Chapter 38

Having a "maternal home" is completely different from not having one; the boss and colleagues were of great help.

When the meeting was over, the factory manager used his mobile phone to call Manager Wang of the silk company, learning that "one of our own" had been appointed as the public security commissioner of Liangzhuang Township. This person could help the silk system guard the western gate, and Manager Wang was very pleased, agreeing to sponsor 60,000 yuan annually, which would be recorded as silkworm cocoon acquisition expenses.

The money could be collected from the silk company or directly from the finance department of the silk weaving factory.

The two companies were essentially in the same boat, with annual transactions amounting to tens of millions. A 60,000 yuan contribution here meant 60,000 yuan less there, a simple matter. Deputy Factory Manager Yu, who was in charge of finance, decisively said they could come to the finance department to collect a cash check the next morning.

Manager Wang of the silk company not only provided the money but also offered office space.

Townships have many department-level units, commonly known as "seven stations and eight offices," such as the agricultural machinery station, agricultural technology station, water conservancy station, family planning station, cultural station, radio station, economic management station, traffic management station, veterinary station, judicial office, police station, land management office, finance office, tax office, postal office, power supply office, and industrial and commercial office. There are actually more than thirteen, and some townships have over thirty.

Some are managed by the township, while others are managed by the county. The upcoming "Silk and Mulberry Guidance Station" in Liangzhuang Township is a branch of the silk company, with a less prestigious status, and many officials do not take it seriously.

Among all the stations, the police station is the most intimidating.

Liangzhuang does not have a police station but has a public security commissioner. If a police office could be set up next to the "Silk and Mulberry Guidance Station" and the commissioner could greet the village cadres, the expansion of mulberry planting would be easier.

More people planting mulberry and raising silkworms means more cocoons, and more cocoons mean more money for the silk company.

In short, in the minds of Manager Wang and other leaders of the silk system, the soon-to-be-appointed public security commissioner of Liangzhuang Township has already become a "silk police."

...

This is 60,000 yuan, not 6,000. For the bureau, 60,000 is not a small amount. Financial matters must be reported and approved.

"Go and get it, why not take the money!"

Director Ji's eyes sparkled, and he said enthusiastically, "I'll wait outside. You go in and collect it. The bureau will help you with the invoices. The police station has a limited budget, and you won't use it all. The sponsorship fee will be returned at 50%, half to the bureau and half to you. As for the police office, follow Manager Wang's instructions. A police office should have been set up long ago. Li Shuncheng's office is on the third floor of the township government, next to the deputy township head. Who would dare to go there if they had a problem?"

If he had known, he wouldn't have reported it, and now he had lost half.

Han Bo helped pull open the door of the Cherokee, and said with a bitter smile, "Director Ji, I planned to use the 60,000 yuan to integrate the neighborhood watch team."

"Xiao Han, I know the township skims off the top. If half of the collected neighborhood watch fees go to the team, it's already good. But there will be some, enough to cover the basic salary. You can give them some overtime pay, 30,000 yuan is enough. You are in a difficult situation, but the bureau is even more so. The finance department is piled high with invoices waiting for reimbursement. Understand."

"But..."

"That's it. Do a good job; the unit needs talents like you. If everyone were as capable as you, Director Zhang and the political commissar wouldn't have to beg for funds all day. Let's go, I'll lead the way, and you follow closely."

On the first day of the new colleague's official work, he secured 30,000 yuan in sponsorship for the bureau, and Director Ji was very pleased. If he had known how good he was at raising funds, he should have assigned him to the finance department.

The first stop was the silk weaving factory, to the finance department for a cash check.

Deputy Factory Manager Yu signed it, and since the person collecting the money was "one of our own," the usually slow and dragging Aunt Shen was surprisingly efficient today.

Money in hand is real money. Director Ji was afraid that the bureau's skimming would be known by the silk company's leadership, turning a good cash check into a bad one. He immediately ordered the driver to turn back to the bureau, instructing the finance department to withdraw the money from the Agricultural Bank, and to officially send the "little god of wealth" to his new post after the money was in hand.

They stopped at the Fourth Criminal Police Team responsible for the area around Dinghu and the Dinghu Police Station, introducing him to the team leaders, instructors, and officers.

All police are one family, and the county police are even more so. Getting to know each other means mutual support in case of emergencies.

Passing through the "Liangzhuang People Welcome You" sign, the road was lined with two-story buildings, indicating a good standard of living, better than Sihetown, like the economically developed Jiangnan region.

The township government was not on the Siliang Road but at a T-junction to the south.

