Chapter 64

"Who are you afraid of among the higher-ups? If there's meat, everyone gets to eat. You're afraid others will covet it even before you get the meat, so what's the point of eating it? Forget it, the situation is getting complicated now. Secretary Li's one word has blocked the conversion of collective land to state-owned, and he's letting the village develop on its own, which is actually a way to stick it to Mayor Chen. The new district construction is going to be a mess." Li De shook his head, "Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I explained. In short, holding the village chief in your hand will never be a bad thing!"

Li De had a keen nose. Yesterday, he had sensed something was off. This wasn't just about the delegation of power but a power struggle. Although the secretary didn't manage the specific work, he had torn away one of the three major sections of the new district, preventing Mayor Chen from realizing some of his plans. This was enough. As for how the village developed, it was actually insignificant.

But for him, it was a completely different story. If the collective land couldn't be converted to state-owned, he wouldn't make much profit. Thinking about this, he cursed Zhao Guangming...

"Think carefully about how to handle the plan. I'll help you think too. Although we have good connections, the Zhang family's brats are also watching closely. The current village chief is like Tang Monk, and all the demons are trying to get him, openly and secretly. Hmph!" Li De looked at his nephew with a mix of frustration and disappointment, "Don't go out during the New Year, stay here."

"I want revenge." Zhao Tiejun suddenly said, his heart still heavy. Thinking of his competitor made him anxious. Brother Bai didn't give any response, and he had no idea what was going on. Could the person they hired really break that bastard's leg?

Just as he finished speaking, the city's news reported: "The notorious fugitive known as 'Lone Wolf,' wanted by the Ministry of Public Security, was captured this morning in the southern part of our city. This person has committed dozens of crimes in the northeastern provinces and across the country..."

Lone Wolf?

Isn't this the hitman Brother Bai mentioned?

Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.

Damn, did it go wrong?

Similarly sweating were Bai Haijun and Mei Jun from Jinzun.

Standing in front of Zhou Shunzhang, who had just returned from South Korea, they were almost unable to stand. Bai Haijun kept slapping himself, tears streaming down his face as he begged for mercy.

Mei Jun's back was drenched in sweat.

Zhou Shunzhang, with his neatly combed white hair, coldly stared at the two men at his feet.

"This must not happen again. If you offend that high person again, you two will have to find your own place, and I will take care of your families."

Jin Mingzhe, who was very cautious, whispered, "Uncle, should we meet with that high person?"

"Meet? Forget it. It's almost the Spring Festival, we can't cause trouble at this critical time. We'll talk about it after the New Year. I really didn't expect that high person to be so skilled in gambling, truly not an ordinary person."

Bai Haijun regretted it so much that he almost wanted to hit himself with a brick. That Zhao Tiejun is no good! Zhao Zhiqiang, who is he? You don't even know! My God, even the famous 'Tiger of the East Sea,' Boss Zhou, is so cautious. What kind of person did you offend?

He didn't know that in Zhou Shunzhang's eyes, Zhao Zhiqiang was no different from a local mystic or a high-ranking figure in the underworld. He was just someone with a request.

...

Zhao Zhiqiang had already returned home and was sitting opposite his father, Zhao Jincai.

"Ridiculous!" Zhao Jincai was furious when he heard from his second son that the eldest wanted to run for village chief. He stormed into the house, not even waiting to understand how his eldest son had made so much money and transformed the house, which was far more capable than his father. He immediately started interrogating his son, "You little brat, what are you doing running for village chief? Resign immediately, don't do that nonsense!"

He hadn't even shaken off the dirt from his clothes, and the clean floor was immediately covered in a layer of dust.

Zhao Zhiqiang wanted to laugh. What was wrong with his father?

"Father, give me a reason. Why can't I be a village official?"

"Hmph, no good officials! We'd rather starve to death than be such a dog official. And tell me, what's with this house and the money? Huh!"

Zhao Jincai roared!

"You just signed a one-year contract and came back from the army. What skills do you have to earn so much money as an advisor? Don't try to fool me! I know exactly what you're capable of!"

Hua Xuemei couldn't take it anymore.

In the past, Zhao Jincai almost never managed his two sons, focusing only on earning money outside. She took care of everything, from food and clothing to homework. She had never seen her husband lose his temper like this when he came home!

"Your father, what are you doing? Why can't you talk nicely? What's wrong with you? Daqiang came back from the army and wants to run for village chief, which is a good thing. Are you going to make him work on a construction site like you? And you question his ability to earn money. What right do you have to question him? From childhood to adulthood, you've never taken care of Daqiang's meals, sleep, education, or military service. You only helped him get into the army. Now you come in and start cursing, what's wrong with you?" As she spoke, she became so agitated that she started coughing violently.

The two sons quickly went to help her, patting her back and bringing her water.

Zhao Jincai's face was still gray and lifeless, and it was hard to tell if it was his natural complexion. Seeing his wife cough, he moved slightly but didn't budge.

Years of hard labor had left him exhausted. After two years of work, he had only received a small portion of his living expenses, and over 60,000 yuan in wages were still owed. This had been a constant source of frustration for him. The reason given by the boss was that a government department had refused to sign the supervision approval due to alleged project defects. This had fueled his long-standing fear and hatred of officials. Hearing that his son wanted to be an official, he had immediately lost control.

Moreover, he couldn't believe that his eldest son had earned 500,000 yuan and a house in less than five days. If he, the father, had worked hard for over a decade and still hadn't earned as much, he must be useless.

Seeing the new house and the new home, his sense of failure made him unable to believe it and control his emotions. He had always looked down on his eldest son, who seemed unambitious.

Sending him to the army, he had sent him to the western border, partly because he wanted to send him as far away as possible, hoping the harsh conditions of the desert would toughen him up...

"What kind of advisor are you?"

"Investment advisor." Zhao Zhiqiang didn't argue with his father, answering whatever was asked. If it were three years ago, he might have turned and left.

"What about the 500,000 yuan?" Zhao Jincai asked, his face twisted in confusion and frustration.

"..."

Zhao Zhiqiang explained again, and Zhao Zhigang added some details. The matter was finally settled.

Zhao Jincai "hmpf"ed and said nothing more, going to the bathroom to take off his clothes and shower...

Hua Xuemei looked at the bathroom door and shook her head.

Zhao Zhigang was still terrified.

Zhao Zhiqiang patted his brother's shoulder and said softly, "Everything will be fine."

In his heart, he sighed. His father was still the same, taking out his frustrations on his wife and children at home—nothing had changed.

He didn't need to use his financial insight to know that his father had suffered a great deal of injustice outside. He had experienced this all his life and was very familiar with this scene.