Chapter 40

After finishing the meal, I went to the construction station with Manager Wang to get a copy of the contract and to learn about the situation regarding the project payment.

It turned out that the company that owed the final payment was in the same district as my alma mater. They were building several residential buildings, with a total cost of over 4.8 million yuan. They had already paid 3.25 million yuan, and still owed 1.55 million yuan to Liangzhuang Construction Station.

The project was completed ahead of schedule, and there were no quality issues.

In such an economic dispute, a lawsuit would be a sure win. However, since the contract was signed in Jiangcheng and the project was also in Jiangcheng, the lawsuit could only be filed in Jiangcheng. Local protectionism was rampant, and even if they won the case, it would be difficult to enforce the judgment. Therefore, the construction station had never resorted to legal action.

Arresting people wouldn't work, and revealing his identity to intimidate the other party was also not a good idea. The only way to resolve the issue was through legal means. Han Bo didn't really plan to help the construction station with the lawsuit. He just wanted to take advantage of the common misconception that having a lawyer's qualification doesn't necessarily mean one is a lawyer, to see if he could intimidate the other party. He had the construction station staff write a letter of authorization.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Manager Wang didn't mind and directly stamped the letter of authorization with the company seal.

After a round of visits to the "seven stations and eight offices," including a trip to the school and hospital, and a visit to the public security patrol team located in the brick factory office building, the afternoon passed.

Xiao Dan had come back on his motorcycle in the morning, called once in the morning, and three times in the afternoon. With the director of the Comprehensive Governance Office, Zhou Zhengfa, around, it wasn't convenient to meet. It wasn't until Zhou Zhengfa went back to the dormitory to cook for his child that Han Bo, as agreed, drove to the Liangzhuang Village Committee.

"Director Han, this is my uncle."

The nephew's leader had been transferred to the township as a public security commissioner, and Secretary Shan was very happy. He held Han Bo's hand tightly and smiled, "Commissioner Han, my house is right across the street. I knew the township would have arrangements for lunch, so I didn't prepare anything. I only prepared dinner. Come, let's eat."

"Secretary Shan, you're too kind. I came empty-handed, without bringing anything."

"Family, what do you need to bring? Park the car here, it's fine."

"Xiao Dan, where is your house? Where is your father?"

Xiao Dan smiled, a bit embarrassed, and said, "My house is next to my uncle's. My father is in the construction team and won't be back until the end of the year. I didn't do well and didn't get into military school, not even as a volunteer soldier. My older brother and second brother, my uncle's two sons, are amazing. One went to a technical college and is now in Nangang. The other went to military school and is now a lieutenant and company commander."

"Secretary Shan, you're amazing, raising a government official and a military officer."

"Not much, not much. Many people from the village have gone to university or military school. This year, six more were admitted, and we just finished the celebration."

"Xiangzhuang is truly a place of outstanding people. Actually, Xiao Dan is also great. He's about to be transferred to the patrol team and is currently taking self-study exams. With some effort, he can get a degree and have a good chance of being promoted to a regular position."

The old secretary's son had done well, but this nephew was still unsettled. The old secretary patted Xiao Dan's shoulder and said meaningfully, "Xiao Jun, did you hear that? Work hard. As a high school graduate, it's not hard to get into a technical college. With a degree, Commissioner Han will be able to help you more."

"Uncle, I understand. I'm working hard. I'm taking four courses at a time and plan to take the exams four times a year, hoping to pass within a year."

Education can change one's fate. The security staff who were about to be transferred to the patrol team were all determined to study hard. Director Jiang and Sister Yang were very supportive, covering the costs of books and registration fees, and even arranging for the factory's "scholars" to tutor them.

Secretary Shan's house had four bungalows, which looked less well-off than Xiao Dan's two-story house.

But once inside, the feeling was different.

The walls were covered with certificates and military support posters. The certificates were for his two sons and himself. At the top of the wall, two large glass photo frames hung, filled with photos of his sons, daughters-in-law, and his second son's girlfriend. Seeing all this, and the old secretary's beaming face, Han Bo couldn't help but think of himself and his parents who were doing renovation work in Donghai.

Aunt Shan had prepared a good meal. Xiao Dan must have mentioned that he didn't drink, so there were two large bottles of Sprite on the table.

"Commissioner Han, don't be shy, treat it like home. Xiao Jun, I'll pour the drinks. Go get your mother, she's cooking alone, hurry up."