Last night, Xiao Dan introduced it during dinner. This was already the end of the Siliang Road, leading directly to Liuxia Town in Xin'an County to the west, a road built by the township with a length of about three kilometers. Liuxia Town was only three kilometers from Xin'an County, meaning that people from Liangzhuang could go to another city and county more easily than to their own county. Therefore, if Liangzhuang residents wanted to buy something, they usually went directly to Xin'an to the west.

The Liangzhuang market was a north-south street, with many shops on both sides, one after another. After multiple stops, it was already past ten in the morning, and the street was quite deserted.

The former township party school had been bought by the silk company, including the land. The location was good, opposite the old supply and marketing cooperative.

The silk company was wealthy, not just renovating but building anew. The old classrooms remained, but a row of two-story buildings was built along the street. The southernmost building was the cocoon acquisition station with six windows, the middle was a store selling mulberry and silkworm medicine, and the northern part was the technical guidance station. The old party school sign was removed, and the main gate became a side gate.

This place would be good for a police office, more impressive than the Dinghu Police Station.

The official in charge of construction from the silk company should be in the yard. He had the office phone number and pager number, but there was no time now. He would find him in the afternoon to chat.

While thinking about whether he could get a storefront, the jeep carrying Director Ji turned into the township government compound.

The compound was large, larger than the police bureau, with a three-story building facing east, all aluminum alloy doors and windows. The corridor was on the south side, next to a large meeting room, which was next to the party and government offices, civil affairs office, and industrial office. The second floor housed the People's Armed Forces Department, economic management station, finance office, and radio station. The offices of the party secretary, township head, chairman of the People's Congress, deputy party secretary, and deputy township head were on the third floor.

The previous public security commissioner was also a township leader, with an office on the third floor.

"Secretary Cui, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

He had called before leaving, and as soon as the car stopped, several officials came out to greet them. The person Director Ji was greeting had a wrinkled face, white temples, dark skin, rough hands full of calluses, and several holes in his pants, clearly someone who often worked in the fields.

"Party Secretary Lu went to the construction station and will be back soon. Township Head Jiao is in the village. It's just us here. Director Ji, this is Special Commissioner Han, very young." Secretary Cui was very热情, taking out cigarettes to distribute.

This wasn't a formal appointment by the organization department, so it wasn't that formal.

Director Ji took the cigarette, smiling and introducing, "Secretary Cui, let me formally introduce you to the new public security commissioner of Liangzhuang Township, Comrade Han Bo. He is a university graduate with a bachelor's degree and a lawyer's qualification. Before joining our police system, he served as the deputy head of the security department and the head of the economic police team at the county state-owned textile factory. He is a 'model individual' in the county's law and order system and an 'excellent student' in the sixth phase of the county's young cadre training program.

We can say that we have sent the youngest, most politically conscious, and most competent comrade in the county's police system to you. See, this police car is also assigned to Liangzhuang, which even the Dinghu Police Station doesn't have, showing how much our bureau leaders value the public security work in Liangzhuang."

"Public Security Commissioner Han Bo, reporting to Secretary Cui!"

Sending someone with a lawyer's qualification and a police car, what was the police bureau up to? Could it be dissatisfied with Old Li not paying the fine?

If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. Besides, Old Li was already hospitalized, diagnosed with cancer, and the higher-ups wouldn't make things difficult for a hardworking old comrade who might not even make it to the New Year.

Cui Taiping had nothing to worry about and said humbly, "Deputy Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Special Commissioner Han, no need to be so formal."

"Xiao Han, Deputy Secretary Cui is in charge of grassroots organization building, law and order, safety production, propaganda, and the Youth League. He is your direct superior, so you should report and consult more often."

"Yes!"

"Don't be so serious, Special Commissioner Han. Come, let me introduce you. This is our township party committee member and deputy township head, Comrade Zhang Jian, in charge of discipline inspection, party and government offices, letters and visits, confidentiality, comprehensive management, and judicial mediation. This is our township comprehensive management office director, Comrade Zhou Zhengfa, and this is our township judicial office director, Comrade Wu Jinshan. To welcome you, all the law and order and comprehensive management officials are here."

The police have power but no status. Except for the judicial office director, who has even less power and status, everyone else is a leader, and Han Bo hurriedly saluted and greeted each one.

"Secretary Cui, Township Head Zhang, I have delivered the person. You are the leaders in charge of law and order, so I entrust Xiao Han to you. Please criticize and help him more. I have a meeting this afternoon, so I need to go back. Next time I go to the county, remember to visit our bureau."

"It's almost lunchtime, can't you stay for a bit?"

Who knows when "Lu the Cannon" will return. Director Ji didn't want to meet the township party secretary, who even made the county leaders headache, and left after a few polite words, regardless of how Deputy Secretary Cui and Deputy Township Head Zhang tried to retain him.