor too small. Your Chengnan District can give it a try. Mayor Chen, what do you think?"

"Agreed, Secretary Li. Your suggestion is very good. I think selecting a village to pilot the new development strategy is a good idea. We can improve it further..."

He Dacheng wanted to say, "Didn't we design it this way initially? Mayor Chen didn't agree then... Why is he agreeing now?"

"Comrade Li, Mayor Chen, we will hold a meeting immediately upon our return to implement the instructions of the Secretary and Mayor." Gu Meiyun glanced at Xue Quan, who hadn't spoken, and then left with Pang Wenxian and He Dacheng from Chengnan District.

...

Zhu Zhijun ran all the way to the guard's dormitory at the city hospital.

He didn't find his brother, who was on leave and had gone home. He saw that the area was under lockdown, with police and engineering supervisors investigating something. Later, he heard that a floor slab had collapsed after being run over by a car, narrowly missing someone.

He was shocked when he saw the large hole. He then borrowed ten yuan from his brother's colleague and took a taxi home, just in time to meet his brother Zhu Zhiqing, who had just arrived by bicycle.

"Hey? Why are you back, Xiao Jun? Not working today?"

Zhu Zhijun saw that his brother had just handed a ten-thousand-yuan note to their mother.

His eyes lit up, "Bro, did you get paid? That's not right, it can't be that much, ten thousand?"

"Ten thousand, not my salary. I met Zhao Zhiqiang at the hospital today, your classmate who was good at fighting and was expelled, then joined the military. He gave it to me, and I couldn't refuse!"

"Zhao Zhiqiang? He gave you—Bro, are you sure? He's back? Didn't he sign up as a non-commissioned officer and go abroad? Did you really see him?"

Zhu Zhijun grabbed his brother's arm tightly.

"Ouch!" Zhu Zhiqing pulled his hand away, "Yes, we even had dinner together. He seems to have made a fortune. A whole black plastic bag, full of money! He said it was for the New Year, and he didn't have time to visit Mom."

Zhu Zhijun's eyes sparkled with golden stars, "He's really back? Made a fortune! What's his phone number? I need to find him, I have something to ask!"

"Uh, he said he doesn't have a phone yet."

"Bro, you really messed up. I have Tang Gun's phone... Let's talk tomorrow. I got fired again. Mom, give me eight thousand. I promised Xiao Erzi I'd invest in his store, I need to show my commitment..."

"Get lost! Xiao Jun, do you think I don't know you're going to gamble again? We shouldn't have taken this money, but with Dad's illness, we have no money left, sigh!"

Zhu's mother looked anxiously at her wayward second son.

"Mom, if you don't give me the money—then I'll jump from the balcony!"

Zhu Zhijun ran to the balcony and stood on the edge of the fifth-floor balcony!

"Xiao Jun!"

"Don't, don't, Mom, give me the money..."

Twenty minutes later, Zhu Zhijun, now full of energy with the money, reappeared at the underground casino in Jinzun Entertainment City on Baoheng Street.

"I'm back!"

Zhu Zhijun, who had already lost his eyesight from gambling, stood proudly at the chip exchange counter.

Slam!

He threw the eight thousand yuan on the counter, as if slapping the person's face.

"Exchange it all, I'm going to win it all back today!"

From a distance, by the stairs.

Huang San spat.

"What a fool. Showing off for what? Come here, the boss has given orders. Today, this kid will lose everything, even his underwear and his mother. Got it?"

"Got it, Brother San, you can count on me!"

Two professional cheaters nodded and smiled, flicked their cigarettes, and entered the public gaming area of the underground entertainment venue.

At the other end of the underground palace, rebuilt from the air-raid shelters left by the Japanese, was the VIP area, which ordinary gamblers couldn't enter.

...

Gu Quanyou wanted to leave with Zhao Zhiqiang, but he was worried about his rebellious son at home. He swore to the heavens that he wouldn't reveal what he had heard. After soaking for over an hour, his driver returned with a Lincoln and a lot of food, including a whole chicken that Zhao Zhiqiang had ordered, and some cooked food for the two other bathers. He even brought a portion for the manager outside. He didn't understand why Zhao Zhiqiang wanted to rest here.

Zhao Zhiqiang, of course, wasn't going to leave; his spiritual energy hadn't been fully absorbed yet.

Since his family hadn't called, he asked Gu Quanyou to pass a message that he would stay and sleep there. He then devoured two chickens and some other food, and comfortably soaked in the hot spring.

With the experience from the previous night, today was much smoother. Zhao Zhiqiang quickly entered a deep sleep.

The mental energy he had gained from spending eighty thousand yuan today was converted into spiritual energy more quickly and was more controllable.

Zhao Zhiqiang was starting to enjoy the feeling of slowly absorbing the invisible spiritual energy in the water.

Each time he completed the absorption of spiritual energy, it was stored, and his body seemed to become more ethereal. The path for the spiritual energy to travel accelerated the absorption, but his body's condition became more dependent on the spiritual energy. Clearly, he used a bit more today than yesterday.

Fortunately, he could "process" the spiritual energy by lying in the water. Zhao Zhiqiang focused his mind and lay in the pool, only his head exposed, and soon fell asleep.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhao Zhiqiang suddenly heard the roar of a car engine and the sound of brakes. With the eight strands of spiritual energy he had refined, his hearing seemed to have improved. Even from a distance, in the quiet valley, he could hear the voice of his childhood friend Tang Gun and Wu Bing.

"I told you he'd be here, you didn't believe me!"

"Daqiang, it's bad, Zhu Zhijun has caused a huge mess!"

PS: Thanks to all the brothers who supported the book. We've successfully made the charts, and I'll work hard to write more for everyone's good fortune!

Various books by Zhang Xiaohua:

[bookid=3099023, bookname=《Confused Bun Shop》]

The most beautiful medical officer:

[bookid=3118048, bookname=《Medical Excellence》]

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