Chapter 80: Walls Have Ears

After Zhu Daodong said this, Chen Shuli became hesitant. Not long ago, Old Hu from Jinsha Village had come to him, talking about the tofu factory in Houjiatang Village. The stubborn old man's eyes were filled with tears. He deeply regretted not listening to Zhu Daodong's advice back then. If he had, Jinsha Village would now be the one to hold its head high. As the old party secretary of Jinsha Village who had been in office since the founding of the People's Republic of China, he had always hoped that his villagers could live a prosperous life. However, the opportunity had slipped through his fingers, or rather, had quietly slipped away from his own hands.

"Daodong, do you have confidence in the feed mill and pig farm?" Chen Shuli asked, somewhat moved. Diatomite was like a mirage to him. The only reason he had dared to propose the project was because of Dai Zhengjun's identity as an expert from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. But now, Zhu Daodong was telling him that there was no such person at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. If he hadn't already reported the diatomite factory to the county leaders, he would have definitely supported Zhu Daodong without hesitation.

"In 1988, the Ministry of Agriculture proposed the 'Vegetable Basket Project.' The main goal in recent years has been to establish meat, egg, milk, aquatic, and vegetable production bases at both the central and local levels, as well as breeding and feed processing services, to ensure that residents have fresh vegetables all year round. We cover meat and eggs in the five categories, and with the tofu from Houjiatang, Shumuling Township will make a significant contribution to the city's Vegetable Basket Project. Just this alone, not to mention the county, but even the city will support us," Zhu Daodong said. After the first month's performance of the tofu factory in Houjiatang Village, he had already submitted articles to the city's Shachang Daily and Evening News, titled "Shumuling Tofu on the Citizens' Tables."

The article cited the Vegetable Basket Project policy from the Ministry of Agriculture, introducing how Shumuling Township in Yuhua County, in response to the central government's documents and in support of the city's Vegetable Basket Project, used high-quality soybeans, standard production processes, and strict disinfection and packaging to ensure that citizens could enjoy safe, reliable, and delicious Shumuling tofu every day.

However, it was a bit unfortunate that the article had not yet been published. Zhu Daodong had been closely following the city's Daily and Evening News, and he estimated that the article would be published in the next few days.

"But I have already reported the diatomite factory to Deputy Secretary Wang and County Chief Wang. If I say we won't proceed now, how will the leaders view me?" Chen Shuli felt that he had been too hasty about the diatomite factory, which had put him in a difficult position.

"Secretary, do you really think the diatomite factory will be as profitable as you hope?" Zhu Daodong asked. He knew that if he wanted Chen Shuli to change his mind, he first needed to convince him to give up on the diatomite factory.

"Maybe it can be done in the north, but for us, it's probably a stretch." Chen Shuli shook his head slightly. The raw materials for diatomite had to be transported from the northeast, and the transportation costs alone were substantial. If sales were not optimistic, it would be a real problem.

"Secretary, it's actually not difficult to give up the diatomite factory with a clear conscience, but we need to convince ourselves first. We can roughly calculate the cost of diatomite. If we know the selling price, we can determine whether the factory will be profitable," Zhu Daodong said.

"Yes, how could I forget that? Wait a moment, I'll make a call." Chen Shuli's face showed a hint of pleasure as he quickly left the private room.

Once Chen Shuli left, Zhu Daodong was the only one left in the private room. Since Chen Shuli wanted to discuss matters with Zhu Daodong, the driver, Wang Bo, had not entered with them but was dining alone in the hall. Zhu Daodong didn't know if Chen Shuli would make the call at Xiangshan Villa, but eating alone was rather boring, so he silently activated the Turtle Breath Technique, gradually increasing his hearing.

As soon as he opened his hearing, various noises flooded his ears: the clinking of glasses, the footsteps of the waiters, the whispers of the guests, the loud discussions in the neighboring private room, and then the sounds from the hall. Zhu Daodong was very familiar with Wang Bo's breathing, and as soon as he "located" him, he quickly heard Chen Shuli's voice: "Little Wang, take me home."

Wang Bo was going to leave with Chen Shuli, and Zhu Daodong knew that Chen Shuli's call might take a while. It was even uncertain whether Chen Shuli would return to continue the meal. He wondered what Xu Jun was doing. He hadn't thanked him for the Shumuling wine incident yet. Although it was a mutually beneficial arrangement, Xu Jun had helped him first, and it was only right to thank him in person.

However, Zhu Daodong was disappointed when he "searched" for Xu Jun's voice throughout the entire Xiangshan Villa. After listening to every corner, he still couldn't find Xu Jun. Zhu Daodong had extraordinary confidence in his hearing. Since he didn't hear Xu Jun's voice, Xu Jun must not be in the villa.

Eavesdropping without a purpose was a painful experience, and the only result was to make his ears suffer. Therefore, Zhu Daodong was about to adjust his hearing back to normal. But just as he was about to do so, he suddenly heard someone mention Deputy Secretary Wang's name, and the voice was quite loud, coming from the neighboring private room. He was intrigued and focused his attention on the neighboring room. With a clear target, he was less sensitive to other sounds, and his ears felt more comfortable.

"If Wang Wentiger is re-elected as the 'three-strike' secretary this time, it will be a travesty of justice!"

"Playing cards at work, womanizing at night, and dozing off in meetings—his 'three-strike' reputation has even reached the city. The last time I went to the city for a meeting, someone told me about your county's 'three-strike' secretary, and I was furious."

"The party congress is next month, so we must keep this under wraps. Everyone must be careful with their words. If Wang Wentiger hears anything, it won't be good."

"Who would go around spreading such news? Don't worry, Comrade Peng."

"Everyone understands, so let's agree on this. We'll act together when the time comes," said the person called Comrade Peng.

"No problem, no problem."

"I'll toast to everyone. We mustn't talk about this before the party congress, to prevent walls from having ears," Comrade Peng said.

"Are there so many walls with ears? Besides, the soundproofing in these private rooms is excellent. Even if there are walls with ears, they won't be able to hear what we're saying."

"That's true, but once we leave this room, we must be careful with our words," Comrade Peng realized he was being overly cautious. The walls were covered with velvet, and even standing at the door, one couldn't hear what was being said inside the private room, let alone from the neighboring room.

However, they didn't realize that Zhu Daodong, without any equipment, could hear everything clearly as if he were standing right behind them, regardless of whether it was the neighboring room or even a hundred meters away.

As the conversation in the neighboring room shifted, Zhu Daodong lost interest and withdrew his hearing. But his mind was in turmoil. Someone was planning to take down the 'three-strike' secretary, Wang Wentiger, at the party congress! And from their tone, they seemed quite confident, suggesting that Wang Wentiger's fate was almost sealed.