Chapter 94: Preventing Trouble Before It Happens

Hou Lihua was using the money from Houjiatang Village, what could Chen Shuli possibly have to say about it? Besides, he knew Hou Lihua’s personality; once he made up his mind, the best way to persuade him to change it was to save your breath.

With Hou Lihua taking such a stance, Hu Fenqiang and Ma Mingyi couldn’t help but show their support as well; otherwise, it would just be a formal show of support. They needed to take real action!

Hu Fenqiang gave Hou Lihua a disdainful look. You old monkey, you could have called Director Zhu later in the evening. Why did you have to shout it out in the meeting room?

"Secretary Chen, what do you think?" Seeing Zhu Daodong agree readily, Hou Lihua quickly smiled and asked Chen Shuli.

"Hou Lihua, are you just going to hand over the village’s money to Director Zhu like that?" Chen Shuli sneered. "This matter ends here. Zhu Daodong, you must return tomorrow! Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, Ma Mingyi, come to my office. The rest of you, the meeting is dismissed." Chen Shuli hung up the phone and left the meeting room. He had always felt that using the feed mill’s funds to buy stock subscription certificates was inappropriate. Now that the village secretaries had voted to decide, Zhu Daodong should have given up. But Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, and Ma Mingyi were supporting him, and Hou Lihua even wanted to use the village’s money to support him. Wasn’t this just making a mess?

"It seems this matter is not going to be easy." In Shanghai, Zhu Daodong smiled bitterly and shook his head at Hou Feng and Hu Zhengqing. Chen Shuli’s attitude was clear; he was firmly against this. It wasn’t because Zhu Daodong was misusing the feed mill’s funds, but because the risk was too great. If it failed, no one could bear the consequences. Not even Zhu Daodong himself, nor Chen Shuli.

"Director Zhu, you really don’t need to do this. If it succeeds, you won’t gain any benefits. If it fails, it will give others a handle to use against you, which will be very detrimental to your future." Hu Zhengqing laughed softly. He had called the village earlier, and the old secretary told him that the village did not support Zhu Daodong’s risky actions. But just now, he clearly heard the old secretary change his stance. It wasn’t because he saw the potential in stock subscription certificates, but because he trusted Zhu Daodong.

"Yes, Director Zhu, misusing public funds can be a serious matter. To avoid unnecessary trouble in the future, I also think that if this can be avoided, it should be." Hou Feng said softly. Even if buying stock subscription certificates really made money for the feed mill, it would bring endless trouble to Zhu Daodong. The jealousy and covert attacks that would follow would be hard to guard against.

Although the crime of embezzlement did not yet exist, misusing public funds was a disciplinary offense. As Hou Feng said, it could be a big or small matter. It could make Zhu Daodong suffer at a critical moment, or his opponents could use it to control him at the right time. If Zhu Daodong had not reported this to the township and had used Hou Feng and Hu Zhengqing’s names to buy a batch of stock subscription certificates, the matter would have been over. If they made money in the future, as long as the necessary procedures were followed, no one would say anything. After all, the feed mill was owned by all the families in the township, and Zhu Daodong was working for their benefit, not lining his own pockets.

"I understand your concerns. Let it be. I’ll go for a walk. I’m returning tomorrow, so I’ll see if there’s anything I can bring back." Zhu Daodong nodded. If he hadn’t heard that rumor at the Reform Office, he wouldn’t have done this. He had some knowledge of business management, but not much in finance.

Fortunately, this matter involved Chen Shuli. If it had been Yuan Ping, he might have set a trap. Even if the stock subscription certificates made money for the feed mill, Yuan Ping would still have held Zhu Daodong accountable. Thinking of this, Zhu Daodong broke out in a cold sweat. Perhaps this was an example of good intentions leading to bad results.

If he had been more familiar with financial regulations, he might not have made such a basic mistake. This led Zhu Daodong to the Xinhua Bookstore. As a township leader, he felt it was necessary to catch up on this knowledge. He had graduated from the Chinese Department of a Normal University, which made him a qualified teacher, but as a deputy township head, his knowledge was insufficient.

In Shumu Ridge, Chen Shuli’s office, Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, and Ma Mingyi had all arrived. Chen Shuli even called the finance office director, Xu Rui. Ma Mingyi, being the youngest, took on the role of a server, pouring tea for everyone.

"Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, Ma Mingyi, this is a typical case of disorganization and lack of discipline. Since the vote decided that the feed mill’s funds should not be used to buy stock subscription certificates, you should have followed the resolution. But you openly opposed it in the meeting, especially you, Hou Lihua, who even dared to use the village’s money to support Zhu Daodong. Are you really confused or just pretending?" Chen Shuli’s eyes swept over them, and he spoke sternly.

"Secretary Chen, if it weren’t for Director Zhu, our Houjiatang Village wouldn’t even be able to come up with 1,500 yuan, let alone 15,000. Now that Director Zhu wants to buy stock subscription certificates for the feed mill, I think it’s necessary to support him." Hou Lihua said stubbornly.

"Do you still need to support him?" Chen Shuli sneered. "Director Xu, tell them, is it against the rules to use the village’s money for this?"

"Definitely against the rules. If it’s in a personal name, it might be fine. But in the name of the village committee, well, that seems inappropriate." Xu Rui laughed softly.

"Then I’ll use my personal name!" Hou Lihua said firmly.

"Wow, when did you, Secretary Hou, become a ten-thousand-yuan household? I didn’t know that." Chen Shuli, seeing Hou Lihua still obstinate, was amused.

"Secretary Chen, what do you suggest we do?" Hou Lihua’s face turned red. His net worth was indeed less than 10,000 yuan, but with a few more years and the income from the village’s tofu factory, he could become a true ten-thousand-yuan household.

"Didn’t I already say? This matter ends here. I called Director Xu today to remind you not to mix the village’s money with your own!" Chen Shuli waved his hand and said.

"Secretary Chen, but..." Hou Lihua quickly signaled to Hu Fenqiang and Ma Mingyi.

"There are no buts. If you want to continue as village secretaries, this matter ends here!" Chen Shuli said sternly.

With the party secretary’s authority, the village secretaries were all silent. Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, and Ma Mingyi were considered influential figures among the village secretaries, but compared to Chen Shuli, they were on a completely different level.

After Hou Lihua, Hu Fenqiang, and Ma Mingyi left dejectedly, Chen Shuli smiled at Xu Rui. "Comrade Xu Rui, when Zhu Daodong sold the Shumu Ridge wine, were all the procedures completed?"

Zhu Daodong said on the phone today that he brought 10,000 yuan to Shanghai, which was a huge sum in Shumu Ridge. Chen Shuli quickly understood that this money must have been the excess profit from Zhu Daodong’s previous sales of Shumu Ridge wine. Although the township had a document stating that any excess money after Zhu Daodong paid the annual management fee for the wine factory would belong to him, there was still a procedural issue. Now that Zhu Daodong was spending 10,000 yuan at once, wouldn’t it make some people suspect that he was embezzling from the feed mill and the farm?

Zhu Daodong was a cadre promoted by Chen Shuli. Now, with Wang Wenhao’s sudden loss, he and Zhu Daodong were on the same side, sharing both glory and disgrace.