This was a private dinner, so Han Bo didn't act pretentiously and sat down comfortably. Next time, he would bring a few bottles of wine for the old secretary, as there were still several boxes left from a recent celebration.

Xiao Dan's mother was a bit reserved, but Aunt Shan, who often entertained township officials, was more outgoing. She kept urging them to eat and couldn't help but ask if he had a girlfriend. There was a pretty girl in the village who had just been admitted to university, and she could help introduce them.

Being a township official, especially a public security commissioner, was not easy.

After a few bites, Secretary Shan opened up, "Commissioner Han, don't count on the patrol team. First, the public security patrol fees have been misappropriated by the township, and the patrol team members' salaries are less than 260 yuan. The patrol team is just a side job; they come when there's something to do and don't come when there's nothing. It's impossible to spend all day there.

Second, the patrol team members are a mixed bag. Some are former village officials, some are troublemakers from various villages, and their average age is over 35. They are all old hands. They can help with gambling raids and tax collection, but they are unreliable and can't do much else."

Xiao Dan smiled bitterly, "Director Han, the comrade I mentioned at dinner last night only stayed for two months. He felt there was no future and quit. He's now learning to repair motorcycles and plans to open his own shop. His military service was for nothing."

Anyone with ambition wouldn't become a patrol team member. It was expected.

In the afternoon, he had visited the patrol team and saw that about seven or eight people were gathered to play cards. The office was smoky and chaotic, lacking both image and morale. It couldn't be compared to the economic police detachment.

He had planned to integrate them, but now it seemed that doing so would only create more trouble.

"Thank you, Secretary Shan, for your concern. I understand the situation with the patrol team. What I want to know is the overall security situation in the township. Also, how much of the annual silkworm cocoon harvest flows to Xin'an."

"The countryside is not the city. Security is good. Farmers dry their autumn and summer crops on the road, gather them by the roadside in the afternoon, cover them with something, and no one steals them at night. Last year, there were only two or three criminal cases in the township, mostly due to neighborhood disputes or young people getting drunk and injuring others. There hasn't been a murder in seven or eight years."

The old secretary picked up a peanut and continued, "The silk company's purchase price for a kilogram of silkworm cocoons is several yuan lower than the market price. A lot of cocoons flow out, mostly collected by dealers. After all, Xin'an is unfamiliar, and silkworm cocoons can't be handled too much, so few people deliver them themselves."

Aunt Shan couldn't help but add, "Commissioner Han, dealers are unreliable now. They don't pay in cash but take the cocoons and pay later. This year, a dealer came to collect spring cocoons, but he took the cocoons and hasn't paid yet. Several households were cheated."

Silk and cocoons are one of the county's pillar industries, and the county government takes it very seriously. Although preventing the outflow of cocoons is a non-police activity, in Sige County, it is a task the Public Security Bureau must carry out every year.

In an era where most agricultural products have had price controls and distribution channels liberalized, silkworm cocoons remain under government price control. The state has long implemented strict directive plans for silkworm production, cocoon drying, and silk product acquisition, only changing to provincial government pricing under central government guidance last year.

Due to the slow pace of management reform, which hasn't kept up with the needs of economic transformation, the silk company has a monopoly, and a significant amount of fresh cocoons flow out.

This year, the prices outside were high, and the county's purchase price was low, so the farmers suffered. However, when the prices outside were low, the silk company still purchased at the government-set price and provided various services through the sericulture guidance station. If it were done through contract farming, everyone would follow the contract, and there might be fewer issues.

Since he was being paid by the silk company, he had to work for the silk company. Even if he wasn't being paid by the silk company, the county and bureau would still require him to prevent the outflow of cocoons.

Raising silkworms is hard work, and it's not easy for farmers to make money.

Han Bo decided to crack down on illegal dealers and turn a blind eye to farmers selling their cocoons across the river. This way, he could at least stop some of the outflow and give an account to his superiors and the silk company.

After discussing the cocoon acquisition situation for a while, Xiao Dan asked curiously, "Director Han, where will you stay tonight?"

"I'll stay in Commissioner Li's room for now, on the third floor of the township government. Once the police station is set up, I'll move there. Don't worry about it. If anything comes up, I'll come to your uncle for advice. Don't listen to Director Jiang; go back to work tomorrow."

"Okay, I can't really help much at home anyway."

"Introducing me to Secretary Shan is a big help."

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends